Hello,
Just wondering wich faction is easier to play?

I've read somewhere that it was the imperials but I wanted to be sure and get some opinions

I guess this means they are pretty much the same?

The way each faction plays will change as the releases come out. I don't see either faction as a whole harder/easier to play. However some units might be hard to get the most out of. For example Vader's slow movement speed might not suit your style of play.

I would say, Imperials are a bit easier to start with because they have better armor and rely a bit less on always taking cover and avoiding damage (but Stormies die pretty fast too if played recklessly!). Also the DLT gives Imperials the most universal overall weapon in the game (2 red dice, range 4, Impact 1).

But I don't think there is a faction that is easier to win with in general. There are some lists that are easier to play though. You could take Veers+AT-ST+Trooper Spam for example which is pretty much straight forward. If you want be successful against experienced players, you'll still need to learn all nasty tricks from Luke or Boba Fett for example, since you are playing against them. And probably at some point you'll also need to use those tools yourself because they tend to be more effective.

rebels need to fight like insurgents

so marching them into a shootout on open ground is no good even if imps dont hit as much

Att first I would say rebels since Luke was so strong.

With the new releases I would say it depends on what kind of list you build more than faction IMO.

Veers +troopers and bikes and Wonder twins + trooper spam is quite straight forward. However you have way more options these days

Palpatine and stormteoopers and snipers, sprinkle in royal guards and its pretty hard to beat

2 hours ago, Geressen said:

rebels need to fight like insurgents

so marching them into a shootout on open ground is no good even if imps dont hit as much

pretty much this, ive been weekly since launch and i can honestly say..as a rebel you gotta take dodge tokens, take advantage of nimble. imps can afford to be a little more reckless with red defense die. id say whats more important is what side is more fun for you, both playing and painting!

Assuming you don't have an established playstyle, they are the same to me. Imperials are probably the easiest to paint in my opinion, but rebels are still pretty easy to paint.

But I mean c'mon. Vader and an AT-ST could probably be painted to tabletop standard in... 30 minutes? And represent half an army build. I think I drybrush my tabletop quality stormtrooper squads in around 30 minute each, too. As far as money and time go, Imps are probably easiest. But for either faction, two core sets and a small collection of $12 characters will get you a fun army.

The above times don't include assembly, because everyone has to do that.

The faction you're playing against. NOTE: This does not preclude the faction you're playing, just assume the other player is playing somehting "cheesy" and WAAC and you're good to go. For Example: I may be playing Rebels, but Luke AND Leia? That's too OP, so I'll just handicap myself.

Right now, I would say that Imperials have everything slightly better than the Rebels. Imperial stuff has inherently better defense, so it lives longer, and is harder to remove. Their specialized weapons are all better (DLT, sniper, mine, etc.) eweb is worse than the tower, but Royal guards are way more useful, resilient, dangerous than the Wookiees and serve multiple purposes, where the wookiees are point and rush. Boba is better than Chewbacca. Palpatine is better (more expensive) than the rebel commanders. Veers is cheaper but still useful compared to Rebel commanders. Command card variety is the only place that Rebels have a chance to stay in a game. I'd love to see the speeder work, but to work it's got to be able to shoot 3+ turns. HQuplink is going to be glued to this thing I think, even more than the FDguns. The fact that the Imperials get free options to add also is a big boon for force organization (Palp = free Royal Guards, Krennic = free Death troopers) you can still fit in your awesome stuff and take extra awesomeness without it hurting.

10 minutes ago, buckero0 said:

The fact that the Imperials get free options to add also is a big boon for force organization (Palp = free Royal Guards, Krennic = free Death troopers) you can still fit in your awesome stuff and take extra awesomeness without it hurting.

Hold on - you’re misinterpreting entourage. You just ignore the rank in your org chart. You’re still paying full price for that unit. It’s not free.

For the original post....

