The Upgrade Files: Case 18 – Officers (GAR & CIS)

Clone Wars officers highlight the double-edged nature of upgrade design. On one hand, many of them shore up the defensive gaps and command-token weaknesses of their factions. On the other hand, this makes them “patch cards”: your fleets lean heavily on a handful of officers to cover systemic flaws, which leads to key-piece stacking.

It’s also a pricing issue. Why would you ever run Veteran Captain at 2 points when CIS has Tikkes at 2? Why pay 7 for Raymus when you can take Rune Haako for 4 and get a better effect? Clone Wars officers are mostly excellent value, but the imbalance compared to older designs is glaring. Let’s dig in.

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GAR Officers

Adi Gallia

A defensive gem. Effectively grants some extra Redirect mileage on anything that isn’t Tranquility. At 3 points she’s a steal — not as universally strong as Barriss, but still excellent. Her only drawback is eating up your officer slot.

Verdict: Keep as is.

Ahsoka Tano (GAR Officer)

Unlike her Rebel counterpart, this Ahsoka gives your non-unique squadrons Snipe. Sounds amazing — Torrent Snipe 4 with Swarm is very solid. The problem is platforms. She really belongs on an Acclamator-I, which isn’t a top-tier carrier. Venators want other officers, Peltas want Flight Controllers. Great card, limited by circumstance.

Verdict: Keep as is — too bad she lacks the perfect platform...

Barriss Offee

A strong defensive officer, but awkward to place in your fleet. Where does she go? Not on Tranquility. On Venators without Tranquility? I don't often run two Venators, though. She feels too expensive on smaller ships, plus they lack the staying power to make full use of her. Not bad, just situational.

Verdict: Keep as is, maybe try 5 points just to bring her usage up? 

Clone Captain Silver

The “Zak of speed control.” Lets you manipulate movement unpredictably, which is fantastic in theory. The catch: GAR is already terrible at navigation, so you really should be Nav-ing. 

Verdict: Fun card, 4 points is fair.

Clone Captain Zak

An absolute beast. At minimum, you’re buying 2 extra dice on key attacks for 5 points. On flankers like GARquitens or Consular Chargers, he’s incredible, but even larger ships love him. 

Verdict: A clear highlight of the GAR roster.

Clone Commander Wolffe

Errata improved him slightly, but assault commands remain niche. Six points, an officer slot, and a refresh cost? 

Verdict: Not worth it. Binder fodder.

Clone Navigation Officer

A very good generic support option. Token management is a GAR staple, and you can never have too many command tokens.

Verdict: Keep as is.

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CIS Officers

Asajj Ventress

Fine if you’re running raid-heavy fleets (Dooku, TF-1726, Legacy HMPs), but uninspired otherwise. Would’ve been cooler with an offensive twist. Serviceable, not exciting.

Verdict: Keep as is.

Passel Argente

Play half the game with an extra command dial? Yes please.

Verdict: Keep as is.

Rune Haako

One of the best token officers in the game. Starts with 2 tokens, then pulls from other ships to feed your centerpiece. At 4 points he’s underpriced, but since CIS has no Comms Net flotillas, he’s allowed to break the curve.

Verdict: Keep as is.

San Hill

The new version is excellent — basically the CIS squadron equivalent of Zak. Three points is a steal, but compared to his peers, it’s consistent.

Verdict: Keep as is.

Shu Mai

Another great offensive officer. Requires planning, but rewards you with reliable output. 

Verdict: Could be 5 points, but 4 is fine.

T-Series Tactical Droid

Looks good on paper, but in practice, you’ll struggle to feed him tokens. Eats up an officer slot for little payoff. 

Verdict: Needs a cost reduction.

TI-99

Solid niche tech. Punishes enemies for attacking your fragile droid swarms, making them think twice about picking off Vultures or Hyenas. You can easily argue for him to be a 5-6 point card, but 4 is probably fine.

Verdict: Well worth the points in the right list. 

Tikkes

Two points for free tokens with an easy-to-manage downside. Top-tier efficiency. Realistically worth 3, but like Rune, he’s priced low to compensate for CIS’s token-starved fleet design.

Verdict: Keep as is.

Wat Tambor

At 5 points he was ridiculous. At 9 he’s maybe a bit steep — same price as Brunson — but better too expensive than too cheap. Still very usable, just not automatic anymore.

Verdict: Keep as is or make him 8.

