Unfortunately, his clever usage of Palpatine and Ion Projector doesn't actually work as described to keep a small base ship trapped until it's dead. It's a waste to use Palpatine on the second bump that triggers Ion Projector since that token will be removed after the victim completes his compulsory one forward.

You sure about that? Pretty sure that Ion Projector's token is dealt after the Ion Tokens are removed...

My bad, this one is going to come down to initiative. If the player with the Ion Projectors has initiative, it doesn't work. If they don't have initiative the trick works.

The timing on Ion Projectors and Removing an Ion Token both happens after executing a maneuver.

Unfortunately, his clever usage of Palpatine and Ion Projector doesn't actually work as described to keep a small base ship trapped until it's dead. It's a waste to use Palpatine on the second bump that triggers Ion Projector since that token will be removed after the victim completes his compulsory one forward.

You sure about that? Pretty sure that Ion Projector's token is dealt after the Ion Tokens are removed...

My bad, this one is going to come down to initiative. If the player with the Ion Projectors has initiative, it doesn't work. If they don't have initiative the trick works.

The timing on Ion Projectors and Removing an Ion Token both happens after executing a maneuver.

Does the Ionization effect count as being under the ioned player's control?

Unfortunately, his clever usage of Palpatine and Ion Projector doesn't actually work as described to keep a small base ship trapped until it's dead. It's a waste to use Palpatine on the second bump that triggers Ion Projector since that token will be removed after the victim completes his compulsory one forward.

You sure about that? Pretty sure that Ion Projector's token is dealt after the Ion Tokens are removed...

My bad, this one is going to come down to initiative. If the player with the Ion Projectors has initiative, it doesn't work. If they don't have initiative the trick works.

The timing on Ion Projectors and Removing an Ion Token both happens after executing a maneuver.

Does the Ionization effect count as being under the ioned player's control?

That's a good question. I'm making two assumptions here:

1. All effects are under one player or another's control.

2. The player controlling the ship that is afflicted with Ionization would control that effect because we don't track the source of Ionization and the affected ship is the only one that is instructed to do anything.

I'm going to go dig through the rules and see if there's anything that clears it up.

Unfortunately, his clever usage of Palpatine and Ion Projector doesn't actually work as described to keep a small base ship trapped until it's dead. It's a waste to use Palpatine on the second bump that triggers Ion Projector since that token will be removed after the victim completes his compulsory one forward.

You sure about that? Pretty sure that Ion Projector's token is dealt after the Ion Tokens are removed...

My bad, this one is going to come down to initiative. If the player with the Ion Projectors has initiative, it doesn't work. If they don't have initiative the trick works.

The timing on Ion Projectors and Removing an Ion Token both happens after executing a maneuver.

Does the Ionization effect count as being under the ioned player's control?

That's a good question. I'm making two assumptions here:

1. All effects are under one player or another's control.

2. The player controlling the ship that is afflicted with Ionization would control that effect because we don't track the source of Ionization and the affected ship is the only one that is instructed to do anything.

I'm going to go dig through the rules and see if there's anything that clears it up.

I messaged Sable about it, and he might be E-Mailing Alex about it.

Isn't the ion token removed after attempting to execute the 1straight?

Isn't the ion token removed after attempting to execute the 1straight?

Yes, but after the attempt to execute the 1 straight (the identical timing window) is when the Ion Projector kicks in.

I would kind of be relieved if that combo would not be a thing. While it is hard to set up and awesome when pulled off, such a loophole existing isn't good for the game, just like an unintended working fortress list would (that says nothing about wingman/red stop manouver shenanigans, those are fine).

SO, going back to my Kir Kanos attempts... go to play four games today with this, a (very) slight variant on a theoretical list I posted:

Colonel Jendon

ST-321

Fire-Control System

Fleet Officer

Rebel Captive

Kir Kanos

Royal Guard TIE

Autothrusters

Stealth Device

Maarek Stele

TIE/x1

Predator

Stealth Device

Advanced Targeting Computer

And, I'm proud to say, they're currently 4-0. They're almost surprisingly good jousters, even though that was never my intention. Stele with Predator, ATC, and a Focus (and possibly an Evade), then Kanos with Evade+Focus+TL puts out some silly levels of red. Rebel Captive is a nice deterrent for the Space Cow, and all but once seemed to force shots at the much more defensible escorts. Even then, Jendon survived long enough that his constant buffing insured Stele and Kanos could take out the nastier targets before they (mostly Kanos) lost their buffing.

