While we’re waiting for HotE to release, what lists are you most interested in trying out first?

As you probably guessed, my interest is first with the Rebel faction, and my new love is Drokkata. For the foreseeable future, all my lists will run through him (or her?). The AoE effects and free damage output is great, and you get a fair amount of health for those 9 points. I’m also excited about Han’s fix, and I think Chewie can create some tough choices for opponents. Ahsoka works great as a highly mobile wrecking ball, which will pair nicely with Chewie (as someone pointed out in another thread), but so far I haven’t been able to squeeze her points in as often as I’d like. Strangely, I keep ending up with Heroic Effort lists without wanting to, just because I want to use all of these new and awesome figures (Rebels sorely need a 2-unit squad on the new power curve for 6-8 points).

So, here are my first lists:

“Han’s Got a New Wookiee”

Han 10

Drokkata 9

Ko-Tun 7

Hera 4

Gideon 3

C3PO 2

Chopper 3

Rebel High Command 2 (or swap in Jarrod for these last two)

Heroic Effort

“Up Close and Uncomfortable”

Chewie 11

Drokkata 9

Ahsoka 8

Ko-Tun 7 (or Hera and Chopper)

Gideon 3

C3PO 2

Heroic Effort

“Spies and Smugglers”

Ahsoka 8

eSabs with Targeting Computer 8

Jarrod 5

Han 10

Hera 4

Gideon 3

C3PO 2

(I might swap Han and the Targeting Computer out for Chewie on occasion to see how Chewie pairs with the squishy sabs, Jarrod, and Jax—I’m beginning to see that it might be easier to get that command card off than I originally thought)

“New Stuff Meets the Old Standbys”

Han 10

Drokkata 9

eRanger 12

Hera 4

Gideon 3

C3PO 2

"The Old Gang! (Who's the Bearded Guy?)"

Luke 12

Han 10

Chewie 11

Gideon 3 (or for nostalgia's sake, R2D2)

C3PO 2

Rebel High Command 2

Heroic Effort

Now, I may be a Rebel player at heart, but this is the Heart of the Empire, so even I am tempted by the dark side. I am thrilled that Vader will be back on the table, but he isn’t the one who tempts me the most. I’m really intrigued by the Emperor—there are just so many options for strange strategies and surprise moments with him. Also, as a Rancor fan, I can’t wait to trot out my Empire massive figs to wreak havoc as well.

“Crush and Smash” (I’ve already played with this on Vassal, and it’s a blast! All those vehicle synergies :-) )

ATDP 9

ATDP 9

eJet 7

eJet 7

rJet 4

Officer 2

Zillo 1

Rule by Fear 1

“The Emperor’s New Apprentice”

Palp 8

Temp Alliance 1

Maul 7

eJets 7

eJets 7

Zillo 1

Fill out the last 9 to taste (an ATDP? An officer and eQuays? Officers and Sentry Droids or BT?)

“I Have to Try This At Least Once”

Vader 13

Palp 8

I don’t really care what else fills this out (probably a couple of eJets and two officers) J

I don’t know how competitive all of these will be. I suspect that for Regionals I’ll end up sliding eRangers into my Rebel list to gain access to those Hunter cards, but for a while I will test all the new combinations that are out there. I think we are in for a lot of fun.

-ryanjamal

I'm excited for the rebels as well. Drokkata and Ahsoka will be awesome. I'm looking forward to a rebel spy list. More importantly, I'm excited to run Han without my local group mocking me. LOL

I'm drop kicking all my stuff out of a 10 story window once Legion gets here so whatever...

On a more serious note I'm excited to try to find the best force user list that will employ channel of the force. I don't mind if it's imperial, rebel or a combo with Maul. I'm pumped for the force to bring some real influence

5 minutes ago, seef1033 said:

I'm drop kicking all my stuff out of a 10 story window once Legion gets here so whatever...

On a more serious note I'm excited to try to find the best force user list that will employ channel of the force. I don't mind if it's imperial, rebel or a combo with Maul. I'm pumped for the force to bring some real influence

I really hope this pans out. I want there to be some hefty force user cards in those packs. Here's to hoping!

-ryanjamal

I've been testing this:

Han fix

eRangers

Lando (love his dice tricks)

Hera

Gideon

Chopper

3-PO

So really just plugging Han into a Jedi Luke list. I really want to run all smugglers but the swamp map makes me want rangers.

I've got many lists, and they all seem to have the two best friends in the galaxy. Han/Chewie and 19 points to play with should be fun. Ex:

chewie

han

erangers

alliance smuggler

gideon

3PO

I'll want to run several different lists with Vader. My son likes to paint figures, so I'm having him put together a very special Vader paint scheme for me that I'll likely use at all the IRL tourneys. Last week he beat my Hunter Scum list with this list:

• Vader + Haters Gonna Hate (13)
• eJetTroopers (7)
• eJetTroopers (7)
• eImperialOfficer (5)
• rJetTroopers (4)
• rImperialOfficer (2)
• Rule By Fear (1)
• Zillo Technique (1)

The command cards in this list were mostly Vehicle-based, along with New Orders, Call the Vanguard, Brace for Impact (when you want Vader to roll 3 black dice!), Squad Swarm and the typical Take Initiative/Negation.

