Bounty Hunters Preview 1

Bossk and the Mistryl Shadow Guard

By Sterling Hershey and Gary M. Sarli

The next great set to be released for the Star Wars Miniatures Game is Bounty Hunters, coming your way this fall. But today, we've got the first in a series of previews of the new minis. First, Sterling Hershey explains why you wouldn't want to meet a Trandoshan with a flamethrower in a dark alley. Then Gary Sarli dodges shock whips to uncover the secrets of the Mistryl Shadow Guard.

Bossk, Bounty Hunter

In almost every Star Wars movie, bounty hunters play significant and sometimes pivotal roles in the fate of the galaxy. Their very presence -- and how different they all look -- hints at the depth and variety of the universe.

The reptilian Bossk first appeared on screen in The Empire Strikes Back as one of the elite bounty hunters personally invited by Darth Vader to pursue the Millennium Falcon. He didn't manage to capture the Falcon, or steal the frozen Han Solo from Boba Fett. But Bossk maintained a long rivalry with Chewbacca before and after the incident. Bossk is a Trandoshan, which is one of the native species of the Kashyyyk system and a longtime enemy of the Wookiees.

In the Star Wars Miniatures Game, Bossk, Bounty Hunter is an upgraded version of the Bossk miniature originally issued in the Rebel Storm set. For a cost increase of only 8 points, Bossk, Bounty Hunter has many more special abilities, plus slightly increased Hit Points and Attack scores. Some of his new abilities are typical Trandoshan traits, such as Regeneration and Rend. However, his offensive abilities get a substantial boost from Flamethrower and Momentum, as well.

Bossk, Bounty Hunter is highly effective in close-range combat, with powerful claw attacks and his dangerous, crowd-thinning Flamethrower. His Regeneration ability allows him to regain 10 hit points in any round he doesn't move. This power should help him stay in the fight longer when battling adjacent, non-moving enemies for consecutive rounds.

Opponents with few hit points will find Bossk, Bounty Hunter a formidable foe. They won't last long in adjacent fighting, and they can't survive even a single hit from his Flamethrower.

Star Wars Miniatures Stat Card Preview

Faction: Fringe
Cost: 25
Hit Points: 60
Defense: 17
Attack: +8
Damage: 20
Special Abilities: Unique, Bounty Hunter +4, Double Claw Attack, Flamethrower 20, Momentum, Regeneration 10, Rend +10

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Statistics

Bossk: Male Trandoshan scout 4/soldier 3/bounty hunter 1; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Defense 22 (+1 natural, + 8 class, +3 Dex); Spd 10 m; VP/WP 66/16; Atk +10/+5, melee (1d3+3, unarmed) or +10/+5 ranged (3d8/19–20, blaster rifle) or +10/+5 ranged (3d6/1d6 stun grenade) or +10/+5 ranged (2d6, flamethrower); SQ darkvision 20 m, trailblazing, heart +1, uncanny dodge, target bonus +1; SV Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +5; SZ M; FP 2; DSP 8; Rep +3; Str 16, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 13. Challenge Code D.

Equipment: Blaster rifle, grenade launcher*, flamethrower*, binders, modified freighter (Hound's Tooth).
* See "Equipment of Jango and Boba Fett," page 316 of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Revised Core Rulebook.

Skills: Appraise +3, Astrogate +5, Computer Use +2, Disable Device +5, Gather Information +6, Hide +8, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (alien species) +2, Knowledge (streetwise) +3, Knowledge (systems) +3, Listen +2, Move Silently +8, Pilot +10, Repair +5, Read/Write Dosh, Search +3, Speak Basic, Speak Dosh, Spot +3, Survival +6, Swim +5.

Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Dodge, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Starship Operation (Space Transports), Track, Weapon Group Proficiency (blaster pistols, blaster rifles, heavy weapons, simple weapons, vibro weapons).

