An MC80 with engine tech will be able to pull a 90 degree turn. So imagine you line up straight across from the enemy pointing towards them. First turn you fly forward and angle out at 22.5 or 45 to the right to line up some juicy two arc action. If the enemy matches direction then you can pull a full 90 turn left. This does two great things. First, hopefully your target can't match the turn and you're pulling into their flank rather than forward arc. Next, you're exposing a new shield arc to the enemy. Say you took 3-4 hits on the port side before your sharp left. Now you're presenting a fresh starboard side without using an engineering command.

Or a nav team, but with a tighter turn.

But for the nav team you need a nav dial and token. I'm totally blanking on the commanders name that gives the free token, but now the cost is shooting up. But yes, awesome tight turn.

I think the MC80 is there as a large decoy. "Come get me! I'm not quick! Oh wait, I can buy my faster ships time to hook around. And what's this? I turn hard!"

If you buy into the need to kill it first, you may miss what's coming at your soft sides.

Or... Can you imagine a Red on Red matchup where it's all broadsides on broadsides!!!

But for the nav team you need a nav dial and token. I'm totally blanking on the commanders name that gives the free token, but now the cost is shooting up. But yes, awesome tight turn.

Well I am pumped. I can't explain it properly, but the combination of low speed, mid hull, strong shields and strong guns makes it really "feel" like a Mon Cal Cruiser to me. That they threw a wrench into the established upgrades by letting me take Support Teams just makes me even happier.

Some of my Wave 2 dread is slipping away. The ISD and MCC have both been awesome, I'm keen to see the rest.

Hmmm - 15 shields with advanced projectors, but only one brace, no evade, and highly likely to get stuck in a close range gunfight for a number of turns.

A VSD has two redirects and only 9 shields, so the MC80 has 6 more damage it can soak....

To me, the mon cals brace is critical. As any VSD player will tell you, 2 x redirects are only good up to the point that they just help you burn shields faster....

If you can make sure the brace is available for the ISDs one big shot per turn, those shields will potentially last up to twice as long.

So ECM to me is a must include for the mon cal, given how many accuracy options the imperials will have.

And if hunting this thing I would be going intel officer and heavy turbos.

So far, yeah, ECM is a must. But then, we don't know what new defensive retrofits will pop up (I'm eagerly expecting the Redundant... that apparently lets you recover shields). Because like you said, the Brace token is going to be thrown out of the window super fast, so might as well play with shields and Engineering Commands all the time (you don't really need CF on an Assault Cruiser with Ackbar due to the bajillion dice it throws from both arcs).

So yeah, kill the Brace but you haven't thrown out the main source of defense so far In the end, if the MC80 takes 8 damage, expertly split in 2 on all facings and recovers 3 to 4 or 5 (assuming Redundant helps recover one shield per turn) shields per turn, it's as if it braced.

So far, yeah, ECM is a must. But then, we don't know what new defensive retrofits will pop up (I'm eagerly expecting the Redundant... that apparently lets you recover shields). Because like you said, the Brace token is going to be thrown out of the window super fast, so might as well play with shields and Engineering Commands all the time (you don't really need CF on an Assault Cruiser with Ackbar due to the bajillion dice it throws from both arcs).

So yeah, kill the Brace but you haven't thrown out the main source of defense so far In the end, if the MC80 takes 8 damage, expertly split in 2 on all facings and recovers 3 to 4 or 5 (assuming Redundant helps recover one shield per turn) shields per turn, it's as if it braced.

Yikes... Maybe the victory 1 with expanded launchers commanded by Vader will become a thing!

So far, yeah, ECM is a must. But then, we don't know what new defensive retrofits will pop up (I'm eagerly expecting the Redundant... that apparently lets you recover shields). Because like you said, the Brace token is going to be thrown out of the window super fast, so might as well play with shields and Engineering Commands all the time (you don't really need CF on an Assault Cruiser with Ackbar due to the bajillion dice it throws from both arcs).

So yeah, kill the Brace but you haven't thrown out the main source of defense so far In the end, if the MC80 takes 8 damage, expertly split in 2 on all facings and recovers 3 to 4 or 5 (assuming Redundant helps recover one shield per turn) shields per turn, it's as if it braced.

Yikes... Maybe the victory 1 with expanded launchers commanded by Vader will become a thing!

Victory I with Expanded Launchers, I'm surprised I haven't seen that played ! It should be titled "The Porcupine"

Too bad the ISDs don't have Ordnance slots

Vic-Is with Expanded Launchers tend not to get played because the launchers don't help you get the enemy into your front arc at close range. So essentially the points are wasted much of the time.

Expanded Launchers don't help you get the enemy into your front arc at close range.

Positioning and Bait do.

Heeeeeeere Rebel-Rebel-Rebel....

yup, EL + VSD is an optimist ODing on his outlook on life

maybe with tractor beam it'll become halfway decent? I doubt it though, EL is simply far too situational and expensive to be a thing imo. On the bright side, you may see more ACM + Skreed VSDs instead of just GSDs

imo, VSDs with Heavy Turbolaser Turrets will be a nice, relatively cheap check to these fatasses. The fatasses are fat and slow (or at least difficult to turn with those wide bases), which means the VSDs will have some very juicy targets despite their lack of maneuverability. Just having Vader and a CF VSD flinging four re-rollable red dice at long range makes me giddy

Expanded Launchers don't help you get the enemy into your front arc at close range.

Positioning and Bait do.

A side-by-side battle line of 4 VSDs with Tractor Beams would at the very least be fun

I'm very much looking forward to it...

... I however, am apparently High on Optimism, because I've had more success with the Vic-I with Expanded Launchers than I have with Vic-IIs overall, to the point that I just want to run them that way.... If I could afford another Gladiator, I'd run both Vics as Vic-Is with Launchers...

