For 1 extra point it has 2 hull 1 shield vs 3 hull and 1 better pilot. Also can be upgraded to a heavy eg 5 heavy scyk manglers. I guess we will fully know when the dial is known.

Actually, the cost of the basic scyk is 14 points, so i think they are well-balanced; or even the scyk may be a bit behind. That one shield isn't going to make much of a difference since regular hits are resolve before critical hits.

Regular hits are also negated before crits, and this is an agility 3 ships. It's fairly common for TIE Fighters and Interceptors to take a crit as their first damage card.

I'm looking forward to running Bwings/MC upgrades. Ten looks great with this stuck on him.

Regular hits are also negated before crits, and this is an agility 3 ships. It's fairly common for TIE Fighters and Interceptors to take a crit as their first damage card.

This is painfully true.

but that 1 shield might be that crit ties and interceptors take

So if you had 6 ties + howl vs 5 m3-a's + serissu, who wins the joust?

So if you had 6 ties + howl vs 5 m3-a's + serissu, who wins the joust?

It probably depends on how well the TIEs are able to focus fire on Serissu.

A Serissu swarm with naked Sycks is utterly pointless. Serissu is the number 1 target and he doesn't buff himself. So once he's gone you just got 5 naked Sycks. At least Howlrunner can buff attacks while she is alive. She has a lot more utility in a swarm. A Tie Swarm would likely eat a Syck swarm alive.

What you need is a group of Sycks with Cannons for Serissu to buff. He's got to be in a squad where he is the least attractive/dangerous target. He's almost like Biggs in the regard that he doesn't do much offensively, but you got to take him out first to have a shot at hitting the rest of the squad.

Now Serissu with 4 Heavy Sycks with Mangler cannons would eat a Tie Swarm alive.

I see a lot of people saying that they would never take a naked Scyk over a Z-95. To me, I find that odd. It's 2 pts more, but you get a very nimble ship. As stated, it's just like a Tie Fighter, but it also gets Target Lock. That's crazy good. I've loved Tie Swarms....and I don't mean a bunch of Tie Fighters locked into a formation with Howlrunner. I'm talking about actually swarming with them. They can move almost anywhere and barrel roll. They are great knife fighters. OK....they aren't PTL Interceptor good, but they are great generics. I can see someone using a TL on a target and then being able to get within Range 1 of those guys. Maybe even with a Focus. That's great!

I know that the Z-95 isn't a bad ship, but I don't think a naked Scyk is, either.

I see a lot of people saying that they would never take a naked Scyk over a Z-95. To me, I find that odd. It's 2 pts more, but you get a very nimble ship. As stated, it's just like a Tie Fighter, but it also gets Target Lock. That's crazy good. I've loved Tie Swarms....and I don't mean a bunch of Tie Fighters locked into a formation with Howlrunner. I'm talking about actually swarming with them. They can move almost anywhere and barrel roll. They are great knife fighters. OK....they aren't PTL Interceptor good, but they are great generics. I can see someone using a TL on a target and then being able to get within Range 1 of those guys. Maybe even with a Focus. That's great!

I know that the Z-95 isn't a bad ship, but I don't think a naked Scyk is, either.

On a 2 attack, 3 defense ship I think that Focus is almost always going to be a better action unless you know you aren't going to have to defend against an attack that round.

I think most people's preference with going with generic Z-95s over a named generic Scyk has more to do with what they'd do with the extra 2,4, or 6 points in elsewhere in their list than anything to do with the ships themselves. It's the same reason Z-95s are more popular than Chardaan Prototype A-Wings.

To me, even the most generic A-wing isn't that exciting. It's 3 pts more than a Z-95 and a boost ability isn't that exciting. It's no barrel roll.

