Star Wars Shatterpoint: Ewok Vorschau

AMG haben neue Regelpreviews für die Shatterpoint Ewoks, C3-PO und R2-D2.

Databank Download: Wicket, Intrepid Warrior & C-3PO and R2-D2 Preview

Today’s preview takes us back to the forest moon to take a closer look at several of the individuals responsible for enlisting the Ewoks to join the Battle of Endor and, as a result, lay the groundwork to defeat Emperor Palpatine and the Galactic Empire. That’s right, I’m giving all the credit for that victory to Wicket and our favorite pair of droids.

The young but recklessly brave Ewok warrior named Wicket W. Warrick would prove to be a key component of the successful rebel attack on the Endor deflector shield generator compound. His involvement was nearly entirely by chance, having stumbled upon Leia Organa after a speeder chase and wreck in his home forest. Having already taken a disliking to the Imperials and eager to see them done in, he soon became friends with Leia and assisted in ambushing several patrols before returning to the Bright Tree village, which had already captured several other Rebels and was planning to add them to the dinner menu. Fortunately, some Jedi tricks by Luke Skywalker and an impressive performance by C-3PO prevented this catastrophe and soon the Ewoks and Rebels joined sides against their mutual enemy. Wicket is noteworthy for having already been planning ways to employ clever traps and ambushes to employ against the invading troopers, efforts that would prove vital to their eventual success. Like most Ewok warriors, Wicket is quite small and has learned to rely on utilizing the environment to his advantage, preferring the Stealthy Approach over overt assaults. Keeping to the cover of the trees, this lets him swiftly Dash toward the enemy and either take cover (gaining a hunker token) or make an aimed attack via a focus action. Cautious as all Ewoks are by nature, Wicket is braver than most and quite willing to Lead the Charge when haste is required. This Tactic abilty allows Wicket and a nearby Ewok ally to Dash forward, after which he can still gain the benefit of Stealthy Approach, if Force tokens are available.

For the hefty price of a Force and an action, Wicket can sound his Hunting Horn both to rouse his allies and to alarm his foes. Those enemies who are not engaged will be Pinned, while those already in the midst of a melee clash will become Exposed, making them vulnerable to attack. And like most Ewoks of his village, Wicket is a quite capable skirmisher, carrying a sling for ranged attacks and his trusty spear when closing on the foe.

Wicket’s Wary Vigilance Stance demonstrates that he is particularly fierce in melee, having very strong Melee Attack and Defense Stats. His Defense Expertise Chart is also robust, relying on his Quick Wits to evade strikes and reduce his opponent’s criticals. This stance’s Combat Tree offers potentially impressive damage, given Wicket’s stature, but also a number of tactical options and debilitative conditions to inflict on his foe. He has early access to up to two Shoves, the choice of inflicting Strain or Disarm, the option to Dash or focus on damage, and possibly Exposing or Pinning his target if his attack reaches the end of the tree.

Wicket is a quite impressive warrior in his own right, but fights best when engaging alongside others, such as fellow members of the Bright Tree tribe like the great shaman Logray or Ewok Trappers. But he also does quite well taking advantage of the useful distractions provided by a pair of clever droids like C-3PO and R2-D2.

This pair of droids may not have anticipated how well they would eventually get along with the Ewoks, but a strong bond was quickly formed, particularly after C-3PO attained the stature of a minor god. And while these droids may ordinarily prefer a bit of distance from combat, they provide considerable support and assistance when in close proximity of their small allies. Indeed, as demonstrated by Goodness Gracious Me, the Ewoks will move in such a way as to intercept incoming fire, preventing the droids from being targeted. This cooperation goes both ways, as C-3PO’s Brilliant Oration Active Ability can provide a hunker token, heal some damage, or encourage an Ewok to gain a free 5 dice attack, showing the influence of divine encouragement.

And while it’s true that R2-D2 is a lot better at fixing machines, R2, I’m Not Sure That’s Such a Good Idea can be handy in a pinch. This Reactive Ability allows a nearby Ewok or Rebel Alliance ally to remove debilitating conditions, though at a cost of incurring some damage from the electrical discharge of the droid’s tools. Sometimes it’s worth it to endure a bit of a shock to fight at full effectiveness. And the Divine Influence of C-3PO can be felt by nearby Ewoks, providing certain benefits depending on the current stance of the droids (bestowing either Scale on Scouts like the Trappers or Steadfast on Warriors like Wicket).

The droids’ have a pair of possible Stances, reflecting which of the pair is taking charge, each offering some useful distinctions. When caution is required, the Against My Programming Stance reflects C-3PO’s discomfort with violence, allowing the droids to engage with a Combat Tree offering minimal damage but in exchange for some immediate healing the chance to trigger their Active Ability, and possibly Disarm the foe. Furthermore, both the Attack and Defense Expertise Charts of this Stance offer additional healing.

Alternatively, the Angry Trilling Stance relies on R2-D2’s more aggressive disposition. This Stance has slightly better Melee Attack Stats, a Combat Tree with slightly better damage output, and the chance to Shove the foe twice and possibly inflict Strain, as well as a more damaging Attack Expertise Chart and a Defense Expertise Chart offering the possibility of Dashing to another position.

Altogether the pair of droids is not intended to win any battle on their combat prowess, but they offer numerous significant advantages to nearby Ewoks, greatly increasing the potential of stalwart warriors like Warrick. I can think of nothing more amusing than to face down the likes of Darth Vader or General Grievous with a band of cute Ewoks and a pair of loudly complaining droids.

Chief Chirpa & Ewok Hunters Preview

For this preview we’re returning to the moon of Endor to talk about the growing arsenal of potent Ewok leaders and warriors of Bright Tree Village, featuring the great Chief Chirpa and his Ewok Hunters.

