Imperials have the resources, but their ships are typically stock advanced rather than modified. If anything they should have less upgrade slots, and just be able to field more ships.

Well, I don't think that's representative of the whole picture, but what you describe is completely possible in the game already. Generic pilots, don't take upgrades, spend the extra points on more ships with generic pilots and no upgrades.

Unfortunately, if that's the Empire's "thing" in your mind, the game currently allows Rebels and Scum to do the exact same thing. Currently, the Empire doesn't have a "thing" that's unique to them.

Also, you're assuming that the Empire's upgrade slot would be a new type of ship modification. I was thinking something more logistical. Upgrades that represent the Empire's limitless supply lines. Things that have been mentioned in the thread already. Like reinforcements, off-table capital ship support(fancy space word for artillery strikes), mid-battle rearm and repair services, etc.

We have the best crew in the game at this time.

K4 Security Droid would like to have a word with you...

At which point we're at a metagame solution, one outside of standard dogfight play. - Not unlike my suggestion that ships with hyperdrives could play more a part.

I did mention off table support as a possibility previously, and it does show in the GR75 expansion missions.

What might work is some kind of squadron template. It could work in 100 point matches through to epic, for every 100 points, you may pick a special perk card that does a certain thing.

Maybe that perk reduces costs on a certain ship type by -1, maybe it allows a certain maneuver for a ship to be green.

Maybe said squadron card increases the PS of all members of the squadron by 2, or adds EPTs.

Maybe it's a bomber squadron, so -2 to all ordnance.

Imperial only an example could/should be point reduction in ships themselves for the Fighter, Bomber and Interceptor.

We have the best crew in the game at this time.

K4 Security Droid would like to have a word with you...

Vader, Sheev, Ysanne and The Moff do not care for droids...

Bounty Hunters? maybe, but not droids.

The Moff guy really doesn't see play, Ysard only works on Decimators.

Vader is a different story, though, I would see him tied for best crew with K4, maybe a bit stronger, but more limited in his uses. K4 is useful on every single ship that can use it and its efficiency is just a thing of beauty. Even better when you regularily have stress to clear like with PTL, EH or Dace Bonearms ability for example.

Ysard only works on Decimators.

I could have sworn I put her on a Firespray a few weeks ago. Must have been my imagination.

Ysard only works on Decimators.

I could have sworn I put her on a Firespray a few weeks ago. Must have been my imagination.

Did that work well? You kind of have the risk of only getting 1 or worst case no triggers at all out of her, In which case the SU would have left the crew slot open for another crew. K4 lets you take the evade action without weakening your defense for less points, by the way. On the Deci you are safe that that will probably never happen. Rebel Captive seems like the better crew options for imperial Firesprays. Totally forgot about that MVP by the way, he also is up there with Vader.

Ysard only works on Decimators.

I could have sworn I put her on a Firespray a few weeks ago. Must have been my imagination.

Told you that mushroom pizza tasted odd.

First Order Refit

-Modification-

Limited, Imperial Only

This ship gains 1 [modification] and 1 [tech] slot.

The First Order, seizing Imperial manufacturing facilities, has the resources to gut and rebuild the systems of entire swathes of their fleet up to current specifications, while the Rebellion and Scum still have to rely on tinkering with conventional designs to produce similar results.

Or if we want to go really gonzo...

NEW CARD TYPE: Logistics (probably a little stylized galaxy map)

Originally I wanted this to be an upgrade slot, but no combination of rules (equipped to one ship, must be equipped to all ships, ship specific and must be equipped to all ships of that type you field) seemed to result in something that didn't further encourage the 'two ship meta' everyone is terrified of. This didn't sit right with me, especially for Imperials, so with the precedent for an overall force multiplier half-set by Palpatine we'd get a whole new type of card-something you pay point for that is unattached to any ship, and remains until the end of the game (alternatively, each could have a 'discard condition' opponents could play towards to massively reduce their cost. Cost is probably doubled/tripled for Team Epic/Epic respectively.

Fresh Rotation

-Logistics-

At the beginning of the End Phase, remove one stress token from a ship you control.

3-5pts

(Alternatives:

1 pt, discard this card whenever any ship you control has two or more stress tokens

3 points, discard this card when every ship you control has a stress token)

Coordinated Operations

-Logistics-

At the beginning of the Activation Phase, assign one blue target lock token to any ship you control that does not already have one, and one red target lock token to any enemy ship.

2-4pts

(Alternative:

1pt, discard this card when you control 2 or less ships)

Flight Profile

-Logistics-

At the beginning of the Combat Phase, you may assign an Evade and Weapons Disabled token to any number of ships you control.

5-8pts

(Alternative:

2pts, discard this card when a ship you control is destroyed)

Fire Support

-Logistics-

During the combat phase, one of your ships may:

ATTACK (4) [R1-3]: Spend a Target Lock. The Defender doubles their agility value against this attack. This attack is considered a Secondary Weapon attack at Range 3. It may not be obstructed. Repeat this attack on every ship within Range 1 of the Defender.

5-8pts

(Alternative:

4 points, discard on use)

At first I liked this working at any range and out of arc but not being modifiable with Focus...but then the idea of a TIE having to point at its target and the pilot desperately adjusting the fire (focusing on the shot hitting enemies, not friends) with some dinky needlessly directional and short range videogame style laser was too good to pass up. As was the idea of a TIE calling in the strike "On my position." Good stuff.

Some list building ones would be neat, but you'd have to figure out the interactions.

Intensive Training

-Logistics-

Each ship you control that does not have an [Elite Pilot Talent] slot gains one.

8-10pts

Mass Deployment

-Logistics-

Reduce the squad point cost of each of your ships by 1.

3pts

Obviously morbidly broken in current state, but it's a start.

Ysard only works on Decimators.

I could have sworn I put her on a Firespray a few weeks ago. Must have been my imagination.

Did that work well? You kind of have the risk of only getting 1 or worst case no triggers at all out of her, In which case the SU would have left the crew slot open for another crew. K4 lets you take the evade action without weakening your defense for less points, by the way. On the Deci you are safe that that will probably never happen. Rebel Captive seems like the better crew options for imperial Firesprays. Totally forgot about that MVP by the way, he also is up there with Vader.

Firesprays have 6 hull and 4 shields. Isard activated... I don't know, four times? Five? I paired her with Engine Upgrade and a Mangler Cannon on Krassis, mostly as an experiment. The entire combination was too expensive, but that's a frequent problem with Imperial Firesprays and not limited (or particularly due to) ships carrying Isard.

I think she worked better than the Rebel Captive did (on the Decimator I was running) at creating an unappealing target. A K4 would have been nice, but it's not an option for the Empire.

Its an option for Firesprays, though. Why did you run it as imperial, what was the context?

My opinion stands as Ysard only is worth it on Decimators, because she gives it access to something it doesn't have and needs, but then again I usually don't consider the Firespray for imperial options apart from the generic one. You may of course be right that with the additional defense dice she does pull some more weight and I have, given my lack of respect for them, no experience with named imperial Firesprays, so your opinion has more legs to stand on.