Kit Reveal: Era of The Mandalorian & Grogu

Hello Holotable Heroes!

This Era will be a specialized single-episode "Mini-Era" centered on the highly anticipated release of Galactic Legend The Mandalorian and Grogu! Read on for the character kits to look forward to this season.

UNIT NAME: The Mandalorian and Grogu

ALIGNMENT: Light Side

CATEGORIES: Galactic Legend, Light Side, Leader, Attacker, Bounty Hunter, Mandalorian, New Republic, Unaligned Force User, Scoundrel

Character Intro

This version of The Mandalorian and Grogu captures the legendary duo just moments before their dramatic entrance into the twins' palace on Nal Hutta, fully geared with a lethal arsenal and ready for the fight of their lives. 

As a Galactic Legend Attacker and Leader, The Mandalorian and Grogu will charge headfirst into battle alongside their New Republic allies, spreading discord and inflicting the un-dispellable On the Run debuff on their adversaries while allies offer support from the backline. Once their Ultimate ability, Fire Up the Drives, is unleashed, it serves as a massive tactical reset: dispelling debuffs, granting bonus turns, and paving the way for their allies to swoop in and finish off the targets.

Basic - Twin Strike

Final Text: Deal Physical damage twice to target enemy. Gain Retribution for 2 turns and 10% Offense (stacking) for the rest of the encounter.

When attacking during the enemy's turn: Gain 10% Turn Meter for each critical hit scored. 

When used during The Mandalorian and Grogu's turn: Inflict 2 stacks of On the Run for the rest of the encounter, which can't be dispelled or resisted. If The Mandalorian and Grogu is the ally in the Leader slot, gain 50% progress towards The Mandalorian and Grogu's Contract.

If The Mandalorian and Grogu used Force Splinter on the same target enemy last turn, inflict Fear for 1 turn, which can't be dispelled, evaded, or resisted.

Synergies: Since this ability increases The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Payout progress, it may be a good idea to use this over a Special ability if you know it’ll be hard to complete your Payout through just counter attacks.

Inspiration: During the final battle inside the twin’s palace at Nal Hutta, Mando uses a pair of blades against Embo. Since his other abilities have him use ranged weapons, we wanted him to use a melee weapon as well, to showcase his mastery in combat.

FAQ/Clarity: For the Fear to actually be inflicted, you must use the Granted Ability Force Splinter on the same target enemy as Twin Strike. Keep in mind that only the Granted abilities ignore Taunt until the Payout is completed and their Ultimate has been used at least once this encounter.

Special 1 - The Old Protect the Young

Final Text: Deal Physical damage to all enemies and inflict Provoked for 2 turns, which can't be dispelled. Inflict 2 stacks of On the Run to all enemies for the rest of the encounter, which can't be dispelled or resisted, and all New Republic allies gain 2 stacks of Heal Over Time for 1 turn, and Retaliate for 2 turns, which can't be dispelled.

New Republic allies gain bonuses based on their role:

• Attackers: Gain Offense Up and Retribution for 2 turns
• Healers and Supports: Their cooldowns are reduced by 1 and they gain Deflective Ward for 1 turn or until they take damage
• Tanks: Dispel all debuffs on themselves, and gain Potency Up and Taunt for 2 turns

Synergies: This is intended as the first ability to be used at the start of the fight since it grants beneficial effects to their New Republic allies depending on their role. Setting up Retribution and Provoked also speed up their Ultimate charge gain.

Inspiration: Throughout the movie, The Mandalorian would often use his Grav charges in creative ways. Here, he uses them to disorient his enemies and set up his allies.

Special 2 - Bring You In Warm or Cold

Final Text: Deal Physical damage to all enemies and an additional instance of damage to the target enemy. Inflict Burning on all enemies for 2 turns and inflict 5 stacks of On the Run to target enemy for the rest of the encounter, which can't be dispelled or resisted. Enemies who were already Burning are instead inflicted with Armor Shred until the end of battle, which can't be resisted.

If The Mandalorian and Grogu used Force Splinter last turn, the second attack dispels all buffs on the target enemy, always critically hits, ignores 50% of the target's Defense, deals 20% more damage for each debuff on the enemy, and can't be evaded.