I think it depends on playstyle. Imperials are more forgiving for mistakes made because of better defense dice (usually), but at the cost of more expensive units. Any other comparison is very dangerous because it matters how well you value the points you spend on it. Sure, Palp is way better than Leia head to head.... but he costs nearly 3x as much. Is Palp better than Leia plus whatever else you brought? Not necessarily. Depends on how it’s all used.

3 minutes ago, ScummyRebel said:

Hold on - you’re misinterpreting entourage. You just ignore the rank in your org chart. You’re still paying full price for that unit. It’s not free.

no, I'm playing it right,

my point is, if I could get 4 units of Wookiee Warriors, or 2 commando units and 2 Pathfinders/wookiee warriors (whatever future special), there would be a little more balance in building a rebel force. Imperials get all their special toys (more effective) and then some.

2 minutes ago, buckero0 said:

no, I'm playing it right,

my point is, if I could get 4 units of Wookiee Warriors, or 2 commando units and 2 Pathfinders/wookiee warriors (whatever future special), there would be a little more balance in building a rebel force. Imperials get all their special toys (more effective) and then some.

But you're still paying full price for all of those toys. Has your listbuilding been held back because you haven't been able to fit 4 Wookie Warriors?

I know it hasn't really come up on the imperial side for me at least - I'm already scraping for points to get the tools I want plus protection for them so Palp allowing a free RGs for FA has been more of a bell/whistle versus a fundamental shift in listbuilding.

Maybe that'll be different with Krennic and Deathtroopers. TBH it'll be hard not to include RGs in every list with squishy commanders because Luke is still a freaking monster but I guess out of all of the features, this seems like the least interesting one to hone in on.

I've found Rebel activation spam backed up by the Wonder Twins is a fairly simple list to play that handles a HUGE variety of threats on the board - sure my 68 point DLTs are better but Rebels can fit more z6s to control activation flow. That's a fairly easy thing for newer players to understand - I get to do stuff with 12 things while you only get to do things with 8. Plus all the semi-required upgrades on the imperial side can lead into sunk-costs pretty quick "need to protect my flamers/DLTs so better add on those extra troopers. And now that I've got 4 corp units and my commander plus entourage, I can put A force upgrade on Palp!"

It feels like the empire has tougher choices to make in listbuilding - lots of ways to cover threats but they all require investment and that can get complicated. Rebels in general feel like they can handle all-comers more effectively so I'd probably lean towards them being easier for a new player.

12 minutes ago, buckero0 said:

no, I'm playing it right,

my point is, if I could get 4 units of Wookiee Warriors, or 2 commando units and 2 Pathfinders/wookiee warriors (whatever future special), there would be a little more balance in building a rebel force. Imperials get all their special toys (more effective) and then some.

The Imperial ones also cost more, starving their army somewhere else. If they took 4 SFs, they aren’t likely to have anything besides 3 maybe 4 stripped down corps.

I fail to see how one is more effective than the other. It all comes down to playstyle and points. I’ve won and lost against Rebel players/lists. It’s not Empire over all. Anyone who says the empire is favored or better has either not figured out how to play rebels, or is just ignoring the perks Rebels have going for them.

14 minutes ago, buckero0 said:

no, I'm playing it right,

my point is, if I could get 4 units of Wookiee Warriors, or 2 commando units and 2 Pathfinders/wookiee warriors (whatever future special), there would be a little more balance in building a rebel force. Imperials get all their special toys (more effective) and then some.

Arguably, if the points values of the units have been calculated correctly then the more effective units should cost more points than less effective units. So extra slots shouldn't change the math too much for effectiveness.

Having the Entourage just allows the Empire to field small, elite infantry armies, which in the current meta of trooper unit leader spam for objectives, has a harder time winning the objective game.

