Chewbacca...and Han?

[TheWelcomeMat88 442]

Interested to here where everyone thinks Chewie stands now since he can use slam twice a round. Do you think he pairs well with Han? Any stories of play experiences?

[ThatJakeGuy 982]

I think the best thing they offer together is their shared Smuggler trait. They can include On the Lam, Tools for the Job, and Run for Cover and give an amazing showing for each of those cards. 

[Trevize84 413]

I've always disliked his fix because of the constraint on the 3 pts command card. I feel that penalising because it's a 3pts card suitable for late game, that you definitely won't use round 1. In some unlucky cases (the opponent knows you have it in your hand) you won't be able to use it at round 2 as well. He is great as a damage dealer but he probably won't be ignored by the opponent (Han instead has a discouraging counterattack), that means you may want to pair him with MHD-19. This is 16 VPs already (if I'm not mistaken). Gideon+C3P0 (5pts), Han (10 pts). You still have 9 pts, which I would fill in with Jyn (great with c3p0 like Han because of Cunning) and Hera. Heroic Effort is free. You get a 7 activation, smuggler-centric, list. That "pass" against an 8 activations list is always a pain in the neck that can disrupt plans but you'll be weak on the new map. The list does work ok, although I preferred Lando+R2D2+ObiOne (ObiOne is still under evaluation) instead of Chewie+MHD-19.

Edited December 27, 2017 by Golan Trevize

[ImperialOfficer 156]

I really like the Chewie fix.  I am seeing people complain about the card requirement, and some players over extending to get the free slam and leaving him out to dry.  

The card, to me is huge.  Some people have complained that the opposing player knows you have it, but that is what is nice about it.  

The fact that it is there in front of me face up has changed the attacking strategy during several games so far.  Players will resist an easy kill of a blocker to prevent a now readied focused Chewie.  

Being a smuggler he's great to run up into the fray when you have on the lam in your hand.  Run in, attack, free slam.  By round two, debts may trigger.  Focus, attack again, slam again, stay to waste an attack, play on the lam. 

He's so much fun.  I like him with Han, but I haven't found the perfect chemistry yet.  I think it's because han seems to be the biggest target right now.  

Edited December 27, 2017 by ImperialOfficer

[turkishvancat 150]

A guy in my local group has been running a lot of Han + Chewie lately and done quite well in tournaments, including top 4 in a 20+ person regional. From what I've seen, Chewie usually replaces elite Rangers in a standard Rebel list. He is really good, especially when paired with other Smugglers for command card synergy, but like anyone you can't just put him out in the open to soak up all the high powered hunter attacks. You have to move him up strategically, out of line of sight for as long as possible, and activate him towards the start of the round to enable his command card. The free slam is great for pushing figures off objectives, and he is a very good counter to Vader since you can reliably stun him and push him away from you, denying a whole attack (sometimes two, if you can prevent the end of round attack too).

Edited December 28, 2017 by turkishvancat

[buckero0 1,956]

The card restriction doesn't bother me, just don't take it of you dont want to bother with it. Every time I've taken chewie, I've wished i i had Jyn and Lando instead or Jyn, Hera and a regular smuggler instead. While his ahot has improved, Chewie still needs help to be consistent with damage. Getting 2 slams is impossible against a competent player and 1 slam usually will leave you high and dry. If i really want stun ill probably take eSabs. I feel having more activations is more important in competitive play, especially with smugglers like Han. He's fun but not very efficient, even at 11 pts

[Fightwookies 1,081]

48 minutes ago, buckero0 said:

The card restriction doesn't bother me, just don't take it of you dont want to bother with it. 

That’s not an option. If you don’t take Debts Repaid, you complete the ability on Wookie Avenger as much as you can.  You search the deck, don’t find DR, and then start with 2 command cards. 

[ryanjamal 1,229]

2 hours ago, Fightwookies said:

That’s not an option. If you don’t take Debts Repaid, you complete the ability on Wookie Avenger as much as you can.  You search the deck, don’t find DR, and then start with 2 command cards. 

Ahem, give us our dang FAQ, cough cough...

