So, the Missile Boat. An interesting craft from the original TIE Fighter game, and a personal favorite:

I have been thinking a lot about this ship as soon as the Extra Munitions Upgrade was released and it really makes it far more feasible in the scope of x-wing.

First, the base stats.

I propose a stat bar of 1-3-2-4. High shields with almost no base offense. The ship only had a single laser cannon in the game, but it carried a whopping 80 concussion missiles or 40 missiles and 30 torpedos.

The upgrade bar: 3 Missile, 3 Torp, and a Systems Slot

The three torp is so we can include extra munitions without much issue, and we can provide 10 missile shots without needing use our primary weapons. The systems slot will help with target locks or defense.

Alternatively, I could see a crew slot, simply for weapons engineer and holding multiple target locks.

Named pilots would have abilities that aid in the process of target locking or maybe using missiles without target locks.

What do you guys think?

Edit:

Oh, I almost forgot the actions!! I would mainly go for target lock, SLAM, and focus. Maybe evade, but no one would ever take it in lieu of target lock

Title:Your torpedo and missile cards cost 2 points less

It needs something like that to make true missile spam worthwhile.

Alternatively, a Munition Loadout title that prevents discarding of spent missiles or torps.

It's the successor to the gunboat isn't it?

It'd be odd if they released it before releasing its predecessor.

As for the stats, I like the idea; it would just be hard to balance the base ship's point cost vs a kitted out one.

It would need a lot of green dice to balance out the weakness of needing to spend an action (that could otherwise be focus) on a target lock.

What do you think of making it about 30 points, and giving it 4 agility dice, but no focus action?

It's the successor to the gunboat isn't it?

It'd be odd if they released it before releasing its predecessor.

As for the stats, I like the idea; it would just be hard to balance the base ship's point cost vs a kitted out one.

It would need a lot of green dice to balance out the weakness of needing to spend an action (that could otherwise be focus) on a target lock.

What do you think of making it about 30 points, and giving it 4 agility dice, but no focus action?

Similar design concepts but made for different purposes.

The Gunboat was intended for raids on convoys and space stations, and was also used for recon. Ion cannons were especially useful in capturing ships rather than destroying them.

The Missile Boat was designed, in part by Thrawn, to fight TIE Defenders (used by a rogue Grand Admiral). It just happened to also be good at the sort of roles the Gunboat was good at due to also having an equipped hyperdrive and shielding, as well as it's considerable armament.

I wouldn't say they were exactly in a line from each other because they have quite different strengths but they are both Cygnus space-cows so it makes sense they get lumped together a lot.

But I have to agree that I'd be surprised to see the Missile boat before the gun boat.

Yes.

I did on the other hand read that the SLAM we see on the K-wing was first used on the Missile Boat during the TIE Fighter game.

The K-Wing's SLAM was later lore-adding. But we have the SLAM action now, and a modification card it too (not faction-specific at that).

It's not inconceivable that we may be getting more SLAM-capable ships in the future, and what is the only other ship in the lore with a SLAM?

Hmmmmm. Many directions this could go.

Title:Your torpedo and missile cards cost 2 points less

It needs something like that to make true missile spam worthwhile.

Alternatively, a Munition Loadout title that prevents discarding of spent missiles or torps.

A bold suggestion: This boat is made for missiles and other ordnance, right?

So it should have the tech and systems to do this effectively. So instead of lowering ammunition costs, one could instead lower the threshold of firing:

A title that allows to keep target locks, even if the ammo says discard.

Or a title or Missile boat only system that reduces the need for a target lock in the first step, by either giving you a free action for target locking or allowing to target lock anywhere on the battlescape.

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While I like the idea of the Missile Boat, I doubt we will ever see it in the game. Why? Because of the Tie Bomber and Tie Punisher. If FFG wanted to have a missile spam ship, it would have been one of these.

I think this render from fractalsponge is a thing of beauty:

And I think the Missile Boat needs to be able to equip the Tractor Beam, so it should come with a title like

·Cygnus Spaceworks MIS-1

Title

You may equip a (cannon) upgrade with "Beam" in its name. You must pay its cost as usual.

Whenever a secondary (torpedo) or (missile) weapon instructs you to discard it during an attack, don't.

