Haven't played skirmish yet (I guess I like big armies more) but I can appreciate the fact that the format is perfect for intro gaming. I'm organizing some intro games for a couple of guys in my club and I'm looking for inspiration for Rebel and Imperial lists that would be good for that purpose. I don't want anything too fancy (those guys still need to learn the basics) or minmaxed (I don't think starting the experience with the system by playing vs AT-ST or Palp in a 500 pts game would encourage them to buy their core sets). On the other hand I don't want it overly mundane either. One of the guys already had his first game and it was a fairly bland mirror of generic trooper spam, so his impression was that the game boils down to staying behind barricades and rolling dice until one of the players rolls better and wins.

So, do you guys have any ideas on what 500 pts lists would be simple enough for a newcomer yet fun and varied enough to showcase the game's tactics and mechanics? I don't have rogers or clones but I do have everything for both the old factions.

Try to build a list with 1 commander, 1 operative, maybe 1 support, and minimum troopers. If the trooper spam turned them off, showcase some support units, or show how fun it can be to play Han & Chewie, or Boba Fett. I think if you want to showcase how fun the game can be, either play with the characters they like the most, or show off a variety of units, command cards, etc. and what they do, for the most excitement, as opposed to just 4x Rebel Troopers, 4x Stormtroopers blah blah blah.

494/500

Han Solo (120 + 14 = 134)
--Improvised Orders (10), Duck and Cover (4)

Chewbacca (95 + 4 = 99)
--Tenacity (4)

Rebel Troopers (40 + 22 = 62)
--Z-6 Trooper (22)

Rebel Troopers (40 + 22 = 62)
--Z-6 Trooper (22)

Rebel Troopers (40 + 22 = 62)
--Z-6 Trooper (22)

AT-RT (55 + 20 = 75)
--AT-RT Rotary Blaster (20)

491/500

General Veers (80 + 5 = 85)
--Strict Orders (5)

Boba Fett (140 + 6 = 146)
--Hunter (6)

Stormtroopers (44 + 24 = 68)
--DLT-19 Stormtrooper (24)

Stormtroopers (44 + 24 = 68)
--DLT-19 Stormtrooper (24)

Stormtroopers (44 + 0 = 44)

74-Z Speeder Bikes (75 + 5 = 80)
--Linked Targeting Array (5)

I've done a few intro games. What I've found that works is using one core set plus one SF slot for each. This gives a variate of units, and get's them used to what comes in the core box. Also I would only use upgrades that come with the expansions that you are using. A couple example lists are

Imps

Darth Vader (Force Choke, Saber Throw)
Stormtroopers (DLT-19 Stormtrooper)
Stormtroopers (DLT-19 Stormtrooper)
Scout Troopers (DLT-19x Sniper)
74-Z Speeder Bikes

499 points

Rebs

Luke Skywalker (Force Push, Force Reflexes, Emergency Stims)
Rebel Troopers (Z-6 Trooper, Rebel Trooper)
Rebel Troopers (Z-6 Trooper, Rebel Trooper)
Rebel Commandos (DH-447 Sniper)
AT-RT (AT-RT Rotary Blaster)

Also 499 points

On 1/21/2020 at 3:35 AM, Lightrock said:

Haven't played skirmish yet (I guess I like big armies more) but I can appreciate the fact that the format is perfect for intro gaming. I'm organizing some intro games for a couple of guys in my club and I'm looking for inspiration for Rebel and Imperial lists that would be good for that purpose. I don't want anything too fancy (those guys still need to learn the basics) or minmaxed (I don't think starting the experience with the system by playing vs AT-ST or Palp in a 500 pts game would encourage them to buy their core sets). On the other hand I don't want it overly mundane either. One of the guys already had his first game and it was a fairly bland mirror of generic trooper spam, so his impression was that the game boils down to staying behind barricades and rolling dice until one of the players rolls better and wins.

So, do you guys have any ideas on what 500 pts lists would be simple enough for a newcomer yet fun and varied enough to showcase the game's tactics and mechanics? I don't have rogers or clones but I do have everything for both the old factions.

You could always setup very small lists to demo the mechanics:

Ie Vader + Bikes + 2 Stormtrooper squads (one with HH-12, one with DLT) vs Luke + AT-RT + 2 Rebel Trooper squads (one with Z-6, one with MPL-57 ion)

For intro games (of any wargaming), I always try to concentrate on the basic mechanics that are used most often first.

1. A commander type that is basic and usually always a requirement. not one with a lot of fancy special rules but a basic one. Get to the fancy stuff later after the mechanics are down.

2. Troops... same as above.

3. Vehicles, I try to not include them for the first game at the very least. Thats a whole block of rules that can be addressed after the basics are down.

4. Try to use units that you have painted. Nice painted models always help with the imagery and keeping folks attention. Makes it more interesting and enticing.

5. Scenery, Try to use very basic stuff without special rules for now but like with the models, try to make sure its painted and looks nice.

6. try to stick with a theme. Just makes it look nicer and more professional.

Hope this helps.

And a beginner list could be 300 or 400 points, for that matter.

On 1/27/2020 at 2:38 PM, Sharkbelly said:

And a beginner list could be 300 or 400 points, for that matter.

Thanks a lot for your input everyone! I've already played the first of the intro games. I didn't want to get below 500 points because Legion is an objective based game and I wanted to emphasize that point from the very beginning. It's hard to set up a sensible scenario below 500 pts so we ended up playing a regular skirmish game.

I also took a bit of a risk putting a vehicle (AT-RT) in his list but I figured he could handle the complexity because while he might be new to Legion, he's played other systems for years. Turns out I was correct - he thinks rules for Legion are "trivial" because "everything is on the cards and you don't even need a manual". The AT-RT gamble clearly paid off because an entire stormtrooper squad getting incinerated was a highlight of the game, right next to Luke defeating his dad with SoS (one heck of a way to demonstrate the command card mechanic!). He ended up browsing the internet for Legion products till 3 AM in the morning so I guess he's hooked?