Hi everyone,

I don't quite understand the Rebel Veterans and why I would take them over a Z-6 trooper. Their stats are very similar, though the Vets can have the attachment unit. So is that the main reason people would use the Veterans? Or am I missing something?

Thanks for any help and advice you can offer. I'm wanting to like them (since I own two units of them) but I just can't figure out why I would put them in my lists.

Jesse

The attachment unit with fire support is the main reason, getting a comms technician on the veterans and hq uplink is a good way to get fire support on the attachment

6 minutes ago, TheHoosh said:

The attachment unit with fire support is the main reason, getting a comms technician on the veterans and hq uplink is a good way to get fire support on the attachment

Totally, but is that benefit worth all those points? Are people finding that this unit is an effective use of points?

4 hours ago, rasmussen81 said:

Totally, but is that benefit worth all those points? Are people finding that this unit is an effective use of points?

If you buy the two with the relevant upgrades the cost is lower than two z6 units if you buy it without the heavy upgrade. This gives you the ability to get perfect activation control when you want by putting orders on your other units and putting tokens in your bag that are of the same type. You then use the rest of your points on your better units. Having units that can throw out 5 black(w/ surges) rather than 4 black and 6 white (w/o surges) actually has a similar average (3.125 vs 3.5 (original had maths errors, but I was working from my car and memory, shows I should always calculate it out in Games).

My experience is limited, but I think they are worth the points. Not that I would automatically take them over troopers, but between attack surges and fire support it seems like they can put out an equal hurting. The troops I would prefer for on the move, the vets for holding a position. But again, a new player so grain of salt and all that.

23 minutes ago, allistorpreist said:

My experience is limited, but I think they are worth the points. Not that I would automatically take them over troopers, but between attack surges and fire support it seems like they can put out an equal hurting. The troops I would prefer for on the move, the vets for holding a position. But again, a new player so grain of salt and all that.

Not a bad an synopsis but with offensive push incoming that could change things innately having an aim from being able to move and with the ability to pick up a dodge when they get and order (albeit without nimble) they have a good chance of being better when it matters than the Z6 counterpart. Also having critical 2 does help against Armor which the z6 has less chance of getting impact hits through. The recent points drop on the heavy has helped even this out. Prior to that the heavy was too expensive.

A veteran squad with their heavy weapon do a little more dmg thanks to surge-hit.

I rarely use them without taking the fire support unit, but they are still pretty nice.

Free dodge with order, is nice and the training slot is great for offensive push/hunter or endurance. However sometimes I think you might go with rebel commandos or pathfinders of instead if you upgrade them too much.

All i all they are a little better trooper squad, but a little more expensive.

Thank you so much for all of the advice and insight! I was thinking I had waisted my time and money getting two units of them but now I'm excited to at least try them out and see if I can figure out how to use them!!

Defensively they are about the same, but offensively they do way more damage. I look at them as a unit of Rebel Commandos or Pathfinders but are easier to get the command bonus, the fire support and they fill in a trooper slot.

I've never had much luck with the z6 squad personally, and even taking 5 units of them always felt better off without the upgrades.

4 white dice without surge has the same average dmg output with surge as 6 white dice without. With a unit and a heavy you roll 8 dice so again, on average you get to land an extra hit here, additional this hit is a critical hit (meaning a likely 2 critical hits instead of one. So compared with a z6 you get nearly one more hit and double the crits (this meaning more DMG that can't be dodged , guardianed, or removed by armor)

The new range 4 weapon that's incoming for the rebel trooper unit though changes things with a 6 black 1 white pool with critical 1. This means that the lack of surge to hit of the rebel troopers is less relevant since the first surge now becomes a hit giving the range 4 option a higher DMG pool than the Z6 trooper unit