Databank Download: This is Rogue One Squad Pack

This transmission we’re taking a look at the courageous and ultimately doomed group called Rogue One. This was the squad that provided vital intelligence to the Rebel Alliance on the newly built Death Star, without which the Alliance would have been crushed and countless lives lost to the planet-destroying might of the Galactic Empire.

Heading up this intrepid group of scoundrels and spies is Jyn Erso, whom her parents called “Stardust.” Her early life was hard and harsh, exposing her to both the seedy underbelly of galactic society and the difficult life of a rebel. She was forced to grow up quickly after her father Galen, an Imperial weapons designer, was kidnapped and taken away to help design the Death Star. The altercation where he was seized also resulted in the death of his wife, Lyra, Jyn’s mother. Jyn was rescued by the hardened rebel, Saw Gerrera, who would become like a second father but proved to be a harsh mentor. She had a difficult life being raised as a rebel and later had to engage in various crimes for survival, which led to her eventual incarceration. For years she nursed dark feelings toward her father, not understanding his sacrifices.

Jyn’s eventual pairing up with Cassian Andor would lead to the eventual establishment of Rogue One. Their seemingly impossible plan to gain intel on the Death Star was made possible thanks to the defection of a skilled Imperial cargo pilot named Bodhi Rook, who brought a holographic message from Galen. This indicated that the weapons designer had built a vulnerability into the planet-destroying weapon, one which the rebels might exploit. But first they would need to secure detailed schematics of this moon-sized weapons base. Bodhi’s message and the fact that Galen convinced him to defect were Jyn’s first indication that her father had not chosen to abandon her to serve the Empire.

Jyn and Cassian would be joined by the mercenary Baze Malbus and his friend, the Force-sensitive but blind spiritual warrior Chirrut Îmwe, and they would all volunteer to undertake a desperate mission to recover Death Star schematics from a heavily shielded Imperial data vault on Scarif. No one in the Rebel Alliance thought this was possible, but Jyn and Cassian managed to breach this vault and eventually transmit the schematics back to the Alliance just before Scarif was obliterated by the Death Star. Jyn was able to reunite with her father briefly before his death and assure him that his message had been heard. Though these brave rebels would not return from this mission, the ripples of what they accomplished crossed the galaxy and allowed the heroes that followed to destroy the Death Star and begin to topple the Galactic Empire. There have been few who have endured so many difficulties or stood so courageously against impossible odds than those referred to as Rogue One.

Jyn Erso is quite a capable woman whose strange upbringing and checkered past gave her the skills required to think quickly on her feet and adapt plans amid the chaos of battle. She is notable for being extremely decisive and swift to act. The speed of her thinking is represented by This Is a Rebellion, Isn’t it?, a Tactics Ability that allows either her or one of her Rebel allies to Dash or perform an immediate hasty attack at the start of her Activation. Additionally, I Rebel is a robust Reactive Ability that allows her to potentially Dash twice after her attacks, giving her tremendous mobility, which can be exploited to get to key objectives or targets. There is no stopping Jyn Erso from getting where she needs to go on a mission.

Reckless, Aggressive, and Undisciplined might serve as a description of Jyn’s most pertinent  qualities as a rebel agent. This Reactive Ability adds strength and impetus given her attacks when she is outnumbered and surrounded. The Time to Fight Is Now is Jyn’s Identity Ability that comes in handy when in desperation to get a task done. This enables Momentum to be spent instead of Force, as well as to gain a sudden surge of vitality to heal when the enemy gains Momentum. Jyn knows better than anyone that there are times when a task must be completed regardless of the cost.

Jyn’s choice of Stances include Aggravated Assault, geared slightly more toward melee attacks, and Resisting Arrest, which is optimal for relying on her SE-14C Blaster Pistol, as is represented by their respective Attack Stats and Expertise Charts. The Combat Trees of these Stances offer Jyn a variety of options during her mobile attack sequences, including various ways to Expose, Disarm, Pin, Shove, or Strain an enemy, in addition to added movement to potentially Reposition. Her Defense Expertise Chart in either Stance also reflects her ability to get where she must be.

Bodhi Rook, the former Imperial cargo pilot who first bridged the communication gap between Galen and his estranged daughter, is a nervous but highly capable man. One who is well suited to serve as a spy and to assist others securing vital strategic objectives. It is this more than his combat capabilities that define Bodhi, though he’s not a bad shot with the blaster. Rogue One, Pulling Away is his ability to facilitate coordinated movements, especially if joining with another Spy, such as Jyn Erso. His more potent abilities help in contesting objectives, such as I just Need an Open Line, an Active Ability that lets him garner additional vital Momentum if there is no enemy contesting him. This can massively swing the tide of a battle in his side’s favor and demonstrates why enemies should go out of their way to eliminate him. To assist in pulling off his vital transmissions, Galen Said I could Get Right By Myself, If I Was Brave Enough provides allies contesting Active objectives with Steadfast, and allied Spy characters with Immunity to being Exposed.

Every person who joined Rogue One is unique and possesses their own unshakeable convictions and allegiances. This included a fast pair of friends known as Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe, who might be thought of as the “muscle” of the squad, though this would be a gross simplification. Both had once been part of a non-Jedi, Force-based religious order known as the Guardians of the Whills. Chirrut’s faith and affinity for the Force have enabled him to perform remarkable deeds, despite being blind. Baze would lose his faith in this religion, but remained close friends with Chirrut, who provided him a degree of moral grounding, even after he became an embittered soldier, armed with a heavy repeater cannon. The pair proved to be vital to the Rogue One mission, covering for the spies with their combat prowess.

Like the others in Rogue One, this pair are particularly effective at contesting Active objectives, and they function as a uniquely well-coordinated duo, reflected in how their abilities correlate with their Stances. Their Stances are I Am One With the Force or The Force Is With Me. In combat both Stances provide solid damage dealing or tactical options via their Combat Trees, but the order and therefore likelihood of certain effects are reversed, making certain ones easier or more likely in each. I am One With the Force offers an earlier Shove and Disarm, while The Force Is With Me opens its Combat Tree with higher initial damage. Reflecting their differences, We’ve Been in Worse Cages Than This One offers Dash to the duo in one Stance and Reposition in the other. Similarly, Guardians of the Whills affords different benefits per Stance, being either Cover and Sharpshooter [1] or Steadfast and Impact [1]. This ability also allows the use of a focus action when changing Stances.

Given the strong spiritual affinity of Chirrut in particular, this unit also has some special uses of Force tokens. I Fear Nothing, for All Is as the Force Wills It refreshes Force tokens and allows the unit to remove damage and conditions. Meanwhile, He’s Praying for the Door to Open allows Force tokens to be spent to break ties with an opponent’s control of an Active objective or to gain Momentum.

It would be hard to find any who better represent the heroic and risky spirit of the Rebel Alliance more than the people in Rogue One. They are driven and committed individuals who know that everything they hold dear is on the line if they cannot succeed in their mission, and they do not hesitate to risk their lives to accomplish the impossible.

As well as all members of This is Rogue One work together, they are also fantastic to pair with others in the Rebel Alliance or among associated scoundrels and spies. They are especially well suited to fight alongside the units and characters featured in the All the Way Squad Pack, most notably Jyn Erso’s counterpart, Cassian Andor, along with the droid K-2SO and some Rebel Pathfinders. They also played a vital part in the pivotal mission of Rogue One and were there until the end. Seeing them reunited on the tabletop is a bittersweet joy.

The This is Rogue One Squad Pack is available for pre-order at your friendly local game store or through the webstore! Find this squad and more favorites to add to your tabletop today.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Games, signing off!