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Final Verdict – GAR & CIS Officers

Clone Wars officers are generally excellent, and often too excellent compared to older designs. GAR gets strong defensive and utility tools, but many are chained to underperforming platforms (Ahsoka on Acclamators, Barriss on non-Tranquility Vens). CIS, meanwhile, is swimming in token economy and support tech (Rune, Tikkes, Passel) that make older factions’ officers look laughable.

The downside? Heavy reliance on a small pool of “must-have” officers, leading to key-piece fleets where your flagship becomes a Christmas tree of upgrades. And newer ARC ships without flotillas still strain that economy further.

Overall: GAR and CIS officers are strong, sometimes underpriced, but locked into faction design quirks that make them less flexible than Rebel or Imperial counterparts.

Next Up: Commanders (Admirals), starting with Empire.

The Upgrade Files: Case 17 – Officers (Rebels)

Where the Empire drowns in a sea of defensive tech and ruthless enablers, the Rebel officer suite leans into utility, flexibility, and squadron synergy. And like their Imperial counterparts, some of these officers are so good they’re practically auto-includes, while others gather dust in the binder.

The officer slot is precious real estate on Rebel ships — it’s almost always filled, but with fewer standout options than the Empire has. That means when an officer is strong (Toryn Farr, Adar Tallon, Lando), they show up everywhere. When one is weak, you rarely see it at all. Let’s dive in.

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Adar Tallon

Ten points is a lot, but not when you’re giving a 20+ point ace a second swing every round. And of course, it’s a Rogue squadron you’re recycling, so it doesn’t even need a command for the follow-up. Luke, Lando, Dutch, Han — the list of abusers is long. It’s thematic, it’s fun, it’s extremely strong. Too strong, maybe.

Verdict: Leave as is or consider a tweak, such as “cannot affect Rogues”. Okay, okay, I can already hear the enraged screaming, so I'll back off!

Ahsoka Tano (Officer)

She’s my BAE, but let’s be real: 2 points is criminally underpriced. Turning any token into the token you need most — instantly — is wildly powerful. She doesn’t generate economy, but she converts it perfectly. 

Verdict: Should be 3. If I didn't  like her so much I might say 4 😆

Captain Rex

Before ARC’s Draven, Rex felt overpriced — raid was weak for Rebels. Now, he’s fine. Rebels finally have a commander who makes raid a thing. 

Verdict: At 5 points he’s fair, though I wouldn’t balk at 4.

Ezra Bridger

Amazing utility. One-use only, but compare him to Titus or Ozzel and his 3-point price looks laughable. Unlike them, he can’t be Vader-choked, which is a limitation, I guess. He’s common, potent, and arguably too cheap. 

Verdict: Four points would be more reasonable, but 3 is fine, I suppose.

General Draven

A diet Kallus. Less consistent, less useful, but still has his place. Intel is rare these days, and counter squadrons aren’t everywhere either. Rarely seen, but not dead weight.

Verdict: If Kallus is 4, Draven should be 3. If Kallus is 3, Draven should be 2. 

Kyrsta Agate (Officer)

Rarely seen, but not dead weight. Would be good if Rebel hulls actually had Salvo — they don’t outside the SH and Providence (or LFC and Reactive). That makes her niche at best. You’d think she’d shine on an Agate-commanded Starhawk, but of course you can’t take her there. 

Verdict: Either leave her at 5 and accept she’s rarely used, or try to drop her to 4. Doesn't really matter.

Lando Calrissian (Officer)

One of the best one-shot defensive officers in the game. For 4 points you can blank a catastrophic roll, swing an engagement, or save a flagship. A bargain. 

Verdict: Five wouldn’t be wrong, but his gamble factor makes 4 feel right.

Leia Organa (Officer)

Niche but powerful. Timing and positioning matter, but she can swing a battle if used smartly. 

Verdict: At 3 points she’s fairly costed and doesn’t need a change.

Major Derlin

A sturdy defensive piece. Sometimes feels pricey at 7, but when you compare him to Brunson (now 9), he holds up. 

Verdict: If Brunson dropped to 8, I’d say make Derlin 6. As is, he’s fine.

Raymus Antilles

Once a workhorse, now an overpaid relic. The extra token is nice, but not worth 7 in today’s token-rich economy. 

Verdict: Should be 5, same as my suggestion for Yularen, and balanced compared to Rune Haako (4).

Sabine Wren

Not bad at 4, but not great either. 

Verdict: Swap her price with Ezra’s, and balance is restored.

Toryn Farr

A cornerstone Rebel officer. Range-wide blue rerolls on squadrons is absurdly good. She’s been less visible in the age of rogue balls (who often fight far from ships), but she’s still one of the strongest Rebel officers in the game. 

