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very hero in Imperial Assault comes equipped with their own special set of skills that, when used properly and combined together in a synergistic way, can turn the tide of any Rebel mission. The thing is, every hero just has so many abilities and options that it’s often hard to find the winning combination. In my Rebel Campaign Strategies article , I mentioned how it’s important to carve out a niche for each one of your heroes. A winning rebel team will have a “purpose” for each hero, and the class and item cards that are chosen will all work together to serve that purpose. This article is here to help you find it.

Today, we’ll look at Jyn Odan, one of my personal favorites, and one of the original heroes from the Imperial Assault core set. While there are plenty of different combinations we could put together for Jyn, making great use of her Quick Draw ability will be our focus in this article. Let’s talk about Quick Draw, why it’s awesome, and how you can become a wheelin’ dealin’ merchant of death by enhancing it with Jyn’s class cards.

Why Quick Draw? Because it empowers Jyn to do just about everything she does best. Due to her high speed, Jyn excels most at being an objective-based unit that can move around the map and get things done. For any players familiar with the game, this is often a death sentence, as lone heroes can easily be overwhelmed by swarms of Imperial reinforcements. By itself, Jyn’s Quick Draw isn’t quite enough to keep her safe, and she’s better used to move around than to constantly attack, so it’s not like she can spend a bunch of time shooting enemies. Jyn is designed to be an opportunist (it even says on her card!), so you want to be able to move around, get things done, and hit the enemy hard when a good opportunity presents itself.

This loadout is designed to take advantage, in every possible way, of Jyn’s trick shot. If you’ve been getting even half the use out of this ability that this loadout provides, there’s a good chance that your Imperial player already hates this ability. Let’s make them hate it even more.

Quick Draw: Pros and Cons

Quick Draw: Use at the start of a hostile figure’s activation. Interrupt to perform an attack with a Pistol targeting that figure. Limit once per round (twice if you have 2 activation tokens).

Basically, this allows you to slap Jyn near any Imperial Unit, and be able to waste them before they actually get to make their move. This is one of the best abilities in the whole game. Having an extra attack up Jyn’s sleeve can be monumentally useful, for several reasons:

–An enemy defeated by Quick Draw will lose its activation. A well-timed Quick Draw to the right enemy can rob the Imperial Player of an entire turn. You don’t need me to tell you why that’s a good thing.

–Quick Draw can give Jyn a third attack. While I like to use Jyn as a mobile objective clearer, she can be a powerhouse with the right gun. Sometimes, if you have an enemy that just really needs to go down, you can double attack with Jyn and then get a THIRD shot with your Quick Draw. This can save your whole game in the right context.

–Quick Draw allows Jyn to use maximum movement and still attack. “Shoot for the objective, or kill enemies?” This is THE biggest question of Imperial Assault, and for the rebels to win a campaign, they must finds the right balance. Some heroes need to fight, others need to move. Most of the time, significant movement robs a hero of their opportunity to attack. Not Jyn! She can double move with her incredible 5 movement, and still get an attack via Quick Draw on some poor chump. This makes her an amazing objective character.

–Quick Draw can screw with the Imperial’s placement/movement. If you use Quick Draw enough for your Imperial player to start anticipating it, he’ll have to start making tough choices when he moves his units. Bringing a unit anywhere close to Jyn, especially a weak one, can be a death wish. It’s fun watching the Imperial having to rethink his choices once he knows that Jyn will always be waiting with a special surprise.

There are some cons, of course, to the Quick Draw. You’ll have to watch out for some of these things when you use it:

-Jyn’s starting weapon sucks. It’s not the worst gun in the world, but Quick Draw gets deadly when Jyn is wielding something a bit more potent. Say, for example, that shiny DL-44 she’s holding in her artwork (more on that later).

-It’s a strain guzzler. Quick Draw costs two strain, which isn’t exactly ideal since she only has, y’know, four. This means that Jyn’s tired out by the time you use two Quick Draws, and forget about even doing that if you’re strain-moving (which you should). It’s not fun to rest just to get strain back, so you have to be careful about when you use it.

