So after many months of watching and studying, I have decided I am considering getting committed. That being said, still at an odds for weather I go Republic or Empire. Republic looks cool, but still new stuff to come and develop the faction, here is to hoping they release things like ARC Trooper Fives and Clone Commando Gregor as opperatives etc... Empire on the other hand I love Death Troopers and also excited for the new Iden Versio coming out. So here is two lists I am considering building into and was looking for some advice.

Faction:
Galactic Empire

Commands:
Maximum Firepower (1), Voracious Ambition (1), Push (2), Deploy the Garrison (2), Annihilation Looms (3), Imperial Discipline (3), Standing Orders (4)

General Veers (80)
• Aggressive Tactics (10)
• Electrobinoculars (8)
= 98 Points

Director Orson Krennic (90)
• Strict Orders (5)
= 95 Points

Stormtroopers (44)
• DLT-19 Stormtrooper (24)
= 68 Points

Stormtroopers (44)
• DLT-19 Stormtrooper (24)
= 68 Points

Stormtroopers (44)
• DLT-19 Stormtrooper (24)
= 68 Points

Imperial Death Troopers (76)
• DLT-19D Trooper (34)
• E-11D Focused Fire Config (8)
= 118 Points

Imperial Death Troopers (76)
• DLT-19D Trooper (34)
• E-11D Focused Fire Config (8)
= 118 Points

Imperial Death Troopers (76)
• DLT-19D Trooper (34)
• E-11D Focused Fire Config (8)
= 118 Points

Scout Troopers (Strike Team) (20)
• DLT-19x Sniper (28)
= 48 Points

Total Points: 799

Faction:
Galactic Republic

Commands:
Hello There! (1), Call Me Captain (1), Knowledge and Defense (2), Take That, Clankers! (2), General Kenobi (3), Were Not Programmed (3), Standing Orders (4)

Obi-Wan Kenobi (175)
• Force Reflexes (10)
• Hope (3)
• Strict Orders (5)
= 193 Points

Clone Captain Rex (90)
• Aggressive Tactics (10)
• Hunter (6)
• Recon Intel (2)
= 108 Points

Phase I Clone Troopers (52)
• Z-6 Phase I Trooper (25)
• Targeting Scopes (4)
= 81 Points

Phase I Clone Troopers (52)
• Z-6 Phase I Trooper (25)
• Targeting Scopes (4)
= 81 Points

Phase I Clone Troopers (52)
• DC-15 Phase I Trooper (30)
= 82 Points

Phase I Clone Troopers (52)
• DC-15 Phase I Trooper (30)
= 82 Points

Phase I Clone Troopers (52)
• DC-15 Phase I Trooper (30)
= 82 Points

Phase I Clone Troopers (52)
• DC-15 Phase I Trooper (30)
= 82 Points

Total Points: 791

GAR is the weakest faction in the game. I’d argue that Empire is the strongest.

In the end, choose what you find interesting. I play GAR because I love the lore and models.

4 hours ago, R3dReVenge said:

GAR is the weakest faction in the game. I’d argue that Empire is the strongest.

In the end, choose what you find interesting. I play GAR because I love the lore and models.

Im going to assume due to mostly the expense of units and lack of activation count?

GAR lacks units. Yes they're are more expensive, but as more units come out they'll shine and come into their own.

The rebels and empire were the same boat, seesawing back and forth for the first 6 months until they got more units.

Empire are brutes, Rebels need finesse when running them.

Go for what you like!

I personally play Empire and recently picked up CIS. I'll switch between factions each month.

2 hours ago, grunnax93 said:

Im going to assume due to mostly the expense of units and lack of activation count?

Exactly! They can barely fit 9 activations in. That’s with Rex, Obi wan, special weapons on 6 troopers, and R2. This is less than the top Empire / Rebel lists by 1-2 activations.

I laugh at the people complaining that the new factions that only have the starter box and one expansion so far, are weaker than the factions that already received about 20 expansions each. Of course they are, they lack variety and possibilities! XD

Tabletop is a hobby that you play over years. Stop being so impatient and get some common sense.

