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Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord Set: Revenge of the Sith #59/60 Date Reviewed: April 19, 2006 Image from Wizards.com Rating: 3.1 Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst. 3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.

 

Sith Dragon	Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord Imperial Cost: 62 HP: 130 DEF: 20 ATK: +15 DAM: 20 Betrayal: characters rolling a 1 when attacking SL join this character's squad for the rest of the skirmish (or this character is defeated). Execute Order 66: Characters with Order 66 cannot target this character. melee/triple attack Force 6 Force Powers: Lightsaber assault (F1), replaces attacks can attack twice, Sith Lightning (F3), range 6 - 30 damage. CE: Your squad may include characters with Order 66 Our second character for Triple threat week is a character that is underused, easily beatable, yet is THE most feared character in the game as we will find out. His stats place him with the elite of the Jedi with stats akin to the Vaders, Yodas, Maces, and Kenobis. He has stout stats all the way around. His abilities and force powers are his real strength though. Of course being Triple threat week, he has triple attack, so when he attacks he can dish out some serious damage attacking at a +15. With Thrawn, we talked about how he can almost single-handedly shut down Jedi. The emperor DID kill an entire squad. Clones used to be a viable shooting squad, but when Sith Lord came out, he ended their playability. Clones cannot target him, so you either leave the rest of the squad behind and let him annihilate them single handed, or run everyone behind him so he is the only legal target. Since EO66 says only that they cannot attack him (instead of removing him from the list of available targets), the clones have no one to attack. It is this next ability that makes him THE most feared character in the game. IF a character rolls a natural 1 against him, they betray their original controller, and join SL's squad. Jedi can avoid this with their force rerolls (provided Thrawn isn't lingering), but I have seen many Jedi roll two 1s in a row, or they roll the 1 after they are out of force points when late in the game. Power pieces like Fett, AT-STs, Vipers have no protection and all of a sudden you are down a very big piece and they have an extra body to deal damage with. I once had a Master Yoda AND Master Kenobi roll consecutive 1's (Yoda was out of force and Obi used lightsaber assault). My remaining Wookiee scout ran for the hills! His force powers are awesome and augment his powerful stats. He is one of only 3 character with lightsaber assault right now. As long as Thrawn is MIA, lightsaber can be one of the best force powers int he game, especially for someone who has triple attack going into the next round. Sith lightning is also powerful. Any time a Jedi can do damage from a distance, they automatically get bumped into the next class of Jedi. It isn't as good as his counterparts Force lightning that does 30 to 2 adjacent characters, it also lacks the backlash of HAVING to hit two other characters even if one is the emperor himself. His CE would be very good if the SL wasn't so expensive. The only time you would really use this CE is if you are using clones and stormies to make a hybrid shooting army. The problem is that 62 pts is a lot to give up in a 200 pt game just to get the two squads to cross. It can also help if you need to finish off your points and want to use an ARC or clone trooper. 100 pt: A triple attacker with lightsaber assault will always be good, but he lacks any type of protection such as deflect or block. All he has are bodyguards that can go down very fast with the number of characters that now do 30 DAM. 200 pt: Here, as with most cases, you can build around him more effectively and he becomes a real threat. A solid squad is to combine him, Thrawn and Jedi Hunter with filler. He assaults the target, Thrawn switches and Vader triples. It is a deadly squad with a lot of dish power. Note: Betrayal is currently ruled that when SL dies, the character that betrayed you for the emperor, returns to their original squad upon the defeat of SL(he dies you get your guy back). I note this because unless you happen to catch it in the rulebook you will play this ability wrong (our entire group has since it came out). "Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?"
