Atomic Mass Games had a bit of a pause over the holiday season with Star Wars: Shatterpoint. No new releases, giving fans a chance to catch up on their painting while eagerly awaiting new releases. This last month has seen a return to releases and my goodness, are there some good ones! I would say it was difficult to know where to begin, as I looked at the new releases. Then who should walk in but my daughter Ember. A little-known fact about my daughter: she is obsessed with Ewoks! She saw the two releases containing Ewoks – Yub Nub Squad Pack and Ee Chee Wa Maa! Squad Packs – and her eyes looked as if she was glaring at the temple idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Well, that was that decision made!
These two packs are the first to truly be Original Trilogy releases and are an interesting choice. You would think that Atomic Mass would have thought it better to release Rebels, or even Jabba’s goons, but they went with the furry Ewoks (depending on your region, you might at the same time as these have gotten the Vader and Luke packs). Now please don’t misunderstand me, I am a huge Ewok fan. I loved them as a kid, I loved watching the Ewok movies with my grandparents and now I get to relive it all again with my daughter. To have Ewoks so soon in Shatterpoint, for me, is perfect. I just think it’s interesting they took precedence over other releases. Yet, as I looked down at my eager eyed daughter, I suddenly realised what a clever move it could be. A lot of players are part of a family with children. I’ve never shown Ember Shatterpoint, believing she’s a little too young at the moment. Well, try and stop her from joining in now! She wants to play with the Ewoks! So maybe this is Atomic Mass being extremely clever and creating characters to bring in the younger generation… expect an article soon on that one!
Usually I review these packs individually, but it makes sense to review these two together. I mean, who doesn’t want to fight with an Ewok force! With all these new releases, there has been a slight change, they now contain five based models. I say based, as two of the ‘bases’ for each of the Ewok sets feature three Ewoks on each. What this does mean is just in a box there is a lot more choice for players in terms of squad building. In terms of playing an Ewok force, with just two boxes there are several options for players straight away, which as someone who has been wanting to play Ewoks, I really appreciate. I’m not having to wait for future releases in order to add some variability to my play.
Onto the contents itself. I have always said how much I enjoy that Atomic Mass fits everything onto a single sprue. With additional characters and additional models on bases, this is simply not possible. On opening both boxes, I did not expect to find the three sprues that are contained in each to be held together so beautifully. It almost feels like a work of art by themselves. The three join together by way of risers on the outskirts of the sprue but are very easily separated. It makes sense in terms of space and packaging the models to ensure they are sent safely and securely. When separated, each box has a sprue for the individual characters and then two sprues that are identical: the Ewok trappers and hunters. The standard bases come with both sets that we’ve come accustomed to.
Also included are all the cards needed to play the game. It was noted last year that while it makes sense to include so many language variations within the same box, that this is actually better for shipping purposes, that having numerous initiative cards (which are completely language independent) was a huge waste. Atomic Mass listened to players and now there is just one initiative card for each unit included in the game. I think this is worth noting as it shows Atomic Mass listens to their fans and are happy to take steps when they are able to.
Onto the build themselves. I wish I could say this part – like usual – was by myself, but Ember insisted that she help with the construction of the Ewoks (of course she did). Using the QR code provided in the box, the instructions were brought up and I delved into, “the box with Wicket first Daddy!” (otherwise known as the Yub Nub Squad Pack). First up was Logray. He is an extremely easy build to do, a headpiece, his arms and then the tree base. It was actually a really good first build for my daughter. The model itself I love, the pose lifted from Return of the Jedi, or as Ember said, “he’s doing the Force pose.” Well, each to their own. Now my only slight issue with not just Logray, but all the Ewoks, are the bases. I am a player who does like to have uniform bases as it keeps the squad identity together but it’s very difficult to use trees on these bases, particularly the mechanical bases. Of course, they can be rebased with mud or gravel and I’m being very nit-picky with this point, but it would have been interesting to see some different bases to match.
