That's Good Business - Squad Reactions

They have now shown Hondo, Gwarm, and the Weequat Pirates. I will talk about how I think they'll all work both together and individually. You can still consider this article speculation since everything can be way different on paper than on the table. Eventually, I will be writing Unit Guides on most/all of the units in the game, but that will have to wait until I can get some playtime in with them.

Primary - Hondo, Honest Businessman

7 SP - This is a little bit surprising to me. I understand that the power scaling in this game is not super accurate, but is Hondo "Stronger" than Obi-Wan? I'm sure there is a good reason for this though.
2 FP - Man, this is low for a 7. Any team he is in might struggle for Force if the other Primary isn't a Force User.
9 Stamina / 3 Durability - This is not bad, but it's not great considering he does not have access to some of the Faction and Tag-specific defensive abilities. Focused fire will wound him, but not usually after one attack.

That's Just Good Business - This is a Tactic Ability with no cost. At the start of this unit's activation, refresh [FP] for each active objective controlled by another player. I think this is the first ability that helps you if you are actively losing a struggle. I really like this design space and I at first glance this ability seems quite good. It should almost always refresh you one or two Force since most struggles have a backline objective that is not always being fought over. If you do not get any refreshes then it means you're dominating the board, which is also very good.

Inspiring Stories, So Many of Them True - This is an Active Ability with a cost of 1 FP. Choose an allied unit. One character in this unit and each character in the chosen unit may [dash]. I like this but it has a cost, unlike many of the other similar abilities. I think this is still likely worth using every chance you get until maybe it costs 2+ FP. If he's consistently refreshing 1-2 FP when he activates then you can essentially use this ability as if it's "free" by just immediately spending one of them. Not bad, but it will require some thought.

What Have We Here? - This is an Active Ability with a cost of 1 FP. Choose an enemy unit within [range] 2. The chosen unit gains [pin] and [strain]. Then, if that unit's order card is in reserve, you may spend [FP] to shuffle it into its controlling player's order deck. This ability is a little bit misleading. I can not see a reason why you would use this ability except for if you can proc the second half. If you are proccing the second half, then this ability pretty much costs two FP instead of one. Don't get me wrong here, Pins and Strains are good, but are they worth one FP? Probably not 85-90% of the time. Good, but situational and a bit expensive.

This Effort is No Longer Profitable - This is a Reactive Ability with a cost of 1 FP. When another allied unit within [range] 4 becomes wounded, this unit may use this ability. One character in this unit may [reposition]. That character may not end this movement engaged. This is another ability that seems like it should be free. Extra moves are incredible and can win games, but the fact that this costs one FP and limits you by not allowing engagement feels a bit rough. Granted, it is a reposition so you have a bit more flexibility than just a Dash or Advance. I think I will need some table time with Hondo before determining if this is good or not.

Fair? What's Fair? - This is an Identity Ability with no cost. When an allied Scoundrel character makes an attack as part of a combat action, if the defender is engaged with one or more characters in other allied units that are not wounded, it may add 2 dice to the attack roll. If it does, after the attack is resolved, each allied unit within [range] 2 of the defender, except the attacking unit, gains [Strain]. This ability is thematic. Is it good? Maybe. If you can line it up to only give out a strain to a friendly unit that does not care or would easily be able to recover/heal it off, then this is good. If you're potentially going to give out like two or three strains to different units, then I don't think this ability is worth it unless those extra two dice will win the game. Depending on the board state, two extra dice, to me, is only worth giving out one or maybe two strains. Once again, I think with some table time I will be able to figure out how useful this ability is.

Clever Captain

This appears to be Hondo's more ability/effect-oriented stance. He's getting 7 attack dice at range 4 and 5 in melee. He defends with 5 at range and in melee. His ranged expertise is good. Generating crits at every level is solid, but the fact that he does not move up the chart until 4+ feels a little bit bad. His melee expertise is also good. He still generates crits at every level, but fewer. He seems pretty range-agnostic, but he seems to prefer range. His defensive expertise is also pretty good, but a little weird. Getting only a crit->delete at one expertise is interesting. It's not bad, but if you're opponent is only rolling strikes, then this is useless. He starts getting blocks at 2+, which is good, but It's still not a ton of blocks. Be careful where you put him. The combat tree here is okay. It tops out at a measly 6 damage, but he does get a lot of other things in addition. He can hand out conditions and shoves, get another Reposition, and/or Heal up to 3 times. This tree is definitely not bad, but I am not a huge fan of it at first glance.

Pugnacious Pirate

This is his more Damage/combat-oriented stance. He has the same Attack/Defense dice set up here, leaning him again towards ranged combat. His ranged expertise here is worse. No crits at 1-2 and only 1 crit at 3+ instead of potentially getting 2 higher up. Melee expertise is significantly better. He gets a crit at every level and 2 at 3+. His 5+ level is pretty incredible, but rolling 5 for 5 expertise is very unlikely. I am still tempted to say he'll prefer to sit at range, but if you have to engage with him, this is the stance I would prefer at first glance. His defensive expertise is solid. Blocks at every level in addition to heals and Jumps higher up. Going from Crit->Deletes at every level to none at all feels bad though. The combat tree here is wacky, I love it. They could've made it a straight line, but that's not how Hondo is. He tops out at 8 damage or 9 with expertise. In addition to the damage, he gets a good amount of shoves, conditions, and a single climb at the end.

Me trying to figure out how to read this combat tree.

