Has anyone created a review of each faction's units for the current meta? I'd love to see an ongoing thread that tracks this as new releases come out, though I'm mostly asking for selfish purposes because I sometimes have a hard time identifying what is actually a good character based on what's on the card (but I don't play skirmish regularly yet, so I know that's just a part of the growing pains). I'd love to see some more practiced opinions, though, and I think it could, overall, be healthy for the community.

Bonus if it includes reasons to purchase the expansion, even if it's a lackluster unit (command cards or current map rotation, for example).

You know, I don't think I've seen anything like this on here, actually. Surprisingly.

There's the Boardwars rankings, but it doesn't necessarily keep the current meta in count, and it's more just for the blister packs anyway. It would be pretty interesting to see someone attempt this.

2 hours ago, subtrendy said:

You know, I don't think I've seen anything like this on here, actually. Surprisingly.

There's the Boardwars rankings, but it doesn't necessarily keep the current meta in count, and it's more just for the blister packs anyway. It would be pretty interesting to see someone attempt this.

I'm happy to begin to compile, but I'd be basing my information strictly from what I can garner from conversation here, tournament rankings, and that which is already apparent, as I don't play Skirmish competitively at this time.

I'm slowly getting there, mind, it's just not as popular in my area and X-Wing is my go-to game (because of its booming popularity in my area).

But this is a project that interests me, one way or the other.

As more of a campaign player, I have a very tenuous grasp on what's good in skirmish- but it would be interesting to contrast the campaign list with the skirmish list, too.

I did one a couple months ago.

I'd like to give the new units some time to settle into the meta before I post another one. It's hard to tell exactly how strong everything is until people have had time to learn how the units interact with different figures. If I had to guess right now:

Top Tier:
BT-1
Hera
Viable:
eJawa
rJawa
Chopper
Not Great:
0-0-0

But I haven't seen these units enough to know yet.

1 hour ago, brettpkelly said:

I did one a couple months ago.

I'd like to give the new units some time to settle into the meta before I post another one. It's hard to tell exactly how strong everything is until people have had time to learn how the units interact with different figures. If I had to guess right now:

Top Tier:
BT-1
Hera
Viable:
eJawa
rJawa
Chopper
Not Great:
0-0-0

But I haven't seen these units enough to know yet.

in wich tier do you put vader with Driven by Hatred?

8 minutes ago, naitsirk said:

in wich tier do you put vader with Driven by Hatred?

I have a feeling that Heart of the Empire will shake up the meta a whole lot. I think Vader with Driven by Hatred will be top tier, I'm personally very excited to put him in some lists. Only time will tell though.

Using those tiers, this is how I'd personally rate units in campaign . I should probably adjust this list a little, as I currently don't differentiate between regular and elite units. Also, since hero tiers already have a thread, I'm leaving them out.

A couple things to keep in mind with this: First, I haven't played all allies/villains yet, but I've run scenarios with them. That being said, even for units that I have played, this game is extremely situational. While I have ugnaughts ranked pretty low right now because I've had very little luck with them in the past, it could be a whole other issue if I ran them alongside Armored Onslaught in my current RtH campaign. So, if someone disagrees with where I've placed something, I totally get that. In fact, I don't think it's even possible to have a wholly subjective list like this.

Also, just to reiterate... this specific list is for campaign only .

Top Tier

Nexu

Trandoshan Hunter

Hired Guns

Bantha Rider

HK Droids

Gamorreans

Jabba

Royal Guard

Stormtrooper

Imp Officer

Snowtroopers

ISB Infiltrators

Jet Troopers

Royal Guard Champion

Agent Blaise

Grand Inquisitor

Terro

BT-1

Triple 0

Echo Base Troopers

R2-D2

C-3P0

Leia

Kenobi

Jedi Luke

Hera

Viable

Tusken Raiders

Wampa

Wing Guard

Rancor

Weequay

Jawa

IG-88

Dengar

Bossk

Greedo

E-Web Engineer

Probe Droid

Heavy Troopers

Repulsor Tank

Darth Vader

Rebel Saboteurs

Wookie Warriors

Alliance Smuggler

Luke Skywalker

Lando

Not Great

Ugnaught

Boba Fett

AT-ST

Kayn Somos

General Weiss

General Sorin

Rebel Troopers

Alliance Rangers

Han Solo

Chewbacca

2 minutes ago, subtrendy said:

Using those tiers, this is how I'd personally rate units in campaign . I should probably adjust this list a little, as I currently don't differentiate between regular and elite units. Also, since hero tiers already have a thread, I'm leaving them out.

A couple things to keep in mind with this: First, I haven't played all allies/villains yet, but I've run scenarios with them. That being said, even for units that I have played, this game is extremely situational. While I have ugnaughts ranked pretty low right now because I've had very little luck with them in the past, it could be a whole other issue if I ran them alongside Armored Onslaught in my current RtH campaign. So, if someone disagrees with where I've placed something, I totally get that. In fact, I don't think it's even possible to have a wholly subjective list like this.

Also, just to reiterate... this specific list is for campaign only .

Top Tier

Nexu

Trandoshan Hunter

Hired Guns

Bantha Rider

HK Droids

Gamorreans

Jabba

Royal Guard

Stormtrooper

Imp Officer

Snowtroopers

ISB Infiltrators

Jet Troopers

Royal Guard Champion

Agent Blaise

Grand Inquisitor

Terro

BT-1

Triple 0

Echo Base Troopers

R2-D2

C-3P0

Leia

Kenobi

Jedi Luke

Hera

Viable

Tusken Raiders

Wampa

Wing Guard

Rancor

Weequay

Jawa

IG-88

Dengar

Bossk

Greedo

E-Web Engineer

Probe Droid

Heavy Troopers

Repulsor Tank

Darth Vader

Rebel Saboteurs

Wookie Warriors

Alliance Smuggler

Luke Skywalker

Lando

Not Great

Ugnaught

Boba Fett

AT-ST

Kayn Somos

General Weiss

General Sorin

Rebel Troopers

Alliance Rangers

Han Solo

Chewbacca

I think a lot of the campaign units are heavily dependent on the class deck you're playing, the mission objective, and how far into the campaign you are. I found the Rancor to be top tier in the mid campaign, especially in missions where there is a tight time limit for the rebels. stormtroopers are great in the early campaign, but pretty much fodder by the end. If you're playing Hutt Mercenaries, regular Hired Guns are the best units in the game hands down.

6 minutes ago, brettpkelly said:

I think a lot of the campaign units are heavily dependent on the class deck you're playing, the mission objective, and how far into the campaign you are. I found the Rancor to be top tier in the mid campaign, especially in missions where there is a tight time limit for the rebels. stormtroopers are great in the early campaign, but pretty much fodder by the end. If you're playing Hutt Mercenaries, regular Hired Guns are the best units in the game hands down.

Absolutely. I really cannot stress enough how subjective my list is.

2 hours ago, brettpkelly said:

I did one a couple months ago.

I'd like to give the new units some time to settle into the meta before I post another one. It's hard to tell exactly how strong everything is until people have had time to learn how the units interact with different figures. If I had to guess right now:

Top Tier:
BT-1
Hera
Viable:
eJawa
rJawa
Chopper
Not Great:
0-0-0

But I haven't seen these units enough to know yet.

