With the most recent change to the FAQ, one upgrade gained an ability and a degree of utility that radically increases the usefulness of this hitherto underutilized upgrade.
The Proximity Mine is an interesting upgrade. This upgrade costs 3 points and occupies the bomb slot. Few ships have had a bomb slot, though this number is increasing. The TIE Bomber and Firespray both have a bomb slot. The upcoming Decimator also possesses this slot. With the advent of Scum and Villainy, the Y-Wing for both factions will also have such a slot. As an action, a ship with this upgrade can drop the prox mine behind it by placing the 1 forward template behind the ship, then placing the mine at the other end. Any ship whose base or movement template crosses this token takes 3 dice of damage, which cannot be modified or defended against.
Historically, this mine did nothing until a ship moved, at which point it exploded doing the damage. Now, however, the FAQ has updated the rules on this little toy. Now, when the mine is dropped, if it overlaps a ship, it immediately detonates, doing 3 dice of damage. If this mine overlaps multiple ships, the individual who dropped the mine gets to choose which one it hits.
This may not seem like a huge change, but the impact is heavy. This means that, for the cost of an action, a ship with a prox mine can do an unavoidable 3 dice of damage to a ship during the movement phase. Defense dice are not rolled and no token can be used to absorb the damage. Draw Their Fire and other such abilities do not work because it is not technically an attack.
Further, if the target is higher PS than the ship carrying the proximity mine, that ship will not have moved prior to the mine carrier, so one can plan their maneuver to move behind a ship, then drop it. Against high agility, low HP ships, this could be huge.
Now, one of the downsides to the prox mine is that it is a bit of a gamble. After all, three attack dice could well roll blanks, or worse eyes which haunt the victim with the threat of death but don't actually do damage. But the same can be true for rolling 3 crits however, meaning that it's a bit of a risk. On average though, the mine should do 1-2 damage, which can be plenty.
But how is the best way to deploy this weapon?
There are two primary uses for this toy now. The first we have had for a while.
Area Denial
One of the potent uses for Prox Mine is area denial. Because the mines are encountered so infrequently, most players have a psychological aversion to intentionally triggering a proximity mine. Even if the mine is unlikely to cause serious damage, such as on a hardy ship fighting against the last remnants of an enemy force, many adversaries will instinctively avoid the mine. We often see players avoid hitting asteroids for the same reason, even if hitting an asteroid would be the best tactical move.
In this situation, especially when asteroids are a factor, dropping the mine will often ensure an enemy does not go into that area. This can be quite the tactical advantage, as their foe exploits their aversion. Even if they do risk the mine, this could be disastrous for them if the roll goes against them.
Take this scenario. Here, the TIE Bomber drops a prox mine to block off the exit for the X-Wing.A round of shooting happens, damaging but not destroying the TIE Bomber, given how hardy they are.
Next round, had the X-Wing K-Turned, it would have had prime position on the TIE Bomber. With a PS advantage, even risking a return shot, there's a good change the TIE bomber will not survive further fire from such a foe. However, unwilling to K-Turn into a proximity mine, the only other options are hard turns. This keeps the X-Wing at range 2 to the bomber, which can now follow its prey.
Area denial is an effective tactic, but one that is best employed sparingly and at tactically critical moments. 3 points is a steep cost for such a trick, but could well be a winning strategy.
Direct Assault
Now direct damage is possible. 3 dice of damage is best used against vulnerable targets, especially those that are difficult to hit in other ways. This is exemplified by the TIE Phantom. This craft excels at staying out of arc. But can such a craft be damaged by a Prox Mine? It can decloak before movement, meaning area denial is unlikely to be effective.
Take our poor, poor Y-Wing here. Even with a turret, it is taking withering fire and is unlikely to hit the Phantom without support. It does not have arc on the craft and has certainly taken damage. But the craft has a hidden ace up its sleeve.
A simple one bank moves it away from its prey. Then the prox mine is dropped. The area of this mine is more than enough to reach the TIE phantom, which now takes the brunt of the attack. The result may not be death, but it could seriously hurt the craft and give the Y-Wing a fighting chance. Further, this damage is done before the TIE Phantom can move, potentially eliminating the threat in before firing even begins. Even if it is not destroyed, there is nothing the enemy can do about this mine. The ship cannot move before the mine is dropped into their lap. Boom.
However, sometimes an enemy perfectly predicts our movement and follows closely, ensuring that they can effectively track our movements. Prox Mines provide an interesting way to deal with these threats. Take our lone TIE Bomber here, with a mean E-Wing barely not touching the craft. The Bomber takes some vicious fire.
The next round, however, the TIE Bomber need but move 1 forward and drop the mine. The mine extends beyond the original position of the craft far enough to threaten the E-Wing. Advanced sensors are of no use here, as the mine goes off before he moves. No prediction will save him.
Bigger game targets are rarely threatened by a single proximity mine and may feel they can ignore the threat posed by this form of attack. The trick, however, is that Prox Mines do not necessarily have to used solo. After all, TIE Bombers are cheap. A Scimitar Squad Pilot with Prox Mines is only 19 points. Five of them can fit in a list. Or four an a doom shuttle.
Here, we see that an overconfident Falcon has rushed our formation. Fearing not the puny lasers of the formation, it takes some damage, but deals a vicious return blow and has excellent position for the next round, as it can fire outside its arc to maul the Bombers, even if they choose to K-Turn.
But they have a different plan. Because the prox mines detonate immediately upon contact, they do not pose any navigational threat to their friends, unlike before the most recent FAQ. This means they can be used En Mass. Our loyal Bombers split apart, dropping 12 unanswerable attack dice on the damaged YT-1300. If that does not kill it, then the Bombers have still dealt a major blow to a critical enemy asset.
Finally, it is important to note that the Proximity Mine does not take the attack of a ship. In essence, for the cost of an action, a ship can take two attacks in one round. This could change the course of a battle. In the previous examples, the prox mine has been used to replace the attack, as the ship turned away from the target. But there are often multiple targets.
Take our intrepid Firespray. Unlike our previous situations, the Firespray is higher PS than its targets, which move to attack. The TIE Phantom makes a mistake, moving too far forward, so cloaks to attack next round. The Interceptor moves up, planning to catch the Firespray if it moves slowly or be out of range if it moves quickly.
The Firespray sees its opportunity. Banking in, it drops a prox mine onto the Phantom. Which takes 2 hits and a Direct Hit, destroying it. Then, using autoblaster, does three damage to the interceptor which can't dodge any of the hits and thus is also destroyed. In the real world, this would require incredible luck, but rarer things have happened. Still, the chance that a ship can take out two major targets in a single round is an interesting one, though one that requires luck and skill to pull off.
Final Assessment
Proximity Mines have always been better than they have been given credit for. They have quite a bit of potential. With the newest ruling, they are quite the threat. They give lower PS ships a deadly weapon to use against high PS, evasive ships. For 3 points, they can change the course of the game. It takes skill and a bit of luck, but they can easily deny assets, force the enemy to move in different ways, and destroy high value targets. They are not to be discounted. If seen on the enemy fleet, they are to always be kept in mind. Forgetting the existence of such a tactical weapon is a deadly mistake.
Never forget, however, that the strongest ability is the one that changes the way an enemy acts. Each time one can force an opponent to do something other than their intended course of action, the chance of mistakes increases. Leading a rival into a mistake can win a battle.
