Question, can Deathrain activate Experimental Interface and still use his ability via the interrupt ruling in the FAQ?

Example:

You execute a maneuver. Didn't get as close as you wanted so you can toss out your Cluster Mines. You boost in. Trigger Exp Interface and drop your bomb forwards onto your target. Then, can interrupt EI from resolving to barrel roll as described in the FAQ with Expert Handling? My interpretation is yes, but opinions?

I'm pretty sure your interpretation is correct, but it will have to be FAQ of course. Of course taking EI means you can't take MKII, and the stress clearing moves on the Punisher are less than ideal.

I kind of like Enhanced Scopes on Deathrain if you are going to be packing mines. Move before anyone and drop a mine on them.

I like advanced sensors more. You can drop a mine at the end of the first turn, then in the same place at the start of the second turn.

I know this is a Pg board, but to quote Key and Peele: DEATHRAIN IS MY SHIIIIIIII-

Adv Sensors vs Enhanced Scopes is an interesting debate as both have huge advantages. The real question is: What the hell do you fill the rest of the list with? A well-equipped Deathrain will eat up a lot of points, so do you go with a 3-ship "aces" build, a Deci, or mini-swam? Either way, its an interesting ship with a lot of options...and I will call it the Combee(shoutout to my fellow Pokemasters)

These things aren't going to change the Turretwing 2 ship meta at all once everyone is done trying them out. It's a shame too, they look fun.

Good luck hitting Super Dash with a seismic charge.

Deathrain won't have much of a problem with that.

eh, he will with seismics. Dash has to end up pretty close to Rain's initial position, and the chances of that happening are small given how much he likes to run

Conner Net, though, is as easy as sauntering up to him and farting it out the front. Nets are also a wee bit more useful against Dash than Seismics

Not sure how the ion affects ships before they activate (dial's already set, but the ion rules have activation phase: move as if it were assigned a white 1 straight manuever + remove ion tokens, so eh?) but I'm very skippy that bastard isn't getting any actions

I already see sensors being a must have on him, but if you really need to peg Dash you can slap on E.I for the manuever + boost + mine. You won't get the free roll, but who cares? You just ****** Dash over, and you get to do it again next turn

In fact, Deathrain Conner might **** over everyone from Dash to soonts/corran to aggressors (essentially everyone but PWTs, because they really don't give two *****)

Deathrain (26)

*Scopes (1)

*Experimental Interface (3)

*Conner (4)

*Extra Munitions (2)

[36]

or Sensors + Ion mk.ii for the same price

Slapping on another Conner (4 nets!) gets you to 40; bring along 5 Ties and have a party.

These things aren't going to change the Turretwing 2 ship meta at all once everyone is done trying them out. It's a shame too, they look fun.

Good luck hitting Super Dash with a seismic charge.

Deathrain won't have much of a problem with that.

Conner Net, though, is as easy as sauntering up to him and farting it out the front. Nets are also a wee bit more useful against Dash than Seismics

They'll have 0 problem putting conner nets on Dash. The lower PS and additional deploy templates will help a ton. Conner Nets will generally be a pretty big counter to Fat ships, especially those with higher PS. That alone may make Enhanced Scopes the better Sys choice, especially considering the 1-pt cost.

These things aren't going to change the Turretwing 2 ship meta at all once everyone is done trying them out.

Thank the Force you're here from the future to tell us these things.

the sensor V scopes issue on Deathrain is something that'll probably divide the community.

I'd take Scopes with E.I mostly because I don't want what is essentially a B-wing to get too expensive (buggers go down fast)

With sensors, though, you get some shenanigans. The awesome crap you could pull off with pre-manuever mine + roll, ignoring getting blocked + obstructions, will probably be worth the price of admission.

the Cutlass also happens to be competing with AC Tempest Squadrons.

Yeah, but what the Cutlass doesn't have is fickle green dice.

mentioned that, I did

sooooooo.... tie bombers obsolete?

44-HP!

Too bad 4 out of 5 ships are throwing one defense die at a time.

sooooooo.... tie bombers obsolete?

No way. I'm with DraconPyrothayan: I'll still fly TIE bombers. Extra Munitions alone will breathe life back into them, making them rather efficient big-ship hunters. At least I hope so. I'm excited to load up on bombs and ordnance and go to town on some squads. In fact, the other night I tried 3 TIE bombers without Extra Munitions, and almost managed to take down an 8-ship Z-95 swarm. Can't wait to see what they can do with the upgrade. I may actually throw an Ion Torpedoes into a list for once.

sooooooo.... tie bombers obsolete?

nope

punisher generics are a load of BLEH

nothing like jonus has yet to exist

rhymer was always...yeah

Gotta love that hunk of hull list. I feel like what Doug really meant to say with that list was "Well, if you aren't afraid of arc dodgers at all- and I mean, AT ALL- you can always put this on the table because, well, they have to shoot you a lot."

If Deathrain is aiming to fishnet a ship Scope would be the way to go. That would be the way to run that lovely death machine. Guess I'll have to pick up one K-wing for my fishing net.