Royal Guards are really good anywhere at range 2. They are also good in groups of 2+ units because of the Guardian flipping wounds here and there and Emergency Stims. 2 Scout Strike teams do not break the bank in specials. A lot of my opponents (and I'd do the same if I got to play Imperials more) take the token DLT units (4 stormtroops +dlt) leaving them plenty of room for Palps and royal guards. The mere fact that (on this board in the army building section) there are multiple players interested in 4 Royal Guard units in a list makes this a reality, although perhaps not optimal. Any Red/Blue player worth their salt is going to select or remove Corps only required objectives, leaving the Royal Guard, just as useful in majority of the mission objectives as any other trooper. Play palp. If he can get into range 2 of 3-4 units/commanders he will erase them from the board with his Now You Die... Every game I've played against him is a race to see if you can get enough wounds on him or his Entourage to slow him down. Palp literally eats Luke for breakfast in Melee or at range 2 assuming you can get Luke in range to charge anyway.

The fact that Imperials have the option (soon with multiple commanders ) and the Rebels do not is a benefit whether you use it or not. More variety wins.

1 hour ago, Caimheul1313 said:

Arguably, if the points values of the units have been calculated correctly then the more effective units should cost more points than less effective units. So extra slots shouldn't change the math too much for effectiveness.

Having the Entourage just allows the Empire to field small, elite infantry armies, which in the current meta of trooper unit leader spam for objectives, has a harder time winning the objective game.

Point values are bleh. I'd much rather have the DLT over the Rotary for a measly 7 more points. There is so much sharpshooter, that Cover does very little and white dice are white dice as far as defense goes. Small elite units that take the full force of an army to remove, meanwhile they get better wound,defense, offense, and if you're shooting them, then you're not shooting Palps.

The wookiees are every bit worse than the royal guard and I can't fit them into a list without removing a vital cog in the rebel army.

Royal Guards and Scout Strike teams are good together, is all I'm saying. Death Troopers, it remains to be seen, they do appear to be Jack-of-all-trades and their price point is pretty high compared to the stormtrooper. Weapons add-ons will determine it.

2 hours ago, buckero0 said:

Royal Guards are really good anywhere at range 2. They are also good in groups of 2+ units because of the Guardian flipping wounds here and there and Emergency Stims. 2 Scout Strike teams do not break the bank in specials. A lot of my opponents (and I'd do the same if I got to play Imperials more) take the token DLT units (4 stormtroops +dlt) leaving them plenty of room for Palps and royal guards. The mere fact that (on this board in the army building section) there are multiple players interested in 4 Royal Guard units in a list makes this a reality, although perhaps not optimal. Any Red/Blue player worth their salt is going to select or remove Corps only required objectives, leaving the Royal Guard, just as useful in majority of the mission objectives as any other trooper. Play palp. If he can get into range 2 of 3-4 units/commanders he will erase them from the board with his Now You Die... Every game I've played against him is a race to see if you can get enough wounds on him or his Entourage to slow him down. Palp literally eats Luke for breakfast in Melee or at range 2 assuming you can get Luke in range to charge anyway.

Those lists are great and all, but they lack the ability to deal with armor reliably. The reason that the DLT was so good against rebel armor is you had six of them that could easily chip off the health of rebel armor effectively. With 4 and keeping them as 4+heavy my snipers aren't going to shoot the commander, they're going after your corp. Heaven forbid it's a mirror match and the opponent is running a fabled 2 AT-ST list cause you aren't going to touch those. When playing against palp specifically, you should never be bunched up to the point he can kill multiple units with one go and if you are getting clustered then you frankly deserve being beaten by an obvious play. Even with the scout strike teams, it only takes a good turn 1 coordinated bombardment to kill all of them. You can also use the standby action on any unit as long as the corp are out of range and the snipers dealt with (I prefer fleets) since that creates a range 2 bubble that is going to hurt any unit that tries to rush in. Against that kind of list, Luke is the worst commander choice you can have as his only good targets to glow stick are troopers.

21 hours ago, thepopemobile100 said:

Those lists are great and all,

Too much emphasis on lists is the worst thing about the post-W40k 2e/WFB 4e gaming experience. Battletech didn't help it any. Magic: The Gathering was the final nail in that particular coffin.

Often instead of placing an objective close as possible to my side, as is conventional, I'll put it in the widest open space I can. And then get some big guns into cover with LOS to that token and f******g kill everything that steps forward to try to claim it. There's no keyword synergy for that.

