This little guy was actually on my short list for my
top 10 and was one of those that just missed out.
This little guy brought cheap, unrestricted override
to the fringe for cheap. He has R2's price at
8pts. He lacks flight, override, recon or
other R2 tricks, but he is only 8pts for any faction
and is immune to effects like ion gun. He also
has 10 more Hp than R2. This guy is pretty
simple and to the point. It was about time the
lesser factions got cheap override without having to
spend extra points for reinforcements or other
gadgets. Ugs are great and all, but there is
something to be said for being able to control doors
from across the board.
Josh
R7 Astromech Droid (37/40, Uncommon—Galaxy at War; HP40, DEF 16, ATT 0, DAM 0, DEP 8)
Again, this one is a little bit of a head scratcher
for me. It’s a nice new
Droid but
at the same time, I don’t know how game changing it
is. Its one new power is the ability
Ion Shielding, which protects it from special abilities that target
non-living characters only. Jawas with
Ion Guns
aren’t going to be as dangerous to this character
and with its beefy stats, it will take a little bit
of effort to take it out.
Override is a staple of the more “advanced” astromech droids and the
R7 comes with it as well. It’s a great way to give
some pretty cheap door control to a squad and is a
better option than others out there just because its
stats are stronger and it is protected with its
Ion Shielding.
100 POINTS: Because it’s so cheap it can fit well
here. You can really wind up screwing up your
opponent at this level if they don’t have room to
pack some door control. SCORE: 2
200 POINTS: Here, it works better because it can
be more useful just because of
Ion Shielding.
While most players pack door control at this level
and can
Satchel Charge a door effected by
Override,
it’s still going to mean that if you block important
doors, your opponent will have to take the time to
get rid of them and you can potentially set up some
pretty wicked ambushes. Thanks to
Ion Shielding
the normally deadly Jawa doesn’t really make this
thing quake in fear and with 40 hit points, your
opponent will have to focus at least a degree of
attention on this piece to eliminate it. SCORE: 3
Darth Mauler
Number 6 on our list is the first non-unique in the
top 10. It is a very simple little droid that has
caused a lot of controversy, making it fit right in
with some previously discussed characters.
The only reason to run R7
is Override. At only 8 points, it ties with the old
Rebel Storm R2 as the cheapest piece with that
ability. That RS R2-D2 is now completely obsolete
since no Rebel squad is going to need 1 defense and
Repair 10 over the R7’s 10 extra Hp and Ion
Shielding. The big thing with the R7, though, is now
every faction has access to cheap override. If you
can’t fit a Lobot or need double Override, R7 is the
way to go.
Its other special ability, Ion Shielding, will be a
big help when it is applicable, but will not come
into effect often. By removing the negatives of
being a droid, R7 becomes immune to abilities like
Shockstaff, Electric Shock, and Ion Gun.
The main
positive with R7 comes with who it does not help.
Because Doombot is going to be in squads forever and
the Rebels have a plethora of Override options,
those two factions benefit far less from R7.
Factions like the New Republic and the Empire that
were already very strong without an extra override,
though, still benefit. That does not, however,
diminish the boost this gives to the less playable
factions: the Mandos, the Sith, the Old Republic,
and, ironically, the Yuuzhan Vong. These factions
always benefit from a more powerful Fringe faction,
and the R7 is no exception.
RoqueSaber
R7 Astromech Droid
Cost: 8
HP: 40
Def: 16
Att: 0
Dmg: 0
Special Abilities:
Droid, Ion Shielding, Override
The R7 is one of the most game-changing pieces
from GAW. The R7 was #4 on my list, and for good
reason. It’s a fringe 8-pointer with Override who
isn’t affected by Ion Gun. Ouch. This little
bot practically made R2-D2
obsolete. This guy is an effective addition to any
squad for some added door control, an aspect of the
game that can easily be game changing. The R7
affects the way door control is handled in many
ways. Now, any faction can lock, un-lock, and
re-lock multiple doors. Previous to this piece, most
factions only had access to Override through Lobot
and T3. Definitely a game-changing piece, so be sure
to stock up.
100/150/200: 4.5/5 Lumping them all together
since he’s so cheap. He’s good anywhere and
everywhere. Some players don’t realize how nasty
door control can be until they have to face a
skilled player who uses it. Don’t be caught
unprepared! I would easily suggest having at least
one R7 in every squad, unless you’re already stocked
on Override. *cough*Rebels*cough*