Bright Tree Village is a beautiful and fascinating place, perched high amid the trees of the forest moon and offering its inhabitants security amid a world whose wilds are filled with larger and extremely hostile creatures. Chief Chirpa has risen to a leadership position over his tribe, joining other elders in making sometimes difficult decisions to safeguard his people not only from wilderness beasts, but the encroaching soldiers of the Galactic Empire. The fate of Chief Chirpa and his tribe was significantly impacted by the arrival of prominent Rebels, including Leia Organa. Initially the chief agreed with Shaman Logray’s idea to sacrifice these newcomers, but he was persuaded by a demonstration of the Force by Luke Skywalker to at least hear their story. Chief Chirpa was quickly persuaded to accept the Rebels, even inviting them to become honorary members of the tribe, cementing an alliance that would lead to their mutual victory in the Battle of Endor.

Like all Ewoks, Chief Chirpa is of diminutive stature, but should not be underestimated as he is counted among the strongest and most shrewd warriors of his people. He has considerable combat experience facing the perils of his homeland and is highly respected by both the elders and subordinate warriors of Bright Tree. He can Mobilize the Village, augmenting the attack rolls of any Ewoks in his vicinity. His bond with his people is strong and he is acknowledged as a Bright Tree Defender. This Identity Ability allows him to react immediately to the wounding of fellow Ewoks, allowing him to bravely Reposition and strike at an adversary, or to more cautiously Dash to a better position and Heal, possibly mitigating harm done to an ally or recovering in preparation of an organized counterattack.

Chief Chirpa is a force to be reckoned with in melee, wielding his spear with skilled and deadly accuracy. This Sharp Stick provides Impact [2], giving an additional two dice to melee attacks benefitting from the focus action and depriving his target of any Protection they may benefit from. Like any wise Ewok, he chooses his targets carefully and is skilled at ambush and the diversionary tactics required to overcome larger or more technologically advanced enemies. Whenever possible he makes a Stealthy Approach, Dashing quietly ahead and hunkering down to mitigate incoming fire before striking an enemy unawares, harnessing the augmented focus action of his Sharp Stick. If an enemy is just out of his reach or if he intends to assist subordinate warriors, he may instead make a Bola Toss to tangle up a nearby adversary, leaving them Pinned or Exposed.

Whether Chief Chirpa is engaging the enemy with due caution or is entering a no-holds-barred brawl is reflected in his choice of Stances. He can embody the Fury of the Forest when his wrath is roused, maximizing his Melee Attack stats and drawing on a Melee Attack Expertise Chart with a high likelihood of granting extra criticals. The Combat Tree of this Stance can pack a serious wallop with high potential damage, but also bringing very useful tactical benefits. Even when maximizing damage, this tree can also inflict Pinned and Disarmed on the foe. Alternately, a small amount of damage can be traded for inflicting Strained, and either a Shove and Reposition, or opting to Expose the foe and Heal. The versatility of this Stance makes it very useful whenever melee is committed in earnest.

With the Bright Tree Elder Stance he chooses to fight with wary caution, balancing his Attack and Defense Melee stats and gaining a slightly stronger Stoic Guardian Defense Expertise Chart which can convert incoming criticals into failures. Worth noting this Stance is still strong for his own attacks and does not give up much for augmented defenses. The Stance’s Melee Attack Expertise Chart offers slightly fewer criticals but compensates with bonus damage. Its simpler Combat Tree is useful when trying to dislodge enemies from an objective, offering up to two early Shoves, or a Shove and Disarm, and the option higher up the tree to inflict Strained and possibly allow Chirpa to use one of his Active Abilities (such as making a Bola Toss).

Chief Chirpa is often accompanied by Ewok Hunters, being the slightly more numerous Ewok warriors found in the tribe alongside the previously discussed Trappers. Where Trappers are most comfortable in melee with their spears, Hunters prefer to attack at range with their bows, though all Ewok warriors can skirmish and be effective both at range or in melee.

Ewok Hunters make use of Coordinated Fire to augment their potent ranged attacks, a Reactive Ability that lets them inflict Pinned on a nearby enemy that other Ewoks are already attacking. Hunters can gain the benefits of making a Stealthy Approach, an Active Ability that lets them Dash and then gain a hunker token or make a focus action. They are also versed in the use of Camouflage, gaining a hunker token at the end of Setup. Also shared with other Ewok warriors is the preference to exploit Strength in Numbers, increasing the effectiveness of attacks when their target is already engaged with other allied Ewoks.

The different strengths and roles of Ewok Hunters vs. Trappers can be easily grasped by examining their respective Stances. Hunters employ the Walkabout Stance, which emphasizes attacking at range over melee with higher Ranged Attack and Defense stats, though they are certainly effective at both. Their Ranged Attack Expertise Chart offers good criticals and a chance of added damage, but their Melee Expertise Chart is quite decent. Combining this Stance’s Combat Tree with the Attack Expertise Charts demonstrates Hunters can be quite deadly, delivering substantial and consistent damage. The tree also offers an early infliction of Pinned, with a later option of either Shoving a foe or Climbing to a different position, and higher up the tree inflicting Exposed. Between this tree and the Coordinated Fire ability, Hunters are experts in Pinning adversaries in place, which can effectively thwart or slow the enemy advance.

Altogether there’s no denying that Chief Chirpa and the Ewok warriors are formidable combatants, a fact that has been proven in multiple battles Chirpa and his tribe have faced to win victory over allegedly superior foes. And in turn there are few things more satisfying or entertaining than playing an army of cute furry little Ewoks hunting down Stormtroopers or other Imperials to poke them with sharp sticks or turn them into arrow pincushions.

Quelle: Atomic Mass Games