Has anyone got a theory why the Aggressor has two Cannon slots? I cannot think of why you'd have 2 cannon slots

Has anyone got a theory why the Aggressor has two Cannon slots? I cannot think of why you'd have 2 cannon slots

For the ultimate destruction of your foes.

Without a secondary-weapon version of Gunner (maybe as one of the pilot-abilities?) I can't really see double cannons being a good investment, although that depends on what the new ones end up costing.

Here is what I'm thinking... The Flechette Cannons that come with the Scyk Interceptor most likely cause stress. The Aggressor will be able to have both an Ion AND a Flechette Cannon, which could give it some serious control options. Also, we don't know what the "Mang(ler)" Cannon does. Perhaps there is even an IG-88 Pilot that has some type of bonus to Cannons to where you would want more than one.

Well taking an Autoblaster Cannon and a Heavy Laser Cannon gives you the best of both worlds. Might not be all that cost effective, but options can still be nice.

As for the new cannons...

The Flechette Cannon appears to be identical to an Ion, but does stress instead of an ion token.

The Mangler Cannon is probably be a 3 dice range 1-3 weapon that changes 1 hit to a crit, 5 points I would guess, but I could be wrong. Great for both Imp Kath and Ten Numb, so it makes some sense on why they are creating it, both could use the boost.

Here is what I'm thinking... The Flechette Cannons that come with the Scyk Interceptor most likely cause stress. The Aggressor will be able to have both an Ion AND a Flechette Cannon, which could give it some serious control options. Also, we don't know what the "Mang(ler)" Cannon does. Perhaps there is even an IG-88 Pilot that has some type of bonus to Cannons to where you would want more than one.

Wouldn't surprise me at all, and we should have 14pts per Aggressor to play with since the IG-2000 title is 0pts, if there's a pilot ability that makes taking multiples twice viable I wonder how they'd balance it around x4 HLC.

IF they somehow allow you to shoot multiple cannons, which I find quote unlikely, I'm guessing it will only be under a gunner like effect, but I feel it would have to have an additional limitation. For example?

After you perform a cannon secondary weapon attack that does not hit, if you have no stress tokens, you may receive a stress to attack with another cannon secondary weapon.

Personally I love the series of options we'll have with the possibilities there are. While I don't know if HLC is really a good option on an already expensive ship if you have another cannon equipped, it will likely be dependant on pilot abilities. Here's the kicker though for my arguement against HLC: you have a large based ship with decent pilot skill, a ship with sensors, boost, illegal upgrades and an ept for all four of them. With all of those options in mind, it isn't really beyond imagination that you can keep targets at least in range 2 (though hypermobile ships and Phantoms will still be slippery). I think this ship will be THE jousting platform of Scum and Villainy.

The Ion Cannon is really cheap for what it offers. Being able to tack on the option for 1 Damage + Ion token while knowing you have a 4 dice HLC available is not a bad deal. You can use the HLC every round and just switch to the Ion Cannon when you see a chance to really mess up a formation or land a heavy hitter on an asteroid.

You make a good point, but I just feel hesitant to put HLC and another cannon on a ship that looks and sounds like it is built for deadly speed. Don't get me wrong, by no means am I mocking that playstyle but seven points is seven points. It really is going to boil down to the dial and the pilot abilities.

You make a good point, but I just feel hesitant to put HLC and another cannon on a ship that looks and sounds like it is built for deadly speed. Don't get me wrong, by no means am I mocking that playstyle but seven points is seven points. It really is going to boil down to the dial and the pilot abilities.

Perhaps but Epic could be more fun. Pirates raiding the Tantive IV...

Ken, you've rezzed a thread again.

I just asked the same question as the OP over in the IG-2000 thread. since there does not seem to be an option to link fire them, It is still a question without a practical answer. sure you can run ion and flechette, ion and mangler, HLC and something else, but that is expensive, and you are guarenteeing that each of them is used less, and therefore contribute less for their points. Perhaps there is something et to be revealed that may make 2 cannons worth it, but so far I am just not seeing it, especially on a ship with 3 native attack.

I just asked the same question as the OP over in the IG-2000 thread. since there does not seem to be an option to link fire them, It is still a question without a practical answer. sure you can run ion and flechette, ion and mangler, HLC and something else, but that is expensive, and you are guarenteeing that each of them is used less, and therefore contribute less for their points. Perhaps there is something et to be revealed that may make 2 cannons worth it, but so far I am just not seeing it, especially on a ship with 3 native attack.

if you are running a HLC with IG88B, you don't get your "gunner" at range 1 so if you pick up an autoblaster/flechette/ion/mangler you can then get a "gunner" at range one and still have your HLC for range 2-3

The Flechette Cannon is also only 2 points, so it can provide you a R1 insurance for the gunner reroll. Attack with 4 dice primary, if you miss, you have a 3 dice stress inducing attack to follow it up. If you have FCS (as you should) with it, you might find people taking the damage at R1 when they otherwise wouldn't have so that they don't have to gamble with a damage and stress. Not a bad way to spend 2 points.