-It can leave Jyn open. Sometimes, the best place to put Jyn is somewhere where she can get a nice clean Quick Draw shot on an unsuspecting enemy. However, if you’re not careful, this can leave Jyn in the middle of a swarm of enemies. She can get the jump on people with this ability, but don’t get too greedy–Jyn has her limits, not least among them being here paltry 10 HP.

Sample Loadout: Fastest Shot in the Galaxy

Jyn can be played any way you want, and you’re free to make any changes to this loadout, but this is an example that you could use as a guide if you want to build a powerful Jyn Odan. I’ll list the order in which the cards would hypothetically be bought, and expound on these choices. For this loadout, we’re going to assume that Jyn is rocking the DL-44 as her gun. This is a level one card that is likely to come out during your first few rounds (especially if you have Smuggler’s Luck), and it’s one of the best guns Jyn can use. I don’t think it’s an accident that she’s holding that gun in her artwork.

First Card – Smuggler’s Luck (1 XP)

Smuggler’s Luck – “Exhaust this card while performing an attribute test to reroll any number of dice. | Exhaust this card after you draw a Supply card to discard that card and draw another one. | During the Rebel upgrade stage, draw 1 additional Item card.

The first thing you might be thinking is “Why Smuggler’s Luck? That has nothing to do with Quick Draw!” and you’d be right. However, there’s a reason we’re beefing up Quick Draw, and it’s to allow Jyn to have some decent firepower while doing what she does best–clearing objectives. This card helps with the latter. Failing attribute tests as the Rebels sucks, so Jyn already has an ace up her sleeve there if we get this card. Also, drawing Supply cards can be VERY helpful during missions, but it always comes with a tactical choice of “wasting” another action can do so. If we assume that Jyn will only be attacking with Quick Draw, that frees her to draw Supply tcards, and being able to have a second choice can really save your butt in a tight spot. Finally, giving Jyn the right gun is a huge part of making this loadout work, so being able to draw an extra one during the Upgrade Phase can be a blessing. Finally, this one is only 1 XP, so it’s something useful that you can pick up right off the bat.

Optional: Skip this one. If you want to get straight to work on making Jyn more powerful, you can always skip this one and then get Cheap Shot on the second round, and opt to get this card later. It’s up to you; I’ve done it both ways.

Second Card – Cheap Shot (2 XP)

Cheap Shot – “When you use ‘Quick Draw,’ apply +1 [dmg] to the attack results. The attack also gains [surge] stun.

Oh man, I love Cheap Shot. It’s such a killer card for its cheap price of 2 EXP. First of all, you’re adding a guaranteed damage point to your Quick Draw attack. But more importantly, you get stun. If you don’t know how useful stun can be, it’s pretty dang useful. Stun prevents two of the Empire’s most powerful enemies, Trando Hunters and Royal Guards, from getting close enough to be able to do their damage. It’s wonderful moving up close to these guys, waiting for them to make their move, stunning them, and basically robbing them of their turn. A Jyn Odan with a stun equipped Quick Draw can be a great buffer to prevent nasty melee units from getting close to the heroes. And then, while they’re stunned, the other heroes might just be able to waste them before they get another turn.

Application Example – Cheap Shot with the DL-44:

At this point, you’ll have earned at least three EXP, or maybe even two if you bought Cheap Shot first. If you’re lucky enough to draw the DL-44, Jyn’s already on her way, in just the second or third mission, to being one of your strongest characters. The DL-44 hits hard, potentially allowing +3 dmg with two surges, along with the +1 that comes from Cheap Shot. The worst possible roll deals 3 dmg minimum, while the best roll can deal up to seven hits of damage. When you’re this early on in the campaign, that can be devastating. This picture puts it in better perspective:

Optional: Equip a Tactical Display. The raw damage Jyn can deal with her DL-44 can be pretty nasty, but it’s just disgusting when you throw in a Tactical Display. The Tac Display allows you to add +1 [surge] to any attack (once per round), allowing you to almost always get maximum use out of her DL-44. You’re almost guaranteed to roll at least one surge between the blue and yellow attack dice, and if you did, adding the extra surge will guarantee at least +3 damage to your existing roll. Add in the +1 Cheap Shot damage, and you’ve got a +4 bonus, independent of whatever hits you already have. But wait, it gets better. If you roll two surges, you can add that damage AND throw in the stun from the Cheap Shot, stopping your enemy in his place. If you’re able to get this loadout together, you’ll love seeing the Imperial Player’s face when you’re able to deal six damage + stun on the third round of the campaign.

