Champions of the Force Preview 6

Bastila Shan and Crab Droid

By Gary M. Sarli and Sterling Hershey

In this sixth preview of the upcoming Champions of the Force set for the Star Wars Miniatures Game, we look at two more minis. First, Gary Sarli explains the rare Force power commanded by Bastila Shan, a Jedi too reckless for her own good. Then Sterling Hershey brings in the Crab Droid, a Separatist unit ideally suited to rugged battlefields.

Bastila Shan

A brash, impulsive, and powerful Jedi, Bastila Shan was gifted with the rare art of Battle Meditation. By concentrating on the lives around her, she could bolster the resolve of her allies while disheartening her enemies. The technique is exhausting and difficult, but Bastila proved invaluable in several critical battles against Darth Revan and Darth Malak. In fact, she led the attack on Revan's flagship that resulted in the Sith Lord's capture and memory wipe.

Revan was given a new persona and paired with Bastila in the search for the Star Forge, the mysterious source of the Sith Lords' seemingly limitless armada. Bastila shepherded Revan through his rediscovery of his Force abilities, keeping a watchful eye on him for any sign of the dark side. Unfortunately, this intense awareness of the dark side, paired with her reckless nature, ultimately led to her being drawn into Darth Malak's control as his new apprentice. In the end, her fate was in the hands of Revan when he confronted her on the Star Forge.

In the Star Wars Miniatures Game, Bastila could be thought of as a second-tier Jedi. She's clearly not as capable as characters such as Mace Windu, Jedi Master; Yoda, Jedi Master; or Darth Vader, Jedi Hunter; but she's roughly on par with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master or Darth Tyranus. Although her Defense and Attack are a bit low for a character of this cost, Triple Attack more than makes up for it. She also has Lightsaber Sweep and Lightsaber Deflect, again nicely fitting this second-tier niche.

Bastila's real strength, of course, is in Force Valor and Battle Meditation, both of which allow her to assume a commander effect for the remainder of the skirmish. Battle Meditation is particularly powerful in that it improves your allies' ability to combine fire and prevents your enemies from doing the same. In fact, Battle Meditation allows Bastila to neutralize (and effectively steal) Darth Malak's commander effect, thus making her a very good match for the Sith Lord in a skirmish.

Star Wars Miniatures Stat Card Preview

Faction: Old Republic
Cost: 46
Hit Points: 110
Defense: 19
Attack: +13
Damage: 20
Special Abilities: Unique, Melee Attack, Triple Attack
Force Powers: Force 4, Battle Meditation (Force 2, replaces attacks: For the rest of the skirmish, this character gains the following commander effect: Allies who combine fire grant an additional +2 Attack, and enemy characters cannot combine fire), Force Valor, Lightsaber Deflect, Lightsaber Sweep

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Statistics

Bastila Shan: Female Human Jedi consular 12/Jedi investigator 5 (Jedi sentinel archetype); Init +4 (+4 Dex); Defense 25 (+4 class, +11 Dex); Spd 10 m; VP/WP 97/12; Atk +15/+10/+5 melee* (5d8+1/19–20, double-bladed lightsaber) and +15/+10 melee* (5d8/19–20, double-bladed lightsaber) or +16/+11/+6 ranged; SQ Contacts (Master Vandar, Revan), deflect (attack –3, block, defense +3, extend defense and attack), favor +2, fearless, profile, target bonus +3; SV Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +13; SZ M; FP 6; DSP 2; Rep +6; Str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 17. Challenge Code G.

Equipment: Double-bladed lightsaber*.
* Bastila has constructed her own lightsaber.

Skills: Disable Device +5, Gather Information +11, Read/Write Basic, Search +5, Sense Motive +10, Speak Basic, Treat Injury +12.

Force Skills: Affect Mind +7, Battle Influence +13, Battlemind +5, Enhance Senses +8, Farseeing +7, Force Defense +9, Force Grip +5, Force Strike +10, Heal Another +12, Inspire +26, Move Object +5, See Force +8, Sever Force +8, Telepathy +12.

