Jazzed about the news of Clone Wars next year. The setting suits the whole ground combat idea better anyway. Does this mean we get another two faction core starter set to get people started with? If so, id pick it up. Not only Is it a good way to get started but its more tokens to spare. Especially since I only picked up one starter set this time round.

Ohhhh contents speculation below.....

I expect we won't get a new starter. New factions will likely be introduced the same way as in Rune Wars: with faction boxes that have essentially a half starter's worth of units but none of the generic stuff. So a Separatist or Republic intro box might have a Commander, a Support, and two copies of a Corps unit, along with their specific unit cards and upgrades, but no dice, movement tools, or generic cards.

For Rune Wars, they also started selling an essentials box with all the generic stuff (basically the Core Set contents with no units) so a new player could buy that and a faction intro box and get right into the game.

I think that a Clone Wars starter would have

Grand Army of the Republic:

Commander: Obi-wan Kanobi

Corps: Clone troopers X2

Support: Clone AT-RT

CIS:

Commander: General Grievous

Corps: B1 Battle Droid X2

Support: STAP

3 minutes ago, Dr Lucky said:

I expect we won't get a new starter. New factions will likely be introduced the same way as in Rune Wars: with faction boxes that have essentially a half starter's worth of units but none of the generic stuff. So a Separatist or Republic intro box might have a Commander, a Support, and two copies of a Corps unit, a long with their specific unit cards and upgrades, but no dice, movement tools, or generic cards.

For Rune Wars, they also started selling an essentials box with all the generic stuff (basically the Core Set contents with no units) so a new player could buy that and a faction intro box and get right into the game.

Makes sense.

1 minute ago, jcmonson said:

I think that a Clone Wars starter would have

Grand Army of the Republic:

Commander: Obi-wan Kanobi

Corps: Clone troopers X2

Support: Clone AT-RT

CIS:

Commander: General Grievous

Corps: B1 Battle Droid X2

Support: STAP

I agree with this list though i think they may swap out Grievous for Count Dooku. However Dooku might be better paired with Anakin for a release.

Just now, Tonytt1642 said:

I agree with this list though i think they may swap out Grievous for Count Dooku. However Dooku might be better paired with Anakin for a release.

Yeah I would put Dooku opposite Anakin, and I think that Obi-wan is more popular than Anakin. I actually think that Anakin would not even make the top 3. I would say that it would be:

Obi-Wan

Yoda

Mace Windu

Anakin

Though Anakin and Windu could be switched.

The initial Commanders for Rebel and Imperial were Force users and the second were cheap. I expect that means the Republic gets a Jedi for the first Commander (I'm betting on Obi-Wan) and a Clone second (Rex or Cody).

Separatists are a little weirder because both of their most obvious Commanders will be expensive. I think Dooku will come first, a cheap Commander second (either Nute Gunray or Asajj Ventress), and we will get Grievous as the third Commander (paralleling the Emperor; he can have the same Entourage rule to match him with IG-100 MagnaGuard released as the CIS melee-focused Special Forces unit).

I wouldn't call Ventress cheap, as I don't see them making force users cheap. Having a lightsaber as a weapon brings with it to many keywords that are to powerful. They will probably be Immune to pierce, have pierce, have impact, and have pierce. Those all up the points value. Nute Gunray or Poggle the Lesser, or Kalani would be the cheaper commander for the CIS.

As for Dooku, I see them pairing him with Anakin. I do see your point about the MagnaGuard though.

Oh man the lack of Padme is concerning.

Seriously. The first 3 Republic commanders should be Obi-wan, Anakin and Padme.

20 minutes ago, jcmonson said:

I wouldn't call Ventress cheap, as I don't see them making force users cheap. Having a lightsaber as a weapon brings with it to many keywords that are to powerful. They will probably be Immune to pierce, have pierce, have impact, and have pierce. Those all up the points value.

That's true, but it might be interesting to see their take on a Lightsaber-wielding Force user that costs substantially less than Luke. What do you think it costs if you start with Luke's stats, reduce Wounds and Courage by one each (which gives you 5/2, same as Veers), drop the defense one step (from Red with no surge to White with surge), remove one of the Force upgrade slots, and lose the ranged attack? Still more than Leia or Veers, but I'm thinking below Han, depending on the Command cards. Of course, Ventress might not deserve a stat line like that (it's a complete glass cannon), but I could see something like that existing.

But realistically, there are lots of non-Force choices to be the CIS equivalent to Leia and Veers. Purely based on what I want to see, I would root for Admiral Trench, but I think a Separatist leader from the films is most likely - Gunray got the most screen time and is best known, but Wat Tambor or Poggle the Lesser are possible too.

I would probably put it around 120 personally the lowest I would probably go is 100 for someone like Ezra, which I would drop charge and maybe a wound to 4/2. As for the clone wars era force users I probably wouldn't go with less than 2 force powers as they were all trained extensively in the ways of the force. I would leave the 1 force powers to those like Ezra or maybe Kanan, or even Rey(as even though she is strong with the force she has a hard time controlling it.)

1 hour ago, WAC47 said:

Oh man the lack of Padme is concerning.

