Continuing on where we left off yesterday, here we have stats for troops that show up at what I call “the company level,” but in retrospect I can’t remember why because they aren’t actually company-level assets at all. I mean, the commandos in particular are guys who are specifically designed to work as individual squads. Oh, well.
The commando squad consists of a comando sergeant and any combination of the following five unit types:
Sniper
Commando
Demolitions Commando
Assault Commando
Commando Medic
“Any combination” means that having duplicates is fine, as is having the total number be over six. The actual standardized unit here is the commando platoon, which has exactly five of each of those units (including commando sergeants) and one commando captain. The captain then mixes and matches his units as needed for the task at hand. He might assign two or three demolitions commandos to the same squad for one mission as a demo team assigned to blow up an important enemy installation, while another squad is doubled up on sniper commandos to cover their approach and a third is comprised of standard and assault commandos to serve as vanguard and get the demo team past the perimeter. In another situation, each squad might be balanced with one unit of each type and sent to sabotage enemy supply lines each in a different location to keep the enemy in disarray, or sent on dangerous recon missions.
A commando platoon with a specific unit name can make for a great recurring villain of sorts over the course of one or more adventures, with players unable to predict what they’re getting into when they see an enemy commando. Commandos are good at staying alive, as they almost all have evasion as well as good HP and reflex scores, along with having a very high density of medics, and because they are rare, elite units, they are often instructed to put a high priority on their own survival, which means they would rather retreat to make trouble elsewhere if a battle is starting to look even a little bit deadly, only committing to a do-or-die mission when something major is on the line. It can take a long time to winnow a commando platoon down, and hunting them down to prevent them from destroying supply lines can be an adventure unto itself.
COMMANDO
Initiative: +10
Reflexes: 19
Fortitude: 19
Will: 17
HP: 41
Threshold: 19
Speed: 8 squares
Slugthrower rifle +7 (2d8+2)
Frag grenade +5 (4d6+2)
Evasion
DEMOLITIONS COMMANDO
Initiative: +15
Reflexes: 22
Fortitude: 21
Will: 18
HP: 61
Threshold: 21
Speed: 8 squares
Slugthrower rifle +10 (2d8+4)
Slugthrower rifle w/aim +11 (3d8+4)
Frag grenade +8 (4d6+4)
Evasion
Improved Stealth: Advantage on Stealth checks
ASSAULT COMMANDO
Initiative: +10
Reflexes: 22
Fortitude: 21
Will: 18
HP: 65
Threshold: 21
Speed: 8 squares
Scattergun +11 (3d8+6 at point-blank range, 2d8+6 at short range)
Frag grenade +8 (4d6+4)
Evasion
Improved Stealth: Advantage on Stealth checks
COMMANDO MEDIC
Initiative: +5
Reflexes: 22
Fortitude: 21
Will: 18
HP: 65
Threshold: 21
Speed: 8 squares
Slugthrower rifle +11 (2d8+6)
Frag grenade +8 (4d6+4)
Evasion
Improved Stealth: Advantage on Stealth checks
Treat Injury: +18
COMMANDO SERGEANT
Initiative: +10
Reflexes: 23
Fortitude: 22
Will: 19
HP: 72
Threshold: 22
Speed: 8 squares
Slugthrower rifle +11 (2d8+6)
Frag grenade +8 (4d6+4)
Evasion
Improved Stealth: Advantage on Stealth checks
Inspire Confidence: As a standard action, grant all allies in line of sight +1 attack and skill checks for the rest of the encounter, even if they break line of sight.
COMMANDO CAPTAIN
Initiative: +11
Reflexes: 25
Fortitude: 24
Will: 21
HP: 83
Threshold: 24
Speed: 8 squares
Slugthrower rifle +13 (2d8+7)
Frag grenade +10 (4d6+5)
Evasion
Improved Stealth: Advantage on Stealth checks
Born Leader: As a swift action, grant all allies in line of sight a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls (note: insight bonus stacks with sergeant’s morale bonus). The bonus lasts for the entire encounter or until you are killed or knocked unconscious. Breaking line of sight does not end the bonus (because of Distant Command).
Another sort of platoon higher-level players might face is the elite platoon. This platoon is structured exactly the same as a standard infantry platoon, but is staffed with the much higher-level elite stats given below, including the use of an elite captain instead of a regular lieutenant. Elite platoons aren’t especially interesting to fight on their own, since they’re just a rerun of the standard platoon, but seeing as how they’re three dozen level 10+ bad guys, they can serve as the backup dancers to a powerful named villain. Even these guys are not quite badass enough to be proper support to level 20 campaign villains like Darth Vader, but they’re the perfect platoon to come dropping down out of Colonel Veers’ AT-AT somewhere around level 16.