The "that ship," ISD-2 (120)

Vader's on "that ship" (36)

Needa (2)

Advanced Projectors (6)

HTT (6)

[170]

Thing 1, VSD-1 (73)

HTT (6)

[79]

Thing 2, VSD-1 (73)

HTT (6)

[79]

328 points total

surprisingly a lot cheaper than I thought it'd be

going to have some fun with this one

I need to see AKbar for I start building out rebs

Well, I am not sure how to take this yet. I think the ISD's will run rough shod over this ship. I really do. It's going to come down to creative fleet building and a lot of luck. Most likely a lot more Imperial wash outs in the future.

that said.....I will still give it a shot. The Empire has to have a weakness at some point to it's winning run.

Well, I am not sure how to take this yet. I think the ISD's will run rough shod over this ship. I really do. It's going to come down to creative fleet building and a lot of luck. Most likely a lot more Imperial wash outs in the future.

that said.....I will still give it a shot. The Empire has to have a weakness at some point to it's winning run.

well, they do?

just because ISDs can win a 1v1 with the mon cal doesn't mean the mon cal is a bad ship, especially given that there are other ships out there that aren't the ISD

we really have to wait and see just wait an impact the large base will have on navigating the big boys. The more difficult it is, the easier the mon cal will be to fly relative to the ISD (having two dominant side arcs makes it far easier to align shots at enemies than one dominant front arc)

For ISds, there are always Counter Shrimp Frigates and B-wings

Well, I am not sure how to take this yet. I think the ISD's will run rough shod over this ship. I really do. It's going to come down to creative fleet building and a lot of luck. Most likely a lot more Imperial wash outs in the future.

that said.....I will still give it a shot. The Empire has to have a weakness at some point to it's winning run.

Hm, what makes you think this way? So far we know little to nothing about wave 2 upgrade cards, Ackbars ability is still only rumours, theres titles to come, officers and so much more. What sense is there to discuss the ISD vs MC80 issue with so little facts at hand..

For the moment, I am exited for wave 2, and that should have been the main point for FFG so far. I see some strengh in the ISD, but its also a costly giant that might have troubles to maneouver. Having a mean bow arc on something that turns mediocre at best might give players a hard time..

And the MC80? Theres a ton of shields though I would not care too much about the ISDs superior HP, theres a lot of synergies for broadsides on a quite maneouverable ship, and the support team slot should become interesting. As long as the majority of upgrades from wave 2 is yet to be revealed I would recommend to lay back and brace for wave 2 impact. Or, more preview impacts, at least.

The firepower of the MC-80 compares to the ISD in pretty much the same way that the Assault Frigate compares to the VSD. I don't think anyone would argue that the Whales aren't good enough compared to the Vics. I imagine that on the table the MC-80 will be a really solid ship.

The "that ship," ISD-2 (120)

Vader's on "that ship" (36)

Needa (2)

Advanced Projectors (6)

HTT (6)

[170]

Thing 1, VSD-1 (73)

HTT (6)

[79]

Thing 2, VSD-1 (73)

HTT (6)

[79]

328 points total

surprisingly a lot cheaper than I thought it'd be

going to have some fun with this one

I need to see AKbar for I start building out rebs

If HTT is the heavy turbolasers I would rather field X-I7s especially with the MC-80 and space whales with all their shields.

that's just the thing, though

X17 + advanced projectors = 1 damage to each hullzone

what HTT does is heavily discourage the combination of brace + redirect, which either forces more damage on the shields and lets you get through all that bulk that much faster, or forces half damage right into the targeted hullzone

though the ISD-2 with its four blues could probably deal with the brace more effectively by just hopefully rolling an ACC, and then X17 kicks in

It's all about how well the ships can turn inside the ISD / VSD's arcs. They can definitely eat some damage while they do it, and they will likely have to. The trick is, with the broadsides, they can sustain their damage output a lot longer than the ISD / VSD can, and begin that damage output from a longer range than a ISD1/VSD1. If it could outfly an ISD completely (or have a Gunnery Team), then it wouldn't even be a competition - line up MC80 on flank, fly past enemy fleet w/ broadside, laugh as ISD can't get it's front arc on you ever again. Pour 6+ dice into whatever you want (twice w/ Gunnery Team).

You can definitely see the difference in design philosophy between the two factions now though. Rebels are all about positioning and playing the long game (or at least as long a game as 6 turns will allow). Imperials are all about maximizing damage in 1-2 rounds (GSD's short range, ISD and VSD's front arc), then moping up (VSD & ISD side arc, GSD's random red dice arcs).

Mostly Meta in the locale formulates the opinion. No one won with Rebels, ever. It got a little stale for folks.

I'll still give it a shot though. I mean I am certainly not quitting. I have taken a hiatus till the new ships arrive.

The "that ship," ISD-2 (120)

Vader's on "that ship" (36)

Needa (2)

Advanced Projectors (6)

HTT (6)

[170]

Thing 1, VSD-1 (73)

HTT (6)

[79]

Thing 2, VSD-1 (73)

HTT (6)

[79]

328 points total

surprisingly a lot cheaper than I thought it'd be

going to have some fun with this one

I need to see AKbar for I start building out rebs

If HTT is the heavy turbolasers I would rather field X-I7s especially with the MC-80 and space whales with all their shields.

Let's look at some numbers.

Let's say you deal 9 damage (I have ECM's so brace is always active). With brace that is now 5 damage and I can redirect 1 point of each due to XI7's. That means my other zones take 1 and the defending zone takes 2.

Now let's look at HTT. Same thing, 9 damage. So I can either take 5 damage to 1 hull zone OR, I can take 8 damage to all my hull zones.

Which kills me faster?

Any more pictures!!!

The MC80 can't take gunnery team.