Mistryl Shadow Guard

The Mistryl Shadow Guards are an organization of assassins, bodyguards, and mercenaries famed for their reliability and skill, but little else is known about them in the galaxy at large. All Mistryl Shadow Guards are Human women who have received extensive training in many types of martial arts, and they accept contracts to perform almost any task appropriate to their abilities. They will serve nearly any employer, with one significant exception -- the Shadow Guards very rarely work for the Empire and its agents.

The goals of the organization are mysterious. It has been observed that individual Shadow Guards keep only a small portion of their earnings for subsistence and send the rest back to their homeworld of Emberlene, a once-prosperous planet devastated in the aftermath of the Clone Wars.

In the Star Wars Miniatures Game, the Mistryl Shadow Guard is one of the better non-Unique melee characters. On the defensive side, she has several distinct advantages. First, her Stealth special ability restricts her from being a legal target as long as she stays in cover and keeps her distance. Second, Evade makes her difficult to hurt, even for characters with Accurate Shot. And third, her naturally high Defense is even harder to hit for all but the best opponents.

On offense, she may be limited by Melee Attack, but Melee Reach 2 gives her a bit more flexibility. Further, although she loses the benefits of Stealth and Evade against very close targets, the Paralysis ability granted by her shock whip gives her a good chance of keeping a close opponent from being able to activate at all.

Finally, the Mistryl Shadow Guard is a flexible character. Loner allows her to operate efficiently by herself, and Bodyguard lets her protect vulnerable allies. And with her high number of Hit Points, she can survive for awhile in either role.

Star Wars Miniatures Stat Card Preview

Faction: Fringe
Cost: 24
Hit Points: 60
Defense: 18
Attack: +12
Damage: 20
Special Abilities: Bodyguard, Evade, Loner, Melee Attack, Melee Reach 2, Paralysis, Stealth

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Statistics

Mistryl Shadow Guard: Female Human scoundrel 4/scout 4/Mistryl Shadow Guard* 3/bodyguard** 1; Init +4 (+4 Dex); Defense 21 (+7 class, +4 Dex); Spd 10 m; VP/WP 54/10; Atk +13/+8 melee (2d6+2, shock whip); SQ camouflage prematch, dash, harm's way, heart, illicit barter, lucky (1/day), precise attack +1, teamwork, trailblazing, uncanny dodge; SV Fort +7, Ref +14, Will +5; SZ M; FP 3; DSP 5; Rep +3; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 8. Challenge Code D.

Equipment: Shock whip*.

Skills: Balance +14, Bluff +9, Climb +11, Disable Device +8, Disguise +9, Gather Information +7, Hide +19, Intimidate +7, Listen +10, Move Silently +16, Search +10, Spot +13, Survival +5, Tumble +14.

Feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (shock whip), Heart of Vengeance*, Improved Martial Arts, Martial Arts, Improved Trip, Skill Emphasis (Hide), Weapon Finesse (shock whip), Weapon Group Proficiency (blaster pistols, blaster rifles, simple weapons, vibro weapons).

* See Hero's Guide.

** See Ultimate Alien Anthology.

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About the Authors

Sterling Hershey has been a full-time architect and freelance game designer for over 10 years. He authored and contributed to many of West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game products and later contributed to Star Wars Gamer Magazine. These days, he writes regular Star Wars Miniatures scenarios for the Wizards of the Coast website, and he also wrote the Scenario Book for the recently released Attack on Endor Scenario Pack. Gaming in a galaxy far, far away is the focus of his starwars.com blog, Delusions of Grandeur. Sterling lives in the Midwest with his wife, Mary.

Gary M. Sarli is a freelance writer and editor whose credits include Ultimate Adversaries (Star Wars), City of Splendors: Waterdeep, and Power of Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons). He also moderates on the Wizards.COMmunity message boards as WizO the Hutt, cheerfully feeding Code of Conduct violators to the Sarlacc. Gary still works as a staff member for SWRPGNetwork, three-time ENnie Award winner in the Best Fan Website category and host of the Star Wars RPG Frequently Asked Questions.