Preview the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion for Star Wars: Legion

“You’re gonna pay for all the Jedi you killed today Dooku.”
   –Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Anakin Skywalker is no mere Jedi Knight. Identified from his youth as the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force, his service to the Galactic Republic throughout the Clone Wars cemented his status as one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy.

Revered by his fellow Jedi and the clones who serve under his command alike, Skywalker employs all manner of unorthodox tactics as he fights to rid the galaxy of the Separatist menace. Now, he is ready to take command of your Star Wars™: Legion armies with the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion!

Within this expansion, you’ll find everything you need to place Anakin Skywalker in command of your Galactic Republic armies, beginning with a beautifully detailed, unpainted hard plastic miniature featuring two distinct assembly options. First, you can assemble Anakin Skywalker with a powerful two-handed grip on his lightsaber. Alternatively, he can be built with one hand on his lightsaber in an open stance.

In addition to the miniature, you’ll find all of Anakin Skywalker’s abilities laid out on a unit card alongside his three signature command cards that allow him to leave his own mark on a battle. Powerful as he may be, Skywalker is more susceptible than most to the temptations of the dark side, and this weakness is represented by a new Flaw card that his opponents can exploit. Finally, rounding out this expansion are six upgrade cards ensuring Anakin Skywalker has the training and Force abilities to face any test.

Read on for a full look at everything in the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion!

Hero of the Clone Wars

Anakin Skywalker played a major role in some of the most pivotal events of the Clone Wars, from the very first battle on Geonosis to the final days of the Republic. This expansion reflects his evolution as both a general and a combatant throughout this conflict, especially as a Force user. Beginning the war as a padawan, Skywalker quickly grew into a respected Jedi General and his unique abilities are on full display here. 

Like many Jedi, Skywalker can easily traverse the battlefield ignoring terrain height 1 or lower, but he begins to set himself apart from his peers with his skill with a lightsaber. Few can match the power of his blows and Skywalker can easily pierce through an enemy’s defenses whether they’re armored or not. Better yet, he is a master of the Djem So form of combat and can redirect an opponent’s attacks with powerful strikes of his own, allowing him to inflict guaranteed damage on his attacker if he spends a dodge token.

Despite this prodigious power, Anakin Skywalker still craves more and this desire both aids and impedes him in battle. On the one hand, his temptation to use the dark side of the Force allows him to equip Force upgrades of any alignment, making him the only character in the game who can tap into their Angerwhile also using Light Side Force upgrades. On the other hand, this flaw provides your opponents with an advantage in the form of a flaw card that is added to their hand. This card begins shaking Skywalker’s faith in the Jedi Order, ultimately preventing him from being issued orders if he has at least one suppression token when it is played.   

Even with this drawback, Anakin Skywalker is still a powerful Jedi Knight and his skills are further enhanced by his command cards. Rather than give him a tactical boost for a single round, each of his cards grants Skywalker new abilities with the Permanent keyword, allowing him to keep these cards in play and slowly grow in power over the course of the battle. At the same time, however, Anakin Skywalker‘s aggression often gets the better of him and each command card also requires him to meet a certain condition or take a suppression token.

For example, opponents would be wise not to underestimate Anakin Skywalker’s power. This card enhances both his lightsaber strikes and his mastery of the Force, making him even more useful in combat. But Anakin Skywalker must also capitalize on this aggression or else he will gain a suppression token every round he does not perform an attack. Doing so requires him to first move into melee combat, of course, and playing This is Where the Fun Beginsallows him to confront an enemy and make an attack all at onece while also helping him avoid damage along the way. In this case, however, Skywalker must also be the first friendly unit to activate to avoid gaining a suppression token.

A lightsaber is an effective weapon against both blaster fire and other melee weapons, particularly in the hands of someone who has received extensive training. Anakin Skywalker can use this training to adopt a Defensive Stance,  providing more opportunities to make use of his Djem So mastery while closing in on an enemy unit. Then, once he’s ready to attack, he can switch to an Offensive Stance at the start of his activation and strike them down.

But being an effective commander is about more than your individual combat skills. In addition to being a renowned duelist, Anakin Skywalker also leads the legendary 501st Legion of clone troopers and his bravery is often reflected in those he commands. Skywalker became a Hero of the Clone Wars while in command of this legion and can strengthen himself and those he fights alongside with this card. Not only does this boost the tight-knit teamwork the Republic is known for by allowing friendly units to spend Skywalker’s green tokens, it also gives him two surge tokens at the beginning of each round that will be available to all friendly units at range 1–2 and in line of sight.

Beyond this, Skywalker is more than willing than most commanders to go out of his way to protect his troops, even going so far as to create a Force Barrierto shield them from ranged attacks. This is effective at keeping any trooper unit in the fight, but is an especially helpful way for Skywalker to protect his fellow commanders like Captain Rex or a Republic operative such as Padmé Amidala. Finally, Anakin Skywalker won’t always be able to issue orders to himself. In key moments, though, he can Seize the Initiative to make a combined assault with the rest of his army.

Lead From the Front

Whether he’s planning strategy or fighting in the thick of battle, one thing is clear: Anakin Skywalker will do whatever it takes to protect the Republic. Have him lead your forces when the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion releases on November 20!

Look for the Anakin Skywalker Commander Expansion (SWL74) to release alongside the Darth Maul and Sith Probe Droids Operative Expansion (SWL76). Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping in the continental United States–here!

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