With the upcoming upgrade card ‘Experimental Interface’, there has been a number of questions regarding how to utilize it. For those who are unaware, here is the card:

Once per round, after you perform an action, you may perform 1 free action from an equipped Upgrade card with the “Action:” header. Then receive 1 stress token.

Similar to Push The Limit, this card instead allows the utilization of Action: upgrade cards. What what upgrades are they?

Astromechs:

R2-F2

R5-D8

R7-T1

Bombs:

Proximity Mines

Crew:

Fleet Officer

Lando Calrissian

Leebo

Saboteur

EPTs:

Daredevil

Expert Handling

Expose

Marksmanship

Squad Leader

So I would like to explore all the options and potential builds for them. Most of these builds are going to avoid the common and are going to be a bit esoteric, so be prepared for interesting ideas that probably cost too many points.

Etahn A’baht (32)

Lone Wolf (2)

Sensor Jammer (4)

R2-F2 (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

In this build, Eatin’ Aboat becomes a tank. Sensor jammer forces targets to spend a focus when attacking or lose a hit. For his action, he can focus for defense. This will trigger EI, allowing him to engage R2-F2 to increase his ability. Then Lone Wolf can allow him to reroll a blank on each attack against him. This results in a 4 agility craft with focus and sensor jammer that gets a defensive reroll on all attacks. Limited to green maneuvers, but incredibly difficult to kill for 44 points.

Jek Porkins (26)

Predator (3)

R5-D8 (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

Porkins, everyone favorite maligned X-Wing pilot. Predator is an excellent card for offense, giving him at least one reroll on every attack. At PS7, he can take focus for defense or offense. Now, however, he can dump stress with impunity. K-Turns no longer stop his action and he laughs at Rebel Captive and Mara Jade and any number of other dirty tricks. From these he can dump stress. This may give him a damage card however. On his next turn, when he acts, he can focus and use that to trigger R5-D8 to repair hull. This gives him another stress, one that he may then choose to dump. Timing is important here, as he cannot repair damage gained from the stress from EI the same turn, as that happens after R5-D8 triggers. Still, could last a long time and would be a brutal endgame ship for 35 points.

“Dutch” Vander (23)

Ion Cannon Turret (5)

R7-T1 (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

Dutch is commonly found in many rebel synergy lists. His ability to pass compatriots the ability to TL is invaluable, he has the HP to survive several attacks, and he is rarely without his trusty Ion Cannon Turret for control. R7-T1 is an interesting choice because it allows him to boost. More importantly, R7-T1 allows him to TL, but is not a TL action. In this case, Dutch moves up and takes the TL action. This passes a TL to a nearby friendly. He then activates R7-T1 with EI to Target Lock a different enemy (he can’t TL the same enemy twice in a row). This gives another friendly a Target Lock. Then he may boost if desired. He has just gained a TL, passed two friends Tls, and boosted. Sure his green maneuvers are predictable, but when he is able to magnify the attack potential of his friends, it may well be worth the 34 points.

Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)

Proximity Mines (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

One of the biggest problems with Proximity Mines is that they are placed after movement, but they take an action. Unless one moves perfectly, a target may well escape because no movement adjusting actions can be taken unless one sinks a lot of points into such a ship. EI offers and interesting solution to this problem. A Scimitar Squadron Pilot is PS2, so will move before most things. He may then move and barrel roll into the perfect position. If he drops his Prox Mine on top of his target, that target is unlikely to escape. Imagine this. The bomber moves just beyond Whisper and barrel rolls. This allows the Scimitar to then trigger EI to drop the Prox Mine covering all possible decloak options. When she decloaks, she takes 3 dice of damage with none of her vaunted Agility tokens providing protection. For 22 points and at 6 Hull, this ship can find its way into many a list.

