Good morning gamers,
Last time, we looked at the Rebel variant of Din Djarin and the various ways you can run him. Today, we're turning to the Imperial side of the house, where competition for the Operative slot wasn't that strong . . . until the customizable characters started crying out for use alongside Din, Op-Vader, and Agent Kallus. Today we'll be looking at what Din brings to the Imperial faction and what kinds of upgrades you should consider taking.
Din Djarin: The Profile
Din's profile is pretty standard for a Mandalorian - 5 Wounds instead of 6, Courage 3 is nice (though not sharable on an Operative without a Command slot), he has surge for crit and block with a red defense die for reliable damage into things and reliable resistance to damage when defending, and he's base speed-2, but can make that speed-3 if he's willing to shell out points. He has two weapons and the option for two more - his blaster is range 1-2 with Versatile (so he can shoot out of combat at a target at range 1-2, but cannot shoot at someone he's in combat with) and rolls 2 red/1 black for a reasonable amount of damage for being a pistol. This is an aim-hungry weapon with Lethal 1 and Long Shot, but with Tactical 1 and Independent: Aim 1 and Dodge 1, it's not unlikely that he'll have two aim tokens if he moves and shoots. His base melee weapon on its own isn't great (2 black with Lethal 1), but if it's paired with any of his additional weapons, it can be a useful little-bit-extra against a unit you're in melee with.
Din's other keywords are good or fine - Arsenal 2 is great since he has an armament option, but will only be used if you take his Flame Projector or when he's in melee. Bounty can be good if Din can actually target an enemy Commander/Operative that he picks at the start of the game and then stick around in combat long enough to kill them - but hey, it's the potential for a victory point and that's not bad. He's also got Impervious, which isn't as good as Immune: Pierce, but it's definitely better than nothing.
All of this is true for the Rebel variant too, but this version of Din doesn't have access to Grogu, so you're purely looking at Din for his damage options instead of his support options. As a result, you probably want to lean hard into the upgrades on Din (and probably more so than the upgrades you'd take for most Rebel builds).
Training x2
For the Rebels, I think all of the training upgrades are optional - but in an Empire list, Din isn't going to get a lot of support, so you need to pack in his options. Din's biggest weakness is still that he doesn't have any free attack keywords (Relentless, Steady, or Charge) - except on the turn he plays his 1-pip. Because of that, you should assume that you're performing a move and then a shoot on any turn that isn't your 1-pip turn (where you want to move-move-shoot). The upgrades that will help him the most are probably the ones that help him get extra damage once he arrives - Mission Objective is an interesting option, as is Tenacity. I think Tenacity is the closest thing you have to an auto-include, as getting maximum damage out of Din's attack actions will be critical to his success over cheaper options (see my comments on the Imperial Agents in a recent post).
I would personally stay away from Seize the Initiative (UNLESS you intend to use it for order control on Turn 1 - Vader is kind of a hog if he's in your list) and Up Close and Personal (your melee attack options are better than your shooting attack options - and once you're in melee, you need to be shooting OUT of combat with your pistol to trigger Up Close). I think if Din has Tenacity, he can afford to use his pistol in Versatile mode more often, as the offensive damage he's supposed to get is pretty decent.
Comms x1
Now that Comms Relay is gone, I think these are mostly optional. The Comms Jammer is the most interesting pick and can really mess with your opponent's game (especially if Din is going after units that aren't issuing themselves orders). The Emergency Transponder is a good once-per-game option for an extra token (aim token, maybe?) - but I'd only do this if you really have points left over.
Gear x2
Your two gear options - your ONLY realistic gear options - are the two Din-specific ones: Din's Flame Projector should always be taken as a deterrent against big squads (though "big" can be operationally defined as 5+ models, not just super-squads - but it's very useful against super squads) and if you intend to dive into melee with Din as quickly as possible, you want to splurge on Din's Jetpack. The Jetpack would be better if the Jump 2 ability was a free action, but alas - becoming Speed-3 for a bit more potency on your 1-pip turn (when you have Relentless) and to make charging into combat a lot easier are huge boons. While I could argue that the Jetpack is optional in Rebel builds, I think it's absolutely essential in Empire builds - treat Din like he's got it stapled to him.
Armament x1
I've gone back and forth between which of Din's armament upgrades is better - I think both are good and I think taking one of them is absolutely necessary for Din to work. The Beskar Spear is the go-to for melee enthusiasts - it gives him Duelist (Immune: Melee Pierce if he spends his dodge token - which he can gain from Independent: Aim 1 and Dodge 1 OR from the free dodge token he gets on his 1-pip turn - and allows him to add Pierce 1 to his offensive profile in addition to the two rerolls he gets if he spends an aim token). Din's melee attack profile with the dagger and spear is 2 red/3 black, which is Commander Luke-levels of damage and if he spends 2 aim tokens, he can add Pierce 2 (which is better than Commander Luke). For 15pts, this is a solid investment - especially if you've taken the Flame Projector, the Jetpack, and Tenacity.
