I love the Merc faction, it called to me since I first laid eyes on Imperial Assault. It's got really cool figures that can give you opponent a run for their money!

However, I think they are losing right now competitively. I wondered why, I wondered what could make them have a place in SCs and Worlds. Honestly, the units aren't bad, they are just too expensive.

Trandoshan Elite:

8 health.
4 speed
1 black dice.
~Bleed
~Focus
~Pierce 2

2 Auto DMG at range 0
Auto Surge and range 3

10 points!

10 points. For 8 points you can get an Echo Base Troop with same health, same speed, same defense, -1 priece, and a red dice at range 3! Is a range restrictive 2 auto damage worth that much, a whole 2 more points? I say no.
For 8 points you can get a RG with Same health, Same defense, better dice, and 1 more speed.

It's just poor pricing. I have if they were at 9 I'd understand and at 8 it'd actually be fair.
6 points for regular.

Then the Tusken Raider Elites. Melee, no reach, auto damage and ~cleave 1. Pretty cool chance to get a little range if you're strapped for movement points, but no active abilities on it.
5 points for Regular if they have the cycler w/abilities, 4 pts without

At 7 points I say it'd be costed correctly if you could use abilities on Tusken Cycler. The way it stands now? 6 points.

IG-88 is painfully overcosted, I, no. Just, no.

I would say Hired Guns, Boba Fett, Nexu, and the Wampa are all correctly costed.

So, do you think the poor Mercs will get a price adjustment? Or are they doomed to be second class lists?

I think THESE Mercs are second class. But the Bantha...ouch, that thing is a beast. Literally and figuratively.

I love the Merc faction, it called to me since I first laid eyes on Imperial Assault. It's got really cool figures that can give you opponent a run for their money!

However, I think they are losing right now competitively. I wondered why, I wondered what could make them have a place in SCs and Worlds. Honestly, the units aren't bad, they are just too expensive.

Trandoshan Elite:

8 health.

4 speed

1 black dice.

~Bleed

~Focus

~Pierce 2

2 Auto DMG at range 0

Auto Surge and range 3

10 points!

10 points. For 8 points you can get an Echo Base Troop with same health, same speed, same defense, -1 priece, and a red dice at range 3! Is a range restrictive 2 auto damage worth that much, a whole 2 more points? I say no.

For 8 points you can get a RG with Same health, Same defense, better dice, and 1 more speed.

It's just poor pricing. I have if they were at 9 I'd understand and at 8 it'd actually be fair.

You're drastically under-rating the raw power of E trandoshans. They would be way overpowered at 8 (though likely not as much as pre nerf RGs) and probably problematic at 9. I think a better fix would be increasing their health.

Also note that EEBTs lose damage if they use the red dice beyond range 1 (they can't replace the blue die so they'll usually need to use their surge for accuracy (and miss outright 11/36 of the time at range 3).

Am I under estimating? On the best roll the Elite Trandos will do 6 dmg total or 5 dmg with priece 2. At adjacent.

At best roll, the RG will do a total of 6 damage, at range 1.

At best roll the Echo Base trooper will do 6 at range 1-3.

The worst for Elite Trandos is 3 with with priece. When adajecent

I don't think they're arguably 2 points better Damage dealers

Am I under estimating? On the best roll the Elite Trandos will do 6 dmg total or 5 dmg with priece 2. At adjacent.

At best roll, the RG will do a total of 6 damage, at range 1.

At best roll the Echo Base trooper will do 6 at range 1-3.

The worst for Elite Trandos is 3 with with priece. When adajecent

I don't think they're arguably 2 points better Damage dealers

Firstly: You're forgetting focus (and relentless but that's pretty meh in skirmish).

Secondly: Adjacent is range 1.

Thirdly: So what about best rolls? Trandoshans have a 1/6 chance of hitting 6 damage (and a high portion of the rest are 5 with a surge which is usually better than the 6 after surge usage of the EBT) while EBT's have a 1/12 chance of hitting the 6 at adjacent (1/18 at range 2 and 1/36 at range 3).

EDIT: Embarrassing brain fade in which I forget that DS + DDD is 6 damage, that makes it 7/36 adjacent and 1/12 at range 2 but the damage is reduced more by defense die since an evade reduces 2 damage rather than 0.

Fourthly: I want to reiterate that EBT's only really have the red dice upgrade at range 1 cause otherwise it's an expected damage loss to use it.

Fifthly: Royal Guard got nerfed so they can't hit for 6 any more.

(Please don't read that as tilted, it just seemed bizarre to start with firstly and then not go on to secondly when I was raising lots of different points).

Basically when comparing them at range 1 (which should be the majority of their attacks) it's RG with a surge for +2 damage vs BG+2 with relentless and surges for pierce, focus and bleed.

At range 2-3 its BG with a surge for +2 damage vs BG with relentless and surges for pierce, focus and bleed.

I think the later is clearly superior in the first case and probably superior in the second.

I'm not arguing that trandoshans are a better unit with pricing but I think they're closer in power to EBT's with their current pricing than they would be at 8 or 9.

Screw Trandoshans. Elite Tuskens and regular HKs are great units for Mercs. Both are reasonably costed and effecient at their roles.

When evaluating these cards you also need to take into account what extra types they've been given. Being a Hunter/Brawler gives a lot of options for the command deck.

Dont forget about Nexu! Sweet, fast face-eating Nexu!

they don't have anyone with the leader trait and have to outsource to get one

they also have the only deployment groups that only get 1 additional damage capacity when taken as elite

Banthas with the right card pull and your laughing imho. 9 points that requires so much attention to destroy! ok stunning helps ofc, but with Beast Handler and the move ability cards and crush and thats 9 points that laughs in your face Would hate to face 2 of them in a list. have cheap troops follow up to heal the Bantha and claim objectives and I can't see much you can do against it, as it blocks so much of the board and you can't travel through it effectively. Unless you have a purpose built list to take them out, Im lost. I had one trampling all over me on turn 1! hehe

Trandoshans to pop out from behind the bantha could hurt lots and they wouldn't be the main target if they popped out too.

​But then again, Im new and could be talking out backside and missing something.