If The Mandalorian and Grogu used And Then the Young Protect the Old last turn, this ability inflicts Healing Immunity on all enemies for 2 turns, which can't be avoided or dispelled.

Synergies: Colonel Ward’s Special ability, X-haul Fly-by, inflicts Burning to all enemies, so if you can tweak the turn order correctly, you can consistently inflict Armor Shred. And depending on which Granted ability you decided to use the turn before, this ability can change from an AOE utility ability to a devastating single-target attack.

Inspiration: I wanted to showcase some more weapons The Mandalorian used in the movie, and his trusty flamethrower and pistol were obvious choices. The flamethrower debuffs all enemies while the pistol is a finishing shot onto a single enemy.

Granted 1 - Force Splinter

Final Text: Deal Physical damage to the target enemy and dispel all buffs on them.

Inflict Defense Down for 2 turns to the target enemy.

Inflict Buff Immunity for 2 turns to the target enemy, which can't be dispelled, evaded, or resisted.

Synergies: Grogu’s abilities ignore Taunt so you can dispel all buffs and inflict a locked Buff Immunity onto any enemy, which can be very powerful if used correctly.

Inspiration: This ability comes directly from the beginning of the movie where Grogu uses the force to lift and crush an Imperial MSE (mouse) droid, destroying it.

FAQ/Clarity: Note that Buff Immunity does not prevent buffs that can not be prevented.

Granted 2 - And Then the Young Protect the Old

Final Text: Dispel all debuffs on the target ally and they recover 15% Health and Protection.

If the target ally is New Republic, they deal 50% more damage next turn, and gain Potency Up and Retribution for 2 turns.

If the target ally is a New Republic Tank, they gain Taunt for 2 turns.

If the target ally is The Mandalorian and Grogu, they gain Critical Damage Up and Retaliate for 3 turns.

Synergies: Despite The Mandalorian and Grogu’s role being an Attacker, they still offer some single target utility and sustain from Grogu’s abilities. Potency Up helps allies land crucial debuffs, and Cara Dune will revive if she is defeated while she has Potency Up. The Critical Damage Up and Retaliate will last just long enough for them to use their next Special ability.

Inspiration: This is inspired by the scene where Grogu uses the force to close The Mandalorian’s wounds after his fight with the Dragonsnake.

Ultimate - Fire Up the Drives

Final Text: Requires 100% Ultimate Charge to activate.

Ultimate Charge: Gain 2% Ultimate Charge whenever a New Republic ally counterattacks, inflicts Retaliate damage, or Provoked enemy counterattacks. Gain 5% Ultimate Charge whenever a New Republic ally gains Dramatic Entrance, and gain 10% Ultimate Charge whenever an enemy is defeated while inflicted with On the Run.

Deal Physical damage to all enemies and dispel all debuffs on all allies and recover 100% Health and Protection. All other New Republic allies gain a bonus turn, their cooldowns are reset, and they gain 50% Mastery and Offense for the rest of the encounter.

The next time On the Run is reset on an enemy (excluding Galactic Legends and Raid Bosses), they're instantly defeated and The Mandalorian and Grogu gain a bonus turn. Enemies (excluding Galactic Legends and Raid Bosses) who are immune to Instant Defeat effects instead have their Protection disabled and are inflicted with Healing Immunity which can't be dispelled or prevented, and they lose 50% Defense, Offense, and Speed for the rest of battle.

This attack can't be countered or evaded.

Synergies: This ability acts as a reset button for all of The Mandalorian and Grogu’s allies. Recovering everyone’s Health and Protection and resetting their team’s cooldowns. At this point, all enemies should be inflicted with On the Run so it shouldn’t take too much more time before an enemy can be instantly defeated.

Inspiration: One of our favorite scenes in the movie is when Grogu is button mashing the Razor Crest’s control panel and shooting missiles all over the place so we wanted to have that somewhere in his kit. Ability-wise, this is inspired by the moment where The Mandalorian is in the palace, with his allies swooping in to finish the job.