Ten-Eyed Man	Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord First of all, I just want to say that I love this piece. When the Revenge of the Sith set first came out, I happily told my friends who were Star Wars fans but didn’t play the game about the Betrayal ability, and they loved it, and I hoped against hope that Sith Palpatine could become a tournament mainstay. It wasn’t meant to be, though. Sith Palpatine is good, but he’s since been pretty much overshadowed in terms of Imperial monsters by Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter. His numbers are solid, but not stellar (mostly a Defense issue; at 62 points, you expect something higher than 20). You also sort of expect a +16 attack (though that’s as high as the game currently goes, so one shy is maybe forgiveable). As with many Jedi and Sith types, it’s the abilities that really set Sith Palpatine apart. Triple Attack is pretty much a gimme in a 60+ point figure, but he’s got it. He also has a whopping six Force points, which is still not as good as having four and Force Renewal, per his other version. Lightsaber Assault is fantastic, allowing serious mobile offense, and Sith Lightning gives you some guaranteed damage (though I will usually choose Lightsaber Assault, since it does more damage at a lower Force cost, with the important down side that it can miss). The above abilities are all very useful, but not all that interesting. Fortunately, Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord has not one, not two, but three tricks up his billowing sleeve that are completely unique in the game. The previously mentioned Betrayal, while it doesn’t go off all that often, does mean that your opponent will always have to think twice about his attacks. Consider that if Obi-Wan, Jedi Master wants to make a Lightsaber Assault on Palpatine, there is almost a 10% chance that he’ll turn to the Dark Side and not be able to spend another Force Point to reroll. Given odds like that, many players will instead have Obi-Wan just walk up and attack once, saving that Force Point as a safety net. Betrayal is not remotely as useful in terms of “a thing that happens all the time” as it is a “thing that scares your opponent into making bad decisions.” Execute Order 66 is a weirdly different ability. Where Betrayal is all about gambling and odds, Order 66 is all about guarantees, with the big guarantee being that if your opponent is playing a clone or AT-RT squad, you’ve got a guaranteed win. The idea that a pretty large number of figures, some of whom are the best shooting options the Republic has, simply can’t target Sith Palpatine, makes it easy to see why serious tournament play doesn’t really include clones. Which is why Palpatine’s Commander Effect is sort of a mixed blessing. Once again, it’s a trick unlike anything else in the game, because it allows you to mix factions, but only with pieces that will be completely crippled if you go up against another Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord. This, then, is the strangest thing about Sith Palpatine: he’s one of the most metagame-dependent pieces in the game. If your local environment involves a large number of Order 66 pieces, then you’ll do very well with him (though it might be a dull game). If your local environment involves a lot of Sith Palpatine, however, you might not want to use him (or at least not use his Commander Effect). As a pure beatstick, you can do better with either Darth Vader, Sith Lord (two points less) or Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter (13 points more). As a “reinforce everyone in your squad while doing a bunch of direct damage piece,” you should use the original Emperor Palpatine from Rebel Storm. As a “keep your opponent guessing and have some really memorable games” piece, you can’t really do better at all. Overall rating in 100: 2.5 Overall rating in 200: 3.5 Overall rating in fun, casual games: 5
KC Tyler	Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord is a one of the most powerful character in the game today. First Palpatine has 130 hitpoints, Defense 20, Attack +15, Damage 20 and he is a very rare unique figure worth 62 points. He has triple attack and can only attack adjacent characters but with his Execute Order 66, he cannot be attack by characters with this ability on their card with clone in their name. Emperor best power is betrayal where if you roll a natural 1 against this character the attacking enemy joins this character’s squad until the end of the skirmish. He has six force and powers are Lightsaber assault which take 1 force to use and Sith Lightning 30 which requires 2 force to use. Palpaltine Sith Lord is a team leader where you can build around him Like shooter Aurra or Boba, maybe Anakin Skywalker Sith Apprentice then with his commander effect you can add clone troopers with could turn the table against any squad. Emperor Palpatine SL is playing against the Republic and lets say it is Obi Wan Jedi master and the rest of the team is clone trooper they can’t attack him so it would be your team against Obi Wan which show his value to a team. A very good character one that can be great in 200 point game or above average in a 100 point game.
