Interesting idea flyboymb - and it probably deserves a thread of it's own as well so more people will see & comment on it. Essentially you're talking about a kind of reserves mechanic, with the ability to arrive from a pre-selected board edge. Something like that would be pretty cool in Epic or as cinematic play scenario at least.

Hyperdrive capabilities are something thegame hasn'treally touched on at all, but there's been some discussion on the boards about how it could be done. One of my favourites was for multi-player, multi-table matches, where you had three seperate gaming tables and the ability to move between them. Your idea sounds good in two player games though, and shouldn't be too difficult to implement - I could imagine something along the lines of "up to a quarter of your squad value may be kept in reserve, these ships must be hyperspace capable" or something similar. Give it a try and let us know how you get on!

Something as simple as placing a Hyperspace token and then Deploying from it might work. The details would be when is the token placed and where.

A couple reasons:

They were one of the most advanced prototypes the Empire had at Endor.

I don't think that's the point. The Tech slot, so far, is for Force Awakens era ships.

Even ships like the E-Wing and the K-Wing, which are a lot more advanced than the Avenger, don't have Tech slots. There's no reason the Avenger would have them.

There's no reason not to either. They just got added to the game. For all we know the E Wing fix involves adding a tech slot.

There's no reason not to either. They just got added to the game. For all we know the E Wing fix involves adding a tech slot.

Would the tech slot cause Corn to be more OP than he is now?

Avenger should have system, hands down.

There's no reason not to either. They just got added to the game. For all we know the E Wing fix involves adding a tech slot.

Well, IF that happens, then I'll stop having an issue with it.

Of course, if the Avenger is advanced enough for a Tech slot, but the Defender isn't...then I'll have a whole new issue to complain about.

Ever one to stir the pot, here's a bit of an idea for the Missile Boat. We already have a heavy Imperial bomber in the form of the Punisher. In order to make a niche for the Missile Boat, something that would neither preclude the Predator or the Bomber, I thought about the Missile Boat's design.

The whole concept behind the ship was to avoid dogfighting at all costs. It was a SLAM blam thank you ma'am ship that had to maintain distance in order to survive to launch its payload.

Between Ordnance Tubes on the new Assault Carrier and the *ahem* spirited thread about ordnance started recently, I came up with an idea for making the Missile Boat not only something not seen in the Empire's order of battle, but also something new (and hopefully balanced) to bring to the game. Apologies if any of this has been mentioned before and all credit to those who posted first. A 65 page slog is just too much to handle at this point.

Anyway, my idea for the Missile Boat involves a fighter with unlimited use of warheads. NOW DON'T HIT ME! This has a rather hefty cost to it.

1. You can put two types of warheads on your ship. 2 missiles, 2 torpedoes, or 1 of each. No bombs.

2. This ability allows Long Range Scanners to be a very useful upgrade for this ship. You'll soon see why.

3. Between the Wookiee and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, the Missile Boat has a maneuverability about that of the TIE Bomber with speed between that of an Interceptor and an Avenger. It had minimal laser weaponry with shields about half that of the TIE Defender (strategy guide reports as 100, actually 200). I'm thinking 1/1/2/3 with Focus, TL, and SLAM (it did create SLAM after all).

4. Because the primary purpose of the Missile Boat is to get away ASAP, and is faster than the TIE Interceptor, I'm thinking It should have a red 0 (it was a standoff fighter) red 2T Green 2B and S, White 3B and T, Green 3S, Red 4K turn and White 4 and 5 S. This puts in a new unique issue with the SLAM. It makes it more like it was in TIE Fighter. It also severely limits the movements of the Missile Boat when engaged. Want to truly get away? You have to go in a straight line. Want to turn around? Either get ready to make a huge orbit or get a stress token (making Advanced Slam a risky proposition). This is where Long Range Sensors come into play. The Missile Boat will have to spend at least 2 turns getting back into firing position with a TL. Either it takes 2 3T and is off center, or it pulls a Red K and has to perform a green maneuver to achieve the TL. If the SLAM worked right, it should hopefully be outside of range 3 for the TL. Elite Missile Boat pilots could take Deadeye in order to have a margin of error in exchange for losing a more useful Elite Talent. Also you'd better plan your moves wisely in order to ensure that you don't graze an obstacle, bump a ship, or even go off the board!

5. As stated before, the Missile Boat will have unlimited warhead use between the two choices. Now consider this against what has already been shown. The Missile Boat will be useless in a dogfight between the dial, lack of green dice, low primary attack, relative fragility for a slug, and the Weapons Disabled token. It will be quickly swarmed and destroyed if ionized. It will be severely hampered by most of the Critical Damage cards (especially those that take away actions, turns and banks, and pilot skill plus those that are corrected by actions taking away TL opportunities!). All these drawbacks mean that the Missile Boat is useless at close range. It is a sniper. The only thing that gives it a use on the table is to lob warheads at long range and try to dodge counter attacks. Indeed, because of its low maneuverability it is best suited having other ships drawing the attention of other fighters so range 3 hits don't find a lucky mark. This makes ordnance choice just as vital. Do you pick a warhead that hits at close range in case you find yourself at close proximity to an enemy, or do you choose two warheads that have additional effects like Plasma and Ion torpedoes? The Missile Boat had the capacity for 80 concussion missiles, this was over quadruple that of any other fighter. The fact that it would leave a battle with leftover warheads is almost a certainty in the skirmish environment of X-Wing.

