Perhaps autothrusters allowd You to attack a ship you are touching.

How does that help against turrets?

Sit at Range 4. Turret attacks. Boost into range 3 before your attack. Granted, it works for all ships and not just turrets, but it gives ships an option to actually give fire without receiving it, which no amount of maneuvering can currently do against a turret.

This doesn't work, at least not all the time. If there are no ships at Range 1-3, you can't attack, so the "before you attack" trigger never happens. And that leaves you having to arrange to be (a) beyond Range 3 from everything with a turret before your attack, but (b) within Range 3 of something else, and © at Range 3 from exactly one ship with a turret after your free maneuver.

It's not a bad idea for an upgrade at all, but given what FFG has said publicly about this particular upgrade, the OP's guess seems like an awfully roundabout and conditional way to get to the goal.

It would be nice to hope that a newly-released card wouldn't instantly and immediately warrant an FAQ on it.

"Immediately before you attack, you may perform a free Barrel Roll action if you have the [barrel roll icon, or a free Boost action if you have the [boost icon]."

Of course, you can change the wording to "Immediately before you measure to declare a target for attack", problem solved.

But the fundamental problem that persists is that adding a movement adjustment right before attack doesn't help high PS interceptors, if they were high enough PS to arc-dodge before the attack, and if they weren't high enough PS to arc-dodge before the attack, then they're in arc for the enemy's attack-- you acknowledge this, I admit, but a bonus attack or defense die, plus the cost and the mod slot filled up, is a poor trade for not being shot at.

Example by example:

- Action efficiency. Feel free to take a Focus, Evade, or Boost/Barrel Roll knowing you'll still get to do the other, or even a Target Lock if you happen to be a Royal Guard with a Targeting Computer.

Don't use PtL in Activation, you can't get free actions when stressed.

- All pilots, but low PS in particular, get some sweet range control. Yeah, you're going to get shot at first, but your high PS enemy might be doing it at range 3, while you get to boost into range 2 for your own shot, netting +1 agility for yourself and denying it to the opponent.

- High PS pilots don't benefit in quite the same way as they'll already have the option to Boost/Barrel Roll after seeing where everyone else moves, but again, it's action efficiency.

- Soontir Fel takes an Evade just in case and hangs out at range 4 of Super Han, denying Han a shot at all, then uses Autothrusters to Boost into range 3 to take his own shot, triggering Push the Limit for a Target Lock via Targeting Computer (and Royal Guard TIE), and a free Focus token from his own ability. That's an unanswered, 3-dice, Focus, Target Locked shot!

Also 2 evade dice + MF evade token + C-3PO Super Han happily salutes your 3 dice attack and saves his response for your 2-speed (or 3 forward) maneuver next turn to clear that stress, in which you will be unable to target him.

- With the current game pushing pilots to higher and higher PS, Autothrusters gives the little guy an edge. Get shot at range 2? Afterward you get to Barrel Roll into range 1 for +1 Attack! And, as seen above, even ace pilot Soontir Fel gets to punish Fat Han.

I'm not saying you're wrong. You might well be right.

But I'm really hoping not, because it won't be a solution if you are.

How does that help against turrets?

Sit at Range 4. Turret attacks. Boost into range 3 before your attack. Granted, it works for all ships and not just turrets, but it gives ships an option to actually give fire without receiving it, which no amount of maneuvering can currently do against a turret.

This doesn't work, at least not all the time. If there are no ships at Range 1-3, you can't attack, so the "before you attack" trigger never happens. And that leaves you having to arrange to be (a) beyond Range 3 from everything with a turret before your attack, but (b) within Range 3 of something else, and © at Range 3 from exactly one ship with a turret after your free maneuver.

It's not a bad idea for an upgrade at all, but given what FFG has said publicly about this particular upgrade, the OP's guess seems like an awfully roundabout and conditional way to get to the goal.

But if the wording is changed to "before you measure range to declare a target" then it would work in OP's intended way.

Auto Thrusters

Modification

2 Pts

When attacked by a ship outside it's primary firing arc, you may complete a free boost or barrel roll action, even if you have already completed this action.

or

Auto Thrusters

Modification

2 Pts

When attacked by a ship outside it's primary firing arc, you may add 1 defense die

It will be close to one of this two that's my guess.

