Darth Vader,
Legacy of the Force
Imperial
Entanglements
#12/40
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2009
Ratings:
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale 1 being the
worst.
3 ... average. 5 is the highest rating.
100 pt: 3.00
150 pt: 3.75
200 pt: 4.25
Roque Saber
Darth Vader,
Legacy of the Force
Cost: 71
HP: 140
Def: 23
Att: 16
Dmg: 20
SA: Unique, Melee Attack, Pilot, Triple Attack, Dark
Amor, Djem So Style
FP: Force 2, Renewal 1, Force Grip 2, Lightsaber
Reflect
CE: Allies within 6 squares gain Extra Attack
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 10th
incarnation of Darth Vader in Star Wars Miniatures!
*thunderous applause* But really, in all
seriousness, there are a ton of Darth Vaders. So why
should you go spending $20 on this guy when you
could play one of the oher nine? Is there really any
reason to play this guy over the others? Well, let’s
take a look and find out. Firstly, let’s examine his
cost. He is tied with Lord Vader for the title of
second most expensive Vader in the lot. 71 points is
a hefty price to pay, he makes up nearly half your
squad when playing 150. The rest of his stats are
carbon copies of Vader, JH’s. They’re all big and
beefy.
As for Special Abilities, Triple and Dark Armor are
both solid abilities which are to be expected from
Vader. Melee is an obvious, and Pilot is in there
for no reason that I can find. The last ability,
however, sets him apart from many of his other
versions. Djem So Style is one of the ultimate melee
hate abilities, and sets him (and Vader, SotJ) in a
different category from the rest of the Vader
lineup. On to Force Powers! Force 2 and renewal is a
good start, though be careful not to rush Vader
straight into the fighting, give him a couple rounds
to build his force. His two force powers both cost 2
force points. Force Grip, once described by
Sithdragon13 as “the ultimate scrub killing move” is
back. Although it is useful, be careful not to spend
all your force on it. The second ability is yet
another reason to play this Vader over the others.
Lightsaber Reflect, the most horribly represented
power in the game is back, or is it? Although Yoda
(CS) and Loda’s (FU) Reflect only dealt 10 damage to
the attacker, Vader’s sends back full damage. This
means that if an AT-ST shoots at Vader and all the
proper saves are made, the AT-ST will be reeling
back with 30 damage done to itself. (40 base damage
– 10 for DR) Be careful though, because the higher
force cost will drain him quickly if he tries to
reflect too many attacks. Use it sparingly.
And finally we reach his CE, and what a CE it is.
Allies within 6 squares gain Extra Attack. Wow, take
some time to let that soak in. When used with Mas
Amedda, every character on your team (besides Droids
and Savages) who can trace a line to Vader gets
Extra Attack. You can have Storm Commandos with
Triple Attack, Jarael with Quadruple Attack, Maris
Brood with Triple and Twin Attack, etc. The
possibilities are endless. However, I would not
advise to build a squad around the CE, simply
because you’re spending so much on just Vader. If
you’re playing Vader already, try to use pieces that
work especially well with an extra attack. (pieces
with Twin are prime choices)
100: 3/5 He’s useable, but not all too effective.
There isn’t enough room to make his CE really
useful, and his easily drainable Force Points will
make him a pretty easy target.
150: 4/5 More room for support here. You could even
throw in Palpatine on Throne if you wanted to, that
would eliminate the fear of running out of Force.
Just give him some low-mid costed pieces that
synergize well with his CE and you’re good to go.
200: 5/5 The best format by far for this Vader,
there’s plenty of room for fun stuff. One favorite
combo of mine is Vader, LotF with the new Thrawn.
Thrawn gives Vader Opportunist which increases his
damage potential to that of Vader, JH. A good
mid-costed support piece works well in 200 to run
interference while Vader dishes out the damage.
Killer_Nacho
Darth Vader, Legacy of the Force - 71 points
Faction: Imperial
HP: 140
Defense: 23
Attack: +16
Damage: 20
Abilities: Unique, Pilot, Melee Attack, Triple
Attack, Dark Armor, Djem So Style
Force 2, Force Renewal 1
Force Grip 2, Lightsaber Reflect
Commander Effect: Allies within 6 squares gain Extra
Attack.
