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Personally I don't like them much. Echo troopers are probably better in every way. The rebel troopers have to gimp their mobility and flexibility too much to do enough damage. If I want good flexible, consistent, fast troopers, I take stormtroopers. If I want a static gunline, I take e-webs or heavy stormtroopers. To me they just don't push through enough damage to offset their issues.
They get better once you take some support units (like Fenn) but that doesn't make them any easier or more flexible to play.

Royal Guards.

Got a bad warp due to 4x4 in the past. Took a nerf because of it.
I think they are still very solid. They can be a bit expensive if you're using them for the defensive ability. But they are quite tough, do OK damage and can stun. The elite ones become significantly tougher (+1 surge block and 2 extra health) and do more damage with a +2dmg surge. 4 pts more is a lot though.

They are jacks of all trades. Tough, fast, huge threat range due to speed 5 and reach, stun, can self focus, ok damage.
Good unit all round but can be tricky to fit into some lists. Best served with some troopers. I prefer Royal Guard to snowtroopers in trooper lists. Again, for me, it's all about the flexibility.

Command Cards - Pummel, Price on Their Head, Marksman

Pummel:

Not bad, but a bit too situational for my taste. It really needs to be used with something that get's extra movement somehow. Things like Nexu + Beast Tamer are a great candidate. Or Royal guard because their melee range is larger due to reach.

Ultimately you have to be adjacent to something to use the card. A good player won't leave units adjacent to melee enemies. There's no point in doing that since most things can move then shoot, and you risk all sorts of command card shenanigans if you do. Melee units already suffer from stun... this card is no different.

I've used RGC A LOT. I've only ever successfully used Blade Flurry (which is a slightly better version of Pummel) once. Even with officers around.
The only time this card is consistent is when you move last and then have initiative next turn.

Price on Their Head

Not a bad card, similar to Celebration. Bit easier to use but also easier to counter. Takes up an action but that's usually a first turn one. Get it early, it's great, get it late and it's much harder to use, due to not wanting to waste an action. I'd only take it if you have the points and space spare.

Marksman

Also not a bad card. Probably more useful when taking less mobile units. E-webs, rebel troopers etc. being able to shoot through things can be a great surprise tactic, but it's only 1 attack, costs 1 point and you want to make sure you'll have the range to do it.
It's serviceable but really depends on your list. There's not many things that can sit up the back and do enough damage in 1 attack to make this worth it. Most of the strong stuff get's up close. Massive figures already have this built in, eHKs already have it.

IA is all about focus fire. Distributing equal damage on multiple units achieves almost nothing. It can be recovered, they can run away and deny points, it doesn't remove offensive power (unless they run away) or remove activations. You need to kill things. Activating a squad and having one of them shoot 1 target up the back while the others shoot something else is rarely effective.

It's a great card for finishing off some wounded model that's hiding up the back, but that's really about it. Due to this.... it's quite situational. Again, not bad, but only really worth it in specific lists or where you have points/cards spare. It could probably be a 0 point card. I doubt I'd ever spend 2 points to take both of them.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Inquisitorsz

Posted at Apr 5, 2016

I just can't find regular Rebel Troopers to be useful, maybe on Cantina if you put them at the bottom terminal and they survive to their activation with a Fenn near by, but even then you probably have a more important figure to activate up top and then by the time you get to them they are blown up with their crappy 3 health. But the elites with the double move and focus, now they can be very useful in the right situation.. but I agree as far as Troopers go ST > Rebel.

Royal Guards took a big hit, but the regular deployment is still useful, the elites are to expensive imo. If you are spending 12 threat it should be for a unique. Regulars are great to fudge up the objectives/terminals and their added defensive buff makes them a pain in the but, target the RG first with that massive health or just try and blow through the extra block on that low health figure beside him?

Any time you have your opponent second guessing their actions you've done something right.

Posted at Apr 5, 2016

Rebel Troopers: See discussion here.

Royal Guards: They don't stack together like they used to before the errata but I still think they're a strong unit as a one-of because they're fast, tough, and great defensively. I like to put them behind my stormtroopers and make my opponent work to get shots in on them while my troopers clean up and block line-of-sight where possible. 5 movement and reach gives them a lot of versatility to grab early terminals and objectives. Stun is important against big units, especially Banthas. While the Elite ones add some nice offensive and defensive perks, I don't think it's worth a 50% point-cost increase since they don't do 50% more damage.

Pummel: Good with Nexu + Beast Tamer. Can work occasionally with a Royal Guard (the trick is to force them to get move their figure next to your figure to contest control of a terminal), still a bit situational in your Imperial list unless you're still playing a 4x4. Too hard to trigger with Wookies since their main weakness is getting close in the first place.

Price on Their Head: Taking an action and targeting a specific deployment card is a downside. Needs a low point hunter card (like Hired Guns smugglers) to make it worth running because using an action on something like a Trandoshan is not efficient.

Marksman: I like the ability and think it's quite powerful when combined with an E-Web or non-Elite HK for surprise. The issue is just that it costs 1 point and is kind of situational so it's hard to find room and justify its inclusion. If it also boosted accuracy results and/or cost 0 points it would be a more likely inclusion.

Edited April 6, 2016 by nickv2002

Posted at Apr 8, 2016

I think rebel troopers are ok, definitely better than half the trash the rebels have (but not nearly as efficient as the good rebel stuff). Activating three dudes is good, even if you ignore their abilities. Which is good since they don't really bring anything other than Starting the game focused.

Royal guards are great, they're like an elite alliance smuggler with extra hp and sentry. Use them for control, support and objectives.

i don't use any of those command cards.

Posted at Apr 9, 2016

Rebel troopers: They just lose against their Imperial Counterpart straight out. White dice are just very inconsistent and get into position is rarely usable with a following attack that utilizes aim. Don't like

Royal guards: While the Protector -> Sentinel nerf hurt them in combinatino with the RGC and killed off 4x4, the nerf from +2d to pierce 1 for a surge was too much. The damage output also suffered a lot. They can still be utilized, but I think I rather take other units.

Pummel was nice in 4x4,but being able to attack twice with a melee unit is hard. Maybe the bantha changes the meta so it's easier to use.

PotH. good early, later you want to use your actions for other stuff. After all only a hunter can use it and they are made to hunt, not to sit at a terminal and waste actions.

Marksman is helpful in some lists. It's great if you have long range units or to snipe, but it's not a top priority card.

Weekly Skirmish Strategy #7