And now, the 2nd of our SWMGamers.com exclusive previews. We give you, the Duros Scout!

Review by Boris The Dwarf




At first glance the Duros Scout may not look like much, but with just the right mix of support he can be a force to reckon with.

Accurate Shot has long been one of if not the best rule-breaking abilities in the game. The option to attack any character regardless of cover or distance has proven to be useful time and time again, from the early days of Rebel Storm with pieces like Han Solo and Boba Fett, to more recent sets such as General Wedge Antilles of Knights of the Old Republic, or Legacy of the Force’s Deliah Blue.

Now we have the cheapest character with Accurate Shot in the game. At seven points, he is obviously fragile, and by himself not prone to hit very many targets at only a +4 Attack. That’s where commander effects come in. Before the release of the set in which the Duros Scout makes his debut, there are already three good commanders who can really boost the Scout: Grand Admiral Thrawn, Master Kota, and General Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Lando Calrissian, Hero of Tanaab can give the character mobile attack, and a Czerka Scientist can give him twin attack. He’s also cheap enough that he can pair nicely with someone like General Windu or Darth Krayt to make extra attacks. There are several good non-unique commanders that can boost damage output for the scout as well.

Barring the use of a character that grants squad assault, you probably won’t want to have more than 1 or 2 of these on your squad, primarily for use in taking out the grunt pieces like Ugnaught Demolitionists or cheap stealth figures such as Wicket who are trying to stay off the front lines while providing utility support for your opponent’s squad.

Here are a couple of sample 150 point squads to try these scouts in:

REPUBLIC
55 General Obi-Wan Kenobi
26 Jedi Weapon Master
21 Duros Scout x3
15 Lobot, Corporate Liason Officer
13 Czerka Scientist
09 R2, Astromech Droid
06 Ugnaught Demolitionist x2
05 Camaasi Noble

The scouts have a +8 Attack and 19 Defense. The Jedi Weapon Master is there to slow approaching enemy characters while the scouts continue to provide “stings� to the enemy. Lobot and R2 give superior door control.

REBEL
35 Han Solo, Rebel Hero
26 Princess Leia, Bounty Hunter
23 Lando Calrissian, Hero of Tanaab
21 Admiral Ackbar
21 Duros Scout x3
13 Czerka Scientist
08 Wicket
03 Ugnaught Demolitionist x1

With Advantageous Attack (from Han Solo) and Accurate Shot, the scouts can shoot for higher damage output. You will probably want to combine fire a few times with this squad, though. Princess Leia, BH can serve the role of melee defender similar to the Jedi Weapon Master (or you could take Jarael and another Ugnaught Demolitionist instead, if you want more activations and a slightly different collection of abilities). Ackbar boosts the scouts, as well as Leia and Wicket, to an additional +4 against activated enemies. Wicket’s Traps ability essentially grants an additional +4 against enemies within 6 squares of him. The Scientist’s Twin Attack provision can often mean +8 Attack for 20 damage twice against unactivated enemies within 6 squares of Wicket, or +12 Attack for 10 damage twice under the same conditions against activated enemies.

At 200 points, grab a Rodian Huntmaster and Jabba, Crime Lord to give your scouts Deadeye and Cunning Attack. In the sample Rebel squad, this would allow them to twin attack at +8 for 40 damage each! You will definitely need more combined fire support to hit the higher defense targets, but with options like Rebel Trooper on Tauntaun or Rebel Leader, you can get “Spotter� bonus damage against the enemy.

At first glance the Duros Scout may not look like much, but with just the right mix of support he can be a force to reckon with.