6. Elite pilot talents?

After performing a SLAM, secondary weapons are not affected by the Weapons Disabled token.

When performing a SLAM, receive a free evade token (can stack with Advanced SLAM).

One creates an environment that allows you to rapidly snipe, the other creates an opportunity to get out of dodge if need be with 2 free actions (as long as you aren't stressed!).

Possible pilot names?

The Emperor's Reach!

7. Because of the advanced tech of the Missile Boat, put cost around that of the Defender. The addition of warheads would ensure that you couldn't put more than 2 on the board (and you would suffer for doing that!). The Missile Boat was exceedingly rare and always flew solo in TIE Fighter.

8. I believe that somebody earlier in this thread mentioned high capacity or dual capacity warhead launchers that would allow you to fire both sets of warheads in one turn. I think that would be a good modification card for the Missile Boat (only) as it would put raw dice and effects against safely obtaining a TL with LRS and rerolling dice with GC. Choices choices right?

9. Two copies of a new warhead, Advanced Concussion Missiles. 4 attack dice, range 2-3. Target rolls one fewer green dice than usual (to a minimum of zero). Evade tokens would still count. The lore said that the Missile Boat always had these loaded onto one pair of launchers. It might be better however if players had maximum choice. The choice in effect had to do with the fact that you had to take concerted action to avoid these killers, they were more deadlier than their standard cousins, and you were slamming Shift+E at your wingmen when they were targeted if you wanted them to stay alive.

10. I'm not sure about adding a beam weapon. If the Missile Boat had a Cannon icon, it would have to have a special rule that only the Tractor Beam could be fitted to it. This would cost 1 more point for an already costly ship, but would be interesting in allowing you to get better ordnance results. I'd be willing to deviate from lore if that pushes the Missile Boat into OP status.

11. Warhead reload technician. A shot in the dark for a neat upgrade card that would help other ordnance fighters. A crew card that takes up 2 crew icons and costs 4 points. When a friendly ship with either (torpedo), (bomb) or (missile) comes into base contact with this ship, you may choose to discard this card in order to ignore gameplay rules for collusion. Instead, both ships cancel all Activation, Movement, Action, Attack, and End phases for this turn and evade for both is reduced to zero for this turn. At the start of the next turn, the other ship's warheads and tokens are replenished. It is limited to the bigger cargo vessels, huge ships, and the TIE Shuttle (!!). You can double (or quadruple) your warhead capacity in exchange for depriving a ship of otherwise important crew slots and leaving you a sitting duck for one turn. Perhaps useful if you're too short on points from a bomber heavy squad to include anything more than the basic model of the large ships with almost all the fat trimmed off. Perhaps the loss experienced due to the crew slots could be mitigated somewhat by allowing it to be used twice? It would take a lot of dakka being slung out for you to empty two extra ordnance bombers to completely make use of this card.It would also necessitate keeping it out of the fight at just the right time for the rendezvous to take place (and your opponent will certainly know what is coming).

Given the relative durability, maneuverability, mine laying ability, and warhead variety of the Bomber and Punisher, I don't think either would be relegated to small paperweight status by introducing this concept. I think it would bring new ideas to the SLAM design and once again introduce a fresh choice to Imperial play and the meta at large. The Missile Boat was designed to counter the TIE Defender. Just like the original concept, it uses SLAM to greatly outdistance the TIE Defender in order to have time to strike. It would make opponents choose between getting hit by warheads every couple of rounds or turning their backs on the other fighters in order to give chase to a speeding bullet. It would be an excellent counter to EU large ships as you would finally have a ship that could easily keep up, outpace, and deal good damage to turreted ships.

A lot more longwinded than my previous post, and once again sorry if I'm using other people's ideas.

Any thoughts?

It sounds almost like you want a small based ship with a Hardpoint and built in Ordinance Tubes. Which could be a cool Epic ship.

That'd be more the skipray, the Gunboat should just be a cheap base - but can get expensive - cannon/missile machine.

This said. Skipray Blastboat and guardian cruiser could easily be the first two large base epic ships in the game, or large base with hardpoint at least.

As much as I'd love to see the GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat as well, it wasn't an ordnance monster. It had three Ion cannons as it's primary weapon, a (Dorsal?) laser turret but carried a similar ordnance payload to a TIE Bomber.

An Ordnance Tubes equivalent for the Missile Boat sounds like fun though, and it while it would be interesting to see Small & Large based Epic-only ships (a role the Missile Boat and GAT-12 could easily fill) I think most people would probably want to be able to field them in standard play as well...

I do like the idea of making the TIE shuttle into a munition reload boat but I don't think anyone will ever put that in a list, too much risk.

Also Missile Boat needs Agi 2 if it's as agile as a Bomber. Probably hull 3 shield 2

System slot for sure.

Title that allows tractor beam without cannon slot. Also should have a jammer beam weapon included which the title also allows to be equipped.

