How to play Grand Admiral Thrawn
Thrawn is the Dark Side's army commander. Alone he is fragile, but every unit around him gets faster, he summons stormtroopers on his own and his attack grows the longer he lives. Players argue about how good he really is. Here's what the numbers say and how to get the most out of him.
At a glance
| Side and era | Dark Side · Galactic Empire |
|---|---|
| Type | Organic · Ranged |
| Health (level 1) | 1,014 |
| Attack (level 1) | 84 |
| Max level | 8 (every perk is open by level 7) |
| Unique card | Governor Pryce · 3 energy |
| Skill | Skilled Commander, 20 second cooldown |
| Passive | Student of War (attack that grows) |
| Bonus | Summons stormtroopers after a set number of attacks |
His kit, explained
- Skill: Skilled Commander (20 second cooldown). Thrawn and every allied organic unit and leader nearby get +40% Attack Speed and +40% Movement Speed for 4.5 seconds. It is one of the shortest leader cooldowns in the game, so you get it in almost every fight.
- Passive: Student of War. Thrawn's Attack Power rises by 4% every 6 seconds, up to +40% after a minute alive. If he dies, it resets to zero. Keeping Thrawn alive is the whole game.
- Stormtrooper summons. After a set number of attacks Thrawn deploys stormtroopers by himself. Free units keep coming as long as he keeps shooting.
- Weak spot: 1,014 HP and slow on his own. Thrawn is strong because of the Empire units around him, not because of himself, which is why players disagree about his ranking.
Perks and when they unlock
Perks unlock as the leader levels up and cost Perk Points and Credits. Leaders max out at level 8, and the fifth perk needs level 7, which is why so few players have seen a fully perked leader yet.
| Perk | Unlocks at | What it does | Perk Points | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Level 1 | Increases Attack Speed by 10%. Shoots faster, which also means more stormtrooper summons. | 1,000 | 6,000 |
| 2 | Level 3 | Increases duration by 1 second. A 5.5 second Skilled Commander. | 3,450 | 10,000 |
| 3 | Level 4 | Decreases cooldown by 2 seconds. Skilled Commander every 18 seconds. | 8,500 | 16,000 |
| 4 | Level 5 | Max overlap +12%. Raises the attack cap above 40%. | 16,000 | 32,000 |
| 5 | Level 7 | Increases summoned stormtrooper’s level by 1. His summoned stormtroopers come out one level higher. | 31,750 | 136,000 |
| All five perks | 60,700 | 200,000 | ||
Game plan
- Play Governor Pryce early. Pryce follows Thrawn and refills your energy all game. The earlier he is out, the more energy you bank.
- Fight in groups. Thrawn's skill only buffs organic units near him. Push with three or four organic cards together, then fire Skilled Commander as they hit.
- Stay behind the wall. Each death resets Student of War. Thrawn should never be the first thing the enemy can reach.
- Go big after a minute. At +40% attack, Thrawn himself becomes a real damage dealer. That is when to push his lane.
- Use the Dewback. Players say Dewback Trooper is what makes Thrawn decks tough to face: a tank that charges turrets while the buffed troops follow.
A deck to start with
| Card | Job | Why it is here | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Governor Pryce 3 energy, 561 HP | Unique, energy engine | Follows Thrawn and periodically recharges your energy bar. |
 | Stormtroopers 2 energy, 167 HP, x3 | Cheap core | Two energy organic squad. More bodies for the skill to buff. |
 | Death Troopers 3 energy, 264 HP, x2 | Damage | Hard-hitting organic ranged pair. |
 | Imperial Heavy Gunners 4 energy, 276 HP, x3 | Damage | Three quick-firing troopers who love +40% attack speed. |
 | Dewback Trooper 4 energy, 2,515 HP | Tank | 2,515 HP, charges structures and deals area damage. The card players fear in Thrawn decks. |
 | C-14A Stun Grenade 2 energy | Control | Two energy stun to protect Thrawn or lock their leader. |
 | TIE Bomber 4 energy | Air strike | Clears the swarms that would trade evenly with your troopers. |
See the full Thrawn Energy Engine starter deck for a tested list with card-by-card roles. Empire datacards also help: the Empire's set bonuses boost organic health and attack.
How to beat Grand Admiral Thrawn
- Kill Thrawn, not the troops. Every death resets his attack bonus. Assassins, snipers and air strikes on Thrawn himself win the matchup.
- Stun cycle. Top Lando players beat Thrawn by stunning him and his group repeatedly. Stuns waste his short skill window.
- Area damage. His army is organic squads. Grenadiers, Y-Wings and flamethrowers trade very well into them.
- Take out Pryce. Governor Pryce has only 561 HP. Kill him and Thrawn loses his energy edge.
Best and worst matchups
Community votes from the leader matchup chart.
Loading community matchups...
What players are saying
Some SWFAR Discord players rank Thrawn high, others call him "an objectively worse Padme". The fair read: his own kit is modest, the Empire troops and Dewback carry him, and players expect him to fall off if Light Side units get buffs. Join the conversation in the SWFAR Discord or the SWFAR Facebook group.