It was then onto the build Ember really wanted to do, Wicket! Again, quite simple although make sure you dry fit his foot into the tree, as it took me a few moments to get just right. Also, when you are pushing the left arm into the socket, be mindful of the spear as it can be quite flimsy and won’t take too much pressure. As for the model itself, I feel it captures Wicket as he is in the animation show Ewoks. That almost carefree jumping into danger is very in keeping with the character. Suffice to say, my daughter was extremely happy with it!
Next up is Threepio and – well – it should be Artoo, but you will actually find Artoo at the end of the instructions. Threepio is very simple to build yet the detail on him is fantastic. Eleven down to some of the bolts on his body, there has been a lot of love placed into this model and it’s a delight to see it in person. Artoo is almost as simple to build, although the top of his dome doesn’t seem to fit too easily into the correct position. I had to place the glue and move it around the rest of the dome until I was happy. Like Threepio, the detail on the model is wonderful and these two really are captured so well. When you see the two placed together on the same base, there is only one word that comes to mind: iconic!
Last up from the Yub Nub pack are two copies of the Ewok trappers. This takes a bit more thinking about, a bit more time and care. Most of it, the instructions are clear on what you need to do. However, step ten took me a while to work out what the instructions were actually telling me to do. There is a hole in the tree branch and on the Ewok’s belt there is a peg that will fit into this slot. Once you realise this (and I don’t think the instructions are clear on this), then his right foot fits into a sculpted part of the branch making a perfect fit. The rest of the build flows perfectly. So, let’s start with the model itself. Put simple, it’s stunning. It looks great, particularly having three Ewoks all bursting out. After the joys of certain three-character bases in Marvel: Crisis Protocol, Atomic Mass seemed to have learnt their lesson and the Ewoks feel very stable on the base and not likely to fall off. The question that I’m sure will be on some players’ minds is why we aren’t getting two different looking sculpts. Initially I had the same question, but now that they’re in hand I realise first, I don’t mind, I can very easily paint them up to look differently. Secondly, if these were the only big base releases for the Ewoks that would be one thing, but there are also the Ewok hunters. Trying to tell the difference (and remember it) is going to be difficult enough, I don’t need variations of the models to confuse matters even more!
Then it’s the Ee Chee Wa Maa! Squad pack. First up is Leia. I love the construction of Leia and how seamless everything fits. The belt, though thin, connects really well to the peg to allow you to fit the rest of the body. I was impressed with how well it all came together. Now, Leia does come with two head sculpts to choose from, a big plus, I love having multiple options. One is with her helmet, the other without. Let’s start with the latter. The hatless version is not great. There is always a problem with female models it seems, I remember the same issue with the first Leia in Star Wars: Legion. Leia has one of those faces that;s very difficult to capture; the more you see of it, the less it looks right. This one doesn’t look right. Thankfully, the helmeted version works, mainly because there is less of the face to see so it’s not so obviously off. Other than that (and I appreciate that’s a big part of the model), the rest of it, the pose, the costume, all look brilliant; it’s the Leia stance we see in Return of the Jedi.
Next up is Chief Chirpa. He is a breeze to assemble together, only being made up of four pieces. What I really like is that his feet are moulded to the top of the tree and then it is this that is glued to the lower half. It means the join is far more secure and Chirpa less likely to be knocked off. His stance is exactly what you would expect from the leader of the Ewoks.
Then it’s Paploo. Like Chirpa, he is only four pieces, and you won’t have any trouble building him. I have to say, this is my favourite of the Ewok models. Paploo’s stance of victory, the cheeky grin he is wearing; it all alludes to this mischievous Ewok and holds the most character in the model.
Finally, it’s the turn of the Ewok hunters. Just like the Ewok trappers, there are two of these that are identical. However, each base does showcase three Ewoks, and – of course – they can be painted differently to provide some variation. After some of the vague instructions of the trappers, I was a little worried the hunters would be the same; I shouldn’t have. The hunters are very straightforward to put together with very clear grooves and pegs for all the pieces. The finished model looks incredible with a pose that I love from each Ewok. It’s the first time I’ve looked at a Shatterpoint model and wondered how on earth am I going to paint some of the spots, but that’s a problem for another time. Next to the trappers, these guys look amazing and when the whole Ewok horde is assembled, it really is an incredible sight.