ELITE RIFLEMAN
Initiative: +7
Reflexes: 30
Fortitude: 31
Will: 21
HP: 133
Threshold: 31
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +16 (2d8+7)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +16 (2d8+9)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +14 (4d8+7)
Frag grenade +15 (4d6+5)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Elite Rifleman: Rifles take no penalty at Short range
ELITE GUNNER
Initiative: +7
Reflexes: 30
Fortitude: 31
Will: 21
HP: 133
Threshold: 31
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Heavy slughthrower +16 (2d12+7)
Heavy slugthrower w/aim +16 (2d12+9)
Heavy slughtrower w/burst fire +14 (4d12+7)
Frag grenade +15 (4d6+5)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
ELITE GRENADIER
Initiative: +7
Reflexes: 30
Fortitude: 31
Will: 21
HP: 133
Threshold: 31
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +14 (2d8+5)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +14 (2d8+7)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +12 (4d8+5)
Grenade launcher +16 (4d6+7)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Forceful Blast: Enemies who take at least their threshold in damage from one of your grenades are moved one square in a direction of your choice.
ELITE CORPORAL
Initiative: +8
Reflexes: 31
Fortitude: 32
Will: 24
HP: 140
Threshold: 32
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +16 (2d8+7)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +16 (2d8+9)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +14 (4d8+7)
Frag grenade +15 (4d6+5)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Elite Rifleman: Rifles take no penalty at Short range
Inspire Confidence: As a standard action, grant all allies in line of sight +1 attack and skill checks for the rest of the encounter, even if they break line of sight.
ELITE SERGEANT
Initiative: +8
Reflexes: 33
Fortitude: 34
Will: 26
HP: 151
Threshold: 34
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +18 (2d8+7)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +18 (2d8+9)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +16 (4d8+7)
Frag grenade +17 (4d6+5)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Elite Rifleman: Rifles take no penalty at Short range
Inspire Confidence: As a standard action, grant all allies in line of sight +1 attack and skill checks for the rest of the encounter, even if they break line of sight.
Bolster Ally: Standard action to move target +1 step on the condition track and give bonus HP equal to their character level.
ELITE MORTAR
Initiative: +7
Reflexes: 30
Fortitude: 31
Will: 21
HP: 133
Threshold: 31
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +14 (2d8+5)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +14 (2d8+7)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +12 (4d8+5)
Mortar +16 (8d6+7)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Destructive Force: Whenever you destroy a vehicle or object, you deal one die of damage (of whatever size of the weapon that destroyed the vehicle/object) to everyone adjacent to the vehicle/object.
ELITE HEAVY
Initiative: +7
Reflexes: 30
Fortitude: 31
Will: 21
HP: 133
Threshold: 31
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +14 (2d8+5)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +14 (2d8+7)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +12 (4d8+5)
Missile launcher +16 (6d6+7)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Destructive Force: Whenever you destroy a vehicle or object, you deal one die of damage (of whatever size of the weapon that destroyed the vehicle/object) to everyone adjacent to the vehicle/object.
ELITE SNIPER
Initiative: +7
Reflexes: 30
Fortitude: 31
Will: 21
HP: 133
Threshold: 31
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Sniper rifle +16 (2d10+7)
Sniper rifle w/aim +16 (3d10+9)
Slugthrower pistol +14 (2d6+5)
Slughthrower pistol w/aim +16 (3d6+7)
Frag grenade +15 (4d6+5)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Steadying Position: If you aim while prone, your target does not get their DEX bonus to Reflex.
ELITE MEDIC
Initiative: +8
Reflexes: 33
Fortitude: 34
Will: 26
HP: 154
Threshold: 34
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +18 (2d8+7)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +18 (2d8+9)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +16 (4d8+7)
Frag grenade +17 (4d6+5)
Treat Injury: +21
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Improved First Aid: When using a medpac to perform first aid, the creature gains two extra HP for every point by which your check exceeds the DC, instead of just one.
Extra First Aid: You can medpac someone even if they’ve already been madpac’d once (but not two or more times) that day.
Steady Under Pressure: You have advantage on Treat Injury checks.
ELITE CAPTAIN
Initiative: +8
Reflexes: 33
Fortitude: 34
Will: 26
HP: 151
Threshold: 34
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +18 (2d8+7)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +18 (2d8+9)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +16 (4d8+7)
Frag grenade +17 (4d6+5)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Elite Rifleman: Rifles take no penalty at Short range
Born Leader: As a swift action, grant all allies in line of sight a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls (note: insight bonus stacks with sergeant’s morale bonus). The bonus lasts for the entire encounter or until you are killed or knocked unconscious. Breaking line of sight does not end the bonus (because of Distant Command).
