With the launch of Legacy Wave 0, the Armada Legacy Project has joined (or perhaps even led) the growing effort to keep Star Wars: Armada not just alive, but thriving. Where ARC focuses on rules maintenance, organized play, and careful expansion of existing content, Legacy takes a slightly different approach: delivering fully new content—while striving for mechanical compatibility with ARC.
That compatibility, I’m happy to say, holds up well. I’ve reviewed everything in Legacy Wave 0, and while it introduces plenty of new mechanics and keywords to CIS and GAR, it still plays cleanly with ARC01. Legacy’s design team clearly understands both the power curve and the design language of modern Armada, and that shows in every card.
Now, let me be very clear: I don’t consider either ARC or Legacy to be “homebrew.” Yes, they’re community-driven—but they aren’t just loose collections of houserules. They are content projects that have earned community recognition, are designed by clever, committed people, and are playtested and delivered as cohesive sets. They don’t change on a whim, and they aren’t improvised mid-game. In other words: this is real content—just not made by a corporation.
Of course, that also means the design challenges are steeper—especially for Legacy. Creating entirely new content isn’t just about balance. It’s about vision. A new squadron or commander has to work with the current game state, but it also has to be robust enough to handle future developments. That’s a tall order, and Legacy’s Wave 0 shows a strong grasp of that challenge.
It also leads me to a design philosophy I hold pretty firmly:
“Not everything needs to be competitive” is a cop-out.
Instead: Everything should be designed with the assumption that competitive players will push it to the max. Some components will still shake out as less optimal—that’s fine. But it should never be because the designers gave up on making it viable. If something lags, we can address it—via points or effects—while watching for power creep.
Wave 0 includes:
10 squadrons total – 5 for CIS, 5 for GAR, across 2 new chassis per faction
2 commanders – one per faction
Wave 0 introduces some important squadron tools for CIS and GAR, who until now lacked certain core archetypes:
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Rogue squadrons, finally giving both factions flexible, autonomous threat vectors.
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Assault (raid-capable) squadrons, bringing disruption mechanics to their fighter wings.
Yes, CIS technically had Jango Fett, and AMG’s last version of Commander Wolffe gave GAR a niche raid interaction—but Legacy makes these tools faction-defining, not just exceptions.
As for the commanders? They’re not just filler. CIS gets a commander who directly boosts generic AI squadrons, opening up some very interesting options for fleet-building. GAR gets their first dice-adding commander—something every other faction has had for years. It’s powerful, a little scary, and extremely exciting.
In this post, we’ll start with the squadrons—what they do, where they fit, and what they mean for listbuilding. Commanders will follow at the end.
Let’s get into it.
🤖 CIS Squadrons – Legacy Wave 0
Legacy Wave 0 brings five new squadrons to the Separatist fleet, across two new chassis: the HMP Droid Gunship and the Star Courier. Between them, they introduce true Assault and Rogue mechanics to the faction—both of which open up entirely new listbuilding options.
Yes, CIS technically had Jango Fett as a rogue, but Wave 0 makes Rogue squadrons an actual factional archetype. Even more importantly, it introduces Assault squadrons that can deliver raid effects from "the air"—a role that previously required B2 Rocket Troopers or commander shenanigans.
These aren’t gimmicks. These are real additions that matter—especially when paired with a commander like TF-1726.
Let’s take a look.
🛸 HMP Droid Gunship
Generic Assault squadron – 13 points
A slow (for CIS) but reasonably tanky Assault platform. When commanded, it has an unmodified 75% chance of delivering a raid effect (but damage is then zero). That makes it better (since it's much cheaper) than Imperial Gauntlet Fighters. Its anti-squad armament—1 red + 2 black—also makes it a surprisingly solid secondary dogfighter.
I can find zero faults with this design. In fact, it’s a better version of the Gauntlet, not because it’s stronger, but because it’s cheaper and more focused. You get what you pay for—and you can do interesting things with it.
That said, we have to talk about the TF-1726 "problem". Right now, raid = TF, outside maybe some Dooku lists. And TF already has "built-in" raid generation via B2 Rocket Troopers. So what happens when you combine that with Assault squadrons?
I don’t think it breaks the game—but I do think it’s strong. You could conceivably add 2 raid tokens to a ship from range, and TF gets full bonus dice. I don’t think it’s oppressive yet, but we’ll need to keep an eye on it.
Verdict: Great design. Strong synergy with TF. Potentially part of a competitive raid-based archetype.
🧠 DGS-047
HMP Droid Gunship Ace – 20 points
This one I like—mostly.
