yeah expertise is more an OS-1 card because of the inherent action inefficiency of the title, while the XG-1 has linked batteries to compensate and can therefore supplement their offense with crackshot

as for the XG-1 SLAM benefit, yeah I don't think it does enough to merit building into either. If Jamming beam did any damage, though...of just imagine the possibilities!

T-beam might be okay, though, but then you have to put predator or expertise in the ept slot just to hit anything. You could ASLAM, but ASLAM does nothing when you want to fire your > 2 points cannon

On 10/28/2017 at 7:02 AM, MandoBard said:

Ok, so on track, for those of you that play epic, how well do you think you could adapt a wing of gunboats for a anti-epic ship playlist? We’re talking 9-12 of them

On 10/28/2017 at 8:31 AM, GrimmyV said:

NU, OS-1, Homing Missiles x 12

SLAM and bam, break off, Reload and back for more. Huge ships should be sunk in one round, anything else will eventually get caught be the onslaught of GUNBOAT-ness.

I think the Gunboat can take out huge ships reliably, especially with OS-1. I think having 6 OS-1's and 6 XG-1's will be awesome because you'll have easily enough firepower to take out huge ships, but you'll have control elements to tie up enemy fighters with your XG-1's.

As an aside, I'm really liking the idea of high-PS jamming beams to take off target locks before the enemy can launch their Harpoon Missiles. That will be really important on epic games going forward. I'm still working out how to work that. Of course, you could just dive into range 1 to avoid the Harpoon Missiles, so I'm still trying to work it all out in my head.

TGIG or Friday

now that I finally have Guns for Hire, I want my Gunboat tomorrow

Seeing as we know what the 'boat is all about now. It's probably a good thing that FFG didn't take our idea about hyperspace reinforcements along with everything else. Can you imagine being able to pop up from another board edge, SLAM, alpha strike, then SLAM away the next turn? The howls could be heard from space.

On 11/3/2017 at 3:14 PM, flyboymb said:

Seeing as we know what the 'boat is all about now. It's probably a good thing that FFG didn't take our idea about hyperspace reinforcements along with everything else. Can you imagine being able to pop up from another board edge, SLAM, alpha strike, then SLAM away the next turn? The howls could be heard from space.

It would have been a cool “epic only” ability... maybe a mod that was only usable if there was a huge ship on table?

Truthfully, other than no Steele, and a greedy desire for a point shaved here or there... without having played it, pretty pleased with the Gunboat

When gunboat?

2 hours ago, Hobojebus said:

When gunboat?

NAOW

My fluff nerves just started to hurt when I realised that the most unlikely cannon choice on the XG-1 is the Ion Cannon

7 minutes ago, Hannes Solo said:

My fluff nerves just started to hurt when I realised that the most unlikely cannon choice on the XG-1 is the Ion Cannon

Yeah, I too wonder why they made it less or equal 2 points and not 3. I dont see how an Ion cannon is op when a flechette cannon isn't.

Also: FLUFF! I mean... in TIE Fighter, the gunboat was all about missiles + ion cannon.

1 hour ago, MaxPower said:

Yeah, I too wonder why they made it less or equal 2 points and not 3. I dont see how an Ion cannon is op when a flechette cannon isn't.

Also: FLUFF! I mean... in TIE Fighter, the gunboat was all about missiles + ion cannon.

Thematically, I think it's about the SLAM action. When you performed a SLAM in the Missile Boat, it drained your lasers (which would have included ions and other cannons if the Missile Boat had them). Beam weapons, though (which tend to be cheap cannons in this game), were powered separately and still worked just fine.

Also, I could be wrong, but I seem to recall trying to fire my ion cannons while being docked for reloading, and hitting the reloading tug once.

Personally, I'd have liked the XG-1 to allow it to fire ions through a Weapons Disabled, but it doesn't bother me too much. I think the OS-1 title is going to be all about SLAMming and Reloading all over the place, while the XG-1 title will save SLAMs and reloads for when it really needs them.

2 hours ago, MaxPower said:

Yeah, I too wonder why they made it less or equal 2 points and not 3. I dont see how an Ion cannon is op when a flechette cannon isn't.

Also: FLUFF! I mean... in TIE Fighter, the gunboat was all about missiles + ion cannon.

the main thing is ion from behind an arced ship is basically GG if you can land consistent hits

with SLAM, it's VERY easy to get behind a ship

granted, you can still do the same and worse with Ion Pulse Missiles, but OS-1 is more expensive and has more fiddly bits that give your opponent an out (TL dependency) and gives you less mods (need to maintain lock; reload)

now, Ion Tie/D exists but they're at least 33 points. An ion xg-1 Nu is 24 (xg-1, ion, ASLAM/Linked)

3 hours ago, Hannes Solo said:

My fluff nerves just started to hurt when I realised that the most unlikely cannon choice on the XG-1 is the Ion Cannon

I suppose you could upgrade to Karsabi if you want a flexible Ion cannon, but I think if you're going to spend the points on Karsabi, you might as well go for HLC.

