Have you all noticed a trend of disposable one use EPTs? I seriously hope this is not a continued pattern for the future. I know it limits the power of the card but there are other ways to limit it like restrict it to ship or faction.

What are your thoughts?

Lue.

It stops them from being no-brainers.

PTL and Predator are overused. VI was for a time. Maybe there could be other restrictions. Maybe one day there will, to be honest though I've found EPTs restrict themselves in where they become most optimal.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/187928-i-wish-ffg-would-stop-it-with-all-these-discard-epts/page-1

Discardable upgrades allow FFG to go into interesting design-space with more niche uses, but keep the cost low enough to be playable on cheaper ships as well.

Crack Shot can be put on a TIE Fighter. Opportunist shouldn't.

Discardable upgrades allow FFG to go into interesting design-space with more niche uses, but keep the cost low enough to be playable on cheaper ships as well.

Crack Shot can be put on a TIE Fighter. Opportunist shouldn't.

Yup - plus you can't keep milking the investment on an unkillable elite. Predator or PTL on a Decimator is going to give back far more than the same 3 points on a TIE Interceptor.

the moment another upgrade slot fills in the role of predator (ala FCS for the system slot), you'll see that ept slot open way the hell up

suddenly, disposable epts will start seeming more appealing

I would agree with most the stuff here but also maybe they've just had a hard time coming up with new epts people would use. PTL is amazing and coming up with a rival would be borderline OP. Easier to balance the one shot cards

I think it's a great way to ensure nothing is going to break the game. I have to wonder if they would keep PTL the way it is if they knew the impact it would have on the game.

It's also good to have some cheap EPT's on some mid-level generics. You don't want to invest too much in them, but you can add a little zing to them now. I think it would be especially good on defensive ones, but all I can think of are a one time offensive boost, which is good, too. Lets your generics hit a little harder before they blow up. Maybe even messes with target priority a bit? Possibly?

I don't mind disposable talents when you can field more than one on the same ship. If the upgrade slot were point based (you can field up to 3 SP of EPTs with this slot), then disposables become more alluring - since in theory you could have multiple disposable talents, or a mix. I wouldn't actually like that, because I think it has a rather pregnant capacity to eventually bring unbalance to the game, but it would be the only way I'd "like" disposables. Spending points on situational cards may be a nice way to spend extra points I don't know what else to do with - but I would always prefer an "always on" ability to a single shot one.

I actually like that idea...

Two-trick Pony (1 point, Elite)

You may equip two one-use Elite upgrades.

I actually like that idea...

Two-trick Pony (1 point, Elite)

You may equip two one-use Elite upgrades.

"Knows a few maneuvers"

I actually like that idea...

Two-trick Pony Kaadu (1 point, Elite)

You may equip two one-use Elite upgrades.

I normally don't fix people's posts, but I couldn't resist this time.

What is more alarming is the EPT upgrade seems to be getting more and more rare on the upgrade bar. Only 3 pilots in wave 7 got an EPT and its looking like a few named pilots in Wave 8 are not getting one either.

What is more alarming is the EPT upgrade seems to be getting more and more rare on the upgrade bar. Only 3 pilots in wave 7 got an EPT and its looking like a few named pilots in Wave 8 are not getting one either.

That's mostly just because you literally cannot fit an elite upgrade on the Punisher and Warden cards.

It allows the careful management of abilties going forward. we already lots of 'always-on' EPTs, adding some one-shotters spices things up and forces the player to make decisions.

One of the problems Star Trek Attack Wing has is the unmanageable combos. Certain upgrades and abilties can be paired to create nearly un-killable ships or un-stoppable damage. FFG is wisely avoiding that route.

Have you all noticed a trend of disposable one use EPTs? I seriously hope this is not a continued pattern for the future. I know it limits the power of the card but there are other ways to limit it like restrict it to ship or faction.

What are your thoughts?

Lue.

I love the sudden influx of 1 cost (disposable) upgrades. They provide benefits that add interesting effects but none of them are broken. The ones that are disposable add an interesting element of knowing when to use it.

The add a lot of nuance to the game. Adrenaline Rush, Intel Agent, R4-D6, etc. Are some of my favorite cards.

Oh, I forgot how obnoxious it is how auto include VI is sometimes but that's more a pro le of the 2 ship meta. On Black Squadrons or whatever it's not a problem.

Also, aren't they just called "Elites" or "Elite Upgrades" these days? Not EPT's.

Also, remember that wave 8 is going to have zero cost EPTs.

Personally I love the one-use cards, not just the EPTs. Glitterstim, inertial dampeners, bombs, etc.

They make the game more exciting and allows players to catch their opponents off guard.

One thing I can't figure out, though. WIRED is 1 pt and you get to re-roll an attack or evade when stressed. It doesn't go away. Cool Hand is 1 pt and you have to get rid of it to get a Focus or Evade. If you had to choose, why go for Cool Hand? The only thing I can think of is if you only bought one Core Set and already have it on one ship.

EDIT: Well.....I do see a number of things with the new ships that require you to have a token to effect things. Like Poe needing a Focus to basically have as many Foci he needs for that turn.

One thing I can't figure out, though. WIRED is 1 pt and you get to re-roll an attack or evade when stressed. It doesn't go away. Cool Hand is 1 pt and you have to get rid of it to get a Focus or Evade. If you had to choose, why go for Cool Hand? The only thing I can think of is if you only bought one Core Set and already have it on one ship.

EDIT: Well.....I do see a number of things with the new ships that require you to have a token to effect things. Like Poe needing a Focus to basically have as many Foci he needs for that turn.

mainly because re-rolling a focus is strictly worse than focus --> desired result

also, you can't stack re-rolls. You can stack re-rolls with focus tokens

I also enjoy these one point and disposable EPTs/upgrades. It adds diversity and like it has already been said, it allows for a lot of interesting design options when coming out with new stuff. On the flip side, I would like to see some slightly more powerful EPTs up in the 4-5 point range. Something that would have to provide something unique and maybe even be unique itself. Something like Opportunist. It is really powerful but costs 4 points and is situational (or you can build around it). It is not auto include, but it makes for some interesting interactions.

If they released more 3-point EPTs, do you think they could really compete with Predator and PtL as auto-include for many pilots? Probably not. The more diversity they come out with, the more squad building options we have. Almost exponentially so when they come out with new ships/pilots AND new upgrades.

One thing I can't figure out, though. WIRED is 1 pt and you get to re-roll an attack or evade when stressed. It doesn't go away. Cool Hand is 1 pt and you have to get rid of it to get a Focus or Evade. If you had to choose, why go for Cool Hand? The only thing I can think of is if you only bought one Core Set and already have it on one ship.

EDIT: Well.....I do see a number of things with the new ships that require you to have a token to effect things. Like Poe needing a Focus to basically have as many Foci he needs for that turn.

Cool Hand also offers you a token you potentially couldn't get on your own.

What is more alarming is the EPT upgrade seems to be getting more and more rare on the upgrade bar. Only 3 pilots in wave 7 got an EPT and its looking like a few named pilots in Wave 8 are not getting one either.

That's mostly just because you literally cannot fit an elite upgrade on the Punisher and Warden cards.

And the number of potential future interactions on those ships are already so great that something would have inevitably slipped by that is broken OR a number of really cool ideas would have to be killed just because of those interactions.

The potential use of an EPT* can affect how your opponent plays as well, so you can get some milage out of the EPT even when you aren't using it. Crack shot's interaction with defense tokens is particularly interesting.

*We will still probably use that as shorthand just because of innertia and convenience. M:TG uses EDH even though the format was renamed commander when it became officially supported.