Cost 10

Remember that this ship has no other means to attack, so ordnance must be its attacks. It cannot just run out of attacks during a game.

The unique title and the initial cost for the ship should keep the player from spamming ordnance-spamming ships in a squadron.

I'd do something crazier like... 0 attack.

And then give it a reload action icon. (Place 2 munitions tokens on any missile/torpedo or bomb icon upgrade card) may not be performed as a free action.

I was so disapointed when the first SLAM ship we got was a K-Wing. They should have paired the K with the Missile Boat for all that SLAM goodness.

My version of the Gunboat would either get discounted munitions or unlimited use munitions and could fire them after SLAMing. Remember, SLAM only drained primary weapon energy, allowing the Missile Boat to engage its targets with missiles/torps during/after a SLAM. Maybe add an ace pilot that gets a bonus to secondary attacks after SLAMing, simulating the extra velocity of his munitions imparted by the SLAM.

You forgot that now the Assault Gunboat no longer exists. Same for the E-wing TIE- Defender and the Yuzzahn Vong.

You forgot that now the Assault Gunboat no longer exists. Same for the E-wing TIE- Defender and the Yuzzahn Vong.

Not quite.

Our fine Defender was saved by a mobile game.

It is canon once again.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/D_Defender/Canon

Yeah I'm pretty sure FFG will design a new TIE with SLAM before we see eithe the Gunboat or Missile Boat because FFG hates me.

Also lets keep this thing going for 54 pages like the Gunboat thread!

Edit: see first post edit

You forgot that now the Assault Gunboat no longer exists. Same for the E-wing TIE- Defender and the Yuzzahn Vong.

They never existed, and they still don't exist. They may not be canon at this exact moment, but that won't necessarily stop FFG from using them.

You forgot that now the Assault Gunboat no longer exists. Same for the E-wing TIE- Defender and the Yuzzahn Vong.

Everything that is needed for it to become canon again is that some product with Disney's logo on it comes out containing the Assault Gunboat or the Missile Boat. If a mobile game did that for the TIE Defender, I don't see how FFG releasing the Missile Boat Expansion Pack wouldn't do the same.

This is probably way underpriced given that it would be scary when loaded with proton rockets. I imagine a b-wing dial for this baby.

1) the missile boat was not the successor of the gunboat, it wants meant to replace it or take on its role of multipurpose assault fighter. The missile boat was designed to kill TIE defenders, and as a result of being able to field an obscene amount of missiles and being the fastest starfighter ever it was able to lay waste to whole fleets of capital ships. Oops!

2) neither the gunboat or missile boat are 'mini-shuttles' in any way other than sharing a vague resemblance to other Cygnus craft. These are single pilot starfighters that pack missiles, torpedoes, tractor beams and they can dogfight when needed.

Exactly.

Except instead of having 3 Missile Slots, and 3 Torpedo Slots, I say just give it 4 Missile Slots, then have this:

Really make the Missile Boat into a MISSILE boat. Ya know?

Lotta red in that dial for a ship that was actually really maneuverable.

But then, I never really felt like the ship SHOULD have been as maneuverable as it was considering it was basically a gunboat carrying 10x the ordnance. So I'm okay with that.

1) the missile boat was not the successor of the gunboat, it wasn't meant to replace it or take on its role of multipurpose assault fighter. The missile boat was designed to kill TIE defenders, and as a result of being able to field an obscene amount of missiles and being the fastest starfighter ever it was able to lay waste to whole fleets of capital ships. Oops!

2) neither the gunboat or missile boat are 'mini-shuttles' in any way other than sharing a vague resemblance to other Cygnus craft. These are single pilot starfighters that pack missiles, torpedoes, tractor beams and they can dogfight when needed.

3) it is the King Hell God Emperor Starfighter of Death, and you can't fly it yet.

Based on the legacy of the missile boat, (fast, evasive & lots of missiles) it'll have to come at a high point cost not to make it over-powered

Based on the legacy of the missile boat, (fast, evasive & lots of missiles) it'll have to come at a high point cost not to make it over-powered

It should be priced according to its performance, given that you pay for its ammunition, if the ship comes at a high point cost also it will never be taken.