Text: When you are destroyed, each ship at range 1 takes 1 damage.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/x-wing/news/scum-and-villainy/dead-mans-switch.png

Put this on something with a low PS, get it in the middle of the enemy, and then fire Assault Missiles at someone near it. Hit them for one, then trigger the Switch to hit everyone again.

You are assuming the enemy won't just move away from that low PS ship you are using and you are assuming that it will be on only one health. Too many unlikely assumptions, something that seems to be fairly common it seems unfortunately when people are assessing the new S&V stuff.

And this is a shame because decent uses for these items are fairly obvious when viewed for use in moderation. The Dead Man's Swarm is a good example of how it should be used.

All of list building is predicated on assumptions.

I view cards like these more as ways to force you opponent into difficult decisions. Bombs are great for keeping flankers off your back, you dont need to drop them, it's more about the psychological effect. Deadman Switch, Genius, and Feedback Array are in the same category.

Everything has gone very kamikaze all of a sudden.

I think i joined the message board just in time then!!!

Put it on Boba Fett. He needs to be at range 1 anyways, and the enemy can't ignore him.

Put it on Boba Fett. He needs to be at range 1 anyways, and the enemy can't ignore him.

This is designed for new Boba!

Text: When you are destroyed, each ship at range 1 takes 1 damage.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/x-wing/news/scum-and-villainy/dead-mans-switch.png

Put this on something with a low PS, get it in the middle of the enemy, and then fire Assault Missiles at someone near it. Hit them for one, then trigger the Switch to hit everyone again.

You are assuming the enemy won't just move away from that low PS ship you are using and you are assuming that it will be on only one health. Too many unlikely assumptions, something that seems to be fairly common it seems unfortunately when people are assessing the new S&V stuff.

And this is a shame because decent uses for these items are fairly obvious when viewed for use in moderation. The Dead Man's Swarm is a good example of how it should be used.

All of list building is predicated on assumptions.

Assumptions of what you will see in lists. The strategy listed in the OP on the other hand is assuming the opponent will be daft and play into your plan every time. Are you really trying to tell me that you equate assuming people will take good ships like the falcon and Phantom to a tournament with assuming your opponent will shoot to kill a ship who only causes a threat if it is killed? Let's not kid ourselves here please.

And as for the comments above that that single Z is dictating the opponent's moves, not really. Firstly, the dials are already down regardless, so short of Boosting/Barrel Rolling ships it makes no difference. The opponent is likely moving his swarm/formation onward anyway because that is what they do. Secondly, nobody is going to shoot a Z if they have a more threatening target on any day of the week regardless, so I don't think they will sweat it when they feel they shouldn't shoot it this time around either.

Simple fact is while one 14pts Kamika-Z might be an effective blocker with the added bonus of a self-destruct function, a little rational thinking instead of over-excited over-expectations will show that that is not the way to run it. Running the full list of it might work, but not by intentionally trying to kill your ships. You simply keep them cheap with no other upgrades and go for the joust. But then again, we are on the FFG X-Wing forum...

If you force the swarm (Tie Swarm especially) to break up to avoid the dead-mans damage, its a strategic win since you are now limiting his greatest advantage...the ability to focus down a target until it dies. Gives you the chance to kill a few Ties and escape serious damage in return.

If he takes the shot and kills you, he accepts damaged ships; perhaps even dead ones if they had 1 hull left and were too close.

If he refuses the bait and shoots other things, you now have 2-3 ships in his backfield that can start to pick apart his damaged ships (especially those Ties at 1 hull he as trying to have not die).

What will hurt using this tactic is a minimal approach. If you put it on 1 or 2 Zs then put the rest of your points in Virago and something else, the Tie player will just focus your Zs down and probably kill them both at range 2-3. Then use his remaining 5-6 ships to bring down your now alone High Value Unit.

This really looks like an all or nothing type of device (every ship or none), unless you have an extra 2 points laying around and nothing else to spend it on.