Wow oh wow, what a Vader. Vader, Legacy of the
Force, has turned quite a few heads as a viable
beatstick. He is one of the more offensive Vaders,
and he closely resembles Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter
from the Universe set. Before this Vader, Vader JH
was undoubtably the best beatstick Vader, but now?
Let's examine. Here is what Vader, Legacy gets
compared to JH:
-4 points
Pilot, Djem So Style, Lightsaber Reflect, Force Grip
2, Commander Effect
- Jedi Hunter, Force Whirlwind, Lightsaber Block,
Lightsaber Deflect, Lightsaber Sweep, Force Grip
This comparison is crucial considering that when
building a squad that uses a beatstick Vader, you
will usually want to choose one or the other. Let's
take a look at the abilities that Legacy has that JH
does not. Pilot does nothing for Vader. Nothing at
all, I suppose it's just there for future sets or
for coolness. Jagged Fel's commander effect, which
is the one that gives Gregorious to Pilots, is
restricted to FOLLOWERS. Which Vader is not. And
even if he was, it would be a minor tidbit at best.
Moving on, Djem So is a very good ability,
especially when you consider one of Legacy Vader's
force powers, Lightsaber Reflect... This Vader
specializes at throwing the opponent's attacks back
at them! Djem So makes Melee Attackers almost regret
attacking Vader, as Vader has a 50% chance to
retaliate with his massive +16 Attack. Lightsaber
Reflect can not only dodge a nonmelee attack, but
has a chance to hit the attacker for 10 to boot.
Unfortunately, Djem So does not block the Melee
attack, and Legacy Vader has no other way to avoid
melee attacks, which is a weakness. Legacy Vader
also has an upgrade to Force Grip, making it cost 2
force for 20 damage (as opposed to 1 for 10). While
this is no doubt nice, Force Grip is a great ability
that only requires LoS to the target... in some ways
this is somewhat bad for Legacy Vader too, since he
only starts with 2 Force points and only has Renewal
1. The upgrade from Deflect to Reflect is somewhat
controversial as well. I kind of would rather have
Deflect because Reflect costs 2 force points for a
mere possible 10 damage. I would probably prefer the
lower costing Deflect. When I've run Legacy Vader,
I've ran into major force problems. This Vader
simply runs out of force far too fast.
The Commander Effect is similar as General Windu's
for the Republic, giving all allies an extra attack.
Note that Legacy Vader's commander effect, however,
can be used with other commanders since it does not
specify "follower". This is a nice boost for Legacy
Vader, and in 200 points this can be used to a lot
of effectiveness. Combined with a Mas Ameda for a
measly 8 points, this Commander Effect is also no
longer restricted to 6 squares, meaning every
character in your squad will gain an extra attack.
I've combined this with Dash Rendar, Renegade
Smuggler during a tournament once and I had an
awesome time with it. But we'll save Dash Rendar for
another day (hint hint!).
Unfortanutely, there is much to be lost by making
the switch from JH to Legacy, too. The largest, I
think, is the loss of Jedi Hunter and Lightsaber
Block. Without Lightsaber Block, Legacy Vader
becomes somewhat weak to Melee attackers (especially
ones that can Parry like General Obi-Wan Kenobi
since Djem So is less likely to work). Also, Jedi
Hunter is very useful for dispensing of other Jedi.
Legacy Vader somewhat makes up for these setbacks
with Djem So, but I would much rather have Block and
Jedi Hunter than Djem So any day. Lightsaber Sweep
is also nice to hit a large group of enemies and it
is an ability that I will miss. Force Whirlwind is
also a pretty nice ability that gives Vader JH a
ranged splash attack which can be useful as well.
In conclusion, the only reason I would recommend
using Legacy Vader over Vader JH is due to the
commander effect. The commander effect, if used
correctly, is excellent. Vader JH is probably the
better beatstick, though. Still, Legacy Vader is a
quality beatstick as well as a commander... so it
depends on the squad. Overall, Legacy Vader is a
quality piece.
100 points: 2/5- Vader JH is much better here. You
can't use the commander effect at all, and he will
be dropped by the likes of Bane or Vader JH pretty
easily.
200 points: 4/5- Man... in the right squad, Legacy
Vader is the god of 200 points imperials. Include a
Mas Ameda and GA Thrawn for even more fun (I've ran
a squad like, it was AMAZINGLY effective).
Sculpt: 3/5- Cool pose. A little big, though.
