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Star Wars Minis - Top 10 Lists

The top ten pieces to watch out for in competitive play:
-Ben Appleby
April 18, 2006

In Star Wars minis, most rare or unique figures will eventually be of some use, even seemingly bad pieces such as Jabba the Hutt or Doctor Evazan. However, there are a few pieces of particular power that dominate the tournament scene. If you go into a compettitve rather than casual match, here's what to look out for:

1) Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter

Until Champions of the Force is released, the most powerful single figure in the game. Can stand up to any lone model in hand-to-hand, and has a hidoeus number of force powers making him reasonably able to cope with large numbers of enemies or with being shot at. At 100 poitns, every squad should be prepared to cope with him. At 200, he's still a significant threat.

Dealing with Vader: there's no simple way about it. Shooting at him may meet with some success if with high attack characters such as bounty hunters or with combined fire, but remeber he's liable to deflect the first shot that hits, and his Dark Armour will often reduce later ones by 10. Hence, you'll need several big guns, and even then probably a hand-to-hand beatstick to finish him off or a lot of mobility (such as flying characters or R2-D2 Astromech) to stay out of his way. The only realistic way to take care of Vader is to gang up on him with multiple powerful models, unless you have an awful lot of Gotal Fringers and are feeling lucky enough to pull off a disintegrate.

2) R2-D2, Astromech Droid

For his points cost, generally considered the most overpowered model out there. For starters, he has override, for which people will play a model without any other abilities. However, the real defining factor is Tow Cable. This allows him to give an absurd amout of mobility to a powerful unique. Combined with a healer of some kind, he will tow a character out, hit with them, then tow them into a room, lock the door, heal them up. Rinse, repeat.

Dealing with the doombot (as he is known): Accurate shot, accurate shot. If your opponent has a clue what they're doing you'll never get to shoot him otherwise. Darth Maul on Speeder is an alternative possibility, but either way you're going to have to commit a high-point character to his destruction. A override of your own or the Itochi Tech Specialist can counter his locked room strategy.

3) Grand Admiral Thrawn

Best commander in the game, no exceptions. He almost always wins initiative, gives large attack and defence bonuses, prevents the use of the force anywhere near him, can swap models around and isn't a bad shot himself. At 200 point, he will be the centre of a vicious shooting squad.

Dealing with Thrawn: You'll have to approach each of his abilities in turn. To handle initiative control, you'll need to match or beat your opponent on squad size and number of activations. The force bubble he creates means that jedi will be severely weakened, and the force lightning-based squads out there nullified. However, you can use powers like Sith Rage before you enter the bubble. Otherwise, your best shot is, once again, to snipe away with accurate shot and hope the guy doesn't have too many bodyguards along.

4) Aurra Sing

The last of the truly broken pieces. Basically, a sniper, and a very good sniper who will ping away at your forces until you decided to deal with her. Jedi Hunter gives her a considerable edge, and she's arguably the best accurate shooter in the game. Often teamed with pieces like Han, Rebel Hero or Boba Fett.

Dealing with Aurra: unless paired with R2-D2, a decent amount of firepower or a decent jedi basing her should take her down. Non-force users are better to bypass her jedi hunter ability. It's really just a matter of making sure she deals as little damage as possible before she goes.

5) Boba Fett

A accurate shooting, double attacking, flying bounty hunter. That pretty much sums it up. A ranged powerhouse, often used with R2 again. He has enough firepower to handle most jedi or troops.

Dealing with Boba: if he's with R2D2, take out the droid. Otherwise, shooting him with big guns (such as the AT-ST, X1 Viper or other bounty hunters) is most likely to work. Draw fire could keep his double shots off your back if C3PO or Wat Tambor is open to you. Basing him with jedi is iffy unless you have initiative control of some kind, otherwise he will just fly away.

6) X-1 Viper Droid

Or, as I like to refer to it, the tank. Boasts a considerable amount of firepower (outdone only by the AT-ST), a large quantity of HP and the unique Molecular Shielding ability, which renders your opponent extremely unlikely to shoot at it. Usually combined with Battle Droid Officer, Super Battle Droid Commander or General grievous, Supreme Commander to raise its low attack value.

Dealing with the Viper: hand-to-hand. Ranged attack will hurt you as much as it, but one or two decent jedi should be able to chop it up. Take out its support to lower its attack to the point where it's unlikely to hit them. Alternately, a swarm of lots of troops might well overwhelm it.

7) Han Solo, Rebel Hero

The last of the great accurate shooters. Faction rather than fringe, unlike the others, but has the decided plus of Mobile Attack, making him rather harder to get a clean shot at. The most powerful model in the Rebel faction, and generally found spearheading any Rebel squad, often backed up by Chewbacca Rebel hero as a bodyguard.

Dealing with Han: Once again, vulnerable to jedi in hand-to-hand. Ranged units are unlikely to ever get a shot off at him without some degree of mobility (such as Speeder Bikes, the Hailfire or the Wheel Bike). Taking him out should remove the centre of whatever squad he's in.

8) Nom Anor

The model around whom the "Nom Bomb" squad is based. Generally his commander effect is the most important part of this model, allowing a squad of cheap stealth units like the Gran Raider and Abyssian Black Sun Thug to sneak up to the enemy without being shot, before using a Zabrak Fringer to detonate them all in enough self-destruct to destroy the enemy squad.

Dealing with Nom: either concentarte on taking out the Zabrak if your opponent is relying on one, or go straight for Nom himself. Either get a clear shot without cover or base him in hand-to-hand. Once the key peieces of such a squad are done, the Grans and Abyssians will be easy pickings.

9) Nightsister Sith Witch

Combined with Emperor Palpatine to create the Lightning squad, relying on unlimited uses of her lightning force power to deal unavoidable damage to the opponent. Otherwise used as support in empire armies generally. Her lightning is a dangerous power indeed, and she's not a bad fighter either.

Dealing with the Witch: If using Yuuzan Vong or Thrawn, lightning fails to be a problem. Otherwise, you'll have to rely on shooting her before she gets too close. Keep models apart from each other rather than base-to-base to reduce your vulnerability.

10) Lando Calrissian, Hero of Tanaab

An excellent all-round ranged attacker, Lando boasts decent stats, mobile attack, double attack and opportunist. This makes him alone a powerful ranged attacker, but his commander effect, granting mobile to non-uniques, allows dangerous hit-and-run squads to be built around him.

Dealing with Lando: If the squad's based round him, take him out as fast as possible to render the rest easy targets. Otherwise, activate pieces at the front of battle last to recude your vulnerability to opportunist. He's more a powerful support than a lone threat, so needn't always be your priority.