Opportunist (Focus) vs Push the Limit (Focus + Target Lock)

By mazz0, in X-Wing

Apologies in advance - I'm sure this has been discussed before but... OK, no excuses, I just can't be bothered searching (or doing the maths myself).

What's better, four attack dice and one action (say, focus) or three attack dice with focus and target lock? I'm trying to decide whether Opportunist is worth using instead of Push the Limit, assuming you don't get the extra action any other way and assuming you get to use opportunist.

What ship is this going on? An Int?

Firespray. On an Interceptor you'd need a Targeting Computer as well as Push the Limit, although that is only one point more than Opportunist, could still be better (I'm planning on using that particular combination on a high skilled Interceptor pilot anyway, where Opportunist wouldn't be very useful).

Opportunist wins, by a small but not negligible margin.

With PtL you'd have the option of not only Focus and TL, but Focus and Evade if needed.

Well that's good to know, I was worried Opportunist might be useless. Anyone got the numbers?

Of course given all the other things Push the Limit lets you do I expect it's still hard to justify, but at least it'll be useful sometimes (especially if you have a target lock from a previous turn or that Shuttle pilot).

Together I think they'll be one of my favourite combos on Awing Test Pilots (unless something better comes out of course).

Well that's good to know, I was worried Opportunist might be useless. Anyone got the numbers?

It depends on the ships involved in the attack. Two examples:

  • X-wing vs TIE Fighter with Focus: Target Lock + Focus has an expected value of 0.99 and Opportunist + Focus is 1.23.
  • X-wing vs B-wing with no Focus: TL + Focus is 2.44 and Opportunist is 2.63.
Edited by Vorpal Sword

Cool, thanks dude :)

In general, Opportunist is more valuable on ships with weak attacks (because the step from 2 to 3 is generally worth more than the step from 3 to 4, in the most typical situations) and its value also increases as targets get more evasive.

percentage of average damage

Took this table from http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/905263/average-damage-table-including-critical-hits

Shows hit averages. 4 Focused dice has a slight edge over 3 focused and locked dice, but it is less than a hit. So, you will see a slight bias to an extra damage, but will not be a constant occurrence. It also compares each attack die total with each possible evasion die total, so you can see if you are likely to hit against each ship with each kind of token.

TBzc7.png

What I really need is to pick up a target lock some other way! :P

Opportunist is good - because it doesn't need an action - but it's best use is the fact that it works with secondary weapons. Generating an extra secondary weapon die tends to mean more because most ordnance has special rules, or else it has more dice to start with, and hence you're adding more 'extra dice' - i.e. punching up the number of attack dice you have in excess of your opponent's defence.

So opportunist really comes into its own with missiles or a heavy laser cannon. Sadly, Krassis has no EPT as opportunist, his reroll and a HLC would very much qualify as " please, not the face ".