I'm most excited to see how the eClawdite & rClawdite work in Scum lists... and how one of them might work in a Rebel list with Saska.

I'm also wanting to see what I can do with a Wookie list. Here's a start:

• Chewbacca + The First Wookie Avenger (11)
• eWookieWarriors (11)
• rWookieWarriors (8) - These guys are going to be objective runners for high-value objectives (like the box deliveries at Anchorhead Cantina) or additional meat shields for Chewie & the eWookies.
• Hera Syndulla (4)
• Gideon Argus (3)
• R2-D2 (3)

The "probably not super great, but thematic" list:

Vader 13

bt-1 6

0-0-0 4

eStorms 9

rRGs 8

It hurts me as an imperial to not take zillo, but for thematics sake, it must go.

2 x eRiot Trooper

4 x rRiot Trooper

2 x rOfficer

RbF

Zillo

Shields out boys!

Just now, TheUnsullied said:

2 x eRiot Trooper

4 x rRiot Trooper

2 x rOfficer

RbF

Zillo

Shields out boys!

For reals though I can't wait to see what the eRiot looks like. It better be spectacular.

7 hours ago, cnemmick said:

I'm also wanting to see what I can do with a Wookie list. Here's a start:

• Chewbacca + The First Wookie Avenger (11)
• eWookieWarriors (11)
• rWookieWarriors (8) - These guys are going to be objective runners for high-value objectives (like the box deliveries at Anchorhead Cantina) or additional meat shields for Chewie & the eWookies.
• Hera Syndulla (4)
• Gideon Argus (3)
• R2-D2 (3)

What? No love for Drokkata? But other than that, I plan on running something similar at some point :-)

-ryanjamal

I wanna do a thematic list starting out with:

Emperor 8

eRoyal Guards 12

Zillo 1

eStormtroopers 9

Captain Terro + FF 8

rOfficer

A little light on activations and perhaps the damage output of eRGs are too low, but man you get 20 HP with B+Evade worth of dudes and the list would look awesome on the table!

2 hours ago, ryanjamal said:

What? No love for Drokkata? But other than that, I plan on running something similar at some point :-)

-ryanjamal

Wookie list:

Chewie +Wookie Avenger

Drokotta

Gaarkhan

rWookie Warriors +Fury of Kashyyk

C3PO

6 minutes ago, Fightwookies said:

Wookie list:

Chewie +Wookie Avenger

Drokotta

Gaarkhan

rWookie Warriors +Fury of Kashyyk

C3PO

You had me until Gaarkhan haha.

I'm really intrigued by the AT-DP and the Clawdites. Wishing the Clawdites forms weren't unique, but I really think the eClawdite will bring some variance to the merc meta.

Oh yea, and that Vader guy should be fun too.

31 minutes ago, Fightwookies said:

Wookie list:

Chewie +Wookie Avenger

Drokotta

Gaarkhan

rWookie Warriors +Fury of Kashyyk

C3PO

24 minutes ago, wannabepudge said:

You had me until Gaarkhan haha.

Actually, with Drokkata he could be usable :-). First round, use Drokkata's ability to do one damage to Gaarkhan and then have him be in position to Charge round two and get in two attacks. So, you've paid 8 points for a 9-health figure now, but he could still do some work with his two attacks while your oponent is dealing with the heavier hitters, especially since they'll be inclined to dismiss him (I did in a recentish game with @Brigadierblu, to my peril), and he'll probably be self-focusing on most of his attacks after the first.

As to this list, I would drop Fury of Kashyyk and C3PO to get Gideon for that mobility boost. This would be a lot of fun to play :-)

-ryanjamal

2 minutes ago, ryanjamal said:

Actually, with Drokkata he could be usable :-). First round, use Drokkata's ability to do one damage to Gaarkhan and then have him be in position to Charge round two and get in two attacks. So, you've paid 8 points for a 9-health figure now, but he could still do some work with his two attacks while your oponent is dealing with the heavier hitters, especially since they'll be inclined to dismiss him (I did in a recentish game with @Brigadierblu, to my peril), and he'll probably be self-focusing on most of his attacks after the first.

As to this list, I would drop Fury of Kashyyk and C3PO to get Gideon for that mobility boost. This would be a lot of fun to play :-)

-ryanjamal

While I was really just having a laugh at Gaarkan's expense, you bring up a solid point. One I hadn't noticed because I haven't felt the need to read his card very thoroughly haha. Maybe Gaarkan will be the new dark horse of the HotE expansion!