The biggest problem I've had is properly flying with Kanos: he's much different than Soontir, Jax, Phennir, or even Lorrir (all of whom I've got solid table time with), and wanting to get that R2 sweet-spot can be dangerous. Definitely tricky, but even with his "starting TL" from Jendon with an Evade, he can dole out some pain. Throw in a Fleet Officer supplied Focus... and, well, that's how Kanos managed to one shot Torkil Mux at R2 in the initial pass in one game. I've actually noted after a couple of nail-biting gambits that K-Turning with Kanos (especially if Jendon is close by to buff!) isn't terrible as far as INTs go: it's a solid way to create some distance and get you back to pressing his long-range advantage, so long as you don't bork it and get lit up in the process.

TLDR: I'm starting to think that, with a little help from his friends, Kir Kanos really can be a bad, bad, HWK one-shotting man.

Seriously, if I can keep learning to fly this list better, I just might spring it on my local meta next time I can actually get to a tournament.

EDIT: As some point, I'd also like to try Jendon loaded out with Fleet Officer and Weapons Engineer (instead of Rebel Captive), or just the title and Big Papa Palpatine. My only concern is the survivability of the Space Cow, and while I'd love to have the Emperor toying with dice to aid his escorts or to be able to have more choices of folks to TL (and then pass out to said escorts), it'd all be a moot point if Jendon gets shot down prematurely.

Comradebot, can I like your post more than once! Great job! It's awesome when you have unexpected success with an experimental squad. Keep up the good work, and let us know what your local players think of it!

Targeting Computer

A modification, currently only available for the TIE Fighter, TIE Interceptor, and TIE Phantom, wherin you spend 2 points and your modification slot for the Target Lock action.

How's it look? Well, let's take a look at the action in question, shall we?

If we have Focus, Evade, Target Lock, and Barrel Roll, when do we do which?

1. If we are Attacking and Defending in the same round, we Focus.
2. If we are Defending without Attacking, we Evade.
3. If we are in terror for our lives, we Evade.
4. If we can dodge an incoming attack, we Barrel-Roll.
5. If we can acquire an otherwise impossible attack, we Barrel-Roll.
6. If so doing would give us another positional advantage, we Barrel-Roll.
7. If we are attacking and not defending, we Target Lock.
8. If we are neither attacking nor defending, and cannot Barrel-Roll to Attack, we Target Lock, if in range.

That's a very narrow window, particularly when noting that 7 and 8 only happen when your enemy's Turret decides to attack one of your squadmates instead.

If we have two actions, do we add a Target Lock to the above?

1. Possibly. Discuss below.
2. No, we'd add Focus.
3. No, we'd add Focus.
4. If dodging puts us to 7 or 8, yes. Otherwise, no.
5. After acquiring the otherwise impossible attack, if that puts us at 7. Otherwise, we're in 1.
6. If so doing puts us in 7 or 8, yes. Otherwise, no.

When attacking with Focus and Target Lock, you're encountering something known as "Diminishing Returns". That is to say, the additional offensive action does not translate directly as it would without action.

• The offensive Focus added +1/4 damage per die, as it enabled the 2 Focus sides of the 8 sided dice.
• The TL would be spend in the remaining 1/4 blank faces, and have a 3/4 chance of producing damage, and a 1/4 chance of staying blank, thus netting us only 3/4 of the effectiveness of the first offensive action.

Moreover, when attacking with a Focus, the three ships that can meaningfully take TC would prefer to gain an Evade token instead of the damage, as they're all three quite fragile.

Target Locks increase in benefit as the defensive capability of your actions plummet. A B-Wing will Target Lock quite often, as it finds a defensive Focus to be unhelpful.

However, we must also look at the cost of the upgrade: the Slot is Modification, and the price is 2.

On a TIE Fighter, whose base ship is 12 points, the cost of the Targeting Computer is laughably prohibitive.

This is why no-one runs SCYKs without cannonry, and why the TIE F/o packages it with a better dial, upgrade bar, and a 33% boost in base HP for just 1 point more.

On a TIE Interceptor, whose base ship is a bit more costly than the TIE Fighter, you find yourself even less likely to use the action, as you've got the same survivability as the TIE Fighter, and you've added Boost to the equation to boot.

