Old complaint, but I still say it every time I fly a shuttle, "this thing should have a rear auxiliary arc." even if it had been a guns 1 thing. Or if you had to spend the e points for anti pursuit lasers to use them. Or you could equip your cannon slot as the tail gun. Anything.

I feel you there, it's too bad aux/out-of-arc shots are just primary instead of primary minus 1.

How about no, and just... stop.

Especially for Auxiliary arc as they can still be dodged (unless you are incompetent). The only advantage Auxilary arcs have over 360 primary weapon turrets is that they have a large arc for things like Outmaneuver and tactician. You must really hat flying against firesprays. You must seriously hate boba fet if you want to drop the rear shots to 2 firepower.

They'd need to come with some cardboard tokens for the pilots, with a printed secondary firing arc on them.

They could go imaginative and release a generic large ship upgrade with, I don't know, the Punishing One when it comes out, that is like

Rear Fire Cannons

Large ship only. Cost 3.

You cannot equip this upgrade if you already have an auxiliary firing arc, already can attack out of your firing arc, or your agility score is higher than 1.

Your pilot token may have a rear fire arc overlay.

And then the rear fire arc overlay is a transparent plastic square with a rear firing arc printed on it, to be put on top of a large ship pilot token.

As someone who is trying to use overlays (for my Scum CR-90 conversion kit) I can tell you that they are not the most stable of things. You are better off gluing or taping that overlay down or having a whole new cardboard tile.

Probably why FFG didn't but differing stat values on their ships. Sure the APL doesn't come close to having a firing arc even if it was only 1 firepower and the rear firepower is much weaker than forward firepower. In order to give a shuttle an auxilary firing arc in any piratical purposes They would have had to make a pilot with a Firepower of 2 and printed ability is "your ship has a rear auxiliary firing arc." I guess they could have gotten a little more colluded and make it firepower 1 with the ability "you ship has a rear auxiliary firing arc. When making a primary weapon attack inside your primary firing arc add 2 firepower."

Still when FFG designed the shuttles they were not going for a combative ship but instead more of a support ship, much the same when they gave the HWK-290 1 firepower. It wasn't supposed to be an attack ship but more of one that helps your ships attack the opponent faster.

Still when FFG designed the shuttles they were not going for a combative ship but instead more of a support ship, much the same when they gave the HWK-290 1 firepower. It wasn't supposed to be an attack ship but more of one that helps your ships attack the opponent faster.

That sounds fine, but the hwk gets support abilities that are actually worth taking. And a 360 weapon to mitigate the lack of k-turn. The lambda's pilots skills are way off the mark, with the possible exception of Yorr. Hence it kind of found its niche as a chunky attack platform, rather than the empire's hwk.

How would you lock it properly? There generally isn't enough to the base edges to hold it properly, and hooking it over the back of the base would be a no-no.

The overlay would be slightly longer than the cardboard token in the front and in the rear, with two punch lines in each side so that you can bend them and hook them between the cardboard token and the plastic base.

Like this:

Still when FFG designed the shuttles they were not going for a combative ship but instead more of a support ship, much the same when they gave the HWK-290 1 firepower. It wasn't supposed to be an attack ship but more of one that helps your ships attack the opponent faster.

That sounds fine, but the hwk gets support abilities that are actually worth taking. And a 360 weapon to mitigate the lack of k-turn. The lambda's pilots skills are way off the mark, with the possible exception of Yorr. Hence it kind of found its niche as a chunky attack platform, rather than the empire's hwk.

You still have to pay for the turret upgrade as well as the higher pilot skill and pilot abilities. When the support ships came out the both sides got different ships.

Rebels got great unique pilots that have good abilities but stats suck so it needs weaponry and generics are useless.

Imperials got a good stat ship so one of the best generic pilots at an affordable point cost which makes it a great crew support and attack platform. Weaponry can be upgraded but is unnecessary.

both ships lack K-turns and have mediocre dial. The shuttle can 0 stop though.

Hwk can hard turn quit nicely and has a turret. Lambda stresses to turn at all, has no ept slot (eg lightning reflexes, adrenaline rush) that would help. Combine that with pilot asymmetry and you have the complete picture!

