I wanted to take a moment to talk about what I think is one of the more underrated cards in this game: Sensor Jammer (SJ). Often when I bring this card, I find myself explaining how it works to an opponent who has never run into one, even when said opponent plays weekly games. So why is SJ so rarely seen? Fist off, it competes with FCS, which is probably one of the more effective upgrades in the game, especially in the 2-Ship meta. However, the most common argument I hear against SJ is that the focus action is the most common action in the game, and thus renders SJ useless. Let's take a look at this argument, and see why SJ is actually really good.

The following are situations where an attacking ship won't have a focus.

1. The attacking ship took a different static action (i.e. target lock, evade)

2. The attacking ship needs to re-position (i.e. barrel roll or boost)

3. The attacking ship has performed a red maneuver, including the ubiquitous K-turn

4. The attacking ship bumped

5. The attacking ship overlapped an obstacle

6. The attacking ship already spent their focus token

This is hardly an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. There are lots of occasions where the attacking ship lacks a focus token, and thus suffers an automatic -1 reduction to their damage output. Knowing that a hull upgrade is costed at 3 points, and a shield at 4, the SJ quickly pays back its seemingly high cost.

SJ also forces the attacking ship to spend its focus token if it wants its full damage. This means the token will not be available later on for defense, effectively softening up the attacking ship for your own reprisal. Last but not least, SJ has been made even more attractive by the introduction of TLT, as it can cut out one red dice per attack.

Things that combo well with SJ:

Juke: If the attacker spends the focus, he will take an additional hit in return

Opportunist: Similar to Juke, but you receive an additional attack instead

Wes Janson: Strip their focus token for guaranteed damage reduction

Carnor Jax: See Wes, but uses proximity instead of shooting.

Palob: Steal attacking ship's focus

Anything that causes stress: (i.e. rebel captive, tactician, Flechette Torpedoes)

Autothrusters: Damage mitigation stacked on damage mitigation, pairs well with high agility ships. This combo can often negate two damage from any Fat Han attack, as he usually takes an evade action instead.

Let's look at a few builds which can make good use SJ.

Rebels

Ibtisam + SJ + Elusiveness. Frustrate your opponent as you re-roll your green dice, and force him to go through SJ. This build with a cannon is effective in drawing fire away from the rest of your list.

Blackmoon Squadron Pilot: SJ + R2D6 + Juke (or Opportunist) Anyone over PS3 must decide whether they want their damage reduced, or if they want to take increased damage in return.

Imperials

Zertik Strom + SJ. Increases Strom's resilience, as he is likely to be a high priority target for your opponent.

Shadow Squadron + SJ + SPA+IA. Include two of these in a list with Carnor Jax, and you get a lot of bang for your buck . Credit to Darthlurker for this build.

Whisper + SJ + Recon Specialist + VI+ ACD. Less damage output than FCS + Gunner, but is extremely resilient to TLT damage.

OCP + Palpatine + SJ. If you have the point to spare, this will go a long way towards extending the Emperor's usefulness.

Scum:

IG88-C + SJ + Autothrusters + LW. Opponent must get through the SJ, an evade, a green dice re-roll, and possibly Autothrusters as well. Almost immune to TLT damage, and is extremely effective at tanking while drawing fire away from other ships in your list, like say 2x Black Sun Enforcers.

Guri or Xizor: Same loudout as the Agressor, Guri becomes a tank in a dogfight due to her free focus, while Xizor is almost pointless for anyone without a focus to shoot.

Of course against tlt that can't modify both attacks it's very strong but like you said it's got stiff competition.

Thing is offense wins games not defence you want to max out the effectiveness of your red dice.

Also if it becomes a thing all you need to do is equip AC.

Of course against tlt that can't modify both attacks it's very strong but like you said it's got stiff competition.

Thing is offense wins games not defence you want to max out the effectiveness of your red dice.

Also if it becomes a thing all you need to do is equip AC.

Which, not everyone can do. I also don't see Phantoms willing to settle for only 2 hits.

Sensor Jammer's stock is going to rise with the rise of TLTs, and their unmodified attacks.

I think the point is Jammer does duty on both offense and defense.

If you are running sensor jammer, just hope you don't run against anything that is running Accuracy Corrector. It will totally make Sensor Jammer worthless. Try 4 BBBBs with Accuracy Corrector or 4 Tie Advance with Accuracy corrector against your sensor jammer ship.

I love sensor jammer on Shuttles it keeps them around a lot longer, but it has its hard counters.

I've recently been running sensor jammer and it has easily become one of my favorite cards. It is so satisfying to see in use.

I was promised an ode.

No ode was forthcoming.

Deeply disappointed.

I was promised an ode.

No ode was forthcoming.

Deeply disappointed.

I am nothing if not a man of my word. An ode was promised, and thus an ode you shall receive (for better or for worse)

Oh Sensor Jammer,

You are more awesome than a shield upgrade

With thy fine, excellent ability as worthy as an FCS

And as helpful as an Engine Upgrade on a large-base ship

I love your versatility and the frustration you cause my opponents

Sensor Jammer, lovely, wonderful Sensor Jammer,

How often I use thee, and how many more games I would lose,

If you were absent from my lists.

Oh Sensor Jammer,

Nothing can compare to you, nothing at all,

You are the bees-knees, my favorite system upgrade

And, most importantly, TLT has greatly enhanced thy worth, oh Sensor Jammer

I love the Sensor Jammer. It is usually my 1st choice when I run a lone E-wing.

