Yes, but GMLS is virtually 2x the price. For 2x the price, GMLS SHOULD be able defeat GOWK. Look at what he brings to the Republic, compare that to units of the same cost, and then figure out why a 55 pt piece can do things that even 70+ pieces can't.

GOWK is 55 pts. If you compare him to GMLS, you realize that for the additional 60 pts GOWK can have Dash, 2 JWMs, or the Barris/Luminara combination. All with significant boosts.

Keep in mind, I have been on the fence for a long time. In fact, in 2 polls, I have voted a no and I am a Rules Advisor. However, the more evidence that comes out, the more it's a distinct possibility for Obi could be suspended indefinitely for performance enhancement.

There is so much wrong with GOWK:
1) Stackable Mettle (a potential +8 to saves if you burn 2 FPs)
2) A CE that, as I have seen put succintly, makes poor pieces good, good pieces great and great pieces fantastic.
3) Soresu Mastery which glorified Evade (without the drawback of adjacency) + Block without the use of a Force Point. This wasn't a problem if it was merely Block or merely Evade like the potential Luminara, but he is nigh unhittable if you are rolling hot. You don't have to worry about the AoOs that most pieces have to when they commit to an action.
4) MotF 2 which works with stackable Mettle.
5) His support. For 55 pts he can be in a faction with a large amount of support and they are the wall you have to chew through to get to him.
6) His cost is far too low for what he brings. See the above.

There's more to this decision than just X vs GOWK. There's X and X's support vs GoWK and his Boosted Support. You have to see the forest for the trees.

Keep in mind, that if he's banned, it could be just a temporary solution until the game catches up to him. And that's the main thing that's wrong right now. He's FAR FAR ahead of the game with little to no realistic countermeasures. Dooku of Sorreno is great but how much support do you need to make him playable when he doesn't have any defense vs non-melee. You need Darth Sidious to give him renewal (something that Obi doesn't have to worry about), support pieces to get him into position (Obi 3 movement breakers: Master Speed, R2, and Panaka), and enough fodder to soak the damage (which Obi boosts to higher than normal D's so even the shots may not fall).

However, if the game catches up to Obi, then maybe he may return from time-out.

Just food for thought.

I just want to say for record this post almost made me fall off my chair with laughter.

Did you really just say GOWK is beatable with Nihilus? Really?

I don't think you have a full grasp of 150 meta (GOWK isn't a factor in 200, at that point if you still can't b eat him that is a you problem not a GOWK problem) if you are recommending a useless Sith Lord and GMLS as viable anti GOWK counters. Those two pieces can't survive in 150 and your standard GOWK squad would make both of them obsolete.

Dooku of Serenno is really only viable because GOWK is in the Meta unfortunately, he is supposed to be 'the' anti GOWK piece, problem is he has neither the faction support or a viable way to get Force Points in 150.

GOWK is precisely what this game didn't need simply because he single handidly eliminated 2/3 of the previous Meta squads in 150 and basically the only factions that can oppose him consistently and still win vs other factions are basically the Rebels, Imps (on a lucky day), and other Republic squads.

People try really hard to use NR, and after JA they will probably be good enough to beat GOWK but not until then.

Actually, I've repeatedly beaten GOWK with Mandos. I use equal amounts of Gunslingers & Scouts with a Captain, Quartermaster & Mouse driods. As long as you keep a constant barrage of attacks on him, he never gets a chance to gain enough force to be more than an annoyance. It wasn't incompetent players fielding him either, before you try that excuse.

I wasn't referring to the Gambit situation. I usually destroy everything else very quickly, overtaking the center of the map in the process & either force him to come to me or I hunt him while constantly pressing the attack. It sometimes takes a while to finish him off, but he tends to run out of force when he's got @ 16 attacks coming at him every round.

I don't think they will start banning minis. This game had been running for a long time and it hasn't happened yet. I agree GOWK is a bit different that other minis that people cried out to have banned, like BFBH and Mas. BFBH was tough to get ahold of, being a VR, and only a couple people at each LGS had one which made others mad that he was able to dominate. Then minis were released that could handle him.

GOWK is different because ANYONE with $20 can buy the starter set and pick one up. I view this as a double edged sword. The ease of getting him means that there won't be the same complaints about being a VR like BFBH, but it also means that there are a TON of people playing him.

In short, I don't think they will start banning minis now as there have been plenty of tough to get/game dominating minis that would have been banned from DCI play if they were running the game like other WOTC games.

I vote you have missed something, and it is this: GOWK is probably the best piece in the game with melee attack, but most ranged squads [bold]will[/bold] tear him apart.

To do damage and be effective, he must GET NEAR the opponents pieces. That means the shooters will be able to shoot him after his action.....repeatedly. In 150, where people seem to think he is strongest, he takes up more than a third of your army, so your opponent is likely to have more activations, and hence shoot GOWK apart pretty fast, regardless of their intelligence level.

Anyone keeping GOWK at the back of the board turtled up in a 2x2 room to avoid this is not likely to win, either. Plus, if you DO use him that way, then your opponent doesn't need to worry about his 'unbeatable' defenses. Just wipe out his meager 95 points of support with your full 150 and lay in wait for him in the center.

He is a GREAT piece for melee, but no matter how well you play him, or how poorly the opponent plays, a shooter-heavy squad almost always beats a melee-based one. (and yes, even if you pack Dash/Rex into a GOWK squad, it is STILL based around him, and hence Melee-Based) That is just the way the game is designed.

In fact, the argument is just kind of silly. Is he good? Yes. Does he "break" the game? No. Should he be banned? Obviously not.

Can we agree to just leave it at that instead of whining about every possible little thing?