Edit: And it makes the ship more versatile. Fel just PTL at R3 - instead of taking the HLC shot, take a Flechette shot to make him pay for his gambling... They just used Opportunist on you - make em pay by stressing them and making them useless... Leebo just boosted and got a second ion token? Make em suffer with that stress...

Heck, even if you never use it, if Fel chooses not to PTL because of the threat of a Flechette Cannon shot, then it's worth the two points.

Edit #2: You could also take the Flechette shot first, forcing them to either spend tokens to avoid the damage (and more importantly stress), or risk living through a 4 dice HLC shot without any tokens for defense...

flechette cannons don't double up on stress.

I only see it as giving options. HLC/Mangler + Flechette, allows you to give choose to give stress to people who might not want it....but is that really worth 7 pts more than just taking a flechette and using your regular attack? or is the possibility of giving someone 1 stress (Phantom?) worth the 2 pts...probably.

flechette cannons don't double up on stress.

That's right, totally forgot. Then replace everything I said there with Ion Cannon =P

The Ion Cannon is really cheap for what it offers. Being able to tack on the option for 1 Damage + Ion token while knowing you have a 4 dice HLC available is not a bad deal. You can use the HLC every round and just switch to the Ion Cannon when you see a chance to really mess up a formation or land a heavy hitter on an asteroid.

I disagree. yes the ion cannon is a good value at 3 points, but if you have also brought an HLC, you are now packing 10 points in cannons, and you cannot use them both in the same turn. assuming that you used both equally, and that you never fired your primary weapon (which you are also paying for in the base ship cost) that means that you are firing each one only half of the time. this lowers their value even more.

If i put an HLC on a defender, and the game runs 10 rounds, I'm probably going to fire that cannon 8 of those rounds. (noone will be in range on round 1, and there might be the occasional range 1 shot.

Now let's run your aggressor with the same assumption, but with ion and HLC. 10 rounds. Let's say you have 9 rounds where you have an enemy in range and in-arc. (probably high, but apples to apples here) Let's say that 3 of those 9 turns you fire the ion, one turn you fire your primary (again, apples to apples) which leaves 5 turns you fire the HLC.

So, you paid 3 points for an ion cannon you fired 3 times. Ok, that's reasonable. but you also paid 7 points for an HLC that you only fired 5 times. Now this may not be a bad value in a typical game, but when we compare it to a single cannon setup with all other things being equal, we see that this results in both cannons being used less, and therefore less valuable. now, if this ship only had one or 2 attack....ok. but it's natively 3 attack, and that is reflected in the base cost of the ship. so you are also paying points for more capability that is going to be used even less with 2 cannons than it would be with one.

It's a flying swiss army knife, but you are paying for each of those tools, and you can still only use one at a time.

now, I could see a case for ion and flechette.

I guess I was hoping that one of those pilots was going to be able to do something really cool with both cannons, but apparently not. Now I would be the first to say that 2 HLCs or 2 manglers would be broken, but worded correctly, being able to fire soomething like a mangler and ion together could be nasty. not sure how you would word it though.

Ken, you've rezzed a thread again.

Oops, guess I've been out of touch lately.

Take an Ion Cannon to keep a ship from moving too close so you can keep it in the HLC's range?

I guess I was hoping that one of those pilots was going to be able to do something really cool with both cannons, but apparently not. Now I would be the first to say that 2 HLCs or 2 manglers would be broken, but worded correctly, being able to fire soomething like a mangler and ion together could be nasty. not sure how you would word it though.

After you perform an attack with a <cannon icon> secondary weapon, you may immediately perform an attack with a different <cannon icon> secondary weapon. You cannot perform another attack this round.

Is that what you were hoping for?

I like the idea of an effects cannon and an hlc or Mangler. At range 3 do you spend your tokens to keep from getting stressed/Ioned and hope you can roll better than the hlc/mangler or take the negative effect and the one damage?

Flechette+Mangler seems like it could be fun.

Reasonably likely to waffle the Flechette shot, then you get a proper shot possibly minus defensive tokens. Could FCS to guarantee that second shot.