FAQ/Clarity: By having the instant defeat be triggered by 10 stacks of On The Run should allow you to be more picky with who you want to instantly defeat, whereas having it happen instantly when you use your Ultimate may force you to instantly defeat someone you didn’t want.. Assuming your Contract is also complete, The Mandalorian and Grogu can ignore Taunt to target whoever they want.

Unique 1 - Bound by Creed

Final Text: The Mandalorian and Grogu are immune to Ability Block. 

At the start of battle and every other turn, The Mandalorian and Grogu gain and may only use the Granted abilities Force Splinter and And Then the Young Protect the Old. During this turn, they ignore Taunt effects and take a bonus turn whenever they use one of these Granted abilities. If they use the same Granted ability two times in a row, that ability becomes Blocked for 1 turn.

The first time they fall below 50% Health, they dispel all debuffs on themselves, gain a bonus turn and Damage Immunity for 1 turn, which can't be dispelled or prevented, and all New Republic Tanks Taunt for 2 turns. Whenever The Mandalorian and Grogu use an ability against an enemy with Damage Immunity or deals 0 or 1 damage, they gain 10% Offense (stacking) for the rest of the encounter.

If the enemy has less than a full team, The Mandalorian and Grogu has +50% Defense for each defeated or missing enemy. If there's only 1 enemy, they have +50% Offense and gain 3% Ultimate Charge whenever they use a Special ability.

Gain 2% Ultimate Charge whenever a New Republic ally counterattacks, inflicts Retaliate damage, or Provoked enemy counterattacks. Gain 5% Ultimate Charge whenever a New Republic ally gains Dramatic Entrance, and gain 10% Ultimate Charge whenever an enemy is defeated while inflicted with On the Run.

Force Splinter: Deal Physical damage to the target enemy and dispel all buffs on them.

Inflict Defense Down for 2 turns to the target enemy.

Inflict Buff Immunity for 2 turns to the target enemy, which can't be dispelled, evaded, or resisted.

And Then the Young Protect the Old: Dispel all debuffs on the target ally and they recover 15% Health and Protection.  

If the target ally is New Republic, they deal 50% more damage next turn, and gain Potency Up and Retribution for 2 turns.

If the target ally is a New Republic Tank, they gain Taunt for 2 turns.

If the target ally is The Mandalorian and Grogu, they gain Critical Damage Up and Retaliate for 3 turns.

Synergies: The Mandalorian and Grogu thrive when fighting and defeating enemies, and they punish teams that prevent damage from being done (ex. Damage Immunity, Rey & Supreme Leader Kylo Ren’s stances etc). They also gain bonuses the fewer enemies there are, so the faster you can defeat the frailer enemies, the faster they can reach their full potential. 

Inspiration: Since The Mandalorian and Grogu are a team, we wanted to make sure to showcase them both equally. To do that, they take 2 turns back to back where they each have their own abilities. Grogu’s abilities are more support-focused, where he can buff and heal an ally or debuff an enemy, while The Mandalorian’s abilities are more damage-focused. Together, they form a very powerful duo that covers each other’s weaknesses.

FAQ/Clarity: Every time The Mandalorian and Grogu start their turn, it always begins with Grogu’s 2 Granted abilities “Force Splinter” and “And Then the Young Protect the Old.” Once one of those abilities has been used, they gain a bonus turn, and now The Mandalorian’s abilities and the Ultimate ability are shown. Although this means debuffs on them go away faster, it also means that buffs are also less potent as well.

Unique 2 - Galactic Legend

This unit takes reduced damage from percent Health damage effects and massive damage effects. They take massive damage from destroy effects (excludes raid bosses) and are immune to stun effects.

This unit has +10% Max Health and Max Protection per Relic Amplifier level, and damage they receive is decreased by 30%.

Leader: Clan of Two

Final Text: New Republic allies gain 30% Max Health, Mastery, Potency, and 30 Speed. New Republic Healers gain an additional 40 Speed. At the start of each encounter, all other New Republic allies gain Potency Up and Retribution for 3 turns. The Mandalorian and Grogu gain Potency Up and Retribution for 3 turns which can't be dispelled or prevented.