Next up are the cards, and as Ember tells me, “Daddy, Wicket first,” we’ll start with the Yub Nub box. The primary in this set is Logray, as it should be. If you have watched the ewok movies or television show, you will know just how important a character he is, using magic and being the wisest amongst the Ewoks. Logray’s tactic is each Ewok warrior unit gains hunker and remove two damage, and each Ewok scout may dash. That’s an incredible tactic to have if you are running a full Ewok force. That means your two secondaries and your two supporting units are gaining a benefit from Logray activating. But that’s not where the fun ends. ‘Elder’s Command’ for a force, allows an Ewok supporting unit within four to dash, gain hunker, remove a condition, or make an attack. This is identical to the super battle droid ability but makes absolute sense for the Ewoks to have something similar. The other two abilities of note are ‘Protective Ward’, which Ewok units within four add a dice to their defence roll if Logray isn’t wounded, and ‘Secret Ingredients’ where there is a benefit when any Ewok, anywhere, wounds an enemy unit. These abilities look fantastic, particularly when every other unit is an Ewok (more on that later). There has to be a downside, and this is Logray’s health; he has nine health and two wounds, which is extremely low for a primary. He is going to be a lot easier to pick off than other primaries, so players are really going to have to be careful with him. His stance card is fine, it’s not great compared to some but I am eager to see how it will look on the battlefield. Logray is definitely an ability character, that’s why he is there. I think he’s one to keep at the back and watch on as the other units do most of the work.
In this set you get two secondaries to choose from, Wicket or the droids. Wicket has a tactic that allows close enough units to move to an enemy character. This could be useful, although charging in with low health units might not be the best of ideas! Then with Wicket it’s either abilities to place conditions on enemies or to allow other units to dash and hunker. His stance card isn’t too bad, putting out a respectable seven damage on an attack with the right roll. There’s nothing absolutely amazing about Wicket, but I think this is going to be a common theme with the Ewoks, they rely on the abilities of those around them to strengthen them.
The other secondary unit are the droids. Before I even look at the abilities, I have to admire the stance card. A single line but one side is Threepio, the other is Artoo. I mean, you can almost hear them squabbling over which side needs to be showing in the battle; it’s almost too perfect an idea! Threepio is very much healing and Artoo is very much damage, as you would expect. It doesn’t take anything away from the stance card though, I adore the idea and execution behind it! You can see very much from their abilities that there is a strong focus on supporting Ewoks. This isn’t a unit you are going to want to use with just Rebels and I imagine we will get a similar unit to support other keywords. The droids allow close Ewok units not to be fired at, an incredible ability when used right, forcing your opponent to target the droids or move in close. The other abilities are all about supporting Ewoks. The one that really caught my eye was ‘Divine Intervention’. Depending on the side of the stance card depends on if you add Ewok scouts or Ewok warriors. Although I certainly want to run a full Ewok team, Threepio and Artoo fit very well into the squad. The ability to stop Ewoks being fired at seems a huge boost to units that are a little lacking in health.
That leaves us with the Ewok Trappers from the first box. Like the other Ewoks, they’re not doing huge damage by themselves, and their stance card doesn’t excite me too much. However, what I really like is the Battle Tactic. This ability allows you to place Ewok Traps into the Order Deck. When it is pulled you roll a die, and it will cause an effect on enemies contesting an objective. Timing is going to be everything with this card, but if done right, will add a much-needed boost to the Ewoks. What is interesting with this unit, is that they gain one attack die per Ewok character engaged with the target. This hopefully means that the trappers are getting down their combat track fairly swiftly. It also shows that, like Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks are going to be better working in groups.
