I've had my eye on Legion since the game has been announced, but some work&personal event left me with little time to pick it up at launch. Now, as my stuff has cleared, I find myself with more time and looking at Legion again, and I've got a couple of questions:

- What, if any are the playstyles, or faction identities if you want, of the two factions?

- How balanced is the game?

Many thanks!

-Most imperial units have respectable base defenses. Their basic troops have poor accuracy but impressive special weapons, while their vehicles carry a fair amount of firepower. The rebels tend to have weaker defenses, but are cheaper. Their basic troopers are also more accurate, and can thus afford to take actions to improve their defense unless you have spectacularly bad luck with dice. Luke is also crazy good and a lot of fun, and the AT-RT has some interesting applications as mobile cover that still provides a decent ammount of firepower.

-There are a few subpar options at the moment; Vader and the AT-AT are tricky to use optimally (But can do a lot of work if you get it right), and the T-47 is an awkward unit (It's a heavy unit that works best as a flanker, but it's very vulnerable to AT-STs and Missile Launchers). Still, both factions have at least a few options to work with at the moment.

So Imperials would be more beefy overall and the Rebels would be more of a 'swarm' faction, did I get that right?

Also, quite sad to hear Vader and AT-STs are not that great they were the units I was most looking forward to.

Yes, rebels tend to have a higher model count. They shoot better and defend worse. Imperial troops shoot worse and have better armor, at least in the simplest interpretation. Vader and the AT-ST are far more killy than anything the rebels have, but also take up quite a few points. Both together tend to be prohibitively expensive.

Except at the most competitive levels you can find a place for Vader or an AT-ST in your list and do well. Spending your points 5% more optimally can't overcome mediocre play.

I think things are quite balanced at the moment, and I don't see anything in the release schedule that looks to really change that. And we have pretty good visibility to what's coming out through the end of the year. After that? Who knows?

What about dice variance? Is there a faction that relies more on dice than the other (like the Empire in X-wing for example)?

both sides can end up with big pools of dice to throw for attack. The defender rolls the same number of dice that cause damage. Each mini in a unit adds a number of dice to the pool for attack. Ex: A unit of Rebel which is 4 minis throw 4 black dice at a unit of stormtroopers. The Rebels rell 3 hits. Stormtroopers would defend with 3 red dice

1 hour ago, LordBlades said:

What about dice variance? Is there a faction that relies more on dice than the other (like the Empire in X-wing for example)?

Rebels have some units which have more hit points but weaker defense dice than their Imperial Counterpart, although one could argue the reverse is true with Luke and Vader due to the way suppression works. The rebel trooper units also have ways of amassing large pools of unreliable white dice, which the imperial troopers can't really do (unless you count their lousy mass-produced rifles).

I've heard two very different things about the AT-ST - very OP or it just sucks. The difference of course is terrain. Terrain is the huge variable in this game. Is a unit good? Depends on both terrain and mission. Vader can be great or a slow butt that can't get into position to do anything meaning full.

That should be something to think about. This game needs terrain and of course people to play with. See what your local scene is. Are there people to play with and does your local game store have terrain? Maybe you want to get terrain yourself.

8 minutes ago, Mep said:

I've heard two very different things about the AT-ST - very OP or it just sucks. The difference of course is terrain. Terrain is the huge variable in this game. Is a unit good? Depends on both terrain and mission. Vader can be great or a slow butt that can't get into position to do anything meaning full.

That should be something to think about. This game needs terrain and of course people to play with. See what your local scene is. Are there people to play with and does your local game store have terrain? Maybe you want to get terrain yourself.

My local store has tons of terrain, as the primary gaming community is 40k.

There's also a couple of people to play with fortunately Small but stable community.

Curiously though, all but one play Imperial.

@LordBlades The Empire might have a slight advantage right now though I found the rebels to be very competitive. Stormtroopers are easy and quick to paint and the reason I play with them for now.

I think the game is pretty well balanced. I've played seven games so far, and though I did win all of them but one, they were really close every time. Those were hard won victories.

6 hours ago, LordBlades said:

My local store has tons of terrain, as the primary gaming community is 40k.

There's also a couple of people to play with fortunately Small but stable community.

Curiously though, all but one play Imperial.

Because the Empire has easier to paint minis overall also stormtrooper armor looks sharp (even if they can’t shoot well)

In my friends circle, we have 2 rebel players, one both, and one Imperial. I hose Empire because of painting simplicity and because the other guys like rebels.

1 hour ago, ScummyRebel said:

Because the Empire has easier to paint minis overall .... I hose Empire because of painting simplicity and because the other guys like rebels.

I disagree! I find that white is one of the toughest colors to paint well. The variety on the Rebels makes them simpler to paint. At least in my experience.

Go get the game. Go. Now.

I cashed out a bunch of loyalty cards at my FLGS and got the core set and all my fears were for naught. The game isn't perfect but I really like it. Maybe only paying a fraction of it's actual sticker price made its flaws easier to accept though.

On 7/1/2018 at 10:58 PM, Albertese said:

I disagree! I find that white is one of the toughest colors to paint well. The variety on the Rebels makes them simpler to paint. At least in my experience.

Depends... If you are brand spanking new and have no art background at all: Spray paint your stormtroopers white, paint their guns and eyes black, and paint their bases brown or green or something, and they will look fine on the tabletop. You won't get bragging rights for them but they'll make nice toy soldiers.

