Imperial Buying Guide

Once you've gotten a taste for the gameplay of Legion with the Core Set, it's time to start expanding your options so you can play full game of 800 points. If you've decided to support the Galactic Empire and are trying to decide what to get next, then this is the guide you're looking for. You'll find listed here each of the currently released Imperial expansions with a quick description of their contents.

While you may eventually want to collect them all, you should probably start with just a few expansions and build your collection gradually. This will give you a chance to get a feel for what units best match your playstyle, gives you some time to paint your new models as you get them (if you want to paint them at all), and helps to avoid spending too much at once. 

As you decide which expansion boxes to get first, I strongly urge you to prioritize certain types of expansions over others; for a full 800 point army you need at least 1 Commander and 3 Corps units. If you have decided to buy only 1 Core Set, then I recommend including at least 1 Corps unit expansion in your first set of purchases. 

Also, since you are required to have at least 1 Commander unit and can field up to 2 in an 800 point army, I would recommend picking up at least 1 Commander unit expansion. This is one of the most efficient ways to add variety to your list building options, as you will no longer have to include Darth Vader in every single army.

With this in mind, here's a rundown of Imperial expansions:

Commanders

As stated above, standard 800 point armies require 1 or 2 Commander units. Commander expansions include a single unique figure of a Star Wars character, their Unit Card, 3 unique Command Cards, and several upgrade cards. As such, Commander expansions can go a long way toward giving you more options to play with.

General Veers
(for a more detailed look at how General Veers plays in the game, click here)
This expansion includes 1 General Veers mini figure. It also includes 3 Command Cards and 3 upgrade cards.

General Veers is known for his (admittedly brief) scenes in The Empire Strikes Back. As one of the few Imperials shown actually commanding ground troops in the movies, it's no surprise that his is the first Commander Expansion available for the Empire.

In-game he offers a considerably different experience from Darth Vader; he is focused on support more than direct combat and comes at a very low points cost. He is particularly suited for supporting vehicles like the expensive AT-ST. His Command Cards are Maximum Firepower! which allows him to perform a special long range attack; Evasive Maneuvers, which grants 2 vehicles units dodge tokens that can be used to cancel crits; and Imperial Discipline, which lets Veers and 2 other units immediately take a refresh action. His included upgrade cards are Commanding Presence, Esteemed Leader, and Environmental Gear, all of which are also available in the Leia Organa expansion (Rebel).

General Veers is modeled wearing his combat uniform worn during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. You could conceivably use this figure for a generic high-ranking Imperial officer if you wanted.

At only 80 points, Veers can fit into a lot of different lists and can add of lot of list-building options. He's a particularly great addition if you want to run multiple vehicles in your army.

Pros: Efficient stats and low points cost, good support abilities, decent upgrades, pairs well with vehicles

Cons: No innate defensive abilities and thus can be easily killed

Corps

As stated above, standard 800 point armies require 3 to 6 Corps units. Corps expansions contain several figures, their Unit Card, and several upgrade cards. The Core Set only include 2 Corps units for each side, so you need to make sure you acquire at least 1 more Corps unit beyond this in order to play a standard 800 point game. Because they are a staple, having a greater variety of Corps units can give you freedom to explore different army builds.

Stormptroopers

(for a more detailed look at how Stormtroopers play in the game, click here)

This expansion includes 7 Stormtrooper figures, 2 of which are Heavy Weapon troopers. It also includes 5 upgrade cards (2 of these match the Heavy Weapon minis).

Stormtroopers are fairly well-rounded but tend to lack consistent damage. This shortcoming is made up for with their Heavy Weapons upgrades: the DLT-19 Stormtrooper may be the best all-around Heavy Weapon trooper in the game, substantially increasing its unit's firepower and able to hit targets at range 4; the HH-12 Stormtrooper also reaches out to range 4 and is even more effective against armored units-- however it is more expensive and has some significant drawbacks. Additional upgrades include Stormtrooper (which is restricted to Stormtroopers only), Impact Grenades, and Grappling Hooks (both are also available in the Snowtroopers, Rebel Troopers, and Fleet Troopers expansions).