Vesuvan	Emperor Palpatine Sith Lord Emperor Palpatine is one scary mini to see across the table. He has 130hp with a solid defense of 20 and fair attack of 15 you would wonder why. Betrayal is one of the most unlikely events to occur in the game and yet the fear of it can be a powerful weapon. True it only has a one in 20 chance of going off, but that can be enough to make many players think twice. The true power lies in his order 66 abilities. The first one is Execute Order 66 which protects the Emperor from all characters with order 66. This includes the nasty clone trooper on brac speeder. The other is his commander effect which allows you to use characters with order 66 in your squad. The empire already has access to some extremely powerful figures and then you throw in power from over half of the Old Republic you can make some very nasty combos. With this being triple threat week he also has melee triple attack with the standard lightsaber damage of 20. His force powers are nothing to slouch at. Lightsaber assault allows you to basically move and double attack which is always cool. Sith lighting is the Emperors trademark attack that give him a little range, but is somewhat lacking when compared to his rebel storm version, I suggest that you stick with the lightsaber assault. Overall he is not a bad mini, but his best place is in high point games. Tournament 100pts 3/5 200pts 3.5/5 300pts 4/5 He is a good mini, but his points cost are a killer.
Darth Sideous	Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord Revenge of the Sith #59 Hitpoints: 130 Defense: 20 Attack: +15 Damage: 20 Points:  62 Special Abilities: Betrayal On an attack roll of 1 against this character, the attacking enemy joins this character's squad until the end of the skirmish. Execute Order 66 Cannot be targeted by characters with Order 66. Melee Attack This character can attack only adjacent enemies. Triple Attack On it's turn, this character can make 2 extra attacks instead of moving. Unique Force Powers: Force: 6 Lightsaber Assault Force 1, replaces attacks; Make two attacks. Sith Lightning 30 Force 2; replaces attacks; range 6. 30 Damage to 1 target enemy. Commander Effect: Your squad may contain characters with Order 66. This is another 60+ Point Jedi character. This guy is pretty decent overall. He has unique abilities that others don’t have, but then again, he does have his flaws. Pros: Betrayal is a nifty special ability. When someone attacks the Emperor and rolls a 1, they change sides to the Emperor’s team. That could be game breaking right there. The odds of this is 1/20, which is only 5% of the time and the odds shrink depending on who’s on your squad. His Order 66 Commander effect is nice because you can include Clones and other Order 66 memebers, which is really a nice ability to mix up your Imperial Squad. He has a nice array of abilities. Cons: 20 defense on a 62 point character is crap especially when you have to go into melee to do damage. His other 2 versions have Force Renewal, this one doesn’t. The Imperial Version also had Force Lightning, which is a plus over Sith Lightning. 130 Hit Points isn’t something to brag about either. Lastly, he has no force special abilities to defend himself from onslaughting attacks besides if they roll a 1. Overall, He could be worth the points if Betrayal works. If it doesn’t and this guy ends up falling, then you’ve lost a huge piece in your army. 100 Points: He’s not worth it. Let’s just put it at that. Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter can whoop is but in 1 on 1 combat. 200 Points: This guy is a bit more flexible in this format, but I still don’t think he’s worth all those points for that low HP and low Defense, But I’ll say he’s better here than in 100 points. 2/5 in 100 Points. I don’t see how this guy can change the game besides Betrayal, which is just random luck 3/5 in 200 Points. This is because he can have more order 66 followers to make the Imperials better.
