With the 501st rework of Rex, Fives, Echo, and Ahsoka, they have become more viable for certain competitive game modes. However, they have just one thing missing: a leader to tie them all together. For a lot of people, myself included, Jedi Knight Anakin has been the perfect candidate for a second rework similar to that of General Grievous’s power-up. Reasons include the fact that Anakin was the leader of the 501st during the Clone Wars and that he needs a better Leader ability. However, there are a few reasons for him to NOT be the one to do it.
1. He is better suited for a Padmé line-up
2. He is a free-to-play character that most people already have
3. This is the Episode 3 variant of Anakin, with no named synergies to Captain Rex or Ahsoka Tano (except for the Critical Hit Immunity)
With promises that the Galactic Republic faction can only get better as more characters are added/reworked, it’s better to keep Jedi Knight Anakin within the Padmé team and wait for a good selection of characters (such as Jedi Master Obi-Wan, who I covered a kit for previously) to amplify them with stronger synergies. Not that he doesn’t need another rework, but I’ll think of one later. Right now, I want to focus on the Clone Wars variant of Anakin Skywalker: General Skywalker.
That’s right, the more popular appearance in Battlefront 2, with the armor-padded shoulders and the dark blue robes. This cunning warrior will use the Inspiration and Surprise mechanics that I came up with previously to turn the battle into his favor.
General Skywalker
Light Side, Jedi, Galactic Republic, 501st, Leader, Attacker
Cunning Jedi warrior who Surprises his enemies by leading his allies to victory with Critical Hit synergies
Basic: Passionate Strike
Deal Physical damage to target enemy. This attack deals 5% more damage for each time General Skywalker or another 501st ally took damage since his last turn. If all allies are 501st, this attack is a guaranteed Critical Hit.
Special 1: Bold Breach (cooldown: 4)
Deal Physical damage to all enemies and inflict Defense Down for 2 turns. Target enemy takes double damage from this attack and is inflicted with Armor Shred for the rest of the battle. Inspired allies gain 5% turn meter for each stack of Inspiration on them, and Surprised enemies lose 5% turn meter for each stack of Surprise on them. All 501st allies gain Advantage and Critical Damage Up for 2 turns.
Special 2: Valorous Charge (cooldown: 4)
Deal Physical damage to target enemy and inflict Healing Immunity and Buff Immunity for 2 turns (can’t be copied, dispelled or resisted). Then, call all Inspired allies to assist, and heal them for 5% of their Max Health for each stack of Inspiration on them. If the target was already Surprised, this attack can’t be Evaded.
Leader: General of the 501st ZETA
Galactic Republic allies have +30% Max Protection and +50% Offense, and gain Advantage for 2 turns whenever they are Evaded. 501st allies gain Advantage for 2 turns at the start of the encounter and whenever they are resisted and can’t be Evaded and are immune to enemy dispels while they have Advantage. Enemies can’t gain buffs or inflict debuffs during a 501st ally’s turn.
Whenever a 501st ally attacks out of turn, they inflict 1 stack of Surprise until an enemy is defeated, which can’t be copied, resisted or dispelled. Whenever a 501st ally scores a Critical Hit, they recover 10% Protection and gain 1 stack of Inspiration until an ally is defeated, which can’t be copied, prevented or dispelled.
Inspiration: +5% Offense, Critical Chance, and Potency per stack, max 5 stacks. At max stacks, this character’s Leader ability is enabled if they have one, otherwise they gain Critical Damage Up for the rest of the encounter, which can’t be prevented or dispelled.
Surprise: -5% Defense, Tenacity, and Critical Avoidance per stack, max 5 stacks. At max stacks, these effects are doubled and this character is inflicted with Armor Shred for the rest of the encounter whenever they take damage.
Characters: at max stacks, this character’s leader ability is disabled and they can’t resist debuffs or turn meter reduction effects.
Raid Bosses: at max stacks, this character loses 10% turn meter whenever it takes damage, which can’t be resisted.
Unique 1: Driven by Passion ZETA
General Skywalker has +20% Counter Chance for each stack of Inspiration on him, and other Inspired allies gain half that amount. The first time Anakin uses any ability each turn, if the target already had Armor Shred, he attacks again using his Basic ability and dispels all defensive buffs in the target, which can’t be Evaded.
If Ahsoka Tano is an ally at the start of the encounter, she gains Critical Hit Immunity until General Skywalker is defeated, which can’t be prevented or dispelled.
Unique 2: Experience Outranks Everything ZETA
Whenever another 501st ally takes damage from an enemy attack, General Skywalker gains 5% turn meter, which can’t be prevented. Whenever Skywalker’s turn is prevented by Stun or Fear, he takes an immediate bonus turn, dealing 10% more damage for each time Anakin or another 501st ally took damage from an enemy attack since the last time he used an ability.
If Rex is an ally at the start of the encounter, they both have a 50% chance to reduce their cooldowns by 1 at the start of each of their turns.
I believe this is the final link to making the 501st into the ultimate Revan/Malak counter that will dominate the meta. With Protection recovery upon scoring a Critical Hit, Leader ability activations/deactivations at max stacks of Inspiration/Surprise, the inability of Malak to inflict Fear when he is Critically hit during a 501st ally’s turn, synergies with Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex, and Anakin’s inevitable and unpreventable turns, the 501st faction is the ultimate key to breaking the meta and moving on to the next one. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to see Anakin dominating the meta instead of Revan and Malak for a change. How about you, Capital Games?
Replies
Tracked off a little there but yeah basically a new Anakin is right around the corner. Honestly I'd rather take another sith for the new 6-month meta, but Anakin will do.
Revans
KRU
Clones
Good NS
Imps
RJT
7* padme
Strategy, modding, and team comp won mine. I am game
I also lack pretty much all of those except DR and I'm undefeated by a large margin this GAC, I lost one single matchup last GAC because I slept through the attack phase. If I don't unlock the new Anakin, it's not because of PvP I'll be salty. It's because the bar would have been set way too high. Honestly I like winning with my siths in PvP. I do like Anakin as a character, but in this game I'd first and foremost want him so I could smash it in LS TB once it hits. Not that I wouldn't use him in arena or whatever but I don't care that much about PvP and even though I happen to win a lot it's not all that important. Getting the characters I like from the SW universe is. If CG makes that impossible unless I give them the monetary equivalent of a perfectly good used car then yeah that would be **** up. It's about principles.
Edit: I actually do have 7* Padme come to think of it. She doesn't have any zetas however and I've yet to use her in a battle. I also don't have CLS or good BHs but that's beside the point I guess.
I lack all of those but clones. I started working on fives when I started playing. (Mid December 2017.) Rex and echo: last January. Clone Sargeant I maxed him aka gear 12 along the way with rex and echo. So I'm pretty good
Let's not talk about Shaak Ti she'll not be needed for the event.