Overall, I am a little bit down on Hondo, I'm not going to lie. A few things are holding him back for me, not the least of which is the fact that he is only available in the "Fall of the Jedi" Era. That feels extremely weird to me since that likely means he won't be able to pair with the Spectres and not anyone from the Age of Rebellion Era. An era in which he was still very active, but anyway. This limits his list-building a lot, especially since he's a 7SP and has no real synergy (yet) with anything but his box and some of Cad Bane's box. HIs abilities also seem a bit weird to me. In a Thematic sense, he's amazing, but competitively, I am not so sure. I will not write him off completely until I get some play time. I hope I am wrong here and that he turns out to be a solid unit, or that I missed some synergies and he's already great.

Secondary - Gwarm

3 PC - Another 3 PC Secondary! He and Ponds can be buddies! In reality, this is very good. It gives more options for people who have been forced into taking Ponds out of necessity. I'm sure some lists will prefer Gwarm.
0 FP -
8 Stamina / 2 Durability - Not bad at all. Once again, focused attacks will wound him, but likely not just one.

Get Moving, You Dogs - This is a Tactic Ability with no cost. At the start of this unit's activation, choose another allied Weequay unit within [range] 4. Each character in the chosen unit may [dash]. I really need to find something else to say about tactics like this one. They are all good. Free moves are very very good and that will never change.

Spotchka Rations - This is an Active Ability with a cost of 1 FP. Choose an allied Scoundrel unit within [range] 3. One character in the chosen unit may [heal][heal]. This is a good ability. Very straightforward and helpful. It does limit his effectiveness in lists without Scoundrels, but that's fine. When this ability hits, it is going to hit really well. It has limited use but is very nice to have in your toolbox in a pinch.

Pack Hunter - This is an Innate Ability with no cost. When a character in this unit makes a [melee] attack targeting an enemy character that is engaged with another allied Weequay character, it adds 2 dice to the attack roll. This is an interesting ability for him to have judging by what we will see next on his card. It's cool to have just in case, but I am not sure I would be actively setting this up. He also seems pretty range-agnostic, but that will become more apparent as I get table time.

I've Got You in My Sights - This is an Innate Ability with no cost. Characters in this unit have Sharpshooter [2]. When a character in this unit makes a [ranged] attack, the target does not benefit from Cover. After this unit makes a focus action, it gains [hunker]. WOAH! He's like a smaller, weirder Cody or Gar Saxon. This ability is great and I could see it getting a lot of use. This is his only ability that does not need another Scoundrel or Weequay character/unit in your team. This is also the ability that leads me to think he will be a better choice than Ponds in quite a few lists. He can just do the Cody thing of sitting and shooting while in cover and ideally contesting.

Enforcer

This is not bad for a 3PC Secondary! He gets 5 dice at all attacks and defenses. Remember, he should also be getting 8 attack dice at Range from his last ability and sometimes 7 in melee. His ranged expertise is... better than Hondos? It is very good for a 3PC unit. Crits at all levels is amazing. His melee expertise is not as good, but still not bad. He is getting crits at all levels again, but fewer than ranged. Defensive expertise is also solid. Blocks at all levels and a Climb at 2+. Very good for what he is. The combat tree, like Hondos, is making my brain hurt a little bit. He tops out at 7 damage with a bunch of other stuff. Shoves, conditions, a Reposition, and a Heal. Those are all quite good options, though, figuring out how to get to which one you want is a bit of a chore.

Overall, I am a huge fan of Gwarm! I think he will find his way into a few lists of mine that only bring Ponds for the cheap secondary. He stands out to me as the best/ most flexible unit in this box, which I was not expecting at all. I cannot wait to get him on the table.

Support - Weequay Pirates

4 PC - Spoiler alert: Based on their abilities and Gwarms, I can't help but feel like these points costs are swapped.
0 FP -
8 Stamina / 2 Durability - Not half bad for a supporting unit.

Raiding Party - This is an Active Ability with a cost of 1 FP. Each character in this unit may [climb]. This is... cool? I don't think it's all that great, but it's not bad. Climbs can be very good, but they can't be used to leave engagement which kinda blows for these guys. They're going to be stuck in unless you want to use one of their actions to leave.

Greedy - This is an Innate Ability with no cost. While a character in this unit is contesting one or more active objectives, it has Steadfast. Solid. This will do good work every single game, but it's not flashy. Steadfast has gotten me out of a few pinches.

Pack Hunter - This is an Innate Ability with no cost. When a character in this unit makes a [melee] attack targeting an enemy character that is engaged with another allied Weequay character, it adds two dice to the attack pool. They seem more melee-oriented than Gwarm does, so this makes more sense. It can be quite good, especially since it procs off of themselves. If they stay near each other, then you can essentially always pull this off.

Raider

Thank the Maker, no more confusing trees. They start with 5 attack dice at both ranges, except sometimes 7 in melee from pack hunter. 4 Defense dice at both as well. Their Ranged expertise is okay, but not all that great. Do not expect them to be dishing out tons of damage while shooting. Their melee expertise is a bit better, but still not the hottest. They will be doing more in melee than at range. The defensive expertise here is once again just good. Nothing flashy, but it will do some work. This combat tree is not that bad if you compare it to Hondo's. They top out at 6 damage or 7 with expertise. They also get all of the same conditions and effects that Gwarm and Hondo have. Shoves, Reposition, Heal, and a few conditions.

Overall, they seem okay. I am not particularly excited or disappointed, but they do seem like they're near the bottom of the support stack at first glance. Likely still better than 501st, maybe. They should be good in Weequay and Scoundrel lists, but like the rest of this box, I need some table time to figure out how I feel. They're interesting for sure though.

This box overall is probably the one I've been the least excited for so far. I love Hondo as a character in every show he's in, but I am more excited about Gwarm for Shatterpoint. I am still quite hyped to paint and play with them. Hopefully, my first glance takes are proven wrong and they're great units!

Thanks for reading.