Gaming Review: Shatterpoint – I’m No Jedi Duel Pack

Convention exclusives, oh how I hate them. Not solely do you need to be fortunate sufficient to go to an occasion to have the possibility to get one, however you additionally should be fortunate to attend within the queues and truly buy one. Fans have at all times had a love/hate relationship with them. When it involves miniature video games, a miniature tied behind exclusivity may cause actual issues by way of tournaments and gamers fielding what they wish to however don’t have entry to. When it was first introduced that I’m No Jedi could be a conference unique, I groaned. The unique seemed superb. Darth Vader, Ahoska, Sith temple, all drawn from the finale of season two of Rebels. Oh, how may you not wish to play these two characters. Yes, these characters had been launched however not this model of them. Ahoska working with the ghost crew, Vader working with the inquisitors…

I shouldn’t have apprehensive. Atomic Mass Games have been very fast to announce {that a} duel pack with the characters could be launched, with out the Sith temple. Initially I believed however, the Sith temple is so fairly! But then my mind lower in, and I noticed how significantly better this was. First, for gamers who needed this model of the characters, there could be no exclusivity. It meant that for those who have been fortunate to go to an occasion and have been fortunate to get one, then you definately had one thing that made it just a little particular. But it didn’t imply the characters have been out of attain. Secondly, the final time they launched a set like this was the Vader/Obi-Wan duel set. This set was beautiful, the fashions, the diorama, the characters talents, it was all lovely. However, many followers complained that they simply needed the characters – Atomic Mass Games heard you! But as a lot as I can say it’s a nice set, that I liked constructing and portray it, the diorama a part of the set has been sitting in a cabinet. It hasn’t been out for a show piece for me, and I don’t use it for terrain, it simply doesn’t match. While the Sith temple appears to be like nice, it will do precisely what the primary diorama would do, sit in a cabinet. Now I can avoid wasting cash, get some cool new characters and never have one thing I’m simply not going to make use of. Perfect.  like that there are each choices for gamers and builders.

So, lastly having received the set, I used to be keen to construct and play. Rebels season two was nearly excellent for me. The complete season simply captured every part I needed from the present and to carry these pinnacle characters of their Rebels kind was one thing I used to be very a lot wanting ahead to. Opening the field was a single sprue, playing cards and a leaflet with the QR code to ship you to the meeting directions. While I needed to construct them, I first needed to take a look at the playing cards. This is the third model of each Ahoska and Vader that we now have had. While I like having completely different variations of the characters, they have to be price it as nearly at all times, I would like new characters over completely different variations of ones we have already got. So, let’s see what these two carry.

Ahsoka Tano, Fulcrum is a major unit that gives your squad with 4 drive and eight squad factors. Her two stances are kind v shien reverse grip and Jar’Kai. The former gives you an additional cube to her protection rolls with a most of seven harm. With which you could both put circumstances in your opponent or do as much as three therapeutic with some repositioning. On the alternative facet, you are able to do as much as eight harm, with three successes alongside the tree supplying you with six harm. It is clearly the extra aggressive of the perimeters however does present much less protection. Ahoska has one lively means that prices her a drive known as ‘She Is Fearless’. It permits Ahoska to leap however it may be used twice on her flip versus one. With how Ahsoka fights in Rebels this appears very in line with the character. ‘Then I will Avenge His Death’ is the one different means that prices drive however for this means, it prices two drive. After Ahsoka has made an assault, she will be able to assault the identical goal once more. It might value numerous drive however I believe an entire second assault is incredible and will guarantee models are wounded fairly shortly. ‘Riposte’ is a reactive means that doesn’t value any drive, that means that after a melee assault, if the attacker rolled any failures, they endure two harm. This will make your opponent suppose earlier than attacking Ahsoka. Her ultimate means ‘I Am No Jedi’ is her id means. Once per flip, if Ahoska wounds an enemy unit she will be able to refresh drive and soar. If it was a major or secondary she will be able to refresh drive after which make a 5 cube assault. The wording has a mistake on the cardboard, the final line says, ‘one one’ which I assume ought to say ‘and one’. This might be very helpful and works completely along with her ‘Then I Will Avenge His Death’ means. Timing with this might be every part however whereas different characters it’s possible you’ll wish to maintain again, you actually wish to throw Ahsoka into the thick of it. She can do double assaults and doesn’t depend on key phrases to make her work properly. This is actually a unique sort of Ahsoka to ones we now have had launched to date and I’m excited to see how she performs on the tabletop.