Stormtroopers are of course one of the hallmarks of the Star Wars franchise. With their prevalence throughout the Star Wars universe and the importance of Corps units in Legion, I would recommend considering a box of Stormtroopers as one of your first purchases. Even if you have 2 Core Sets, a fifth unit of Stormtroopers could well be worth it.

Pros: Good Heavy Weapons choices, extremely iconic

Cons: Inconsistent damage without upgrades

Snowtroopers

(for a more detailed look at how Snowtroopers play in the game, click here)

This expansion includes 7 Snowtrooper figures, 2 of which are Heavy Weapon troopers. It also includes 5 upgrade cards (2 of these match the Heavy Weapon minis).

Like Stormtroopers, Snowtroopers are not very reliable at scoring hits. Yet they're more expensive than, and they are one of the slowest units in the game. So why even bother? The answer lies in their powerful Steady keyword. This gives them excellent action economy, allowing them to overcome their weaknesses by aiming, moving, and shooting in the same activation. It also makes them more resistant to the effects of suppression. This makes them play a bit differently from other Corps units and can be leveraged to great effect.

They also distinguish themselves with their own set of Heavy Weapons: the Flametrooper has a very limited range but can devastate large trooper squads; the T-7 Ion Snowtrooper wields an interesting anti-vehicle weapon.

These differences make Snowtroopers a unique addition to your Imperial army despite their statistical similarity to the more standard Stormstroopers. I especially enjoy running a squad with the Flametrooper to relentlessly advance on enemy positions, but personally I hesitate to use them exclusively in a list due to their slow speed and lack of long-range Heavy Weapons.

While they only briefly appear during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back, Snowtroopers are noteworthy for being the first Stormtrooper-variant seen onscreen. I find them even easier to paint than normal Stormtroopers and I quite like some of their poses too.

Pros: Great action economy, Flametrooper offers great anti-infantry potential

Cons: Slow speed, inconsistent damage without upgrades, Heavy Weapons are all short range

Special Forces

You are not required to field any Special Forces units in a standard 800 point game, but they can help diversify your forces, are typically more powerful than Corps units, and tend to have some cool tricks. They're definitely worth a look if you want more infantry troopers.

Scout Troopers

Scout Troopers are expected to release in the third quarter of 2018

Support

You are not required to field any Support units in a standard 800 point game, but they can be powerful and can help diversify your forces.

74-Z Speeder Bikes

(for a more detailed look at how 74-Z Speeder Bikes play in the game, click here)

This expansion includes 2 Speeder Bike minis. It also includes 3 upgrade cards.

The 74-Z Speeder Bikes are an excellent mobile firing platform, great for flanking and chasing down enemy units, even though they only have a single upgrade slot. The expansion comes with Long-Range Comlink (also available with the Core Set as well as the AT-ST, T-47 Airspeeder, and AT-RT expansions) and two copies of Comms Jammer (a single copy is also available with the AT-ST, T-47 Airspeeder, and AT-RT expansions.)

Worth noting is that this expansion offers a different sculpt from the Core Set Speeder Bikes. The driver of the second speeder bike is facing forward with both hands on the controls, pulling one of the control arms back (while the second scout trooper driver in the Core Set is looking back over their shoulder with a blaster pistol extended in one hand.)

The speeder bikes feature prominently in The Return of the Jedi, but even if you are more concerned about game mechanics than big screen appearances the 74-Z Speeder Bikes offer good firepower and can be quite fun to fly into battle.

Pros: Great speed and mobility, good damage

Cons: May require significant practice to use effectively

E-Web Heavy Blaster Team

E-Web Heavy Blaster Team is expected to release in the third quarter of 2018

Heavy

You are not required to field any Heavy units in a standard 800 point game, but they can be quite powerful and can help diversify your forces.

AT-ST

(for a more detailed look at how the AT-ST plays in the game, click here)

This expansion includes 1 AT-ST mini with 3 different weapons attachments. It also includes 6 upgrade cards.

