How good is Star Wars Legion as a wargame?

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Hello everybody,

I am quite interested in Star Wars Legion figures and would like to wargame with them.
However, I have not heard any independent opinions on the rules.

Have you played the game and is it a good wargame?

Best Regards


Mick

[SotF]

I've been playing it and found it a fun game.

The major issue it currently has is the lack of variety in forces, but that will change as they release more units into the game.

[Daeothar]

I've played only two games, but I must say I really like it!

The lack of diversity will obviously go away when more units are released.

At the moment, I find it a great gateway game, and I will be getting it for that reason (to entice the young), but you need to be aware of one thing...

FFG have just announced a 2nd edition for X-Wing, which renders all cards, dials and tokens that came with the game and all its expansions useless, forcing players to buy into the new game box and conversion sets for their forces, which can get expensive fast.

So; if Legion becomes popular, there will be more and more expansions, with probably another power creep, which means that several years in, players might have a similar new edition forced upon them, with all the associated costs.

Now, obviously, the X-Wing news is still very fresh (with all its accompanying resistance) and Legion is still in its infancy, and this problem (if it ever arises of course) is still a long way down the road, but the possibility cannot be discarded.

But for what it's worth; go buy the game; I find it fun, fast and simple, with still enough depth to keep you interested after a few games. I'm actually in the process of getting it right now

[Lolbat]

So; if Legion becomes popular, there will be more and more expansions, with probably another power creep, which means that several years in, players might have a similar new edition forced upon them, with all the associated costs.

X-Wing has a very popular competitive environment and those updates are aimed at that scene. I'd be surprised if a mass combat game got to the point where it required the sort of updates and modification that X-Wing is going through

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Thank-you all.

[Daeothar]

X-Wing has a very popular competitive environment and those updates are aimed at that scene. I'd be surprised if a mass combat game got to the point where it required the sort of updates and modification that X-Wing is going through

That's actually a good point. 

[Coenus Scaldingus]

Haven't played much, but honestly, it's exactly what I'd want it to be.

Like X-wing and the likes, it's easy to learn (intuitive, no overly complicated mechanics), plays fast with good back and forth, has all manner of interesting tactical decisions during and even before the game (scenario set-up alone is quite interesting) and troops' abilities feel just right (zooming hover bike thingies zip around, larger walkers are slow to turn, Vader on a rampage is quite scary).

Given the sci-fi setting and the type of army you'd see in a normal game, it's difficult not to compare it to Warhammer 40k, and Legion's mechanics are just so much better and more interesting (which, depending on your view of 40k, may not mean much). Alternate activation with command abilities gives for a nice flow of the game; squads move easily (move the leader, place the others around them); larger vehicles move and operate differently.

The only word of warning, not unlike Daeothar above, is that of upgrade cards/rules bloat. Getting some expansions will be great for added variety. But they will likely keep coming, and new sets will contain cards that work particularly well with things you already have, and perhaps you'd need several of them. If you intend to play competitively or at least in an 'open' environment, there is a good chance you'll "need" to get some of the latest things just to keep up. If this is not to your liking, it still is a great game to play against likeminded folks (always a good plan to be honest) or indeed to entirely collect yourself, having two matched forces available for you and an opponent.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

If I buy it (quite likely), I will be playing with my son and a friend so I am not too worried about competition play.

I will be providing both sides and all the scenery.
It has to be easy to pick up and fun otherwise it is simply another box on the shelf.

[Coenus Scaldingus]

In that case, I think you'll be very happy with the game!

Also, it's Star Wars, so you can make blaster and lightsaber noises all the time. What more could anyone ask for?

[Daeothar]

Also, it's Star Wars, so you can make blaster and lightsaber noises all the time. What more could anyone ask for?

QFT! 

[Argonor]

I'm holding off, just barely, but if they release the Spectres, I may have to take the plunge, as both my kids and I are very fond of the Rebels show.

I know it is a licensed product, but the same price for unpainted, unassembled minis as they charge for pre-painted and assembled X-Wing ships seems a bit steep (of course, I am talking about XW 1st ed., as I don't know the mark-up for 2nd ed., yet.)?

[Daeothar]

Well to be fair, you do get a full squad of infantry instead of just one ship. And where there is only one mini, it's a large one, like a Snowspeeder or AT-ST.

Due to the mechanics (cards, tokens etc), it still has a bit of a boardgame feel, and most boardgame people do not care much about painted tokens/meeples/miniatures. In that regard, I feel Legion is stuck on the fence, and ony when you get up there with it, do you realise the fence was tilting towards the miniature game side all along.

There never were any objections to Imperial Assault being unpainted, because it very obviously is a board game, so I think they went with that concept instead of prepainting.

But I also think it's more due to the costs of prepainting that they have decided to forego that step. There can be different levels of prepainting as well; the X-Wing ships are excellent, but they rely on a combination of printed decals and hand applied washes, to which the models lend themselves perfectly. But where more organic shapes are involved, this technique will not work, and you need halls full of tiny fingered children to do all the brushwork.

And as quickly as possible too, which is detrimental to the quality.

So the results would be along the lines of clix- or WotC minis. And I'm sure you'll agree that although the sculpts are usually pretty good, the blobby paintjobs often conceal all the detail. And we 'proper' miniature wargamers will strip them and paint them to our own standards anyway.

So FFG's decision to not paint them is probably the right one.

[SotF]

Not a full prepaint, but it would have been really nice if they could have used colored plastic for the different minis.

Stormtroopers in white plastic, Vader in black, rebels in a green or tan...still basically one color, but one that would be closer in appearance to what people would see.

[Daeothar]

That would make sense, and would not cost much, if anything, more...

[Froggy the Great]

How are the minis scaled to other manufacturers?  I believe I heard that it's different from Imperial Assault.