Yes, I'm serious. Stop laughing.

The K-Wing can put damage cards onto enemy ships early (via Proton Bombs, more on this in a bit), and unless its dial is truly terrible, SLAM should make it an incredible arc-dodger, with the caveat that it cannot actually attack.
At all.

However, the Saboteur can proc after the SLAM action with either an Experimental Interface (stressful, but can still activate when SLAM maneuvers collide) or with the Advanced SLAM drive (non-stressful and one point cheaper, but only activates when you don't collide), and can turn that frown back up.

Now, as far as flippage is concerned, there are 3 categories of damage cards:

Those that flip facedown after their effect

Those that flip facedown as a result of an action

Those that stay faceup, barring certain ships/upgrades

Category 1 Crits:

Minor Explosion

Thrust Control Fire

Munitions Failure

Blinded Pilot

24.24%

Category 2 Crits:

Structural Damage

Console Fire

Weapon Malfunction

Damaged Sensor Array

24.24%

Category 3 Crits:

Damaged Engine

Direct Hit

Minor Hull Breach

Damaged Cockpit

Injured Pilot

Stunned Pilot

51.51%

Oh my...

When we were all looking for an ordinance fix, FFG was delving into the deepest of necessary fixes, even deeper then ordinance... Saboteur!

While it would be fun to try, I still think there is two things keeping it from being worth the slot

1) better options for crew

2) it still costs 2, and forces another slot of at least a 2 point cost.

I would love it if it became a thing though. Oh how I love forgotten cards and/or ships coming back into the game.

Edit: Also, the other negative I failed to mention is that it only works if there are damage cards on there already, which, bombs or no bombs, is still a big issue.

...The thing is, the more I think about it, the more I think the K-Wing really is going to have a horrific dial. They gave it a 360 arc and the SLAM action, and I suspect that these may be crutches for it's abysmal movement rather than supplements.

I just hope that all of the hards aren't red. :|

At any rate, you'd be spending either 5 points (Saboteur + EI) or 6 points (Saboteur + Adv SLAM) to sometimes flip over a face-down damage card against an R1 ship. That seems kind of terrible, especially considering that you have a turret with 2 attack. So, you could roll 1 unmodified die for the Saboteur in the hopes of flipping a damage card over, or you could attack with 3 modified dice for a chance at pushing through more damage cards period (and you're not spending 5-6 points for the privilege).

I think the better option is a no-brainer.

...The thing is, the more I think about it, the more I think the K-Wing really is going to have a horrific dial. They gave it a 360 arc and the SLAM action, and I suspect that these may be crutches for it's abysmal movement rather than supplements.

I just hope that all of the hards aren't red. :|

At any rate, you'd be spending either 5 points (Saboteur + EI) or 6 points (Saboteur + Adv SLAM) to sometimes flip over a face-down damage card against an R1 ship. That seems kind of terrible, especially considering that you have a turret with 2 attack. So, you could roll 1 unmodified die for the Saboteur in the hopes of flipping a damage card over, or you could attack with 3 modified dice for a chance at pushing through more damage cards period (and you're not spending 5-6 points for the privilege).

I think the better option is a no-brainer.

My point is, if you're in range 1 after SLAMming, you DON"T have the option to attack with your turret, mate.

Moreover, you can SLAM into a collision, and then use EI for Sabotage, guaranteeing the range and that they can't return fire.

But i'll still grant the issues with the card: this is just the best chance Sabby's had thus far

Yes, but why would you SLAM into R1 just to use Saboteur when you could simply shoot instead? I suppose if you're arc dodging, sure, but in that case you might be better off with Adv SLAM + bombs.

I think, more than the fact that Saboteur costs an action, Saboteur's major weakness is the fact that it has a 50% failure rate. (This not even considering its limitation to Range 1 and cost of 2 points... heck, I'd have a hard time equipping it if it were free).

If there's an upgrade or ability out there that can assist with Saboteur's rate of failure, it would be interesting. But for two points, there are many better things out there. Dash Rendar. Maybe even Leebo (MOAR boosting?!) or Han Solo. Jan Ors, depending on the makeup of the rest of your squad. Heck, I'd even take Mercenary Co-Pilot. Since the K-Wing will be zooming around with the new SLAM ability, I see it participating in more Range 3 battles and getting more use out of the Mercenary Co-Pilot than the Range 1 Saboteur that failed to work on 50% of the bombs it dropped (that is, assuming those dropped bombs didnt occur when it landed on an asteroid, performed a red maneuver or already had stress from an opponent's field-control weapons (Stressbot, Fletchette stuff, etc.)). You'll probably only get 2 strafing runs in per game, which means that you'll only get 2 opportunities at a 50% chance to convert a damage card into a crit. (Assuming the opponent even takes damage cards; Saboteur is useless when you're only knocking off shields, as in the early game with your first strafing run). And Saboteur is redundant with the only card that bypasses shields--Proton Bombs.