The AT-ST is one of the most expensive units in terms of points, as well as the most expensive expansion to buy. However, I find that you are getting quite a lot for your money. It's an excellent model-- the figure towers above other units on the battlefield, and it can be customized with different poses and weapons attachments. 

It also comes with more upgrade cards than most expansions. This includes 3 Hardpoint upgrades which correspond to its different weapon attachments: the 88 Twin Light Blaster Cannon mostly serves to increase damage and anti-armor capability, the DW-3 Concussion Grenade Launcher boasts the Blast keyword, and the AT-ST Mortar Launcher can hit enemies and suppress troopers from extreme range. Other upgrades the AT-ST comes with are General Weiss, a unique Pilot upgrade that gives makes ground vehicles extra deadly by giving them Arsenal 2 (this stacks with the AT-ST's native Arsenal 2 value, for a total of Arsenal 4), as well as Long-Range Comlink (also available with the Core Set as well as the T-47 Airspeeder, 74-Z Speeder Bikes, and AT-RT expansions) and Comms Jammer (also available with the T-47 Airspeeder, 74-Z Speeder Bikes, and AT-RT expansions.)

As for gameplay, the AT-ST is a solid unit and can do a lot of work-- provided you support it well with your other units. I find it can benefit a lot from General Veers' Spotter keyword and is good for bullying enemy units away from objectives.

In my own opinion, no Imperial Legion collection is complete without an AT-ST. It's big and menacing, and thus an excellent symbol of Imperial might. Not do we get to see multiple AT-STs in The Return of the Jedi, but they also appear in The Empire Strikes Back as well during the Battle of Hoth.

Pros: Good firepower at long range, great survivability, good quality model that looks great on the tabletop or displayed on the shelf

Cons: High points cost makes it harder to fit into some lists

Operatives

You are not required to field any Operative units in a standard 800 point game.

Boba Fett

Boba Fett is expected to release in the third quarter of 2018



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Unit Guides: Fleet Troopers

Typically seen defending Rebel starships from Imperial boarding parties, Fleet Troopers offer Rebel players another Corps unit option.

Statistics

At a cost of 44 points, Fleet Troopers are slightly more costly than their Rebel Trooper counterparts. A standard unit of Fleet Troopers has 4 minis, each with a wound threshold of 1 and courage of 1; without additional upgrades, it can only take 4 hits before it's completely eliminated. Just 1 suppression token is enough to suppress a unit of Fleet Troopers, and they can only have 2 suppression tokens without being at risk of panicking.
Fleet Troopers have a white defense die and convert surges to blocks, which means they have a 33.3% chance to block each incoming hit.
Speed 2 gives them average mobility.

When attacking with their DH-17 Blaster Pistol they throw 2 white dice each. Since their offensive surges convert to hits, each Fleet Trooper averages 0.75 damage. This yields an average of 3 damage from 4 troopers, including 1 average crit. However, the DH-17's limited attack range is a noticeable drawback compared to many other units.
Their melee Unarmed attack does slightly less damage on average; a black die with offensive surge to hit has a 62.5% chance to hit its mark. This yields an average of 2.5 hits from 4 troopers (and 0.5 crits.)

Ready 1 allows them to gain 1 aim token after performing a standby action.

Total Hits vs. % Chance; Red = DH-17, Black = Melee

Above we can see the probability distribution for the Fleet Troopers ranged and melee attacks. When attacking at range with the DH-17 Blaster Pistol, the Most Probable Result is 3 damage (~28.2% chance). Because they throw a lot of white dice, there is a lot of variability in the results. Most of the time (that is, about 86.5% of the time,) 4 Fleet Troopers will produce 2 or more damage. But they are more likely to miss entirely (~2.3%) than they are to get 7 or 8 damage (~0.91%).

Thanks to their offensive surge conversion, Fleet Troopers are slightly more adept at melee combat than normal Rebel Troopers. Their Unarmed melee attack has a Most Probable Result of 3 damage, with a 36.6% chance. While they do less average damage in melee compared to their ranged attack, Fleet Troopers are actually a bit less likely to miss completely (with a less than 2% chance.)