Third Card – Get Cocky (3 EXP)

Get Cocky – Exhaust this card after you resolve an attack. If the target figure was defeated, recover 2 [strain] or become Focused.

It might take a little while to earn this one, but it’s worth it. At this point, with Cheap Shot and a DL-44 (or something even more powerful), you’ll have turned Jyn’s Quick Draw into a very powerful attack. However, we still haven’t solved the strain problem–Quick Draw tires Jyn out, and you might only get one or two of ’em in before you have to rest. Get Cocky solves that. With Get Cocky, the idea is to strategically place Jyn in places where she’ll murder whatever poor sap decides to activate near her. If you’re able to kill the unit (highly possible with Cheap Shot + a good gun card), you get your strain back, allowing you to do this over and over. Furthermore, you have the option to focus yourself instead. If you’re good on strain, your next Quick Draw can be absolutely brutal should you decide to go that route. At this point, you’ve got a Jyn who can deal massive damage, stun, and then heal her strain after attacking, allowing her to keep Quick Drawing, or giving her extra strain movements, which are invaluable for clearing objectives.

Fourth Card Onward – Depends

At this point, it’s hard to recommend a specific card to purchase, mainly because you’re likely to be pretty far in your campaign. Getting the above cards will take a minimum of four missions and a maximum of six. The point of a good loadout is to make the hero viable as soon as possible, so that you’ll be able to win earlier missions, which give you more cash and EXP. If you are able to win several of the earlier story missions, you’ll gain precious XP that allows you to buy level 4 class cards, or multiple cheaper ones. You’ll also get a whole lot more credits, allowing you to flesh out your heroes with some nice weapons, which makes a big difference. Every card you buy for Jyn after setting her up like this has some good potential:

Trick Shot (4 XP) – [1 strain]: Use before you declare an attack with a [ranged weapon]. You can draw line of sight from any space within 3 spaces.

While the wording is confusing at first, Trick Shot is just NASTY when you’ve got it down. It allows you to establish line of sight from “any space within 3 spaces,” meaning you don’t have to actually follow the line of sight rules. Yes, this means you can hide behind a corner and Quick Draw an enemy without them even being able to see you. If you’ve been using Quick Draw to its max potential (which you should), you’ll be able to think of some really devilish scenarios with this one. Also worth noting that you can do this with ANY attack, not just Quick Draw.

I’ve never been that interested in buying Trick Shot, mainly since I’ve never had a particularly hard time keeping Jyn out of danger. If you’re having trouble keeping Jyn alive or if you struggle with how to position her, Trick Shot is ideal.

Sidewinder (4 XP) – After you resolve an attack, you may move up to 2 spaces.

This, obviously, greatly enhances Jyn’s movement, as if it wasn’t good enough. With Jyn, you’ve got 5 movement, judicious use of strain-moves if you’re using Get Cocky right, Opportunist (allows Jyn to move a space if she deals damage), and now this. Let’s just see how far she can move in ONE round if you have this ridiculous combination:

Long story short, if you still aren’t satisfied with Jyn’s movement options even after all she has, Sidewinder will solve your problems.

Gunslinger (3XP) – While you are attacking with a Pistol you can use [strain] abilities from any other Pistol you brought to the mission. | [1 strain]: Exhaust this card while attacking to apply +1 [surge] to your attack results.