Redline should be one of the better ships to use the Plasma Torpedo. One of the first to go first during the combat to take off an extra shield leaving the ship more exposed to your other ships.

Cutlass and Black Eights will be better for higher point games Deathrain and Redline do their jobs so well if your going to field one you should pay the extra points for their expertise.

Still no mention of the Advanced Homing Missiles.

But the image of it at the end of the article seems to be more revealed than in previous articles, no?

It's the same spread image as in the first Punisher article.

Ah, thanks. I just got excited to see a B-wing in some card art. Though you hardly need Advanced Homing Missiles to take them out.

These are the builds I would use

Cutlass w/ AccC, EM, Cluster Missiles, Connor Net/Prox Mines - 34 pts

While a bomber could do this as well, AccC makes is much more potent offensively, also the extra bulk will help get all of the ordnance off. I don't love 4 bombs because then you will have an expensive ship facing away from your target a lot of the time. In wave 7, 3 ship imperials will be pretty good; I expect to see a lot of Vader, Soontir, 3rd ship 9f choice - this can be that 3rd ship and works well because gunning after this ship at the start could really hurt long run.

Deathrain w/ES/AdvS/AccC, EM, Conner Net, Prox/Cluster Mine -36-39 pts

The system slot is a hard choice, ES is you are points starved, AdvS allows things like Bomb, BR, then K turn, AccC ups it's primary attack.

Redline w/FCS, EM, Cluster Missiles, cluster missiles/proton torps -39 pts

I also don't mind ion bombs/Seismics here if you can spare the points, since you have EM already and a reasonable PS.

Autothrusters or Twin Ion engine are also decent on the 2 named if you have points. Redline works best in a 2 ship list for sure. Deathrain probably wants a 3 ship list but is a bit expensive for that, I worry about his offense in a 2 ship list.

sooooooo.... tie bombers obsolete?

rhymer was always...yeah

Was that, "yeah," or "heck yeah!"? Sorry, I'm a fan of Rhymer. With Extra Munitions he won't be as much of a point sink as before, and he has lots of options for ordnance now. Can't wait to put him in my squads again!

For me, the upgrades Extra Munitions and Ion MK II just make my four Tie Bomber force even better. I'll buy the Punisher, but it will certainly not replace my Bombers.

The Punisher with Autothrusters is going to be tough to kill. That's a lot of high points for something that can get a free evade (at range 3 or vs turrets). Add in a Sensor Jammer for even more silliness.

there is no "better" re: boost vs b-roll on low PS ships

both aid tremendously in repositioning, both let you lot a far vaster variety of courses around obstructions, both let you block like an absolute badass, and both are severely under-appreciated

they're different, for sure, and will lead to vastly different methods of flying across the punisher and bomber, but there's no clear superior in the specific sense of "low Ps"

These are the builds I would use

Cutlass w/ AccC, EM, Cluster Missiles, Connor Net/Prox Mines - 34 pts

While a bomber could do this as well, AccC makes is much more potent offensively, also the extra bulk will help get all of the ordnance off. I don't love 4 bombs because then you will have an expensive ship facing away from your target a lot of the time. In wave 7, 3 ship imperials will be pretty good; I expect to see a lot of Vader, Soontir, 3rd ship 9f choice - this can be that 3rd ship and works well because gunning after this ship at the start could really hurt long run.

Redline [fcs, plasma torps & adv homing & EM](37) OR Deathrain [Conner + Conner + EM + Scopes]

Soonts [ptl, stealth, thrusters] (35)

thurr [V.I, thrusters] (28)

The Punisher with Autothrusters is going to be tough to kill. That's a lot of high points for something that can get a free evade (at range 3 or vs turrets). Add in a Sensor Jammer for even more silliness.

If you rolled an Evade, Autothrusters did nothing. If you rolled an Eyeball, Autothrusters did nothing. If you were in arc R1-R2, Autothrusters did nothing. This it not the kind of ship Autothrusters excel on.

sooooooo.... tie bombers obsolete?

rhymer was always...yeah

Was that, "yeah," or "heck yeah!"? Sorry, I'm a fan of Rhymer. With Extra Munitions he won't be as much of a point sink as before, and he has lots of options for ordnance now. Can't wait to put him in my squads again!

Just wait until you see Advanced Homing Missiles.

I feel like this whole wave (cept Bossk) is purely for upgrades. I really don't like the way any of the new ships fly (jury still out on K-wing due to not knowing dial)

it's a purely upgrade wave, for you

I'm flying the **** out of those punishers and Ks, if only one of each

Might bring a special-K along for Xizor. Figure one and 3 feedback Zs is more efficient than 4 feedback Zs.

Nothing leaked?!?!? No new cards? Bah.

My thoughts on the TIE Punisher. Seems nice, Redline will more than likely have the most use of that ability. But still too easy to arc dodge. Still requires an Academy Pilot's worth of upgrades and secondary weapons. It is a faster B-wing with 1 more hull than a Y-wing.

So far you need too much points in upgrades and if you skip all of them well, the pure resilience build I can see get torn up by IG-2000s and other Arc Dodge or 2 hit mitigating point fortresses. Kenkirk with emperor will tear though all these lists.