-ryanjamal 

[ricope 350]

I've played both with Chewie and against Chewie. He's just "good". Around Obi-wan/Ahsoka tier "good", not as spectacular and terrifying as Hatred Vader or Jedi Luke or IG-88 killing machine though. He can pack quite a punch but he will die to focus fire

Main difference? I'm happy to run Vader all the way up to my opponent's face, knowing he can one-shot most non-unique figures AND survive the focus fire (mostly thanks to Zillo). Not the case with Chewie/Ahsoka

[TheWelcomeMat88 442]

2 hours ago, ricope said:

I've played both with Chewie and against Chewie. He's just "good". Around Obi-wan/Ahsoka tier "good", not as spectacular and terrifying as Hatred Vader or Jedi Luke or IG-88 killing machine though. He can pack quite a punch but he will die to focus fire

Main difference? I'm happy to run Vader all the way up to my opponent's face, knowing he can one-shot most non-unique figures AND survive the focus fire (mostly thanks to Zillo). Not the case with Chewie/Ahsoka

Yeah I feel Chewie really needs the rerolls like Vader and that would have helped him with that a good bit. With usually just 1 attack a round it's too swingy I'm finding. 

[Trevize84 413]

2 hours ago, ryanjamal said:

Ahem, give us our dang FAQ, cough cough...

-ryanjamal 

Do we really need a FAQ for this?

[lig1994 14]

True, I really can't see why people are disappointed of having debts repaid in their hand.

move forward chewbie and hide him, send a smuggler to contest an objective and let's see if the opponents are brave enough to kill a 2p figure for reactivating chewbie

[ryanjamal 1,229]

4 hours ago, Golan Trevize said:

Do we really need a FAQ for this?

I don’t think people should be forced to draw only two cards in their starting hand if they don’t want to include Chewie’s card. I highly doubt that was the intention. In friendly games, I wouldn’t play that way. However, at a Regional, I think that’s how it would be ruled, since that’s RAW. 

So, IMO, yes. 

-ryanjamal 

[TheUnsullied 328]

31 minutes ago, ryanjamal said:

I don’t think people should be forced to draw only two cards in their starting hand if they don’t want to include Chewie’s card. I highly doubt that was the intention. In friendly games, I wouldn’t play that way. However, at a Regional, I think that’s how it would be ruled, since that’s RAW. 

So, IMO, yes. 

-ryanjamal 

I honestly don't see why it wasn't just added as an extra card in your hand. Or maybe have it not even count as a card in your command deck? "At the start of a game after drawing CCs a player may add the command card Debts Repaid to their hand"

Edited December 28, 2017 by TheUnsullied

[buckero0 1,956]

I guess I've been playing it wrong then, I still feel despite handicapping the command card deck (Rebels can play with the command card deck way more than the other factions with RHC and Balance of the Force) The biggest problem is Han and Chewie take up more than half of your deployment cost.  Han > Chewie, the wookiee cards don't make a big enough difference so the CCdeck has to be smuggler skewed. Fitting all of your figures you want or need into the list becomes difficult.

Getting 11pts of value out of Chewie is more difficult than it feels like it should be.  I like the Obiwan analogy. Obiwan has very similar damage potential and damage soaking ability, but costs 4pt less.

I say he's a fun figure but not competitive.  I'm sure someone can play him better than me as well, or come up with a better list.  I think the one I was fond of but hadn't worked all the kinks out was Han, Chewie, Drokatta, Hera, Gideon, 3PO and RHC for draw but I would have to worry about Debts Repaid taking up too much out of my Smuggler cards. I could drop drokatta and get some more smuggler types, but then you lose a serious "threat" piece and all of your figures feel like glass. I really like having 3 serious threats (I don't take Hera too serious as  a damage threat despite the 3 dice)

[Fightwookies 1,081]

6 hours ago, Golan Trevize said:

Do we really need a FAQ for this?

To understand the ability as written, No. 

I would like a fix to make the command card portion optional. 

[NeverBetTheFett 1,515]

I think it comes with his cost. He's still such a beast for the points, one of the costs include a "hit" to your command card deck. It's an interesting way of adding cost to a figure don't you think? A credit to the games design space. 

[Trevize84 413]

On 28/12/2017 at 4:14 AM, buckero0 said:

Getting 2 slams is impossible against a competent player

FYI this is possible only with Single Purpose. Although you get a slam for free, that slam is a special action that can't be done twice in an activation. It's much different scenario than the Jedi Luke attack, where Heroic isn't a special action and doesn't require an action. I guess that's the kind of ruling you're trying to apply in this case.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Golan Trevize

[a1bert 4,115]

Yeah, Slam without spending an action has been ruled to be a special action still.