I've never been very impressed with combined fire. A boost to combined fire would make swarms more attractive. +4 hit, +10 damage would be way deadlier than just +4 to hit. Higher damage in general is also kind to swarms (a Storm Trooper really has a hard time telling if he's been hit for 10 or for 50, a Jedi doesn't...).

I made a suggestion several months back for a new ability called "Covering Fire" which would allow the character that is combinning fire to do so for ALL the attacking character's rolls. That way you could use one piece to boost all four of Rex's/Dash's/Cad Bane's/etc. attacks.

As for the extra damage part, that's why we have Spotter. Are you suggesting a new ability that works like Spotter but with a greater range from the target Yoto?

Sincerely,
Jester007

A change to the combine fire rule rather than a new ability.

Right now I feel like combining fire takes a lot of activations, stops the shooters from moving, and if it's grunts combining with grunts still only does 10 damage. It's just not anything close to cost efficient.

Compare two 5pt Stormtroopers who combine fire with an 11pt Elite Stormtrooper. Against a defense 18 target the 10pts of grunts will average 6pts of damage if they combine fire, and 8pts if they don't. The 11pt elite will average 12pts against the same target.

The grunts do *less* damage on average if they combine fire as well as becoming less mobile. Either way they're under performing the same cost in more elite shooting.

This trend continues all the way up the food chain. Against a higher defense (24 say) a very expensive shooter like Cad Bane does about four times the damage of his cost in Stormtroopers. At the same time he has way more HP, way more mobility, retains his effectiveness as he takes damage, and otherwise beats the snot out of his cost in grunts.

If points are supposed to be a measure of battlefield prowess, you'd think 50pts of shooters lined up against 50pts of shooters should be a wash. It really isn't though. The 50pt piece beats the ten 5pt pieces every time. Changing that would take a pretty substantial house rule (like combine fire adds damage as well) and would dramatically change the game.

Is that new commanders to boost the old favourite swarms (tuskens, battle Droids, stormtroopers)

Or some new swarm pieces? I also would love to see a return to the swarm days.

YES! Awesome! Here is hoping for separatist Droids but regardless it will be nice to see the massive armies again. Really looking forward to the new set now

I like Using Poggle the lessor for the Geonosian Swarms, specially when you get a bomb at only a cost of 2 points with the Drone!