vornargith	Emperor Palpatine – Sith Lord Cost: 62 HP: 130 DEF: 20 ATT: +15 DMG: 20 Special Abilities: Betrayal / Execute Order 66 / Melee / Triple Attack Force 6: Lightsaber Assault / Sith Lightning 30 Commander Effect: Squad may include characters with Order 66 Here’s a character whose effectiveness is greatly determined by circumstance. If you know that your opponent is using a Republic force, Palpy can really work in your favor. If you’re in a skirmish against any other faction, this character’s abilities are greatly diminished, and he all of a sudden becomes target practice. Fortunately, he can handle his own in a melee. His CE is also interesting, but not that great… sure you can mix clones and stormies together – even share commander effects, but the versatility is not worth the points you will pay to have the Emperor on your team. You’ll have access to clone grenadiers, ARCs and sergeants. Clone sergeants are the only units I see working effectively with imperial troopers. Imperials have a very effective grunt force already as it is. Palpy’s other interesting ability is betrayal. Like his CE, it sounds nicer that it really is. True, your opponents are bound to roll at least one “1” during the game, but it doesn't necessarily occur when attacking this character. I used him once, but he didn’t win the skirmish for me. I knew my opponent was putting together a Republic squad, but it consisted of Jedi and fringers. He rolled two “1’s” attacking my characters – just not the Emperor guy. He barely came out alive with only 10 HP left. Stormies and officers managed to score some lucky hits while Palpy's role was diminished to keeping the enemy at bay. Rating by Skirmish Size 100 pt.: 1/5 … the cost is too high to effectively build support, and the circumstantial nature of order 66 is too much of a gamble. 200 pt.: 2.5/5 … you’ll have more support, but you're still gambling on his abilities. Emperor Palpy from Rebel Storm is more useful and reliable (22 pts. Cheaper). His circumstantial abilities seem designed for special scenarios.
Prince Yaken	Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord Hitpoints: 130 Defense: 20 Attack: +15 Damage: 20 Points: 62 Special Abilities: Betrayal On an attack roll of 1 against this character, the attacking enemy joins this character's squad until the end of the skirmish. Execute Order 66 Cannot be targeted by characters with Order 66. Melee Attack This character can attack only adjacent enemies. Triple Attack On it's turn, this character can make 2 extra attacks instead of moving. Unique Force Powers: Force: 6 Lightsaber Assault Force 1, replaces attacks; Make two attacks. Sith Lightning 30 Force 2; replaces attacks; range 6. 30 Damage to 1 target enemy. Commander Effect: Your squad may contain characters with Order 66. Where to begin, where to begin... Well at this point in his life, Palpatine had just claimed dominance alongside his apprentice Darth Vader over the former Galactic Senate. Seemingly sealing the takeover after holding off his equal Jedi Master Yoda, Palatine was one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy even outside of his political position. Out of his special abilities Betrayal stands out most in mind opinion. Not even having to use Force Points, a simple critical miss (a die roll of 1) would wisk away whatever force was about to attack him. This often can leave someone who doesn't use a force wielding squad to ponder any movement against this Lord of Darkness. An attack from a fairly weak foe normally would do no good except a critical hit from a Gothal Fringer. A wise person will avoid using a powerhouse such as Boba Fett with full health unless really there is little choice. Mind you Triple Attack and Execute Order 66 are nothing to scoff at but I've seen the unfortunate luck of half a squad rolling 1 against Palpy. Boasting 6 Force Points to distribute between a 99% guarrenteed 30 damage and the ability to find placement for anywhere between 2 to 5 attacks is something that would make even a character with mediocre offensive and defensive values usable. Sometimes only being able to deal 90 damage for a close-to-medium combat is only worth it if you can follow up with a strong attack from a shooter. What a minute, what am I saying?! Of course its worth it. Sorry that I am not going over his excellency's full assortment of abilities but I am sure my COTD comrades did it well enough that I can focus on a few particular feats. 100 Points: I've found him to work well only in sealed pack situations since this format is still plagued with Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter and mixed bgroups boasting Boba, Aurra, or Mace Windu. 2.5/5 200 Points: This guy gets nasty since with Order 66 you can swarm with Clones or even just AT-RTs to support this self made Monarch. With more points to add threats like Grand Admiral Thrawn (yeah I'm crazy enough to combo them), Anakin Sith Apprentice, or a hired hand can surely difference in a tight game. 4/5
