Good or bad decision? I'd like to drop one on my Rebels at some point, maybe Canyon Run, just for the fun of it.. but it kind of just seems like a waste of points. Have you successfully used them?

Personally I'd do it just for the fun of it. I don't enjoy beating the rebels. I don't really pull my punches too often, but I generally base my choices around what is fun, rather than what will win. Not saying I never win though - I do make a point to remind them to work hard, if they make bad choices - that's when I pummel them...

I have played a solo mission and the Bantha Rider fit the strategy very well - it was blocking the rebels from the terminals they were required to handle, and it could deploy close enough to the entrance to be able to Stampede almost all of the rebel heroes (and R5 Astromech) at the beginning of the mission.

So, not only for lolz...

Hrmm dropping it at the very start of the mission as the first deployment is probably the best bet. Canyon Run is up next so thematically it even fits. Enraged Tuskans up top, Imperials on the ground level and all of a sudden a Bantha comes in to trample everyone at the very start. You get two times the threat level to set up so it should work.

I recommend putting it in front of the second token. Dropped an atst there when I played. It was like a mini boss since they had to fight it to progress.

I considered using it in Bunker Buster - my only side mission that allowed for using it in my Hoth campaign - but decided not. I love the bantha, but I think it can more or less make it impossible for the Rebels to win certain missions (depending on the mission and the Hero combination).

Everyone has stated good ideas. I didn't drop mine b/c it wasn't painted in time, but Canyon Run is definitely the most themed.

~D

I am contemplating dropping it right at the start and using it to wipe out C3P0 and R2D2, turning Canyon Run into a revenge mission, lol.

It just has to survive two attacks from Fenn though with trench fighter and an upgraded gun.. still 21 damage seems impossible for one turn, no? I guess the only thing that can ruin this plan is a stun.. which they do have access to.

Banthas are funny, but they are mainly a damage sponge I found. If your players have a lot of Pierce it's wasted of course, which is nice. It's also a big threat they the Rebels feel obligated to deal with. I would personally find a bantha charging into the spawn funny, but it's a tactic you can't really use more than once without it feeling a bit gamey.

Do your friends know you own it? If not, then saving it and having it charge in half way through would be a massive "Oh my God!" moment. In any case, they are so different to other units that I'd recommend using it at least once just for a change of pace!

Ya I just picked it up and they've never seen it, campaign only so they have no exposure to the rest of the game. I was going to keep it hidden off to the side and then bust it out randomly during the mission and throw the card at them. As you said, not as a tactic to win but more just for a change of pace and dramatic effect. I think it fits well for that mission especially with the Tuskans raining fire down from up top.. just trying to figure out where is the tricky part.

I want him to be able to at least do some damage so it is somewhat of a We have to kill this thing!! moment.. off the bat it will just get stunned and pew pewed, then at most its doing 1 damage to each person and then getting shot down. Not very fun. I honestly might house rule it and just deploy it when they interact with the first road block, I will still use the associated threat from my dial, but just deploy it then for the wow factor. However if that is the difference between them winning and losing the mission they may get upset

Double post sorry.

The yellow point becomes active when they break the first barrier, and massive models can move over blocking terrain, so it will spawn out of line of sight and can charge down at them. If you do this near the end of the turn, then the new turn will start and they will mostly be adjacent to it, so even if it is stunned, it might get a trample off against a couple of them.

Completely out of flavour, but Imperial officers are probably really good with it, they can allow it to move and stampede multiple times, and can waste activations so the bantha can activate at the end of the turn.