“It’s your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my power.”

–Luke Skywalker, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Though he spent the first nineteen years of his life working on a Tatooine moisture farm, Luke Skywalker moved far beyond this humble origin. Studying under the great Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke learned the ways of the Force and became a Jedi strong enough to confront the dark lords of the Sith. This thrilling hero’s journey is one of the key character arcs in the Star Wars saga, and now, you’ll be able to take Luke Skywalker’s experience as a Jedi Knight into your games of Imperial Assault.

You’ve already had the chance to play with Luke Skywalker as he appears in A New Hope—still more comfortable with a blaster than a lightsaber. Now, with the upcoming Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight Ally Pack, you can play Luke Skywalker as he appears during the epic conflicts in Return of the Jedi. Of course, this expansion includes more than just a sculpted plastic figure of Luke Skywalker in battle. You’ll also find a new skirmish upgrade, new Command cards, and new missions for your campaigns and skirmish games!

Today, we take a closer look at just what you can expect to find when you join the Rebellion and fight alongside Luke Skywalker with this Ally Pack.

A Dangerous Warrior

From the moment you first see Luke Skywalker entering Jabba’s Palace at the beginning of Return of the Jedi, it’s immediately apparent that he’s changed. The boy who only wanted to spend time with his friends at Tosche Station has been replaced by a Jedi Knight who’s more than capable of facing down a crime lord like Jabba the Hutt and his entire court.

In your games of Imperial Assault, the differences are equally apparent. As a Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker costs a couple more points, but he benefits from a significantly increased health and an inherent boost to his damage and evasion. Though his attack pool remains the same, his primary weapon has changed to a lightsaber, giving him a significantly greater ability to pierce enemy armor by spending a surge.

As his greater health and melee attacks indicate, this new version of Luke Skywalker has no problems charging into the midst of a brawl and battling the servants of the dark side. Your opponent may try to stay away and bring Luke down with ranged attacks, but you can knock that damage right back with Deflect. With this ability, after a ranged attack targeting you or an adjacent friendly figure resolves, you can deal one damage to any hostile figure in your line of sight! Even if the attack misses or you dodge the damage, you’ll still be able to deflect a few bolts back at your enemies to whittle down their health.

More importantly, Luke Skywalker also bears the Heroic ability, which allows to him to perform an attack without spending an action, once per activation. The versatility of this ability is truly remarkable. Although you’re restricted to only spending one of your actions to attack each round, Heroic does not cost an action, bypassing this restriction and inviting you to make two attacks per round, if you choose. Or, you could simply use your other actions to accomplish other tasks, such as moving up to eight spaces before attacking an enemy figure! However you use it, Heroic can make Luke Skywalker one of the most important figures on your battlefield.

A Light in the Darkness

Throughout your campaigns, Luke Skywalker will quickly prove to be a potent ally, provided you can win his aid by completing the new side mission included in this Ally Pack. During this mission, you’ll need to infiltrate a secret Imperial base on Tatooine and retrieve the data within. Fortunately, Luke Skywalker has volunteered to help with this mission, and his familiarity with Tatooine could be a valuable asset.

No matter where you find him in your campaign, Luke Skywalker is a powerful ally. His multiple attacks are a great way to cut your way through Imperial forces, while allowing your heroes to stay on mission and accomplish their goals. You can even situate Luke Skywalker in the center of the heroes and use his Deflect ability to protect them—or at least punish your opponent for taking shots at the heroes from a distance.

Your Powers Are Growing

Obviously, Luke Skywalker is no less deadly in a skirmish. Here, perhaps more than anywhere else, the versatility of Heroic becomes crucial. Whether you’re making multiple attacks and racking up damage on your opponent’s figures, or crossing nearly the entire battlefield to reach your target, Luke Skywalker is a fitting centerpiece for any army. Even if that weren’t enough, Luke’s high health and three-dice attack make him well worth considering for a place on your strike team.

This Ally Pack also includes a new skirmish upgrade that could serve a useful role attached to Luke Skywalker or any other unique character. This neutral skirmish upgrade is Motivation. By exhausting this card during the attached figure’s activation, you can choose any friendly figure in line of sight with a lower figure cost. The chosen figure immediately discards a Harmful condition or recovers one damage—and then gains a movement point as well! Whether you’re playing as the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance, or the Mercenaries, Motivation is great way to keep your fighters hale and position them exactly where you need them.

Within the Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight Ally Pack, you’ll also find three new Command cards—and although their effects are simple, their sheer efficiency may warrant inclusion in your Command deck. These cards has nearly symmetrical effects: Parry adds a block while you’re defending, Positioning Advantage adds a damage while you’re attacking, and Blitz adds a surge while you’re attacking. In many ways, these cards allow you to counter the luck of the dice. Maybe you come up just one damage short of destroying a crucial figure. By playing Positioning Advantage, you gain the extra damage you need and destroy the figure. Blitz and Parry offer similar effects and that may be just what you need to claim victory.

The Force Is Strong

Luke Skywalker has grown since his early days on Tatooine. Now, you can fight alongside him in your campaigns and skirmish missions with the rest of the Rebel Alliance. Pre-order your copy of the Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight Ally Pack at your local retailer today, and join us next time for a preview of the Alliance Rangers Ally Pack!