Star Wars Legion: New Imperial & Rebel Trooper Upgrades are Amazing
Lets talk about why the new trooper upgrades are so great.
Things have seemed a little slow on the Star Wars front for FFG lately. We’ve been getting a steady bunch of releases but less, it feels than earlier in the year. For Legion a lot of the focus lately has been on the Clones Wars expansion, which is out this week, finally opening the game up to four factions. However aside that that Rebels and Empire are still getting releases. FFG recently previewed new expansion packs for Rebel Troopers and the basic Stormtroopers, and these look to be really great additions to the game. Lets dig in.
New Guns
Both the packs come with 4 new models, two of which are heavy weapon upgrades for the basic Rebel and Imperial infantry.
For Stromtroopers the T-21 trooper gives them a lot of extra dice, as many as 4 basic troopers, and the critical 2 key word. This is a nice simple upgrade to the unit.
The RT-97C trooper on the other hand also gives a ton of dice, one of them red, but also gives increased range. This is great for a unit that wants to sit on a backfield objective and still be able to take pot shots down range.
The Rebel SX-21 Trooper carries a powerful close range weapon, that has a lot of dice and impact. It’s a great weapon, and plays well to an aggressive Rebel army. Unlike the basic Ion Trooper, it doesn’t exhaust.
The Rebels also get the DLT-20A Trooper, which like the Imperial RT-97C, is a long range sniper. The DLT-20A is pretty rad, its got great range, is pretty accurate and has critical 1. Overall this is really powerful gun, and again plays to units that want to sit in the backfield more.
These new guns are different enough from the upgrades the unit already had make them worth taking. They are powerful and help unlock new play styles, making your basic troops more flexible. Overall they are great additions.
New Unit Leaders
In addition to the weapon troopers, both Imperials and Rebels gain a new Captain and Specialist upgrade. 
The Captain rules are identical between the two factions, though the Imperial Captain is a one more expensive. Both take over the role of Leader in the unit and act similar to the Officer unit upgrades. They give the unit a new upgrade slot and the ability to not be suppressed at times. They barely cost more than a trooper upgrade and open up new possibilities so I like them.
Meanwhile the Specialists are also pretty similar. Both give you an extra gear slot, allowing for more upgrades. The Stormtrooper Specialist also gives you an action to gain an aim or surge token, playing to the Stormtroopers need to aim all the time.
The Rebel Trooper Specialist on the other hand lets you get a dodge or surge token, which pairs well with the Rebel troopers abilities.
A Diversity of Models
While the upgrades are all pretty good across the board, it is the models, not the rules that make me say these are amazing expansion. Back when I got to preview Legion with the designers I mentioned to them that I really like the inclusion of alien races in the Rebel line. I felt it made them feel more diverse and like a true rebellion. Luckily FFG has stuck with that theme and the Rebel specialist represent four different races. Even the Imperial models help diversify the range. In a game like Legion, where the models tend toward single pose, it is always a danger than multiple copies of the same unit will look identical. This was somewhat the case when Legion came out. However the introduction of first the specialists and now these upgrade packs really lets you diversify the look of your units and gives you a ton of options. It’s a great look for the game and I hope FFG continues in this vein.
Let us know what you think about the new upgrades, down in the comments!