Whenever an ally attacks during an enemy turn, inflict 1 stack of On the Run to that enemy for the rest of the encounter, which can't be dispelled or resisted. Whenever On the Run is reset on an enemy, that enemy has -100% Evasion and Tenacity for 2 turns.

Whenever an enemy is revived, they are inflicted with 5 stacks of On the Run for the rest of the encounter, which can't be dispelled or resisted, and their Max Health and Max Protection is reduced by 50% (stacking) for the rest of the battle. If a New Republic ally is instantly defeated, all active New Republic Tanks gain 100% Defense, Max Health, and Offense for the rest of the encounter. 

Whenever a New Republic ally falls below 100% Health, trigger their stacks of Heal Over Time, and Stealth for 1 turn if they're not a Tank. If a New Republic ally is at full Health, recover 10% Protection whenever a stack of Heal Over Time expires.

When The Mandalorian and Grogu is in the Leader slot, and not the ally slot, the following Contract is active:

Contract: Counterattack 20 times (Only Bounty Hunter and New Republic allies can contribute to the Contract.)

Reward: New Republic allies gain 20% Defense, Mastery, and 20 Speed for the rest of battle.

Once the Ultimate ability has been used this encounter, all New Republic allies ignore Taunt for the rest of the battle, and whenever a New Republic ally gains Retribution, they dispel it, and gain Retribution for 2 turns which can't be dispelled (max once per turn).

Synergies: The New Republic characters heavily synergize with On the Run and counterattacking so we wanted to make it easier for the team to do exactly that. New Republic Healers like Grogu & Anzellans gain extra Speed so it’s easier for them to go first and use their Special 2 to dispel all buffs on all enemies.

Inspiration: The Mandalorian and Grogu are almost always chasing after a target which is why they inflict On the Run onto their enemies, and get rewarded when it reaches max stacks. And since they’re Bounty Hunters, they have a Contract. Although only New Republic allies will receive the reward.

FAQ/Clarity: Although Bounty Hunters can contribute towards The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Contract, only New Republic allies can receive the reward.

Contract:

Final Text: Whenever Mandalorian and Grogu receives Rewards from a Contract, they also gain the following Payout. (Contracts are granted by certain Bounty Hunter Leader Abilities.)

Payout: The Mandalorian and Grogu's cooldowns are reset, they gain 30% Mastery, and all their Ultimate Charge gains are doubled for the rest of the battle.

Inspiration: Similar to Jabba the Hutt’s Payout where his Ultimate Charge and Mastery is increased, The Mandalorian and Grogu’s cooldowns are also reset so they can use their powerful abilities right away.

FAQ/Clarity: Despite The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Contract Reward being exclusively for New Republic allies, they can still get their Payout if they’re under a Bounty Hunter Leader.

Closing Thoughts: The Mandalorian and Grogu always felt like a synergized force to be reckoned with and we wanted to replicate that in a way where both characters get equal representation. By having them take 2 turns with their own respective abilities, they can work in tandem to support each other. This opens up a lot of strategic possibilities that just isn’t possible with other characters and made them a blast to develop and play with.

UNIT NAME: Adelphi Ranger

ALIGNMENT: Light

CATEGORIES: Tank, New Republic, Rebel

Character Intro

Adelphi Ranger advances onto the holotables to take her place alongside Captain Carson Teva and the New Republic faction! Inspired by the valiant Adelphi Squadron and their tireless efforts to keep the Outer Rim safe, this character specializes in keeping her teammates out of the line of fire.

As a New Republic Tank, she provides multiple options to sustain and restore her allies. While not the strongest attacker herself, she is a defensive powerhouse layering on protective buffs and recovery options, especially while on defense.

Adelphi Ranger’s marquee event begins October 20th at 11am Pacific.

Basic Ability: Practiced Shot

Final Text: Deal Physical damage to target enemy and inflict them with Defense Down for 1 turn. During Adelphi Ranger's turn, gain 1 stack of Bulwark for 1 turn (limit once per turn). During enemy turns, Daze the target enemy for 1 turn at the end of this turn (limit once per turn).