Probably more like the first 1. This way you can increase the range away from the target, you can move from 1 to 2 to lower the attack dice being rolled or 2-3 to add one defense dice or get out of range 1-2 turret shots. It fits nice without being overpowered. Also, high pilot skill will help more as you can fire and arc dodge, before getting shot.

I dislike blindly speculating but based on the comments about helping interceptors i can only assume that it'll do something like giving an evade/defence die when a barrel roll/boost is performed.

We're speculating on it being included with an interceptor style ship, being publically stated that it will SPECIFICALLY help interceptors be relevant against turrets, and it being said that it will also be useful if there are no turrets AND comments from a playtester that if you fly interceptors that you will like it.

Add that the name of the card in question is "Auto Thrusters" and therefore probably has something to do with movement and this is what you get.

An out of arc defense buff will not help if there are no Turrets so it's not that simple.

Oh im not saying that we haven't got hints and info to work on, but we have no way to know exactly how it will mechanically work so its still speculation at this point.

My guess is free evade token when attacked from outside firing arc.

edit- probably once per turn and only on ship with barrel roll and boost actions?

You may reroll any evade dice when attacked from outside you primary arc.

That's my guess. Maybe with a minimum base evade requirement.

My money's on this. Makes sense and fits perfectly in the design and stated intent.

My guess is free evade token when attacked from outside firing arc.

You may reroll any evade dice when attacked from outside you primary arc.

That's my guess. Maybe with a minimum base evade requirement.

My money's on this. Makes sense and fits perfectly in the design and stated intent.

Neither of those work...they have said it will also be useful vs. non-turrets. This is at least the 3rd time I've mentioned that.

Shouldn't it be when attacked from outside your attacker's primary arc?

Ie turrets upgrades, rear arcs, printed 360 arcs, pilot ability to fire secondary weapons outside your arc and other upgrades like the hotshot blaster.

Otherwise you could fit this upgrade to a tank ship like an E-Wing with R2-D2 and Stealth Device and keep your back to the enemy ships and laugh.

My guess is free evade token when attacked from outside firing arc.

You may reroll any evade dice when attacked from outside you primary arc.

That's my guess. Maybe with a minimum base evade requirement.

My money's on this. Makes sense and fits perfectly in the design and stated intent.

Neither of those work...they have said it will also be useful vs. non-turrets. This is at least the 3rd time I've mentioned that.

It doesn't need to be a turret. It's any attack outside YOUR arc.

Shouldn't it be when attacked from outside your attacker's primary arc?

Ie turrets upgrades, rear arcs, printed 360 arcs, pilot ability to fire secondary weapons outside your arc and other upgrades like the hotshot blaster.

Otherwise you could fit this upgrade to a tank ship like an E-Wing with R2-D2 and Stealth Device and keep your back to the enemy ships and laugh.

"When defending against an attack made by a ship firing outside it's primary weapon arc you may reroll your evade dice."

It doesn't work vs against none turrets though so I would prefer my original idea.

Do we even know if the card is "autothrusters"?

The card could be autothrottle

From wiki:"An autothrottle (automatic throttle) allows a pilot to control the power setting of an aircraft's engines by specifying a desired flight characteristic, rather than manually controlling fuel flow. These systems can conserve fuel and extend engine life by metering the precise amount of fuel required to attain a specific targetindicated air speed, or the assigned power for different phases of flight. A/T and AFDS (Auto Flight Director System) work together to fulfill the whole flight plan and greatly reduce pilots' work load."

We're speculating on it being included with an interceptor style ship, being publically stated that it will SPECIFICALLY help interceptors be relevant against turrets, and it being said that it will also be useful if there are no turrets AND comments from a playtester that if you fly interceptors that you will like it.

Add that the name of the card in question is "Auto Thrusters" and therefore probably has something to do with movement and this is what you get.

An out of arc defense buff will not help if there are no Turrets so it's not that simple.