This is also a card that I haven’t got incredible use out of, mainly since I’m usually content with the abilities that Jyn’s equipped pistol brings in. I usually don’t have the surge count to use up everything on her own pistol, so I’ve never seen the need to borrow abilities from other guns, especially if they can be sold for extra credits. Consider that fact that you’ve also got stun from the Cheap Shot card, and you’ve probably already got everything you need. The extra surge is also nice, but I’ve found that Jyn is usually the best candidate for the Tactical Display, so I usually just use that instead. Notwithstanding, this card can have its place. It’s good if you don’t have a Tactical Display, or would rather use it on someone else, and it’s also good if you often have extra surges to spend. I’ve found that most of the other Pistols in the game don’t offer anything super special (except for maybe the Sporting Pistol) in the way of surge abilities, so this card feels a little superfluous. It wouldn’t be very high up on the list for me, but if you’ve found a way to make good use of this card, I’d love to hear it in the comments.

Roll With It (2 XP) – [1 strain]: Use when an attack targeting you is declared to apply +1 [block] to your defense results. You may convert 1 or more [block] to [surge cancel] results.

This one is nice for keeping Jyn alive, though I’ve found that, if you’re careful enough with how you play her, she’s perfectly capable of staying alive herself. The idea with Jyn is playing her cleverly and putting her in opportunistic positions, so you’ll either want her out of danger, or in a spot where she can Quick Draw said danger to death. That being said, this is a useful card that can save Jyn’s butt in a tight spot. The biggest turn off for me is that it costs one strain, which is just hard to justify when you’re most likely already spending it like crazy with her Quick Draw and strain moves. I’d rather give Jyn a Combat Coat or Laminate armor instead of use precious XP for this ability, but this card is good if you want some peace of mind. Better to be safe than sorry in a tough spot.

Quick as a Whip (1 XP) – After an attack targeting you is resolves, you may move 1 space.

This one’s simple, but adds even more to Jyn’s crazy movement options than what you had before. This is great for players who are good at moving, and who do it often, because, coupled with her native ability Opportunist, Jyn will be able to move at least one square after every attack, whether she started it or not. This is a card I would be likely to buy, since it gives you something you didn’t have before. The other three cards mentioned above can be worked around with enough skill, but extra movement is something that can only be bought. Furthermore, moving an extra space might be the difference between being in and out of enemy sight. The more Jyn moves, the more opportunistically you’ll be able to use her. She wants to strike at the right moment and then duck into cover, and extra movement facilitates that.

So there you have it. If you want an awesome Jyn, give her Cheap Shot, Get Cocky, Smuggler’s Luck, and a good gun. If you know your stuff when it comes to moving and positioning, you’ll have quite the powerhouse in your hands. From there, each card presents its own benefits, and you’ll have to choose whatever suits your own play style best.

Item Cards that Jive with Jyn

DL-44 (lvl 1, 500 credits):

I’ve already mentioned above that this is one of the best (if not THE best) weapons for Jyn. I mean, come on, she’s holding the thing in her artwork. Being Han’s preferred blaster from the movies, the DL-44 is characteristically an opportunistic blaster. With the yellow die, it’s a perfect pair-up with Cheap Shot, which gives you extra damage and a stun. This means, with the DL-44, you can often make the choice to either deal more damage, or stun your opponent in their tracks. Having an ability that adds a surge (such as Tactical Display or Gunslinger) will make this gun god-like in Jyn’s hands. I’m convinced that no character can wield this blaster better than Jyn can. The best part is that it’s a level 1 weapon, so you can get a good start very early on. The only blaster that rivals the DL-44 for Jyn is the level 3 Sporting Blaster, which can be pretty powerful when combined with some of her other abilities. The Deathhammer appears to be more powerful, but I’ve found that it rolls, on average, about the same damage as the 44, but for more money , less range, and less room for attachments.

Tactical Display (lvl 1, 300 credits):

The keyword here, once again, is opportunist. You can add a surge at any time with this card, and it can turn the right attack into a perfect coup de grace. The Tactical Display is nice for ANY hero, but since it’s an exhaust ability, you’re only getting use out of it once per round. Why not give it to Jyn, who may very well only be attacking once per round with her Quick Draw? I’ve found Jyn always benefits a lot from this card, but as I’ve already mentioned, it is stupidly powerful when combined with Cheap Shot/DL-44. +4 Damage to my roll AND a stun? Yes please, I’ll take it.

