I was just musing in another thread on the most likely picks for new Aces packs, and I realised that the X-wing, Defender, and E-wing all have a similar problem - their generics all suck, but their best aces all see play - no-one is arguing that Corran needs a buff, and Wedge and Luke aren't doing too badly either - beyond the mobility/turret meta outpacing them, anyway. Vessery and Rexler are both a little lackluster, but far less than their generic counterparts, too.

When they buffed the TIE Advanced, they boosted all of them - and in the process, pushed Vader through the roof. He's going to be as popular as Fel in the coming waves, if not quite as 'broken' as Whisper at his height. But I'm not so keen on seeing Corran or Wedge reach such ascendancy just so the generics are viable, which got me thinking...

What sort of upgrades or special abilities out there would favor low-PS pilots more than high? This isn't strictly for a given ship, though if something works particuarly well I'd love to hear it.

To start off, I like the following ability, whether as a title, modification, or whatever else:

Defensive Manoeuvres: While defending, if you still have a Focus token, you may reroll one <eye> result.

Note that this could as easily be rerolling a <blank> result, for Lone-wolf style durability, or even a direct <eye> to <evade>, though the latter could be a touch broken.

Any other ideas, folks?

Add a generic Astromech.

R2 Trainer Astromech: 1 point. When you receive a Focus token, you may assign yourself an Evade token. Cannot be equipped on pilots with PS above 3.

The idea here is that the R2 Astromech is assigned to Rookies to try to keep them alive even as their pilots are focused on the flying and shooting.

Obviously the point cost and ability would require testing and balancing, but considering that nobody takes generic E-wings, generic X-wings are endangered on account of generic B-wings and Z-95s, and generic Y-wings probably won't be super OP with this droid, I doubt it'd be terribly unbalanced even as-is.

While it is unfortunate that X and E wing low PS pilots aren't very good, I don't think it is something that necessarily needs fixing. We still see low PS Y-Wings and B-Wings, so low PS itself isn't underpowered.

I think that ace X-Wing pilots need a little boost, the E-Wing is fine because Corran is good, but other than that there will always be pilots that never see competitive play. If your objective is to make every ship good you are asking for more than is likely possible (short of recosting those ships which FFG says they won't do).

The meta is so close to being well balanced. Give us some more tools against PWTs and 2 ship lists and I think the game will be amazing.

Boosts and barrel rolls are definitely less powerful at lower PS. Maybe an upgrade that trades them away for an ability? Wouldn't help X-Wings, of course...

Well if you want to look at an upgrade card that is against high pilot skill ships take a look at rebel Captive. Since the highest pilot skill ships shoot first having it effect the first ship that it is defending against really hurts high pilot skill ships such as Whisper.

Torkhil and Roark would like a word with you.

How about a skill that makes everyone Fel's Wrath when destroyed by a ship with higher PS. Although to keep FW unique, the destroyed Pilots are only allowed to target the ship that destroyed them while in "Last Stand"

So, this is more wish-listing various X-Wing fixes than theorycrafting anti-PS upgrades?

A reversed advanced cloaking device would work very well for low ps phantoms (something allowing you to decloak just before attacking) and be very anti-high PS. Although the late decloaking (arc-dodging) would also be anti-low PS. Perhaps a bit too strong and a bit too game-changing.

A new natural pilot talent that buffs attacks at named targets (say roll an extra die or something).

An upgrade that buffs blocking. For example an illicit upgrade that, when a ship overlaps, has to be discarded (friend or foe), the overlapping ship receives two ion tokens. (There, fat turret meta problem solved).

Any upgrade or pilot ability that allow actions to be taken or passed to another ship in the combat phase.

More mines.

Stuff that hinder the high PS ships from taking advantage of their PS, basically anything control-related.

Not sure what this thread has to do with StarCraft...

Yeah I don't see why it's a problem that Rookies and Knaves don't see the table. Luke, Biggs and Corran do, so you do get to use those ships. Do we really need to make a full squad of every ship?

