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Yuuzhan Vong Subaltern Set: Universe #59/60 Date Reviewed: August 09, 2006 Image from Wizards.com Ratings:  Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the worst. 3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating. 100 pt: 1.2 200 pt: 2

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Ten-Eyed Man	The Yuuzhan Vong Subaltern has always bothered me. It costs slightly more than two Yuuzhan Vong Warriors, and I just can't figure out why. On paper, for your slightly-more-than-doubled point cost, you get +1 Defense, +2 Attack, +10 Hit Points, Double Attack, improved Crab Armor, Razor Bug, and a Commander Effect that grants Double Attack to Vong Warriors. It sounds perfectly reasonable, except for one thing: all I really want out of non-Unique Vong is Thud Bug. Let's go point by point: The extra Defense and Hit Points don't matter, because the Defense increase is trivial, and two Vong Warriors have more HP than one Subaltern. The improved Crab Armor (now reducing damage by 10 a full 50% of the time) helps somewhat, but still generally not as tough as two Warriors. The extra Attack value, Double Attack, and Commander Effect don't matter either, because the Subaltern is going to be using either Thud Bug or Razor Bug every turn, and the Warrior is going to be using Thud Bug every turn. Double Attack can't help with that, and the 50/50 odds you get with a 'Bug are way better than the odds you would get using the pathetic Attack scores of either piece. The Commander Effect moves past useless into the realm of detrimental because it means that the Subaltern can't take advantage of Lando Calrissian, Hero of Tanaab's free Mobile Attack for all followers. Razor Bug is the one thing that a Subaltern can give you that a Warrior just can't. The advantage to Razor Bug is that it works at any range, using the standard targeting rules. It amounts to a 50% chance to do 10 damage. It lacks the extra kick of a Thud Bug, but it lacks the range limit as well. Huh. Too little; too late. If the Subaltern cost even two points less, I might use them, because I wouldn't then have to choose it over two Warriors and an extra point. As it stands, they're just never worth it. Overall rating in 100: 1.5 Overall rating in 200: 2
Kevin	Well, after a long and boring move (and a lack of internet access for about 2 1/2 weeks) I am back. Seems I came just in time to review......the vong?!?!?! Well, its about time I guess. Up first (for me) this week is the Vong Subaltern. Stats are, as always, first. Cost: 17 HP: 40 Defence: 14 Attack: +5 Damage: 10 Special abilities: --Melee attack (Can only attack adjacent enemies) --Double attack (On his turn, this character can make one extra attack instead of moving) --Force Immunity (Enemies can not effect this character with force powers, or spend force points to reroll attacks against this character or in responce to this characters attacks and abilities) --Razor bug (Replaces attacks; sight; 10 damage, save 11) --Thud bug (Replaces attacks; range 6; 10 damage, target is concidered activated this round, save 11 negates. Droids, huge characters, and characters with mounted weapon ignore non damageing effect.) --Vonduun crab armor 11 (When this character takes damage, it can reduce the damage dealt by 10 with a save of 11) Commander effect: Allied Yuuzhan Vong Warriors within 6 squares gain DOUBLE ATTACK (On his turn, this character can make one extra attack instead of moving) To be very blunt, the first problem with this peice is that it is a vong. The vong total 4 characters, one of which is almost never feilded with the other vong. As such they have no faction support and rely almost completly on fringe. But that aside, this peice is full of tricks. As a stand alone character, this peice seems worthless. It has very few hitpoints, low defence, and low attack. Bring in the 10 damage and you have enough to not ever want to use it. It has double attack, but I see that as useless when you can't hit anything with either attack or do any real damage. Razor bug is somewhat useful, if you can target a melee character with it you're fine, but if the target is non melee, next turn this character dies. Thud bug is probably one of the best things going for this character. It can do damage, but more importantly, it can activate your opponents vader or bane or other heavy hitter. Best part is, they only get the one save of 11, no force rerolls due to the force immunity. That is where this peices strength lies, it can activate the other peices on the feild and they have to make the save the first time. Aside from all that, the CE gives other vong warriors double attack, which, as I stated earlier, is useless if you can't hit anything or do damage (note the melee on all the vong aside from nom, no combining fire so your stuck with the +3 and +5) As I said before, the vong have no support. They are almost all melee attackers, none do more then a base of 10 damage, but they do have a few tricks. 100 points: What can I say? Its the vong. This one will die very quickly. Even with the crab armor save of 11, you're better off with two Klatooninian enforcers here, same hitpoints, simular defence, less combined cost, and they can combine fire and possibly do 20 damage at range (not to mention they are fringe and can benifit from CE's unlike this peice here). If you play this game a lot you know just how sad that is. This vong isn't scary at all in 100. 1/5 (wish I could give it a 0) 200 points: Here I will give them some more credit. They can be paired with the warmaster and still have room left over for more, they can use their CE on a few warriors, they can be used to activate the bigger characters, and they might, just, survive for a little bit. Still at 17 points this figure isn't anywhere near average for its cost. 2/5 Tip: (If you plan on useing this character, I would suggest it being the main leader. Use it with a few warriors and some fringe support that is much better then the vong. Like that the warriors can run in and try to activate everybody while maybe doing damage and prooving distractions. Then the fringers can shoot the now immobile enemies. Thats the best use I can see for this vong in 100. In 200, use it with the warmaster and 15 warriors to out activate and thudbug everything, then use the CE and let the warriors thud bug what they can then the rest can double attack.)