You also have the option of having your PCs square off against an entire infantry company at higher levels. Give the company three regular infantry platoons, a commando platoon split up into multiple squads to make a nuisance of themselves in various ways throughout the battle (i.e. bursting from cover to assault the players while they’re still recovering from a rifle team rush, sniping at them incessantly from multiple directions and constantly changing exact location between shots, blowing up their favorite tank, that kind of thing), and an elite platoon to bring the hammer down when the players have already exhausted their resources during the protracted battle with multiple enemy platoons. I’ve never actually tried this, but I suspect that it would be a harrowing experience even for high level players, provided you have some kind of nerf to Evasion that keeps grenades dealing at least half damage to at least some of their targets even in the endgame when everyone and their dog has the resources to counter it as hard as possible. Attach a company captain (technically probably a major, since the elite platoon is led by a captain) or a colonel. They’re nearly identical and the colonel’s main feature is the ability to share out whichever of assault tactics or deployment tactics his favorite captain lacks, which is only going to come up if you have your players fight an entire regiment, including multiple companies commanded by different captains.
I totally intend to do this sometime, pitting my players and a few platoons of their own NPC allies gathered up over the campaign against a massive enemy force. I expect the battle to take multiple sessions, but I think it’ll be worth it. Of course, while infantry might not wear out their welcome even after a full company’s worth on sheer epicness alone, fighting four infantry companies at once would be dreadfully dull, which is why tomorrow we’re talking about vehicles.
CAPTAIN
Initiative: +7
Reflexes: 28
Fortitude: 24
Will: 20
HP: 95
Threshold: 23
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +11 (2d8+4)
Frag grenade +10 (4d6+4)
Born Leader: As a swift action, grant all allies in line of sight a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls (note: insight bonus stacks with sergeant’s morale bonus). The bonus lasts for the entire encounter or until you are killed or knocked unconscious. Breaking line of sight does not end the bonus (because of Distant Command).
EITHER Assault Tactics: As a move action, designate a target and make a DC 15 tactics check. On success, designated target takes +1d6 damage from all allies who can hear you.
OR Deployment Tactics: As a move action, make a DC 15 tactics check to give all allies who can see and hear you a +2 competence bonus against flanked opponents (stacks with insight and morale bonuses) or a +2 Reflex bonus against AoOs until the start of your next turn.
Command Cover: You have a +1 Reflex bonus when adjacent to an ally.
Share Talent: You may share your Assault/Deployment Tactics talent with one ally per encounter.
COLONEL
Initiative: +8
Reflexes: 30
Fortitude: 26
Will: 22
HP: 107
Threshold: 23
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +11 (2d8+4)
Frag grenade +10 (4d6+4)
Born Leader: As a swift action, grant all allies in line of sight a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls (note: insight bonus stacks with sergeant’s morale bonus). The bonus lasts for the entire encounter or until you are killed or knocked unconscious. Breaking line of sight does not end the bonus (because of Distant Command).
EITHER Assault Tactics: As a swift action (because of Tactical Edge), designate a target and make a DC 15 tactics check. On success, designated target takes +1d6 damage from all allies who can hear you.
OR Deployment Tactics: As a move action, make a DC 15 tactics check to give all allies who can see and hear you a +2 competence bonus against flanked opponents (stacks with insight and morale bonuses) or a +2 Reflex bonus against AoOs until the start of your next turn.
Command Cover: You have a +1 Reflex bonus when adjacent to an ally.
Share Talent: You may share your Assault/Deployment&Field Tactics talent with two allies per encounter.
Before we get into vehicles, though, let’s talk about the most elite of all soldiers: the supercommando squad. A supercommando squad is a level 16-17 squad consisting of exactly one each of the below types of supercommando. They’re actually based more on the elite soldier stats than the commando stats, mainly because NPCs don’t need evasion as much because players tend to be highly accurate spike damage builds rather than swarms of lower-level grunts tossing grenades and firing on full-auto. In any case, these guys represent the peak of nameless soldiery, and are suitable for use as Mandalorian elites and Darth Vader’s personal guard alike. These guys are endgame units and I rarely see them in play against actual players (I playtest them against test builds, but those are closely modeled off of the one high-level party of PCs I’ve seen used in actual play for Saga Edition, which could be corrupting my results). I estimate that a single supercommando squad, like an elite platoon, is a good boss encounter (i.e. threatening, but still more likely to lose than not) for level 15-16 players. As such, if you stat out Darth Vader as a regular level 20 character (as his stats are given in the books), give him one squad of these guys, and toss him against a full party of five level 20 PCs, he will probably be kind of underwhelming. For an endgame threat, I’d recommend using an elite platoon on top of a supercommando squad serving as the personal bodyguard to your primary villain, or alternatively create an entire party of level 20 villains to serve as an ensemble threat.
