“Uh oh. Blast ‘em!”

   –OOM-series Battle Droid, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Whether their armies consist of droids programmed for battle or clones with combat imprinted on their DNA, it’s clear that both sides of the Clone Wars value the benefits of rigidly standardized armies. But this uniformity isn’t absolute. Both battle droids and clone troopers carry different weapons and gear into battle, allowing them to shake up their approach to each engagement.

More than just increasing a unit’s firepower, these upgrades also augment the ways they can use their unique abilities. Soon, you can add even more diversity to your Clone Wars-era armies with the B1 Battle Droids Upgrade Expansion and the Phase I Clone Troopers Upgrade Expansion for Star Wars™: Legion!

Within each of these Upgrade Expansions, you’ll find four unpainted miniatures—the B1 Battle Droids in hard plastic and the Phase I Clone Troopers in soft plastic—featuring alternate sculpts from those in the Clone Wars Core Set or the B1 Battle Droids Unit Expansion and the Phase I Clone Troopers Unit Expansion. These sculpts are complemented by new heavy weapon and personnel options that add even more ways for you to fine-tune your units.

The heavy weapons miniatures can easily be incorporated into your existing B1 Battle Droid and Phase I Clone Trooper units. At the same, however, you can choose to assemble these miniatures with their standard weapons to add even more aesthetic variety to your army! Join as today as we take a glimpse at the new ways you can upgrade your B1 Battle Droids and Phase I Clone Troopers!

Augmented AI

B1 Battle Droids are unlike any other soldiers in the galaxy. Despite being no match for the Republic’s Jedi Knights and Clone Troopers, these dim-witted and often glitchy droids nevertheless pose a threat through their superior numbers and blind willingness to press forward no matter the opposition.

Central to this strategy is the B1 Battle Droids’ ability to coordinate with each other, ensuring the Separatist’s droid army operates as a unified whole. It should be no surprise, then, that the new personnel included in the B1 Battle Droids Upgrade Expansion work to enhance this fact, beginning with OOM-Series Battle Droids.  One of these droids extends the B1 Battle Droids’ Coordinate range, helping them maintain the chain even when there may be larger gaps in the Separatist battle line. This can be further improved if your battle droids are outfitted with  Integrated Comms Antennas  so that they can be issued orders by a commander or operative from even farther away.

No matter how large their numerical advantage, the ranks of your B1 Battle Droids will inevitably thin, making it more difficult for them to coordinate with each other. In those cases, the battle droids’ natural AI will kick in, forcing them to immediately attack after activating. With a B1 Security Droid among their ranks, however, your droids can ignore this directive, instead taking the time to move or aim before firing.

To fully capitalize on the advantages provided by these new personnel, B1 Battle Droids need to look past their standard E-5 blaster rifles. The Clone Wars Core Set and B1 Battle Droids Unit Expansion both give you the opportunity to put more powerful weapons in your droids’ hands. The E-5C blaster rifle,  for instance, is a marked improvement over the E-5, greatly enhancing a unit’s firepower. On the other hand, an E-60R B1 Trooper can easily punch through an enemy’s armor plating, even at long range.   

The B1 Battle Droids Upgrade Expansion adds two more heavy weapons to your arsenal, letting you use these droids in even more creative ways. While droids themselves have very little to fear from poison, it can be devastating to their organic enemies and outfitting a battle droid with a Radiation Cannon can be an effective way to slowly whittle away at an enemy with solid defense like the Republic’s clone troopers. Meanwhile, an E-5s B1 Trooper can take up position from a distance, targeting opponents who have hunkered down behind cover.

Variable Consistency

In contrast to B1 Battle Droids, the Republic’s Phase I Clone Troopers are some of the most elite infantry troops the galaxy has ever seen. In addition to the protection provided by their armor, these dedicated soldiers wield their DC-15A blaster rifles with expert proficiency. But that does not mean they can’t use other weapons.

Within the Clone Wars Core Set and Phase I Clone Troopers Unit Expansion, you’ll already find two heavy weapons that can greatly enhance your Clone Troopers’ combat effectiveness, including a DC-15 Phase I Trooper and a Z-6 Phase I Trooper.  The Phase I Clone Troopers Upgrade Expansion supplements these weapons with two additional options.

The Separatist Alliance commonly supports its swarms of battle droids with heavily armored vehicles, such as the AAT Trade Federation Battle Tank. To counter these threats, units of Phase I Clone Troopers are often deployed with RPS-6 Phase I Troopers who can stop these vehicles in their tracks. Meanwhile, a DP-23 Phase I Trooper helps his unit rapidly thin the Separatist’s numbers by piercing enemy defenses.

Despite their combat prowess, new weapons aren’t the only way to improve your Phase I Clone Troopers. Two new personnel miniatures can be added to the unit and they do more than simply bolster your numbers. A  Phase I Clone Captain can lead their troops through even the heaviest fire while keeping them at peak efficiency. And, seeing as a Clone Captain can provide his unit with some extra training, they all can further augment their skills, perhaps even hunting down a wounded enemy operative or commander.

Similarly, a Phase I Clone Specialist  is equally adept at both offense and defense, helping their unit focus on the area that suits them best. What’s more, the Clone Specialist gives you the opportunity to carry extra gear, boosting their offense with some Targeting Scopes  or the offense of those around them with some Electrobinoculars.   

Outfit Your Army

The Clone Wars are a duel between two standardized armies that take remarkably different approaches to waging war. With new weapons and gear to employ new tactics, both sides have everything they need to push themselves over the top and claim victory.

Look for these Upgrade Expansions at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2019. Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping in the continental United States here!