Now, I think we can all agree that Atomic Mass didn’t handle the announcement that the flood of releases for Shatterpoint was going to slow down to something more manageable, but that doesn’t mean that game is dead – far from it. Indeed, we have a couple of new unit boxes incoming from Shatterpoint, covering the dark siders from the Ahsoka TV show: , Balan Skoll, Shin Hati and Assassin Droids, and , Morgan Elspeth, Capt. Enoch and Night Troopers. We also know that the long-teased Qui-Gon set is coming down the line, before the game gives us more releases in the sequel era – whatever you may think of the films, it’s going to give some new and interesting options.
Balance Update 2026
One of the things I really like about Shatterpoint is how considered the balance update is. Crucially, it can be as much about theme as power level; it’s not always this unit needs buffed/nerfed, but rather that unit might just not feel quite right. Delta Squad were immediately getting snapped up by competitive players as just being utterly lethal and a frightening partner to the Bad Batch in particular. Both Boss and Sev & Scorch have had updates just to flatten the curve a bit: Boss’s Explosive Solution dished out free movement AND damage, whereas it is now more situational: 2 Force gives you a dash. Sev & Scorch have received a clarification to their (still excellent) Rule 17 ability so that it only triggers off melee, which forces them to have to get involved rather than plinking away at range. This doubles down on the grubby, skirmish feel of the classic video game and makes for a more satisfying play experience on tabletop without diminishing their utility significantly; also, it acts as more of a complement to the play style of the Bad Batch, so that your Support units aren’t just doing fundamentally the same thing.
Still in the Prequel era, Kit Fisto always felt a bit lacklustre to me – even if I do love his sculpt – simply because he was solely a reactive defence piece. Now, he has the ability to reposition himself (woo! Best movement in the game!) and move enemies off objectives. What I like about this is that it makes him a proactive defence piece: still responding to your opponent’s plays, but able to more directly and effectively control the battlefield. It’s good to see that even these more recent releases are getting balance, but OG releases are still getting reappraised also: B2 Battle Droids, those old staples, have slipped down the ranks steadily – I mean they were always a bit behind Magnaguard, but even with those getting toned down in the 2025 update, B2s were still a bit lacklustre. Crucially, their Close Range Annihilation ability is now innate (no force requirement) which means alongside Grevious and Kalani you’re looking at 5D reroll attacks which is VERY nasty indeed.
Like Delta Squad, Cassian, was a real power player, so his signature This Town is Ready to Blow ability has been scaled back, only giving you extra damage when you are behind, rather than pushing you further ahead regardless of who wins a struggle: a nerf, certainly, but equally still thematic. And of the back of the Mando movie, I’m pleased to see the Snowtrooper Lieutenant getting beefed up a bit, removing negative conditions and preserving hunker tokens on Troopers, so that Snowtroopers generally feel a bit more offence-forward. Finally, Infiltration has been nerfed slightly – it’s now simply deploy within R2 of Primary.
Secure the Future – Baylon Skoll / Shin Hati Squad Pack
Right let’s get this out in the open: I really dislike the Baylon Skoll sculpt. It’s just way, way too dynamic. Now I know that might seem like a crazy comment but it’s just not right for a character who is a steady, patient, remorseless force. A 7 SP 3F unit with 10/3 is pretty decent though doesn’t leave much room for manoeuvre in the list building. He does, inevitably, use the Force, pulling enemies with R3 up to R2 towards him and then gaining Hunker (I like how Clone Wars era that feels). He can Dash and Hunker for a Force, and can do so twice. Interestingly, allied units do not remove or lose hunker tokens, but instead can spend them for extra Attack Dice. This bit of his ability is rather good, and will play well with 501st et al – or indeed, as a Mercenary, alongside the Bad Batch. In Combat he is an 8D Melee machine on one side and a 7D with plenty of condition manipulation on the other. He is good, I’m just not sure he’s great. And that’s not just because I don’t rate the sculpt.