That's a good read, but I was actually hoping something that addressed every unit, even the underperforming ones. Even a quick, "Why it's not used," can be valuable intel.

Your info is more or less what I'm looking for, though, in terms of critique, maybe with some additional consideration for map rotation etc...

It'd be nice to have a living document for this when folks are trying to jump into IA.

4 minutes ago, ArbitraryNerd said:

That's a good read, but I was actually hoping something that addressed every unit, even the underperforming ones. Even a quick, "Why it's not used," can be valuable intel.

Your info is more or less what I'm looking for, though, in terms of critique, maybe with some additional consideration for map rotation etc...

It'd be nice to have a living document for this when folks are trying to jump into IA.

I can definitely try to put something like that together.

2 hours ago, brettpkelly said:

I can definitely try to put something like that together.

A living document would be awesome - a "tips and tricks" kind of thing. And Like Arbitrary said, even if you point out tips for a lesser used unit, you never know when something said there will click with something new down the line and open up a new crazy strong thing!

eJets and Terro are both very good units, but inconsistent, because they have no rerolls. I had games, where Terro did nothing, because I didn't roll good enough. Last time was a semifinal game of a regional, which I lost because of this. This is so frustrating. I will not use him again anytime soon.

As an addition to your list:

Top Tier:
BT-1 (if he has a Targeting Computer)
...

19 hours ago, Masterchiefspiff said:

A living document would be awesome - a "tips and tricks" kind of thing. And Like Arbitrary said, even if you point out tips for a lesser used unit, you never know when something said there will click with something new down the line and open up a new crazy strong thing!

It can also double as a purchase list -- "Competitive = No, because..." "Purchase = Yes, because [Name] Command Card...".

We eventually buy everything, I think, but it helps people get addicted if they know the best things to grab first.

I used to do some article writing, but university and other commitments have really kept me from writing super lengthy articles.

That said, I'm more than happy to start analysing each unit very briefly and explaining why I believe they fit where they do. I'll start doing them in wave order, and periodically update this post with the next wave (when I have time).

Of course my list is going to be subjective, but to give myself some credit that I know what I'm talking about, I'm the current Australian National Champion and came 3rd/4th at the 2016 World Championships. I'm really not trying to boast; this is just so I don't come across as some random guy with an opinion (now I'm some random guy who's won something, and has an opinion :P).

I'm going to give the units a tier rating. The tiers will be:

Tier I: The best of the best in the game. Superior to similar units in some way, or offers a powerful, rare ability. Generally the best bang for buck in the game.

Tier II: Still very playable. Perhaps they were once Tier I, but a newer unit has dethroned them. Still very useful units, and definitely not rare to see in lists. Can be Tier I in particular lists, with particular supports, but perhaps not as generally useful as Tier I units. Also includes units that are all around very solid and don't have any obviously superior units, but just haven't found the right list yet.

Tier III: Starting to get borderline here. There might be rare lists that use this unit, or fringe lists that are somewhat competitive, but outside of these particular lists, you will rarely see them. Do note that many "build-around-me" characters will probably fall into this category, unless they bring something absurdly powerful to the table.

Tier IV: Unviable in skirmish. Either overcosted greatly, or doesn't provide any useful ability that can't be obtained elsewhere. Without substantial aid, these guys will not see the light of day.

Core Set + Wave I

Rebel Units

Diala Passil (Tier III)
When the new Force User wave comes out, Diala might see more play. At the moment, however, she just doesn't hit hard enough, or have anywhere near enough survivability to warrant her cost. She's got some decent surges, the Brawler trait, and two very solid abilities, but you just need more out of 7 points than she offers.

Fenn Signis (Tier IV)
Finn hits pretty hard, and in the right situation, can dish out incredible pain. However, he's incredibly squishy for his high cost, and has some truly awful surges. Assault is way too hard to set up, and for almost 1/4 of your army, you can do better than this guy.

Gaarkhan (Tier IV)
Goodness gracious. When you compare Gaarkhan to the Royal Guard, you start to wonder what designers were thinking. They're even in the same box! Red-Yellow is my least favourite attack in the game (it's way too swingy), and poor Gaarkhan doesn't even have the surges to capitalise on the yellow dice! Top that off with the fact that he's melee, and we have an almost all around loser. He's got decent traits and abilities, but is yet again a little too squishy for 8 points, and nowhere near impactful enough for his cost.

Gideon Argus (Tier I)
I'd be surprised if there is ever a Rebel list made without this guy. In fact, I'm often surprised to see Scum lists that don't splash him in. Two amazing abilities that are only limited by sight, a decent attack should you ever need it, and only 3 points? One of the biggest missteps by the designers. They really undervalued the utility Gideon provides.

Jyn Odan (Tier II)
The other solid Rebel hero in the Core Box. Great speed, three great abilities, two of the best surge abilities in the game and a nice, balanced attack (Green-Green) make Jyn pretty super. Smuggler is among the best traits in the game, too! The only issue is her range can be a bit of a problem sometimes, especially if she doesn't roll a surge. I think she's a lot better than her popularity would make her out to be, but she doesn't fit into any of the "best" lists at the moment.

Mak Eshka'rey (Tier III)
Mak's best use is sitting in the background, near a terminal, and providing a Spy count for Comms Dirsuption. He's also great at opening doors and being an activation. He's got a poor, poor attack, and is probably going to die if someone goes after him (especially with a three dice attack). I'd put him in Tier IV, but I've heard of some people including him in lists for the first two sentences I mentioned.

Luke Skywalker - Hero of the Rebellion (Tier II)
I probably would have left Luke in Tier I had his Jedi version not come out and completely replaced him in pretty much every list. He's a little expensive overall, but a great attack, great survivability, and a powerful leader-style ability once made him a staple in many Rebel lists. Oh, and there's also Son of Skywalker, the most powerful command card in the game, that only he can use.

Chewbacca (Tier IV)
Everyone's favourite Wookiee is far and away the game's most overcosted unit at the moment. He's got major accuracy issues, and an incredibly swingy attack (Red-Blue-Yellow). His surges are decent, and Black-White defense is the best in game, but even given that, he's just way too expensive an investment for such a low impact figure. Even if he cost half of what he did, I'd query how much play he'd see. That's how overcosted he is.

Han Solo (Tier III)
The other part of the overcosted duo, I put Han in Tier III only because of the Smuggler Box list. He's got a better attack than Chewie, with better surges as well (he's actually pretty likely to hit 6-7 accuracy), and he has the potential to make multiple attacks in a round. Outside of the Smuggler Box list, I don't think Han will ever see much play. I've heard of people being cute and using him as a way to ready Jedi Luke, but come on now. Is that cute combo really worth 12 points?

R/E Rebel Saboteur (Tier IV/Tier II)
R: Once upon a time, these guys were the absolute bomb. They're pretty likely to survive an attack, and they were pretty speedy. Post errata, however, they're just too slow and have too little range to make a big difference.
E: The elites were once the best unit the Rebels had on offer. Post errata, they're still pretty solid. Priority Target combined with Blast can ensure maximum pain, and they have an off chance of surviving two small attacks (and are pretty likely to survive one big one). Two useful traits, decent accuracy, and high speed make them a reasonable investment, especially if you decide to include the focus package (Hint: Always include the focus package).