I love Sensor Jammer because they protect you when things don't go according to plan which is all the time. The OP forgot about Asteroids which is something you can encourage in your opponent.

I just played a Guri + AT + Predator + SJ in a team game and she held her own against a full TIE swarm for a number of turns. It was incredible to force the spending of focus tokens...even if they would normally spend them, there were many instances where it made the decision difficult. It is absolutely brutal against ships that were not able to take an action.

Accuracy corrector is definitely a weakness, so if you take it, run something else defensive with it like AT and/or Lone Wolf for maximum efficiency. In a tournament, you may run into AC, but there will be plenty of lists without it.

Okay look here. This is all great in theory. Now, you've said you've used it against people who always exxclaim they've never even seen it before. Tell us about its real table experience.

Here's mine: I've used SJ a bit on my Whisper.

1. It costs a **** ton. And I'm giving up FCS, which many times lets me evade, then gain a Whisper focus.

2. Often, with TLT I find that the still sometimes doesn't quite diminish it enough, many times with lucky natural rolls, or rolling blanks as Whisper with Focus. Sucks. =/

So, its decent. But I'm currently looking for better ways to up my game. In anti-TLT tech, I'd pick Auto and more health with 3 green dice over 4dice and SJ.

Sensor Jammer really ought to be worded closer to AC or the Emperor. AC should not be able to just blow away the Jammer and I'm not sure Jammers were worded purposefully that future similar effects would override it, but it is what it is.

Against the usual PWT Engine upgrade Gunner works wonders. I'm using it on my league list ( IGB and with two TLT ywings ) and either one hit is avoided or PWT won't boost into IG's R1 or out of TLT range.

I also have a newfound love for the Sensor Jammer!

My 3 Sigma-list looooves the Sensor Jammer!

OK, so Accuracy Corrector is a "hard counter" (quotation marks necessary I feel, as it's not strictly true) to Sensor Jammer; so what? Lone Wolf, three agility dice and Autothrusters (as per the suggested Scum builds) will still give people running Accuracy Corrector, PWTs and TLTs kittens, and will be pretty effective against regular three dice attacks as well - especially if, as the OP again states - you've shot first and stripped focus tokens as well.

I don't believe anyone's saying Sensor Jammer is a God-tier-must-take-every-time-autowin upgrade (which appears to be what a lot of people are looking for in these threads), just that it's very useful but often overlooked upgrade. And judging by the responses, that seems to be a fairly accurate description.

Guri, SJ, LW, AT is a thing of beauty. Many doubted my ways when she first came out. Two weeks later people (the whole group) cheered when they got their first hit through on her in a game, and would congratulate the player that did so. Yeah, I have loved SJ since it came out with the lambda and happy that it finally is getting people to respect its worth. Honestly Blackmoons with SJ are pretty tanky little ships eveb with all the hate they garner.

Seriously, the only issue with Sensor Jammer is that it's only available with the Shuttle...

Agreed on Starvipers. It's actually really nice because it forces higher PS pilots to spend tokens to hit you, and because they can stack defensive boosts on defensive boosts.

Possibly over the top on defense, but the best I've seen to date is:

• Prince Xizor with Lone Wolf, Virago, Sensor Jammer, Glitterstim, Autothrusters
• Kaa'to Leeachos with Bodyguard, Glitterstim
• Black Sun Soldier
• Black Sun Soldier
• Black Sun Soldier

The original version had four Black Sun Soldiers with some feeback arrays - Kaa'to was just for the sheer comedy value of adding an extra evade die to the pile.

I like! I'm not sure whether I'd prefer that or

Prince Xizor - Veteran Instincts, Autothrusters

Guri - Lone Wolf, Virago, Sensor Jammer, Autothrusters

Black Sun Soldier x 2

Potential in this list to split an opponent's forces and/or force difficult decisions - target Xizor and his escort first, or try to focus down the free-flying Guri.

99 points - you could always drop the Soldiers to Bananas and give Xizor Push or Predator instead of VI as well...

Ode to Sensor Jammer

Tokenless Focus after Focus modified with systematic impunity
Your offense dice yield their hits to my phantom's inexorability,
My Sensor Jammer protects without emerald failure;
In the august presence of Jax, honorable thrusters
Flit about, unthreatened by Twin Laser pagentry

And the promise of death by the dual ship metacy;
Driven on by the fierce scrutiny of my lord, emperor palpatine;

Of fiery death they protect and propel those loyal we,
And at last they sough the rumour of immortality.

P.S. I found your lack of Ode's disturbing, and have since altered the thread, pray I do not alter it any further.

On the Scum side, it also combos well with Palob! He steals those focus tokens, and makes sensor jammer more effective!

So why wasn't it popular in the past?

- Sensor Jammer is a good card, but unfortunately it takes up a system slot.

- Not many ships have a system slot.

- Those that do usually get more value out of advanced sensors or fire control system.

- Now if a ship could equip 2 system upgrades i think we would see alot more sensor jammers. Right now for most situations it's the 2nd choice behind Adv Sensors or FCS, so it doesnt see much play (much like many EPT which are overshadowed by Predator or PTL).

Plus of course it's a pretty rare card - it's only currently available from one source, and Imperial Shuttles aren't exactly required in vast quantities.