I've usually found, especially with generics, that there are turns that you pass someone and don't get a shot off. That's the perfect turn to TL. On the next bit, you can do your Focus. You might be able to use both TL and Focus. That's what is exciting to me. Well, that and getting 3 green dice. Yeah, they are fickle beasts, but you get the chance of rolling more, especially with that Focus. I'll have a Scyk live longer than a Z-95 with that Focus, barrel roll, and 3 evade dice. You even get a TL thrown in to be used on some occasions, too? I'll take it.

A Serissu swarm with naked Sycks is utterly pointless. Serissu is the number 1 target and he doesn't buff himself. So once he's gone you just got 5 naked Sycks. At least Howlrunner can buff attacks while she is alive. She has a lot more utility in a swarm. A Tie Swarm would likely eat a Syck swarm alive.

But by that logic, Howlrunner is also just as pointless to a swarm. She is also the number 1 target and also does not buff herself. So once she's gone, you have 6 naked AP.

The trick has always been putting your key player in a more defensive position, whether it being long range or blocking actions, so that they don't go pop right away.

And in this particular situation, both Howl and Serissu 'should' both be dead by the time their abilities even matter. Sycks fire before the AP's do, and the AP's go after Serissu before the syck swarm regardless.

We are talking about 6 naked APs + naked Howl Vs. stock Serious + 5 naked Sycks at 90 points each.

If you manage to keep Howl alive, she can at least buff one attack. Serissu isn't buffing anything in this scenario, he's ability won't matter at all. He might as well be another generic pilot. Now, if you can position Serious (that's what I call him) to where they can't hit him and have to hit a normal Syck, then he can help. But otherwise he isn't doing anything in a swarm filled with generic naked Syck's.

Howl, can likely survive against a bunch of two attack ships at range 3 (usually the first range of combat). 2 attack dice have a lot of trouble doing any kind of damage against 3 or 4 evade dice.

No one is going to be running a bunch of naked Syck's or Zs in a swarm with Serious. He won't help them at all. Who's going to shoot a random generic that's going to be buffed, then they can shoot a PS 8 20 point ship?

^{So I think if there was 5 heavy scyks with Manglers they would be better vs TF swarm with or without howl. But like TF's they are brittle so if they faced a list with a few shields they would struggle. But I can seeing them being an option, possibly an anti decimator list. But the Phantom would chew through them like TF swarms unless they blocked well.}

It depends on how good that dial is. For 14pts I feel it needs to be A-wing good to be of good value. TL+1ps on a ship that wants to take focus isn't very good. How often (outside of some Vess lists) do you see people load up their Academy ties with TC's? Just not that useful.

With the Starviper being spoiled and shown to be completely unique, generic M3-A being 14 points, Scum not having anything like the TIE Intercepter, and the M3-A actually being called an Interceptor, I'm starting to expect an Interceptor dial.

It depends on how good that dial is. For 14pts I feel it needs to be A-wing good to be of good value. TL+1ps on a ship that wants to take focus isn't very good. How often (outside of some Vess lists) do you see people load up their Academy ties with TC's? Just not that useful.

It's hard to compare to other ships in the Imperial fleet because they are their own beast. They have lots of agile ships with barrel roll. It's almost like asking if you would rather have the Scyk in the Rebel fleet, would it be worth it? You have to look at what else is in the S&V fleet that are options. At this point, you have cheap Z-95's or Scyk. What type of a list do you prefer? Cheap, awkward ships? Or cheap agile ships? I've played Tie Swarms that actually swarmed (not flown in formation) and I can tell you that you can do a lot of damage with agile swarms. Are Z-95's bad? No, but neither are Scyks. I think it's great that you can play either option with Scum.

While I agree that you will usually Focus with a Scyk, there will be those times when you don't need to Focus as there isn't anyone shooting at you. That's when TL will come into play. Or times when someone can give you can action. I like just having the option there.

It depends on how good that dial is. For 14pts I feel it needs to be A-wing good to be of good value. TL+1ps on a ship that wants to take focus isn't very good. How often (outside of some Vess lists) do you see people load up their Academy ties with TC's? Just not that useful.

