Jedi General of the Wolfpack Plo Koon and the rest of the Lead By Example have approached the battle with this latest Shatterpoint rules preview!
Today, we’ll be taking a look at the preview for the new Star Wars Shatterpoint expansion packs that you can order right here. If you’re reading this after 2/16/2024, you can also pick them up from your favorite local store. Stay up to date with all the latest Star Wars Shatterpoint kits released so far and where you can grab yours here
Lead by Example Squad Pack: $54.99
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A wizened Jedi Master and his famed squad of clone troops joins the battles of Star Wars™: Shatterpoint in this new Squad Pack! Plo Koon is respected throughout the Jedi Order for his level-headed demeanor and calm approach to battle. As the Jedi General of the famed “Wolfpack,” he enters Star Wars: Shatterpoint as a Primary Unit alongside his trusted lieutenant Clone Commander Wolffe as a Secondary Unit.
They’re joined by two 104th Battalion Clone Troopers from the famed “Wolfpack” as a Supporting Unit to form a complete squad that can be fielded on its own, or players can choose to add these characters to their own custom squads. Rounding out this pack is the Padawan Ahsoka Tano originally released as a Hobby Next promo who represents an alternate Secondary Unit option.
Plo Koon heads the Lead by Example Squad pack that features Padawan Ahsoka Tano, Commander Wolffe, and Clone troopers from the 104th! AMG promised this version of Ahsoka would be released in a pack if you missed the initial promo! So, if you didn’t get one when the Core Set was released, don’t miss it again.
Time To Lead By Example With New Shatterpoint Rules Previews!
Plo Koon is strong in the Force, showing undeniable mastery over the powers unique to the Jedi. With Lightsaber™ in hand, he can use the Reactive Ability Deflect to punish those who fire on him, sending blaster bolts back to strike their source if the shots are less than flawless. He is also capable of a potent Force Push, driving back a nearby foe, sending them off obstacles or into the path of his advancing allies.
As both a Jedi Master and general, Plo Koon has a deserved reputation for being a generous mentor and empathic leader. He watches over and protects those in his charge. By his I Know if We Work Together, We Will Stay Alive Tactics Ability, he can direct one of his allied units to Dash into position, and if they are a Trooper or Padawan, he can keep pace with his subordinates by Dashing as well. He is always willing to place himself in harm’s way to protect those he leads and does not hesitate to avenge them. Announcing to his foes We Can Do This the Simple Way or the Difficult Way, he may intervene for a nearby Galactic Republic ally, becoming Exposed but allowing his ally the considerable benefit of his own Defense Expertise Chart instead of their own. If this ally is also a Padawan or Trooper, he can then Dash toward the attacking foe to facilitate neutralizing the threat they represent.
As you would expect, he has a bunch of great abilities to inspire his troops and, of course, deal damage! However, getting to use his defensive expertise chart is wild, as his one stance is very tenacious.
A skilled duelist in his own right, Plo Koon is adept at shifting between either defensive or more aggressive Lightsaber™ forms as the need requires. His general preference is measured defense as he assesses an adversary, represented by his Form III Soresu Stance. A form created in part to aid against increasingly prevalent blaster fire, but also good at fending off melee blows, Soresu offers strong Ranged and Melee Defense stats as well as an excellent Tenacious Defense Expertise Chart, which can often downgrade criticals. The Combat Tree of this Stance is similarly defensive, offering modest damage and several chances for Heals as well as up to two Shoves, a Jump to reposition midway through the tree, and options to inflict Pinned or Disarmed.
Skilled as Plo Koon has proven to be using Soresu, he is just as impressive when relying on Form V Djem So, the ferocity of which might take his adversaries by surprise. Offering stronger melee offense stats and higher potential damage output, this Stance gives up a small measure of defense. Nonetheless, Djem So still incorporates effective parries and blocks and utilizes the Force in a way that balances attack and defense, allowing practitioners to deflect and then counterattack or reposition. Its Defense Expertise Chart is solid, exchanging Soresu’s critical negation for Healing potential and the possibility of Jumping. Similarly, its Combat Tree still includes Heals as well as early options to Pin or Shove the foe or to Jump. Higher up the Tree it allows engaging an Active Ability (such as Force Push) and at possibly a Reposition. When employed by a master like Plo Koon, this Stance is extremely fluid and versatile.
He has two very different stances, with Djem so featuring a ton of offensive power and a lot of options on the tree. Then, Soresu is about as defensive of a stance as we’ve seen! His Tenacious Defense in this stance is awesome, and when combined with his ability, he should really make a tough group.
Padawan Ahsoka Tano
Alongside the Jedi Master we present Ahsoka Tano in her years as a padawan. She retained a strong bond with Plo Koon even after being assigned to follow the teachings of Anakin Skywalker. They fought well together and throughout her life, Ahsoka looked on him fondly as a mentor.
Although Padawan Ahsoka is young, she’s a fearsome and resilient Jedi in training, demonstrating She is Fearless in every engagement and showing no hesitation to engage. This Active Ability allows her to Jump and can be activated twice, giving her considerable maneuverability. Her Tactics Ability Race Ya can provoke the competitive spirit of an ally to Dash forward at her side. Wielding a Lightsaber™ in each hand, she can also Deflect incoming ranged attacks, potentially damaging those trying to shoot her, being uncommonly skilled at this ability for a padawan. Ahsoka’s enthusiasm for battle occasionally prompted her master to warn her about Getting Ahead of Yourself Again, Snips. When a nearby ally engages in a combat action, this Reactive Ability allows Ahsoka to Jump to engage and perform a potent bonus 5 dice melee attack against the target, potentially finishing off the foe.
Even in Padawan form, Ahsoka is quite strong. With She is Fearless, she can really move fast, and Getting Ahead of Yourself will let you support other units in combat.