It’s a solid squad pack and I like that there is an option for a secondary to give you some variation but also to be able to run solely Ewoks. This isn’t the only set to be released with Ewoks though and reading the abilities and tactics, it’s obvious that these were always designed to work with the other squad pack, Ee Chee Wa Maa! Although there can be (and I’m sure will be) some flexibility when players have had enough time to experiment with these, these two squads are going to be played together for now. There’s a reason these two squads were released at the same time.
While Yub Nub gave the option for two different secondaries, Ee Chee Wa Maa! (I’m going to start saying this in my sleep!) has the option of two different primaries. Just like the former, this is to give you options but also so you can run a pure Ewok force. It’s a great idea. I’m going to start with Chief Chirpa first and then leave the other primary, Leia, till the very end, which will hopefully be made clear when you read about her. Chief Chirpa does a lot more damage than other Ewoks, and certainly more than Logray (the other Ewok primary). It makes sense as he is the leader of the tribe and a warrior. He doesn’t have ranged attacks but when you throw him into combat, he can do up to ten damage if you can get down the track. That’s much more impressive for a primary. With ten health he’ll also last a bit longer, but he still only has two wounds. Those wounds you are not going to want. Chirpa, if he is unwounded, has ‘Bright Tree defender’, which means any other time an Ewok unit is wounded, you roll a dice and gain a boost. Coupled with Logray, it means anytime, any wounds occur, whether on yourself or the enemy, there is some benefit to being an Ewok. Chirpa has more abilities that allow for conditions to be placed in enemies or Ewoks to add an extra die to their attack, but ‘Bright Tree Defender’ is the real gem of the card.
The secondary that is included in this set is Paploo. I adore Paploo, always have, and I’m very happy he was one of the chosen characters. Not only do I have a vintage figure of him that I’ve had since I was five, but I love his antics in Return of the Jedi when he steals a speeder bike. His stance card allows him to do up to eight damage and he also has a ranged attack, which makes him particularly versatile compared to some of the other Ewok choices. For a force, Paploo can move an allied Ewok away from combat, gain hunker and give the enemy exposed. If Paploo finds himself amid combat, he can add two dice per enemy character that he’s engaged with that isn’t his target. I don’t know if I’d want to throw Paploo that much into enemy hands, but I guess you never know where a battle will take you! The absolute gem for Paploo though, that really speaks to who this character is, is ‘What does this do?’ If Paploo attacks an enemy who has exposed or pinned, Paploo can use that enemy’s melee expertise track! I mean, wow! Let Paploo take on Grievous with that sort of ability! This alone makes Paploo extremely powerful for the Ewoks and I am very very excited to try him against my opponent. The one drawback of the character is his own expertise track, which actually gets worse the more expertise you get! Now I say a drawback, and it technically is, but I can’t help but laugh at this detail. It feels thematic but just makes me like this character even more. Yes, timing and luck is going to be everything but when it pays off, I’m sure it will be glorious to see!
The Ewok hunters are the supporting unit and are not too dissimilar to the trappers from the other unit. ‘Strength in Numbers’ is certainly going to be useful and why the Ewoks are going to be going in groups around the battlefield. ‘Coordinated Fire’ only confirms this further. With an output of seven damage and a ranged attack, they might be of some help to the squad, although the trappers even with one less health, seem slightly better.
Which brings us to Leia Organa, Freedom Fighter. Why leave the second primary to last? Is it because she could do up to ten damage in an attack? Is it because her tactic is to allow a Rebel Alliance unit to move? Maybe it’s the explosive charges she can set? While all this is good and provides one of the strongest primaries for the Ewoks to use (ten health and the only primary from the three on offer here to have three wounds), it is ‘Unexpected Allies’ that has made me leave her to last. The whole of this review has all been based around the idea of running Ewoks. Looking at their cards and abilities, the keyword Ewok comes up again and again. You want to be running Ewoks to be able to utilise all of these things, to strengthen your squads. ‘Unexpected Allies’ gives Rebel Alliance units the Ewok tag and vice versa. It’s huge. It suddenly makes these squads so much easier to work together with other squads. The benefits that are given out to Ewoks, can now be applied to other units. While there are not many Rebel Alliance units out yet there soon will be. I love the idea of playing a full team of Ewoks, yet Leia allows you to be able to field so much more and provides a lot more versatility to the Ewoks being used in games. It does come with a cost; you have to take Leia as one of your primaries. That is a big slot that has been filled. I am very excited though, to see the different combinations that can suddenly open up because of it.