For 5pts less, however, you can get Din's Amban Rifle, which paired with the dagger will give Din a 5 black die melee pool with Lethal 1, Immobilize 2, and Suppressive - that's 2 immobilize tokens and 1 suppression token in melee! Suppressing your opponent before you go in and then keeping the suppression up so they stay suppressed is great for making sure they don't punch you back very hard (which is very useful since you won't have Duelist with this build). The Amban Rifle also has a double-action option to perform a speed-1 move and then have a 3/4 chance of plucking a wound off someone that Din can see (no range attached) and apply a suppression token to that same unit. This is a great way to clear out the last unit in a group, but chances are good that if you're doing this all game, you're wasting Din. This is fine on Turn 1, it's great on Turn 5 when you're already sitting on an objective that you need to hold and have no one nearby to shoot with your pistol, but it's not really great for anything else. In Empire builds, you may even want to skip this pot-shot opportunity altogether if you have a lot of other units that are ramming themselves towards the enemy (Scouts and Snows supporting Vader and Kallus, for example).
Command Cards
When it comes to command cards, Din has one that's really good, one that can be good, and one that's not worth taking at all. You should always take This is the Way - unless you also have Vader, in which case at least one of your 1-pip slots is already spoken for (Implacable) and quite possibly two of them are occupied (Vader's Might is a real trip). This command card is simple: Din gets an order (no Independent: Aim 1 and Dodge 1), a dodge token (makes up for losing Independent), and Relentless (so you can move-move-attack - which also makes up for losing Independent). I like this card and I think it's the only Din command card that you really need, as it allows you to get Din where he wants to be and hopefully set up his effectiveness for the rest of the game. This command card is particularly good if you took the Jetpack, as 18" movement is solid and once of those moves can go over any reasonable kind of terrain.
I Like Those Odds is Din's 2-pip and it's fine - if you intend to be mostly shooting with Din. I Like Those Odds gives you an order (no Independent), an aim token (makes up for the loss of Independent - but only a little), and effectively gives him Gunslinger (after attacking he can make an attack against someone else), except that it doesn't have to be a shooting attack. If you dive into combat with the Amban (or Beskar Spear) and the Flame Projector, you can shoot with your pistol for free afterwards. Is getting a free shot with your pistol worth not having a dodge token (and not issuing orders to someone else)? I don't know - that's for you to decide as I'm solidly on the fence about it.
You should never take Whistling Birds - I know, being able to roll a white attack die for each mini in three enemy units that are within range 1 and line of sight of Din is swingy and sometimes awesome. I know, the artwork is AMAZING and the potential for damage upon damage is great. I know all of this - but do consider that a) rolling a white attack die and looking for paint means you're supposed to deal less than half of the wounds to the target unit IF you roll decently, b) against units with 1-2 models, you may do nothing, c) aim tokens don't help with this (but it also ignores enemy armor saves), d) it costs you an action and Din already doesn't have enough actions, and e) it's a 3-pip command card that only issues an order to Din (and unlike the last two command cards, he doesn't get any tokens with this one - so Independent is just lost). I don't know about you, but I can't see the benefits of a swingy roll outweighing the cost.
Din is also a Mercenary unit, which means he has access to the three generic Mercenary command cards. Ploy is great because it doesn't actually issue any orders (so Independent triggers), but you can choose one of your order tokens (like Din's) to put on the card and you can play it at any time. While probably not as good as This is the Way, this is a very, VERY useful command card if you've paired Din with another Operative and Ploy would give you the flexibility to activate either of these units when you want to. I will say that this command card, like This Is the Way, definitely takes the back seat to Implacable and quite possibly Vader's Might if Vader is in your list.
Aggression is decent if you've leaned into more than just Din for your Mercenaries (Black Sun Enforcers come to mind). This command card doesn't give you order control like Ploy does, but a free aim token on Din and another mercenary unit could be really solid. Similarly, getting an extra dodge token on Din and two other mercenary units (Black Sun Enforcers come to mind) could be solid with Discretion - but again, you're not getting order control. It's important to note that without the Allies of Convenience keyword, Din can play these command cards, but can't issue orders to anyone with them - which is fine, since you probably want the tokens more.
Since most Empire lists begin with Vader, it's important to note that New Was to Motivate Them with Commander Vader (if he took Underworld Connections) is incredibly good. I usually play this command card on turns 4-5 to make sure a Corps unit that has 3-4 guys left can triple-run to an objective - but if Din has Tenacity, he can move-move-attack with an extra red die in melee with this command card! The second order is probably going to Vader because order control is good, but even just getting an extra move action out of Din can be incredibly useful. Din won't benefit from Independent: Aim 1 and Dodge 1, but he'll get an extra aim from the free move action via Tactical 1, so that's something at least.
