A New Hope, A New Set #2: Jedi Academy

It’s that time again, as Wizards of the Coast preps a new Star Wars Miniatures set for our consumption and edification. Imperial Entanglements turned out pretty well, but if there was one area in which it was lacking, it was lightsabers. Sure, figures like Kyp Durron and Darth Vader, Legacy of the Force were pretty solid, but fans of Force-users didn’t have a ton of stuff to get excited about. That all changes with Jedi Academy, a set coming out at the end of June that promises to give you more Jedi and Sith than you can psychically levitate a stick at.

I mean, would you just look at all those glowing, brightly-colored weapons? If you shut off the lights, it’d be like some sort of crazy rave.

So far, Wizards hasn’t unleashed a whole lot of previews upon us. Granted, the entire set has more or less been spoiled by some impatient individuals who picked up some boosters in Hong Kong well before the street date (see the above picture), but for the sake of simplicity and my own sanity we’re going to run down what WotC has officially sanctioned worthy of showing us.

Cade Skywalker, Padawan

I wrote about Cade Skywalker, Bounty Hunter in an earlier article here on the ‘Sphere (can I call it that?). That figure was hell on wheels, a costly force of nature that was nevertheless really darn useful and versatile for his points. This figure represents Cade before he became a scruffy bounty hunting lout, back during his early days at the Jedi Temple, and as such is not quite as awesome. His fashion sense is still pretty bad, though this piece doesn’t have the advantage of a wicked duster jacket.

This Cade is nowhere near as powerful as his grown-up version, but he’s still not a bad use of 20 points. Double Attack and Melee Attack are a decent combo, especially with a base of 20 damage. Nowhere near as good as the elder Cade’s potential of at least 80 damage in one turn, but considering Cade the younger costs about a third of the points, it’s a little more understandable. He’s also got relatively inexpensive Force skills and a Renewal ability that will let him use them multiple times in a skirmish. His hit points and defense leave something to be desired, as it’s not terribly difficult for most figures to hit him, but for 20 points Cade’s not a bad figure to include in most forces and should be a decent pull for Sealed play. By the same token, however, I can’t really see myself looking for chances in which to use him in Constructed.

Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Trainer

I’ve always liked Qui-Gon Jinn. Maybe it’s just because of Liam Neeson, but ever since I saw Episode 1, I’ve felt that he was an underutilized character who got sacrificed for the necessity of plot. Thank goodness for Star Wars Miniatures, where Qui-Gon has received his due propers by being immortalized in three different figures (this would be, of course, the third). Unlike other versions of Qui-Gon, though, this one is all about offense.

In fact, it seems like attacking is going to be the primary thing to do with Qui-Gon. The almost-standard combo of Double Attack and Melee Attack with a 20 base damage make him pretty darn dangerous up close, and his Ataru Style ability, which grants +4 to his Attack value so long as there’s an enemy within six squares, encourages him to get up in your opponent’s business. As long as he’s adjacent to an opponent, he can hit with a base 16 Attack, more than enough to break through most defenses. 19 Defense isn’t too shabby, either, though his relatively low amount of hit points is something of a downer and enough to give one pause before they consider running him around all willy-nilly.

Of course, if someone does get a bit too close for comfort, Qui-Gon can still Force Push them away (and hopefully into a pit, depending on the map). He also lives up to his Trainer name by giving any and all Force users with 10 Damage a bonus +4 Attack. For 24 points, Qui-Gon is an exceptional piece that should fit well into most Jedi Academy squads, and since he’s only a Rare, he probably won’t be too expensive to pick up if you aren’t lucky enough to pull him. In fact, since he’s only 4 points more than Cade and arguably far more useful, I’m prepared to say that Qui-Gon will probably be a very solid pull, if not an absolute must-have, for this set.

Jedi Battlemaster

Apparently, the Battlemasters are considered the greatest lightsaber combatants in the Jedi Order, but for some reason they’re only an Uncommon in Jedi Academy. Chalk it up to another unfortunate incident in which canon is tossed to the wayside to meet the criteria of collectible gaming, but it may end up being a blessing in disguise. This Uncommon could be one of the absolute must-have pieces from this set.

First off, let’s look at those stats. Just look at them. 110 HP. 19 Defense. 11 Attack. 20 Damage. Now let’s look at his abilities. First off, he’s got that increasingly popular Double + Melee Attack combo paired with Lightsaber Duelist, which will make him downright difficult to hit in Sealed games (did I mention there are a LOT of Force Users in this set?). His lack of Force Renewal is a drag, but let’s look at what you can do with his 4 points. Lightsaber Assault gives him a fighting chance at causing 80 damage in one turn in exchange for one Force point, and Lightsaber Block and Lightsaber Deflect give him a great chance to defend himself in a tight situation. In short, he’s a melee beast for just three points more than Qui-Gon, and since he’s non-Unique you can put more than one on a squad if you want.

Yeah. You’re gonna want that.

Darth Plagueis

And now we come to the guy who taught Palpatine everything he knows. Plagueis is a legitimately exciting and dangerous figure, but you’re going to have to pay for it. Still, I can think of far, far worse ways to spend 63 points.

Plagueis’s stats are all pretty darn solid, with high HP and defense and a solid attack output. He’s the only figure in this round of previews to not have Double Attack, which makes him sort of the odd man out, but he’s more than capable of putting a stop to opposing melee attackers with his Parry ability (it is pretty easy to roll more than 11, after all). Overall, Plagueis can be a tank if needed.

But you’re not going to want Plagueis for his stats. It’s all about the Force Powers with this guy, and…hoooo man. Essence of Life is nice to protect your prized units, but Force Corruption is what will make this guy very, very dangerous. Let’s break this down. For 3 or 4 Force Points,you can not only do 30-40 points of unavoidable damage, you can also potentially cause that much damage to that figure each turn so long as they don’t hit their save of 11. Granted, if they do hit 11 or better, they won’t be corrupted anymore, but consider the fact that these abilities also corrupt every adjacent figure, and each figure needs to hit that roll. You’re looking at potentially laying waste to any opponent foolish enough to group their figures together. Outstanding, and with Force Renewal 2, you won’t even have to wait very long to use it. Sure, it can’t hurt droids, but whatever.

Come to think of it, given the right situation, 63 points is a bit cheap. I want this guy.

There are scads more figures to talk about, and I’ll be back with another wave as soon as Wizards puts them up. Already, Jedi Academy is shaping up to be one heck of a set. June 30th can’t come here fast enough.

-Bryan Carr is the host, producer, and creator of Geekspeak and some other podcasts in the Geekspeak Network, all of which can be found by going to http://www.geekspeakradio.us. He will also be serving as a SWM tournament and freeplay organizer at his local game store in the coming weeks. Now you know enough to impress your friends when he comes up as a category on Jeopardy!.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast for the preview pics and StarWarsMiniGames.com for the picture at the top of the article, though I’m not sure who originally took it.