I never buy villains in my campaign, I want to try something different and go for one in Hoth. I know a lot of the story missions already come with Dengar, so he doesn't seem like a good choice. But if you had to pick one villain to buy the agenda mission for in Hoth which would it be?

I am leaning towards Greedo just because he is nice and cheap and could potentially see action in every mission from start to finish. On the other end of the spectrum I could go after the Inquisitor once threat level reaches 4 or so. Thoughts?

I think Greedo's a lot of fun in general, and he packs a big wallop for such a cheap mini. Sure he comes with slow on the drawn, but that's usually not too hard to play around in campaign; most groups have a melee hero, and failing that there are usually enough imperial figures on the board to be able to set yourself up to hide behind one and take a shot.

As for the Inquisitor, I've never earned him as a villain. I have taken his agenda set, though, and one of the cards lets you bring him to a mission without paying any threat with the caveat that he can only attack one of the four heroes (although he can still cleave the others just fine) and he leaves when that hero is wounded. When I used this card it basically turned an already difficult mission for the rebels into a borderline impossible one. Whether this is desirable or not is I guess based on your play group (sort of like Imperial Industry), but for me I don't think I'd buy that card again. The mission where I used it was such a one-sided romp that I don't think anybody really enjoyed it all that much.

But hey, even that's not to stop you from bringing his agenda set and just not using that card. The inquisitor himself strikes me as a fun character to play with (as long as you're actually paying threat to bring him out).

What ManateeX said. The agenda set with Greedo also has a "no threat play" card. I've earned the Inquisitor and he is a blaster magnet. If you want the heros to focus on something other than the mission - pick him.

What ManateeX said. The agenda set with Greedo also has a "no threat play" card. I've earned the Inquisitor and he is a blaster magnet. If you want the heros to focus on something other than the mission - pick him.

Yeah, the force users really scare the Rebels into forgetting about a mission. I used Vader last night, and it was like the Rebels totally forgot there was a timer. They spent 2.5 rounds trying to take him down, on a mission with a 6 round limit. They finally took Vader down, but by that point, they weren't even close to getting the objective, and it was Turn 5.

You probably won't have the same luck with smaller guys like Greedo- in fact, if you use his Draw ability poorly, you're basically just giving the Rebels free attacks.

Hrmm I am trying to figure out the fastest way I could get Vader into a game with little notification to the Rebels.. or using Nemesis as I am already using AO.. he shows up in the base in ESB so it would be quite thematic.

This is how I see it going down in a 5 threat mission:

Round 1 - Save 3 threat (OR time this around an increase threat by the threat level event) (total 3)

Round 2 - Status Phase, save the 5 threat but don't deploy (total 8)

Round 3 - Start of round play As You Wish from Lord Vaders Command to add Vader to your hand (tips off the Rebels but now they only have one round to prepare)

Round 3 - Wound a hero and play High Value Target to increase threat by the threat level (total 13)

Round 3 - Status Phase, increase threat by the threat level (total 18), deploy Vader

This would require 2 agenda for 2 different play once and discard cards and the deplete action of your 2 agenda HVT and would get Vader deployed in essentially 2 rounds of play (or less if you time it with an increase threat event), the risk being a full round of zero deployments or re enforcement, so again if you aren't timing it around a increase threat event then maybe time it around a re enforcement event.. or time the actual deployment around the re enforcement to make it that much more menacing. The other flaw in this is if you fail to wound a hero, lol, so maybe that increase threat event is just your insurance policy.

The other way to do it would be to also buy Imperial Informants and play it at the end of round 2 instead of trying to save threat from round 1 and/or time it around an increase threat event. This would make the deployment less than two total rounds but increase the agenda cost by 1 point.

Additionally, to do this during a 4 threat mission:

Round 1 - Save 2 threat (OR time this around an increase threat by the threat level event) (total 2)

Round 2 - Status Phase, save the 4 threat but don't deploy (total 6)

Round 3 - Start of round play As You Wish from Lord Vaders Command to add Vader to your hand (tips off the Rebels but now they only have one round to prepare)

Round 3 - Play Imperial Informants to increase threat by the threat level (total 10)

Round 3 - Wound a hero and play High Value Target to increase threat by the threat level (total 14)

Round 3 - Status Phase, increase threat by the threat level (total 18), deploy Vader

If you are playing with the new Jabba Rule for 4 agenda cards this strategy is still viable, but will require you to either focus on mission cards that go away once you get the reward or other one and dones.. limiting your depletes which could hamper you severely.

Anyone see a flaw and/or a better way?

I always thought Weiss would be a candidate for this campaign: plenty of large, outdoor story missions.

Plus, it would be fun to see two AT-ST’s on the board or a vehicle bonanza (Weiss + repulser tank combo).

This is all prior to testing, but I believe Kayn Somos is pretty solid with the nemesis deck and you can also use his pretty long range effectively on the RTH maps. Cards like prepare the ambush and ringleader work great with him, because you'll be able to move freely, attack and use his special action. There are also a lot of troopers in the RTH campaign, and prepare the ambush, again, can be good with snowtroopers to let them move a little, heal and shoot.

You might also want to include, either in your freely earned villains or through agenda cards, a villain not afraid to get into close quarters in order to benefit from the devastating legion card, which to me seems to be the strongest. Someone like Bossk, Boba Fett, Terro..

Hrmm I am trying to figure out the fastest way I could get Vader into a game with little notification to the Rebels..

Just a forewarning, towards the end of the campaign, the Rebels can take down most figures relatively quickly. Our Imperial player brought out Vader in the last mission of Hoth and we took him down in a single round.

Right but did he bring him out on his own? How much threat did he mitigate? I am trying to figure out the fastest way to deploy him so that he does not disrupt the regular flow of the match.

Imagine all of the regular troopers minus maybe 5 threat, and Vader. Would that have been a different story?

Right but did he bring him out on his own? How much threat did he mitigate? I am trying to figure out the fastest way to deploy him so that he does not disrupt the regular flow of the match.

Imagine all of the regular troopers minus maybe 5 threat, and Vader. Would that have been a different story?

Yeah, he basically saved up and then brought him out. If you can get enough threat from Agenda cards (like 10 threat or something), it might be more doable.

Ok so with the addition of A Dark Power things change slightly:

Gah the numbers don't quite line up with the events, but you get the picture.

So if you add in A Dark Power (lower cost of group by 5) it increases your total influence cost by 2, but also makes this possible within a 1 round limit at 5 threat or 2 rounds with 4 threat. For 3 threat you need to pair this with an in game event to increase threat to make it doable in the two rounds, or if you were to pair any of these combinations with an in game event you could reduce the number of rounds/influence cost.

My goal was to get him in with as little in game threat used as possible to make it just one big additional force paired with the supplied or expected forces facing the Rebels. Essentially just to break a mission and make it seem hopeless if the Rebels ever got on a big winning streak.