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Didnt really change much

Quick recap, the rule change for the Phantoms is basically this: A phantom must decloak (with corresponding barrel roll tmeplate appiled) before any other movement is made.

I am over the second camp myself. The new rule just means that anything short of Whisper or Echo will never be fielded due to the effect of ACD (which will also never leave this ship) but otherwise I feel that they are really not affected otherwise.

So my question is this: Since the ruling came down, what are your thoughts and you experiances with the TIE Phantom?

Still a power house or gimped?

Read the rule change again. Decloaking now happens at the beginning of the Activation phase, before any other movement.

Edited accordingly. Thank you.

Phantoms are waaay more fun to fly now. In the hands of a good player they are still very powerful, but it did curtail the power of the named guys a bit, which makes the generic phantoms a bit more appealing.

Why do you say that ForgottenLore?
Ive found that they havent changed much really. Whisper is still my go-to for terror and carnage, while Echo is a close second.
What about the rule change makes them more fun to fly for you?

I ask all this because Im honestly curious. My opponents all either cringe when they see my Phantoms on the board or they laugh condecendingly. For the most part both loose, but before the rule change they all just ran scared.
Why the difference in perceptions?

Before the change, decloaking made the phantom the ultimate arc-dodger. Unless you were one of the veteran instinct elite it didn't matter where you flew, the phantom was always somewhere else because of the decloak. Now, post change, the phantom is still as mobile as it was, but that mobility can be correctly anticipated. A lowly academy pilot can guess "I think that phantom will move that way" and actually be right. In other words, the relative skill of both players at predicting their opponent is much more important than it used to be, and that is a lot more fun for both players.

I like that summary, Forgottenlore

Well said Lore.

I would like to hear from some one that thinks they got gimped. Im wondering why they think that way.

When a ps 1 player moved they had to accommodate for something like 60 possible positions of the phantom. (Double that for echo)

Now regardless of the phantom, the ps 1 player only has to deal with 15 possible ending locations.

So you're looking to hear from the Sky is Falling Crew? I'm sure they'll get to this one, once they're finished carrying on about how some other minor rule change has entirely ruined the game, yet again. Patience.

It hasn't really hampered me during games. A good player was going to have a pretty decent idea of where your Phantom was going to end before the change, but even now you can surprise them as their dials are already set when you decide to decloak or not. They're a little easier to block now, but good flying can help mitigate that.

I do agree that the ship is still a lot of fun to play, but I haven't played against one since the change (I seem to be the only remaining dedicated Phantom player at our monthly tourneys).

I never played before the rule change happened but if I'm understanding correctly, it's worse now because the timing of decloak makes blocking and overlaps actually possible. It also makes you commit to decloaking before the enemy has moved.

Assuming no obstacles or board edges were in play, before the rule change a phantom could wait for an opponent to move, then decide to decloak left or decloak right and move. Now they have decloak first, then the enemy may actually move to a position that blocks the phantom

Yes. They have to play by the same rules as everyone else - granted, with a huge benefit of being able to flank off or rush forward. So you need to plan in advance. You know, like every other ship.

Wait, does this mean I can't use advanced sensors to perform an action before decloak? Even if it is a non-movement action like focus/evade?

I am over the second camp myself. The new rule just means that anything short of Whisper or Echo will never be fielded due to the effect of ACD (which will also never leave this ship) but otherwise I feel that they are really not affected otherwise.

Believe it or not, I've had pretty good results with Sigma & Shadow phantoms with stygium particle accelerators. Coupled with FCS, they have pretty good action economy, they can pull out surprising maneuvers and they still keep rolling ... four... attack... dice... of... doom.

Wait, does this mean I can't use advanced sensors to perform an action before decloak? Even if it is a non-movement action like focus/evade?

Hang on a sec, The way people are talking here is that if i choose not to decloak it the Phantom doesnt move?

If that's the case that opens up a huge tactical possibility for the lower PS pilots or even the higher ones if played right.

Hang on a sec, The way people are talking here is that if i choose not to decloak it the Phantom doesnt move?

If that's the case that opens up a huge tactical possibility for the lower PS pilots or even the higher ones if played right.

It still executes its chosen maneuver when it is time to, rather than remain stationary.

It just doesn't get the Decloak reposition along with it.

The decloak has been completely decoupled from the maneuver. The Phantom will always perform the maneuver on its dial whether it decloaks or not.

Wait, does this mean I can't use advanced sensors to perform an action before decloak? Even if it is a non-movement action like focus/evade?

Correct. You now decloak at the beginning of the Activation phase before everyone else starts moving, then progress through the activations and when it's your turn to reveal your dial, you may use Advanced Sensors to perform an action, then reveal your dial and do your maneuver.

This also means that during the planning phase, if you're planning on decloaking, you know that no one is going to be able to move and block you first, so you can plan around getting that first decloak move in before the others.

So here is my Question. Intel Agent and Decloak both happen at the beginning of the Activation phase. Can I use Intel Agent before I decloak or is it after I decloak?

Don't the new rules for decloaking specify after other beginning of activation phase effects.

Don't the new rules for decloaking specify after other beginning of activation phase effects.

Don't the new rules for decloaking specify after other beginning of activation phase effects.

They do. The Intel Agent must come first.

Which is far more powerful than having the Decloak happen first, as it can inform your decloak direction.