Verdict: Price is right.

Walex Blissex

Still excellent, especially with Agate or Admonition. Defensive recursion is strong, and at 5 he’s balanced. 

Verdict: Leave him.

Wedge Antilles (Officer)

Niche but useful. Lets three squadrons slingshot forward for a token cost. Limited range and 3 squad restriction make him grounded, but in the right build, he’s great. 

Verdict: Three points would be more appropriate, but 4 is acceptable.

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Final Verdict – Rebel Officers

Rebel officers lean heavily into squadron synergy and utility tricks, and it shows. Adar Tallon is too good with Rogues, Ezra is underpriced, and Ahsoka is a steal. On the defensive side, Lando, Derlin, and Walex provide solid protection without being oppressive.

The problem? Rebels don’t have the sheer breadth of options the Empire does. Too many Rebel ships take the same few officers, while others  languish. The slot is always filled, but variety is low.

Rebalancing a handful of costs (Ezra up, Ahsoka up, Raymus down, Sabine down) would go a long way to making the Rebel officer suite more competitive internally. Right now, Rebels live and die by a small handful of standouts.

Next Up: GAR/CIS Officers.

The Upgrade Files: Case 16 – Officers (Empire)

The Empire doesn’t mess around with its officers. Where neutral officers are a mixed bag of staples and filler, the Imperial roster is stacked with power pieces. Some are defensive (Montferrat, Brunson, Iden, Needa, Tua), some are offensive (Krennic, Palpatine, Vader), and others are unique tech tools (Chiraneau, Beck, Grand Inq) or token managers (Aresko, Grint, Vanto, Yularen).

But the flip side is cost and opportunity. The officer slot on any Empire ship is hotly contested — there are simply more good options than you can possibly fit. And yes, some officers are so good they almost always show up on the table, while others never leave the binder. Let’s break it down.

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Admiral Chiraneau

Funny one. Post-1.5, he should be better than ever — Intel was nerfed, and combined with the ace cap, Dengar isn’t everywhere anymore. Yet Chiraneau rarely shows up on the table. Mildly strange, but I guess Speed 2 is so restrictive that he isn't super desirable. His effect IS still valuable, especially paired with Mithel shenanigans, which is why he can’t cost less than 10. 

Verdict: If Mithel himself were toned down, Chiraneau could easily be 8.

Admiral Montferrat

Five points of pure conditional value. “Go fast, be obstructed, live forever.” The better you fly, the better he gets. 

Verdict: Excellent design, excellent cost (6 points would not be unfair).

Admiral Ozzel (Officer)

A fun one-shot trick — particularly nasty with Cataclysm or an SSD. Afterward, he’s just Vader choke fodder. 

Verdict: Balanced, leave as is.

Admiral Titus

Same boat as Ozzel: a one-time trick with niche but real applications. Can swing an early game if used cleverly, then becomes Vader fuel. 

Verdict: Works as designed.

Agent Kallus

Good card, often useful, occasionally brilliant. His cost is fair with the 4-ace cap in place. Without that cap, he was underpriced. 

Verdict: If I had my way, he’d only work against squadrons with defense tokens — no reason to penalize the generiques.

Captain Brunson

The queen of Imperial defensive tech. At 5 points, she was everywhere, since the “within distance 1–2 of an obstacle” clause is barely a restriction in skilled hands. She was rightly pushed up to 9, which curbed her ubiquity. 

Verdict: 9 feels a touch high. 8 would be a sweet spot. But 9 is a lot better than 5, so whatever.

Captain Needa

Goodbye useless Contain, hello Evade. For 2 points, Needa is always valuable — whether enabling TRCs or just letting your ISD actually evade things. Balanced, iconic, and Vader can choke him afterward. 

Verdict: Perfect.

Commandant Aresko

A short-range, clunky knock-off of Yularen. At 7 points, he’s WAY too much. 

Verdict: Drop him to 4 and he might see use.

Commander Beck

A fun little enabler. For 3 points, she gives flexibility, with the risk of backlash. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it stings — as it should. 

Verdict: Leave her alone.

Commander Gherant

Supposed to make the SSD immune to crits on approach, but falls flat. The cost isn’t the problem; the effect just isn’t worth the officer slot. 

Verdict: Binder material.

Commander Vanto

A solid token officer, somewhere between Yularen and Aresko in efficiency. A bit clunky, but good once mastered. 

Verdict: Five points feels right.

