Yes I did “photoshop” this poster myself and yes I have seen the original film this poster was for, Little Italy, and I can’t recommend it enough.

This is where the fun begins…again

Anakin has had a hell of a journey in Legion. Speaking as someone who has played a lot of Republic over the years, when he was released he was quite looked-down upon by GAR veterans because of one thing in particular: he was just too slow. If newer players are unaware, the quick version is that Anakin started with some essential keywords like Jump 1 and Immune: Pierce but for other standard items like a move/attack, Master of the Force 1, and offensive surge conversion he had to build into those over the course of the game through command cards that gave him those keywords, along with permanent “checks” to see if he would get extra suppression at the end of the round. If he ever started a round with a suppression token, the opponent could use his flaw card to stop a face-up order from getting placed on him. After a while, the devs decided to give him a huge boost by buffing ONE of those building orders (his 2-pip) as well as making him slightly cheaper, and from then on he basically owned the faction that had been dominated by his best buddy Rex for a couple years.

Of course, in Legion 2.6 which pretty much always gets into the action faster than in legacy, it wouldn’t be fair to ask players to spend more than half the game turning Anakin into “a real Jedi.” So, he was rebuilt: aside from his raw stats and the standard Jedi keywords he shares with most force users he feels like a completely different character. Therefore, this guide had to be written as a brand new one to cover Mr. Skywalker’s Legion 2.6 persona, one that is a lot less of a team player than he was before, but he makes up for it by having the most baseline (as in, without the help of other minis or even his own command cards) offensive potential of any single miniature in the game.

Strengths:

• Just to be clear, on that last sentence of the paragraph above? That’s not an exaggeration, and I’m including vehicles in that statement by the way, we’ll get to why in…the next bullet point
• Tempted is the most ridiculous keyword since Direct: Trooper on Dooku
• Is one of the few units that you can feel good about spending 40 points on Force Push
• Is a demon in 1v1 because of Djem So Mastery
• Like his slightly-future self Operative Vader he has two training slots which is really powerful on a Force-user

Weaknesses:

• He may have the most offensive potential for a miniature outside of commands, but he is also the most expensive after his recent points bump to 170
• His commands are somewhat predictable and only his 3-Pip helps his friends at all
• “Only” two Force slots does mean his utility choices aren’t as high as Op Luke or Vader
• Many tables are set in sandy places. OK I got my one sand joke out of the way, it’s honestly hard to think of another one…uh…no…natural ranged attack I…guess

 …Anakin da best

Overview

Slots: Force x2, Training x2

Defense: 6 Wounds with Immune: Pierce and Deflect is pretty standard fare for force users, but what isn’t so standard about him is…

Djem So Mastery: If you come at the king you’d best not miss.

Seriously though

Courage 3: Pretty sure GAR isn’t ever gonna have a Jedi with less than Courage 3, they literally weren’t afraid to die, too bad Anakin started having some visions of someone ELSE dying and…yeesh

Mobility: Speed 2 with Jump 1 and Charge may also seem like regular Jedi stuff, but there is more than meets the eye here, which we’ll get to right after we mention the real star of the show…

Offense: 5 Red dice with Pierce 3 and Impact 3 is of course the same profile as Op Vader’s and one less dice than Commander Vader’s. Unlike them though, he surges to crit all the time bay-bee, to be young again right? On even just your normal, average, double move into a charge into a swing into something like say, a heavy stormtrooper squad of 5? The average result will be that they’ll instantly go down to their leader, the second most likely result is a complete squad wipe. Still, other Jedi can do about this much, so what is it that makes Anakin really special?

Tempted: It’s not JUST a sick R&B track, it’s also one of the sickest keywords in the game.

It’s difficult to overestimate how powerful this is. Yes, it’s fair that your opponent has some control over this in that they can choose whether or not they want to make potentially lethal attacks on your other units, but if they do that then they…will be choosing NOT to make potentially lethal attacks on your units. This can put opponents in a bit of a Catch-22 where the act of killing your units can put their own at risk. Just be aware: because the free MOVE granted by this keyword is a move rather than a move action, you can NOT charge off of it. Anakin does, sadly, have to play by SOME rules.

Command Cards

Somewhat strangely, even though all of the game text of Anakin’s commands changed with the 2.6 rules change, this is the only card whose name changed. My only guess at this point is that when Ahsoka comes out she’ll have a duo card with Anakin called “Heroes of the Clone Wars” which would be the same as the prior 3 Pip only plural, but I digress.

This is Anakin’s simplest command, he gets Inspire 2 which can be useful sometimes (but often not) and gives an aim to himself and the two other troopers he’s ordering. Generally, this is the kind of card that will likely either be played Round 1 or Round 4. It’s true that on Round 1 Anakin will be wasting the aim that he gives to himself with this command, but since he’s likely going to activate late in the round the inspire, which occurs at the end of his activation, has the potential to lighten the suppression load on any clones or others who have taken long range shots earlier on. His aims can of course go to your own long range shooters, and thus this can potentially be used to super-charge Commandos since they would get an aim from Target 1 and an aim from this card, which can be shared if they don’t need it.

