Not sure if it's been mentioned, but a YT-2400 is on the Outmaneuver card.

Anyways, the maneuver dial on the Defender makes sense. It's like the Me-262, it has such a speed advantage that turns are a drawn out process.

At a minimum, it introduces another damage vector for using focus - two hits and an eyeball makes for a serious choice in how to spend that focus, which is cool.

Yes there seems to be this assumption that you will always have reason to spend that focus token on your attack rolls. There's only a 25% chance of rolling a focus, you're twice as likely to roll a hit/crit, and have the same odds for a blank.

So his ability will be useful even without a 2nd focus. Landing 2 hits that you convert into crits, is going to be better then converting that 3rd dice into a hit, in most every case, short of that extra hit being what kills the ship. In which case the crits don't matter...

Outmaneuver should be awesome on HWKs and Y-Wings.

Y-Wings don't get EPT, and the droid that gives one is unique. But it would be useful on Kyle with a blaster turret, or even on the Falcon for the reason you mention.

Now Outmaneuver on YT-1300s, they have a 360 degree arc, hm...

Or, the Slave-1 ships, forward and back firing arc.

That'll be interesting.

YT-1300s have standard arcs, but can fire outside them. Note the FAQ entry for Backstabber.

Both arcs on the Firespray count as arcs.

If you get some ships to back him up, you could just have Brath chill at range 3 until most of the shields have been stripped off the rebels and then just send him in for some crit magic.

Wedge + Outmanuever + Engine Upgrade + R7-T1.

Start in enemy firing arc, use R7, obtain target lock, boost out of fire arc, then benefit from out manuever.

Expensive, bit of a gamble, but reducing an Interceptor to 1 evade dice = priceless.

You don't need the Engine Upgrade to use R7's boost. It does allow you to boost when outside of range 1-2 Target Lock range.

Outmaneuver should be awesome on HWKs and Y-Wings. It doesn't specify primary weapons, so you can use it to apply Defense penalties to Ion Turret attacks as long as you can slip behind them.

Outmaneuver does not work on turret upgrades (unless within your firing arc) because Outmaneuver specifically states within the firing arc and the turret cards states that you can target ships outside your firing arc.

Now Outmaneuver on YT-1300s, they have a 360 degree arc, hm...

Or, the Slave-1 ships, forward and back firing arc.

That'll be interesting.

For YTs and Y-wings, the defender would have to be in your forward firing arc for Outmaneuver to trigger. For the Firespray they would have to be in the front OR rear firing arc.

Outmaneuver should be awesome on HWKs and Y-Wings.

Y-Wings don't get EPT, and the droid that gives one is unique. But it would be useful on Kyle with a blaster turret, or even on the Falcon for the reason you mention.

Not really. For Outmaneuver to work, you have to have the target in your firing arc. Turrets don't do it.

Vessler, though... Meh. Is it possible to coordinate the TLs? Certainly. But I think it's going to be difficult. All the ships that can TL naturally are either expensive (Firespray, Defender), hard to fly/bad ships (Lambda, Advanced) or typically run in dedicated squads (Bombers). Unless you want to basically just be handing off an action by taking an otherwise useless TL, you've got to coordinate those attacks. I feel like that's going to be tricky, given how differently the Defender is going to fly than anything else we've got (although it does turn about as bad as a shuttle, so it's got that synergy going, I suppose). I think Vessler's going to be in that category of "not worth the effort" and is unlikely to see a lot of use.

I can't wait to fly one of these, but I felt the same way you did about Vessler. Why would he not just get a target lock after rolling attack die? I don't see these ships as "being a part of a team" but rather being a one man show. Will the Defender end up like the Advanced; only the top PS pilot is ever really used?

Onyx Squadron Pilot = 32 points

4 pilot skill with no Elite upgrade option

You can see that it's 3 PS in the pic.

Given the PS1 for 30, I think 32 points is right. The EPT is probably up in the air - I can see it paralleling the A-wing because of the Defender's history, and the Imps usually have a generic with EPT. Just have to wait and see.

Ah, I see that 3 now. Great catch Buhallin. That's pretty expensive for 32 (if that point cost is correct) and if it gets no EPT as well, ouchy.

Vessler, though... Meh. Is it possible to coordinate the TLs? Certainly. But I think it's going to be difficult. All the ships that can TL naturally are either expensive (Firespray, Defender), hard to fly/bad ships (Lambda, Advanced) or typically run in dedicated squads (Bombers). Unless you want to basically just be handing off an action by taking an otherwise useless TL, you've got to coordinate those attacks. I feel like that's going to be tricky, given how differently the Defender is going to fly than anything else we've got (although it does turn about as bad as a shuttle, so it's got that synergy going, I suppose). I think Vessler's going to be in that category of "not worth the effort" and is unlikely to see a lot of use.

