“What is thy bidding, my master?”

   –Darth Vader, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

The dark side of the Force corrupts all that it touches, twisting those who practice it into shells of their former selves. Such is the case with Anakin Skywalker. Once known as one of the strongest Jedi in the entire galaxy, Skywalker was seduced by the dark side and became an agent of evil determined to eliminate the last vestiges of his former order.

Now known as Darth Vader, Skywalker has become more machine than man as he scours the galaxy in an attempt to snuff out the embers of Rebellion. Soon, you’ll be able to harness his dark power on the battlefields of Star Wars™: Legion with the Darth Vader Operative Expansion!

Featuring a finely detailed soft plastic Darth Vader miniature in a different pose than the Darth Vader miniature found in the Core Set, this expansion contains everything you need to field Darth Vader as an Operative in your Imperial armies.

Highly skilled with both a lightsaber and the Force, this miniature’s unit card is accompanied by three new command cards that can be used interchangeably with the command cards found in the Core Set, giving you even more ways to use both versions of this unit. Finally, four upgrade cards help you tap into Vader’s full potential with the Force and grant him even more battle training. Read on for a full look at the Darth Vader Operative Expansion!

The Emperor’s Apprentice

Despite Darth Vader’s great power, he is merely an apprentice to the true power in the galaxy: Emperor Palpatine. Dispatched to do the Emperor’s bidding across the galaxy, Vader will not rest until his master’s will has been carried out. Rather than command Imperial troops on the battlefield, then, this version of Darth Vader is more focused on personally eliminating any who would question the Emperor’s authority.

A central tenet of this plan is the eradication of any remaining Jedi Knights, a task Darth Vader particularly relishes. Relentlessly pursuing Force users to the far corners of the galaxy, Vader uses his hatred of the Jedi to make even deadlier strikes against them. While Vader’s lightsaber attacks don’t have quite the same damage potential as his counterpart in the Core Set, a combatant of Darth Vader’s stature is sure to draw enemy fire and, with a little Tenacity, this gap can be easily bridged.

But Darth Vader does not rely on his lightsaber alone. To him, the Force itself is a weapon. When his opponents are out of reach of his lightsaber, he can simply throw them with the Force as a ranged attack. Such an attack can deal damage, of course, but it has other advantages as well. Rather than randomly slamming his opponents to the ground, Vader can strategically place all the non-leader minis in a small base trooper unit after performing a Force throw, potentially pulling them out of cover and leaving them vulnerable to further attack.

A Force throw is just one example of how Darth Vader can benefit your entire army without directly commanding troops. With three new command cards to enhance his already prodigious skills, he can unleash the power of the dark side. Darth Vader’s mere presence on a battlefield is enough to fill enemy troops with Fear, but as this Darkness Descends upon a combat zone, Vader becomes even more prepared to fight. If it’s the opening stages of the battle, he can make his presence felt even more strongly, quickly advancing on enemy positions and forcing them into a confrontation with the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Not one to shy away from the front lines, Vader can always spur himself forward into the fray and with sufficient Endurance, he has little to worry from suppression tokens. If such an assault isn’t enough to demoralize opposing forces, perhaps witnessing the extent of Vader’s Might will be. With this card, Darth Vader can use his power to displace an entire unit, potentially putting a friendly unit in a more advantageous position—or pulling in an enemy so he can finish them off.

Even if the enemy thinks they have gained the upper hand on Vader, they will quickly discover that he is only surrounded by Fear and Dead Men.  This card gives him an even better chance of dealing damage as he deflects incoming blaster fire, making enemy units carefully consider whether they want to target him.

The Power of the Dark Side

Everywhere that Darth Vader goes, fear is sure to follow. Harness the power of this fear on the battlefield with the Darth Vader Operative Expansion for Star Wars: Legion!

Look for the Darth Vader Operative Expansion (SWL57) 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 U.S.—here!