R/E Rebel Trooper (Tier IV/Tier II)
R: If you thought Red-Yellow was a bad attack, meet Blue-Yellow. Absolutely awful surges, pitiful survivability, and an ability that will rarely ever see use, these are a huge pass.
E: Now this is much better. You're much more likely to survive an attack, you have more reasonable surges, AND you have the ability to self-focus, meaning you're probably going to be delivering at least one three-dice attack in the game. Still inferior to their Imperial counterpart, but a staple for Rebel Trooper lists.

Rebel Upgrades

Balance of the Force (Tier III)
Would you trade a point of your army to improve your command deck? Sometimes, the answer is yes, especially in lists like Luke's Finest, where you want to run all the best Trooper and Hunter cards, as well as Heart of Freedom and Son of Skywalker. Most of the time, you're better off purchasing something else. I will admit I could be underrating this, but I really only see it in one list.

Rebel High Command (Tier III)
Command cards are great, and drawing more of them is super. At the moment, however, you're likely to draw two extra cards off of this before the game is over (a lot of games end quite early at the moment, due to hyper-aggro Hunter lists). One of those cards will come after the huge fight that often breaks out on the second turn. Is that enough of a benefit? Most of the time, I'd rather pay an extra point and get R2; if you can get him to a terminal on turn one, he's actually far superior to this. Still, there are worse things you could spend points on.

Imperial Units

AT-ST (Tier IV)
They hit hard, and they're tough. These guys compare pretty favourably to units like Chewbacca, to be honest. Unfortunately, that's working off a low base, and Vehicles need more support than they currently have before they become viable. 14 points is also just too much for a single attack, no matter how powerful it may be.

R/E E-Web Engineer (Tier IV/Tier IV)
R/E: Unless you're that one hero at Worlds trying to make this work, just don't do it. Pretty much every activation in skirmish is move + attack; not being able to move this, and not even getting a big reward off of it is not a clever investment for 6-8 points. No, don't get any funny ideas with Call the Vanguard, either.

General Weiss (Tier IV)
Yet another overcosted unique unit. I have a fair bit of fun playing around with this guy, but in reality, he's just too expensive, despite always having access to the best attack possible. General's Orders is, however, a remarkably powerful ability, and Weiss's unique command card is pretty solid as well, but for 16 points, you again need more than a single target threat. If you somehow get off Blast 3 and hit 2+ other units with it, you deserve to win that game.

R/E Imperial Officer (Tier I/Tier III)
R: Even post errata, these guys are among the best filler units of any faction. Positioning is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of Imperial Assault, and these guys let you get yourself into a much better state on the critical first turn. After that, they can go sit near a terminal or just get in the way. It's pretty annoying to have to try and kill them as well, especially if they're next to a friend. The most important thing? These guys are effectively a fake activation, meaning you get to see more of what your opponent will do before you commit to the fight. Awesome, awesome unit.
E: Far more situational than our friends above, 5 points is a lot to spend on what is still a fragile support unit. Being able to get an extra move and attack out of your best unit is pretty solid, and in some lists, this guy will probably be worth his salt. Those lists, however, are rare.

R/E Probe Droid (Tier III/Tier II)
E: In all honesty, not a bad unit for three points. It can hit reasonably for its cost, is an activation on its own (you can slow roll your opponent), has the now great Droid trait, and is likely to survive an attack thrown at it. The problem? 3 speed is just way too slow. In a game of positioning, faster units are naturally better, and these guys just don't quite make the cut. Generally you see these in the Fall of Cybertron lists (General Sorin + lots of Droids), but even that list has fallen in popularity (I expect it to rise again with the new wave though).
R: A pretty ferocious enemy. Good mobility, powerful surges, decent health, and a built-in reroll? Count me in! Unfortunately, these guys are very similar to Jyn for me; they're completely fine units in a vacuum, but they rarely end up making the cut over other units. They do, however, form a very important part of the Fall of Cybertron lists, and they might see a resurgence of popularity with the new Droid toys.

R/E Royal Guards (Tier II/Tier III)
R: Once part of the infamous 4x4 (4 Royal Guards/4 Imperial Officers), these guys have fallen from grace a bit. Still, they're pretty chunky for their cost, and do a pretty great job of protecting their friends. A focused attack from them is nothing to sneeze at either, and they can randomly stun units on a good roll. They're pretty speedy and have reach, too! Overall, they're let down by a swingy attack; sometimes they run hot, but other times it's like they're giving the enemy a hug.
E: I personally like the Elites; they have one of the best defenses in the game (Auto-Evade + Black Dice) and they have a much better surge than the regular ones. Unfortunately, they're pretty costly. I don't mean to say they're overcosted; I think they're about right, or maybe just slightly over (perhaps 11 for both?). Sadly, needing to grab both of them means they've stayed well out of the competitive scene.

R/E Stormtrooper (Tier IV/Tier I)
R: If you want to play a thematic, movie-evoking version of the Empire, these are your go to Stormtroopers. When you imagine the Stormies that miss every shot, and get beaten up by tiny teddies, this is them. Pathetically squishy, with awful surges, a whole squad of these guys MIGHT be able to dish out 5 damage a round...maybe.
E: If you want the type of Stormtrooper that roasted the Jawas and Obi-Wan spoke of, this is them. Stormtroopers were, for the longest time, the definition of efficiency, and the boogieman of the format. Likely to survive an attack sent at them, able to dish out very consistent damage, a built-in way to focus, and a built-in re-roll? It's no wonder the Empire is so feared! A recent FAQ and the introduction of Jabba has made the old strategy of Troopers + Reinforcements a little less popular, but Stormtroopers are still, in my opinion, the gold standard of efficiency.

Darth Vader (Tier IV ...for now, Tier I later this year)
At the moment, Vader is just simply not worth nearly half your army in points. He hits like a truck, is incredibly tough, has some great traits, and Force Choke is nothing to sneeze out. He'd be better if he decided to jog or run instead of walking at a comfortable pace across the battlefield. However, when he gives in and is Driven by Hatred later this year, he will finally take his place as the most feared being in the galaxy. Heart of the Empire can't come fast enough.

Royal Guard Champion (Tier III)
I'd probably put this guy into Tier IV, but I almost got beaten by him at nationals last year. He's got a great attack (Green-Yellow-Red), two very powerful surge abilities (+2 and Pierce 2), the ability to attack twice in the rightcircumstances (or even more if you kill his friends first), and he's got the highest printed speed in the game (shared with the Nexu). Coupled with his pretty stellar defense, he's actually a pretty solid unit...he just costs too much. If he was a little cheaper, he'd be a real force to be reckoned with, and probably jump up to Tier I or II.

Imperial Upgrades

Temporary Alliance (Tier I)
The benefit of this really depends on what army you're trying to build, but one point for access to an entire other faction is absurd. While this is nowhere near as popular as the Scum version, it's still undeniably powerful for a point. This mainly gets seen in Fall of Cybertron lists to bring over HKs, but I've also heard stories of Bossk coming to aid the Empire, as well as the purchasing of untamed Rancors...

Scum Units (Honestly, who calls them Mercs?)

