|
A tactical and strategic genius, Thrawn was the only non-Human to ever attain the rank of Grand Admiral in the Empire. Prior to the Battle of Endor, Thrawn commanded Imperial forces in the Unknown Regions, finally returning to the rest of the galaxy years after the Emperor’s defeat. His reputation (and effectiveness) quickly brought the support of the Imperial remnants, and under his command the Empire reclaimed half of its former size. Thrawn’s strategy hinged on the use of technology hidden away by the Emperor at Mount Tantiss: Cloaking devices (successfully used in several battles) and Spaarti cloning cylinders (a different form of cloning technology that allowed clones to be grown much faster than with Kaminoan methods). He had even discovered a means to resist the powers of the Jedi by using the Force-repelling ysalamiri, and he almost always had one close at hand.
Thrawn also had the service of Noghri bodyguards who were indebted to the Empire for aid they once received from Darth Vader, but they were kept dependent by the Empire leaving their homeworld an environmental disaster. When this treachery was revealed, Thrawn was assassinated by his Noghri bodyguard, Rukh.
Grand Admiral Thrawn is an impressive commander by any standard. First, his Master Tactician ability ensures that his squad will almost always have initiative if it wishes. Second, he has two distinct commander effects, the first making all nearby non-Unique followers more accurate and harder to hit, and the second allowing any two nearby allies to switch places for free at the end of Thrawn’s turn. Finally, his Ysalamiri suppress all nearby use of Force powers and Force points, seriously undercutting the strength of any Force-heavy enemy squad.
Thoughts or comments? Visit the message board thread for this article here.
|