If you want more than toy level of detail they can be really hit or miss for new painters. Painting stortroopers so they look good isn't HARD to paint for me, but they are BORING to paint. So finding the motivation to turn off the tv and go paint can be harder. Of course since tey changed the scale again I might have a learning curve this time.

Or be like me and go with a not entirely canon paint scheme. ? (I'm also careful not to pick a paint scheme that is indicative of other units I hope are released, such as Death Troopers, to avoid future opponent confusion, but that's another matter).

Empire can be a bit more forgiving for learning about cover. I know in the early days of playing I treated cover as something nice to have but not vital, and was punished for it. It took a couple games for me to remember that the BEST save possible in this game is equivalent to a 3+, and Rebels typically have a 5+, and individual units don't have the numbers to absorb losses unlike some other games. Terrain is key, and number of activations can grant a decent advantage with the Suppression mechanic.

39 minutes ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Or be like me and go with a not entirely canon paint scheme. ? (I'm also careful not to pick a paint scheme that is indicative of other units I hope are released, such as Death Troopers, to avoid future opponent confusion, but that's another matter).

Empire can be a bit more forgiving for learning about cover. I know in the early days of playing I treated cover as something nice to have but not vital, and was punished for it. It took a couple games for me to remember that the BEST save possible in this game is equivalent to a 3+, and Rebels typically have a 5+, and individual units don't have the numbers to absorb losses unlike some other games. Terrain is key, and number of activations can grant a decent advantage with the Suppression mechanic.

I go on the old assumption that if something of mine is standing around in the open, it's already dead! Serves me well in most systems!

49 minutes ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Or be like me and go with a not entirely canon paint scheme. ?

What color(s) did you paint your stormtroopers? I'm probably going with basic colors so I can use them anywhere. I mean, ordinary stormtroopers look a lot like sandtroopers and they CAN be on a snowy planet... just because we never saw them onscreen on Hoth is fine. Those armor suits can protect them from the cold of space, they'll work in cold planets. I'd probably just always give my snowtroopers environmental gear if I had to mix the two units together in an army. To explain away the visual discrepancy.

23 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

I go on the old assumption that if something of mine is standing around in the open, it's already dead! Serves me well in most systems!

Bolt Action works a little differently, frequently units have low odds of hitting, combined with even lower odds of inflicting wounds. Staying in the open is still ill advised, but units can spend a turn or two in the open when necessary, and (usually) still be combat effective.

5 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

What color(s) did you paint your stormtroopers? I'm probably going with basic colors so I can use them anywhere. I mean, ordinary stormtroopers look a lot like sandtroopers and they CAN be on a snowy planet... just because we never saw them onscreen on Hoth is fine. Those armor suits can protect them from the cold of space, they'll work in cold planets. I'd probably just always give my snowtroopers environmental gear if I had to mix the two units together in an army. To explain away the visual discrepancy.

I'm planning on a darkish grey, possibly with red greaves for a spot of colour. I am also planning on giving each squad leader a different shoulder pad, or painting the rims of the bases, I haven't decided yet. I typically like the rims to blend into the basing colours though, so I'm a bit torn. The grey is close enough to the color we see Imperial body armour on Mimban, the red is a personal indulgence, simultaneous slight reference to "redshanks" and a means of easily identify my minis vs anyone else that elects for a grey scheme.

IF you have an air brush storm troopers are easy. You prime in a light gray and then do a white zenithal hightlight. Paint black areas german gray, use diluted nuln oil for recessed areas in the armor, so touch up highlights with white, dry brush some gunmetal on the guns and done.

Some people try real hard on their stormies and it pays off. However white isn't hard to paint, as long as you don't use white to start with.

13 minutes ago, Mep said:

IF you have an air brush storm troopers are easy. You prime in a light gray and then do a white zenithal hightlight. Paint black areas german gray, use diluted nuln oil for recessed areas in the armor, so touch up highlights with white, dry brush some gunmetal on the guns and done.

Some people try real hard on their stormies and it pays off. However white isn't hard to paint, as long as you don't use white to start with.

I always spray paint them white. Then I brush light grey onto anything I want shaded. The face and other deep recesses I paint or ink in black. Then drybrush the whole thing white, twice. Then paint the gun, the armpits, etc. black and highlight them grey as needed. Might have to finish up by brushing white onto large areas like the top of the helmet, or the cuisses. Boring but easy.

It worked on 25mm WEG ones and the IA ones anyways. These ones look like they'd reward painting before assembly.

3 hours ago, TauntaunScout said:

I always spray paint them white. Then I brush light grey onto anything I want shaded. The face and other deep recesses I paint or ink in black. Then drybrush the whole thing white, twice. Then paint the gun, the armpits, etc. black and highlight them grey as needed. Might have to finish up by brushing white onto large areas like the top of the helmet, or the cuisses. Boring but easy.

It worked on 25mm WEG ones and the IA ones anyways. These ones look like they'd reward painting before assembly.

That way does work and may produce better results but isn't as fast as the zenithal method. If you go with 6 squads for stormies, that is a lot to paint. It really comes down to how hard you want to try and how many hours you want to put into storm troopers. Some people have fantastic looking minis. Personally I wanted them to look good, don't need them great, and I wanted them done.

I can't see myself painting 6 squads of any one thing for this game. But who knows what's on the release horizon...

And good for you for painting them all! Unpainted armies give me ennui.

I paint Stormtroopers by Zenithal style primer coat. Then paint all the black parts and then highlight the white. I like the look of bright white Troopers and getting that clean shiny look, even with the Zenithal spraying, is time consuming and becomes pretty boring, but I like the look I get.