I'd love to see a red 0 on the Scyk. That would really differentiate it from other small fighters and would work well with secondary weapons on the Heavy Scyk.

But by that logic, Howlrunner is also just as pointless to a swarm. She is also the number 1 target and also does not buff herself. So once she's gone, you have 6 naked AP.

That's not quite true.

Howlrunner's buff works while she's alive and there are other members of the fleet that can attack. It has very little interaction with the opponent. Put Howlrunner + evade at R3 and the rest at R2 + focus and it's not an easy decision. Do you shoot the thing that's hard to damage and increasing accuracy of the squad or mitigate damage by targetting the buffed yet easier to damage TIE's.

Serissu's buff only works when your opponent chooses to attack someone other than Serissu. So assuming the same R3/R2 setup, do you target the thing that's hard to damage at R3 or the things that are about as hard to damage at R2, but suddenly become easier to damage once the thing at R3 is dead? The fact that the opponent can ignore Serissu's buff by simply targeting Serissu I think makes it worse than Howlrunner.

A much better comparison is that Serissu is a watered down Biggs, something that encourages you, but not forces you to attack that particular ship.

I was wondering. Wouldn't your ideal attack strategy be, first attack round swarm at range 3 and buff pilot at range 4. Second attack round swarm at range 1, buff pilot at range 2?

My thinking is this. You are guaranteed the buff for the first round and during the second round your opponent has the dilemma, " do i shoot a possibly damaged, or undamaged, swarm ship at range 1 (+1 att die) or take range 2 shots at a fresh buff pilot"? I think this would be the way to keep your buff pilots alive for longer. Once a swarm ship is damaged the temptation to finish it off would keep some of the heat of your Howl and Serri.

I've never flown a swarm, or had to fly against many, maybe only 2 or 3 times. What say you more experienced swarm players, because I am looking at a list i am thinking of taking to the next tourney.

I was wondering. Wouldn't your ideal attack strategy be, first attack round swarm at range 3 and buff pilot at range 4. Second attack round swarm at range 1, buff pilot at range 2?

My thinking is this. You are guaranteed the buff for the first round and during the second round your opponent has the dilemma, " do i shoot a possibly damaged, or undamaged, swarm ship at range 1 (+1 att die) or take range 2 shots at a fresh buff pilot"? I think this would be the way to keep your buff pilots alive for longer. Once a swarm ship is damaged the temptation to finish it off would keep some of the heat of your Howl and Serri.

I've never flown a swarm, or had to fly against many, maybe only 2 or 3 times. What say you more experienced swarm players, because I am looking at a list i am thinking of taking to the next tourney.

I always found that at R3, ships with 2 attack have only a very small chance to actually do damage. Now with Howl you get the half Target Lock and will probably have a focus so you can semi-reliably get 2 hits, which will probably do a few points of damage after 5-6 ships fire.

The Syck is not as offensive as it doesn't have focus + 1 dice reroll on attack, only defense. You'll get a R3/R4 turn where it's pretty unlikely anything will happen, then you get a R2/R3 turn where there is no reason not to target Serissu until she dies.

But this is the overall mistake I think people are making with Serissu, it doesn't support the swarm unless you can get some extra protection/synergy for it. And if you do, you aren't quite running a swarm anymore.

That would be a strategy to keep Serious out of the first engagement all together and then fly him in during the second round of shooting. It would give your opponent something to think about anyway. Shoot at already damaged but now defensively buffed Sycks, or get rid of a full health Serious. I still think you shoot at Serious to get him off the board.

Best bet with Serious is to pair him with way more offensively damaging ships. A couple of Heavy Sycks, or a Firespray would be good.

The ps5 sycks are probably ging to have talents. So you could give Serissu two wingmen with bodyguard and draw their fire while he uses ptl for focus+evade. If the PS5 guys are 16pts those 6 Sycks are exactly 100pts and pretty much invulnerable against 2 dice attacks if you can keep formation.

That's a lot of points you start paying for Attack 2 ships.