Darth Vader #16 Tips and Tricks

Darth Vader #16


ATTACKTIX CLASS: Warrior
STAR WARS CLASS: Sith
POINT VALUE: 40
SPEED: 14
SPECIAL POWER: Recover (Trooper)
SPECIAL POWER RATIO: 16/26 (62%)
ATTACK TYPE: Striker (Lightsaber)

If you have a Darth Vader, use him. He is one of the most powerful figures in the game. A speed of fourteen, and more than a 60% chance of using his special power, he is a great value even at 40 points. His Lightsaber strike is one of the most devastating, as well.

Vader's Special Power is activated with with the weakest players available, a Trooper. He doesn't have the highest ratio, but it comes up more than half the time. As hard as Vader is to bring down, you do not want him standing back up for ANY reason.

Tip for attacking with Darth Vader:
Darth Vader has a long, sturdy Lightsaber, that can bring down anything. Vader has the largest base, for a non-Mega figure. Do not be afraid to charge into battle with his fourteen speed. Vader can take long ranged attacks from Blasters and Force Blasts and hardly be rattled. If you can knick your opponent with your saber, than give it a shot. Vader's attack can bring some figures down with just a tap. Pull all the way back and let the Force do the rest.

Load your team with Troopers and hope for the best. Everytime Vader stands back up, is another bit of confidence buster to your opponent.

Tips for attacking Darth Vader:
Before you begin your attack on Vader's team, take note of all the Troopers your opponent has. These support units make Vader a figure that will rise over and over again. Vader is tough to take down from any range, so the more Troopers on the board the worse your outlook is. If you have the option to take one of the Troopers out, don't waste it.

Vader is well balanced, but is weighted slightly heavier on his Lightsaber side. Most projectile blasts from very close range will bring him down, but not all. If you can't make it into extremely close range, try aiming for his left armpit. The extended left arm is a nice target, and if you can place your shot into the nook between the arm, waist and cape, you can knock him over.

If Vader has attacked, it may have left his cape up in the air. This will help your Force Blast Shooters to get in close range with less movement. If you can aim for the left tip of the raised cape, you can also tip Vader enough to knock him over.

Knocking Vader over with a Lightsaber is not as easy as it should be. A lot of the lower valued figures will just slap Vader, without even moving him. If you want to make sure you have a fighting chance, pull your Lightsaber ALL THE WAY back, and them touch it to Vader's body. Now, with the full kinetic force, release the saber and watch Vader fly away. He may go off the table, or out of bounds. He may fall over, or he may just slide a couple inches away and remain standing. Just keep in mind, if your normal Striking style does not kill Vader, try the above method. (Tested first in the Yoda review)

Alternative Strategies
You should already have a lot of Troopers in play if you are using Vader. If you have a support unit that can tag behind Vader, try to keep him to Vader's right, behind his saber. Even if you are attacking with Vader, you can keep a unit at this position. Instead of pulling back the saber, just twist his base in the opposite direction and you can get enough force to kill your opponent (and not your Trooper).

You may want to practice this a few times, but keeping a Trooper here will help to protect Vader from tipping over if you hit his weak spot.