Commander Woldar

Decent effect, decent range, fair cost. The only real issue is the Empire’s squad pool — there's too much Swarm and not enough good non-Swarm squadrons to make him shine. I mean, he SHOULD be in there with your Firesprays and Aggressors!

Verdict: A good card limited by context.

Darth Vader (Officer)

This one makes me sigh. Up from 1 to 4 points, but still underpriced. As long as 1-point officers exist (SFO), Vader should be at least 6. Still, he’s undeniably fun — chew through expendable officers for ket rerolls. 

Verdict: A neat concept, but currently too cheap.

Director Isard

Pure trash. A beginner’s crutch at best. Rework it entirely — something like “guess the top command dial correctly, gain a matching token.” That would actually be useful. 

Verdict: As is? Compactor.

Director Krennic

Suffers from clunky wording and too many conditions. Needs a CF dial and token, medium-long range, and costs 8 points. On an SSD, his range restriction kills him. On a Cymoon or Ravager he’s okay — but again, you’re paying a lot for something fiddly. And at 8 points IMO he's too expensive for the Arquitens.

Verdict: Either reduce his cost by 1–2, or rework him to streamline his effect.

Emperor Palpatine (Officer)

Love this guy. Puts immense pressure on defense tokens, especially with Salvo, Sloane, or Boarding Troopers. All for 3 points! 

Verdict: Realistically, he should be 4. One of the best value officers in the game.

Governor Pryce

A fantastic offensive boost. Need a crit? A hit/crit? Double hit? She delivers. The shield-spending cost is real, but manageable. 

Verdict: She’s fine at 6, maybe 7 at most. Great offensive focus — don’t nerf her.

Iden Versio

Excellent on a double-evade ship that wants to knife-fight. Six points is fair. Demo likes her, but Tua or Montferrat are often better. Her discard-for-raid trick is irrelevant — if it were exhaust instead, it might actually matter. 

Verdict: Could come down to 5, same as Montferrat, since she's operating off defense tokens AND needs to close. Or Monty could come up to 6.

Instructor Goran

Very niche, potentially very powerful. His ceiling is scary, so his price needs to stay high. That said, he sees so little play that you could test him at 6. Balanced but underused.

Verdict: Maybe reduce to 6.

Lira Wessex

On paper, not bad: repair tokens to flip face-ups. In practice, it only matters on the Executor, with stacked repair tokens, in a crit-heavy meta. 

Verdict: Two points is fine, but the officer slot is too valuable. Lives in the binder.

Minister Tua

Two points to enable a Defensive Retrofit slot — usually ECM. This card highlights Armada’s core flaw: defense token negation is too oppressive, so every large ship needs a “fix.” 

Verdict: She’s sort of fine at 2, given the context. But if you're not on board with the whole reasoning behind her, she should really cost 4+. 

Reeva Demesne

A fantastic officer at a great price. She doesn’t show up as often as she deserves, but that’s only because of opportunity cost. Compare her to Luminara, and you feel the faction disparity. 

Verdict: Leave her alone.

Taskmaster Grint

A solid command spammer. But at 5, he’s not worth it compared to modern token officers. Rune Haako is 4 and offers more flexibility. 

Verdict: Drop Grint to 4 and call it even.

The Grand Inquisitor

Speed manipulation tech as an exhaust triggering of enemy movement? It's kind of interesting in some corner cases, and with Quad Battery Turrets, but overall, this will never be worth 4 points and an Officer slot. But beyond that: why isn't this guy a cool boarding party of some sort? Why doesn't he hand out raids? Or anything other than change your speed? 

Verdict: Reduce to 2 or rework.

Wulff Yularen

The OG token officer. Still functional, but the game has outgrown him. At 7 he’s overpriced; 5 would be more appropriate. Easier to use than Aresko, less efficient than modern equivalents.

Verdict: Reduce to 5 points.

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Final Verdict – Empire Officers

The Imperial officer pool is strong. Some of these cards (Brunson, Tua, Vader, Palpatine, Pryce) are so efficient that they define archetypes. Others (Isard, Gherant, Lira) are so bad they may as well not exist.

The big issue here is balance creep. The early-wave staples still hold up, but modern additions range from over-tuned defensive tech (Brunson at 5 was absurd) to clunky, overpriced experiments (Krennic). The opportunity cost of the officer slot makes anything mid-tier hard to justify, and mostly crowds out the large selection of token handling officers.

Still, compared to the Rebels or GAR, the Empire has one of the most robust officer pools — if you want flexibility, efficiency, or raw power, you’ll find it here. Just don’t expect much design subtlety.

Next Up: Rebel Officers.