Grand Moff Boris wrote:
@Jedi Master - It sounds to me like you love the "underdog" game, where you have to really think about squad building and tactics to win against difficult if not impossible odds. Honestly, I think you can still play that way even with the cards the design teams have created. It's true that nothing has been done to help the old Mace - quite honestly I pondered over it for more than a year and couldn't come up with an idea that would make him better without making already better pieces that much more powerful at the same time, so if you have a suggestion, I would love to hear (or read) it.
Not that "old mace" (clone strike mace) was on the top of my list. But here is a bat at some CE's I think would benefit older mini's.
Lightsaber Trainer (republic)
CE:
Characters with "Lightsaber Precision" gain "Lightsaber Duelist"
Characters with "Lightsaber Sweep" gain "Crowd Fighting"
There are 12 characters with Lightsaber Precision, the majority of them are from CS (and are Republic). While it isn't much of a bump, mace with 26 D is a beast, and only the old mace (of the maces) has it.
LS Sweep is a very underutilized ability. But, +2 attack for every extra character you can sweep, that is going to beef some of the losers up. Again, very few newer characters have the ability.
Grand Moff Boris wrote:
Lastly, if you're biggest complaint about the v-sets is that the Vong got "uber minis," well then I take that as a compliment. Seriously. The Rebels, Republic, and Separatist had been getting "uber minis" for the better part of 4 years before the Vong even got something that could compete in a casual-serious game, let alone a tournament. Why should the Vong faction be any less deserving? It's part of the game and deserves a place at the table, the same as all the other factions.
I think the bigger complaint is that the "flavor" of factions is being homogenized. WotC was already starting it but the V-sets cemented it. When I think Rebels, I think special abilities, big uniques, expensive scrubs, high mobility, and few commanders (Win with 2-5 people). Empire, few uniques, several cheap scrubs, beastly commander effects (Win with numbers of CE buffed scrubs 8-12). Republic, Lightsabers leading clones (Win through synergy). Seperatists, Droids with non-droid leaders (Win with large numbers of cheap units 15-20). Old Republic, Unique Lightsabers leading cheap non-unique Lightsabers (Overwhelm in melee with numbers 5-10). New republic, see Empire only with more uniques and few low scrubs (Somewhere between Rebels and Empire). Vong, direct leadership and tough people (Win by outlasting and in a tight group). Sith, overwhelming and expensive individuals (Win by damage, 1-2 people). Mando's, well trained expensive units with superior commanders (Win with a 4-6 man cell).
What we have now is; Rebels (Win through massive damage), Empire (Win through massive damage), Republic (Win through massive damage), Separatists (Win through massive damage), NR (Win through massive damage), OR (Win through massive damage), Vong (Win through massive damage), Sith (Win through massive damage), Mando's (Win through massive damage)
Every faction has the same stuff available to it, it seems. I want to play with cheap scrubs beefed by CE's where the commander is hidden across the map. Congratulations, pick any faction but Mando's. I want a faction where I can have high mobility. Anybody will give it to you. I want massive beaters (deathstar squad), pick a faction any faction. They are all the same thing. Yes, any faction can be competitive, but it doesn't make sense to me to have a massive rebel scrub army beefed by commanders in the back. It doesn't make sense to have the Empire using excessive mobility to out maneuver opponents. Why would the Old Republic need a million shooters when it has Jedi coming out the butt? Why do the Mandalorians need to compete with the Sith in melee combat? Why do the Sith need commanders to boost scrubs?
My biggest complaint about the V-sets is they lack a soul. "this faction doesn't have this available to it, lets give them it" seems to be the calling card. I want to see the new mini's play to the strengths of the faction, not to the games strengths. No more insane hit to costs outside sith, no more vong who can reach across the map in a turn, no more rebel tanks, no more OR shooter buffs, no more Empire non-unique doom units. It is a game, yes, but Factions need to represent something aside from "oh, I can't have this specific commander, this one is almost as good though." I want to see the V-sets play to factions even more. (and it sounds like you might be from the original post)