Jonathan
Darth Vader Legacy of the Force
Cost- 71
HP- 140
Defense - 23
Attack - 16
Damage - 20
Abilities:
Unique. Pilot
Melee Attack; Triple Attack
Dark Armor (Whenever this character takes damage, he
reduces the damage dealt by 10 with a save of 11.
Attacks with lightsabers ignore this special
ability.)
Djem So Style (Whenever this character is hit by a
melee attack, make a save of 11. On a success, this
character can make an immediate attack against that
attacker.)
Force:
Force 2. Force Renewal 1
Force Grip 2 (Force 2, replaces attacks: sight; 20
damage)
Lightsaber Reflect (Force 2: When hit by a nonmelee
attack, this character takes no damage with a save
of 11 and the attacker takes damage equal to the
prevented damage; save 11)
CE:
Allies within 6 squares gain Extra Attack (On its
turn, this character can make 1 cumulative extra
attack instead of moving).
Alright, the new Vader is one of the pieces that I
have been looking forward to getting to try out from
IE, and I think he's got quite a bit of use because
of his commander effect which gives ALL allies
within 6 squares an extra attack (unlimited range
with Mas Amedda) this means that you can crank out
more damage per chracter than before, which is
always a major plus. His stats combined with dark
armor mean that this Vader can take a beating and
rightly so deal one back out with triple attack and
Djem So. I wish that his Force arsenal was a tad
more expansive, I would have really liked it if they
had replaced force reflect with deflect or deflect
and block, because reflect is just not that great
due to the extra used force point as compared to the
one force point used for deflect (i.e. your force
points run out twice as fast. To sum it up, I like
this Vader and I think with the right build, it
could be a major contender in competitive play. I
think that the stormtrooper hordes would benefit
from it greatly (far more so than they do from Lord
Vader at least), to give an example.
Josh
Darth Vader, Legacy of
the Force (12/40, Very Rare—Imperial Entanglements;
140HP, ATT 16, DEF 23, DAM 20, DEP 71)
This version of a
“Commander” Vader is really pretty nasty. Since
Imperials are one of the two factions with access to
Mas Amedda’s Booming Voice, his Mace Windu-like
Extra Attack commander effect gets a very serious
shot in the arm. His stats are impressively beefy,
as they should be for a character that costs 71
points to deploy. He gets pretty nasty as you begin
looking deeper into his card than just his stats.
Triple Attack is a must for any character that costs
over 70 points and picking of Djem So Style means as
long as Vader keeps making his saves he gets a free
attack against melee attackers. This can be
incredibly powerful if you happen to be running the
Imperial Entanglement’s version of Thrawn since
Vader will pick up Opportunist. Since a character
attacking has to activate, until Wizards declares
otherwise, I understand that to mean that Vader’s
Djem So free attacks would also benefit from
Opportunist. (I’m sure Wizards will correct this
oversight/clarify when a character is considered
“activated” for the purpose of Opportunist since
that combo seems really overpowered) Vader also has
impressively Vader-like Force powers. Force Grip is
basically standard Vader boiler plate, but just
because it’s standard doesn’t mean it’s unimportant.
Giving a Force user the ability to deal damage at a
distance is crucial anymore. Vader also picks up a
slightly revised Lightsaber Reflect. The original on
Yoda (which I believe is the first and last time
we’ve seen it) was written in the days before it was
common for shooters to do more than 10 points of
damage in a shot. The Lightsaber Reflect on Vader’s
card says it reflects damage equal to the amount of
damage avoided. In the current era of power-shooters
that generally dish between 20 and 30 points of
damage each shot, that is really important. However,
should Vader fail his Lightsaber Reflect save, he
still has Dark Armor to lessen damage by 10 points
if he makes the save. Overall, I think this Vader is
a great addition to the Imperial armies.
100 POINTS: With his beefy
stats and high damage output, this Vader is pretty
effective as a beat-stick for this format. Add in
his solid commander effect and the other characters
you bring in to fill out your remaining 29 points
worth of characters and this could be a new squad to
be reckoned with. SCORE: 4
200 POINTS: Here, you’ll
want to decide what kind of Vader build you want. If
you want to base it around Stormtroopers, he’s
really not better than Vader, Imperial Commander.