Zeroph Zeal	Yuuzhan Vong Subaltern 08/09/06 Points: 17 Hitpoints: 40 Defense: 14 Attack: +5 Damage: 10 Abilities: Melee Attack, Double Attack, Force Immunity, Razorbug, Thud Bug, Vonduun Crab Armor 11 Commander Effect: Allied Yuuzhan Vong Warriors within 6 squares gain Double Attack. Aah, the Sabaltern. Yesterday, I mentioned that there was only one good Yuuzhan Vong unit. That goes to Nom Anor, not this. Although, if it does mean anything, it is a slightly better unit than Monday's. Again, its stats are not legendary. For 17 points, 40 hitpoints means that he falls to a double attacking jedi, 14 defense is decent but still not great. +5 attack is horrible, and 10 damage is also... horrible. Of course, that bad attacking skill is mutliplied once again with Melee Attack. Double Attack, while a good ability, doesn't help this unit much. The fact of the matter is, with a maximum damage of mere 20, and an attack of +5, most of the time you will only deal 10 damage, sometimes 0 when you attack with this unit... even if it is a Double Attack. Force Immunity is a good ability, though. Vonduun Crab Armor is at 11 for this character, quite the step in the right direction from the Warrior. This means instead of a 25% chance of making a save, this character has a 50% chance. This is much better. And of course, this means that Force Immunity can see some use. This character has two attacking abilities as well. Thud Bug is just as useless as Monday's, but it is a tad better on this unit simply because this unit is slightly more defensive. Razorbug, however, is a great ability. With its only requirement being sight, he has a 50% chance of dealing 10 damage. Sure, it doesn't sound legendary, but just put the guy in cover, and you can attempt to pick apart your opponent's back row, such as evil commanders that are in cover and you can therefore not attack. (not that it would matter playing with the Vong anyway... none of them have range except for fringe units you may be plaing...) This can be a major help taking out Battle Droid Officers, Thrawn, Mas Amedda, you name it. Hell, this could even help against charging grunts. Put a few of these guys in your army, say 6, and you will be dealing an average of 30 damage per turn against basically any unit you want. Not too shabby. The Sabaltern's Commander Effect is pretty much useless, though. Because of it, he doesn't count as a follower, meaning that he can't get the Commander Effects of some of the Fringe commanders, such as Lando, Hero of Tanab. What it does isn't that good, either. It gives all your crappy Vong Warriors Double Attack. Oh goodie. Now they can hit for 20... still an average of 0. And they still have Melee Attack with horrible HP/Armor. I'm sorry, I don't think a unlikely (yet possible) extra 10 damage from a Melee Attack is worth being a Commander Effect. This Commander Effect is almost as bad as Obi Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master's... or Nute Gunray's... xP 100 points: 2/5 You really can't take advantage of Razorbug here, but he is still the best grunt you are going to get for the Vong if you're not playing Nom Anor. 200 points: 3/5 A tad better here. I guess you can incoperate more Warriors and other Sabalterns, allowing you to get more uses out of Razorbug and maybe getting some use out of the Double Attack for the Warriors.