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This week, we’re featuring one of the most essential characters in the history of the Galactic  Empire and the Rebel Alliance: Luke Skywalker. This is Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, when he has  begun to come into his full powers after spending time with Master Yoda on Dagobah.

The transformation of Luke Skywalker over the span of his adventures would see him rise from the lowest origins to become the last hope of the destroyed Jedi Order. Others had a hand in  bringing his talents to the fore, but the rapid development of his Force powers was remarkable. Obi-Wan had just begun to instruct Luke as a padawan when an unfortunate reunion with  Darth Vader would see the older master sacrifice himself to buy time for the others to escape the Death Star. And though the youth would later gain invaluable insights under Master Yoda’s  tutelage, visions of a terrible fate awaiting his friends prompted Luke to abandon his training early. Yet the Force proved to flow strongly through Luke, perhaps in part as a legacy of his unusual parentage but also his indomitable spirit, steadfast loyalty, and unwavering purpose.

Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker has a distinct fighting style, perhaps reflective of the contrasting influences of Obi-Wan and the echoes of Anakin, his father. He is highly mobile and can be  quite evasive, choosing when and where he will engage, but he is capable of bursts of decisive aggression when needed. Return of the Jedi reflects his connection to the Force when his mind  is calm, Jumping into position and refreshing Force tokens. This Tactics ability often works best if Luke can act after assessing the moves of his allies, allowing them to spend Force which he can then refresh. You Can Either Profit By This, or Be Destroyed is a powerful Active ability Luke can employ when closing on an Active objective which is being contested. This gives his enemies a chance to vacate the area to save themselves, or to foolishly stand in his way, at which point he can close and inflict an immediate bonus five dice attack.

The fact that Luke’s connection to the Force makes him preternaturally aware of the threats around him can be seen in I Am a Jedi, Like My Father Before Me. This Identity ability makes  Luke immune to either being Exposed or Pinned, depending on where his Order Card is currently located when attacked. Luke also has a pair of nicely defensive Reactive abilities. Deflect is often possessed by those who have mastered lightsaber Form III Soresu, allowing him to potentially send incoming fire back to strike those shooting at him, if they roll any Failures. Similarly, if attacked in melee, I Will Not Fight You allows Luke, for the cost of one Force, to Jump and Heal, provided his enemy’s attack roll includes at least one Failure.

The two stances available to Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker also reflect the two poles of his fighting style. One might consider Luke’s “core” stance to be Form III Soresu, a defensive lightsaber style which was the particular specialization of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Fighting in this way, Luke retains control of a fight by choosing the timing of his attacks, all the while protecting  himself from incoming fire or strikes. This stance has higher Melee and Ranged Defense stats and a solid defense expertise chart but is quite capable at inflicting damage as well. While  offering lower total damage potential than Djem So, the melee expertise chart of Soresu offers consistent critical results and, therefore, a fairly reliable two successes on attacks against all but  the strongest duelists. Soresu’s Combat Tree allows for substantial Healing as well as multiple opportunities to Shove a foe, possibly Pin or Disarm them, and a chance to Jump to a better position midway through.

Alternately, when Luke decides the time has come to unleash his aggression, he can switch to Form V Djem So, which he learned after facing Darth Vader and enduring the loss of his hand.  Fighting in this style, Luke seeks to attack at every opportunity, and to press his assault with a barrage of strikes to overwhelm his adversary. Luke learned how to balance the aggression of  this form with his innate compassion, not giving way to the Dark Side as both Darth Vader and the Emperor had hoped. Utilizing this stance, Luke surrenders some of his Defense stats in favor  of offensive power and gains a Combat Tree that has very high early damage potential. This tree also offers different tactical options, lacking Shove but gaining a relatively early Reposition and the possibility of Exposing, Pinning, or Straining the foe, along with a Jump option at the end of the tree for added maneuverability. Alternating between these stances convincingly emulates how Luke fought in his most famous duels.

It is always the goal to see these unforgettable characters come alive through their rules in Shatterpoint in accordance with their legends, and this is absolutely the case with Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. Pairing him up with some of his friends makes for a particularly enjoyable experience, whether facing down Darth Vader or other worthy adversaries.

Make sure to check back for our next 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 Shatterpoint. Pre-order your own copy of Star Wars: Shatterpoint at your local game store or through our webstore today.

Until next time, Atomic Mass Transmissions, signing off!