Palpatine #17 Tips and Tricks

Palpatine #17
ATTACKTIX CLASS: Leader
STAR WARS CLASS: Separatist
POINT VALUE: 40
SPEED: 4
SPECIAL POWER: Recover (Sith)
SPECIAL POWER RATIO: 10/26 (38%)
ATTACK TYPE: Shooter (Force blast)

Palpatine is a very, very bad boy – and a very different shooter from everyone else in Series 1. His arms are inflexible (the better to aim with), his Force blast is round (the better to scoot into opponents), and his base is exceptionally solid (the better to send him to the front lines).

Even without his Force blast in hand, the unique cupped position of his hands can deflect attacks nicely. This is a guy you don't want to tussle with unless you're ready to put a lot of force, or a strategically placed shot, into him.

Tip for attacking with Palpatine:
In my opinion, Palpatine is the single best figure with whom you can learn Force blasting. He has his arms stretched out precisely in front of him, so that the only complications in aiming him involve angles of attack and gravity. However, the immobility of his arms may take away some of the flexibility in aiming that more advanced shooters may desire.

If Palpatine hits a figure at 5 Tix, it's all over for that figure. Even at 10 or 15 Tix, Palpatine can knock over a Force blaster figure with its Force blast out front as a shield. However, his shot will bounce on the ground after between 18-20 Tix, so hitting figures beyond that distance can be challenging if you don't tilt him up to gain additional altitude to counteract gravity.

As befits his character, even though he's a Separatist by class, his special power allows him to Recover if there's a piece of Sith on your team. Nevertheless, his special power isn't the most probable to be activated, so you may want to put some additional figures behind him to prevent him from being knocked down.

Tips for attacking Palpatine:
Unless you're within 5 Tix, don't bother attacking Palpatine from the front, even if he's shot his Force blast. Your shot will just scoot off his cupped hands, perhaps knocking him back or around just a bit. If you can get a shot at his sides at 10 Tix, you may be able to knock him down with a Force blast or large missile. A well-aimed shot to his back can take him down, even at 15 Tix. Much further out than that, though, and you're taking an awful risk by shooting at him. Oh, and shooters with small missiles? Leave those for other figures; they won't stand much chance of felling Palpatine.

Strikers can bring Palpatine down, but not without a fight. His large base will allow him to withstand glancing blows; you'll need at least a one-third power hit to the back, a half-power hit to the sides, or a three-quarter power hit to the front to bring him down. Beware: If you bring Palpatine onto his right side, he'll have a nasty little surprise attack for you. It'll make him discharge his Force blast directly in front of him almost all the time, so make sure your forces aren't arrayed near where he falls.

If you can take out the Sith that are on Palpatine's team, he won't be able to pop back up again when you knock him down. Snipe those pieces of Sith with no mercy!

Alternative Strategies
Palpatine's sturdy base makes him a fabulous choice for a front-line attacker. If you can support his already considerable mass with some troopers or other figures in the rear, he'll be a beast to take down, and he'll deploy some rather convincing firepower against your opponent.

If you can team him with Count Dooku (who will also be allowed to Recover occasionally when another Sith is in play) and another Sith, you'll stand a good chance of at least two of them remaining in play for a while, on account of the synergy of their special powers. This concentration of the dark side will surely flummox any Jedi team's ability to predict what will happen in its future.