So what happens when your opponents last ship with 1 hull shoots you and kills you...then dies taking that last damage? Tie game?

Put it on Boba Fett. He needs to be at range 1 anyways, and the enemy can't ignore him.

This is designed for new Boba!

It does make the new Boba even more potent, and a pain to deal with.

I like the addition of more zone control/denial tricks. It'll make people think about their maneuvers more.

If you force the swarm (Tie Swarm especially) to break up to avoid the dead-mans damage, its a strategic win since you are now limiting his greatest advantage...the ability to focus down a target until it dies. Gives you the chance to kill a few Ties and escape serious damage in return.

If he takes the shot and kills you, he accepts damaged ships; perhaps even dead ones if they had 1 hull left and were too close.

If he refuses the bait and shoots other things, you now have 2-3 ships in his backfield that can start to pick apart his damaged ships (especially those Ties at 1 hull he as trying to have not die).

What will hurt using this tactic is a minimal approach. If you put it on 1 or 2 Zs then put the rest of your points in Virago and something else, the Tie player will just focus your Zs down and probably kill them both at range 2-3. Then use his remaining 5-6 ships to bring down your now alone High Value Unit.

This really looks like an all or nothing type of device (every ship or none), unless you have an extra 2 points laying around and nothing else to spend it on.

So what happens when your opponents last ship with 1 hull shoots you and kills you...then dies taking that last damage? Tie game?

I agree that it functions as an all or nothing, but 2 Zs with these are 28 points. That leaves you enough for 3 other midline ships or 2 other tricked out ones. You just need to make sure they can take a beating. So far I'm not sure thats possible, but Xizor may manage it. I'll need to see the lineup more before I can really dig in to the idea.

With scum boba, it just seems like this is providing even more incentive to stay away from him and snipe at long range.

Text: When you are destroyed, each ship at range 1 takes 1 damage.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/x-wing/news/scum-and-villainy/dead-mans-switch.png

Put this on something with a low PS, get it in the middle of the enemy, and then fire Assault Missiles at someone near it. Hit them for one, then trigger the Switch to hit everyone again.

You are assuming the enemy won't just move away from that low PS ship you are using and you are assuming that it will be on only one health. Too many unlikely assumptions, something that seems to be fairly common it seems unfortunately when people are assessing the new S&V stuff.

And this is a shame because decent uses for these items are fairly obvious when viewed for use in moderation. The Dead Man's Swarm is a good example of how it should be used.

All of list building is predicated on assumptions.

Assumptions of what you will see in lists. The strategy listed in the OP on the other hand is assuming the opponent will be daft and play into your plan every time. Are you really trying to tell me that you equate assuming people will take good ships like the falcon and Phantom to a tournament with assuming your opponent will shoot to kill a ship who only causes a threat if it is killed? Let's not kid ourselves here please.

And as for the comments above that that single Z is dictating the opponent's moves, not really. Firstly, the dials are already down regardless, so short of Boosting/Barrel Rolling ships it makes no difference. The opponent is likely moving his swarm/formation onward anyway because that is what they do. Secondly, nobody is going to shoot a Z if they have a more threatening target on any day of the week regardless, so I don't think they will sweat it when they feel they shouldn't shoot it this time around either.

Simple fact is while one 14pts Kamika-Z might be an effective blocker with the added bonus of a self-destruct function, a little rational thinking instead of over-excited over-expectations will show that that is not the way to run it. Running the full list of it might work, but not by intentionally trying to kill your ships. You simply keep them cheap with no other upgrades and go for the joust. But then again, we are on the FFG X-Wing forum...

We obviously see things very differently.

If you could detonate them at the end of the combat phase or something like that, sure, but it is your opponent the one that decides when to trigger it.

People are talking about killing their own ship to activate the Dead Man's Switch. I don't think this is a very good idea. I think you just need to get in close to your opponent and stay there. As long as you are close to your enemy, what is the wost thing that could happen... they never kill your ship. I am happy with that.