R/E Trandoshan Hunter (Tier IV/Tier IV)
R/E: Heavily overcosted units that have an odd dichotomy between their attack and their abilities. A Blue-Green attack would imply that they would like to stay at medium-long range, but both of their abilities want them to be up close an personal. Poor surges are the nail in the coffin for these overcosted lizards. Such a shame, because they have such a nice model, and two good traits.

R/E Nexu (Tier III/Tier II)
The Nexu is a pretty interesting unit. Creature and Brawler are both very useful traits, especially given the type of list they're normally included in (which happens to be full of brawling creatures!). Both versions are surprisingly hard to take down, and amazingly fast due to how Pounce works (hard to explain in without a diagram, but you can actually jump further than you would think). Auto-bleed is a nice addition, with the elite also having auto-Cleave 2. Much like Jyn and the Probe Droids, these guys look awesome, but ultimately they just end up not fitting into many lists. In the creature lists, however, they're a pretty stellar and important addition. Just don't let them get weakened.

IG-88 (Tier I)
Now that Focused on the Kill is out, IG-88 turns from a dusty junk droid into, in my opinion, the single best unit in the game. That's right, I believe IG-88 slightly edges out Jedi Luke; he has higher damage output, higher speed, better defense, is ranged, and has far superior traits (Droid and Hunter both just huge boosts). He's also got his own version of Son of Skywalker! Watch out for this guy; he's about to be taking over the Scum lists, and winning tournaments, near you.

Scum Upgrades

Devious Scheme (Tier II)
There's a bit more competition in the 1 point slot for Scum upgrades now, or this would still be Tier I (I think it often JUST loses out to Black Market). As it stands, Devious Scheme tends to get used more in Bantha lists, where it's pretty crucial to get that first activation on Turn 2. Still, all of the benefits on offer here are pretty stellar for the more experienced player. Just how good Devious Scheme is also fluctuates with the map pool; the greater the disparity between sides (or importance of securing a particular side for your list), the higher value Devious Scheme becomes.

First Strike (Tier IV)
Spend 2 points to give you AND your opponent 4 VP? Why? You could buy a Jawa with those 2 VP, or a whole manner of other, better upgrades. Maybe one day there will be a more appropriate reason to start off with some points; perhaps you're playing many ways to score points, and just want to be 4 closer? Maybe one day, but not today.

Temporary Alliance (Tier I)
Easily the most defining Scum card, which is unfortunate given it brings in Rebel units. Common wisdom for the longest time was "The greatest Scum lists start off with Temporary Alliance + C-3PO + Gideon Argus", which is pretty sad. When Jabba came out, many thought this would be the end of the focus package. However, instead of replacing it, Jabba has simply come to join the party. It is that combination of support units that provides Scum with unmatched aggressive potential. And again, access to an entire faction of units for 1 point is insane.

Again, I'll add to this as time goes by. Hopefully I'll be able to get this done and up to date in the next two weeks.

Twin Shadows + Wave II

Rebel Units

Biv Bodhrik (Tier IV)
And yet another Rebel hero that's subpar. His abilities aren't too bad, but again, we've got a strange mix of wanting to be good at ranged while also being up in his enemies' faces. He's even squishier than Fenn is, and he was already too squishy. Poor big, bulky rebels with huge guns; will they ever see the light of day?

Saska Theft (Tier IV)
Don't worry. Someday they'll make playable new heroes. But it's certainly not in this box. Saska is squishy, not very effective in combat, and has one mildly useful ability: the one that brings in a Scum unit. Unfortunately, six points is far too much to bring in a friend when you compare it to Temporary Alliance.

C-3PO (Tier I)
The other half of the focus package, C-3PO is the best 2 points you can spend. Offering defensive bonuses to those around him, being hard to hit himself, and focusing his friends are all huge upsides. What's more, the new droid upgrade Trusted Ally is perfect for 3PO, who's often near his fighting friends anyway. He'll be in Rebel lists until the end of time.

R2-D2 (Tier II)
R2's effectiveness depends heavily on the map pool. For example, on ISB Headquarters, I'd say he's Tier I for sure. On other maps, like Jabba's Palace and Anchorhead Bar, he's notably weaker, as he's unable to get to a terminal on turn one without support. You're effectively paying 1 point more than Rebel High Command for an extra activation, something to hold a terminal, and potentially faster card draw. Thus, R2's probably always good enough for at least Tier II, but may sometimes slide up to Tier I.

Imperial Units

R/E Heavy Stormtrooper (Tier IV/Tier III)
R: Being slow, you'd want these guys to really bring the pain when they are able to get into the fight, but unfortunately, these guys are just slightly lacking. They're pretty tough for their cost, often surviving two hits, but unfortunately they're unable to take advantage of their longevity.
E: I'm reluctant to put these guys into Tier III, but the rising popularity of the Jet Trooper has shown these guys have been mostly replaced. When combined with Agent Blaise given them hidden, these guys could really bring the pain, being the only competitive unit to have access to Blast 2. Targeting Computer also helps them a fair bit, but sadly, their newer, shinier, more mobile cousins have relegated these guys out of their already modest showing.

Kayn Somos (Tier IV)
I really wish this guy was better. FFG seems to really dislike their own Star Wars characters! With the introduction of Advanced Coms System, there were some who hoped that it would bring Kayn into playability; unfortunately, he's still too expensive. Perhaps if we continue to see more powerful troopers like Captain Terro, Kayn may end up having a place after all, as he gives them each another attack each round (although they have to be at the same unit, which is pretty hard to set up). At the moment, however, he's still sitting in the corner.

Imperial Upgrades

Rule By Fear (Tier I)
Starting the game by drawing 5 command cards and ditching 1 is a pretty powerful advantage, especially given how important turn two has become. Rule By Fear means you have more fuel for Zillo Technique, as well as a greater chance of seeing your most relevant command cards before the second turn (you'll see a total of 7 cards if you manage to hold a terminal at the end of turn one). For a single point, this is outstanding.

Scum Units

R/E Tusken Raiders (Tier IV/Tier III)
R/E: Scum continues to disappoint with some pretty mediocre units. I think the biggest disappointment about the Tuskens is how bland they are overall; they have an unreliable ranged attack of moderate strength, and a decent melee attack. That's it. There's nothing much else to say about these guys. They're mediocre in a game where mediocre doesn't cut it. The Elites can push a fair bit of damage due to their inherent +1, and they're sort of tough, but they really only see play in Bantha lists, and only so you have something else to use Jundland Terror with if the Bantha dies.

Boba Fett (Tier III)
Boba is far and away the tankiest unit in the game. He's also the most mobile unit in the game. And yet he's pathetically weak when it actually comes to killing things. You could try and play a cheeky list with him where you simply try and outlive your opponent, denying them points by just flying away, but outside of that type of list, he just doesn't do enough. There will be no disintegrations with Boba around in his current form, that's for sure. However, some suspect that Heart of the Empire may be bringing about a change for this iconic bounty hunter...

Scum Upgrades

Explosive Armament (Tier IV)
Any ability that requires two surges to trigger better be game defining. Explosive Armament is pretty powerful, but there just aren't many units that can reliably trigger it, although you could be cheeky and put it onto a group of Elite Weequays and wreak havoc with hidden. In a meta more defined by troopers, this may have been Tier III, and saw some fringe play. At the moment, however, there just aren't enough units surviving on 1 or 2 health to worry about, and 1 point can be much better spent, especially in Scum.