Similarly, if you have Underworld Connections on Director Orson Krennic, Din can skip on Independent and get a free standby token from Deploy the Garrison. If Din is surrounded by foes (even in combat), the Versatile keyword on his pistol will allow him to perform a free attack after they perform an action, which could be great - and if he's in combat, he probably won't be able to pick up suppression to lose the standby! Din is usually helped by Voracious Ambition (even if his order token isn't placed on the card) and thanks to his high Courage rating, he's usually not hurt significantly by Annihilation Looms.
Din can technically gain a recover action from General Veers's Imperial Discipline command card, but I don't know that you want Din taking exhaustion upgrades. Similarly, Din might be able to benefit from the Observation tokens that Kallus can throw out with Ruthless Tactics. If you're running "double Mandos" with Boba Fett, you can also use Rule with Respect to get an extra black die to your shooting attack . . . yaye? While these are technically benefits, I wouldn't try to build a list around any of these synergies.
All in all, Din is great in Empire lists primarily because he doesn't need orders - and if you're running him with Vader, that's a very, VERY good thing! Okay, let's look into some lists!
The first list is a 12-act Vader/Kallus/Officer/
- Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith with Burst of Speed, Force Push, Saber Throw, and Underworld Connections
- Imperial Officer with Academy Trained and Command and Control Uplink
- Din Djarin with Tenacity, Din's Flame Projector, Din's Jetpack, and Beskar Spear
- Agent Kallus with Into the Fray
- 3x Snowtroopers with T-7 Ion Snowtrooper and Imperial March
- 1x Stormtroopers with T-21 Stormtrooper
- 1x Stormtroopers with FX-9 Medical Droid
- 3x Scout Troopers
I've taken New Ways/Underworld Connections for Vader to help Din out and I've left Vader's Might at home in favor of This Is the Way (which I know I'll regret, but whatever - you probably don't need Relentless if you're using New Ways, but now I have two turns where Din can dive-bomb into stuff). The Corps units, Kallus, and the Academy-Officer are really just there to hold ground and the Scout Troopers give us a third, fourth, and fifth-string set of hitters to support Din and Vader. The goal is to fly up the board quickly on Turn 1 and smash stuff up quickly - with the Snows showing up for Turn 2 wrap-up stuff in the wake of the other five hitters.
The other option you have is to run Operative Vader and a Tip-Officer instead of Commander Vader and Kallus - this build gives you very similar heroes, but saves you ~20pts in the Commander/Operative section. These points, as well as dropping down to 11 activations by losing a Scout Trooper squad, allows you to get two squads of Black Sun Enforcers, which should give you a bit more Corps punch to aid the Commanders/Operatives you have working the system, as well as the Scout Troopers:
- Imperial Officer with Academy Trained and Command and Control Uplink
- Imperial Officer with Tip of the Spear and Stun Baton
- Darth Vader, The Emperor's Apprentice with Force Push, Burst of Speed, and Tenacity
- Din Djarin with Tenacity, Din's Flame Projector, Din's Jetpack, and Beskar Spear
- 3x Snowtroopers with T-7 Ion Snowtrooper and Imperial March
- 2x Black Sun Enforcers with Scatter Gun Enforcer and Black Sun Vigo
- 2x Scout Troopers
There are only two command cards that aren't Vader's in this list - This Is the Way (which is essential now that Vader can't issue orders to Din with New Ways) and Aggression (for 2 extra aim tokens on your Black Sun or Din). Aggression might be a good late-game play if a) something has gone horribly wrong with Vader - we lost our med bot - or b) you need some late-game wrap-up and you have reduced efficiency on your Black Sun squads. However it shakes up, you've got a few cards you can play that aren't tied to Vader if you really need it. My only regret in this list is that I wasn't able to fit Seize the Initiative on Vader for the This Is the Way turn - you could downgrade a T-7 Ion into a Flamethrower if you wanted to and with the 1pt I didn't spend, you'd be able to get it.
Din Djarin: Final Review
To be completely fair, I'm not sure that Din's worth including over Kallus and a Tip-Agent or Platoon-Agent - he's pretty expensive and while he's resilient, he's not THAT much better on offense than what you're going to get from a 70-80pt Operative choice. Is getting an extra Corps unit or Support unit worth the trade? I don't know. Is the Operative slot less competitive than in Rebels? Yes. Is he still worth taking? Sure.
Overall character review: 4/5 stars. I can't give Din higher than this because he lacks a free attack keyword - which isn't necessary for all units, but if you're going to pay over 130pts for someone, they really should have one (Dooku excepted - but I don't think there's a person out there who wouldn't mind that getting added to his profile). Din is fun, he's fast, and when he rams into something, it's usually pretty spectacular. I would definitely encourage giving him a go and seeing how he works for you!
In our next post, we're sticking with the Empire and looking at the 74-Z Speeder Bike - the bikes have been in the game since the very beginning and these fragile-but-fast units can be incredibly good . . . and disappear incredibly fast if not played well. How do you get the most out of these guys? Find out next time - and until then, happy hobbying!
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