Oh and 3 generic hwks just posted 9-3 at a US regional, so 'useless' doesn't sound quite right... I like the space cow, but not for what it actually does! Whereas the hwk is a pretty neat ship with a ton of options and builds. Combine its showing across rebel and scum, and its pretty common appearance in the top 8s support this. Lambda is nearly extinct in that bracket.

Old complaint, but I still say it every time I fly a shuttle, "this thing should have a rear auxiliary arc." even if it had been a guns 1 thing. Or if you had to spend the e points for anti pursuit lasers to use them. Or you could equip your cannon slot as the tail gun. Anything.

If I was going to give any ship a rear arc I would give the A-wing a single attack rear arc in the form of a zero point title. I do think anti-pursuit lasers should trigger when ships fly over them, I thought they did but halfway through today's game my opponent pointed out they did not. I still think that a simple speed 2 white turn would make the lambda a viable ship to take. In my opinion it is better when fixing things to go slowly and cautiously until they are corrected than to overshoot and cause another imbalance.

Still when FFG designed the shuttles they were not going for a combative ship but instead more of a support ship, much the same when they gave the HWK-290 1 firepower. It wasn't supposed to be an attack ship but more of one that helps your ships attack the opponent faster.

That sounds fine, but the hwk gets support abilities that are actually worth taking. And a 360 weapon to mitigate the lack of k-turn. The lambda's pilots skills are way off the mark, with the possible exception of Yorr. Hence it kind of found its niche as a chunky attack platform, rather than the empire's hwk.

You still have to pay for the turret upgrade as well as the higher pilot skill and pilot abilities. When the support ships came out the both sides got different ships.

Rebels got great unique pilots that have good abilities but stats suck so it needs weaponry and generics are useless.

Imperials got a good stat ship so one of the best generic pilots at an affordable point cost which makes it a great crew support and attack platform. Weaponry can be upgraded but is unnecessary.

both ships lack K-turns and have mediocre dial. The shuttle can 0 stop though.

Both faction's support ships need work, right now neither the lambda nor the HWK buff's are strong enough to take compared to another ship or ships. A stock Kagi is 27 points and Jan Ors is 25; a squad will have to work very hard to earn those points back. When I examine the YV-666 generic compared to an OGP with a heavy laser cannon I don't think he could win that fight one versus one. If I gave the lambda engine upgrade and advanced sensors I could probably get behind the YV after the initial pass, but the initial pass heavily favors the YV as it can shoot my lambda from the side. Thinking about, it would be the most ridiculous circling match ever, and if the lambda doesn't have advanced sensors and EU it is going to lose (though it would take many turns for this to happen, it actually sounds pretty hilarious).

I'm a big fan of the shuttle and the people around here have grown to fear it. It's cheap, moderately tough and highly customizable.

I'm also fine with it not having a rear firing arc. Honestly if someone wants to sit behind it and shoot it all day, while getting hammered by the rest of my ships I'm all for it. I'm really GLAD when they decide to focus on my shuttle, because then they aren't attacking the really dangerous ships I have.

Also, Mara Jade on a shuttle is pretty fantastic.

Thinking about, it would be the most ridiculous circling match ever, and if the lambda doesn't have advanced sensors and EU it is going to lose (though it would take many turns for this to happen, it actually sounds pretty hilarious).

This brings back painful memories of a match where my opponent and I had one ship each and I watched as he managed to outmaneuver my Lambda with his Y-wing. But that's what I get for forgetting EU I guess lol

The Raider will love the shuttle in Epic. Throw a Fleet Officer or run Jendon w/ title and you have an awesome support ship for your huge ship.

The Raider will love the shuttle in Epic. Throw a Fleet Officer or run Jendon w/ title and you have an awesome support ship for your huge ship.

Kagi is also great at escorting squadrons in epic. Keeps them from getting sniped by the CR-90.

Still when FFG designed the shuttles they were not going for a combative ship but instead more of a support ship, much the same when they gave the HWK-290 1 firepower. It wasn't supposed to be an attack ship but more of one that helps your ships attack the opponent faster.