As for what faction you should play: Go with your guts. This is a game (as for all games) that you should play because you enjoy it, not because you want to win every time...

You like the huge organized clone army battles and their powerful jedis? Go GAR!

You like to be the bad guy, to play bucketheads and let your enemy fear the might of the sith? Go Empire!

You like to be the bad guy, to play bucketheads and let your enemy fear the might of the sith? Go Empire! The Empire are the good guys...

On 12/25/2019 at 5:31 PM, Staelwulf said:

Tabletop is a hobby that you play over years.

On 12/25/2019 at 5:31 PM, Staelwulf said:

As for what faction you should play: Go with your guts. This is a game (as for all games) that you should play because you enjoy it, not because you want to win every time...

Pretty much agree with this. Invest in the game knowing it will be a commitment of several years, and choose whatever army you like. Over time, whatever army you pick should go through ups and downs in competitiveness, but if it is the army you think is the coolest you will always have fun.

On 12/27/2019 at 3:45 AM, ScottGilbert25 said:

You like to be the bad guy, to play bucketheads and let your enemy fear the might of the sith? Go Empire! The Empire are the good guys...

Or you like to be the good guy, to play sun bonnets and let your enemies fear the might of the Jedi? For The Republic!! The GAR are the good guys.

On 12/23/2019 at 4:28 PM, R3dReVenge said:

GAR is the weakest faction in the game. I’d argue that Empire is the strongest.

Know this is an unpopular opinion but I think that GAR is still extremely powerful how they are right now. When played right, I think theyre the most powerful of the factions. Cannot wait for more expansions for them so they can be more versatile and become even better

13 hours ago, bllaw said:

Know this is an unpopular opinion but I think that GAR is still extremely powerful how they are right now. When played right, I think theyre the most powerful of the factions. Cannot wait for more expansions for them so they can be more versatile and become even better

If you look at tournament results, you'll find that GAR is struggling the most out of the four factions. The biggest problem is high costed units leads to few activations in a game where activation advance is the most critical component.

Empire + Rebels are at the top with Rebels winning more of the recent tournaments.

1 hour ago, R3dReVenge said:

If you look at tournament results, you'll find that GAR is struggling the most out of the four factions. The biggest problem is high costed units leads to few activations in a game where activation advance is the most critical component.

Empire + Rebels are at the top with Rebels winning more of the recent tournaments.

I am unfortunately in agreement here. I've played GAR exclusively in league and scrimmage games since their release, and as they stand right now, they get absolutely stomped by Rebels that can send Tauntauns and 10+ activations at you.

They match up better with Empire, in my experience, but if you run into heavy suppression lists, or the like, they suffer in that matchup as well.

GAR is in a real tough spot right now, even with two very good commanders.

46 minutes ago, manoftomorrow010 said:

I am unfortunately in agreement here. I've played GAR exclusively in league and scrimmage games since their release, and as they stand right now, they get absolutely stomped by Rebels that can send Tauntauns and 10+ activations at you.

They match up better with Empire, in my experience, but if you run into heavy suppression lists, or the like, they suffer in that matchup as well.

GAR is in a real tough spot right now, even with two very good commanders.

The most activations GAR can field is 9 (barely) with 8 activations being a more comfortable number. I know we might be able to push this to 9-10 when GAR gets access to cheap sniper squads, but GAR is still going to have a huge disadvantage against the 10/11/12 activation lists.

I think FFG needs to add a pass mechanic to help reduce the discrepancy.

On 1/7/2020 at 10:10 AM, R3dReVenge said:

The most activations GAR can field is 9 (barely) with 8 activations being a more comfortable number. I know we might be able to push this to 9-10 when GAR gets access to cheap sniper squads, but GAR is still going to have a huge disadvantage against the 10/11/12 activation lists.

