CE: You can choose to activate one character per
phase.
Unfortunately i do not have time to do this review
justice. Dodonna is one of the two commanders
in this set that has had a real and tangible effect
on the game. He is basically a San Hill for
the Rebels and New Republic but better. He
costs one cheaper than San and has roughly the same
stats, which are horrid for a low level commander.
This character is obviously run for his CE.
While you lose the reserves, you gain the option to
activate one or two characters per phase. This
allows you the out activation control of a San Hill
squad, while allowing you to activate two characters
once you get into the round where you need to
unleash the big hit. This allows you to run
lower activation squads with bigger beefier
characters. I had an email come in for my Ask
the Dragon section that i will get to in the near
future where i will get more into detail.
100pts: I dont know that he really works here.
I have yet to see Tempo control do very well here.
150pts: God yes! This is where tempo control
is king. It can match maneuvers with a San
Hill squad. It can counter B&B because you can
out activate it and get a huge blast on Vader, and
since most of the rebels/new republic revolve around
Cunning, activating two big Cunning attacks on Vader
could be devastating. It has all of the
benefits of San without the drawbacks, but just
because you can activate two when the attacks start
mean that you should. It takes practice to run
these style squads.
200pts: Tempo control is very good here,
but there are generally enough threats that its hard
to take down the core of a squad both by a Dodonna
squad and the opponent, but it still sets up a nice
control. Dodonna is still a very good piece
her as well.
In today's game you have to manipulate one of two
abilities - initiative control or tempo control.
Dodonna allows you to manipulate the later very
effectively.
willis
maximus
General Dodonna
Faction: Rebel
Cost: 9
HP: 30
Def: 13
Att: +3
Dam: 10
SA:
Unique
Affinity (New Republic)
CE: You can choose to activate only one character
each phase. (This includes droids and savage
characters.)
Today we have Jan "The Man" Dodonna, arguably the
most game changing commander released with Legacy of
the Force. Forget the stats. They aren't important
as long as you know that he needs to stay back and
hidden at all times. He only has one SA, and that's
the ability to be played with New Republic squads as
well as Rebel. Now, read his Commander Effect; it's
a doozy.
No, this isn't an Ozzel or San Hill for Rebels/New
Republic. The operative word here is "choose." At
the beginning of each phase (not round, phase,) you
get to declare (yes, you MUST declare, otherwise the
default is two activations) whether or not you will
be activating one or two figs before making your
opponent go. Now, most know by now that the reason
San and Ozzel work so well is that you can
outactivate your opponent far easier and move all
your beats at the end of a round without giving your
opponent the chance to respond. It makes you very
powerful at the end of a round. However, what keeps
this strategy in check is that you are very weak at
the beginning of the next round. Your opponent will
smack back with two figs for each one of yours.
Well, Dodonna eliminates this flaw. You can
activate only one until your opponent is done,
move/attack with all the rest of your figs, and then
the following round activate two as normal. Oh, did
I mention he costs less than either San Hill or
Ozzel? (Keep in mind he doesn't have Reserves like
the other two, though.)
As much as I love this piece, and as much as I love
the fact that the New Republic got a much needed
boost out of it, I'm a little disgusted that the
Rebels are now completely over the top. Rebels were
already borderline overpowered (arguably) but
Dodonna just kind of seals the deal. At 9 points,
there are very few squads that don't benefit greatly
from his presence . . . squads that were already top
tier.
100pts 3/5: You'll have trouble keeping him safe,
and there are very few squads that can truly benefit
from his CE here, but he does have a few
applications.
