Winners & Losers of the Shatterpoint May Update

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Shatterpoint received its first big unit balance pass on May 13. You can view all the changes linked in the transmission, so I won’t bother going through each one in detail. However, I have to talk about it! It’s a big shake-up and warrants some thoughts. I figured we can start by checking who got changed, using our most recent community tier list as a point of comparison, then dive into some general winners and losers. Is it too early for such analysis? Almost certainly, but early hot takes are fun! Later this year, our next tier list will do a better job of judging the true fallout of the changes. For now, though, this is the best we’ve got, so let’s irresponsibly dive in!

Who Changed

In some cases, it’s a bit ambiguous whether a unit has been buffed or nerfed, but I’ve tried to break it down best I can. Units are shown in the tiers assigned in the aforementioned community tier list conducted in December 2024.

Units receiving nerfs in the May 2025 update

Units receiving buffs in the May 2025 update

(I should note that we technically don’t know about Wolfpack yet. They were included in the article, but not the print and play PDF, so whether or not they were actually buffed, and to what extent, remains to be seen. I’ve included them here to be optimistic.)

Well, first impressions is that the right units were targeted! The units chosen for nerfs were generally regarded as very good, while the units chosen for buffs were generally regarded as meh or worse. Logray probably didn’t need buffs, but old Protective Wards was a bit confusing and counter-intuitive, so it makes sense that changed. Cad’s change was “just” an era change, which will certainly open up some fun new list building opportunities. For the rest of the B-tier units receiving buffs, I think in many cases the B ranking was a bit generous in the first place.

Some notable units not receiving updates in May 2025

For this last graphic, I took all S- and C-tier units that didn’t receive changes. There were no D-tier units that didn’t get changed, so that’s good! I’m sure many will be surprised that Iden and Kanan didn’t get touched; more on them later. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Ewoks in that C-tier. The Snowtrooper Sergeant came out in November, which may have been too late for the update. Overall, even though some may quibble with certain units being left out, I don’t think there were any units chosen that didn’t warrant a reevaluation.

Loser: Imperial Big Guns

We all knew this was coming.  Yes, Iden herself dodged some nerfs, but I’ve always been of the opinion that Hask was the main issue. He now only benefits supports with his innate ability and the conditions to do so are much more limiting. Instead of measuring range 5 from any imperial scout to add a hit you’re now measuring range 5 from Hask to change a fail to a hit. One silver lining: this will maybe make stuff like Deflect less threatening since you have a better chance to roll zero failures! I do think Hask is still a solid secondary – he has a punishing self-revenge and is difficult to stack conditions on, all while providing a strong and flexible offensive profile. However, he’s no longer a primary in disguise so that’s a big step down.

Dark Troopers were another monster for the Imperials. I’ve always been annoyed that the one unit immune to dice-less displacement was also the one with a crazy defensive profile (considering their slot). Darks keep protection and pin immunity, and Immovable, but they lose their crit mitigation and one health. When you inevitably have to attack them, it will certainly be less frustrating than before. Similar to Hask, I don’t think Dark Troopers have been nerfed into the ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if they see a lot of play in a few months once the nerf-ick has faded, though maybe the lack of Stormtrooper tag will hold them back, depending on the imperial meta.

Overall, I think the changes to the top-end imperials were pretty spot-on. Nerfs without going over the top. Would I have liked to see Iden changed a little? Potentially. A little less mobility may have been nice, but let’s see how she works out now that she isn’t getting an extra hit from Hask so often. She’s still a character that relies on dice to be super effective, and that got a lot less consistent.

Winner: Rebel Revenge

You might be saying “wait, but rebel revenge didn’t receive any changes” – exactly! Kanan comes away unscathed, and his great enemy (Inferno/Empire) has taken a hit. I definitely think a change to Kanan would have been warranted, he just does everything, but considering Spectres didn’t get a buff (especially Chopper and Zeb) I can see why Kanan was left as-is. Now that we know Fulcrum isn’t a Spectre, it seems like Kanan won’t be getting any new toys any time soon. The rebels also have Cassian coming on to the scene, which might suppress Kanan’s meta presence.

After ISF nerfs and Ponds buffs, I think Rebels emerge with the best forward-deploy unit in the game (Rebel Commandos with Infiltration). Extra range on deployment is a very useful thing, for many reasons, so having the best-in-class for that category is significant.

Overall, the Inferno nerfs may mean the meta gets less kill-y. On the other hand, Anakin is a menace now, so you probably still want a strong revenge option. Rebels are still the best faction in that department.

