So to take a suggestion in some of the forums of late to avoid negative forum posts and talk about a more positive topic I propose an intelligent speculative debate regarding the base cost and pros/cons of the lowest level S&V Scyk Interceptor.

I see a lot of people making comments that they feel the cost will be in the 13-14 point range however I'm inclined to speculate that it is more likely 15 points.

Firstly and most obviously S&V has access to the z95. The PS1 pilot will be 12 points so at 13-14 the Scyk would be treading a fine line to either be redundant or make the z95 redundant depending on manoeuvrability. Obvioulsy the 2/2 vs. 2/1 Hull/Shield might be a mitigating factor but the points just seem too similar.

Secondly I see the Scyk as the S&V Version of the A-Wing and Interceptor, Highly mobile with a dial similar to the A-Wing I suspect.

It has 4 actions, another analogy to the A-Wing, and coincidentally is the first ship to come with Target Lock without having a inbuilt munitions slot (of course it is there for the heavy scyk upgrade but you pay for the TL in the base model)

PS2 instead of PS1, whether it's helpful or not is irrelevant it's still higher than the S&V PS1 z95.

Obviously until we know the dial it is, as noted, speculative.

What is everyone else thought?

It can't be 15 points with the Heavy upgrade immediately followed by a slapped on cannon. Then it'd be a swarmer that was worth as much as an X-Wing, which I don't see happening. Even with all that, it's GOT to cost less than an X at least.

I think it will cost 13 points, because the most expansive one costs 20 with PS 8 and a good ability. Every point of PS costs 1 and a pure positive ability another point, so substracting 7 points gets to 13

The PS 5 could be at 16 with EPT.

I assume the cheapest StarViper lies around 25pts because Xizors ability just redirects dmg.

Smallest Firespray might be 35 or 36, since it has an ilicit upgrade and PS 5.

Xizors ability could be amazing though. If he is your most offensive ship then you have a Y or Z trailing him so he can hand off his damage and make it to the end game.

No doubt xizors ability has its use, but you will notice similarities with other pilot abilities and their points value. Although xizor lives longer, no damage is lost or prevented. Just redirected. But that is getting off Topic. Point is: abilities are calculated as 0 or 1 Point, depending on its strength.

No doubt xizors ability has its use, but you will notice similarities with other pilot abilities and their points value. Although xizor lives longer, no damage is lost or prevented. Just redirected. But that is getting off Topic. Point is: abilities are calculated as 0 or 1 Point, depending on its strength.

Not entirely true, since other pilot's abilities are entirely out of that scale.

Just for fun exercise, try to calculate how much Major Rhymer's ability is worth.

Some abilities cost more, yes (if i remember correctly Jan cost cost more than 1pt top). But it keeps is dragged away from Topic.

The scyk won't cost 12 since there are Z's available. And more than 13pts seems unlikely to me

Some abilities cost more, yes (if i remember correctly Jan cost cost more than 1pt top). But it keeps is dragged away from Topic.

The scyk won't cost 12 since there are Z's available. And more than 13pts seems unlikely to me

Care to explain why you think it wont cost more than 13 points? Having evade and barrel roll means the dial will likely be quite good on top of focus and TL.

I will be genuinly surprised if it costs 14 or less as it will likely mean the z95 is redundant in S&V costing 12 with only focus & TL and an averave dial

14 will be its maximum cost. I noticed with most pilots, that you can "downgrade" from higher pilots and vise versa. If the smallest scyk would cost 15 or more the named ones would generate a huge point-value for having a high PS and an ability for cost less than 1pt per PS. I dont have all cards in front of me, but I think that rule is used well.

Boba fett: +5 PS and a skill: +6 pts

Cpt Yorr: +2 PS and a skill: +3 pts

And so on... There are many examples

Ps 7 scum Z-95 costs 17 points. Ps 8 rebel z-95 costs 19 Ps 8 Tie costs 18. So If Ps 8 M3-A costs 20, its ps 2 version should cost 1 or 2 points more compared to cheapest versions of Z95 and Tie fighter, and that gives you 13 or 14. My vote on 14.

14 will be its maximum cost. I noticed with most pilots, that you can "downgrade" from higher pilots and vise versa. If the smallest scyk would cost 15 or more the named ones would generate a huge point-value for having a high PS and an ability for cost less than 1pt per PS. I dont have all cards in front of me, but I think that rule is used well.

Boba fett: +5 PS and a skill: +6 pts

Cpt Yorr: +2 PS and a skill: +3 pts

And so on... There are many examples

fair points, though there are several examples where PS and ability dont necessarily align Jek And garven for example and RGP & fels wrath.

given the 4 abilities im still inclined to say 14-15 but im slowly leaning towards 14, though i wouldnt at all be surprised at 15 points. the ability on the ps8 pilot whilst parallel to howlrunner does not seem as powerful yet costs 2 points more. I guess time will tell

It can't be 15 points with the Heavy upgrade immediately followed by a slapped on cannon. Then it'd be a swarmer that was worth as much as an X-Wing, which I don't see happening. Even with all that, it's GOT to cost less than an X at least.