Having both squad packs gives you a huge amount of selection, just by themselves. You can play all Ewoks, add the droids or Leia if you would prefer. But with Leia’s ability, the choices become so much more while not losing the special abilities that make the Ewoks so unique. If you can’t tell, I love both these sets. They are so thematic and having the extra model in each, to give you so many choices out of the box, is a great change in my opinion, one I hope that Atomic Mass will continue. Enough of theory, let’s get these Ewoks to the table!
I had to play a full Ewok force to test them out, didn’t I? It’s what I went with against my son, Charlie. I looked at my gathering force and thought this looks awesome… until Charlie started bringing out his regular sized models that put the Ewoks to shame. I was feeling slightly nervous. And I should have been. Charlie rushed his troops forward, and I sent my faithful chief, Chief Chirpa, into a fight with Savage Opress… I mean just looking at the two together you can see there’s going to be issues! Chief Chirpa was quickly wounded but was avenged by Wicket, the hunters and Paploo, who all together finally managed to wound Savage. Although Wicket did end up being wounded as well.
Now it was hilarious, watching my little Wicket model charge in after Savage, Charlie and I were laughing at the sight of it. When Chirpa is attacking Savage with ‘sharp stick’ and removing Savage’s protection, it was hilarious to see Charlie look a little worried. There is a lot of fun to playing with the Ewoks, there’s no denying it. However, from a competitive standpoint, they require a lot of work. There are a few abilities that let multiple characters move, but you need to time them really well and with good luck from the initiative deck. If you send just one Ewok – like I did with Chirpa – they will get eradicated very quickly. As Charlie commented, they are extremely squishy. With the Ewoks, it’s all about patience, taking your time and slowly moving together, which isn’t an easy thing to do.
That said, there are some gems. The Ewok traps add a little something and were essential for taking down Savage. Wicket and Paploo were incredible. Wicket can really knock a character about. Paploo is all about luck and even when I was able to use his wonderful ability, I only rolled one expertise and was better off using his own track (typical!). Logray is extremely strong for moving characters about, activating attacks and helping to keep everyone together. So it’s not all bad, but I think a pure Ewok force at the minute is going to be at a severe disadvantage. They start well, but then fall apart as the game continues. While this is extremely thematic to Return of the Jedi, and I like that, it does mean they need something more.
With each new Rebels release, this is absolutely possible. Ewok players are going to have to continually rethink their strategies – which is great. However, for that to work Leia has to be part of your squads to allow you to get the maximum benefit. With how things stand, I would always be running her with Logray and poor Chirpa will have to stay on the side-lines. It will be interesting to see how the Ewoks evolve. With Leia it means there are continually going to be more and more options. I don’t think many people will run the Ewoks competitively…but this is with a big yet. I think they might see their moment to shine with a future release of Rebels, we shall see.
Overall, I love these two packs. Are they the easiest squads to use? Definitely not. But fairly easy builds, a lot of options in just the two boxes and more options that will become available as the game progresses, it seems perfect for me (and my daughter!). The most important thing for me though is that these squads are a huge amount of fun. They might not be massively competitive but if you are looking for a fun game where you can laugh and have a good time, this is it. I hope we get more actual Ewok releases; I mean I’d love to see the Ewok movie characters like Mace and Teebo in there. For me, this is quite possibly my favourite release so far and I can’t wait to start painting the fantastic models. Now I just need to decide who to start with… oh, Ember’s already told me who… I bet you can guess!