Loser: You Cannot Run Duel Pack

When Darth Vader, Jedi hunter (Vader1) was called out for nerfs at the Adepticon panel, I got a little worried. It’s been a long time since he’s been a meta monster (and even then, I think he was overrated at his peak). However, the nerf-hammer was relatively light. The damage-for-dice scheme is now limited to Republic and Empire, and I think Vader1 is mostly seeing consideration in Republic now anyway. However, I think Vader1 and Obi2 (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Out of Hiding) have long had a strange chemistry in Shatterpoint, shoring up each other’s weaknesses. Obi’s Mind Trick could force dead turns which made up for Vader’s lack of swing, while Vader’s extra dice could make Obi’s activation much more impactful. However, now that Obi2 doesn’t get extra dice from Vader (and Mind Trick got nerfed) that synergy falls apart a bit.

Speaking of Mind Trick, I really like this change for Obi-Wan. The original version of the ability could be a really negative experience, whereas the new ability is still powerful but less feels-bad. Moreover, it is a much cleaner effect rules-wise, which I think is a plus. A base cost of just one force makes new Mind Trick even more spammable than old Mind Trick, so that’s something spicy. However, Obi still lacks good tag synergy. He had a great showing at Worlds, but will people still be willing to forgo synergy now that the upside is a bit lower? We’ll have to wait and see, but my big worry is that his activation won’t be impactful enough without extra Vader dice.

It could have been worse for the OG duel pack characters, but they definitely took at least a small hit in effectiveness.

Winner: Republic 7sp Primaries

I’ve already seen the changes to Anakin and Mace generating a TON of buzz. Anakin being able to attack two different units on his turn is big, as is his mass movement effect for wounding a secondary or primary. Moving the struggle cube has always been great, and that’s a bit harder now, but I think it’s a worthy trade given the buffs Anakin has gotten elsewhere in his kit. Anakin/Ki-Adi was on the rise before the changes, and now I think that’ll be everywhere. Start planning for how to beat it now!

Mace being a 6sp was always annoying – now that’s fixed. Mace needing to be the Shatterpoint target for his ability was always annoying – now that’s fixed. His Protection/Steadfast bubble will probably still be inconsistent (it can be harder than it looks to keep him engaged in a central location) but it doesn’t have to be the lynchpin of his success now, either. The sheer amount of force that Mace can bring to the table definitely opens up some interesting list building choices for the Republic. I’m eyeing up Barriss as a potential pairing since she needs force and can give Mace +2 dice, even on his Shatterpoint attack!

Last, but certainly not least, ranged attacks for Jedi are extremely welcome. The GAR primaries have tended to lack in-activation mobility while also relying on melee. Ranged attacks open up many lines of play for Anakin and Mace, especially considering the change to ARF. I didn’t love Supporting Fire: Dash on Kit, but heck yeah, I’ll take it on a support! If Mace can’t close to melee, he could still potentially shove the opponent away, then dash onto the objective/into engagement. Anakin could start with a Force Blast, then close into melee for his second attack. Losing Coordinated Fire: Expose is definitely a blow to ARF, but they will still see lots of play going forward. The 7sp primaries need a 3pc unit so ARF slots in perfectly.

Loser: Piracy

I know Gwarm and the Weequay got buffed, but is it enough? My first answer is no. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to try Hondo with some Rebellion era units (cough Bossk cough), but that’s about it. Admittedly, the pirates seem decent now, but I don’t think we were hurting too bad for a generic scoundrel/tag-neutral support. Maybe I toss these guys in a rebel Lando list? Gwarm didn’t get much help at all – if he got the Ponds treatment (option to dash himself instead of a friend) then I think he would have been much more interesting.

While I’m happy the pirates got some love, they were starting in a rough spot so I’m not sure it was enough love to really see meaningful table time. Then again, if I’m spamming Weequay Pirates in a few months’ time that wouldn’t shock me …

Winner: Clone Supports

One of the hard things about Republic list building pre-changes was finding useful supports. ARF were great, Techo were fine in a Bad Batch list, Handmaidens were OK but weren’t clones, and everyone else was pretty rough. Alas, big changes on that front. The 212^th, 501^st, and Commandos all saw buffs. Wolfpack is maybe buffed (fingers crossed). Even the unit that got nerfed, ARF, still got a pretty sweet replacement ability. Before, it could be tough building even showdown lists for Republic, but now I think you could do a full Republic premiere list and feel pretty good about your supports.

Of the buffed units, I think 212^th catch my eye the most. Their attack got much more consistent (even easier to get two spots for the pin and shove), they gained a lot of durability, and Coordinated Fire: Pin is super useful. Ki-Adi is a rising star for the Republic, but what’s one thing he and Shaak-Ti struggle with? Pinning enemies. The revamped 212^th should be on your radar for most Republic lists, especially the Ki-Adi ones.

Loser: Ewoks

Similar to pirates, these guys got some buffs, but I don’t think it was enough. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got an Ewok list that I’m super excited to play, but it’s mainly rebels with Endor Leia. Before the updates, decent Ewok lists were mainly Leia/Logray with rebels, and I don’t think much has changed there.