Wave III

Rebel Units

R /E Wookiee Warriors (Tier III/Tier IV)
R/E: Both lots of furry bears suffer from the same issue; they're pretty expensive, they don't hit very hard, and they're melee. The only reason the regulars make it to Tier III is because of the unique, tanky list that almost took Gencon 2016. In that list, they're not even used for their attack; it's purely because they're so tanky and hard to kill. That list tries to go to time and simply point deny the opponent. Unfortunately, it no longer works quite as well as it did, as they no longer need to kill both Wookiees in order to score points.

Rebel Upgrades

Fury of Kashyyyk (Tier IV)
Number of playable Wookiees: maybe one. Attachment plays: only on Wookiees. Attachment makes those Wookiees significantly better: nope.

Imperial Units

R Stormtroopers/E Stormtroopers (Tier IV/Tier I)
Didn't we already review these guys?

Imperial Upgrades

Vader's Finest (Tier III)
This is a pretty powerful upgrade; being able to give a whole squad the ability to self-focus, as well as giving them more mobility, is pretty great; however, I doubt it's better than an Imperial Officer or other upgrades. I personally think this should be Tier IV, but I give it a Tier III rating because it was in the Gencon 2016 winning list (I believe).

Scum Units

R/E Hired Guns (Tier II/Tier IV)
R: I personally love these guys for a few reasons; they're speedy, they're expendable, and they can be used to ready Greedo with Change of Plans. I'm curious if the Jawas will replace these guys and send them down a tier, but for now, I'm still optimistic with them. I may also be biased because they're one of the few figures I've painted well.
E: Remember how I said I like that they're expendable? Making them more expensive pretty much eliminates that aspect, and you get very few other benefits.

Scum Upgrades

Last Resort (Tier III)
This has some utility on larger units like the Rancor and the Bantha (although Feeding Frenzy is better on the former), as you get much wider spread damage. I've pondered doing crazy things like having Jabba bully a Hired Gun with a bomb on it, and then have them run into the middle of a crowded room, use Black Market, and have them explode and dish out a bunch of damage. It's a pretty dark image, and not an overly effective tactic, but it's an interesting interaction. Also, Jabba's a jerk.

Wave IV

Rebel Units

R/E Alliance Smuggler (Tier II/Tier III)
R/E: Much like R2, this guy's value is heavily dependent on the current map. He's pretty much defined by his Smuggler's Instincts ability, so on maps with more chances to interact, he's great. Currently he's good on 50% of the missions, while on the others he's pretty much a glorified door opener/terminal controller. Which really isn't too bad for 2 points, but a bit much for 4. I do like the idea of combining Slippery with Hidden in order to make all attacks at him -4 accuracy, but there aren't any reliable ways of doing that. As a 2 point splash, I can somewhat understand him, but not at 4.

Rebel Upgrades

Smuggler's Run (Tier IV)
Maybe someday, when the stars align and more alternate VP scoring cards are released, this could have a chance. However, the condition is not easy to meet, especially on certain missions where there is no way to avoid getting in the crossfire (Anchorhead Bar and Jabba's Palace, for instance). It's a very large sacrifice just to potentially earn lots of VP; why not just shoot your opponent and be done with it? I want this to be good, and if it ever does become viable, I'll be very, very happy.

Scum Units

Bantha Rider (Tier I)
The might Bantha was once the sole king of beasts. If you sat across from one of these with many small, squishy units, you knew you were in for pain. The Bantha's major strength comes from the fact that pretty much all the damage it's ever going to do cannot be reduced in any way; there's a lot of power in the certainty that is on offer here. Clever use of it to break the formation of your opponent is yet another strength, though this is true of massive units generally. The biggest strength of the Bantha, however, comes from the fact that it has one of the most insane command cards in the game: Jundland Terror. Providing what is effectively another activation at the end of a round, this monstrosity can dish out such a substantial amount of damage in one or two rounds that it's hard not to keep it in Tier I, regardless of the rise in popularity of everyone's favourite new beasty: the Rancor. If you're looking for area-of-effect, there's no unit in the game that comes close to how good this guy is.

Beast Tamer (Tier I)
An auto-include until the end of time in any list that features a big creature. Granting ANY creature on your force an extra move action is way too crazy for a single point. Without this, I'm not sure that the creatures would be very viable at all; with it, however, they turn into freakishly fast and wholly unpredictable foes. The Rancor, the Nexu and the Bantha all adore this upgrade, as will every creature released from now until the end of the game. It's also kind of cute, I guess, that you can give them the ability to interact.

Return to Hoth + Wave V

Rebel Units

Loku Kanoloa (Tier IV)
You guessed it, another Rebel hero that's in the lowest tier. Loku is incredibly squishy, has a pretty average attack, and two poor abilities. His only upsides are his Spy trait and 5 speed, and that just doesn't cut it. If Jyn, who's miles better, is rarely making the cut, what chance does this Mon Calamari have?

MHD-19 (Tier III)
MHD is an interesting unit. He's really only ever going to be used as a repetitive source of healing, but being able to bring your heroes back from the brink, coupled with his amazing command card, is an ability that is replicated nowhere else. No list has really had him be exceptional, which is why he remains in tier 3, but he's far from unplayable. In the right list, he can be a real pain.

Verena Talos (Tier IV)
Honestly, Verena is a lot better than many of the other Tier IV units. She's got one of the best defences in the game, decent surges, and a solid amount of hit points given her already good defence. Her abilities aren't bad either, especially if you can get up close and personal, where she really shines. Unfortunately, one look at Obi-Wan, who is a point cheaper, has a better attack, and has more useful abilities, and you realise there will never be a reason to play Verena over him.

R/E Echo Base Troopers (Tier IV/Tier II)
R: Compare these guys to the similarly costed Stormtroopers, and you see that they just fall short. They have inferior surges, no access to re-roll, and need to be up close (practically melee) to do reliable damage. If you're looking for reinforceable troops, Elite Rebel Troopers are much better than these guys.
E: At 2 points more than the regulars, you get vastly improved surges, a fair chunk of extra HP, and the ability to reduce all Pierce values by 1. All of this makes these guys incredibly tough to handle, and capable of dishing out serious damage that means you can't ignore them. With the release of Call the Vanguard, these guys make up an important part of the popular "Luke's Finest" list, forming the front line for the Alliance Rangers to hide behind. They remain solidly in Tier II, as their use is not anywhere near widespread enough to be Tier I.

Leia Organa (Tier II)
Leia is a fantastic unit, offering some very unique abilities on a quick and relatively strong body (she'll often hit 5 damage, but has the potential for more on a good roll). Her biggest boon, of course, was her Battlefield Leadership ability, which not allowed her to attack, but gave her favourite, hard hitting ally *cough* Luke or Obi-Wan *cough* another whack as well. With the release of the Hunter cards, which allow for absurdly powerful attacks, Leia is now a little too fragile, given she'll get less use out of her Recover 2. Still, anytime she's on the table, she'll still be a powerful threat that needs to be handled.

