Databank Download: Grand Inquisitor, Fallen Jedi & Third Sister Preview

SWP12Grand Inquisitor and Reva

As memorable as the galaxy’s great heroes are, there’s a reason so many people prefer to root for the bad guys. The various members of the Empire’s Inquisitorious continue this tradition in fine form, each being terrifying in unique ways. For this Star Wars™: Shatterpoint preview, let’s take a look at the Grand Inquisitor, Fallen Jedi and Third Sister from the Jedi Hunters Squad Pack.

Though he must still answer to Lord Vader, the Grand Inquisitor is the highest-ranking member of the new Empire’s Inquisitorious, a body created to root out dire enemies, focusing in particular on the last remnants of the shattered Jedi Order. The Grand Inquisitor is known by no other name, a Pau’an male who once served as a Jedi Temple Guard before being turned to this dark task by Darth Sidious. Under his direction, several skilled and formidable force-sensitive individuals, referred to as brothers and sisters, are initiated into the inquisition. Though trained under harsh conditions as required of those who would hunt the Jedi, the members of the Inquisitorious would prove to be quite ambitious and competitive, each eager to rise in station and gain greater favor.

It is difficult to stand in the shadow of Darth Vader, but perhaps the only one to come close to matching the terror inspired by the Sith Lord is the Grand Inquisitor. Though fallen to the Dark Side, he possesses all the power over the Force of the Jedi and can more than hold his own in a lightsaber duel. As might be expected, he fights ably alongside other members of the Inquisitorius. You Know Who We Are represents this ominous teamwork, a Tactics Ability allowing them to dash swiftly to engage. One would never refer to the Grand Inquisitor as a kind mentor, but sometimes being harsh produces results. With Clearly, You Were a Poor Student, the Grand Inquisitor mocks his foes, compelling his inquisitors to fight with renewed vigor. This provides some healing after wounding an enemy, also refreshing Force tokens if the wounded was a force user, the inquisition’s favored targets.

The Grand Inquisitor’s knowledge is one of his greatest assets, and he never enters battle ill-prepared to face his foes, having researched their weaknesses. With Secrets Uncovered, he can immediately neutralize control of a nearby objective, forcing opponents to closely guard any objective they want to secure. And his Reactive Ability The Temple Records Are Quite Complete allows him to adapt his Stance to better suit his needs as soon as he is engaged, as well as gaining additional dice on defense.

Drawing on extensive research from the Jedi Archives stolen from the Temple, the Grand Inquisitor possessed knowledge of two different but complementary Stances. These were adapted into his own unique combat style making use of his rapidly spinning lightsaber, which he can hurl to strike foes at some distance in either Stance. Form II Makashi, his dueling form, is particularly suited for aggressive lightsaber engagements. Though sacrificing some defensive capability, this Stance’s Melee Attack Expertise Chart offers strong added damage, as does its Combat Tree, which can also Pin and Strain or Expose a foe, and potentially allow the Grand Inquisitor to Dash or Jump.

There are times when facing a particularly dangerous adversary when the Grand Inquisitor will prefer instead to adopt Form V Djem So, which bolsters his defenses in exchange for lowering his damage output by a small degree. This highly flexible Stance has a superlative Adaptive Fighter defense Expertise Chart, making him much more difficult to injure. On the offensive, it also offers several options unavailable in his other Stance, such as the ability to Disarm or do up to three Shoves, as well as potentially letting the Grand Inquisitor strategically Reposition.

Though not as powerful as her superiors, Third Sister is not to be underestimated. There is no other inquisitor who is more unpredictable or possessing such hidden depths. She has several abilities to facilitate crossing the battlefield swiftly and safely to close on her prey, using Force Jump to gain elevation and the Deflect Reactive Ability to punish incoming blaster fire.

Working with other inquisitors, Reva can Call the Hunt to provide a free dash and attack to a supporting Inquisitorious character. She can also exploit existing conditions on her quarry to inflict even more powerful attacks by Your Fear Betrays You. This ability makes it particularly advantageous for Reva to attack after several of her allies, becoming the ideal finisher.

The Third Sister may be a Secondary Unit but can prove quite capable in a lightsaber duel, employing her Form II Makashi Stance, which lets her become very aggressive and lethal. Third Sister focuses on a strong offensive posture in combat, but while she has a relatively low melee defense stat, she gains a great benefit from even a single expertise result in her defense rolls. She prefers to sweep in on a powerful attack with her spinning lightsaber, making use of its Combat Tree to inflict up to three Shoves as well as potentially exposing her adversary and dealing substantial damage.

That’s our first look at this formidable duo from the Inquisitorious! Make sure to check back for our next Star Wars: Shatterpoint Unit preview, where we give you a first look at how your favorite characters from the Star Wars galaxy translate into the gameplay of Star Wars: Shatterpoint. Pre-order your own copy of the Jedi Hunters Squad Pack at your local game store or through the webstore today.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!