Databank Download: Moff Gideon

Among those who trace their lineage to Mandalore, there is no greater villain than Moff Gideon, a high-ranking leader of the Galactic Empire who played a key role in the downfall of the Mandalorian people.

The surviving people of Mandalore have reason to remember Gideon, whose infamy predates his being elevated to the lofty title of Imperial Moff. Gideon was involved in the battles that saw the destruction of this world’s society and he is alleged to have been personally responsible for the deaths of thousands. Gideon plundered the ruins of Mandalore, seeking out certain legendary artifacts, most importantly the ancient Darksaber, which retains great symbolic importance to the surviving Mandalorians. When Gideon took charge of this sector as Moff, he continued to seek out anything that might increase his power or influence. One such line of inquiry led him to pursue “the Child,” later identified as Grogu, a powerful Force-sensitive youth. Gideon did not anticipate that the bounty hunter assigned this task would turn on his peers to protect and safeguard the Child, soon becoming a pernicious thorn in his side.

Gideon’s authority as Moff is considerable, and he manages to retain great power and influence even as the authority of the Galactic Empire crumbles. He is a longstanding military veteran of many bloody battles, possessing the arrogance and unshakeable will to perform any cruelties that will maintain his position.
By dint of his Smug Determination, Gideon and his nearest allies can advance swiftly to engage their foes. As he might tell his subordinates, it is best with Gideon to Assume That I Know Everything. This makes it difficult for adversaries to anticipate his strategies, requiring his adversary a higher allocation of Force tokens to place a unit’s Order Card into reserve.

When Moff Gideon takes an interest in something, it is difficult to prevent him from seizing it. He locks onto his next objective to the exclusion of all else. Long Live the Empire is an Active Ability that demonstrates Gideon’s control over his subordinates, allowing him to immediately Reposition an allied Galactic Empire Supporting Unit closer to a critical Active Objective, heedless of the harm they endure in the process. Gideon is quite willing to sacrifice pawns. You Have Something I Want augments attacks by Galactic Empire characters against defenders contesting an Active objective Gideon does not yet control, as well as breaking ties in his favor.

When marching to seize his objectives, Moff Gideon has access to two complementary Stances, one slightly favoring attacks at range with a blaster pistol, the other best suited for when locked in melee wielding the formidable Darksaber. It is no surprise that Gideon is a creature of Self-Interest; this Stance is best employed while on tactical approach, firing on the enemy and coordinating his forces.

The Self-Interest Stance offers a stronger Ranged Attack Expertise Chart, giving good odds of an extra Critical and Pinning his foe, along with offering high Ranged Attack and Defense stats. The Defense Expertise Chart of his Battle Armor is nearly identical in both Stances, but the top-end of Self-Interest provides the chance of a Reposition vs the Heal provided under Burn them Out.

Self-Interest’s Combat Tree has three different branch lines: the top maximizing damage alongside an early Disarm and a terminating Exposed; the middle line allowing him to Strain the foe, activate his Active Ability (Long Live the Empire), and Heal; and the third line dealing the least damage but providing two Shoves, a stronger Heal, and a Reposition, allowing him to perform a tactical retreat if need be.

The Darksaber has an identical Melee Attack Expertise Chart in either Stance, but Gideon becomes more aggressive when he decides to Burn Them Out. This Stance has higher Melee Attack and Defense stats and weaker Ranged Attack Expertise Chart results, since Gideon is better off relying primarily on the Darksaber in this Stance to eliminate his most dangerous adversary. This Stance’s simpler Combat Tree differs primarily at the lower end, allowing him to choose to use up to two Shoves to knock an opponent off an objective, or focusing on hindering his foe more directly combining Strained, Exposed, and a single Shove. If Gideon attains the full scope of this tree he can inflict high damage, particularly combined with the Darksaber’s Expertise Chart. It would be easy to mistake Gideon for a Sith lord when fighting in this style, and he is arguably just as terrifying and formidable.

Moff Gideon perfectly represents the terrifying authority of the Galactic Empire in his black battle armor, often joined by the equally formidable Death Troopers and Dark Troopers he had a hand in creating. Only Darth Vader is more frightening to behold when closing to attack, and few adversaries are sufficiently confident and well-armed like the Mandalorian to be able to hold their ground against him.

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