I'm trying to sort out details on my list and I have gone back and forth on a lot of options. The problem is, once I've settled on a build that I like, I realize that it's 52 points of awesome loaded onto a Merc. I am personally running it as Scum with Z-95 support, so lone wolf is off the table. I've also found that Engine Upgrade has generally done more to get me into bad situations even faster when trying to get an angle on a shot, and that I'd often rather have the evade over a boost when running away. Running a Firespray without EU goes against common thought, I get that, but I will be running it like that for a bit to gauge it myself.

So that opens up the modification slot.

The issue is, primarily, with 2 agility and 10hp, the Firespray is a really big fighter and really can't take a barrage of hits like other large ships. And it's not just swarm damage, but a well flown arc dodger flying around hiding in the Firesprays side-blind spots and doing damage each turn can wear it down really quick as well, and even with EU, it doesn't have a lot of great ways to get out of that specific situation alone. So what can be done when every point matters?

If you don't want to sink a ton of points into it, try a Mando Merc with determination and Greedo. Surely, there will be a juicier target for your opponent to shoot at, while Greedo hands out a crit each turn.

I think being able to dodge with EU is probably gonna save the most hp. Next up I think is Recon Spec. Next up, Lone Wolf. Honestly, thats not a bad ship: Kath, Boba or Merc with EU, RS, LW.

If you go with PTL and RecSpec you can get 2 Focus tokens and an Evade each turn in optimal conditions. That should block some damage.

I'm trying to sort out details on my list and I have gone back and forth on a lot of options. The problem is, once I've settled on a build that I like, I realize that it's 52 points of awesome loaded onto a Merc. I am personally running it as Scum with Z-95 support, so lone wolf is off the table. I've also found that Engine Upgrade has generally done more to get me into bad situations even faster when trying to get an angle on a shot, and that I'd often rather have the evade over a boost when running away. Running a Firespray without EU goes against common thought, I get that, but I will be running it like that for a bit to gauge it myself.

Having run a lot of Firesprays both with and without Engine Upgrade, I feel like high-PS pilots (7-10) get a lot out of it. But running without it is a perfectly defensible choice.

The issue is, primarily, with 2 agility and 10hp, the Firespray is a really big fighter and really can't take a barrage of hits like other large ships.

In terms of durability it lags the YT-2400 (barely) and the Aggressor, but it's actually ahead of everything else--at least until you start stacking defensive upgrades on those other ships. It's not fragile at all.

If you want to buff your Mercenary's defense, though, I'd look seriously at PTL and Recon Specialist, whether together or separately. Ysanne Isard can work, too.

And it's not just swarm damage, but a well flown arc dodger flying around hiding in the Firesprays side-blind spots and doing damage each turn can wear it down really quick as well, and even with EU, it doesn't have a lot of great ways to get out of that specific situation alone. So what can be done when every point matters?

If you're worried about point defense and you can afford it, a Hot Shot Blaster changes your opponent's calculus quite a bit.

I'm repeating what has been previously mentioned but still...

Recon Specialist is an amazing upgrade on any ship with 2 agility (Firespray and YT-2400).

I've taken a liking to it on my YT-2400 builds.

And it's not just swarm damage, but a well flown arc dodger flying around hiding in the Firesprays side-blind spots and doing damage each turn can wear it down really quick as well, and even with EU, it doesn't have a lot of great ways to get out of that specific situation alone. So what can be done when every point matters?

If you're worried about point defense and you can afford it, a Hot Shot Blaster changes your opponent's calculus quite a bit.

Feedback Array might be good for this too. Shorter range, but its automatic, and a lot of arc dodgers can handle 3 dice attacks a bit too well. As a large ship, you can even use it twice before the ion effect kicks in, although because of this it doesn't stack super well with PTL except for emergencies.

And it's not just swarm damage, but a well flown arc dodger flying around hiding in the Firesprays side-blind spots and doing damage each turn can wear it down really quick as well, and even with EU, it doesn't have a lot of great ways to get out of that specific situation alone. So what can be done when every point matters?

If you're worried about point defense and you can afford it, a Hot Shot Blaster changes your opponent's calculus quite a bit.

Feedback Array might be good for this too. Shorter range, but its automatic, and a lot of arc dodgers can handle 3 dice attacks a bit too well. As a large ship, you can even use it twice before the ion effect kicks in, although because of this it doesn't stack super well with PTL except for emergencies.

Could always run it with Nien Nunb. But he's Rebel Only.

RecSpec

Ysanne (Imperial only)

Prox Mine is pretty great. Someone with a higher PS gets into your side arc? do a 1 bank and drop a Prox Mine on 'em!

Assuming scum,

On a budget, EH will outperform EU. For +1 point, it and K4 will give you a mobile (and therefore durable) firespray with a decent punch instead of just a boost with nothing else attached until you spend more points.

Otherwise, PTL to take advantage of that sexy evade action

Assuming Imps,

naked bounty hunters are fairly cost efficient, imo. They're not jousters, but flying over enemies while flinging blaster rounds out the back isn't exactly jousting either

Oh yeah. Imperial firesprays could def use ysanne.

Expert
Handling.

Seriously, guys, arc-dodging is the best boon to survivability there is, and this one's much harder to block than an Engine Upgrade, gives you a huge swath of effective attack zones, and strips target locks off of you, all for an action and a stress.

It's seriously powerful.

I run at least one Firespray in practically every list I've flown, and I agree with Vorpal - no EU is perfectly fine when you're running low-PS generics. Since the majority of arc-dodgers are >5 PS, EU loses a lot of its worth on Mercs.

In general, simply adding RecSpec is the cheapest option and works very well.