However, if you’re looking more at Force users and a
select few power shooters, Legacy of the Force is
the best option since he grants Extra Attack which
can be very important in this kind of build. His
stats are solid and he will bring a lot to the table
in the proper Imperial build. SCORE: 4.5
Erik
Darth Vader,
Legacy of the Force Review: By Samurai13
This is a piece I like. For 71 points you get 140
HP. Not the highest, but this can be stretched by
his powers. A defence of 23 is the highest natural
defence so far in the game, and won't be really easy
to hit. He has an attack at 16, which means that he
will hit most people. He has a standard 20 damage,
which is good, but is now kind expected of any unit
that is supposed to fight. Now with his powers. Dark
armor will help defend him against most attacks
other than from those with lightsabers. He is of
course unique, a melee attacker, and is also a
pilot, so he benefits from those bonuses. Triple
attack finishes him up, as it discourages anyone
from basing him, which means his Dark Armor will be
affective often. Djem So Style will also discourage
any attackers as he gets a Lightsaber riposte with
out having to spend force points.Now his force
powers. He comes in with the now standard F2 and
FR1. I personally like how he has both aggressive
and defensive powers. Force Choke 2 lets him have a
ranged attack, but it won't be huge against powerful
enemies. This would be to kill grunts or soften up
the enemy. Lightsaber reflect is interesting as it
allows you to not only stop an attack from hitting
you, but also redirect it back at the enemy. This
will be good as shooters who attack will have to
worry about hitting themselves, so this will help
protect Vader. And finally his commander effect
gives all his allies within 6 an extra attack. This
is a great ability, if you use the right support. So
in the end is he worth the 71 points. Personally I
think so, but I wouldn't use him in a 100 point
play. You won't be able to give him enough support.
Rating: 4/5
Gunnar "Darth
Malstrom" Malstrom
Darth Vader, Legacy of the Force (Empire VR)
Cost: 71
HP: 140
Def: 23
Att/Dam:+16/20
Special Abilities:
Unique. Pilot
Melee Attack; Triple Attack
Dark Armor (Whenever this character takes damage, he
reduces the damage dealt by 10 with a save of 11.
Attacks with lightsabers ignore this special
ability.)
Djem So Style (Whenever this character is hit by a
melee attack, make a save of 11. On a success, this
character can make an immediate attack against that
attacker.)
Force Powers:
Force 2. Force Renewal 1
Force Grip 2 (Force 2, replaces attacks: sight; 20
damage)
Lightsaber Reflect (Force 2: When hit by a nonmelee
attack, this character takes no damage with a save
of 11 and the attacker takes damage equal to the
prevented damage; save 11)
Commander Effect:
Allies within 6 squares gain Extra Attack (On its
turn, this character can make 1 cumulative extra
attack instead of moving).
Way back at Gencon 2008 they announced IE was coming
out and they went out of their way to say… "Six
words to strike fear in the heart of your opponent…
Darth Vader, Legacy of the Force". Of course it was
several months until they finally released the stats
for their piece, and I have to say I think they over
sold the piece a little.
I am in no way saying this piece is bad. They took
the highest Cost, HP, Def, ATT and Dam and gave it
to LoTF. They gave him his standard Dark Armor and
Triple Attack. They gave him Djem So Style (which
is becoming standard on all Anakin/Vader figures).
They also gave him Pilot, which right now means that
he gains Grenades and Penetration from Odd Ball,
that is it. Does that justify his 71 Cost?
Probably not, but he has a couple cool Force Powers,
and an awesome Commander Effect.
He has Grip 2, which is an auto 20 damage at sight
(though normal targeting rules still apply). He
also has an amped up version of Reflect, where
instead of doing just 10 damage it sends back the
same damage sent to you (Like Molecular shields).
So with Reflect and Djem So anytime a character
attacks Vader they have a chance of taking damage
too, I guess that is why he strikes fear.
Vader also has an amazing commander effect. He
grants all allies an extra attack, yes commanders
and followers. This is a great commander effect,
but when you think Vader + Mas = 79 points so there
is not much left to give extra attacks to.
As for the ratings…
100 pts: 3/5 Beatstick Meleers rule this format,
and Vader could hold his own. Sure there are better
pieces out there, even better Vaders, but he is
still pretty good.
150 Pts: 3.5/5 Same as above, but a little more
room to fit in people for his commander Effect.
200 Pts: 4/5 Once again more room for people to use
his CE.