With their white defense dice converting surges into blocks, each individual trooper has 1.5 EHP. Since a standard unit of 4 Stormtroopers averages 1.5 damage per ranged attack, you would expect to lose 1 Fleet Trooper to each attack (this is an average that ignores the use of cover, aim tokens, and dodge tokens.) If the Stormtroopers don't suffer any losses in return, then they would expect to destroy the unit of Fleet Troopers after 4 attacks. However, under these same conditions an enemy unit of Fleet Troopers would get the job done in 2 attacks.

Upgrades

Rebel Troopers have 4 upgrade slots: Heavy Weapons, Personnel, Gear, and Grenades. Below are the upgrades that come in the Fleet Trooper expansion, relevant upgrades that come in the Core Set, and any upgrades that come in other expansions that I think are worth considering.

Heavy Weapons Slot

From the above probability distribution for Heavy Weapon attacks, we can see that while the MPL-57 Barrage Trooper has the potential to do more damage, the Scatter Gun Trooper produces damage more consistently. Of course, this graph is only a comparison of raw damage rolls, and doesn't take range, keywords, and other factors into account.

The Scatter Gun Trooper (23 pts) attacks with 2 red dice, and with an offensive surge conversion this means they roll an average of 1.75 damage. They are quite unlikely to miss, with less than a 1.6% chance to roll blanks, and the Pierce 1 keyword makes them very good for pushing damage through against most targets. Though they are still limited to only attacking at range 1-2, I think that their consistent dice and the powerful Pierce keyword makes them well worth the investment.

The MPL-57 Barrage Trooper (33 pts) is significantly more expensive, is noticeably less consistent (~14.6% chance to roll only blanks), and is exhausted on use. It rolls 1.375 average damage-- more than a normal Fleet Trooper-- but well short of 3 regular Fleet Troopers who would be of equivalent cost. However, it does have some definite advantages over the Scatter Gun Trooper. First of all it can hit targets at range 3, so you have a chance to hit enemies that would be too far away to harm otherwise. This also gives you more opportunities to split your fire if you want. And while the Scatter Gun Trooper is great at making damage stick, it can still be stymied by cover or armor-- but the MPL-57 Barrage Trooper has the Blast keyword, and Impact 2 makes it one of the Rebel's more potent anti-armor weapons.

To put it briefly: thanks to the combination of range 3, Blast, and Impact, the MPL-57 Barrage Trooper is one of the most versatile Heavy Weapons in the game, despite its drawbacks.

Personnel Slot

When you have the points available, I would recommend adding another Fleet Trooper (11 pts). Since they need to get in close to do damage, the ability to soak up one more hit while they advance can be valuable. This is especially true if you have invested in a Heavy Weapon trooper.

Gear Slot

Grappling Hooks (3 pts) might be helpful for getting your troopers safely into position to capture objectives, flank an enemy, or escape destruction. Just how helpful is going to depend on the terrain you're playing with.

Targeting Scopes (6 pts) allow up to 3 rerolls when you use an aim token. With lots of white dice, you're likely to be rolling a lot of blanks, so an additional reroll can be quite helpful. Unfortunately, Fleet Troopers may have fewer opportunities to aim and shoot compared to other Corps units owing to their shorter range. Of course, this can combo nicely with the Ready 1 ability, though the usefulness of the standby action is quite situational.

If you are confident in your ability to gain and use aim tokens, then Targeting Scopes can be a good investment.

Environmental Gear (3 pts) can be of particular use for Fleet Troopers. It can help them close the gap and bring them into attack range or make it easier to take up a good defensive position and standby. While it does depend on the terrain you're playing with, I find Environmental Gear tends to be more generally useful than Grappling Hooks.

Grenades Slot

Concussion Grenades (5 pts) lets you attack at range 1 with Blast, making it great for assaulting enemy troopers that are in behind cover or already suppressed. Of course these are a bit redundant if you are using the MPL-57 Barrage Trooper.