Which brings us to Darth Vader, Fallen Master. Not a major however a secondary unit that prices 5 factors. Bringing no drive with him, he’s actually costly. Unsurprisingly you’ll be able to’t area him with Anakin Skywalker. As you’d count on for a secondary, he solely has one facet to his stance card, Form V Djem So. He is rolling 5 cube for protection and 7 cube for attacking, which might solely be a melee assault. He can do a most of eight harm, and the tree is pretty versatile so you’ll be able to put no matter circumstances you want on for those who aren’t too fussed in regards to the harm output. His protection can put harm again onto your opponent which feels moderately thematic. While his stance card isn’t dangerous, it actually isn’t price 5 factors, so what talents does Vader carry? His tactic, ‘Anakin Skywalker Was Weak’, if Vader doesn’t have the strained situation, he can refresh drive. Then he can take away a harm, a situation and sprint. That is quite a bit that Vader can do when he prompts! The drive refresh is especially helpful as Vader doesn’t carry any drive to the squad he’s in and two of his talents use it. ‘Then You Will Die Braver Than Most’ prices two drive and permits Vader to drag an enemy inside three, two in direction of him and provides them uncovered. I can see the pull being helpful for those who can pull them off an goal, however two drive is quite a bit. I ponder how a lot that might be used? ‘The Power Within Will Soon Serve the Emperor’ prices a drive. It means on the finish of Vader’s activation he will get a strained but when there’s an goal inside three, Vader controls it till the top of his flip. This is clearly helpful, significantly with Vader’s pull however I believe you would need to be in excessive circumstances to wish to achieve that strained token, as it should nullify his tactic. I really like the names of those talents as each time I learn them; I can hear Vader’s voice. His final means doesn’t observe this voice however actually brings one to thoughts. ‘More Machine Now Than Man’ provides Vader safety, steadfast and affect one. All very helpful. This actually seems like a unique Vader to what we now have had, which I like. As a five-cost character, I don’t know if I might naturally choose Vader. His play type doesn’t immediately seize me. Like Ahsoka he doesn’t depend on key phrases to work which might be very helpful. And in fact, this offers you the choice to run Vader as a secondary versus a major, releasing up the first slot for different characters, such because the Grand Inquisitor and Thrawn.

With the playing cards checked out, it was time to truly construct these fashions. With the directions loaded up and solely two fashions to construct I knew this wasn’t going to take lengthy. While the set I’ve isn’t a part of a diorama, the fashions have been constructed to suit with the Sith temple. I wasn’t anticipating an excessive amount of hassle or variation, as there actually couldn’t be for it to suit on the temple. Ahsoka is up first, and I didn’t count on to have any actual points. Body, legs, head, arms are all good. Then got here piece A09. This is the again head tail for Ahsoka’s head, and it was a ache. It has a groove to suit into the top and one other to suit into her left arm. Mine didn’t fairly marry up the best way it ought to have achieved. It was irritating. It received to some extent the place I used to be comfortable sufficient with it however had a spot that I knew I would want to type out earlier than portray. Just be warned. I might attempt to glue the top, arms and this piece fairly shortly earlier than the glue dries so you have got some flexibility when attempting to get all of it collectively. The base matches collectively simply however be sure you maintain Ahsoka in place as she has a behavior of falling ahead. Not as straightforward as I believed it will be however as soon as assembled, I can’t argue with how incredible she appears to be like. The pose, the element, it’s magnificent, even when the mannequin – at elements – was a wrestle to carry collectively.

Which brings us to Vader. As builds go it was comparatively easy. What I didn’t count on was an alternate head! There is one that’s Vader’s helmet, and the opposite is the one most of us could have seen with the cracked helmet. My preliminary thought was, after already establishing two of those for Shatterpoint and simply having completed one for Star Wars Legion,that clearly you go along with the cracked one for some variation. I’m nonetheless sticking with this helmet alternative however after seeing the ‘normal’ helmet, I’ve to confess, I used to be sorely tempted to go along with that one. The helmet is just not the identical helmet you get with all the opposite Vader’s, for both sport. This one is barely elongated to offer it the Rebels look. It appears to be like incredible and I believe having that as an possibility is excellent. Just be sure you put the arms on earlier than you add the cloak and add the top in spite of everything that has been glued collectively. Unlike Ahsoka, every part fitted collectively superbly. With Vader shortly assembled I couldn’t assist however smile, he appears to be like nice. The element, the straightforward but efficient pose, it’s all him and him from Rebels. He goes very properly with Ahsoka and I really love the bases on each of them, even when I don’t have a diorama to match them up with. I believe I should say that that is my favorite model of Vader to date in Shatterpoint.

With the fashions constructed and able to go, it was time to take them to the tabletop to see how the 2 would fare. Vader is a killing machine. When he prompts, all these immediate advantages actually kick in. The therapeutic is irritating because the opponent, numerous work goes into attempting to kill him but when he can activate twice with the shatterpoint card, you simply watch as he will get again as much as full energy. I attacked him 4 instances in the course of the sport my son and I have been utilizing him, and by the top of spherical one, he had no harm on him. Then to make issues worse, to have him do a harm again on his attacker is simply insult to harm!  Not solely can he take in attackers, however he can do an enormous quantity of injury in a single strike. The reality he can transfer into place prepared, take away any situation that will thwart his assault… properly let’s simply say it’s not good to be on the receiving finish of it. This will be the Vader of alternative for me sooner or later, significantly as he’s a secondary.

Ahsoka on the opposite facet is identical. She can take some harm however her means to do two assaults in a single flip is incredible. I used to be attacking the Fourth Sister and wiped her out in a single flip. It was devastating. As my son identified, this double assault is a mirror of Anakin from the core set, which as soon as he pointed it out, I used to be like that’s actually cool, the learner turns into the grasp (in a number of methods!). Her maneuverability can also be massively useful; she will be able to actually transfer throughout the board shortly. The indisputable fact that I didn’t must depend on any key phrases for her to be efficient made her even higher and what makes her so enticing to me as a participant. It was a pleasure to not fear about synergy.

Overall, I’m in love with this set. Yes, these are two characters which have already been launched in a method (okay, technically two) or one other, however these two variations really feel recent and completely different. They really feel and act like we see them in Rebels and whereas I don’t like being on the receiving hand of Vader, I can’t wait to make use of him myself. The fashions are beautiful and the truth that there’s an unique diorama base if you would like that kind of factor is enjoyable however doesn’t cease everybody else with the ability to purchase and use these characters. This is a straightforward purchase for me. If you play Rebels or Empire, this set will fill so many gaps for squad constructing, you’d be foolish to not purchase it.