The Galactic Republic starter set for Star Wars Legion is "all about synergy and durability", according to Will Shick, the Creative and Development VP at Atomic Mass Games (AMG), and Will Pagani, Game Development Director. This is our fourth and final Q&A with the pair, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of each of the starter sets that are due to release later this year.
The Star Wars: Legion Galactic Republic starter is commanded by Obi-Wan Kenobi, accompanied by 22 Clone troopers, seven ARF troopers, seven ARC troopers, and a Jedi Knight. Like the other starters, it will have an MSRP of $95 in the US, and will contain all the models, tokens, dice, and cards needed to field a 600 point 'Recon' starter army.
We've already published articles exploring the Galactic Empire starter set, the Rebel Alliance starter set, and the Separatist Alliance starter set. The release dates for the sets aren't locked in yet, but they're scheduled on the Star Wars Legion roadmap for fall this year.
Wargamer: What does the Galactic Republic starter set specialise in?
AMG: The Galactic Republic starter set is all about synergy and durability. The Clone Trooper units are all highly trained combatants who've worked together since birth - their ability to use tokens (mostly Aim, Dodge, and Surge tokens) from other nearby Clone Trooper units gives them unrivaled flexibility and strength to have the tools they need to complete the mission.
Couple this with the defensive and supportive nature of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and you get a tough as nails elite fighting force the Galactic Senate can be proud of!
What does Obi-Wan do for his force?
Obi-Wan Kenobi is an excellent support commander who is also a capable melee fighter. With [the ability] Guardian [letting him intercept attacks on nearby friendly units] and a slew of powerful command cards, he can keep his troops in the fight longer than any other commander, while also leading the charge from the front.
How do the basic Corps infantry in this box stand out from the other sets?
Clone Trooper Infantry's 'Reliable 1' keyword is the backbone of many Galactic Republic armies. The Surge token granted by this ability can be used by any other Clone Trooper unit near by - this creates the feeling of the Clones working together toward their shared mission.
The Clone Trooper Infantry have access to a unique upgrade slot: Leaders. The various Leader upgrades available to the Clones allow them to really customize and build their units for the exact goal they need to achieve, giving players unprecedented customization inside of the army.
Which units are the heavy hitters?
The ARC Troopers are an excellent offensive powerhouse unit that excel at moving up the table and applying extreme pressure to the objective they commit to. They are best in short range engagements, including melee, and benefit greatly from the ability to get there granted by Obi-Wan Kenobi's Guardian keyword and the support he provides.
What's this starter set's big weakness?
Because of the elite nature of the army it's got a relatively small number of units that have to stick close together to get the most out of their ability to share their tokens. This can make objective play difficult, especially if the objectives are far away from one another!
Many of Obi-Wan's support abilities are relatively short range. This means he must stay with his troops and cannot effectively dive into the opposing army like many other Jedi options, which makes him weaker as an offensive piece and could make winning objectives more difficult.
What's a good way to expand from this set to make a more rounded list?
Because of the versatility of many of the units available to the Galactic Republic, building an "all comers" list is quite easy. Depending on the heavy weapons, upgrades, and Leaders in your units you can customize them to fill any gap in your army and mostly must choose what range you want the various units to engage at.
If you're looking for a close assault aggressive force, ARC Troopers are your mainstay. As discussed above, Clone Trooper Infantry are the backbone of most Galactic Republic armies: they'll be in basically every list you make.
Clone Trooper Marksman are an excellent choice to compliment the ARF Troopers in the starter set, and allow you to really lean into the long range firepower available to the Republic. Add in a few vehicles here and there for some armor and you've got a great list!
If you want to double down on the starter set's strengths, what do you need?
A very aggressive ARC Trooper army is what the basics of this Starter Set lean toward. Additional units of ARC Troopers and Clone Trooper infantry will fill this list out nicely. A few AT-RTs are excellent, durable units that can hold down a point, while the ARC Troopers make short work of any enemy units that decide they'd like to contest that point.
Thanks folks!
Are you inspired to start building a Galactic Republic army? Would you rather take the Separatists to the field? Do you expect to welcome some new Legion players at your local store or club when these starter sets drop? Come and join the conversation in the official Wargamer Discord community!
If you want an all-in-one-box Star Wars experience that doesn't involve building and painting miniatures, check out our guide to the best Star Wars board games!