Moreover, you find yourself discarding your Ace far too often if you run it on, say, Soontir Fel. These madboys need all the survivability they can get, which means a Target Lock is practically throwing your action away, for a measily +9/16 damage (pre-mitigation).

For that matter, in a ship with such high defensive action economy, a Stealth Device turns you into an untouchable God, particularly when combined with the Autothrusters. A target lock leaves you exactly nil.

On a TIE Phantom... you can get a Fire-Control System for the same price, and still equip your monstrous Stygium or Advanced Cloak in the otherwise denied slot.

When would Target Lock be better than Focus? When you have a high chance of not needing to spend your action in favor of saving it for later (TLT), or when Focus is simply not available (v. Jax, Curse, Palob, Wes, et c.).

Do any of those apply to ships that can take a Targeting Computer? No, not really.

I think the benefit of TC is the fact you can hold onto TLs between turns, and in times when you're confident you won't be getting shot at. And while statistically TL+Focus has a diminishing return on damage increase, it's still an increase. Double modifications are nasty, and having a TL could lead to you using it to modify your dice instead of a focus, which leaves your focus free for defense. Hold on to the TL? Congrats, next turn you can Boost+BR and still have an attack modifier.

Would I do it? Probably not, but I'm addicted to Autothrusters+Stealth Device. But I could almost see wanting to put it on Carnor Jax with PTL so you can throw double modded dice at unmodded dice in R1, or maybe slap it on Fel's Wrath who is unlikely to get shot at anyways and could TL, end up not having a shot or not needing to spend it, and TL+Focus later.

Or maybe a pair of PTL RGPs with Palpatine. The space cow is the tempting target, freeing up the RGPs to TL+Focus and dole out the maximum damage they can. Who cares if they don't have a SD, they're not getting shot at right now.

Other two ships though... worthless, I'd say. Phantom has FCS, TIEs lack the autothrusters, dial, and action economy to ever get great use out of it. I think the INT can work it, but you have to have something in your list your opponent wants dead more than the INT... which is why Soontir can't rock it too well, since everyone will want him dead asap.

TCs on Interceptors are a fine option I think. They still get a second modification slot and tend to have PtL to give two actions a turn.

Equipped them a few times when flying double Royal Guard + something (Imperial Kath usually). Didn't have enough points to get both a more expensive upgrade, and not liking an assymetrical build, they got the TC. Of course, they tended to focus every turn, plus an evade when likely to be shot at, or boost/barrel roll to not get shot at/get in a better position. Even so, every now and then they could get a lock instead.

Also used it on Soontir a good few times. Yes, even more expensive and just as squishy, but also with increased action economy. If you only really want to boost and focus, the TC allows you to get a target lock, Push for a boost and get the free focus, rather than being stuck with a second unused focus token, and of course getting nice re-rolls (for now or later) in the process. At PS9, Mr. Fel is also quite confident in knowing if he's going to get shot at this round - if not, might as wel target lock.

If in a good and safe position, being able to fire a few target lock + focus powered, 3-4 dice shots every turn is rather pleasing. You might be more vulnerable than with a stealth device or health upgrades, but on the other hand, they can't shoot you if you kill them first! (Aside from simultaneous fire/Fel's Wrath, granted. )

Work in progress for me, but I've always *wanted* to find a good use for APT

Advanced Proton Torpedoes are the most difficult ordnance in the game, but if you are focused for the actual attack, are almost a guaranteed 5 damage.

Best place I've seen of it recently? Esege Tuteku (or however you spell it). Now, you just have to worry about the range, as the modification largely takes care of itself.

Especially true if you're Garven Dreis.

With regards to range, I have two favorite Advanced Proton Torpedoes carriers:

[38] Major Rhymer (Extra Munitions, Advanced Proton Torpedoes, Push the Limit, Twin Ion Engine Mk. II)

With the range extended to range 2, and Push the Limit granting the requisite actions, Major Rhymer can deliver these babies pretty reliably.

[39] Nera Dantels (Extra Munitions, Advanced Proton Torpedoes, Deadeye, B-wing/E2, Recon Specialist)

Rather than range outward, Nera can shoot these things out of arc at Range 1, and Recon Speciailst+Deadeye let's her get all the tokens she needs to make the attack devastating, all without needing to pick a target beforehand.