"Naturally TL" is less relevant in the post-Aces game than without, since you can easily run a support TIE with Targeting Computer at a really low marginal cost. That opens up, e.g.:

• Colonel Vessery (35) + Adrenaline Rush (1) + Cluster Missiles (4)
• Howlrunner (18)
• Dark Curse (16) + Targeting Computer (2)
• Academy Pilot (12)
• Academy Pilot (12)

• Colonel Vessery (35) + Adrenaline Rush (1) + Cluster Missiles (4)
• Bounty Hunter (33) + Recon Specialist (3)
• Academy Pilot (12)
• Academy Pilot (12)

YT-1300

It looks like the YT-1300 cannot use Outmanuever with their 360 turret.

On my way through the thread but I'm a bit disappointed with the Defender although the upgrades certainly look like they could turn into the ship's selling point like PtL was a big selling point for the A-Wing.

1. Very expensive.

2. Fast dial but if you're not jousting you're going to have a hard time clearing stress.

I'm thinking I'm much rather run an Interceptor with Hull and Shield Upgrades then run a Defender. I'm sure there will be more tactics but the only one that is standing out is a simple "Boom and Zoom" approach although it misses the boost that would really make that effective.

Not really. For Outmaneuver to work, you have to have the target in your firing arc.

I missed the part about having the ship in your arc, so yeah that won't work.

Not quite off the top of my head, there, but I think Vessery is a genuinely good candidate in a lot of 3-4 ship lists, and Targeting Computer makes it a workable one even in a 5-ship list.

Yeah, it's definitely possible - not suggesting it's not. I just think it's going to be more trouble than it's worth. If you slap a targeting computer on something (or even take one other thing with a TL) you essentially have to slave Vessery and that given TC to the same target, or be sacrificing actions. The Computer on DC is a nice option, since he can handle action loss better than most, but it still seems an unreliable use of the points.

I just think it's going to be too much work for too little reward.

This would be a fun squad against a Falcon list:

Rex with HLC and Predator
2x Royal Guards with veteran instincts and stealth

The guard strip shields and then Rex unloads an uber-crits-cannon.

1. Very expensive.

2. Fast dial but if you're not jousting you're going to have a hard time clearing stress.

...

I'm sure there will be more tactics but the only one that is standing out is a simple "Boom and Zoom" approach although it misses the boost that would really make that effective.

This is my concern too. I think the Defender is a GOOD ship, don't get me wrong, but at least so far it just kinda feels like a boring one.

I can't wait to fly one of these, but I felt the same way you did about Vessler. Why would he not just get a target lock after rolling attack die? I don't see these ships as "being a part of a team" but rather being a one man show. Will the Defender end up like the Advanced; only the top PS pilot is ever really used?

It's connected to his character fluff, what there is of it. He's an aggressive pilot, but emphasizes teamwork in his unit. Even works and trains alongside Rogue Squadron at one point. His intro involves leading a precision hyperspace jump into an ongoing dogfight and coordinating on-the-fly with the Rogues.

The defender is the only ship that has its greens only on straights.

Uh, Y-wings?

I just think it's going to be too much work for too little reward.

I agree, I don't expect to see him used a ton. At only 2 points more, Rexler is going to be more useful then Vessery. The only reason I could see using Vessery instead of Rexler if there was no way to free up 2 more points.

Rexler has the advantage of a special ability that's at least always an option.

Vessery on the other hand requires that you already have a TL on the defender, and then that you actually have a use for that TL, which is not a given.

If the other generic does have a EPT at 32 points... Then I don't see Vessery ever being used myself, other then in some sort of list based on TL'ing, such as part of a Bomber list.

The defender is the only ship that has its greens only on straights.

Uh, Y-wings?

Y-wings can fix that with a one point upgrade to get almost an interceptor level of greens.

Now Outmaneuver on YT-1300s, they have a 360 degree arc, hm...

Or, the Slave-1 ships, forward and back firing arc.

That'll be interesting.

YT-1300s have standard arcs, but can fire outside them. Note the FAQ entry for Backstabber.

Both arcs on the Firespray count as arcs.

Thank you for the correction.

YT-1300

It looks like the YT-1300 cannot use Outmanuever with their 360 turret.

The YT-1300 can entirely use the OM card. The primary turret weapon simply allows, as stated, the ability to attack inside or outside its firing arc. The firing arc still applies 100%, just that the turret allows attacks outside of it. The YT-1300 will need to have the target ship in it's front face arc, just like anyone else.

If your ship is in front of the YT in its arc, and the YT is outside of your firing arc, it applies.

YT-1300

It looks like the YT-1300 cannot use Outmanuever with their 360 turret.

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHahahaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa........

The defender is the only ship that has its greens only on straights.

Uh, Y-wings?

Stand corrected, thank you.

Great note! Y-wings, like the Defender, natively only have greens on straights, but with the astromech upgrade, it is almost like an interceptor. The Defender has no such option.

Sure, it can work. I wouldn't exactly call it effective though.

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