Seriously. The first 3 Republic commanders should be Obi-wan, Anakin and Padme.

Nah. It'll be Obi-wan, Anakin, and Captain Rex.

Padme will probably be an operative.

I'd hope the add Royal Naboo security forces with Flash and Gian speeders too . Clone troopers and Royal Naboo are my favorite factions from the prequels .... and give me Qui Gon Jinn! And episode 1-3 obi wan. ... really just give me everything from the prequels. I'd jump head first into legion

HALLLOOOOO...

AHSOKA PEOPLE!!!

Seriously, the Republic is so hero heavy I wouldn't be surprised to see a very different release pattern than the initial waves and different mix also than the Separatists.

If you think about Commander and Operative restrictions it seems tailor made to run, Anakin, Obi-wan Ahsoka and Rex... *stares dreamily into the distance*

It might be interesting if they decide to toss in the associated clone commander with 'general' commander units like Obi-wan and Anakin so we can get Cody, Rex, Fox, etc at the same time and they can use it to make those hero expansions cost a little more. It would also be nice to see if like Palpatine Jedi generals get an Entourage ability that lets them bring their associated clone commander with them allowing for 3 commander builds.

2 hours ago, WAC47 said:

Oh man the lack of Padme is concerning.

Seriously. The first 3 Republic commanders should be Obi-wan, Anakin and Padme.

Actually, considering that Padme never led any forces it might make more sense for her to be an operative. It would be a nice way to introduce active senator characters like her and Bail to the game with them having a strong focus on objectives or giving relief to their 'escort' force.

31 minutes ago, CaptainRocket said:

HALLLOOOOO...

AHSOKA PEOPLE!!!

And Plo Koon!!!

Ahsoka would be a neat addition as any of the other Jedi appearing in the Clone Wars cartoons.

1 hour ago, Animewarsdude said:

It would also be nice to see if like Palpatine Jedi generals get an Entourage ability that lets them bring their associated clone commander with them allowing for 3 commander builds.

That would be neat. I could especially see some of the Jedi/clone pairs getting some cool partnership abilities - maybe Rex gets something like:

Counterpart: Anakin Skywalker - Anakin Skywalker can issue this unit an order regardless of range.

The Republic can have quite a few operatives from various Clone Troopers, to padawans and Jedi to all the various groups that provided aid to the protagonists in the Clone Wars series.

Since it like the movies focus on the protagonists its a little more difficult for the CIS. Still for operatives you have Asajj Ventress (could be commander), Durge and Savage Opress.

While for commanders you have Whorm Loathsom, General Grievous, Count Dooku, Nute Gunray, Archduke Poggle the Lesser, Pre Vizsla (could be operative), Riff Tamson, Pong Krell (could be operative), Trench, Sev'rance Tann and Wat Tambor.

Honestly working on this list I thought most of the commanders would be weak and there would be more operatives but in fact with Dooku, Grievous, Pong Krell and you could argue about some of the other commanders are going to be north of 120. All of the listed operatives are going to be expensive and super murdery. I mean Savage Opress is the light weight out of that trio.

I would imagine the corp troops to be cheap. Battle Droids with a white blaster, white close combat and white defense die and no surges will be terrible, but really, what else are you going to give them? B2 droids won't be much better (white with surge or red with no surge defense? Probably move 1) and you've got some other low end units like Aqua Droids but you've of course got Magna Guard, BX-Commando, dwarf spider, droideka, tri-droid, crab droid, AAT, Persuader, etc...

B1's could just be white/white with surges but have a larger unit size of 8, basically making them a horde fodder unit

I think a core set with both sides and obi-wan + greviuos/anikan + dooku and then 2 seperate army starters with different commander and upgrades

13 hours ago, TerrorScream said:

B1's could just be white/white with surges but have a larger unit size of 8, basically making them a horde fodder unit

Yea, I feel that for the most part the CIS should be a swarm/horde faction with 'trooper' or corps units that are scary due to their size and amount of dice they throw, but on an individual level are weak. I could even see a case for them not having either surges and just be a scary alpha force with all their white dice. The question is if that might end up making them too swingy to see competitive play. Either way I'm looking forward to what FFG announces!

21 hours ago, Animewarsdude said:

Actually, considering that Padme never led any forces it might make more sense for her to be an operative. It would be a nice way to introduce active senator characters like her and Bail to the game with them having a strong focus on objectives or giving relief to their 'escort' force.

I see Padme as an operative, not a commander. She was a main character in the movies and used at least two pistols. She could buff other commanders like Chewie. Or maybe buff other troops like Leia.

I am curious to see if they go into the phantom menace at all or if they are restricting themselves to the cartoon. I wouldn't mind having some naboo security forces.

24 minutes ago, devin.pike.1989 said:

I am curious to see if they go into the phantom menace at all or if they are restricting themselves to the cartoon. I wouldn't mind having some naboo security forces.

If I recall correctly, one or two members of Amidala's security force show up from time to time. It would be cool to be able to field non-clone models as part of the Republic's forces, as more than a few local militias are shown/mentioned. Not trying to say that I don't want clones mind you.

Hey don’t forget Advanced tactical droid as a commander! Completely useless in combat, but huge control ranges