Bounty Hunter (33)

Fleet Officer (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

We don’t generally think of Bounty Hunters as support ships. With 3 attack, 2 agility, and 10 HP, they tend to be considered tanks and bruisers. At first blush Fleet Officer is purely a support ability. Choose two ships at range 1-3 and give them focus tokens, then get a stress. The trick is that, unless the ability specifies ‘another’ ship, it can be used on the initiating ship. So in this case, Fleet Officer allows one to get a focus and to give another ship a focus. Now, EI is a bit harder sell here, because it results in double stress. Sometimes, however, double stress is worth it to get a focus, an evade, and give a friendly ship a focus token as well. To be used sparingly, but could offer a critical edge in some situations. For 39 points, it might be best to pair this with a Wingman or two.

Eaden Vrill (32)

Lando Calrissian (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

Eaden Vrill doesn’t get much love yet. No EPT and his ability runs counter to the use of the Outrider title. However, if the rest of the list is made to inflict stress, he can act as quite the vicious brawler. Able to get in and mix it up with the enemy, getting 3-4 attack dice and cheap enough to risk in combat. Here, he can barrel roll or TL, then engage Lando for some focus or evade, he could potentially be more nimble than first glance would indicate, as well as more potent and survivable. For 38 points, it’s definitely worth exploring.

Chewbacca (42)

Predator (3)

“Leebo” (2)

Nien Nunb (1)

Experimental Interface (3)

Not as outwardly effective as the ubiquitous Fat Chewy builds which sacrifice mobility for durability, at first blush this doesn’t have much to offer. Predator is always useful, granted. However, Leebo allows Chewy to boost at the cost of an ion token. Experimental Interface allows him to boost off of focus. So here, Chewy moves, the focuses, then gets to boost. He gets a stress and an ion. However, Nien Nunb changes the 1 forward from Ion into a green maneuver, allowing him to clear stress and keep moving. The decision for when to boost can be made with knowledge of where it will put Chewy for next round, allowing for one to plan clear approaches and when to be ioned and when not to. With 4 being a green, one can easily boost out of combat, clear the ion, and return. Chewy becomes quite elusive and agile with boost. The best defense against an attack is to not be in arc of course. Interesting for 51 points, though probably not competitive in the current meta.

Captain Oicunn (42)

Predator (3)

Saboteur (2)

Ysanne Isard (4)

Experimental Interface (3)

Saboteur is a much derided card. 2 points, costs and action, and only occurs 50% of the time when triggered. That said, it has some powerful effects. First, the crit itself can cripple a ship, from adding damage to reducing weapon values, to eliminating the pilot ability and EPTs. Second, this bypasses all current ways to get rid of a crit. This will allow one to flip a crit on Chewy, for instance, or add a pilot crit to a ship with Determination. Here, Captain Oicunn will seek to ram the enemy, getting free damage on them for doing so. Predator will mitigate the pain of losing actions for attack. Once damaged, Ysanne Isard will give a free evade action at the start of combat phase. And that is where EI comes into play.

At the start of combat, all the ships have already moved. Oicunn will have a good idea whether a green maneuver next turn is desirable or not. If Oicunn is unstressed and planning a green move next turn, EI can trigger off of Isard’s free evade action, giving Oicunn a Saboteur action. Maybe it does nothing, but inflicting a crit early in combat could change the course of the game. 54 points is expensive, but not a dealbreaker.

Tycho Celchu (26)

Push the Limit (3)

Chardaan Refit (-2)

Daredevil (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

A-Wing Test Pilot (0)

Tycho Celchu’s pilot ability is amazing. He can perform actions when stressed. One of the downsides to this is that he can no longer K-Turn once he gets stress, and he usually has so many that he will never clear them all again for later. He may boost, that that only turns him so far. Now, however, Tycho can take a 1-Hard turn, focus, activate EI (getting a stress) to trigger Daredevil (getting another stress), take an additional 1-Hard turn in the same direction, then activate PTL to boost, getting another stress. Sure he ends up with three stress tokens, but just add them to the pile. The goal of the game may be to end up with a stack of stress higher than Tycho by the end. It turns Tycho into one of the most nimble ships in the game. Being able to move, boost, and daredevil every turn is incredibly potent, especially as they don’t have to be in the same direction. 33 points, but it could be quite difficult to get him off the board.