Feats: Ambidexterity, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (double-bladed lightsaber, lightsaber), Force-Sensitive, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Sharp-eyed, Skill Emphasis (Inspire), Trustworthy, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse (double-bladed lightsaber), Weapon Group Proficiency (blaster pistols, simple weapons).

Force Feats: Alter, Aware, Battle Meditation, Burst of Speed, Control, Knight Speed, Sense.

References:
Jedi Counseling 81 describes the Jedi sentinel archetype.
The Power of the Jedi Sourcebook describes the Force skills Battle Influence, Inspire, and Sever Force, and the Force feat Battle Meditation.

Crab Droid

Officially designated LM-432, and better known as "Muckrackers" to the clones who fought them, Crab Droids are a late addition to the Separatist armies. Originally, the Separatists deployed these droids to swampy combat zones, but the Muckrackers' agility and speed over irregular terrain make them ideal for any rugged battlefield. For this reason, they were also deployed to Utapau near the end of the Clone Wars.

Crab Droids come in several sizes, but the most common is the medium-sized unit. These armored droids move easily on their six legs and are exceptionally sure-footed. They are armed with twin blasters, as well as an unconventional vacuum system that sucks up and displaces mud and muck to blind their enemies. A few of the largest units feature Gungan bubble wort projectors to capture enemies within a force field. The droids are not without weaknesses, however. Especially daring opponents who come to point-blank range can exploit vulnerable areas within a droid's central body.

In the Star Wars Miniatures Game, the Crab Droid is a welcome mid-range cost addition to the Separatist faction. For only 23 points, it has more Hit Points than the Destroyer or Hailfire Droids, with better Defense, the same Attack, and similar Damage numbers. However, in exchange for these excellent numbers, the Crab Droid features just one offensive special ability and no defensive ones.

As with all Separatist droids, the Crab Droid greatly benefits from a Battle Droid Officer in the squad. Combine the Officer's Fire Control bonus to Momentum, and the Crab Droid can effectively attack any unit with a high Defense. While adjacent opponents make using Momentum difficult (without provoking attacks of opportunity), the Crab Droid miniature does not otherwise suffer from close-range vulnerabilities.

Star Wars Miniatures Stat Card Preview

Faction: Separatist
Cost: 23
Hit Points: 80
Defense: 18
Attack: +8
Damage: 20
Special Abilities: Droid, Momentum

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Statistics

Crab Droid (Mid-sized): Walking battle droid, Soldier 5; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Defense: 18 (+5 class, +4 Dex, –1 size); DR 3, Spd 10 m; VP/WP 61/19; Atk +6 melee (2d8+2, claw); or +8 ranged (3d8/19–20, blaster rifle); +8 ranged (no damage, vacuum jet); SQ Weak points; SV Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +0; SZ L; FP 0; DSP 0; Rep +1; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 8. Challenge Code C.

Equipment: Armor (light), comlink, duranium stabilizer claws, environmental compensator (marsh), heuristic processor, locked access, low-light vision, magnetic feet, rust inhibitor, twin-blaster rifles, weapon mounts, vacuum pump and jet system.

Note: Opponents adjacent to or on top of the droid may attack weak points between the armor plating on the droid's body. Weak points may be targeted as a Tiny Carried or Worn Object (see the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Revised Core Rulebook, page 168). The droid further loses its Dex bonus to opponents standing on top of the droid. Successful attacks to weak points ignore Damage Reduction and apply damage directly to the droid's wound points.

Skills: Balance +7, Climb +5, Intimidate +5, Jump +5, Spot +3.

Feats: Ambidexterity, Armor Proficiencies (light), Dodge, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quickness, Toughness, Weapon Group Proficiency (blaster pistols, blaster rifles, heavy weapons, simple weapons, vibro weapons).

About the Authors

Gary M. Sarli is a freelance writer and editor whose credits include Ultimate Adversaries (Star Wars), Monster Manual III, Races of the Wild, and Heroes of Battle (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.

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.