This unit guide will cover the A-A5 Speeder Truck for Star Wars: Legion.
The Trast Transport A-A5 Speeder Truck may not feature in the Star Wars universe as heavily as the T-47 Airspeeder or X-34 Landspeeder, but with the debut of the first Rebel armored personnel carrier in Star Wars: Legion, we may finally have found the true Caravan of Courage.
For those who are unfamiliar (basically anyone who didn’t play the old MMORPG “Star Wars Galaxies”), the A-A5 Speeder Trucks are designed to ferry cargo over long distances through rough terrain, usually among the uncivilized planets of the Outer Rim Territories. The Rebels modified theirs into simple troop transports, depending on their armor and range to move infantry into the thick of battle.
In Star Wars: Legion, the A-A5 promises to be a durable and safe way to transport those fragile or valuable Rebel units to the front lines. The question still remains: is this the Rebel answer to the RexStar meta?
Let’s look at how it stacks up in the game.
-Tough
-Full unit transport capability
-Great upgrade cards
-Mobile LOS blocking
-Inexpensive (base card)
–Expensive (when kitted out)
-Unarmed
-Difficult to maneuver
75 points- In it’s most basic set-up, the A-A5 gives you more hull-per-point than any transport vehicle we have seen so far. In this function, it serves little purpose other than a transport and a giant block of mobile cover. To really get some bang for your buck, you’re going to want to stick some upgrades on it.
Defense- With 8 hull points, a resilience of 6, and full Armor, this thing is as tough as nails (for it’s point cost.) Sure it’s only saving on a 5+, but that’s still a lot of hull points to chew through.
Offense- Absolutely nothing. If you are hoping to get any offense out of the A-A5, you’re going to have to equip either the Quad or Heavy Laser.
Reposition- This is a keyword that is not to be overlooked. Being so large and difficult to maneuver, the A-A5 will get a lot of use out of a pre or post-move pivot. This can also be used to close off movement lanes, provide a mobile wall of line-of-sight-blocking cover, or to do a “power slide” in front of enemy units (more on that later).
Transport 1: Closed *slaps roof of A-A5* “This baby can fit so much hope in it.” Finally, the Rebels get a transport vehicle for all of those units like Fleet Troopers, Wookiee Warriors, and Mandalorians who want to get up close and personal with your opponent without crossing no-man’s land. They won’t be firing out of it, but also won’t suffer wounds like you would with an open transport.
Weak Point 2: Rear With the Reposition keyword and a backside that would make Sir Mix-A-Lot say “meh,” this shouldn’t be a major concern.
Even if the A-A5 doesn’t fit your playstyle, it’s packed with upgrade cards that add new dynamics to anyone who wants to field Rebel Heavy options.
The first Rebel pilot with the Field Commander rule, this guy does not disappoint. As a free action, he gives a dodge token to any trooper unit he is transporting or up to range two, along with an optional suppression token. And at only 10 points, he is a bargain.
The A-A5 already has Reposition. Leave Wedge at home.
For those looking to get up close on Turn 1, but still have the ability to disembark and charge or shoot with your passengers, Ryder gives you the best chance at making that happen. He’s also the cheapest usable pilot at five points.
For those who want more GTA in their Star Wars, look no further than this new addition. You get a compulsory move upon activation, then the first time you displace an enemy unit, you have a 1/6 chance of doing a wound to each model. Rexstar? More like Wreck-star, amirite?!?
Gives your A-A5 Sharpshooter. If you wanted to use the A-A5 as a backline fire support piece, this is can help. Might be a better option on the T-47 or X-34.
As armor already mitigates most of your incoming non-crits, this pilot simply isn’t worth the 10 points.
The A-A5 boasts two Crew slots, and in most cases, you’re going to want to use both of them. The four new upgrades make for some really interesting possibilities.
For 12 points, you can turn your A-A5 into a mobile triage station. While it does cost an action, this allows you to remove a wound (or poison token) or restore one mini to a unit that you are transporting or within range one. Then roll 2 white defense dice and gain a suppression token for any paint (that breaks down to a 44% of gaining no suppression, 45% of gaining one, and 11% of gaining two.) This can be a great upgrade when paired with Commander or Operative Luke
More, Wookiee Warriors, or Mandalorians. Using this on units with a low Courage threshold, like Sabine or Han, could inadvertently lead to panicking or suppressing them. Beware those side-effects!
Want to make that A-A5 even tankier? For 10 points, this adorable little bot will let give you Shielded 2, and at the end the turn, you have a 50% chance of recovering each Shield. Also usable on the X-34.
The real all-star in this slot. Roll 3 red defense dice. You have a 66% chance to gain an aim token for up to 3 different units that the A-A5 is transporting or as far away as range 3. Unlike the Empire, Rebels don’t have a lot of aim token generators, so this can be huge for nearby AT-RTs, Wookiee Warriors, Pathfinders, Fleet Troopers, or Luke…basically any unit that throws a large number of low quality dice. And the best part: this happens automatically at the beginning of the Activation Phase. You don’t need to spend any actions for those free aims. Staple this to your A-A5.
One-time use: perform an extra move or attack at the end of your activation, then roll 3 black attack dice and suffer a wound for any each hit or crit. (That’s 12.5% of no damage, 37.5% of 1 damage, 37.5% of two damage, and 12.5% of three damage.) I don’t think that either weapon on the A-A5 is worth the potential damage you could suffer in return, plus you are just taking a seat that is better reserved for other valuable crew. Save this for your X-34.