Rebel Upgrades

Combat Suit (Tier IV)
This ability is nice on the Elite Echo Base Troopers...when it's included for free. Rebel lists often find themselves tight for points, and when you look at the other cheap options they have (Balance of the Force, Motivation, On a Diplomatic Mission, Trusted Ally), you can see why this one is never going to see the light of day, unless some kind of list which contains only units with Pierce becomes Tier I.

On a Diplomatic Mission (Tier III)
This pretty much reads "Gain 1 VP each round". This would be a pretty powerful ability if Imperial Assault games lasted for enough rounds for this to matter, but in most games, this will score you 2, maybe 3 points. It's not bad by any stretch, don't get me wrong, but it's rare to have a point left over, and even rarer that 2 or 3 points are going to be sealing the game up for you. Still, it's much better than First Strike.

Imperial Units

R/E Snowtroopers (Tier IV/Tier III)
R: Suffering from the classic regular trooper dilemma of only have a +1 damage (or in this case, Pierce 1) surge. In addition, no access to a re-roll and being relatively expensive spell a dusty end for these guys.
E: Now that FFG have gotten rid of a wide majority of attackable doors, units that have Focus abilities on their surges have taken a hit. If they come back in a big way, perhaps the Snowtroopers too will see more play. However, they still lack a re-roll, and their damage ceiling is lower than that of their Stormtrooper cousins. Sure, they're slightly tankier, and they have some neat utility abilities, but damage is the name of the game, and these guys just often don't cut it.

SC2-M Repulsor Tank (Tier IV)
Problem number one is this machine's survivability; how is it that Verena, who comes in the same box, is roughly as survivable as this massive mech? Being surprisingly squishy isn't the tank's only issue, however. It hits surprisingly softly and inaccurately, and is pretty slow all things considered. Sure, it might be able to attack twice, but only at the same target, and the perfect setup for that is rarely going to present itself. A shame, because it's a pretty cool mini.

General Sorin (Tier III)
I like General Sorin a fair bit, and he's a pretty crucial part of the Fall of Cybertron list. One would imagine that the release of the new droid wave would help him substantially, but surprisingly, new competitors for his role have risen up. If you're trying to play a Droid centred list, the Elite Jawa Scavenger is able to bring over BT-1 AND play the new IG-88, which Sorin cannot. He's still fairly reasonable with Elite Jet Troopers, but even then, Captain Terro and the Dewback Riders often form better support for them than this reasonably expensive commander can offer. If many locked doors pop up again, perhaps the old school strat of focusing your whole team on turn one will become good enough to elevate Sorin up.

Imperial Upgrades

The General's Ranks (Tier IV)
An expensive upgrade that only offers benefits when used in conjunction with other supporting abilities. If there was a unit this could attach to that reliably attacked or moved outside of its activation, maybe this would be alright. However, no such unit exists, and thus this too may as well not.

Scum Units

R/E HK Assassin Droid (Tier II/Tier III)
R: Not too long ago, these guys were the most fearsome attacking units in the game. A consistent, long-ranged snipe, which was especially powerful when focused, as well as being near immune to the feared Dodge result, the HK Droids were, as their name would imply, killing machines. The Elite Weequay Pirate from the Jabba's Realm wave looked to spell the end for these guys, but with the new Droid wave, these guys got a few new command cards to play with, which may see them preferred in certain lists. They're one weakness is they're survivability, which is rather low.
E: Sometimes, but rarely, you see these guys paired with Prey on the Weak, which really solidifies their role as long ranged snipers. Unfortunately, they're very expensive, still rather squishy, and really not much more powerful than their regular counterparts. They're still not bad, they're a rare sight for sure.

R/E Wampa (Tier IV/Tier IV)

R/E: Oh, how I wish I could still put the Regular Wampa in Tier III. Both versions hit pretty hard, and have decent survivability for their cost, but they can be painfully slow, especially because the can't move diagonally and are melee hitters. Whereas I once played the Regular Wampa in my Fuzzy Friends list, now the meta is very different, and Elite Gamorrean Guards exist, which pretty much outclass them. Like Verena, they're not actually horrible units, just vastly outclassed by other options available to the extent that I can't see them making a comeback, unless some extremely powerful creature support cards are released.

Dengar (Tier IV)
The former king of status conditions (0-0-0 now holds that position), Dengar's a little on the squishy side for his point cost, and his range is rather short (he's only just above 50% to hit range 5). On top of that, he hit's like a wet noodle, especially if he's actually delivered a status condition to his target! The main issue with Dengar is that the best status condition in the game is dead, which many other similarly costed units do a much better job at delivering.

Scum Upgrades

Punishing Strike (Tier IV)
First off, I just want to say how odd an inclusion this was in Dengar's box, given that he can deliver any condition he wants. Remember when I said that Scum has a whole lot of great 1 point upgrades? This comes to you at the cost of two of those, or a Regular Jawa Scavenger. The best use of this is with 0-0-0 (when he's splashed into Scum through an Elite Jawa Scavenger), allowing him to consistently stun, even by just walking up to someone. Perhaps that will end up making this a little better than it used to be, but I like to think that 0-0-0 is more than happy to just weaken and make people bleed. Making Nexus auto-stun is nice as well, but overall, this is just lacking in impact, and way too expensive. At 1 point, this might have been a great card. But alas, it joins many of the game's other upgrades in the junk pile.

Neutral Upgrades

Targeting Computer (Tier I)
The first neutral upgrade, and one of the best upgrades in the game, period! It plays on a whole host of useful units: BT-1, Jet Troopers, Heavy Stormtroopers...okay, it ALMOST might as well be an Imperial upgrade, but Rebel Saboteurs sometimes like it as well. A one cost upgrade that can affect an entire group is generally pretty solid, especially when it's able to aid each of them in combat in the same round.

The Bespin Gambit + Wave VI

Rebel Units

Davith Elso (Tier II)
Finally, another very playable Rebel hero. Davith has great survivability thanks to his natural hidden status, and his rather sizeable health pool, especially given his cost. He's quick, has excellent surges, and to top it all off, Slice and Dice is an amazing ability. What then, you may ask, is his downfall? Well, first off, he's melee (as one would expect of a Jedi). This normally isn't an issue, as melee attackers get stronger attacks. But there's the second problem; Davith's basic attack is pretty weak (Green-Yellow), and he doesn't have a +2 damage surge. Granted, sometimes he'll be able to attack twice in a round, and in those cases he's pretty fantastic. However, this won't always be true, especially when fighting opponents with white defence dice. Still, he's got a whole host of solid powers, a very powerful command card, and with the Force User trait next up for a big boost, he could be getting substantially better later this year.

Murne Rin (Tier III)
If you are able to reliably hide his friends using Field Report, Murne is an all-star. Hidden is a very powerful condition, and being one of only two units in the game able to hand it out to his friends (and the only one not restricted on whom he can give it to) is a huge plus. Spy and Leader are also two very solid traits. While this would seem to make him a stellar choice, he's a bit expensive for just that ability (and it's conditional), and False Orders is a little narrow for my liking. Ultimately, Murne is heavily dependent on matchup and opponent playstyle; in the right circumstances, he can be a rather powerful support, especially if you hold off on the initial attack for a round or two, where you get higher value out of him.