Synergies: Counterattacks synergize well with Captain Carson Teva’s kit and other New Republic characters. Gaining Bulwark stacks also allows other parts of this kit to shine (see the Unique Ability).

Inspiration: Elite members of the Adelphi Rangers were highly trained soldiers capable of extraordinary feats both on the ground or in flight.

FAQ/Clarity: Like others in the New Republic faction, Adelphi Ranger’s Basic Ability has slightly different effects depending on whether it is her turn or not. Practiced Shot will inflict the enemy with Defense Down regardless of whose turn it is. On her turn she will also gain 1 stack of Bulwark. On enemy turns she will inflict Daze instead.

Special 1: Sentinel's Strike (Cooldown: 3)

Final Text: Adelphi Ranger Taunts for 2 turns and all New Republic allies assist dealing 50% less damage.

If Captain Carson Teva is the ally in the Leader slot, the assists deal 10% less damage instead and Adelphi Ranger recovers 25% Protection, doubled if she was Taunting at the start of this turn.

Synergies: Useful for both pivotal strikes and hunkering down defensively, picking the right moment to use this ability will alter its impact on the battle. Pair this ability with R5-D4 to further reduce the cooldown for Bad Motivator. Adding Chopper or C-3PO to the team opens the door for additional useful effects.

Inspiration: Adelphi Rangers excel in squad-based combat, so it felt appropriate to leverage the power of the whole team for her abilities. **

FAQ/Clarity: To be clear on the order of operations here, the first thing this ability does is check if Adelphi Ranger is already Taunting, then she Taunts, and then she calls the mass assist. She must be Taunting at the start of her turn to trigger the extra Protection but she can still shield her allies either way.

Special 2: Adelphi Cavalry (Cooldown: 4)

Final Text: Dispel all buffs on all enemies. Deal Physical damage to all enemies and inflict them with 1 stack of On the Run until the end of the encounter, which can't be copied, dispelled, or resisted. All New Republic allies gain 3 stacks of Bulwark for 3 turns.

Synergies: Stacks of On the Run can stockpile with those inflicted by the previous New Republic characters and Bulwark provides a significant amount of extra Defense to all New Republic allies, keeping them in the fight longer.

Inspiration: The Adelphi Rangers swooped in to provide Mando much needed assistance towards the end of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. This ability aims to capture the spirit of that moment.

FAQ/Clarity: Enemy buffs are dispelled before damage is dealt and any other de/buffs take effect.

Unique 1: Rodian Ranger (Zeta + GAC Omicron)

Final Text: At the start of battle if Captain Carson Teva is the ally in the Leader slot, gain the following effects:

• If there are no Galactic Legends, Teva can't be defeated while Adelphi Ranger is Taunting
• Whenever a New Republic ally gains Retribution, they gain Riposte for 2 turns
• Whenever a New Republic ally counterattacks, if they have fewer than 10 stacks of Bulwark they gain 1 stack of Bulwark for 2 turns
• If there are no Galactic Legends, Adelphi Ranger Taunts for 2 turns at the start of each encounter, which can't be dispelled or prevented

At the start of each encounter, all New Republic allies gain 15% Max Health and Max Protection (stacking) for each active New Republic ally and 20% Defense (stacking) for each active Droid ally until the first time they are defeated, doubled for Adelphi Ranger.

If there are no allied Galactic Legends, whenever a Droid ally Taunts, they dispel it and gain Outmaneuver for 2 turns instead. Then, Adelphi Ranger gains 5 stacks of Bulwark and Taunts for 2 turns.

The first time each turn that Adelphi Ranger gains any stacks of Bulwark, Teva gains 1 stack of Bulwark for 1 turn.

If there are no Galactic Legends, whenever enemies take consecutive turns, all New Republic allies who have fewer than 10 stacks of Bulwark gain 2 stacks of Bulwark for 1 turn.

While on Defense and there are no Galactic Legends, whenever a New Republic ally takes damage before Adelphi Ranger's first turn, they dispel their debuffs, gain Damage Immunity until the end of that turn, and all New Republic allies gain 5% Defense and Offense per active Droid ally (stacking) for the rest of battle. If C-3PO is an ally, these stat increases are doubled and Stealthed enemies are Ability Blocked for 1 turn, which can't be dispelled, evaded, or resisted.