Long range sensors is almost an autoinclude on a missile boat, so double missile and torp slots are a must. Extra munitions would give 4 missile shots and 2 torp shots, it's hard to imagine you would need more than that in a 100 point game.

Still don't know if the missile boat should have a barrel roll or not, or any wierd maneuvers other than a k- turn. It defiantly needs a similar dial to the defender, maybe 3 and 5 k turns, dunno if we need another ship with white k-turns tho, but it would be pretty sweet.

Missile boat was stupidly agile. I'd say 3.

I think basically the mis with infy missiles with a good pilot should probably come to 50 points easily, but would need the agility to be worth it.

FP1

AGI3 (maybe even 4)

HUll2

Shields Debatable, 2-4.

2 missile slots.

maybe 4 missile slots.

System slot.

Special card that costs like 10-20 points taking up 2 missile slots basically being extra munitions on crack, more like ordnance tubes. Missile boat only.

A 50 point Missile Boat ace with a loaded TIE/D Vessery or Stele would be something I'd be proud to run. I'd want to be able to demolish most Large ships though so action economy becomes a priority; where are we getting TLs and other tokens? How do we make the MB stand up to Han or Chiraneau?

Stele in a missile boat firing two secondaries per round maybe?

Missile boat title specifying that you don't need to use up target locks for any missile.

A 50 point Missile Boat ace with a loaded TIE/D Vessery or Stele would be something I'd be proud to run. I'd want to be able to demolish most Large ships though so action economy becomes a priority; where are we getting TLs and other tokens? How do we make the MB stand up to Han or Chiraneau?

I can't help but think it would be hard to balance the missile boat's SHEER POWAH in a 100 point game. Small, quick, elusive, but hits like a Corvette loaded with multiple Ordnance Tubes.

Fire Control System (for re-obtaining target locks), the Long Range Scanners or the Chimps... maybe a Gunner-eque mechanic, but with Ordnance?

With Stele now in the Defender I would be ok if he doesn't show up in the GUN or MIS. He would have to carry over the same pic-a-crit ability anyway, and even though it's a good ability I would like to see a lot more diversity in my 'boats.

I'm also guessing that he highest PS Gunboat pilot would be 8 while Missile boat would be 7, keeping with known release patterns.

I wish for a way to turn the Gunboat into a Stessboat, maybe through a pilot ability. The Empire needs something that throws stress as reliably as the Stresshog.

Fit it with a Flechette Cannon.

Fit it with a Flechette Cannon.

Maybe...STRESSBOAT must happen, somehow.

FFG: Thank you for not making this butt ugly ship.

I do like the idea of making the TIE shuttle into a munition reload boat but I don't think anyone will ever put that in a list, too much risk.

Also, that's what Space Tugs are for.

Also doesn't make sense for the TIE Shuttle to do that. Why would you take out all the missiles and fill them with chairs, then fill the chairs up with missiles?

So, Adv. Homing Missile aaaaaaaand...Adv. Homing Missile?

I can't help but think it would be hard to balance the missile boat's SHEER POWAH in a 100 point game. Small, quick, elusive, but hits like a Corvette loaded with multiple Ordnance Tubes.

Considering all the complications to using ordnance, I think it's not as unbalanced as you would think.

You heard the man FFG: We want a Space Tug!

I do like the idea of making the TIE shuttle into a munition reload boat but I don't think anyone will ever put that in a list, too much risk.

Also, that's what Space Tugs are for.

Also doesn't make sense for the TIE Shuttle to do that. Why would you take out all the missiles and fill them with chairs, then fill the chairs up with missiles?

Stele in a missile boat firing two secondaries per round maybe?

So, Adv. Homing Missile aaaaaaaand...Adv. Homing Missile?

Because it's a perfect example of Imperial efficiency.

A space tug token that you have to get within r1 of to 'reload' would be perfect for a mission involving a couple of ships trying to pop a corvette on their own. Dunno how to create an upgrade that would allow the token in a normal 100 point game though... Maybe a new type of upgrade, it just takes up squad points but doesn't fit on any one ship.

Or alternately it fits into both the torp and missile slot on a bomber-type ship and the upgrade card allows the player to place the token like a ship at the start of play, and it moves like a tug would move, 1 forward or 1 bank. 0 Agi, 1 hull. PS 0. Hmmm, i would love for Soontir to avoid all those arcs just to get blocked by a space tug token!

I'd actually like a Tug/CUV pack with tiny bases.

and yes, Adv concussion missile twice.

ADV CONCUSSION MISSILE!

Also, let's all not pretend that we've never accidentally clipped a space tug/CUV/DX-9 transport in those games.

We've all done it, own up.

A space tug token that you have to get within r1 of to 'reload' would be perfect for a mission involving a couple of ships trying to pop a corvette on their own. Dunno how to create an upgrade that would allow the token in a normal 100 point game though...

You make it a support ship that you pay for and fly around like you would any other ship.

That is a thing I would like to see is support craft that are completely factionless(or at least, the generic pilots are factionless). Like the BFF-1 bulk freighter.

You know a CUV is, like, the size of a K-Wing right?