David Dunn	Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord This is a decent imperial figure. His stats are pretty impressive. Like the other one, he has 130 hp and 20 def. But, unlike the first one, he has an attack value and deals 20 damage. Triple attack is always a god ability that, with the right amount of attack, can be devastating. Betrayal effect is very good but it won’t be used as much than thought because natural 1s aren’t very common, but when they do occur this ability could be devastating. Lightsaber assault is an ok ability but won’t be used as much as sith lightning. Though it isn’t as good as force lightning, doing 30 damage without a save is still very good. His commander effect can be used for some good clones, but stick to the stronger ones. Overall he is a good figure that can be use for multiple reasons 100 game 3/5 200 game 4/5
Xoulrath	Today, we review Emperor Palpatine, Sith Lord. I'm just going to start out with what I have always hated about this version of the character. Betrayal and Order 66. While rolling a one is normally not a big deal, it can be disastrous against this Sith Lord. You roll a one with any character in the game, and that character is now fighting for your opponent. Certainly, you now get the points for killing your once ally, but depending on when he Betrays, that may or may not be possible. Force users, at least, can reroll (so long as he isn't teamed up with Thrawn in a 200). I have always thought there should be a save for this ability, after the one is actually rolled. On to Order 66. While Clones were never a threat in the tournament scene, this all but eliminates them. If/when the designers want to give the Clones some love with powerful CE's and some tougher units, a la the ARC, it will first be necessary to do something about Order 66, otherwise everyone and there brother will bring Palpy for a counter squad. At the moment, it really is a moot point. Clones aren't worth anything more than fodder currently, ARC's excepted. Again, just like with Betrayal, I would have liked to see a save for the Clones attempting to target Palpatine. If they make it, they can shoot as normal; if they fail, then Order 66 prevents them from attacking Palpy for that turn. But alas, that is not to be. Now, with those gripes out of the way, let's get to the review. 62 points and here is what you get: 130 HP's, 20 Defense, +15 Attack, and 20 Damage. Melee Attack and Triple Attack, in addition to Betrayal (On an attack roll of 1 against this character, the attacking enemy joins this character's squad until the end of the skirmish.) and Order 66 (Cannot be targeted by characters with Order 66.) He has Lightsaber Assault and Sith Lightning to spend his six Force points on. You would get the feeling that this version of Palpy is all about offensive output, simply glancing at his stats, and you would be right. LS Assault is great, as you can wait for an opponent's figure to activate, move six, and still get two attacks off. With access to the Probe Droid, or Thrawn in 200, winning initiative and getting off that Triple Attack is even easier. Sith Lightning is a direct attack dealing 30 damage, with no roll required. Spend the two FP's needed to use it, and instant damage. With 130 HP's, and a solid 20 defense, he will be around for a while. The threat of rolling a 1 is always something of a boost to his defense, as oppponent's are generally cautious in how they approach him. Other than this, however, he has no real defensive measures. For a figure of this high a cost, that would be unacceptable were it not for Order 66, Betrayal, and his CE which allows him access to some great troops from the Republic, such as the AT-RT and ARC Troopers. Like a lot of the CE's out there, however, it is best when taken advantage of in a 200 point game, as Palpy's high cost leaves almost no room for real support in a 100 for utilizing Order 66. Bottom line: He is fragile for the cost. He can't Deflect the likes of attacks from Boba or Aurra. He can't Block the likes of Mace Windu or Darth Vader, JH. He is a pure offensive powerhouse, who is worth the points in 200 simply because ARC's and AT-RT's can become insane when given Thrawn's +3/+3, and Veers Accurate; he may even be worth playing in 100, simply because of Betrayal and the fact most players wouldn't expect it. Just keep him hidden until you can attack, because if your opponent isn't rolling one's, Palpy will fall fast to most well built shooter squads.