Paploo, Hunters, and Trappers all could have used some love, but didn’t get any attention. It’s nice that Chirpa’s extra attack die is rangeless now, but his identity also got a nerf (it only works against wounds caused by attacks). While C-3PO got a big glow-up, I don’t think it’s enough to save Chirpa/Logray.

Winner: Jango Fett

Old Not So Fast was a silly ability and I’m glad it’s gone. It was bad for the game. When you wounded a unit before it activated, you probably won the game. However, it wasn’t happening all that often. You know what does happen often? Reserves. This is a hot take I’m not sure I believe yet, but new Not So Fast may actually be better than its predecessor when considering game-in, game-out value. The peaks won’t be as high, but even just the dash could provide some headaches for your opponent. The attack could land a strain with just two successes, and straining an enemy right before they activate could still hamper their turn quite a lot. As I said, I’m not sure I actually believe that take yet, but regardless, I think Jango is super happy right now. He could lose Not So Fast altogether and still be a solid secondary, but instead, it got a shiny new effect that is still quite strong.

Loser: Separatists

This is a tough time to be a Separatist player. Shark-man got delayed to Q4 and, despite their lack of presence in the meta, they got more nerfs than buffs. Did Magna expertise need to be toned down? I’d say yes. Did Not So Fast need a change, definitely. Only Asajj saw any buffs, and I think she is probably still the third best Separatist primary. That’s not ideal when you only have three primaries in the faction.

Now, I don’t want to be a total downer, so I have a potential silver lining – I think the lack of Separatists in the meta was partly due to imperial (Inferno) dominance. Empire simply did a lot of the things droids did, but better. With the Empire potentially taking a step back, could droids have a role to play again? Perhaps they can be the kings of Shifting Priorities once more. Even then, though, spread-out objectives like Never Tell Me the Odds and First Contact are tough for Separatists.

Winner: The Inquisition

How much do I really need to say here? Everyone in the Jedi Hunters pack got buffs except for Fifth Brother, who was already very good. With a mix of force availability, displacement, movement, melee, and range, Inquisitors have some flexibility and I’m excited to see the lists people mix them into. They have a lot of rangeless abilities (Grand Inquisitor’s tactic, Reva’s new Call of the Hunt) and tiebreakers that work well for the aforementioned spread out objectives.

Loser: General Solo

I’m having a bit of fun here. I don’t actually need to talk much about Han, but I think it’s funny that, as his stock was rising a bit, it may go plummeting back down. This section is actually a back door way for me to speculate on the new meta. Specifically, I foresee a sticky meta. A Mace resurgence brings more Steadfast, as does the continued strength of the Mandalorian-heavy lists with Bo-Katan (no Mandos got touched in the update). Clone supports getting buffed means we might see more Obi-Wan, but even without that, they still have Brothers in Arms to get Steadfast if they can hold on to their hunkers. Rebels have some units with easy defensive dashes, like Kanan, Charming Leia, and Ezra, who love the idea of pin immunity from Luke.

Combining all of the above, I think characters like General Solo could struggle to swing objectives. Characters who are very good at getting 1-2 spots down the tree for a single shove, and maybe a pin, could find their attacks much less useful in this new age. I think diceless displacement will have a growing role, especially since Republic brings a lot of it and just got better. If you thought you saw a lot of Ki-Adi-Mundi before, just brace yourself. Much like his Cerean homeworld, which has a severe lack of males in Legends apparently(?), he’s gonna be the hottest thing in town.

One approach to sticky units is to simply wound them. This wasn’t too hard with pre-changes Empire, and other lists, but it might be a bit more tricky going forward. Or maybe not, since Anakin can come in and treat your strike team like the sand people (not just the men, but the women and children too).

Winner: The Game

It’s cheesy, but let’s end on a high note. Speaking personally, wound-focused play is not a style of Shatterpoint I enjoy all that much. My favourite game from this past Adepticon was a Spectre mirror where it was all about tactical positioning and generating certain effects on attacks, rather than blowing the opponent off the table. I think we’ll see more of the former in a post-update world, but for those who enjoy wounds, there are still plenty of options. I also think the removal of Coordinated Fire: Expose on ARF and the Elite Squad Troopers is a healthy change. Tanky units can actually feel tanky if they keep their defensive expertise more often. Could it hurt the Republic, which often relied on the expose to have effective attacks? Sure, but they got a lot of love in this update and seem to be in a strong spot.

One thing that makes me happy is the ratio of buffs to nerfs. For these sorts of updates I always prefer a couple targeted nerfs and many more buffs, which is what we saw. One could definitely lament certain units not getting changes, but that’s always going to happen. Of the units that were changed, I think directionally it was all correct. Whether or not the magnitude was enough, too much, or just right remains to be seen. Regardless, I am excited to hop in and explore these updated units!