While in Grand Arenas, if all allies are New Republic and there are no Galactic Legends:

At the start of battle, New Republic allies gain an additional 40% Max Health and Protection for each active New Republic ally until the first time they are defeated.Whenever Adelphi Ranger Taunts, loses Taunt, or uses Adelphi Cavalry, all allies recover 50% Health and Protection.

If R5-D4 is an ally, whenever another ally takes damage while Adelphi Ranger is Taunting the cooldown for Bad Motivator is reduced by 2. When R5-D4 uses Bad Motivator, he dispels all enemy buffs, inflicts all enemies with Healing Immunity for 2 turns, inflicts Support and Healer enemies with Marked for 2 turns, and inflicts the weakest enemy with 9 stacks of On the Run until the end of the encounter. These effects can't be dispelled, evaded, or resisted.

While on Defense and if C-3PO is an ally, whenever an ally takes damage before Adelphi Ranger's first turn, all allies gain an additional 20% Defense and Offense per active Droid ally (stacking) for the rest of battle and non-Tank allies have their cooldowns decreased by 2. At the end of Adelphi Ranger's first turn, all allies gain 30 Speed for the rest of battle.

Synergies: As you probably noticed, this ability provides some well deserved attention to the beloved Droid members of the New Republic who provide a number of useful tactical options to the team. There is also quite a bit of synergy around Bulwark and counterattacks, which the Adelphi Ranger’s previous abilities feed into, and punishing enemy teams that take advantage of Adelphi Ranger’s lower baseline Speed. These bonuses are heightened while on defense, especially while her Omicron is active. 

Inspiration: Out on the Outer Rim, you don’t always have the luxury of choosing your allies. The Rangers collaborate with anyone who supports the cause of peace. 

FAQ/Clarity:

Is it possible for allies to gain over 10 stacks of Bulwark?

Yes. The 10 stack limit only applies to Bulwark stacks gained from counterattacking or from enemies taking consecutive turns. Other effects, including those from other abilities, are not capped at 10. 

Does damage to Adelphi Ranger also reduce the cooldown on Bad Motivator?

Only damage to other New Republic allies, not including Adelphi Ranger but including R5-D4, counts towards this cooldown reduction. 

When do the additional effects for Bad Motivator trigger?

Enemies are inflicted with Healing Immunity before damage from Bad Motivator is dealt. The Marked and stacks of On the Run are inflicted after damage is dealt.

The Adelphi Ranger has Defense-only effects?

Correct, the Adelphi Ranger is intended to be a defensive powerhouse so she provides significant bonuses to her team while on defense. This will be indicated in-game with the new Defender icon. Please be aware that this is meant as a reminder and will not have the specific effects stated directly in the icon text. You’ll need to revisit the specific unit’s kit for more information.

Closing Thoughts:

The Adelphi Ranger was designed around a Defense first philosophy, sparked by community discussions surrounding the typical Offense Holotable setups. In addition to offering additional squad building options for the New Republic faction, she gives us an opportunity to explore new mechanics aimed at helping Defensive playstyles.

UNIT NAME: Mercenary Guard Droid (B1)

ALIGNMENT: Dark

CATEGORIES: Tank, Droid, Hutt Cartel, Mercenary

Character Intro

Inspired by the B1-series mercenary droids seen in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, Mercenary Guard Droid (B1) brings the familiar battle droid chassis into the world of bounty hunting. Worn down but still standing, this droid is less concerned with being the hero and more concerned with making sure the rest of the crew survives long enough to finish the job.

Mercenary Guard Droid is a new Dark Side Tank designed for Bounty Hunter Mercenary teams, acting as the crew’s sacrificial protector. Its kit revolves around drawing enemy fire, building strength through Mercenary Battalion and Soldier of Fortune, and turning the punishment it takes into advantages for the rest of the team.