Ideally though, you will have a different solution for ensuring your long-range shooters on Round 1 have aims (if you have long-range at all that is), and thus you’ll save this for a later round when Anakin can make use of his aim himself, since red dice do miss sometimes but they rarely miss twice in a row.

You Underestimate My Power

What a bully! Picking on those who can’t fight back?

Ah, right.

Anyway, like tempted this is an effect that can force your opponent into a tough choice: do they alter their game plan to avoid leaving certain un-activated units next to an Anakin who not only will get to throw TWELVE SURGING DICE at any unit with a face-down order but who may even get the chance to do it again if Tempted triggers. This can transform a Catch-22 into a Kobayashi Maru for your opponent. The combination of Djem So Master along with this can make the act of attacking Anakin with a blow that is anything less than lethal extremely costly.

Anakin da best

This is Where the Fun Begins

Let’s start with the tame part: the divulge. It’s as simple as it looks: if you want to give Anakin Prepared Positions then all you gotta do is to “inform” your opponent that you are running this card, which would always have been completely obvious anyway because its actual command effect is busted-good, and then you’ve got yourself a way to deploy where you want. Just like any time you choose whether or not you’re going to actually USE Prepared Positions (remember, it’s always optional), you’ll have to consider a couple of things:

1. Is there a place to deploy him where he is completely safe from all shooting until you move him? Maybe this is obvious but if the answer is no then please just don’t
2. Are you better off when Anakin having a head-start or better off with your opponent guessing at where he’ll be going?
   • This one depends on many factors including activation count, terrain, and objective. If you’re playing on Close the Pocket for instance there’s probably just gonna be one big pile of fighting at the center of the map anyway so if you can safely get him closer then by all means do so. If the objective is Intercept Signals though, you may want to have a better idea of your opponent’s deployments before you commit your most powerful unit, in which case you should hold off using Prepared Positions and deploy normally

Ok, let’s get to the good part: the effect of the command itself when you play it. In its previous iteration, this was the “angry” command that you’d use when it was time to charge in. If we take that as fact then the new version is something more like the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Incredible Hulk After Not Getting Enough Sleep…command.

Hang on, I’ll start over, it’s wrong to reference other franchises when talking about the Chosen One after all. You know how Son of Skywalker lets Luke attack twice? Well, the Son clearly has a long way to go. The ORIGINAL Skywalker not only gets to attack twice but he gets a free move out of it too. Do keep this in mind: even though you can Jump 2 as a free action, you can only actually JUMP over one thing with all 3 moves that you make, you can’t use the natural Jump 1 and then use this free action. Those darn rules again! So, even though this usually won’t actually be a problem, just remember that you’re only going to be able to clear one piece of terrain that’s taller than Anakin himself without mixing in a climb or two, and you likely don’t want to be mixing any Speed 1’s in with your Speed 3 moves. No that wasn’t a typo, now that I’m the lead editor of this blog I’m abovee such things, but this of course is how you’re going to get that extra bit of speed on the turn you use this…

It’s a bit remarkable how quickly Burst of Speed became the “de facto” force upgrade that you give to everyone with a slot for it, some would even say it happened instantaneously when 2.6 dropped? That isn’t exactly a keen observation I know: not only did the game speed up (necessitating spending one less turn in “set-up”) but Force Push, the previous “give it to everyone” upgrade when up to 40 freakin’ points. On Anakin, however, there is an even greater incentive to use this upgrade than there usually is to put it on a Force user. That’s because it combines with the command we were just talking about. Yep, for this one turn, Anakin can be the fastest trooper in the game.

It’s literally hard to convey how fast this is. Just kidding, lol, it’s Range 5. He can move just beyond four FULL range markers meaning that he can get to anyone (barring terrain getting in the way) who is barely at Range 5. Don’t believe me? Check out the below demonstration:

NOBODY EXCPECTS THE ANAKINQUISITION

If I may make two Monty Python-based jokes in a row, Anakin turns into Lancelot from the holy grail. Remember, a Speed 3 move will get a character 1.35ish Range markers beyond their starting position (plus a tiny bit extra if you land on one of the prongs of the movement tool) toward a target, which means that two of those moves will get you 2.7ish Range and all 3 gets you the full 4.05ish Range markers away. But remember, if you’re using the 1 Pip and Burst on the same turn, you will get to make two attacks if you want but each one needs their own action. So even if you CAN go the full distance you may not always want to. Similarly, you may not always want to use Burst on your 1-Pip turn…but you usually will. It’s true that you will have to predict how the next turn will go when Anakin is limited to Speed 1, but if you end on the POI you wanted with some options to stay safe and kill things then you’ll be just fine. Whether or not you use burst, this command gives you the following 4 basic options:

1. Charge something one move away and attack it again, in which case you’ll still have an action you can use to aim, dodge, or move again after you’re done with that target
2. Charge something two moves away, then either attack the same target or charge another one that’s one move or less away from THAT
3. Do the full three move charge, which will only give you one attack
4. Move three times and then force-push a trooper into yourself. This will leave you with no attacking (so sad!) but there may be times it’s necessary to do this to keep him safe or plan for the next turn. Note that this makes engagement possible with a mini that was Range 4.4ish away from where you started, that’s uh…that’s a lot.