Initially I thought that neither weapon was worthwhile, but after a playthrough, I found myself with nothing to do after dropping off the kids. In case you were looking for some way to contribute, look no further than these weapon upgrades. While both are kind of expensive, keep in mind that they do not have any Fixed: Front restriction, thus allowing them 360 degrees of firing.
The retrofit is the cheaper of the two options, and it gives you additional use besides passing out aims, dodges, and healing. Critical 1 with a rainbow dice pool at Range 4 isn’t too shabby, but if you’re looking to run this up to the enemy lines, that won’t really matter.
With 6 black dice and Impact 2, this gun may help sort out any targets that your passengers haven’t dealt with already. But at 36 points, it may be a little too expensive for what it does.
The Impact here could be relevant in armor matchups, including mirrors against other A-A5s. The pool is also decent with an aim from the Unorthodox Tactician.
There are a three potential Comms cards that could see some use on the A-A5.
The newest Comms upgrade cared included in this wave of Heavy vehicles, the Onboard Comms Channel provides the perfect way to ensure that your passengers don’t act before they get to their destination. At only 3 points, consider it if you are transporting Jedi Luke and don’t want to rely on “luck of the draw” with the Rebel’s tenuous grasp on order token control.
Anyone who plays me knows that I like to play aggressive. When Comms Jammer went from 15 points to 5 points in the last RRG, I began putting it in almost every list. If there is one thing that Cloneballs, Imperial Gunlines, and Droid Activation Control lists need, it’s as many face-up order tokens as possible. With a massive Range 1 footprint, the AA5 is the ideal Comms Jammer delivery vessel. Keep in mind, this will make you’re A-A5 a huge target, so it pairs nicely with the Reckless Driver and a Gonk droid.
Not worth the points beyond the first two turns, but can be handy to reduce some of the randomness of your Rebel dice bag.
Here are a few ways to get the most out of your new crazy taxi.
You knew I wasn’t going to make a list without packing as many Wookiee Warriors in as possible. This list makes use of the new Wookiee Battle Shield (keep it on red) and brings along Cassian, K2SO, and R2 for some fire support and useful command cards.
Mandalorians are perhaps the most ideal targets for the Backworld Medics. Their 3+ saves ensure that you are getting the most value for your healing. Start the generic Mandos with the Beskar Duelist in the A-A5 and keep Sabine and Clan Wren nearby for the LOS-blocking cover. The one thing you need to be careful of in this list is suppression. Nothing has Courage 3 and those Backworld Medics can induce some panic. Keep the Rebel Officer up there for some much-needed Inspiration.
While he is already highly mobile and a few dodge tokens can make him a hard target…Jedi Luke starting out in the A-A5 is an absolutely deadly prospect. There is a very real possibility of him receiving an Aim, a Dodge, and making a first turn charge. Keep the A-A5 near-by to keep those Aims, Dodges, and heals coming. Add in a couple Wookiee Warriors for close range support and 5 naked Rebel troopers to pad your activation count.
I got a chance to run this list with some proxy models, and while it might seem like total jank, it hits like a truck. We’re talking about a total of 28 hull points behind real Armor, a couple of Shield tokens, and R2-D2 for some repairs. The Fleets hop out and delete nearly anything within Range 2. Clever placement of the A-A5 can ensure they don’t receive return fire from other units. The Reckless Driver can cause havoc in your enemies lines while the Comms Jammer keeps your opponent from issuing order tokens. You may lose some friends over this list.
This list makes great use of the “power slide.” The A-A5 is deceptively not great for blocking line of sight to your own units; you can often see the ankles of units that are immediately behind it. Doubly problematic, those same units often cannot see past the bus since their point of view is blocked outward by the hull. Well, it’s only problematic if they are your units. What if you run the bus right up to your opponent’s line, reposition sideways right up against them, and disembark your fleets out the opposite side so the fleets can see their ankles but they can’t see your fleets? That sounds fun. Well, for you. Maybe not your opponent.
This list brings all the firepower you could ever want from a Landspeeder. If you play your cards right, you can get an Aim from Linked Targeting Array, an Aim from the A-A5 and if you can get right in that sweet spot of Range 2, you can drop 3 white, 5 black, and 1 red dice with Sharpshooter 1…and pop the Unstable Astromech and do it again. If you really want to add some more fun, throw Cassian inside with Crackshot, and that’ll give you Gunslinger with 2 red and 1 black. The A-A5 can add some fun to the mix as well. Inside you will find a Rebel Trooper squad with Frags and a Z-6. How does 4 red and 6 white dice with surge to Crit at Range 1 sound?
The A-A5 is one of the most versatile weapons in the game and can be used to fill a number of roles: backfield command, front-line transport, or mid-field support. It is the rare example of a unit that raises the stock of every other unit in the faction. With the Unorthodox Tactician, it’s the first reliable and efficient source of Aim tokens that the Rebels have seen. Shriv offers a Field Commander for those who don’t want to spend the points on Rebel Officer. And most of all, the van provides a way to get those up-close and personal Rebel units into their most effective range, and keeps them safe on the way there. Whether there are Capri-Suns and Snack-Packs after the game…that’s a whole other story.
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1 Response
Reckless Driver allows you to shoot and scoot effectively. Back out of cover, shoot, then compulsory move back into cover.