Tycho Celchu (26)

Push the Limit (3)

Chardaan Refit (-2)

Expert Handling (2)

Experimental Interface (3)

A-Wing Test Pilot (0)

A traditional problem with the A-Wing is that they lack a barrel roll action. This has always hindered them in comparison to the TIE Interceptor, as they can’t adjust their final position as easily. Expert Handling gives them that ability but takes the slot of an EPT that would be of more value. Rebel Aces has changed that, allowing them 2 EPTs. The other downside to EH is that it adds a stress. But as indicated above, there is one pilot who ignores stress. This setup allows Tycho to Boost, Barrel Roll, and any other action, in any order desired, every turn. A more traditional maneuvering bonus than Daredevil mentioned above, and a point cheaper at 32 points, it could make Tycho quite the nimble adversary.

Rear Admiral Chiraneau (46)

Expose (4)

Ysanne Isard (4)

Experimental Interface (3)

Expose is one of the most derided cards in the game. It adds an extra attack die, which is great. But the cost is too high. It costs an action. Statistically, adding one die at the cost of losing TL or Focus means the average damage is going down. It costs an agility die, meaning that the ship is more likely to perish. It costs the EPT slot, and there are plenty of better options. It costs 4 points, making it expensive. Here, though, those concerns are largely negated.

R.A.C. can move and act as normal. Off of the action such as Target Lock, he can activate Expose, increasing his attack to 4 dice. This reduces his agility to 0 from 0*. He then gets a stress from EI, but as Chir wants to be close but not in contact with the enemy, this should be generally ok. Chiraneau’s natural ability helps mitigate the loss of focus for attack.

Things get more exciting once R.A.C. has taken damage. Now, even if Chiraneau is bumped, at the start of combat he gets the free Evade Action off of which he can trigger Expose, giving him 5 dice plus turning an eye to a crit at range 1. 57 points is tough to swallow, but the resulting ship is a master of destruction.

*Note: Dice from range 3 and asteroids are bonus dice, not increases to Agility, so even if Chiraneau has 2 Structural Damage crits, with Expose, being fired at by Wedge with Outmaneuver, if it’s at range 3 through an asteroid, he still gets 2 dice for defense.

Ten Numb (31)

Marksmanship (3)

Advanced Sensors (3)

Experimental Interface (3)

Ten Numb’s ability to get 1 crit through any number of evade dice has always been nice, but unreliable. Naturally rolled crits aren’t common enough to count on. Marksmanship isn’t much better than focus even on Ten Numb, as he could instead of PTL and get TL and Focus on every attack. Now, however, there is a way to get two actions, one of which being Marksmanship, on this venerable B-Wing. Ten Numb may now take his action of TL or Barrel Roll, depending on whether he needs to change position. Then Marksmanship triggers with EI. Now, as he has advanced sensors, he can do all this before he moves, then reveal a green move to clear the stress he just gained. It’s a brutally effective combo for 40 points.

Airen Cracken (19)

Squad Leader (2)

Experimental Interface (3)

Squad Leader has always been a questionable EPT. Sure, it allows one to give another action to a ship, but often at high cost. It means that the ship giving the action loses their own, and it can only be passed to a ship of lower PS, not to mention the loss of the EPT slot. EI changes that dynamic somewhat. Now, the ship can still get their own action, but can pass an action at the cost of a stress. In this case Airen Cracken can focus for defense, passing an action to a friend with Squad Leader by way of EI. Then, when he shoots, he can pass another action. Quite the generous leader for 24 points.

So that’s the list of all the current upgrade cards with the ‘Action:’ header used in conjunction with EI. Some of them are more fun than effective but EI gives one the ability to gain another action, often an interesting one. It’s a card that hasn’t garnered the instant love and affection lavished on PTL, but there are lots of interesting ways to use this card, especially as every ship in the game can take it.