Impact Grenades (5 pts) are the cheapest way to gain Impact and improve your anti-armor capabilities. If you are worried about not having enough anti-armor weapons, then this could be 5 points well spent.

The Fleet Troopers' Role in Your Army

Like Rebel Troopers, Fleet Troopers are useful for their ability to score objectives in scenarios such as Recover the Supplies or Sabotage the Moisture Vaporators. However, there are some notable differences between Fleet Troopers and Rebel Troopers: their cost, their attack value, their attack range, their keyword ability, and their Heavy Weapon upgrades. And while their cost doesn't have a direct impact on their gameplay, you will have to weighing it against their pros and cons when deciding whether to include them in your army.

On average, the Fleet Troopers' ranged attack will roll 50% more damage than the Rebel Troopers' and twice as many crits. This is a significant improvement, but it is limited to range 1-2. This means it will take them longer to get within firing range, and against many units there will be an area where they are exposed to enemy guns but cannot return fire.

Additionally, they have even less natural defensive ability than Rebel Troopers, trading the Nimble keyword for Ready 1. This keyword is very situational, so it's probably best not to count on it as a key part of your strategy. But if you can take a standby token and force an enemy to trigger it they will be in for a deadly surprise. Speeders are especially susceptible to this because of their compulsory move.

Fleet Troopers like narrow confines, close quarters combat, and lying in wait

Another important point of difference is their Heavy Weapons. The Scatter Gun Trooper packs a punch but is also limited to range 1-2; the MPL-57 Barrage Trooper is good against armor or entrenched troopers and can reach out to range 3-- but can be hard to use regularly since it is exhausted on use.

For all these reasons, terrain that blocks line-of-sight is the Fleet Trooper's best friend. Even more so than other troopers, they will struggle if there is a lot of open ground and are best served staying out of the line of fire until they are close to their target. Keep this in mind when advancing on objectives, and look for opportunities to set up an ambushes around corners.

If you are taking Fleet Troopers, you might want to also invest in a ground vehicle to support their advance. Ground vehicles like the AT-RT can provide light cover when they otherwise would end their turn out in the open, and the enemy may decide to just attack the vehicle instead.

Finally it should be noted that even though their damage in melee is less than at range, they are still more dangerous than Rebel Troopers in hand-to-hand combat. If you can get your Fleet Troopers to an important area of the board, your opponent may think twice before trying to venture too close.

In summary, Fleet Troopers seem to be best used either to rush the enemy, to hang out of sight until the last moment, or to block and deny important areas of the board. If you like getting your units up close and personal with the enemy, or just want a chance to roll a bunch of dice, then Fleet Troopers may be a good Corps unit for you. 

Possible Fleet Trooper Loadouts

"Once More unto the Breach"

Fleet Troopers (44 pts)

-Scatter Gun Trooper (23 pts)

-Environmental Gear (3 pts)

-Concussion Grenades (5 pts)

Total: 75 pts

This squad is meant for quickly advancing on enemy positions. For just 3 points, Environmental Gear helps them get across the field as quickly as possible, with a Scatter Gun Trooper to bring the pain once they get there. Though the black die from Concussion Grenades does less damage than the DH-17's two white dice, using just one for the Blast keyword can go a long way against enemies with cover. I would also suggest adding the Fleet Trooper upgrade to soak up another wound and add more damage, though it increases the cost by 11 points, bringing the total to a pricey 86 points.

Anti-Armor Barrage

Fleet Troopers (44 pts)

-MPL-57 Barrage Trooper (33 pts)

-Impact Grenades (5 pts)

Total: 82 pts

The "Anti-Armor Barrage" adds Impact Grenades in conjunction with the MPL-57 Barrage Trooper for maximum punch against armored vehicles. Since keywords are additive, your attacks against Armor at range 1 can have up to Impact 6 (depending on how many troopers are still alive), enough to destroy an AT-RT in a single attack. The next round, when your MPL-57 Barrage Trooper is exhausted, even if you can't or don't want to take the refresh action, your attack can still benefit from Impact. This squad is still plenty scary against un-armored units, with Blast and the ability to hit targets at range 3 adding some further utility.