Hello everyone, and welcome to another Imperial Assault Continuity Project Season 6 spoiler! Today, I have the pleasure to unveil some of my personal favorite cards from the season: The reworked Echo Base Troopers, and their companion figure: the Z-6 Trooper Squad Upgrade! Combined with our Season 6 reworks of Ko-Tun Feralo and CT-1701 “Wildfire,” these new and improved troopers will update the Rebel Troopers squad archetype!
Defend the Base!
In Season 1 of the IACP, we on the Steering Committee thought that all the Echo Base Troopers needed to succeed was a one-point drop in price. However, experience in play since then has shown that the stalwart defenders of Hoth are not quite where they need to be. So, we are taking a new look at them:
In Season 6, the Echo Base Troopers are coming back with better training and equipment. First, their time on the firing range has granted them a permanent +2 accuracy bonus! This means that they will be much more reliable at all ranges. When firing without Front Line active, they have an impressive minimum range of 5 spaces. When firing on the Front Line, the Season 6 Echo Base Troopers will not miss even at the edge of their red-die range, considering their minimum range is 3! Because they do not have to move adjacent to the target or rely on Deadeye to use Front Line, the Season 6 Echo Base Troopers are much more maneuverable and versatile in close-quarters combat.
The Season 6 Echo Base Troopers also boast improved armor. By implementing a Cortosis Weave, the Echo Base Troopers’ armor can only be pierced by lightsaber-wielding opponents. With this new armor, Echo Base Troopers are much better equipped to survive the approach to their enemies to employ their Front Line weaponry! Together, these improvements make the Echo Base Troopers better candidates for Grenadier and Call the Vanguard as they are better able to survive being in the open, and more likely to make accuracy on their powerful attacks.
Spray and Pray
In addition to their new training and equipment, the Season 6 Echo Base Troopers are also bringing new friends… with large blasters. After taking a break during Season 5 to see how the Mortar Trooper worked out, Squad Upgrades are making a big comeback in Season 6. Introducing the new Rebel Squad Upgrade: the Z-6 Trooper!
The Z-6 Trooper Squad Upgrade is directly inspired by my favorite troopers from when I played Legion: the Z-6 Trooper upgrade for the Rebel Troopers. In that game, the Z-6 Trooper added an overwhelming amount of firepower to Rebel armies. Likewise in Imperial Assault, the IACP Z-6 Troopers are capable of pumping out a large volume of fire (even if it is not the most accurate). Coming in with a Green-Green-Yellow ranged attack pool, the Z-6 have a minimum range of only 2 and an average range of 4 (before surges). However, any figures within that small threat radius have to beware a torrent of fire.
With the Autofire ability, the Z-6 Troopers can make multiple attacks against the same target, or two targets that are near each other. These attacks, combined with an innate Blast 1 and Heavy Weapon Command Cards like Collateral Damage and Explosive Weaponry, means that the Z-6 Trooper will be a major threat to enemies that group together. And while some players might feel underwhelmed by Autofire because it gives the defender an extra defense die (and a chance to dodge!), this “weakness” is also a perfect setup for Overwhelming Firepower to add the extra surges you need to trigger the extra shot, and 2 (or more) extra damage to boot!
The Z-6 Troopers wear the same uniform as the Echo Base Troopers, and work very well with them, as the whole group wants to move together to overwhelm the enemy in close quarters. However, the Z-6 Trooper can also be attached to the Rebel Pathfinders as a Heavy Weapon backup to the nimble Rebel scouts. Either way, the Z-6 Troopers will add a fun and powerful figure to your Rebel Trooper squads!
Move It, Trooper!
Together with the IACP reworks of Ko-Tun Feralo, CT-1701, and Fenn Signis, the Echo Base Trooper improvements and the new Z-6 Trooper Squad Upgrade will help bring the Rebel Troopers squad archetype to prominence. We look forward to seeing the Alliance’s elite soldiers in action in Season 6 and beyond!
What do YOU think of these new figures? Let us know in the comments below, on our Discord server, or on the Zion’s Finest Slack channel! We on the Steering Committee are active participants in discussion, and we love to hear your feedback!