31 minutes ago, HolySorcerer said:

I suppose you could upgrade to Karsabi if you want a flexible Ion cannon, but I think if you're going to spend the points on Karsabi, you might as well go for HLC.

Well... one point on Wired is really good...

Wired is my favorite EPT. I love it.

Does aslam work with karsabis skill?

I would like to play it like this:

Karsabi

Hlc

Wired

Linked batteries

Aslam

Xg title

Thats 4 att with rerolls every turn

6 minutes ago, vtarin said:

does adv slam work with karsabis skill?

I don't think it does sadly. You receive the WD token when you do the slam, which is the time window for Karsabi's trigger. So you finish the slam, get a WD, stress yourself to remove the WD, and then you can't perform the free action.

31 minutes ago, RufusDaMan said:

I don't think it does sadly. You receive the WD token when you do the slam, which is the time window for Karsabi's trigger. So you finish the slam, get a WD, stress yourself to remove the WD, and then you can't perform the free action.

This is correct. Go with LRS with Karsabi, make that first HLC shot really hurt.

Anyway, with linked batteries + wired all turns , it can be pretty funny...

wired on Karsabi is going to depend on how much of a late game threat he is or isn't at 35 points (wired, xg-1, HLC, linked, LRS)

I'm starting him out on crackshot in a crackshot alpha squad, because the late game is more manageable if it never shows up

On 11/5/2017 at 4:30 AM, Lobokai said:

Truthfully, other than no Steele, and a greedy desire for a point shaved here or there... without having played it, pretty pleased with the Gunboat

Thanks for bringing up that painful fact.....

On 11/6/2017 at 1:22 PM, ficklegreendice said:

the main thing is ion from behind an arced ship is basically GG if you can land consistent hits

with SLAM, it's VERY easy to get behind a ship

granted, you can still do the same and worse with Ion Pulse Missiles, but OS-1 is more expensive and has more fiddly bits that give your opponent an out (TL dependency) and gives you less mods (need to maintain lock; reload)

now, Ion Tie/D exists but they're at least 33 points. An ion xg-1 Nu is 24 (xg-1, ion, ASLAM/Linked)

I do think trying this out this VERY easy will be great fun!

22 hours ago, Celestial Lizards said:

Well... one point on Wired is really good...

Wired is my favorite EPT. I love it.

Wired? Huh? Nice. I think that might just be the ticket come to think of it; thanks!

Already posted this in the Saturation Salvo thread but it really belongs here:

I gonna try this!

Cygnus AWACS

37 minutes ago, RogueLeader42 said:

Already posted this in the Saturation Salvo thread but it really belongs here:

I gonna try this!

Cygnus AWACS

Lieutenant Karsabi — Alpha-class Star Wing	24
Saturation Salvo	1
Assault Missiles	5
Advanced SLAM	2
Os-1 Arsenal Loadout	2
Ship Total: 34

Karsabi does nothing with ASLAM or the OS-1 title, since his ability shuts off ASLAM and removes the need for the OS-1 title

59 minutes ago, clanofwolves said:

I do think trying this out this VERY easy will be great fun!

the only thing I'm not a fan of is there aren't enough missile slots for unguided rockets, which would have been a great compliment to the offensively challenged IPM

So, if ranking the Gunboat pilots first to worst, hows that look?

For me it’s

Nu

Karsabi

Rho

Vynder

1 minute ago, Lobokai said:

So, if ranking the Gunboat pilots first to worst, hows that look?

For me it’s

Nu

Karsabi

Rho

Vynder

Rho

Vynder

Nu

Karsabi

Although, Karsabi-Wired-XG-1-Linked-HLC is pretty monster.

1 minute ago, Celestial Lizards said:

Karsabi-Wired-XG-1-Linked-HLC is pretty monster.

Only build of him? I’ve ran so far. Lov’n it

1 minute ago, Lobokai said:

Only build of him? I’ve ran so far. Lov’n it

Pretty much. My typical builds for each ship are:

Nu: XG-1, HLC, J Beam (or Linked)

Rho: Deadeye, XG-1, J Beam, HLC, Cluster Missiles, Plasma Torps, Chips

Karsabi: Wired, XG-1, Linked, HLC

Vynder: Swiss Army Knife. Can never decide what to do with him, so I usually use him with the Rho build.