Who said it was a swarmer?

Besides, with an HLC strapped on it's no longer a swarmer anyway. FFG aren't fool enough to make an HLC swarm, not a proper swarm anyway. 15 pt is fully believeable.

Smallest Firespray might be 35 or 36, since it has an ilicit upgrade and PS 5.

We know this how? The only Firespray we've seen the bar of is Fett.

No doubt xizors ability has its use, but you will notice similarities with other pilot abilities and their points value. Although xizor lives longer, no damage is lost or prevented. Just redirected. But that is getting off Topic. Point is: abilities are calculated as 0 or 1 Point, depending on its strength.

IDK i just pre ordered 5 to be on the safe side..lol hat way it allows the wife to pick me up an extra one if they ever sell them at B&N...

Given how FFG calculates costs of ships, and given that we know the cost of the most expensive sick, we can stablish the following:

- Each extra PS point from basic pilots is worth 1 cost.

- The most expensive Scyk costs 20, and has 8 PS

- The cheapest Scyk is 2 PS, a difference of 6 points with the maximum PS known pilot.

- Special pilot abilities tend to cost 1 except rare exceptions.

20 - 6 - 1 = 13

The most probable cost for the PS 2 Scyk is 13, unless Serissu's special ability costed more than 1 (unlikely), in which case it would be 12, which nevertheless is the absolute minimum cost FFG has declared for their ships.

There's a rather long GenCon interview with the FFG designers where they say that they don't use formulae such as this, and that they value pilot abilites and pilot skill A: differently from ship to ship, and B: differently to in the past.

There's a rather long GenCon interview with the FFG designers where they say that they don't use formulae such as this, and that they value pilot abilites and pilot skill A: differently from ship to ship, and B: differently to in the past.

If you use that Statement to say scyk will cost 15+ and other non-uniques are going to cost more, too, it would result in more elite lists, because nonames wouldn't be valuable anymore.

I see it as a ship to ship difference in Base cost, but comparing pilots of the same ship should have some rules to determine differences in PS and abilities.

Aren't rebel aces made by one of the new guys? Maybe they hint a little on the new values.

There's a rather long GenCon interview with the FFG designers where they say that they don't use formulae such as this, and that they value pilot abilites and pilot skill A: differently from ship to ship, and B: differently to in the past.

Even that being true (which is not, since their pattern is pretty consistent except for the rare exceptions that precisely confirm those "formulaes they don't use"), a naked basic Scyk is not that much different from a naked basic TIE fighter. Unless it has a truly insane dial, their prices have to remain in a similar frame in order not to produce balance disturbances.

I feel that will be 14-15 points

The problem with formulas for points cost (and GW dont use them for this reason) is that the value of a ship/pilot is entirely situational.

Something that is awesome against one type of opposing fleet could be useless against a different type of fleet build.

So most companies pitch a basic points cost on intuition and experience and use a body of playtesters to tweak it.

A great example of how 'formulas' dont work is 1st edition 40k. using a points formula (and again why gw ditched it) you find that a basic human costs about 7pts... a level 4 psychic hero costs about 380 but hes only one point tougher than the basic human and has only two more wounds. It makes heros frankly ridiculously expensive in a 1000 point game. because 49 basic humans with knives are going to shred that 380 point character in three turns no matter what armour, weapon or psi abilities hes got by sheer numbers... but in a game where he can use those psi abilities to good effect he might start to be slightly worth those 300 points if he can mentally control the opponents tank.. or shut down their defence laser with 'jinx' but its just far too situational to be worth it.

Im expecting its dial to be closer to the tie rather than a squint or A-wing.

As such I see it being priced similar, except its trading a hull for a shield and better upgrade bar.

So tie costs but +1 (or 2 depending on the pilots ability)

Regardless of cost I can't wait to have some of these.

Out of all the S&V stuff this is the one I want the most.

I cba to make any reasoning, what most people say makes sense. I just hope it will be 13, then I can run 5 of them with Autoblasters, then I will be a happy interceptor pilot.

Not sure what the cost will be, but I'm hoping they are 13-14 so I can run a squad of 4 with HLCs and Serissu. Probably will be too weak to compete, but sounds like fun to snipe with cannons from long range with buffed defense.

Who said it was a swarmer?

Alex and Frank from FFG did They said the M3-A would be two ships in one. You could fly it as a cheap swarmer type list, or you could add the cannon upgrade and fly it as a high cost, hard hitting 4 ship type list.

There's a video interview out there where they go into some details about the various S&V ships, and that's what they said about the M3-A.

4 HLCs is a good enough swarm for me.