If the mini-set really is "Jedi and Sith" I'm going to be incredibly excited. I love using Force Users and I've started to get more and more into the Sith lately. I'm hoping for a nice mix of New and Old Republic as well as New and Old Sith.

Talon will probably end up being a fringe Ysalamiri piece; the game needs it to counter Advanced Battle Meditation and Force Meditation. I don't like how Vong and Imperials are the only ones remotely safe from Bastila. Yes, she helps counter uber-commander-combo effects, but a 6 square immunity to her still limits them while giving yet another strategic dimension to the game when facing her.

Completely agree.

We already have 3 ways to counter it:

Ysalimiri/Force Immunity
Disciplined Leader
Force Light
Force Suppression

(Of course, 3 of those solutions are in Batila's faction - what's up with that?)


Other ways to counter ABM to various degrees:

Mandos: Disciplined Leader + Right Hand Man (grant Disciplined Leader to an ally)

Force Suppression 4: boardwide, when an enemy spends force points, spend 4 force points to force them to spend 1 additional FP. Stops Bastila from having ABM 'always on'. This could work for Sith, NR, Republic, or Yoda in Rebels

Special Abilities: Rebels should focus on heroes with SAs, rather than relying on CEs. Rumor has it that this set moves in that direction.

Boardwide save - some ridiculously expensive force power that involves a save and that has a boardwide target. Force Bastila to roll a save, end ABM. Expensive enough that ABM could only be turned off once per game. Maybe a FP that defeats the person using it.

That is a strong counter, but an expensive one.

I feel this is getting quite repetitive. It seems every set were getting new ability's to counter old ones. Then the new ability's need to be countered by newer ones. Its a never ending cycle. I was slightly ok with the jedi reflexes but the new one that the Night sister mother has is disheartening. I know that it wont always be used, but force leap and flight are ability's that counter these, even though they are not commonly used, but treasured when gets to use them. I dont like new things that nerf old things.

If Talon Karrde costs mid thirties though, then surely that prevents him being an auto-include into squads. Even if he is fringe.

That's fair. But Force Abilities are kind of a new mechanic in the game. And they have proven very powerful. Yes, there are some counters already, but I think a few more things like Force Light (or more ideally, a dark version) will be beneficial to the game. We had to wait how long for Disruptive?

I think if you make him mid 30's, people will just build their squads around him

I am trying to convince a large playgroup from the neighbouring city that they should pick up Vsets and the biggest issue they have is that they are concerned at how "overpowered" the new stuff is. What must be said is that they haven't really seen the new stuff, let alone played it, to really comment in this way. Once they do see the Vset material, I can imagine them voicing those same concerns again, but it has got me thinking that in reality, have the Vset pieces totally changed the game? I don't believe so. I think it has enhanced it and balanced it but that we're not seeing anything different in terms of changes to the game from set to set. New pieces come out and the meta changes. If Wizards had kept it up, it'd be the same with them. I know that this group in Wellington will initially have some problems when they see some things, but I think they will find that the old good squads will still do alright (and then they can gradually get into the new stuff).

I'm not sure if this makes sense or not, but I see the game as simply progressing in its natural way. The only difference is now that we don't get that bottom third of pieces per set that were just pants and characters are rigorously playtested do avoid more Dodonna-like effects to the game.

My 2 cents (with Kent Brockman)

Skippy, the Force-sensitive droid?