Basic Ability: Modified E-10 Blaster Rifle

Final Text: Deal Physical damage to target enemy. Bounty Hunter Mercenary allies gain Offense Up for 1 turn. If there is any version of Embo present in the allied Leader slot, he assists and gains Speed Up for 1 turn.

Synergies: Embo & Keibu cleanses on his basic if all allies are Bounty Hunter Mercenaries. This assist also applies Bleed to the target enemy to set up for the bonus turn on Embo & Keibu’s turn. 

Inspiration: The assist was designed to make B1 feel like more than a standalone droid, creating a direct connection to Embo when he leads the team. Granting Embo Speed Up after the assist reinforces the idea of B1 creating an opening for Embo to capitalize on, while the Offense Up for Bounty Hunter Mercenary allies helps the entire team turn that opening into momentum.

FAQ/Clarity: The bonus turn clause won’t trigger from this assist since it’s not Embo & Keibu’s turn. Mercenary Guard Droid (B1) will also gain the Offense Up since they get the Bounty Hunter tag from Droid Mercenary.

Special 1: Overhead Smash

Final Text: Deal Physical damage to target enemy and Blind them for 1 turn. Bounty Hunter Mercenary allies gain Protection Up (40%) for 2 turns. If the ally in the Leader slot is Embo & Keibu, Bounty Hunter Mercenary allies gain 25% Offense (stacking, max 100%) until the end of battle and stagger all enemies for 2 turns.

Synergies: The two best scenarios for using this ability are when the team needs recovery or to scale the team's offense. Stagger helps to keep that momentum going and build an advantage over the course of the battle.

Inspiration: We wanted this ability to capture the coordinated and opportunistic nature of Bounty Hunter Mercenaries working together under Embo & Keibu. The Blind and Stagger effects represent B1, creating openings for the team, while the Protection Up gives the Mercenaries the durability to stay in the fight. The stacking Offense was inspired by the idea of the team becoming more dangerous as they successfully create and capitalize on those openings throughout the battle.

Unique 1: Mercenary Gotra (ZETA)

Final Text: Mercenary Guard Droid (B1) has no Protection, 1 Health, 25 stacks of Mercenary Battalion, and can't be defeated or destroyed while they have Mercenary Battalion. If the ally in the Leader slot is Embo & Keibu, Mercenary Guard Droid has 50 stacks of Mercenary Battalion instead. At the start of battle, if Embo & Keibu is the ally in the Leader slot, the first time Mercenary Battalion stacks reach 20 or lower, Mercenary Guard Droid gains 100 stacks of Mercenary Battalion.

When all stacks of Mercenary Battalion expire, Mercenary Guard Droid is immediately destroyed. Mercenary Guard Droid is immune to Damage Over Time and their Max Health and Max Protection can't be increased. When Mercenary Guard Droid takes damage, they dispel all debuffs on themselves and lose 6 stacks of Mercenary Battalion (max 18 per turn). If they are Taunting, lose 3 stacks instead. At the start of Mercenary Guard Droid's turn, they gain 3 stacks of Mercenary Battalion. Mercenary Guard Droid has +5 stacks of Mercenary Battalion for each Relic Amplifier level they have. Mercenary Guard Droid can't gain Spare Parts and can't be revived.

Mercenary Battalion: Each stack grants Mercenary Guard Droid +0.5% Potency and all Mercenary allies +0.5% Critical Avoidance and Defense

Synergies: Mercenary Guard Droid (B1) is designed to function as a persistent battlefield presence that becomes increasingly valuable as its Mercenary Battalion stacks are maintained. This creates a natural synergy with Embo & Keibu, whose presence as Leader gives B1 additional Battalion and a chance to recover a large number of stacks when they become depleted.

Inspiration: The original B1 Battle Droid was built around the idea that one droid was insignificant on its own, but overwhelming when backed by an entire battalion. For Mercenary Guard Droid, we wanted to revisit that same idea through the lens of Bounty Hunter Mercenaries. Mercenary Battalion represents the idea that B1 is constantly being replaced and reinforced, allowing it to remain on the battlefield even as individual units are taken out. We also wanted each remaining stack to continue benefiting the entire team, carrying over the original B1’s theme of the battalion’s strength extending beyond the droid itself. Embo & Keibu’s interaction with the Battalion gives us a way to reinforce that connection while making B1 feel like an essential part of the Mercenary crew rather than simply another combatant.