I don't recall hearing that it would help against non turrets. I definitely could be wrong, but i listened to the interview more than once after people started claiming the designers said autothrusters would also fix the advance and I don't recall hearing it would help against non turrets. If i'm wrong could you link the spot in the clip?

If there are no ships at Range 1-3, you can't attack, so the "before you attack" trigger never happens.

This is actually weird.

An attack is all seven steps, including Declare Target. So you cannot declare a target unless you have started an attack, and that cannot actually be dependent on having a target, because it doesn't know. I think it's safe to say that an aborted attack due to no target doesn't actually qualify an an attack... but "before" would be problematic.

So let's just hope the "before an attack" stays in the box and doesn't cause the universe to implode.

Do we even know if the card is "autothrusters"?

The card could be autothrottle

From wiki:"An autothrottle (automatic throttle) allows a pilot to control the power setting of an aircraft's engines by specifying a desired flight characteristic, rather than manually controlling fuel flow. These systems can conserve fuel and extend engine life by metering the precise amount of fuel required to attain a specific targetindicated air speed, or the assigned power for different phases of flight. A/T and AFDS (Auto Flight Director System) work together to fulfill the whole flight plan and greatly reduce pilots' work load."

I was just thinking what else Autoth- could be, and given how this is actually a word...

@Buhallin Would it work if it said, "before you declare an attack."

None of these are right.

And.

You. Will. Love. It.

@Buhallin Would it work if it said, "before you declare an attack."

I'd have to think about it, but "before selecting a target" might work... but it could get very strange. What if your barrel roll makes it so you can't declare any targets at all?

There aren't any game term hooks I can think of that we've seen which specify a ship becoming the active one for attacks. But anything that hooks to the actual attack process is going to be tricky.

None of these are right.

And.

You. Will. Love. It.

You do realize how obnoxious this is, right?

We're speculating on it being included with an interceptor style ship, being publically stated that it will SPECIFICALLY help interceptors be relevant against turrets, and it being said that it will also be useful if there are no turrets AND comments from a playtester that if you fly interceptors that you will like it.

Add that the name of the card in question is "Auto Thrusters" and therefore probably has something to do with movement and this is what you get.

An out of arc defense buff will not help if there are no Turrets so it's not that simple.

I don't recall hearing that it would help against non turrets. I definitely could be wrong, but i listened to the interview more than once after people started claiming the designers said autothrusters would also fix the advance and I don't recall hearing it would help against non turrets. If i'm wrong could you link the spot in the clip?

I thought it was in the interview. If it is not it must have been in my conversations regarding the playtesting.

I definately don't recall any mention of helping the advanced. If it's a good card though, and the advanced fix doesn't use the mod slot (they really use it now) then it could be useful, but not a fix. If it's good enough to "fix" the advanced own it's own it's either busted or too expensive to be useful to other ships.

Auto Thrusters

Modification

2 Pts

"Instead of performing a maneuver, you may pivot in place like in D&D Attack Wing, then take 2 stress and 2 ion tokens and toss them into the face of your opponent player while shouting: I have you now"

We're speculating on it being included with an interceptor style ship, being publically stated that it will SPECIFICALLY help interceptors be relevant against turrets, and it being said that it will also be useful if there are no turrets AND comments from a playtester that if you fly interceptors that you will like it.

Add that the name of the card in question is "Auto Thrusters" and therefore probably has something to do with movement and this is what you get.

An out of arc defense buff will not help if there are no Turrets so it's not that simple.

I don't recall hearing that it would help against non turrets. I definitely could be wrong, but i listened to the interview more than once after people started claiming the designers said autothrusters would also fix the advance and I don't recall hearing it would help against non turrets. If i'm wrong could you link the spot in the clip?

I thought it was in the interview. If it is not it must have been in my conversations regarding the playtesting.

I definately don't recall any mention of helping the advanced. If it's a good card though, and the advanced fix doesn't use the mod slot (they really use it now) then it could be useful, but not a fix. If it's good enough to "fix" the advanced own it's own it's either busted or too expensive to be useful to other ships.

There was nothing in the interview about Authth- being the fix to the advance, but by virtue an advanced fix being mentioned in the same interview people took it and ran.