When you’ve got ever wished to command a military from the Star Wars universe on the tabletop, there has by no means been a greater time. Star Wars Legion has launched its revamped version, and it feels extra streamlined and customizable than ever earlier than, to not point out the truth that it additionally has redesigned fashions. Be a part of me in a galaxy far, distant as we take a look at the brand new rollout for Atomic Mass Video games, Star Wars Legion!
Gameplay Overview:
Star Wars Legion is a tabletop wargame the place you’re taking management of one in every of 5 armies from the Star Wars universe to finish missions towards your opponent’s military. The forces encompass the Galactic Republic, the Separatist Alliance, the Galactic Empire, the Shadow Collective, and the Insurgent Alliance. Gamers construct a military listing based mostly on a set of standards to incorporate level limits, improve models, deploy, and take alternating actions to perform their missions whereas destroying their opponent’s military.
Every unit in Star Wars Legion has a corresponding unit card with key phrases, how far that unit strikes, and the assault and protection die sorts that unit makes use of. Models will also be upgraded by weapon specialists, extra troops, and embedded commanders.
Every customary sport of Star Wars Legion requires 1000 factors of miniatures, unit playing cards, terrain, and a battlefield to play on. Through the first spherical of the sport, models are alternatively deployed on the battlefield. Gamers make the most of a command hand to find out who will take the primary motion and what number of models may be issued orders in that flip. The final rule is that the less models which are issued direct orders in the beginning of the flip, the sooner you get to go, and vice versa. Command playing cards are influenced by what faction you play in addition to the commanders and heroes in your military.
Throughout every flip, a participant can select to activate a unit that has a face-up order or randomly draw a unit token and activate an identical image unit, thus making it vital to have as many issued unit orders as potential on the desk. Throughout its activation, models can sometimes make 2 actions however can solely ever assault 1 time. Different actions embrace aiming, dodging, transferring, and card actions.
Gamers proceed to take turns forwards and backwards, alternating activations and taking part in command playing cards for precedence till they both attain 12 victory factors, desk their opponent, or the top of the 5th spherical arrives.
Recreation Expertise:
Total, as a longtime participant of Star Wars Legion, I used to be tremendous excited a couple of revamp. Any wargamer often is, however a number of the adjustments have brought about the sport to lose some recognition as of late, particularly due to the staggered rollout. For this evaluate, I used to be supplied with the brand new Insurgent Alliance and Galactic Empire starter units. The very very first thing I must level out is that the brand new minis are phenomenally detailed. Placing them collectively was simpler than earlier than, and the brand new sculpts are top-notch.
The mission modification took a minute to get a strong understanding of. Whereas it does echo the previous approach of making a mission, it added a couple of completely different modifiers and permits for extra manipulation of the mission by each gamers, making what you embrace in your mission decks (aims, secondaries, and benefit playing cards) far more impactful.
The unit playing cards and the upgrades are a lot simpler to maintain observe of now. I do know it has been controversial to eliminate the smaller-sized playing cards, however I discovered it to be extra useful, particularly for storage, as all playing cards have been standardized.
Deployment has made the sport really feel extra like a contest on who can deploy the quickest and hit tougher earlier than the opponent is absolutely on the board, and will derail a whole sport. There’s clearly a stability subject with armies that may scout and get models on the sphere sooner, akin to models with the “ready positions” key phrase.
Through the gameplay, I discovered that one of many newer guidelines didn’t really feel nice for each my opponent and me, and that was the adjustments to the quilt system. Within the older model of the principles gentle cowl would block 1 hit from an opponent focusing on stated mini in cowl, and heavy cowl would block 2 hits. Now you roll a white die for each hit coming in, and cancel a success for every success underneath gentle cowl, and cancel 2 hits per success underneath heavy cowl. Whereas extra dynamic, this might make a tank shell hitting infantry ineffectual except it has the particular “pierce” key phrase.
Whereas taking part in Star Wars Legion, models accumulate suppression from being fired upon, which may restrict their actions and trigger them to panic, operating off the board. Through the sport I performed, I used to be in a position to make the most of Darth Vader’s limitless suppression restrict to maintain my Stormtroopers in play no matter being shot by the superior variety of insurgent models. Legion veterans will discover the brand new sport performs largely the identical because the older model, however with slight tweaks akin to cowl and focusing on.
Legion nonetheless feels thematic on the tabletop no matter guidelines adjustments. Luke Skywalker taking out a squad of scout troopers is consistent with the flicks and media and occurred in my sport as properly. Drive customers stay robust and high-cost, making them important to most builds, however tough to pilot and know when to push into enemy forces.
Remaining Ideas:
Star Wars Legion has been round for years and is within the means of a comfortable relaunch. Whereas the relaunch has been staggered and has thrown gamers out of the loop for a very long time, it’s nonetheless the Legion we all know and love with room for progress. The brand new starter units have an exquisite array of minis which are precisely what new gamers must hop into the sport.
The models I primarily use (Vader, Stormtroopers) nonetheless had been highly effective and marched up the sphere collectively, with Vader making his sluggish plodding path of loss of life. As soon as longtime gamers be taught the brand new guidelines, get used to the brand new unit upgrades, and with future changes by Atomic Mass Video games, Star Wars Legion will stand by itself ft once more amongst the giants within the wargaming class. The gameplay continues to be fast-paced, and alternating activations make this one of many higher area warfare video games on the market.
Remaining Rating: 4 Stars – A brand new rollout and drastic guidelines adjustments depart Star Wars Legion in an general constructive place with room to enhance.
Hits:
• Fantastically resculpted miniatures.
• Unit upgrades really feel streamlined.
• Customizable leaders permit for extra play kinds.
• Mission customization permits for various play on related mission sorts.
Misses:
• Rollout of this new model was staggered and adjusted some guidelines for the sake of change.
• Unit factors nonetheless appear just a little unbalanced.
• Availability of latest gadgets is spotty at greatest.
• Deployment has change into a complete flip, presumably leading to an alpha strike focus in-game.
• Cowl feels unbalanced vs. sure weaponry.
*Be aware: The terrain included within the starter containers is just barricades. The terrain pictured within the gameplay photos are from my very own assortment.