The dice upgrade and shifting the AI focus from battery to AS makes him versatile. You might even run him outside a TF list (imagine 2-3 blue + 2-3 black anti-squad with Flight Controllers). But let’s be real—99% of the time, he’s going in a TF fleet. That’s just the nature of how CIS is built.
His ability? Clever, but possibly too clever. Ignoring engagement to splash raid sounds small, but paired with B2s, you can easily hit TF’s raid threshold with little real counterplay.
That said, DGS costs 20 points and eats up an ace slot—and TF’s bonus dice cap hasn’t changed. So while it’s strong, I don’t think it breaks anything.
Verdict: Powerful ace for TF fleets. Possibly overtuned, but probably not a meta-buster.
🛰 Star Courier
Generic Rogue/Intel – 17 points
This one’s... weird.
You get Rogue, Intel, a beefy hull 7, and a totally unremarkable dice pool. At 17 points, it’s probably a better Intel buy than the 16-point Vulture ace (which still feels like a meme). But in a full rogue ball, I’m not sure the damage output will hold up.
That said, I could see one Courier slotting into a Maul/Dooku rogue build, or into a Rogue-lite hybrid ball with just enough reach and utility to pull its weight.
Verdict: Jury’s out. Feels overpriced on paper—but has niche potential.
🧓 Count Dooku / Sith Infiltrator
Courier Ace – 21 points
This one is thematically perfect.
Adept + Cloak is a fun combo, and Dooku gets Adept 2 when he attacks (on activation) and effectively Dodge 1 when he doesn’t. Beautiful design. Also, his synergy with Belbullabs is clear—and very welcome, because the Bublas (as they call them in Sweden) still feel overcosted.
He’s not a Rogue, which is a subtle but important balancing choice. Clearly, the designers felt he’s strong enough as-is—and I think they’re right.
He probably takes some skill to fly well, both in a rogue-adjacent squad ball and as a leader for Belbullab aces. But there’s real potential here.
Verdict: Great flavor, strong synergy, some learning curve. Worth exploring.
😈 Darth Maul / Scimitar
Courier Ace – 24 points
Well, hello there!
Maul is a powerful Rogue who can slot into just about any squad mix—Rogues, AI, or hybrids—and still perform. His dice, his mobility, his survivability... he’s the real deal. And 24 points feels like a bargain if you use him well.
My knee-jerk reaction was “Shara counter!”—until I remembered he has Cloak. Whoops. Maul is slippery, deadly, and genuinely exciting.
Verdict: A star performer. Will see play. Possibly often.
🧱 GAR Squadrons – Legacy Wave 0
The Republic gains five new squadrons in Legacy Wave 0, spread across two new chassis: the LAAT/i Gunship and the G9 Rigger Freighter. Like their CIS counterparts, they bring long-overdue access to Assault and Rogue mechanics—but the results are a bit more mixed.
Where CIS gets a well-supported raid ecosystem in TF-1726, GAR is still finding its footing. Commander Wolffe technically brings some raid utility, but it’s limited—and the new squadrons don’t feel quite as immediately plug-and-play. Still, having these mechanics at all is an upgrade, and the designs are generally strong—even if they highlight the awkward limitations of GAR’s faction identity: slow and steady wins the race.
Let’s break them down.
🚁 LAAT/i Gunship
Generic Assault squadron – 14 points
Higher hull than the HMP, but also +1 cost—and arguably a worse AS dice pool. So far, so good: a different take on the same archetype.
But then the faction context hits you like a Republic-class to the face. Wolffe ≠ TF-1726. Not even close. And without strong raid infrastructure, the LAAT/i struggles to find a real use case. That might change with future GAR content, but right now? It’s a decent squad that doesn’t do much for a faction that doesn’t need what it offers.
Still, this is not a design failure. Adding Assault to GAR is a big step forward, even if the value isn’t fully realized yet. And from a balance perspective, either the HMP is too cheap or the LAAT/i is too expensive—but that’s faction tuning for you.
Verdict: Solid design, underwhelming in GAR’s current state. Not a fail—just early.
🧢 Five-Seven
LAAT/i Ace – 21 points
Stats are fine. Cost is maybe a smidge high. But the ability? It’s almost a reverse Axe (but only for generics), and I love it. He’s useful even outside raid-heavy builds, yet still synergizes with the raid archetype. That’s smart, flexible design.
But again, we hit the same faction wall: is he really worth 21 points and an ace slot in GAR? Probably not.
Verdict: Clever design, limited by faction needs. A in concept, B in practice.
🛰 G9 Rigger Freighter
Generic Rogue – 14 points
GAR’s answer to the YT-2400... only slightly worse in most ways, except for hull (7!) and cost (14).