Lando Calrissian (Tier II)
Lando's an interesting one, and probably one of the more underrated heroes. He's got some pretty stellar surges, an inherent re-roll on attack and defence, great accuracy (can always hit a minimum of 5 if need be by re-rolling into a blue), two awesome traits, and a potentially very powerful attack (especially if you re-roll into a red die). He's even got one of the best unique command cards available; it's cheap, and effectively allows him to atuo-Dodge one attack (or get the best attack result, if you really need it). All that being said, he falls into a similar category to Jyn, where he's just waiting in the wings for a list where he fits well.

Rebel Upgrades

Heroic Effort (Tier I)
Stick all the conditions you want onto a card that costs 0. As long as there's no actual drawback, it's going to be Tier I, because every list that can play it will do so. From now until the end of time, every Rebel hero list will play Heroic Effort. There's literally no reason not to. In fact, the upside on it is even pretty decent; sure, it's not going to be the reason you build a heroes list, but if you do happen to play a heroes list (which is rapidly becoming more and more possible, with units like Jedi Luke and Obi-Wan), why not chuck this in?

Imperial Units

Agent Blaise (Tier II)
An integral part of the old Imperial spies list that was omnipresent in the 2016 meta. Blaise is a decent if short ranged attacker, but attacking is not where his strength lies. No, instead, his strength lies in his two powerful abilities; Adapt and Interrogate. Being able to hide any Trooper or Spy the first time your opponent plays a command card each round is absurdly powerful, especially as it can trigger mid attack and reduce accuracy. On top of that, hiding a Heavy Stormtrooper to guarantee a big blast, or even just a plain old Stormtrooper to maximise their damage or range is pretty awesome. Now that Dewbacks are part of the scene, you have even more powerful options to hide away (although how exactly those beasts hide is beyond me). In regards to Interrogate, ask anyone who had their hand contents leaked by a door that talked (yes, you can interrogate a door) and you'll understand how frustrating it is. Looking at your opponent's hand is extremely powerful, and being able to strip a card away (at the cost of one of your own, that is) is a great option to have (even more so if you draw Blaise's unique command card). His only downside now is that the game tends to end faster than it used to, meaning you're likely to get slightly less utility out of Blaise than you used to. That said, don't underestimate the power of this spy master.

R/E ISB Infiltrators (Tier IV/Tier II)
R: The classic regular trooper dilemma strikes again! You'll be lucky to be handing out more than two damage per attack with these guys, which is just not enough. They can get an extra attack off if the setup is right, but it's not particularly easy to set up, and given their attack is already quite weak, the difference is not major anyway.
E: I don't know what happened here, but what a huge across the board improvement! They now hit pretty hard, have some of the best surges in the game, and are reasonably tough. Being able to target the white defence die with confidence is far and away the greatest upgrade these guys get, and thus they make excellent light armour hunters with their potentially high damage and reliable way to get through the dreaded X. While nowhere near as popular as they once were, there's nothing particular weak about these guys, and they'll do well in pretty much any game they're part of.

Imperial Upgrades

Cross-Training (Tier II)
A crucial card in the spies list, turning Stormtroopers into spies and powering all of the Spy command cards. Being able to swap to a white die, which on average actually prevents more damage, is a pretty useful power too. Combined with Reinforcements (in the old meta) and Zillo Technique, this led to a seemingly indestructible army of spy troopers. It's fallen from Tier I now that spies are no longer a top list, but it's very solidly in Tier II, with most of the other spy options.

Zillo Technique (Tier I)
The best 1 point upgrade in the game, and for the longest time, the source of all ire in the Imperial Assault community. In addition to being able to negate pierce 2 for free once a round, you're able to turn a command card from your hand into a second chance for a unit if they're about to be exactly killed. It was for this reason that units like the Bantha were so popular; they could finish off these stragglers, or ignore Zillo altogether! Zillo also allowed you to pack your deck with cards that were powerful in a narrow range of situations, and then simply turn them into an extra block if the situation didn't present itself. Zillo will likely continue to be a staple in all Imperial lists from now until the end of time.

Scum Units

R/E Ugnaught Tinkerer (Tier II/Tier II)
R/E: In all honesty, I haven never actually witnessed these guys in action. I once dismissed the Ugnaught team as mainly good for a chuckle, but in the right hands, I now think the team can be devastatingly powerful. Effectively, you play a team of 6 Ugnaughts (2 Elite, 4 Regular), which allows you to activate the Junk Droid six times, plus you get to give him two extra actions with the elites. The new command card "Shared Experience" combos so well with the Junk Droid it's absurd; basically, you're guaranteeing that your first attack with the Junk Droid will always be focused. If it dies, you get the card back, and do it again. Every single attack, the Junk Droid is going to be hitting for between 1-3 damage, with the potential to add Bleed or Pierce 2. The fact that it costs nothing and is worth no points means that if your opponent wastes an action killing it, you're ahead. It seems good on paper, and this is a list I've been meaning to test out. Perhaps it will stay in Tier II, but it has the potential to be a deadly and unexpected Tier I list. That said, the popularity of Jabba will always at least keep this list in check, as you are awarding 1 VP every single time the Junk Droid bites the dust.

R/E Wing Guard (Tier IV/Tier III)
R: Typical standard trooper issues. They're very splattable, don't deal much damage, don't have a re-roll, and don't have a particularly useful ability. *tosses into the trooper dust gathering pile*
E: Troopers just aren't really a viable list for Scum, but these guys really aren't that bad. They've got the all important +2 damage surge, they have an inbuilt re-roll, and they've got a mildly useful second trait (hey, it's better than nothing!). The recover 2 surge is a bit worse than the +3 accuracy surge on Stormtroopers, as it doesn't allow them to skirmish reliably at long range, but if these guys were in another faction (like Rebels, for instance), I expect they would probably see at least some fringe play. Maybe if Troopers becomes a thing in Scum, these guys might come out of the woodworks.

Bossk (Tier I)
The big, bad lizard we've all been waiting for. Bossk has one of the better defences in the game (White with an auto-block), has one of the craziest attacks (Red-Green with +2 Accuracy and +2 damage) AND heals every round. Two amazing traits, and a sometimes useful area-of-effect ability wrap up the package very nicely and finally present a viable unique hunter. Hidden can be pretty annoying for him to deal with, as can any ability that reduces his accuracy, but Bossk isn't afraid of getting up in people's faces anyway, and he's tough enough to survive around three solid hits before succumbing to the fourth. Not bad at all for 8 points. Even though the non-unique hunters have taken centre stage right now, you still see Bossk from time to time, and he's a very intimidating unit to have to fight against.

Scum Upgrades

Under Duress (Tier IV)
It's a cute idea, but there just aren't enough cards in the game that deliver enough strain for this to be worth it. In addition, strain is generally a weak mechanic anyway as your opponent gets to decide what to do with it, meaning you're always going to get the worst outcome. Additionally, it's in the expensive upgrade threshold (2) AND can mostly be ignored given how quick games are. So many things would have to change for this to be viable, and I can't see everything lining up perfectly for this cool but ineffectual upgrade anytime soon.

