As of the writing of this article, there are two giant leader-shaped holes in Star Wars: Unlimited’s first set “Spark of Rebellion.” The accepted wisdom tells us that we are missing one Vigilance Heroic Leader and one dastardly Command Villainous Leader. As purveyors of SWU content, the only responsible thing that we can do is this: Recklessly speculate on these missing cards!
Thanks to some fine detective work by our SWU Harvest crew, we know that the Heroic Leader will likely have a name between C and L, while the Villainous Leader will appear in the alphabet before G. Feel free to join in the speculation and share your own predictions with us!
Chirrut is one with the Force, and the Force is with him. That is not the reason he’s our favorite, but it doesn’t hurt. Not a Jedi, he was a Guardian of the Whills in Rogue One. Guardians must be Vigilant, therefore Chirrut is obviously the missing Heroic Leader. Chirrut may be able to provide information on your opponent’s deck or some shielding in a quasi-Luke sort of way. In conclusion, Chirrut stands out as a strong candidate for the missing Hero.
The Ghost’s original Jedi is challenged by being the third potential Star Wars Rebels hero. He does fit the criteria perfectly, however, so we’ve got to consider him a favorite. Kanan would likely provide some protection for another character but could be a mixture of protection and direct damage. Kanan’s alignment with the criteria makes him a compelling choice.
This one seems unlikely but still possible. The Star Wars Jedi games have definitely been a bright spot in the sometimes turbulent history of games set in a galaxy far, far away. This ginger Jedi would bring his collection of ponchos and diminutive droid BD-1 into the fray, and would do it with style. His ability might be something that takes advantage of Cal’s “psychometry” force power to gain card knowledge of an opponent’s deck. His unique abilities and history in the franchise make him an intriguing but less likely option.
C’mon, it’s gotta be Jek Porkins right? This pilot is the namesake of the Porkins Belly Run maneuver, which was taught to all Resistance pilots decades after the man heroically sacrificed himself during the Battle of Yavin. His Leader ability would likely reflect his one-of-a-kind piloting ability and allow him to ready all vehicles in the Space Arena. That seems like it may not be a powerful enough ability for this legend, but you must have balance after all. In a just and fair world, Jek Porkins would be the only Leader a player would ever need in Star Wars: Unlimited. Alas, he will likely not be in “Spark of Rebellion”. We can dream, though.
The odds-on favorite for the Leader. If anyone could have a Unit in one Aspect and a Leader in another, it would be the Emperor himself. His unit has Overwhelm and deals 6 points of direct damage when played. The Leader version of the former Senator Sheev of Naboo may continue these trends, or perhaps his Command Aspect would be represented with a deep discount on Units or Events. Emperor Palpatine emerges as a strong contender for this villainous role.
Jabba the Hutt’s majordomo is a prime candidate for the missing Command Leader. As the head steward of the Hutt’s household, Fortuna would certainly have vast resources and soldiers at his disposal. This Leader would perhaps have access to additional resources, allowing him to ramp up more quickly than others in the Command Aspect. In summary, Bib Fortuna’s role as a majordomo positions him as a likely Command Villainous Leader.
An exceptional pilot and soldier, Gideon Hask was part of Inferno Squad alongside Iden Versio and Del Meeko. This Leader’s training may allow him to hasten the removal of pesky adversaries. Gideon Hask’s exceptional skills make him a notable contender for the Command Villain Leader role, but his relative obscurity in the Star Wars universe may keep him from leadership glory.
Already the leader of the Modal Nodes, this Bith already has Command experience to spare. Swap out his Kloo horn for a blaster rifle and you have the makings of a cold-blooded dead-eyed assassin. His most likely Leader ability could be the removal of up to three opposing units once per main phase. This feels weak, but we have faith in the game devs.
There we have it. We expect to fill in the blanks over the coming weeks but, until then, we can all enthusiastically share our predictions as to who the final Leaders will be. Feel free to make your guesses below, and join us in March when we crack packs and see these characters on our tabletops.
Art by Eric Hibbeler
Copyright Fantasy Flight Games
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