I think FFG needs to add a pass mechanic to help reduce the discrepancy.

or wait until they flesh out the army. I remember this was the complaint for the Imperials for almost a year after release. FFG usually will just wait until they release things for a year or so, then re-evaluate.

for those saying to just wait its not that easy.

I was talking about this the other day with a friend and actually digging into it made the realisation a bit more stark.

The new Prequel core has been out 3 months with only the core box units and a single commander expansion for each faction.

At only 2 months the GCW Factions had the extra commander, but also a heavy unit and a second core unit already and they received an operative and special forces 5-6 months after the GCW core release.

The prequel factions are getting off to a very slow start comparatively, Unless miraculously they get a special forces and operative box revealed and on shelves in the next 2 months (And the B2's and AAT if they don't get pushed back) they and far less inviting for newer players to buy into right now or even in the next year when compared to all the options that GCW factions have. that's not a good thing for FFG for their new product to be outsold by the old core set.

For none-competitive purposes, you can convert Imperial and Rebel units to reinforce your Republic army 😙 !

It's a bit harder for the Separatists... but you could add Boba Fett and Bossk, and also convert the Laser Cannon by making it operated by B1 droids.

I still have to paint all my Clone Wars figs btw, so I'm personnaly fine with the slow release schedule.

There’s a couple of things to consider. First, out of four factions, one is going to be the weakest (or perceived weakest) no matter what. So that’s unavoidable. But, assuming the Republic is the weakest faction (which is debatable) there are some things which mitigate this.

First, although you are currently missing heavy support units, I was literally (no exaggeration) the only person at the last tournament I went to running a heavy support unit in my list. The X-34 is terrible, the airspeeder is hard to use, and while both Imperial heavies I think are playable, people don’t use them. So it’s not like clones and CIS are suffering there.

CIS and GAR will both benefit substantially from the trooper upgrade kits coming out in the next wave. Those will plug some of the holes in the list options - including providing some variety to your forces. The Rebels and Imperials will like those too, but I don’t see the force structure changing greatly for them.

Activations are great. But if you can get to 9, you are in the ballpark. Your opponent having an extra activation isn’t as big a deal as people make it out to be. I run 9 activation rebel forces with a mediocre operator (me) and I went 50/50 in the last tournament running the landspeeder. So there’s room for GAR even if they aren’t favored to win the whole tournament.

Finally, the thing I hate most about tournaments is that they soak up all of a games energy like a black hole. Everyone is always min/maxing their tournament list. There’s HUGE amounts of unexplored or underexplored space in this game. Skirmish battles, operations, the terrain pack scenarios. All offer really fun ways to play and people largely ignore it because they are agonizing over whether to waste their last 45 points on stormtroopers with targeting scopes or naked snow troopers.

Find a friend. Play some games. Try some different cards/forces/strategies/play scenarios. There’s a lot of fun to be had.

On 1/14/2020 at 9:45 AM, BigBadAndy said:

First, although you are currently missing heavy support units, I was literally (no exaggeration) the only person at the last tournament I went to running a heavy support unit in my list. The X-34 is terrible, the airspeeder is hard to use, and while both Imperial heavies I think are playable, people don’t use them. So it’s not like clones and CIS are suffering there.

It's funny how different play groups are. At our Prime Championship last weekend, heavies, particularly the AT-ST, were everywhere . So, in my area, Clones lacking anti-armor capability right now is a massive disadvantage.

13 hours ago, manoftomorrow010 said:

It's funny how different play groups are. At our Prime Championship last weekend, heavies, particularly the AT-ST, were everywhere . So, in my area, Clones lacking anti-armor capability right now is a massive disadvantage.

I believe it. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess this is a response to tauntauns? How did they do with the ATST?

3 hours ago, BigBadAndy said:

I believe it. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess this is a response to tauntauns? How did they do with the ATST?

People have always liked playing the AT-ST or tank around here, but yeah, some top tier players adjusted their list to include the AT-ST when Tauntauns became so prevalent. The Prime was won by our usual top player, playing Tauntauns, and 2nd was a bounty + AT-ST list lol