No games yet, but I think this is one of the best sets I've been here to witness the release. The last three sets have explored a lot of unique new ways to balance gameplay and open up new squad types. I've thought some of those new ideas in the previous two were a little odd (but not too much of a stretch), but I think this set all these new ways of balancing really 'clicked.' Just about every piece in the set either opens up new builds, or adds a lot to pre-existing builds.

I arrived on the site as set 8 was going up in the squadbuilder. I've anticipated and enjoyed the release of every set since then, but this set is one of my favorites. I'm not sure I have ever been so excited at the squadbuilding opportunities opened up (to be completely fair, many of these opportunities stand on the work of the previous few sets in building subfactions like the Army of Light and Lost Tribe).

I guess that's what's awesome about this set: previous sets had started building these new subfactions, but this set really clinched them together and made them forces to be reckoned with.

two leias is weird though.

My reaction is that I do not see anything right off the bat that is too powerful (loth cat will be the one to keep an eye on and maybe future resistance things)
I really wish there was some Separatist love and Mando love in the set.

As a lover of unique force users this set is lacking power pieces. We have Talon, Leia, Sister, and brother as unique force users with a lightsaber.

The hardest thing to me about the set is the new pieces that kind of go out on a limb because the portrayal is hard to make since we have seen little of them or the design is very different than things we have seen before.
For instance the General Leia. I do not know why she has twin attack, or inside information, force sense, or even that commander effect. She did not do that much in the movie and I feel like she could have been waited to design until we got more information on her.
Same goes with Captain Phasma, unless there is other information about her that I have not read about (havent looked yet to see if there is any).

A lot of new stuff from this set that time will time if it is fun and good game play, which is cool because it makes you want to try it out. Like Allana Solo and Visions in the Cave.

I am very happy with the Sith Saber, it is probably my favorite piece in the set. I like the 5th Brother as well.

Two Leia's??


I think I will enjoy the Noghri builds as a tier 2ish, fun build. It would be fun to see a trandoshan vs. Noghri battle.

OVERALL:

i think the set will not be used much for super competitive play tbh. I think it makes for builds that are intriguing (Father, sub-faction builds, etc.) and the pieces have new things to offer that you don't know if you like or not so you want to figure it out by playing them. So I think it does a great job in maintaining the desire to play and a great job in not creating a power balance shift. Which are two very wonderful things.

P.S. I just thought that Loth Cat can be a character that is designed to help Force users, but it also hurts force users. So, again, it is a catch 22. If you base and they use a loth cat on their turn to move away from you, than you have to base again. which kind of sucks.
but than again, you can use loth cat to base someone and than get all your attacks.

The problem is that it will be great for casual play and difficult for super competitive play, I feel

I like it, kind of shows the dedication to both the old and new Star Wars

I think there are several new squad types to try out:

* Sarasu Taalon + Lost Tribe squads
* First Order: Phasma + Thrawn
* First Order: Snoke + Daala (I don't think Snoke and Phasma will be played together much)
* Iquisitors: Grand + Fifth Brother + Seventh Sister
* Resistance: General Leia
* Noghris
* Hex Droids
* The Father

Other pieces offer new options but don't really define new squad types (Corellian Jedi Lord, Jun Sato, Captain Rex, new Wraiths, Hutt Cartel additions).

I'm most excited to play Hex Droids, Lost Tribe, Resistance, Hutt Cartel, The Father. (Not necessarily in that order.)

Loth cats are cool but not broken imo.

Played a game with them. They are actually quite hard to use.

Using 1-2 in a lightsaber user centered squad will make sense in some squads. Spamming them will not.

It's 4 points for a (maximum) 1 time use. Keep in mind they have to move TOWARD the cat. It's hard to get the cat out front and not have it killed.

In my game I had to work hard to use one of them once. It did allow me an attack I wouldn't have gotten, but it didn't change the outcome of the game.

That's true.

It's kind of equivalent to a successful parry save, that you can use once, at that point. (Single attack off the AoO if you were to move.) But on the flip side if you were based, you could attack using double or triple then have the cat move you back.

I think with an aware opponent, the advantage is small. Loss of an activation and 4 points balances the advantage.

Strafe or gallop or accurate furious assault makes them practically useless.


Again - not worth spamming imo. Handy to have 1 or 2 in certain matchups. I think it's a good niche.

I Used To Have a Bigger Crew has a save. Tall-Yor grants Dovin Basal... Dovin Basal has a save, but I guess Tall-Yor itself doesn't. But no new save abilities beyond that.

That's sort of on me, or at least, I'll own it. The Mal'ary'ush/Noghri combo was my baby, but it was cut from set 10 at the end stages of of planning (the Unique slot went to Garm, if anyone's interested). At the time, I was consoled by the idea that I could lobby for it on the next set I designed. When 13 came along and we had subfactions as kind of a guiding principal, it seemed like a good fit and an opportunity to make something really fun and flavorful. General Leia didn't get made in the TFA subset, so it seemed like we should be the ones to make her. We were mindful that we were using two slots for the same named character, but I kind of lobbied for that outcome because I felt strongly about both and I thought they would be totally different, occupy different places in the game, and function differently. And it is a nod to old "canon" and new.

That is why it's so awesome, well said!