SUPERCOMMANDO ASSAULT
Initiative: +16
Reflexes: 35
Fortitude: 36
Will: 27
HP: 186
DR: 4
Speed: 6 squares
Scatter gun +22 (3d8+12 at point-blank, 2d8+12 at short)
Slugthrower rifle +20 (2d8+8)
Grenade launcher +20 (4d6+8)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Elite Rifleman: Rifles take no penalty at Short range
Ambush: Deal +2 dice of damage to an enemy who has not yet acted in this combat
Rapid Reload: You can reload as a swift action
Strength in Numbers: +2 DR when within 10 squares of an ally
SUPERCOMMANDO MEDIC
Initiative: +8
Reflexes: 35
Fortitude: 36
Will: 28
HP: 169
Threshold: 36
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +21 (2d8+8)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +21 (2d8+10)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +19 (4d8+8)
Frag grenade +19 (4d6+6)
Treat Injury: +23
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Improved First Aid: When using a medpac to perform first aid, the creature gains two extra HP for every point by which your check exceeds the DC, instead of just one.
Extra First Aid: You can medpac someone even if they’ve already been madpac’d once (but not two or more times) that day.
Steady Under Pressure: You have advantage on Treat Injury checks.
Improved Revivify: You can make a Treat Injury check to revivify someone as a standard action instead of a full-round action.
Battlefield Medic: You may Treat Injury as a standard action instead of a full round.
Bring Them Back: You may use the revivify action on a target that has died anytime within the last 8 rounds.
SUPERCOMMANDO HEAVY
Initiative: +10
Reflexes: 31
Fortitude: 32
Will: 23
HP: 170
Threshold: 32
DR: 4
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +18 (2d8+5)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +18 (2d8+7)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +16 (4d8+5)
Missile launcher +20 (6d6+7)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Destructive Force: Whenever you destroy a vehicle or object, you deal one die of damage (of whatever size of the weapon that destroyed the vehicle/object) to everyone adjacent to the vehicle/object.
Greater Penetrating Attack: Ignore up to 10 points of enemy DR when attacking with heavy weapons.
SUPERCOMMANDO SNIPER
Initiative: +9
Reflexes: 32
Fortitude: 33
Will: 23
HP: 155
Threshold: 33
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Sniper rifle +19 (2d10+9)
Sniper rifle w/aim +20 (3d10+11)
Slugthrower pistol +17 (2d6+8)
Slughthrower pistol w/aim +18 (3d6+10)
Frag grenade +18 (4d6+8)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Steadying Position: If you aim while prone, your target does not get their DEX bonus to Reflex.
Dastardly Strike: Whenever you make a successful attack against an enemy denied their DEX bonus, the target moves -1 step on the condition track automatically.
Precise Shot: You do not take a -5 penalty when shooting into melee.
Greater Devastating Attack: When you hit an enemy with a rifle attack, treat their damage threshold as though it were 10 points lower.
Double Attack: As a full round action, make two attacks each at -5 penalty.
SUPERCOMMANDO SLICER
Initiative: +8
Reflexes: 35
Fortitude: 36
Will: 28
HP: 153
Threshold: 36
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +19 (2d8+8)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +19 (2d8+10)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +17 (4d8+8)
Frag grenade +17 (4d6+6)
Use Computer: +23
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Gimmick: You can issue a routine command to a computer as a swift action.
Master Slicer: You have advantage on Use Computer checks made to improve access to computers.
Trace: You can substitute your Use Computer skill for any Gather Information check so long as you have access to a computer network.
Dodge: Gain a +1 Reflex bonus against a selected target.
Running Attack: You may make an attack in the middle of a move action.
SUPERCOMMANDO CAPTAIN
Initiative: +10
Reflexes: 35
Fortitude: 36
Will: 28
HP: 177
Threshold: 36
DR: 2
Speed: 6 squares
Slugthrower rifle +21 (2d8+9)
Slughthrower rifle w/aim +21 (2d8+11)
Slugthrower rifle w/burst fire +19 (4d8+9)
Frag grenade +20 (4d6+7)
Sniper: Always ignore cover
Elite Rifleman: Rifles take no penalty at Short range
Born Leader: As a swift action, grant all allies in line of sight a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls (note: insight bonus stacks with sergeant’s morale bonus). The bonus lasts for the entire encounter or until you are killed or knocked unconscious. Breaking line of sight does not end the bonus (because of Distant Command).
Rally: Once per encounter as a swift action any allies in line of sight who have less than half their total HP gain a +2 morale bonus to Reflex and Will defense and a +2 bonus to all damage rolls for the rest of the encounter.
Ignite Fervor: Whenever you successfully hit an enemy, you may grant one ally in line-of-sight a bonus to damage against that enemy equal to their character level on their next attack. If the next attack misses, the bonus is lost.
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