Headhunter (Tier III)
Unlike Under Duress, Headhunter actually provides a useful ability in exchange for strain damage. Losing cards from hand is far, far worse than losing cards from the top of your deck, especially when the game is so fast paced that every card you have is precious. If a unit that can reliably deliver strain becomes viable, this one point upgrade can actually be rather potent. Think of it this way; if it costs at least a point to have an engine to draw cards, surely something that discards card and costs the same should be effective too. If only the Dewback Riders or Captain Terro could use this.

Neutral Upgrades

Unshakable (Tier III)
Unshakable used to see some play in Bantha lists, as people were worried about the big beast getting stunned before it could do anything. If status conditions were more relevant in the meta, this might see some play in lists with Luke, IG-88, Darth Vader (later this year) or the Rancor. However, as very few units care about delivering stuns or bleeds and would rather just kill you outright, this hides in the shadows.

Wave VII

Rebel Units

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tier I)
Old Ben has so much going for him it's crazy. He's incredibly tanky, has one of the most powerful attacks in the game (with amazing surges), AND he's able to fight for objectives and terminals as well! He has two minor downsides: he's a little slow, and he doesn't have a particularly useful trait (yet). But all of his other upsides, including the fact that you even get a pretty nice reward when he does become one with the force, combine to give Rebels one of the most cost efficient characters in the game. Obi-Wan (and R2-D2) were far and away my MVPs at the World Championships last year.

Imperial Units

The Grand Inquisitor (Tier II)
For a while, The Grand Inquisitor was heralded as the hero the Empire was waiting for. Many Imperial lists, from pure troopers to spies, were trying to find room for this fearsome foe. What they found, however, is that he's actually lacking very slightly, which seems strange given he's so similar to Obi-Wan. Comparing the two, The Inquisitor is faster, has slightly more hit points, a more useful trait (now, at least, but not at the time), the ability to attack at short range, and two great alternative surges (Cleave 3 and Deadly). Seems like a winning mix, right? Well, the comparison doesn't end there. His defence die is much worse than Obi-Wan's, and he lacks the all important surge for +2 damage (he only gets +1). Lightsaber Throw is often a trap, and while it's certainly better than no attack, it rarely does very much damage (it's very similar to an unfocused Saboteur attack). That's not to say he's bad; he's a very efficient unit, but unlike Obi-Wan, just doesn't seem to be able to slot in anywhere. Whereas Obi-Wan feels more like a support unit that hits hard, The Grand Inquisitor is more of a centrepiece model, one that doesn't quite fit anywhere at the moment. He'll certainly be a cool part of the "Dark Jedi" team later this year, which a lot of people will have fun with! (Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, the Grand Inquisitor and Maul. Come on, it's pretty cool, even if it's not very effective).

Imperial Upgrades

Advanced Comms System (Tier III)
This is a pretty cool upgrade, and many thought it would bring Kayn Somos and General Sorin into the top tiers (it didn't, but it did make Sorin decent). It's a rather solid ability that has the potential to be very powerful, once the right unit pops up for it. I do think that FFG now have to be very careful in the way they design certain abilities now that this is around.

Scum Units

Greedo (Tier I)
I have endless love for this guy. I try to fit him into every Scum team I build because I think he's one of the best designed units in the game. He's quick, he's got quite good survivability for his health, his attack is absurd, AND he gets to shoot one more time when he dies! He also has one of the biggest drawbacks in the game; however, in the hands of a strong player, Greedo's downside is very easily controlled. He's also every melee unit's worst nightmare, as he's able to hammer them down and not suffer from the consequences of being slow on the draw. And, as we all know, the Hunter trait probably the best one in the game right now. There's just so much to love about poor Greedo.

Scum Upgrades

Prey on the Weak (Tier III)
Not a bad upgrade, but also not particularly impactful. It's a shame that two of the units that would benefit substantially from this (IG-88 and Boba Fett) are both going to have fixes in the form of upgrades, preventing them from making use of this. I think IG-88 may have been a little too crazy with this and Focused on the Kill, and perhaps Boba would be too once his new fix is out. However, that does sadly leave Prey on the Weak with very few good targets, although Vinto and Bossk are reasonable with it.

Neutral Upgrades

Channel the Force (Tier IV)
I thought about using this as part of a cute combo to mill myself out very quickly, and then constantly shuffle Son of Skywalker back in using Leia. Apart from that, there just isn't any reason at the moment to use this; none of the Force Powers are game-breaking enough to want to search for (Force Lightning is close), and the point it costs to play this can be better spent elsewhere. Perhaps the new Force User wave will change this substantially, and it will be the centrepiece of such lists. For now, it stays in the binder.

@Theaficionado really enjoy your review! Can't wait for the part II.

I'm too excited about driven by hatred and the other 2 upgrades in heart of the empire.. What do you think about the other 2 upgrades? Han and chewie? Han and boba? Han-chewie together and boba?¿ not boba hahaha can't wait

I have a suspicion it will be Chewie and Boba. I don't think they'll do a Han and Chewie fix on the same card, and as much as it would make sense to both of them in one box, I have a feeling they'll do one for each faction.

I expect that Chewie will get a fix in the same way Vader did, one that will lower his cost dramatically while also improving him overall. Boba, I expect, will just get stronger but maintain the 13 point cost. He's the most fearsome bounty hunter in the galaxy; how could he not be stronger than IG-88?

I have no idea what to expect in regards to the specifics of the changes though. I think all of the speculation about Vader was way off, and nobody could have possibly imagined Driven by Hatred (except @cnemmick , apparently). This next wave needs to be here. Now.

*bump*

I've updated my initial post up to and including Wave V now.

Very nice review, @theaficionado , this is exactly the kind of unit review everyone in this community wanted, and many noobs like me needed. Keep up the good work!

P.S. You forgot about the wampas... (New tier V?)

3 hours ago, Chetote said:

Very nice review, @theaficionado , this is exactly the kind of unit review everyone in this community wanted, and many noobs like me needed. Keep up the good work!

P.S. You forgot about the wampas... (New tier V?)

Thanks for your kind words! Glad to be of help!

Whoops! I'll get them in there later on tonight!

And hey, if you think Wampas are awful, I'd love to point you to my nationals report for last year, where I actually played a wampa in my winning list. http://atgn.com.au/imperial-assault-nationals-report-preparation/

Excellent stuff!

On 5/19/2017 at 6:39 PM, theaficionado said:

I have no idea what to expect in regards to the specifics of the changes though. I think all of the speculation about Vader was way off, and nobody could have possibly imagined Driven by Hatred. This next wave needs to be here. Now.

Actually, there was at least one person who was pretty close (I forget who, but it's in a thread somewhere...). But that's sort of to be expected - when you have enough people guessing, odds are one of them will hit pretty close to the mark

6 hours ago, Stompburger said:

Actually, there was at least one person who was pretty close (I forget who, but it's in a thread somewhere...). But that's sort of to be expected - when you have enough people guessing, odds are one of them will hit pretty close to the mark

Just here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tSo0jH4u_q1OZitrGSj_m_IH-rGe1gieuVCjngVdgMk/edit?usp=sharing

The igg 88 fix looks very similar too (in mechanics)

The guy is in this forum, named cnemmick. I also like the idea of improve the command card "lord of the sith" that is a little overcosted by the bonus actually gives to vader, more since he can't brutality to gain 2 actions per 1.

@naitsirk Very interesting that he was so close. I'll have to edit my comment to reflect that!