STAR WARS: LEGION – BOSSK OPERATIVE EXPANSION / PUBLISHER: FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
The infamous bounty hunter scene in The Empire Strikes Back is single-handedly responsible for a great many cool spin-offs in the Star Wars franchise. Each one of those agents has their own back-story and ship, and frequently turn up whenever the franchise calls for some sort of skilled badass. Bossk deserves a special place in this pantheon simply because he’s one of the most visually striking. After all, he is a giant lizard in an RAF pressure suit. Of course this means he’s a must for the Star Wars Legion miniature battle game.
As expected, the expansion comes with a single model of Bossk. The piece comes with various arms, allowing you to configure it in multiple ways. We particularly like the way the model’s rifle fitted together smoothly. Rather than resting in the model’s hands, one limb holds the barrel and the other the gun, so the whole thing slots together nicely. The piece requires minimal prep work and the plastic takes paint well enough. The detail is strong and striking, but the piece isn’t too difficult to paint, even if you only have moderate skill.
With regards to his rule-set, Bossk has strong long-range firepower and some interesting ways to peck away at high value targets. Depending on the cards you use, he effectively has unlimited aim tokens, a double attack and the tools needed to poison unwary units. This means your opponent is likely to point the big guns at him early in the game, tying up their big hitters as they try to kill off this sneaky lizard. Oh, and he regenerates, so an ‘all or nothing’ response is pretty much the best strategy in dealing with him. Given his ability to sit at range and cause mischief, Bossk is a great option for Imperial players looking to slow down the Rebel doom train. Most importantly, he’s fun to play. He costs your opponent something every turn, has a load of cool powers that fit multiple play styles and looks great.
This all fits with the lore surrounding Bossk, the Trandoshan Bounty Hunter known for stealth, cunning and refusal to play by anyone’s rules. He’s a strong counter to the Rebel’s own sneaky operative, Sabine. If you collect 32mm Star Wars models (or sci-fi models in general), this is a lovely looking addition. If you play Star Wars Legion and those pesky Rebels keep blowing up your big guns, then this is the perfect antidote for those Rebel heroes.