Padawan Ahsoka’s Jar’Kai Stance represents her unusual fighting style, wielding a pair of Lightsabers™, a difficult technique to master but one that offers substantial benefits to someone as nimble and adroit as Ahsoka. This Stance is strong offensively with high Melee Attack stats and a solid Melee Expertise Table that gives good odds of scoring Criticals. For a Padawan this Stance offers a robust Combat Tree that does not sacrifice damage output while still allowing her the options of Healing, Shoving (up to three times), early access to Jump or Reposition and the choice of inflicting either Exposed or Strained. The multiple ways Ahsoka can gain additional movement during combat, including a Jump on her Melee Defense Table, demonstrates just how acrobatic of a fighter she proved to be even early along in her path to Force mastery.
Both of these characters are uniquely fun and potent additions to the Galactic Republic and can be especially rewarding when played together.
She only has a single stance, but it still offers her a lot of options and plenty of movement.
Commander Wolffe
Wolffe is a scarred and grizzled veteran of the Clone Wars, having served Jedi Master and General Plo Koon against the Separatists. He has faced great loss in his time aboard the ironically named flagship The Triumphant, when nearly every clone trooper on the ship was killed by General Grievous, with Wolffe enduring as one of the few survivors. Perhaps for this reason, along with the example of Plo Koon, Wolffe has shown empathy and regard for his subordinates. The bonds between the various members of the Wolfpack and their leader are enduring, cemented amid some of the worst fighting of the Clone Wars. Among his other scars, Commander Wolffe lost his right eye in a clash with Sith Assassin Asajj Ventress, and had it replaced with a cybernetic replacement.
Commander Wolffe is noted for being a capable strategist and his abilities reflect this, allowing for close coordination with his soldiers. His Tactics Ability Flank ‘Em! allows an allied Clone Trooper unit to immediately Climb to an advantageous position. Additionally, Wolffe can choose to Run and Gun for an additional Dash followed by a focus action to augment his offensive output.
Wolffe is all about working with his troops to overwhelm his enemies and attack where they are weak.
This fighting force further earns its name with Wolffe’s potent Wolfpack Innate Ability, which allows them, if unwounded, to take advantage of other nearby Clone Troopers to ignore detrimental effects which would hinder critical results imposed on them by the enemy. This makes them difficult to thwart when closing on their chosen prey, as does Pack Hunter, which augments the melee attacks made by Wolffe or his subordinates so long as another Clone Trooper is engaged with the target.
As his tactics suggest, Commander Wolffe is an aggressive combatant who prefers swift and overwhelming assaults, though he advances with due consideration of the disposition of his foes and evaluating how best to dismantle them. His Practical Strategist Stance serves him well, providing strong Ranged and Melee Attack stats, representing his facility to fire deadly shots with his DC-17 Blaster Pistols either at range or when engaged with his foe at point blank. When fighting in close, his Melee Attack Expertise Chart gives a greater chance for Criticals, though both his attack charts provide additional strikes. This stance’s Combat Tree offers consistent and potentially high damage, while also offering the possibility of inflicting Disarmed, Strained, or Pinned, along with up to two Shoves. Wolffe’s Defense Stats are decent, given the inherent vulnerability of his regular Phase II Clone Armor, which has a Defense Expertise Chart only sufficient to mitigate grazed shots or glancing strikes.
He has pretty good expertise in both shooting and melee and can use his stance to dish out a ton of damage.
104th Wolfpack Troopers
Wherever Commander Wolffe takes to the field he is likely to be accompanied by his brothers-in-arms among the 104th Wolfpack, whose loyalty and implacability are well known.
Like their commander, the Wolfpack Troopers also have the Run and Gun Tactics Ability and the Pack Hunter Innate Ability. This allows them to move swiftly and augment attacks with a focus action as well as to benefit from melee attacking enemies already engaged by other Clone Troopers. Additionally, they can also engage in Coordinated Fire as a Reactive Ability to allow Galactic Republic allies to inflict Strained when firing on foes in their vicinity. This means there are considerable benefits to deploying the Wolfpack with strategic forethought, positioning them carefully on the battlefield to maximize their teamwork.
They are very fast for troopers as they can run and gun, and with Pack Hunter, they are quite strong.
Wolfpack Troopers benefit from Strength in Numbers, a Stance that reflects their training and role. Their modest attack stats will often be higher than they seem thanks to the focus action from Run and Gun or the benefit in melee from Pack Hunter. And unlike many other basic Troopers, their Melee Attack Expertise Chart is slightly stronger than its Ranged counterpart, offering an easily attained Critical, reflecting their Advanced Combat Training. The Wolfpack does not shy away from close combat. Their Combat Tree is also a bit more tactical than some of their counterparts. It offers a choice of focusing on higher damage combined with inflicting Disarmed and possibly allowing them to Climb to a better position, or focusing on knocking a target away from a vital objective with up to three Shoves and possibly inflicting Pinned.
Whether joining their traditional leader Jedi Master Plo Koon or accompanying other heroes of the Galactic Republic into battle, Commander Wolffe and his Wolfpack provide excellent support as stalwart and strategically versatile soldiers. Just try to be kind and avoid killing off all of Commander Wolffe’s subordinates, as he’s gone through that heartbreak too many times already.
They have a fairly typical card for Clones, but they are a little better than normal as they are better trained.
If you’re looking for an elite force with some really fun and well-known characters, this is a great pack to pick up and bolster your forces!
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About the Author: John Von Canon
John Von Canon
Job Title: Miniatures & Trading Card Games Writer
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About John Von Cannon: Tabletop gaming since 2016; John joined the Spikey Bits team in 2023 and covers new miniature products, trading card games, and RPGs.
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