That sounds fine, but the hwk gets support abilities that are actually worth taking. And a 360 weapon to mitigate the lack of k-turn. The lambda's pilots skills are way off the mark, with the possible exception of Yorr. Hence it kind of found its niche as a chunky attack platform, rather than the empire's hwk.

Extend the range band on each of them by 1 and they all become great. R1-3 is what makes the Rebel HWKs good. The range limits are what makes Yorr weak and Jendon practically worthless.

Still when FFG designed the shuttles they were not going for a combative ship but instead more of a support ship, much the same when they gave the HWK-290 1 firepower. It wasn't supposed to be an attack ship but more of one that helps your ships attack the opponent faster.

That sounds fine, but the hwk gets support abilities that are actually worth taking. And a 360 weapon to mitigate the lack of k-turn. The lambda's pilots skills are way off the mark, with the possible exception of Yorr. Hence it kind of found its niche as a chunky attack platform, rather than the empire's hwk.

Extend the range band on each of them by 1 and they all become great. R1-3 is what makes the Rebel HWKs good. The range limits are what makes Yorr weak and Jendon practically worthless.

That would be a step in the right direction but it doesn't improve Captain Kagi at all. I played two games today with a pair of shuttles and the shuttles pretty much carried the rest of the team. I was able to stop my opponent from getting getting behind them until the last round of the game and shot every single turn with them. Perhaps if Jendon and Kagi had an EPT that would help them to see use. Maybe a new title card like "Emperor's Shadow" that gave it advanced cloaking device for 3 points or "Palpatines Shuttle" for 0 points that worked the same as the royal guard title.

I always wondered about a crew card R5-Q9 - it's a black astromech that was assigned to Palapatine's shuttle. Make it an Imperial only crew card* with the same effect as an R2 Astromech, and suddenly the engine-upgrade shuttle becomes a half-decent dogfighter.

* Yes, I know that means he can't share a ride with the Emperor but that's what he is.

Kagi has a more severe version of Jendon's problem: he's got to pay for PS the shuttle doesn't care about, which makes the tank (which is what Kagi is) expensive. Kagi and Jendon would also be improved by dropping to PS4 and having Yorr's point cost.

A title that functions like R2-D6 would do nicely.

The shuttle is fine, it's the constant focus on one type of gameplay that's the problem. The Lambda would shine in cinematic play. And Capt. Kagi can be very effective in epic: imagine that you want to do a torpedo run on a whatsitsname, but have to fire all your torps at the **** shuttle next to it. This ability is so powerful that you'll be happy to sacrifice a few points for Kagi's PS.

Come to think of it, Biggs already had an erratum for epic play, I wonder if Kagi will follow.

Kagi is fantastic for Epic Play, because he draws off the Tantive's ire. Throw on a Sensor Jammer, and now the opponent is left with all the wrong choices to make.

The others... the everyone-is-PS-4 could have been cool. If Kagi had been Elite, that could have been cool.

Hell, had Jendon and the title had their abilities swapped... that could have been cool. Every shuttle could've played support; your option then falls to what else you wanted it to do for your squad, including 'be cheap'. The title would've been probably 2pts (compare to Squad Leader for a similar effect, down to the range restriction), too.

As is, well, we'll see more Imperial-based squad buffers over time, I guess. There'll always be a place for a cheap carrying platform for them; Fleet Officer was good; it's a pity that Moff Tarkin's ability wasn't nerfed to Range 3 in the name of making it standard-play available too. That would've been fantastic.

Which do you expect to see fielded more, Colonel Jendon or Tie Advanced/Tie Inquisitor with the new S-Thread Tracers munition?

Which do you expect to see fielded more, Colonel Jendon or Tie Advanced/Tie Inquisitor with the new S-Thread Tracers munition?

Jendon flying with a PTL Inquisitor. Jendon hands off the TL at the start of the Combat phase and The Inquisitor gets a an evade which lets him use PTL to boost or barrel-roll.

Kagi gets screwed because there are so many ways to circumvent his ability.