Of course, they are both RIDICULOUSLY expensive, and I don't claim that they are actually good. But they are fun, and they make your opponent think very hard about where they put their ships.

So I tried this Nera out, originally with 5x Bandit Squadrons. It's decent, but it's vulnerable to the very thing it's designed to kill (high PS ace ships), and the build suffers from the 'Wedge Effect', where you have one blatantly more powerful and expensive target that's not much more durable than other blatantly weaker and not significantly easier to kill ships in your list.

SO,

We take out a Bandit.

Make one Bandit Airen Cracken with Swarm Tactics.

And add Advanced Sensors to Nera.

This does many things. It helps:

1.) Prevent Nera from rolling up at range one of Vessery and Echo and dying anyways. Swarm tactics also can give a wounded Z-95 a shot before it would otherwise die.

2.) You now have another 'power ship' to muddy your opponent's efforts to focus fire. Not much considering it's a Z-95 but still.

3.) With Airen's action shenanigans, you can do some obnoxious stuff like bump into things with Nera/have them bump into Nera, and since you already have a double focus on Nera you can use Airen's free action to barrel roll Nera out of the bump to fire off a Torpedo.

4.) Obvious benefits of Advanced Sensors on Nera.

It's viable haha. Haven't flown it against a boosting fat turret yet though, seems like it would autolose to that but against ace ships it's a nice anti-ace. Then again 5 hits on a Falcon is good, although your opponent will just luck out with his C-3PO guess of 1 and spend and evade token and take two plink damage. >_>

TCs on Interceptors are a fine option I think. They still get a second modification slot and tend to have PtL to give two actions a turn.

Equipped them a few times when flying double Royal Guard + something (Imperial Kath usually). Didn't have enough points to get both a more expensive upgrade, and not liking an assymetrical build, they got the TC. Of course, they tended to focus every turn, plus an evade when likely to be shot at, or boost/barrel roll to not get shot at/get in a better position. Even so, every now and then they could get a lock instead.

Also used it on Soontir a good few times. Yes, even more expensive and just as squishy, but also with increased action economy. If you only really want to boost and focus, the TC allows you to get a target lock, Push for a boost and get the free focus, rather than being stuck with a second unused focus token, and of course getting nice re-rolls (for now or later) in the process. At PS9, Mr. Fel is also quite confident in knowing if he's going to get shot at this round - if not, might as wel target lock.

If in a good and safe position, being able to fire a few target lock + focus powered, 3-4 dice shots every turn is rather pleasing. You might be more vulnerable than with a stealth device or health upgrades, but on the other hand, they can't shoot you if you kill them first! (Aside from simultaneous fire/Fel's Wrath, granted. )

Main reason not to put a TC on a TIE\Ln: TIE\Fo at 1 point more for a better dial and a shield on top of the target lock.

TCs on Interceptors are a fine option I think. They still get a second modification slot and tend to have PtL to give two actions a turn.

Equipped them a few times when flying double Royal Guard + something (Imperial Kath usually). Didn't have enough points to get both a more expensive upgrade, and not liking an assymetrical build, they got the TC. Of course, they tended to focus every turn, plus an evade when likely to be shot at, or boost/barrel roll to not get shot at/get in a better position. Even so, every now and then they could get a lock instead.

Also used it on Soontir a good few times. Yes, even more expensive and just as squishy, but also with increased action economy. If you only really want to boost and focus, the TC allows you to get a target lock, Push for a boost and get the free focus, rather than being stuck with a second unused focus token, and of course getting nice re-rolls (for now or later) in the process. At PS9, Mr. Fel is also quite confident in knowing if he's going to get shot at this round - if not, might as wel target lock.

If in a good and safe position, being able to fire a few target lock + focus powered, 3-4 dice shots every turn is rather pleasing. You might be more vulnerable than with a stealth device or health upgrades, but on the other hand, they can't shoot you if you kill them first! (Aside from simultaneous fire/Fel's Wrath, granted. )

Main reason not to put a TC on a TIE\Ln: TIE\Fo at 1 point more for a better dial and a shield on top of the target lock.

I haven't flown 7 Targeting Computer Academies yet haha. There is also 7 Scyks, for 2 points more for a Scyk you get a TIE Fighter that's better by about two points.