**Unique 2: Droid Mercenary (OMICRON)

Final Text: At the start of battle, if there are no Galactic Legends and the ally in the Leader slot is Embo & Keibu, Mercenary Guard Droid Taunts for 1 turn, which can't be dispelled or prevented. If the ally in the Leader slot is Embo & Keibu, Mercenary Guard Droid gains the Bounty Hunter tag for the rest of the battle. All other Bounty Hunter Mercenary allies gain 120% Defense until the end of battle. ** Whenever a Bounty Hunter Mercenary ally gains a bonus turn, Mercenary Guard Droid gains 3 stacks of Mercenary Battalion and Taunts for 1 turn, which can't be dispelled or prevented. Whenever Mercenary Guard Droid uses an ability, they Taunt for 1 turn. If they are Taunting, they gain 2 stacks of Mercenary Battalion instead.

While in 3v3 Grand Arenas: All other ** Bounty Hunter Mercenary allies gain 100% Defense until the end of battle. The first time a Bounty Hunter Mercenary ally falls below 25% Health, they recover 100% Health and gain Damage Immunity for 1 turn.

Synergies: Mercenary Guard Droid (B1) is designed to complement the aggressive, turn-driven playstyle of Embo & Keibu and the Bounty Hunter Mercenary faction. Embo & Keibu’s ability to generate bonus turns creates opportunities for B1 to gain Mercenary Battalion and repeatedly step in front of the team, reinforcing its role as a protector. The Defense granted to other Bounty Hunter Mercenary allies also allows B1 to turn its own presence into protection for the entire squad.

Inspiration: We wanted the Mercenary Guard Droid to capture the same sacrificial-protector idea as the original B1 Battle Droid, but in a way that fits the Bounty Hunter Mercenary team. Rather than simply being difficult to defeat, B1 is meant to actively put itself between danger and the rest of the crew. Their Taunt mechanics and Battalion system reinforce the idea that B1 is sacrificial, continually stepping forward to absorb attacks while the Bounty Hunter Mercenaries become stronger and more resilient around it.

Unique 3: Soldier of Fortune

Final Text: At the start of battle, Mercenary Guard Droid gains 1 stack of Soldier of Fortune for each Relic Amplifier level they have. Whenever Mercenary Guard Droid is damaged while Taunting, they gain 1 stack of Soldier of Fortune. Whenever Mercenary Guard Droid takes damage while they are not Taunting, they lose 5 stacks of Soldier of Fortune. At the start of each Bounty Hunter Mercenary ally's turn, they gain 5% Defense Penetration (stacking) and 5% Tenacity (stacking) per stack of Soldier of Fortune Mercenary Guard Droid have until the start of their next turn. 

Synergies: As B1 continues to absorb attacks while Taunting, it builds up Soldier of Fortune and passes that momentum to the rest of the team through increased Defense Penetration and Tenacity. This creates a natural synergy with teams that can keep B1 in the line of fire, while the loss of stacks when B1 is attacked outside of Taunt reinforces the importance of managing when and how B1 protects the crew.

Inspiration: B1 is at its most valuable when it is actively drawing fire, so we wanted that sacrifice to translate into greater opportunities for the rest of the Mercenaries. The mechanic also builds on the original B1’s identity of being useful as part of a larger force, with B1’s willingness to take the hit becoming a source of strength for the entire crew.

Closing Thoughts: Designing Mercenary Guard Droid gave us an opportunity to revisit B1 Battle Droid’s core design while exploring a very different role within the game. We wanted to reward players for actively using B1 to protect the rest of the team. Building their kit around Embo & Keibu also gave us a strong foundation for connecting the character to the broader Bounty Hunter Mercenary playstyle while keeping B1’s identity distinct from the original B1 Battle Droid. It will be exciting to see how players experiment with B1’s unique mechanics and find new ways to leverage its role as the team’s Tank.