Updated November 2024
Han and Chewie are mercenaries for hire, at least in their latest Shatterpoint iteration. They don’t come cheap, but they can bring a lot to the table. Do you need help breaking a stranger out of prison? Maybe these guys are for you!
Han and Chewie, In It for the Money are available in the This is Some Rescue squad box.
Look, another 5pc support! Han and Chewie are the second 5pc support to be released, the first being IG-11. We’ll dive into their abilities shortly, but here’s a sneak preview: I think they justify the 5pc cost much more than IG-11 does.
Ten stamina is quite good for a support. However, their defensive expertise is far from Magnaguard quality. Functionally, the ten stamina should protect Han and Chewie from one-shots compared to most supports, but when facing two or more shots ten health with their expertise isn’t much different than, say, eight health with good expertise.
Look Out, He’s Loose is kind of a blend between Cad Bane’s How About You Step Aside? and Jedi Luke’s You Can Either Profit by This or be Destroyed. Generally speaking, I often find myself underwhelmed with abilities that give my opponent agency to dash. However, worst case scenario is that you pay one force to dash Han or Chewie and that character doesn’t end engaged.
Boring Conversation Anyway is a nice move effect since it gives a reposition after you know the results of the attack. There are many instances where you may spend the first two actions to move and attack, then want a character in a different spot given the results of that attack. Note that this ability triggers off of the combat action, not the attacks themselves. This means that it doesn’t conflict with reactive abilities that trigger off an attack (such as Coordinated Fire). In some niche circumstances, such as the first activation of the game, you could move and then take a combat action where you attack no one, just to trigger a reposition for better placement.
I Expect to Be Well Paid is just Payday under a different heading. While this can open up some interesting combos, it’s not a keyword I’ve consistently gotten value from on other units.
We’re All Fine Here, Now, Thank You is probably the best reason we’ve seen yet as to why this unit is a 5pc support. Force refresh on a support?!?!?! That’s pretty good. Force makes the world go ’round.
This combat tree is very strong for a support unit that can perform two attacks in one activation. Seven dice in all circumstances plus baller expertise? Sign me up. There isn’t a quick and easy route to double shoves or a lot of front-loaded damage, but this attack profile lends itself to getting a decent chunk down the tree at least once, which will provide value.
Defensively the dice and expertise are not good. Han and Chewie are leaning on pure health more than anything else when it comes to survivability. As shown in my one-shot wonders article, pure health is the most important factor when it comes to one-shottability (definitely a real word), so that is handy.
| + Pros | – Cons |
| Strong offense for a unit that can attack twice | Can lack mobility in-activation |
| Force refresh potential on a support | Can burn through force once wounded |
Han and Chewie have a better attack and better raw health than most supports in the game. Add in the potential force refresh and it makes sense that they are a 5pc unit. However, their mobility is lacking compared to many 4pc or even 3pc supports. Other than a move action they don’t have a way to move both characters for one force. Once in position, these guys can do some work, but getting them there can be the issue. As such, I want to pair them with units that can move Han and Chewie out of activation. Charming Leia and Stormtrooper Luke are great choices. Stunning, I know, since those happen to be the two other units in this box.
Sadly, I find the 5pc and tag synergy make it tough for Han and Chewie to find a good home. Even though they fit with Leia and Luke, I often want true rebels in my rebel lists. Han and Chewie aren’t bounty hunters, so going with Bossk or Greef for their 3pc secondary isn’t perfect. Empire has a lot of great supports, so taking Han and Chewie there doesn’t usually seem worth it. As we get more releases in the Age of Rebellion era, a new 3pc secondary or 9sp primary may unlock Han and Chewie. For now they are still solid contributors, but they usually don’t crack the starting lineup for me when I’m building lists.
Copyright © 2024 The Fifth Trooper. All Rights Reserved.