But here's the fix anyway.

Incom T-65 (X-wing only), Title

For your non unique pilot, add one hull.

Cost 0

Not hard is it. Sorry Luke, I know you would love an extra free hull.

Yeah I don't see why it's a problem that Rookies and Knaves don't see the table. Luke, Biggs and Corran do, so you do get to use those ships. Do we really need to make a full squad of every ship?

But here's the fix anyway.

Incom T-65 (X-wing only), Title

For your non unique pilot, add one hull.

Cost 0

Not hard is it. Sorry Luke, I know you would love an extra free hull.

The only issue with this is a Fluff question. Why do the best pilots not get the new ship? It makes no sense at all. Military gives their best pilots their best ships, not the other way around.

My Ideas for X-wing fix

The "anti PS" effect is having to pay for pilot skill and having fewer ships and upgrades as a result.

The "anti PS" effect is having to pay for pilot skill and having fewer ships and upgrades as a result.

This is true to an extent. But in the 2 ship meta we are in now thanks to fatties,this "tax" for high PS and a pilot ability really just goes away and is not really a factor. Unless you can strip your 2nd ship down from a high PS named to low PS generic and have at least 12 points left for a 3rd ship(which generally you can't as the PS "tax" is not that high) you might as well keep the high PS named and use its unique pilot ability. Until fatties die off in popularity(not likely soon) we are going to see a high PS named pilot as a second ship alot.

So, this is more wish-listing various X-Wing fixes than theorycrafting anti-PS upgrades?

No, I really am curious about upgrades that benefit low-PS ships more than their respective aces. The first one I threw out would work pretty well on an X-wing, but I'm not after X-wing fixes in specific, nor am I arguing that low PS is terrible in general.

Thing is, aside from some of the Illicits, most upgrades in the game to date that are good on a low-PS pilot are even better on a high-PS one; you're paying the same price to invest in an even better platform. R2-D2 is a really good deal on Corran, but comparatively more expensive on a Knave, even if the effect is technically neutral to PS. PTL, meanwhile, is actively stronger on higher-PS pilots, who can choose to capitalise on the extra action once they know the layout of the board - Soontir gets much more out of PTL than a Saber Squadron Pilot, for instance.

So I was wondering what possibilities out there could work in reverse - gaining more benefit to the generics than the aces, in ways less crude than simply declaring it can't be taken on high PS/unique/whatever.

What sort of upgrades or special abilities out there would favor low-PS pilots more than high?

Any other ideas, folks?

How about...

Ionic Discharge

Modification: Generic Pilots Only 2 points

Any ship that bumps this ship receives one ion token.

Or...

Integrated HUD

Modification: -2 Points

Adds the EPT upgrade slot if this pilot doesn't have one already. If an EPT is added, the cost of this mod changes to 0.

"It's like google glass except useful"

Upgrade: Pilot title "Dutch"

Known as the anti-Predator

When attacking an opponent with a higher PS than you, you may reroll 1 [blank] result. If you scream

"Get to ze choppa!!", you may reroll 2 [blank]

When defending against an enemy with a higher PS than you, you may reroll 1 [blank] result. If you tell them "I ain't got time to bleed", you may reroll 2 [blank] results

piznit: hahaha

Visceroth: I like that ion token one. I would wonder why it needs to be generics only, though? Still, it's a great example as definitely one that favours low PS (to position so others ram into you).

Even though I was joking, it would be neat to see a mod or EPT that functioned based on Pilot Skill. Something like "Lucky Shot" - change 1 blank to 1 eye when attacking or defending against a ship with higher PS

This sounds fun to me:

Strafing Thrusters - Modification 1-2 points

At the end of the combat phase you may perform a white 1 bank maneuver.

Small ship only. Cannot equip if your action bar has boost.

Low PS could correct direction slightly relative to the arc dodgers before setting their next dial. I could see it helping swarms.

Make it green for 3-4 points even. Or not... I'm imagining all kinds of crazy PTL and kturn shenanigans then.