Alliance and Empire Preview 1

Death Star Trooper and Han Solo in Stormtrooper Armor

By Gary M. Sarli and Sterling Hershey

In May, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars saga, Wizards of the Coast is releasing Alliance and Empire, the next great set for the Star Wars Miniatures Game. Today, we'll start taking a look at some previews of the new minis. First up: the Death Star Trooper and Han Solo in Stormtrooper Armor.

Death Star Trooper

During the construction of the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin trained a select fighting force specifically for the fearsome battlestation. Taken from the best Imperial Navy troopers, the new Death Star Troopers were multitalented individuals who fulfilled many combat and noncombat duties throughout the station. They received advanced combat and independent command training.

The Death Star Troopers were an elite fighting force loyal to the Imperial Navy and Tarkin, as opposed to the stormtroopers who had their own command structure and were loyal to the Emperor. Elite Death Star Troopers served in the command areas, while standard troopers were found throughout the station. Their distinctive uniforms became a symbol of power. After the Death Star's destruction, the uniform spread to other Imperial Navy troops throughout the fleet.

In the Star Wars Miniatures Game, the Death Star Trooper is a new basic foot soldier for the Imperial faction. He's slightly more expensive than the standard Stormtrooper, with a lower Defense score and a higher Attack score. He has no special abilities, Force powers, or commander effect of his own, but as a trooper follower, he qualifies for a number of commander effects from other characters. Using the Death Star Trooper with other commanders is highly recommended, and can be effective when using multiple commanders, each with different commander effects.

Star Wars Miniatures Stat Card Preview

Faction: Imperial
Cost: 6
Hit Points: 10
Defense: 14
Attack: +6
Damage: 10

Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition Statistics

This is the first miniatures preview to feature statistics based on the rules in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition. The new stat block format should be familiar to Dungeons and Dragons fans, though it has been revised especially for Saga Edition. We aren't revealing all the specifics of the new stat block yet, so keep watching this web site for more previews of the new edition. For now, take a look at how the trooper's basic stat block compares to Han Solo's more advanced stat block, below. You might also learn a few things by checking out the original (albeit more advanced) Death Star Trooper roleplaying stats on page 43 of the Rebellion Era Sourcebook.

Death Star Trooper

CL 2

Medium Human nonheroic 3/soldier 1
Force 1 Dark Side 3
Init +3; Senses Perception +7
Languages Basic

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Defenses Ref 14 (flat-footed 13), Fort 13, Will 11
hp 46; Threshold 13

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Speed 6 squares
Melee baton +3 (1d6) or
Ranged blaster pistol +5 (3d6)
Base Atk +3; Grp +3
Atk Options Point Blank Shot^H

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Abilities Str 11, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
Talents Demolitionist
Feats Armor Proficiency (light, medium), Point Blank Shot^H, Weapon Focus (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (pistols, rifles, simple weapons)
Skills Mechanics +7, Perception +7^H
Possessions baton, blaster pistol, comlink, utility belt, blast helmet and vest

H: Human bonus feat or trained skill

Han Solo in Stormtrooper Armor

The Corellian smuggler had a problem: He owed a Hutt crime lord a lot of money for a lost shipment of spice. In a dirty spacer's cantina in Mos Eisley, though, Han Solo thought he had found the solution. His Wookiee copilot told him that an old desert hermit and some kid from a moisture farm needed a ride to Alderaan, and the old man said they needed it now -- "no questions asked." Sensing desperation, Han pressed for enough money to solve his problems. The deal was made, and things were finally looking up.

But destiny had other plans.

Mere hours later, Han Solo found himself wearing captured stormtrooper armor and walking into the detention block of an Imperial space station to rescue an Alderaanian princess. After a furious shootout in the cell bay, the princess -- who had more than a bit of attitude, by the way -- led them to an escape that involved the heavenly smell of rotting garbage and wet Wookiee fur. As much as Han's mercenary streak would have liked to keep the armor and pawn it with the nearest black-market fence, he knew he'd never get that stench out of the armor's body glove.