As I see it the Dead Man's Switch has two primary uses. 1: Spam in on a z-95 swarm. Get in close and stay there. No matter who your enemy kills they are likely to take some damage. Your ships might take damage as well, but your ships are cheap.

2: The other way I see it played as a fire deterrent. Put it on an expensive Firespray, again you will need to get close and stay there. You will also need to stay relatively far away from your own stuff. Now your enemy has less incentive to kill that expensive central ship.

2: The other way I see it played as a fire deterrent. Put it on an expensive Firespray, again you will need to get close and stay there. You will also need to stay relatively far away from your own stuff. Now your enemy has less incentive to kill that expensive central ship.

You mean like new Boba who wants to be at Range 1 all the time? I agree completely.

You don't want to be at range 1 of new bobba already, dead man or not.

If you could detonate them at the end of the combat phase or something like that, sure, but it is your opponent the one that decides when to trigger it.

The point of using something like Assault Missiles is so you get to decide. IF you can hit your own ship with splash damage to kill it off, you get an extra splash from the trigger.

If you could detonate them at the end of the combat phase or something like that, sure, but it is your opponent the one that decides when to trigger it.

The point of using something like Assault Missiles is so you get to decide. IF you can hit your own ship with splash damage to kill it off, you get an extra splash from the trigger.

If you can hit your ship, and if your ship is at one health, of course.

If you could detonate them at the end of the combat phase or something like that, sure, but it is your opponent the one that decides when to trigger it.

The point of using something like Assault Missiles is so you get to decide. IF you can hit your own ship with splash damage to kill it off, you get an extra splash from the trigger.

If you can hit your ship, and if your ship is at one health, of course.

Or use bombs, or asteroids, etc. There are a number of ways to get to this point. It's not that hard to fathom doing it, and doing it well.

The people who keep coming up with negatives just lack the creativity to see what can be done here. I think the most limiting this is the lack of ships for whom the upgrade is viable. The Z is fine, but I'd prefer to put it on a Scyk.

If you try the asteroid, it is If you get to roll a hit.

Seriously, anything you guys are proposing in this thread has a lot of "if"'s tied to it to make it reliable.

then trigger the Switch to hit everyone again.

Well that assumes they're going to shoot at the ship with the switch. In a way Deadmans Switch may be a good way to keep a ship alive, because you might do more damage with it dead then alive...

you could always fly onto an asteroid if u wanted to try and blow up. Might work with mines, get ur ship in the blast area and kaboom.

A single Z flying off by itself and not next to his buddies makes it obvious he's up to no good. He's also not really resilient enough to withstand a round or two of fire. I guess he will effectively draw some fire, but that's an expensive bit of bait.

I think sticking it on something that can take a hit or two, and makes sense to be out solo (like Boba, for example) makes some pretty good sense.

So what happens when your opponents last ship with 1 hull shoots you and kills you...then dies taking that last damage? Tie game?

Does anyone know the answer to this? I've been looking around but haven't seen an answer and it's a weird scenario.

So what happens when your opponents last ship with 1 hull shoots you and kills you...then dies taking that last damage? Tie game?

Does anyone know the answer to this? I've been looking around but haven't seen an answer and it's a weird scenario.

The answer is in the Rules Reference:

If both players’ last remaining ships are destroyed in the same round, the game ends in a draw.

In tournaments, the draw is resolved by Final Salvo.

So what happens when your opponents last ship with 1 hull shoots you and kills you...then dies taking that last damage? Tie game?

Does anyone know the answer to this? I've been looking around but haven't seen an answer and it's a weird scenario.

The answer is in the Rules Reference:

If both players’ last remaining ships are destroyed in the same round, the game ends in a draw.

In tournaments, the draw is resolved by Final Salvo.

A final draw of zero dice vs zero dice?

A final draw of zero dice vs zero dice?

If the game ends in mutual destruction, then the Final Salvo is based on the total attack dice from their starting squad.