I think Synergy would go a long way in this regard. It fits the characters and gives a benefit that Bastila can't cancel + it can be activated (or act upon) new and old characters provided the name contains fits, this provides a nice mix and match of options.

I like the idea of a multifaceted approach. A new version of an OT character or two, Synergy (as mentioned above) and a CE or two (perhaps on the long absent Rebel Mon Mothma).

YES! I like it. I like it a lot

I'd like to see them take the center stage as well.

One thing WotC did with the main characters was consistently releasing new, relevant versions of the character to retain the appeal for the more casual SW fan. After all, a battle between Luke and Vader will catch an onlooker's eye more than a battle between Vander and Weir.

i have to agree about lots of synergy, rapport. im not against seeing the big 4 at the top, just not on top.

i think force withdrawl or something of the like would be great to keep a bubble around the big 4 and still keep them using CE even when bastila is on the board.(that is unless force immunity doesnt keep your commander effect from being suppressed.)

maybe an ability that hands out synergy, like medical supplies hands out heal.

other than that i think it will be difficult to prepare rebels against bastila without long winded special abilities.

on last idea is this:

Infiltrator: this character is subject to enemy commander effects.

bastila cant stop you if your gaining a bonus fromn her commander effect.

I like this well thought out approach. I too like what Bastilla has done for the game. Seeing The rebels be Tough again, but I would also like to see the Imps be very tough and compete.

I think the good thing that Bastilla does against the Rebels is that she nerfs those all-to-abusive CEs provided by Reikaan and Dod's... which folk have decried like forever. The bad side of that is that if nerfs everything else too, and Rebels don't have any other real answer!

I like that the Vong have special abilities instead of CEs (in some cases) - perhaps that is an avenue for a new Han or Luke (or whoever) - the ability to give all unique Rebel followers blah.

I also like the latest thinking in giving an as yet unnamed Mando commander Relay Orders, in that the idea is Mandos would often move in small groups and still communicate their commands etc. I bring this up, because I think the hero-group of the Rebels functioned much the same way... Luke, Han, Leia, Chewy, and the droids vs. the Empire. Obviously the CE part of that is not what I'm thinking, more the small groups. A SA for unique followers within 6 again...?

I'm of two minds as to whether I'd like to see new OT heros or vamp old ones. Certainly, there are really good old ones, but you'd have to bring in a new hero (or other support character?) anyway to lift them up... But I do like *new* stuff. My unpopular view is that I'd loooooove to see an uber-melee Luke Rebel to match what he was doing on the Death Star in smacking out Vader (and something akin to betrayl to 'turn' his father)... but that goes nowhere near solving this'n (I just wanted to raise it again.... and also there's quite a nice Epic Rebel Luke - kudos!).

I'm not sure I like the idea of having a Special Ability or Force Power that defies Bastilla's ABM... as I think that would go too far the other way of making the Rebels able to counter what the OR have gained... counter for counter for counter etc. I think a SA that benefits unique Rebels in 6 is better. Its like Synergy but "more interesting"!

I don't really like the idea of making a whole set of new Rebel pieces that completely bypass Bastila. In my ideal world, each of the nine factions would be played about equally, and each would have some easier and harder matchups against other factions. Since they're CE heavy, Rebels should find OR a difficult matchup.

It would be good if Rebels had the tools to make the matchup a contest, so that a skilled Rebel player would lose more than half the time to a skilled OR player, but that it wouldn't be an autoloss either. I don't know the rebels well enough to know how to accomplish this, but I don't really like the idea of loading them up with synergies etc so much that Bastila is no longer a factor. Maybe the rebels need something to get round the defensive abilities of Jedi Battlemasters etc; like a shooter whose damage Force users can't negate if they're hit.

does bastilas commander effect work on commander effects during initiative? also if she is activated before her turn (stun,jolt) does her commander effect continue on or does it stop with the activation? and finally if she gained force immunity by ysalamiri, would that stop the effects of her ABM?

i realize these are questions for another forum, but im not entirely sure how ABM works.

(1) The effects of Advanced Battle Meditation last until the start of her next turn, so she can affect Commander Effects that occur during Initiative. Off the top of my head I can't think of any CEs that occur during Initiative.
(2) Bastila's Advanced Battle Meditation is subject to this glossary definition of force abilities: "Force abilities that don't last until the end of the skirmish are negated prematurely if the character using it rolls a save, spends Force points, makes an attack, or is dealt damage."
(3) Any characters inside the Ysalamiri Force Bubble are not subject to Advanced Battle Meditation. I can't see how Bastila would end up inside a Ysalamiri Force Bubble very often in a game (you'd have to throw Pallaeon in deep, and he'd be pretty easy for Bastila to kill), but if she was, I assume Advanced Battle Meditation would be negated.