Disabling an ISD so that it drifts straight until repaired, shutting down weapons on one arc of a Mon Cal, and capturing CR90s? Tell me there's a way I can do this. How would this be done?

With the Mon Cal cruiser expansion I bet

With the Mon Cal cruiser expansion I bet

It will have to be a lot sooner than that, the Victory II has a slot for a Ion cannon instead of missiles

As for how they work no clue.

I would hypothesise maybe something like, blue dice only, for every hit when using an ion cannon, instead of dealing damage points instead deal an ion token.

For every ion token acquired in a round a ship must discard a command token and reduce its manuver tool by one click.

Having to remember that these are massive capital ships that arent going to get "damaged" by ion fire as such, just incapacitated for a moment.

If you squint carefully at the cards in the previews, you can see that there is a card that is probably an ion cannon upgrade (in the Victory SD expansion). Here is how I have attempted to reconstruct the text:

Ion Cann[on ??]
(Single Laser icon) - ? points
Blue (Crit): [You may?] discard[ 1 defense?] token fro[m the defender?] If the [defender does?] not have[ any defense?] tokens [then each of its?] hull zo[nes suffers 1 damage?]

If I am correct, ion cannons disrupt your opponent's defensive game (i.e. cannot evade or brace or redirect), so that your other weapons are more effective. Once your opponent's defenses are gone, ion cannons cause mass havoc in various systems throughout the ship (represented by damage spread throughout the hull zones). That feels close enough to the effect that ion cannons have on large ships (which is different from their effect on small ships) in the lore.

Does anyone have a better idea for a reconstruction?

Currently attack dice represent whole batteries of possibly different types of weapons that probably include, Lasers, Turbo Lasers, Concision Missiles and Probably Ion Cannons.

The Ion Cannons mounted on Cruisers don't seem to be used much to disable other cruisers, instead they are likely designed to disable smaller ships.

The only Ion Cannon we see disable Cruisers is the giant one on Hoth. and that weapon is larger than anything we see mounted on and cruisers.

That doesn't mean that we won't get some cool upgrade in the future, but it doesn't seem like a super important thing that they need to get to right away.

If you squint carefully at the cards in the previews, you can see that there is a card that is probably an ion cannon upgrade (in the Victory SD expansion). Here is how I have attempted to reconstruct the text:

Ion Cann[on ??]

(Single Laser icon) - ? points

Blue (Crit): [You may?] discard[ 1 defense?] token fro[m the defender?] If the [defender does?] not have[ any defense?] tokens [then each of its?] hull zo[nes suffers 1 damage?]

If I am correct, ion cannons disrupt your opponent's defensive game (i.e. cannot evade or brace or redirect), so that your other weapons are more effective. Once your opponent's defenses are gone, ion cannons cause mass havoc in various systems throughout the ship (represented by damage spread throughout the hull zones). That feels close enough to the effect that ion cannons have on large ships (which is different from their effect on small ships) in the lore.

Does anyone have a better idea for a reconstruction?

I forgot to mention the other possibility that I had thought of: replace "defense token" with "command token." Then, the ion cannons disrupt your opponent's plans OR cause mass damage across random systems. I cannot decide which version would be stronger.

GIVE US A RULEBOOK, FFG!!

Currently attack dice represent whole batteries of possibly different types of weapons that probably include, Lasers, Turbo Lasers, Concision Missiles and Probably Ion Cannons.

The Ion Cannons mounted on Cruisers don't seem to be used much to disable other cruisers, instead they are likely designed to disable smaller ships.

The only Ion Cannon we see disable Cruisers is the giant one on Hoth. and that weapon is larger than anything we see mounted on and cruisers.

That doesn't mean that we won't get some cool upgrade in the future, but it doesn't seem like a super important thing that they need to get to right away.

I think Ion cannons will be very important depending on how FFG stats them. I know for my self as soons as this topic popped up it got me into thinking how I can use a Ion equipped Vic II to slow down the Corvette rush. Hit a ship with the Ion if it disables it, sweet then turbolaser the little bugger with your 2nd attack or use the Ion to disable another ship(i.e. 2 ships ioned now) and have the Gladiators and Tie Bombers finish the work the Vic II starts.

I'd just love to be able to ion a ship, in a fleet game a capital ship, and send it careening into its own lines while forcing them to start emergency evading.

Currently attack dice represent whole batteries of possibly different types of weapons that probably include, Lasers, Turbo Lasers, Concision Missiles and Probably Ion Cannons.

The Ion Cannons mounted on Cruisers don't seem to be used much to disable other cruisers, instead they are likely designed to disable smaller ships.

The only Ion Cannon we see disable Cruisers is the giant one on Hoth. and that weapon is larger than anything we see mounted on and cruisers.

That doesn't mean that we won't get some cool upgrade in the future, but it doesn't seem like a super important thing that they need to get to right away.

Definitely. An ISD has almost as many ion batteries as turbolaser. They are more effective against shields and electronics, but don't do much in the way of physical or heat damage. I think keeping it abstract is fine. Maybe an upgrade card for concentrating ion fire or something down the road

It would be neat if they just incorporated ion cannons as a given so that when you rolled to attack, you simply declared turbolasers or ions and an appropriate effect took place. Ion upgrade cards could add advantages to such a role and or do something different.

So maybe ions get an extra die against shields but can't damage hull or something. That's way raw but you probably know what I mean.