There are just too many things presently wrong with Saboteur. But to make it worth it, Saboteur really needs to have an assured effect on the battlefield. I'd pay an extra point to convert the 50% chance of something happening to a 100% chance. It is already painful enough to take up an action and a Range 1 limitation. Or, make the effect similar to R5-P9 (At the end of the combat phase, you may spend 1 Focus token to flip one damage card face-up on an opponent at Range 1). Or, change it entirely. When an opponent at Range 1 takes a face-up damage card, draw two cards and choose which to give him. (Similar to Maarek, but limited to Range 1 and ships with Crew slots). These things maintain its limitations but assure the player that, if he can make the circumstances happen (Range 1; damage card), he didn't waste his points and his action and his Crew slot.

Believe me... I really want Saboteur to work. When X-Wing first came out, I flew Saboteur often, trying to make it work. But it never did, and now I don't think there's a way to fix it without doing some kind of recall/reprint.

Sadly, I think the card is a lost cause. On the K-wing, I would rather use my action(when I can't shoot) to gain a target lock for the next round when I can and double up actions.

does SLAM somehow remove the die rolling portion?

if yay, problem solved!

if nay, back into the forlorn corner of the carrying case

I do think those points are going to be better spent on bombs/mines (even indirectly through the extra munis upgrade, which costs the same)

I think, more than the fact that Saboteur costs an action, Saboteur's major weakness is the fact that it has a 50% failure rate. (This not even considering its limitation to Range 1 and cost of 2 points... heck, I'd have a hard time equipping it if it were free).

If there's an upgrade or ability out there that can assist with Saboteur's rate of failure, it would be interesting. But for two points, there are many better things out there. Dash Rendar. Maybe even Leebo (MOAR boosting?!) or Han Solo. Jan Ors, depending on the makeup of the rest of your squad. Heck, I'd even take Mercenary Co-Pilot. Since the K-Wing will be zooming around with the new SLAM ability, I see it participating in more Range 3 battles and getting more use out of the Mercenary Co-Pilot than the Range 1 Saboteur that failed to work on 50% of the bombs it dropped (that is, assuming those dropped bombs didnt occur when it landed on an asteroid, performed a red maneuver or already had stress from an opponent's field-control weapons (Stressbot, Fletchette stuff, etc.)). You'll probably only get 2 strafing runs in per game, which means that you'll only get 2 opportunities at a 50% chance to convert a damage card into a crit. (Assuming the opponent even takes damage cards; Saboteur is useless when you're only knocking off shields, as in the early game with your first strafing run). And Saboteur is redundant with the only card that bypasses shields--Proton Bombs.

There are just too many things presently wrong with Saboteur. But to make it worth it, Saboteur really needs to have an assured effect on the battlefield. I'd pay an extra point to convert the 50% chance of something happening to a 100% chance. It is already painful enough to take up an action and a Range 1 limitation. Or, make the effect similar to R5-P9 (At the end of the combat phase, you may spend 1 Focus token to flip one damage card face-up on an opponent at Range 1). Or, change it entirely. When an opponent at Range 1 takes a face-up damage card, draw two cards and choose which to give him. (Similar to Maarek, but limited to Range 1 and ships with Crew slots). These things maintain its limitations but assure the player that, if he can make the circumstances happen (Range 1; damage card), he didn't waste his points and his action and his Crew slot.

Believe me... I really want Saboteur to work. When X-Wing first came out, I flew Saboteur often, trying to make it work. But it never did, and now I don't think there's a way to fix it without doing some kind of recall/reprint.

Holy smokes I totally forgot you had to ROLL for saboteur... Wow it's even worse then I remember. That is a bad, BAD card

Can anyone explain in fluff terms how a saboteur onboard a ship in a dogfight would be able to influence enemy ships in any way? Unless he is a force wielder and works like Vader crew, but then why call him a saboteur... The mind boggles.

I assumed he was hacking in to the ship or something, but admittedly there's no mention of anything like this in what I've read. Either that or he's chucking little droids out the airlock or something. Or shoes, hence the word, sabo-tage.

I assumed he was hacking in to the ship or something, but admittedly there's no mention of anything like this in what I've read. Either that or he's chucking little droids out the airlock or something. Or shoes, hence the word, sabo-tage.

That was my thought too. Hacking their computers, to lower shields. or something. If they just FAQ'd him to do 2 damage, then the risk would be worth taking. But 1 damage 50% of the time is not.

Can anyone explain in fluff terms how a saboteur onboard a ship in a dogfight would be able to influence enemy ships in any way? Unless he is a force wielder and works like Vader crew, but then why call him a saboteur... The mind boggles.

I guess it'd either be pre-engagement or the guy just pointing and going "right there, that's where they don't like getting shot"

only he's not very good at his job and is wrong 50% of the time

The idea is that he sabotaged something on the ship, so that minor damage you took turns into something critical. Of course, that doesn't explain why he has to be there on the battlefield after the fact, unless he needs to remotely detonate something because the enemy would have found the bomb if he had placed armed explosives on the ship... I dunno.

Frankly, he should have just been Greedo's effect, except only when firing at an enemy and then he gets discarded afterwards.