If you're looking to spend more, the next step would be to add PTL which is the most compatible RecSpec EPT in my opinion. Evade/Focus/Focus is a pain to chew through, and you can always switch to TL/Focus/Focus when you aren't feeling the heat as much.

EH/K4 is the other combo I would vouch for. The EH is enough to help you arc-dodge swarms and sheds some TL while you're at it. And K4 gives you a higher chance of using your Focus defensively or simply to Evade.

Two different styles, but both have worked well in my experience. Just remember to not treat Firesprays as world beaters. As you already mentioned, swarms and high-PS arc-dodgers are trouble. No matter what you give a Merc, those weaknesses will persist and the rest of your list will have to compensate.

Furthermore, RS/PTL builds are especially susceptible to control/blocking. Run the Merc as a versatile ~40-point tank or invest more for Kath/Boba if you're looking to take on arc-dodgers. Or give your Z95's feedback arrays

When it comes to firesprays, I feel the best defense is a good offense. Hit them hard and kill them fast. Less guns shooting at you means you live longer.

I was thinking of going with Stay on Target + Outlaw Tech on Scum Boba. I guess I can see how EH + K4 could be a little bit better, but it seems close.

Has anyone tried escorting a Firespray with Serissu? She's almost as good as giving it three dice defence...

I'm trying to sort out details on my list and I have gone back and forth on a lot of options. The problem is, once I've settled on a build that I like, I realize that it's 52 points of awesome loaded onto a Merc. I am personally running it as Scum with Z-95 support, so lone wolf is off the table. I've also found that Engine Upgrade has generally done more to get me into bad situations even faster when trying to get an angle on a shot, and that I'd often rather have the evade over a boost when running away. Running a Firespray without EU goes against common thought, I get that, but I will be running it like that for a bit to gauge it myself.

So that opens up the modification slot.

The issue is, primarily, with 2 agility and 10hp, the Firespray is a really big fighter and really can't take a barrage of hits like other large ships. And it's not just swarm damage, but a well flown arc dodger flying around hiding in the Firesprays side-blind spots and doing damage each turn can wear it down really quick as well, and even with EU, it doesn't have a lot of great ways to get out of that specific situation alone. So what can be done when every point matters?

Recon Specialist, Stealth Device, Outmaneuver and Proximity Mines, thats all you need.

Guys, this is all really great feedback! I've never really given RecSpec the credit it deserves, but I will at least run it 2 or 3 times on a PTL Merc and see what I can do with that based on your collective backing. I am running a Scum Firespray, I don't actually typically run imperials to begin with.

I am personally objected to using Lone Wolf, and that's likely a personal issue that I need to work on. I really like EH and K4, in fact I've taken K4 on pretty much every Firespray and with PTL for that TL/Focus/Evade every optimal turn. Sure could use more optimal turns... People just looove to block that Firespray.

I am also a huge fan of outmaneuver, specially over predator, which was my go-to for many ships before.

EH is outstanding on a firespray, and so is Rec spec / PTL

Going to try Expert Handling, Recon Spec and Stealth Device on Scum Boba tonight. He's going to get stuck in

Going to try Expert Handling, Recon Spec and Stealth Device on Scum Boba tonight. He's going to get stuck in

How'd it work for you?

I wouldn't do stealth device use hot shot blaster so if you expert handel you can shoot still

Is Inertial Dampeners pretty solid on Boba? Seems like it would be.

The firespray's stats put it's durability higher than that of a decimator or falcon and right behind the outrider. The main differences, of course, being that those other ships have turrets and different numbers of crew and crew options. If you want your firespray to last as long as one of the usual suspects, the stats are doing it out of the box. You should be asking yourself, then, "Why do these other ships [seem to] last longer on the table?" Gather the possible explanations and assess how suitable each explanation is. Glancing briefly at the math behind the statistics, it seems clear that the explanations must lie in decisions made in building and/or in decisions made on the table.

Consider the following and do some play-testing, perhaps you will find a solution or at the very least an explanation:

-Is it the upgrades/pilot abilities available? Rebels have c3-p0, falcon title, and r2-d2 mitigating damage each round. Imperials have Ysanne. Pilot abilities like chewie's and kenkirk's also are giving an effective bonus to their durability and will last longer than other pilots in the same ship under fire. Even though imperial firesprays can get Ysanne aboard, her effect will trigger with less time left in the firespray's lifespan compared to the decimator, it is not as efficient an option to elongate the firespray's lifespan. Are you doing anything to grant your firespray per-turn guaranteed damage mitigation? Have you been taking the evade action often? That might be enough, if you invest in some extra action economy and commit some to taking that evade option for defense(hello PTL, perhaps K4, etc.).

-Is it the wingmen options? You have another ~50 points to consider when pairing with your big blingy ship. Is your opponent more likely to target your firespray above the other part of your list for any reason? How have you been flying them in conjunction?

-Is it the turret/dial differences? How often do big turret ships fire inside their front arc? How often is your firespray firing in its front arc? Where do you place your firespray so that it may fire on the enemy, in harm's way? A big tactical advantage of the turret is to have more freedom of movement while still having offensive opportunities. Good players I have seen making good use of turrets are often flying away from, perpendicular to, or past enemy ships in an attempt to limit the number of shots being fired at them. Perhaps you should think of ways to do the same with the firespray, making use of that rear arc more often. Try taking distance against numerically superior enemies, to split them between range bands or even edging some out of range entirely. A single small ship at the edge of range 3, with its teammates unable to fire, is quite likely to lose against the firespray. Kath Scarlet's ability is really good for this tactic. Consider also EU and/or inertial dampeners for better range control, but mind your action economy.

You may find your answer while pondering these questions.

Is Inertial Dampeners pretty solid on Boba? Seems like it would be.

YES! It's a go to illicit modification. Kath (S&V) just murders with this upgrade!