In the long days before even a RRG is released, I fill the time making terrain and planning paint jobs. I even made a sheet giving each unit and trooper a name ('Santhar Company') and tiny bit of characterization to make the battles more intensely personal and thematic (way overboard, I know). This post is in that vein--highly 'extra,' in the parlance of our time.

Just an observation--I noted that two sculpts in the Rebel trooper unit appear to be female--the one aiming the rifle and the Ion trooper. I know, gender is a construct etc and honestly both could be male, but I do believe the FFG sculptor was intending both of those models to be female based on body and face shape.

A question that won't get cleared up until the RRG is about the leader trooper sculpt. The unit leader is the guy in a coat holding binoculars, and even the Learn to Play mentions switching out the mini when your leader is forced to be killed (due to LoS), so we know the actual mini is important. I wonder if they will allow in OP for us to use another method to clearly denote a leader, such as a red ring on the base or something. It just breaks immersion a tiny bit when you have six squads and they all have an identical leader. And of course yes, I can do whatever I want outside of organized play.

Picture of each sculpt (screen cap from Sorastro vids):

<--this scupt is female, model has long hair and no facial hair

I'm curious about this as well. As long as your unit leaders are clearly marked and agreed upon before the game i personally wouldn't mind at all

The Learn to Play guide just mentions that unit leaders have a unique pauldron, marking, insignia, etc. So I think as long as you model them in a way that it’s evident they’re a unit leader, you’d be within the rules. Storm Troopers are a bit different because the one sculpt has the sergeant pauldron. Neither Scout Trooper has a unique sculpted insignia so I’d assume you could pick which you want to be your unit leader there as well - similar to the Rebel Troopers.

Edit: I should pay more attention to the contents of the OP.

In an OP game, play as the OP rules dictate. In a non-OP game, agree with your opponent beforehand how you'll handle unit leaders and then stay consistent. Honestly, I'd prefer the ability to say "this model is now the unit leader". That way, you're not moving models around outside the context of a move action. Swapping models has the potential to move your unit leader a bit, which, while unlikely, could have in game impact. If an opponent said "can I have this model be the leader instead of swapping models", I'd happily say yes and then ask that the new leader be marked as such with a penny or something, lest I forget.

Actually, there is a Commander Token you use to place on another model to note that they are the new promoted leader if indeed you do lose your unit leader.

Just now, The Black Man said:

Actually, there is a Commander Token you use to place on another model to note that they are the new promoted leader if indeed you do lose your unit leader.

That is if you lose your Commander, not your unit leader. So if Luke manages to kill Vader, the Imperial player would have to nominate one of their Unit Leaders as the new Commander and assign the Commander Token to it.

3 minutes ago, The Black Man said:

Actually, there is a Commander Token you use to place on another model to note that they are the new promoted leader if indeed you do lose your unit leader.

I was under the impression that was for if your Commander dies and you have to promote a trooper Unit Leader as your new commander. In the L2P guide it does say to switch your unit leader model if cover/LOS causes it to be a casualty before the rest of the unit.

EDIT: ^what @NeonWolf said

1 minute ago, NeonWolf said:

That is if you lose your Commander, not your unit leader. So if Luke manages to kill Vader, the Imperial player would have to nominate one of their Unit Leaders as the new Commander and assign the Commander Token to it.

Doh! You are correct. Huge brain fart.

That's what I get for not having coffee first, heh.

I'm going to paint little rank indicators onto their bases, so a majority of the base that isn't flocked will have a color to denote squad, and then a little rank icon, then maybe a last name.

I certainly hope the rules don’t mention you have to use sculpt A becuase I’m going to be converting mine anyway.

4 hours ago, Dosiere said:

I certainly hope the rules don’t mention you have to use sculpt A becuase I’m going to be converting mine anyway.

I plan to swap heads around and arms/weapons. I’ll always have the coat guy be the leader but in each Squad he’ll be different possibly even a she.

I’m even debating on putting several of the Duros in the same squad to offset just there being one Alien in each Squad. For sure have a Duros in a coat.

I plan on using standard clear acrylic for regular trooper bases and then using green edged clear acrylic for my unit leaders.