So after playtesting deathrain I will give what Info I have about the ship and how it fills a new roll not originally mentioned.
So let' start with DR's loadout.
IPM-These guys are great, hands down a wonderful compliment to controlling your enemy and getting those good setup shots. Keeping your TL means that these things are more accurate, and while only being 3 red dice, you can hit just about any low agi ship with a decent roll. This initial volley sets you up for some interesting combos.
Having adv sensors AND the boost actions mean you can really hit just about anywhere with your mines or Proton bombs. In fact if you map out all the places you can drop a proton bomb you create a Y of Death. While you cannot boost and place your mines, you can adv sensor to boost, place a PB infront or behind you, barrel roll, then make your move! Also note that late game if you are holding a bomb you know you won't get off, you can use it as a positioning piece. Drop your bomb, barrel roll, boost, then do a green bank or hard 3 turn. This makes DR one of if not the most maneuverable ship in the game!
As we know ADV sensors gives you some help vs a swarm of pilots lower than Deathrain.
After playing Deathrain he has fallen into a category of what I'd like to call the "Hunter Class."
He excels at taking out 1 or 2 ships whether they be big ships or not. Even with EM his combo is limited, which is why I think 2 ship is the maximum to where he is effective. Now this could change vs a larger swarm build. He locks down lanes and can put massive damage out across a small area, how that damage is inflicted is more or less up to you.
Nimble fighters like Fel or Jake can get trapped if locked in a close engagement. One predictable move and all of a sudden they are wasting actions to get out of that proton bomb radius or just taking it to the face!
Like the article stated, Cluster mines does well against bigger ships as you can hit with all 3 on a single ship, this is impossible for smaller ships unless the third mine ends up directly in their flightpath., however it is relatively easy to get 2 to detonate on a single smaller ship.
While deathrain can hunt down the VIP of a list, Vader comes in for the finish blow on other ships or even the more bulky of heavy hitters. 5 Dice Proton rockets can ruin anyones day, Comfortably along side ATC Vader puts out stronger damage, and more reliable damage than his counterpart Soontir Fel. While lacking in Defense he makes up for this with his 2 readily available actions and hides behind 2 shield tokens.
It was brought to my attention about the interesting combo of nightbeast. While origionally he was marginal, the new Mk2 Engine really helps nightbeast Shine. It opens up those 3 banks allowing him to turtle with a focus and evade much more easily, making him a great mid-late game fighter.
The particular squad mentioned above has done great so far but I plan on reporting more after some more practice has been in. Thoughts/Comments/Ideas welcome.
One last note is about Enhanced scopes. ES doesn't actually seem to have a place with deathrain. With advanced sensors you pretty much get ES but with a bonus. If someone goes for the block you can just lay your mine, barrel roll, boost, and move away. ES really doesn't seem to add a layer needed that advanced sensors can fill. If DR is hunting higher PS targets, ADV sensors might be better for you anyway.