Shin Hati, by contrast, is a more interesting prospect – and not just because of the sculpt, which is really excellent. I have gone on and on about how difficult it is to pick the right Secondary because of paralysis of choice. At 4PC, she’s on the pricey end, but with good reason. If she uses her Force Dash to get into melee, she grants the target Exposed (no crits for you!). As well as having the commonplace Force User ability of Riposte Her terrifying reactive ability enables her to reposition or gain hunker (ahem, Baylon) when a Force user uses a combat action and then deal a 5d attack to the same character. Did I mention that she can spend Hunker tokens as Force? Scary. Oh, and for the downside? She can’t be placed in reserve, though is immune to being disarmed. With plenty of damage, movement and bleed on her tree, she is obviously a great Secondary to Skoll, but plenty lethal in her own right.
Finally, the HK droids are a solid 3pt unit with a free dash as standard, and further movement from being able to remove a Hunker for a free dash also. So, straight out of the gate, they are only ever going to see major play in Skoll lists. Against opposing Primaries, they are +2D with Protection and Steadfast; their combat tree has a surprising amount of early mobility, but this enables them to close the gap from ranged before moving in for the kill. A good option though, again, not necessarily great.
My Loyalty, My Life – Morgan Elspeth Squad Pack
Morgan is an interesting primary straight out of the gate; 8SP/2F is fine, but 10 Stamina on a 3 Durability is solid. Her innate Tactic is free, enabling her to look at the top card of the deck and either leave it there and Dash + Focus, or move it to the bottom to grant friendly Night units a Recover. I really like that she essentially has Scry 1, seems very fitting! For 2F, she can force a enemy dash at R4; that is really expensive ability for her (particularly if you’re pairing her with, say, Maul) but range of that does keep it balanced. Also, she can take damage when allied units would use Force, with an extra 5D attack when wounded, so there’s that (again, very Maul, very on brand) I’m less convinced by her You will Die Here Alone, giving +3D in melee against an enemy with no allies in R2: whilst it doesn’t cost Force to use, you’re typically using her displacement at long range, so its utility is more limited. That being said, she is good in melee, with a lot of movement in her damage tree including early on reposition and multiple dashes. Fab sculpt too, with her darkfire sabre captured evocatively.
Enoch is a really interesting Secondary – it’s always the hot spot, after all – and only 3PS, he’s going to pop up in a fair few trooper heavy lists. 1F to grant a dash to Stormtroopers (or double for Night) is decent, but granting Bleed automatically to any unit by an allied Imperial within R5 is absolutely MONSTROUS. He can also grant exposed in Melee to allied units and their targets: a risky strategy, but emphasises the relentless, pitiless resolve of the empire and its remnants. His combat tree is solid, not remarkable but does have access to movement and range of negative conditions, and stands up as Melee or Ranged. The Night Troopers, meanwhile, are a hefty 5PC, but they bring a lot to the table on that big base of theirs. For a Force (though bear in mind Morgan’s ability) they can Dash or, if Injured, Move. That’s scary fast with Enoch: Double Dash and Move for 2 Injured tokens? Fair trade, they’re 8 Stamina. But why would you want Injured tokens anyway? Well, the thing is, they... Just. Don’t. Die. Opponents don’t gain Momentum for Wounding them, and when they become Wounded, they simply start over: remove the Wound, an Injury AND a condition. They are quite literally unkillable. There is some positioning on their tree, also, with a mix of damage and shoves, making them a really formidable opponent that’s in it for the long game. If I had to pick one pack, this would be it.
About the author:
Sam blogs @big_geekingout and as part of bigcomicpage.com with an emphasis on dad-gaming and IP content. Recovering competitive card gamer, infrequent skirmish wargamer, and average boardgamer. Decent Modeller with a fondness for terrain. Enthusiastic if not especially capable miniature Painter. Media and English Teacher, which is a cover for being a movie nerd. Reasonable cook. Occasional Parent.