In the Star Wars Miniatures Game, Han Solo in Stormtrooper Armor allows your squad to use the tactics of mobility to its advantage. Furious Assault combines the best features of Charging Fire and Blaster Barrage, and it doesn't require a Force Point to activate. Given this, Han Solo can be maneuvered into position to take maximum advantage of the enemy, clearing out large numbers of "mooks" unless they are carefully positioned to maximize cover and minimize the number of legal targets.

Even better, his commander effect lets him bring his followers along with him, a wave of fast-moving blaster fire that consistently outmaneuvers the enemy. Finally, Stealth gives him a little more survivability in a hostile environment, using his fast-moving followers as mobile cover.

Still, his biggest weakness compared to the other versions of Han Solo is the lack of Accurate Shot. Without his customized heavy blaster pistol and encumbered by the clumsy armor, he's just not as fast and accurate as he would normally be. Let's face it, though: Accurate Shot would be a brutal combination with Furious Assault because almost everything in line of sight would be a legal target.

Star Wars Miniatures Game Stat Card Preview

Faction: Rebel
Cost: 25
Hit Points: 80
Defense: 19
Attack: +8
Damage: 20
Special Abilities: Unique, Furious Assault (replaces turn; can move up to 12 squares, then attack each legal target once), Stealth
Commander Effect: Followers gain Charging Fire (replaces turn; can move up to double speed, then attack)

Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition Statistics

Han Solo (Episode IV)

CL 9

Medium Human scoundrel 5/soldier 2/ace pilot 1/gunslinger 1
Destiny 1; Force 5
Init +16; Senses Perception +10
Languages Basic, Huttese, Shyriiwook

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Defenses Ref 25 (flat-footed 23), Fort 22, Will 22
hp 61; Threshold 22

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Speed 6 squares
Melee unarmed +7 (1d4+4) or
Ranged heavy blaster pistol +9 (4d8+8) with Rapid Shot
Base Atk +6; Grp +8
Atk Options Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Sneak Attack +1d6, Trigger Work
Special Actions Keep It Together, Full Throttle, Quick Draw, Stellar Warrior

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Abilities Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14
Talents Keep It Together, Sneak Attack +1d6, Spacehound, Stellar Warrior, Trigger Work, Weapon Specialization (pistols)
Feats Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Skill Focus (Initiative, Pilot), Vehicular Combat, Weapon Focus (pistols), Weapon Proficiency (heavy weapons, pistols, rifles, simple weapons)
Skills Deception +11, Initiative +16, Knowledge (galactic lore) +11, Mechanics +11, Perception +10, Pilot +14, Use Computer +11
Possessions heavy blaster pistol with targeting scope, tool kit, modified YT-1300 transport (Millennium Falcon)

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When disguised as a stormtrooper (wearing stormtrooper armor and wielding a blaster rifle), Han Solo has the following altered statistics:

Senses Perception +12, low-light vision
Defenses Ref 22 (flat-footed 20)
Melee unarmed +5 (1d4+4) or
Ranged blaster rifle +6 (3d8+4) or
Ranged blaster rifle +4 (4d8+4) with Rapid Shot

About the Authors

Sterling Hershey is an architect and freelance game designer. He regularly creates Star Wars Miniatures and Starship Battles scenarios and previews for the Wizards of the Coast website. He also wrote the Scenario Book for the Attack on Endor Scenario Pack. Previously, he authored and contributed to many Star Wars The Roleplaying Game products from West End Games, as well as Star Wars Gamer Magazine. 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 the Saga Edition Rulebook and Ultimate Adversaries (Star Wars Roleplaying Game), and Power of Faerûn and Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (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 recently opened GMSarli Games, an online retailer specializing in non-random miniatures packs designed for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game.