Combat Coat/Laminate Armor (lvl 1/2/3, 500/700 credits):

One of Jyn’s major flaws is that she’s weak. Her health is garbage, so you’d better keep her out of danger. That’s not always possible, so a Combat Coat or Laminate Armor is a must-have. Your other heroes are probably stronger, and many of them can upgrade health via class cards. Jyn can’t, making these particularly beneficial for her.

Overcharger (attachment, lvl 2, 300 credits):

If you really want to hit the Imperial Player hard, bust out this card during a Quick Draw when he’s activating one of his best units. When he’s done the math and mathematically figured that Jyn can’t beat whatever enemy he’s using, pull this out and shatter his heart into pieces. This is a deplete card, making it inherently opportunistic and therefore good for Jyn. While other units could make good use out of it, it would be better used during an interrupt attack where it’s possible for the unit to lose their activation entirely.

Spread Barrel (attachment, lvl 2, 300 credits):

This isn’t necessarily better on Jyn than it is with other heroes, but it can be lethal if Jyn’s in close quarters. Remember all that business with the DL-44+Cheap Shot+Tac Display? This can add one MORE damage to that ridiculous wombo combo. Anything that allows Jyn to increase damage output during her Quick Draws is great.

Plasma Cell (attachent, lvl 2, 450 credits, Twin Suns):

While the extra surge damage is nice here, the real star of the show is the Pierce 1 that this gun adds to whatever gun it’s attached to. This is in the category of “stuff that adds extra damage during attacks,” which, again, are always good for Jyn. Note that this is only available in the Twin Suns Mini Expansion.

434 “Deathhammer” (lvl 2, 600 credits):

The automatic +1 is a sweet deal here, along with the red die damage. This gun is nice, but I’ve found that it doesn’t do much better than the DL-44, provided you’re rolling enough surges. The DL-44 also has an advantage in that it can hold two attachments and has safer range, but still, I’ve seen Jyn do work with this gun. This is a good candidate for Gunslinger, as you could net the +1 damage from the Deathhammer and then use the free surge to use, say, the DL-44’s +2.

Extra Ammunition (lvl 2, 300 credits):

While Jyn’s Quick Draw is generally nightmare fuel, you can’t escape those occasional rolls that just completely suck. Extra Ammunition is good insurance in case you blow a Quick Draw with a bad dice roll. Wasting a regular attack sucks on its own, but wasting a two strain Quick Draw is even worse. Rerolling even one die can often save your attack.

Sporting Blaster (lvl 3, 900 credits):

Any three-die gun is always a good thing in Imperial Assault. It only just now occurred to me that this would be a fantastic card to use with Jyn’s Gunslinger or Get Cocky abilities. The gun rolls two yellow dice, providing lots of surges for abilities from other guns, and being able to focus with Get Cocky would give this thing FOUR dice for its next attack. It would be even more scary if you combined the two together.

Conclusion

Jyn Odan, like the smug, wisecracking smuggler that inspired her, is an opportunist at heart. She’s not meant to march to the front lines and face a literal Imperial Assault–she works best when she’s moving at her own pace, clearing your objectives and firing at the enemy when the odds are best for her. By beefing up her Quick Shot, Jyn will be able to get anywhere you need her to be on the map, while also giving Imperials a nasty surprise when they try to get near her.

Though this guide provides an excellent way to play her, this is not the only good loadout for Jyn. Have you found a way to play Jyn that I haven’t listed here? Did you choose to take advantage of her flexible movement options instead of focusing on the Quick Draw? Sound out your ideas in the comments!





About the Author Zach Hillegas Zach is an avid tabletop gamer, and he created Board Game Resource out of his love for the hobby, and his desire to see more people come into it. When he's not writing for or managing BGR, Zach might be hanging out with cats, hiking a mountain, spending time with his lovely wife, or writing about video game stuff for Insert Gamer. Zach has also enjoys creating digital character art. You can check out his (long neglected) gallery here, or follow him on Instagram at @artworkbyzach!

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