Miniature wargames are not like your favorite CCG...

5 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

Too much emphasis on lists is the worst thing about the post-W40k 2e/WFB 4e gaming experience. Battletech didn't help it any.

Often instead of placing an objective close as possible to my side, as is conventional, I'll put it in the widest open space I can. And then get some big guns into cover with LOS to that token and f******g kill everything that steps forward to try to claim it. There's no keyword synergy for that.

Miniature wargames are not like your favorite CCG...

My point was that no list is going to be the be-all end-all in this game currently, and a big reason why is the max point limit in normal play.

I actually do the exact same thing as you do when placing objectives, but I don't get an AT-ST to do it so I use dish turrets which work great for that

3 minutes ago, thepopemobile100 said:

Those lists are great and all, but they lack the ability to deal with armor reliably. there is no armor that is scary enough to dedicate a list to beat at this point in the game, perhaps this will change with the new announcement. Even triple AT-RTs have not had tons of success against the Imperial faction as a whole.

The reason that the DLT was so good against rebel armor is you had six of them that could easily chip off the health of rebel armor effectively. With 4 and keeping them as 4+heavy my snipers aren't going to shoot the commander, they're going after your corp. Heaven forbid it's a mirror match and the opponent is running a fabled 2 AT-ST list cause you aren't going to touch those. I'm not sure what you're saying here, but I really don't see anyone playing 1 ATST, much less 2, which you could still ignore for the most part after capturing objectives.

When playing against palp specifically, you should never be bunched up to the point he can kill multiple units with one go and if you are getting clustered then you frankly deserve being beaten by an obvious play. Easier said than done, Cover is where cover is on the map before you deploy. Objectives can be placed where you have to funnel to a certain degree. Everyone of the Rebel Commanders need some support, except for maybe Luke, who is still used with some frequency. Range 2 in 360 covers about 1/3 of the board by turn 4. Even with the scout strike teams, it only takes a good turn 1 coordinated bombardment to kill all of them. A decent player isn't going to put all of his scout troopers out in the open for you to bombard. He'll know you're playing Leia regardless and can deploy accordingly. If properly deployed, usually you can only kill 1 member of the strike team anyway, because the other is out of line of sight. You can also use the standby action on any unit as long as the corp are out of range and the snipers dealt with (I prefer fleets) since that creates a range 2 bubble that is going to hurt any unit that tries to rush in. Standby is the most easily played around action in the game. It's most frequently canceled by a single suppression token. Of course if your fleets are getting shot, they lose any kind of advantage as soon as they take a wound or two. Then they're about as good as half range stormtroopers. Against that kind of list, Luke is the worst commander choice you can have as his only good targets to glow stick are troopers.

9 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

Too much emphasis on lists is the worst thing about the post-W40k 2e/WFB 4e gaming experience. Battletech didn't help it any.

Often instead of placing an objective close as possible to my side, as is conventional, I'll put it in the widest open space I can.

Miniature wargames are not like your favorite CCG...

I think the biggest problem with this game to this point, is that opponents are limited. I see the same list pretty much everyone I play until something new comes out. then I see that collection of models. Frankly, I think some of this will calm down once they slow down releasing stuff and the Clone Wars stuff.

The last 5 Imperial lists I've faced have 2 scout strike teams, Palp, Royal Guard, and 3 min DLTstormtroopers. Then there speeder bikes and snowtroopers mixed in.

Maybe this is the Meta, I don't know. The other lists I've see are the ones posted on this forum, and all of those have pretty much been the same as each other since the game was released, the only difference was which release you shoe-horned in that month.

7 minutes ago, buckero0 said:

The last 5 Imperial lists I've faced have 2 scout strike teams, Palp, Royal Guard, and 3 min DLTstormtroopers.

Slaves to fashion. I don't even any of those except the stormtroopers, which I've only so far used for loaners/demo games.

You know what this game really needs? An objective/mission/condition card sea-change. I don't know what, or I'd write my own on index cards and use those.

I hope the cards coming with the next couple of releases have some difference makers