Lest I forget to mention it, if your opponent triggers Tempted on your Burst of Speed turn then that’s yet another Speed 3 move you can make, but just remember that you can’t jump with the Tempted move because (one more time) it’s a move but not a move action.

Upgrades

Now that we’ve covered what to do with the guy let’s cover how to kit him out

Force

In case it wasn’t clear above, staple Burst of Speed onto this man. In fact use the entire stapler on it, it should be so stapled that you can’t see the card anymore.

As for what’s after that, I’d at least suggest using a thumb tack for…

I do understand that this is expensive, but I honestly think it’s almost always worth it. Clones don’t have as much points-wiggle room as other factions where this upgrade is literally about the same cost as a corps unit that can easily be dropped, GAR armies don’t usually have “filler.” That means that Force Push may come at the cost of Fives, a couple of medics, an ARC heavy weapon, the list goes on, all this is to say that I know it ain’t easy…but you should probably still do it. Anakin is one of the true “Masters” in the game (insert Council-related joke here) where this upgrade really is worth 40 points. Not only does it keep him safe but it also enables more inflicted wounds on your opponent and can force them off a POI at a key juncture.

That said, as above, depending on your list you may decide that you need more of a “budget” Anakin. If you decide that then I would suggest either leaving that slot blank or spending 5 points on

When Anakin gets a little older and angrier he’s gonna use this all the time so why not? It’s true that his loss of access to Relentless is one of the few things we’ll miss about Anakin 1.0 but this does still have a purpose, and that purpose is mostly Tempted. Remember, you can’t charge from a Tempted trigger but you can attack, and the ranged attack you get from Saber Throw is…an attack. So, if merely cozying up to a stormtrooper unit feels unnecessarily cautious, you can throw 3 red dice at them with Pierce 3 instead. With the Legion 2.6 cover rules that ain’t half bad, on average it’ll be about two dead models even in heavy cover.

Training

Many Force-users who have just one training slot usually have to pick between two enticing options: do they take Tenacity to do extra damage or Into the Fray to get something close to a surging defense in melee?

But, just like when Anakin had to torturously decide whether to rat out Palpatine or get Mace Windu tossed out a window he thought about it and said

Anakin is the only Force-using commander with two training slots. Therefore, while it does cost an extra 10 points to kit him out with these, it’s usually worth it. I’d personally pick Fray over Tenacity if you have to choose, a dead Jedi does zero damage after all.

There is another Skywalker…training slot option though

The ability to get a face-up order when you otherwise couldn’t can be incredibly crucial for a Jedi, especially the most expensive one in the game. If you’re running a list with another commander or operative who is likely going to use a command that by necessity would leave out Anakin, then you may want to strongly consider taking this instead of tenacity. Usually, the reasons you would do this are that you’re running Rex (who will use Call Me Captain at some point) or Bad Batch (who will use We Do What We Do at some point). Round 1 in particular is very important to have an order on Anakin so he can flex his movement to wherever he will cause the most trouble, so be sure that whatever way you get it you have an order on him…well pretty much all the time.

Lists

Anakin is almost but not quite an actual one-man army so it’s good to have a couple idea-starters in mind for lists.

The Bad Batch is one of the few units that can exert as much influence as Anakin, at least from a damage perspective, so you’ll want to have order control on them Round 1 as well to make sure they get where they need to go. The rest of this is basically just in the service of having an efficient list: aside from giving aims out once via his 3-Pip Anakin isn’t much of a team player so you don’t have to worry about what pairings are specifically good with him.

We shouldn’t forget that Anakin is a member of the 501st Infantry Battle Force! When it comes to the Battle Force commands it feels like we’re mostly limited to Lead From the Front, because the others don’t actually order Anakin (which is a bummer and a half that has often made me scratch my head ever since the original iteration of 501st.) Note that this list could switch out the commandos for AT-RTs to make room for force push and some other upgrades as well.

Conclusion

I’ve been covering the strongest Jedi in the game with the latest round of unit guide updates, starting with Luke and then Dooku, and I’m pretty sure one Mr. Darth Vader is gonna be next which will be a hell of an effort because that’s another 6-command 2-character doozy, but I figured that with Worlds rapidly approaching we need to have the heavy hitters in the bag. If you appreciate what we’re doing and want to either pitch in or have pictures of your minis shown off to thousands of people, please do check out our Patreon, we’ll need it to grow so we can hire some more writers! If you’d like a chance to write for us yourself and get paid to do it, check out our guest writer program on the “About” page above

Anakin da best