That said, this is very GAR: unspectacular, unflashy, but effective. You can use this to build a rogue ball (with Five-Seven, maybe Anakin, R2, etc.), or just sprinkle a couple into a squad mix to keep your activations and damage flowing.
Verdict: Not exciting, but gets the job done. A workhorse addition.
🔱 Anakin Skywalker / Twilight
Rigger Ace – 24 points
This is thematically perfect. The use of Scout, the ability design, the nods to both Anakin and Vader (and even Bossk, let’s be honest)—it’s all there. It feels like Anakin in a clunky freighter, and it plays like it too: high-impact if used well, awkward if not.
That said, he’s expensive, but not all that bad. But taking him means giving up Anakin in a Delta-7 AND R2 in the Twilight. That’s a real opportunity cost. As cool as this version is, I expect he’ll only show up in very specific lists.
Verdict: Fantastic design. Fair price. Limitations will keep him rare.
🛠 R2-D2 / Twilight
Rigger Ace – 17 points
And here it is—the only squadron in Wave 0 that I think might have gone a little too far.
R2 is a 7-hull Rogue that can float near enemy ships and just... take away a command token. Every turn. His other ability (handing out a token to a friendly) is nice, but the real trouble is that, unlike raid, there’s no counterplay. You don’t resist it, you don’t save against it—it just happens.
For fleets that depend on their token economy, this could be NPE territory. Imagine a list reliant on Concentrate Fire or Navigation tokens and watching Artoo casually strip them away turn after turn. It’s not going to break the game, but it will tilt certain matchups hard.
And honestly? He might be my auto-include 4th ace in every GAR list going forward. That’s usually a red flag.
Verdict: Powerful. Possibly too efficient. May need future tuning—but hey, it’s Artoo, baby.
🧠 Legacy Wave 0 Commanders
Legacy Wave 0 includes two new commanders—one for CIS and one for GAR—and both make a real impact. These aren't just filler additions or slight twists on existing archetypes. Each one introduces new capabilities and shifts faction identity in meaningful ways.
🟣 Daultay Dofine (CIS)
AI Wizard – 28 points
Finally, a true CIS squadron commander. Yes, Dooku, Kraken, and Grievous flirt with squadron synergy, but Dofine is the real deal—and he's all in on AI generics.
His effect lets AI: AS squadrons add 1 die of any color to their anti-squadron attacks, which is especially spicy of Tri-fighters... who didn't need this boost the most. For AI: Battery, he’s like a Bomber Command Center—but he works even on squadrons without Bomber, which means Hyenas and HMPs (but why would you have HMPs in his fleet?).
Also: pairing Dofine with the reworked Invisible Hand would be OP... if the Legacy team weren’t paying attention. But they are—and they’ve wisely capped that synergy. Cunning indeed.
Verdict: This guy opens up a brand-new way to run CIS squads. A great addition—creative, flavorful, and tactically interesting. However, it's kind of disappointing that he, in practice, covers mostly just Tris (who were already good at AS) and Hyenas.
🔷 Ki-Adi-Mundi (GAR)
Cone-head – 30 points
You look at this guy and instantly know: spice detected.
Take a repair raid, which isn't a big deal, and you get to add a die to an attack. That’s it. That’s the sauce. And unlike other GAR commanders, who tend to emphasize coordination, token shenanigans, or squadron tricks, Ki-Adi just wants to throw more dice.
He doesn’t create a brand-new archetype, but he adds something GAR has been lacking: pure, brutal dakka. He makes ship-based GAR fleets more viable—maybe even squad-light lists where you don’t worry about air superiority and just start hammering.
Is he maybe too effective? Should the effect be limited to once per activation? Possibly. But maybe his "will take damage if you do this too much" limitation is enough. We'll see. For now, I love what he brings to the table.
Also, the artwork is awesome—you can see his ship falling apart around him while he pushes forward, focused only on the target. That’s the Jedi spirit, baby. Or is it the Sith spirit? Ah, now I'm confused 😆
Verdict: A powerful, aggressive commander that gives GAR something new. Spicy in all the right ways.
🚀 Final Thoughts – Legacy Wave 0
Legacy Wave 0 is an ambitious and impressive first step. It doesn’t just fill gaps—it expands what CIS and GAR can be. The new squadrons introduce long-missing mechanics like Rogue and Assault, and the commanders offer real, list-defining value without feeling like gimmicks or power creep.
Here’s to more smart, community-driven content—because Legacy has made one thing very clear: this game still has plenty of unexplored space.