3 minutes ago, wannabepudge said:

While I was really just having a laugh at Gaarkan's expense, you bring up a solid point. One I hadn't noticed because I haven't felt the need to read his card very thoroughly haha. Maybe Gaarkan will be the new dark horse of the HotE expansion!

Ha ha, that's all I would do, laugh at Gaarkan, but then @Brigadierblu killed all my support units with him in a game. He's been scheming ways to self-damage Gaarkan for ages now :-)

-ryanjamal

1 hour ago, wannabepudge said:

You had me until Gaarkhan haha.

Someone has to die to trigger Debts Repaid.

41 minutes ago, ryanjamal said:

As to this list, I would drop Fury of Kashyyk and C3PO to get Gideon for that mobility boost. This would be a lot of fun to play :-)

Thematically thinking of Chewie strapping a disassembled 3PO on his back.

Fury of Kashyyk would be closer to meeting the value of its cost if it applied to all Wookies, rather than just one group. Gideon would work well for positioning Gaark

2 minutes ago, Fightwookies said:

Someone has to die to trigger Debts Repaid.

Thematically thinking of Chewie strapping a disassembled 3PO on his back.

Fury of Kashyyk would be closer to meeting the value of its cost if it applied to all Wookies, rather than just one group. Gideon would work well for positioning Gaark

I think I need to buy a 2nd 3P0 and Chewie and do a figure mod.

2 hours ago, aermet69 said:

I wanna do a thematic list starting out with:

Emperor 8

eRoyal Guards 12

Zillo 1

eStormtroopers 9

Captain Terro + FF 8

rOfficer

A little light on activations and perhaps the damage output of eRGs are too low, but man you get 20 HP with B+Evade worth of dudes and the list would look awesome on the table!

I think you'd be fine on activations. Honestly if you aren't going to have something that's planning on making a big play at the end of the round you aren't even gaining that much by having the most activations currently. As long as you are taking passes and positioning units out of the way from heavy first round hitters(Alliance Ranger, Jedi Luke, sometimes eQuays) then you won't be losing out on much.

There is an advantage to having more expensive activations as well. During round 2/3 when most of the action is happening you'll be able to get off most of your damage and attacks before someone running a plethora of support units will. Think about two lists; one running 5 and another running 8 activations. During the second round it's going to take 3 more activations for the second list to get all of it value out and during that time it may have lost some units who now won't get to activate at all. That could be 10-15 points all activating after your opponent has performed all their attacks for the round.

You do almost always want to have something you can tap for TI though so that's one advantage of throwing some support units in. Even using them to sit at terminals now is pretty dangerous with Chopper running around and being a menace.

TLDR - Having 7-8 activations just to have them isn't giving you any real extra advantage. And it may even be hindering you slightly.

I am definitely most excited for Merc Spies and updated Imperial Spies! I am looking forward to Drokatta and Chewbacca as well. I don't often run Rebels but I'm willing to give this new set of heroes a try.

Here's a spin at Merc/Imp Spies:

Edit: I completely misread the J4X-7 card and it's definitely not as cool as I thought. Poor, boring Jarrod.

10 minutes ago, Smashotron said:

I am definitely most excited for Merc Spies and updated Imperial Spies! I am looking forward to Drokatta and Chewbacca as well. I don't often run Rebels but I'm willing to give this new set of heroes a try and I think Jarrod is a hidden gem.

Here's a spin at Merc/Imp Spies:

And here's a Jarrod list where his companion can support Ko-Tun and eRangers even after Jarrod is defeated. I didn't see anything that implies a companion is removed from the board just because the owner is gone, so the droid can continue to grant your ranged attackers Pierce 1 for days! (Double Combat Suit because I have no idea how to build a Rebel list, Mak because I realized that Jarrod is a Spy too)

Edit: Added J4X-7 for reference. J4X-7 won't be able to activate once Jarrod is defeated, but the passive ability will continue to affect adjacent figures.

Won't your opponent just avoid or kill Jax if he's immobile? I mean you could drop him by an objective but if he's causing enough damage I imagine one swing from most things would just take him out completely.

13 minutes ago, TheUnsullied said:

Won't your opponent just avoid or kill Jax if he's immobile? I mean you could drop him by an objective but if he's causing enough damage I imagine one swing from most things would just take him out completely.

Edit: I completely misread Jax. I thought friendly figures adjacent to Jax gained Pierce 1, not granted based on a hostile figure adjacent to Jax. Excitement diminished by 37%.

2 minutes ago, Smashotron said:

Edit: I complete read Jax incorrectly.

I know :/ sad days. If he gave pierce 1 to all adjacent figures that'd be pretty stellar. As a mostly imperial player I'd get slightly annoyed having to deal with that.