I was just thinking if we would see a broader diversity of pilots if the best pilot ability would not simultaneously have the highest pilot skill.

I know, that thematically best pilots should have highest pilot skills (best of the best), but for the sake of the game it would be healthy to have some pilots with super abilites with lower PS (like Tarn Mison). I assume this would shuffle the PS competition leading to a better mixture of pilots.

For example Soontir Fel could have PS 6 (or PS 9 but different ability). Many players would also take a PS 5 pilot with Soontirs ability. Other would prefer higher PS pilot but with less good pilot abilities. Same of course with most of the other ships, like A-wings with Jake and Tycho or T-70 with Poe or E-wings with Corran etc.

Maybe this could be concerned for many pilots in the following waves.

Thoughts on this?

I was just thinking if we would see a broader diversity of pilots if the best pilot ability would not simultaneously have the highest pilot skill.

I know, that thematically best pilots should have highest pilot skills (best of the best), but for the sake of the game it would be healthy to have some pilots with super abilites with lower PS (like Tarn Mison). I assume this would shuffle the PS competition leading to a better mixture of pilots.

For example Soontir Fel could have PS 6 (or PS 9 but different ability). Many players would also take a PS 5 pilot with Soontirs ability. Other would prefer higher PS pilot but with less good pilot abilities. Same of course with most of the other ships, like A-wings with Jake and Tycho or T-70 with Poe or E-wings with Corran etc.

Maybe this could be concerned for many pilots in the following waves.

Thoughts on this?

Guri has epicly good ability but lousy PS5.

She has no use outside local funplay.

Echo has cool ability, but lousy PS6

Blue ace has cool ability, but it's near USELESS with his PS6

Garven Dreis ability is of no use if his lousy PS6 is not the highest among the force.

Same goes to Dutch Vander

Lorrir's ability would have been col, had he been not a lousy PS5 DERPilot

Well, it's simply as is.

If you take the PS race in mind, in many cases a lower PS would ruin the most used build, but not provide a new one.

Blue ace has cool ability, but it's near USELESS with his PS6

Lorrir's ability would have been col, had he been not a lousy PS5 DERPilot

They have no EPT, which is why they are not that useful...

I think the concept is interesting;

sadly, it is much too late to use it (as we already have highPS with VERY GOOD abilities. no use to bring weaker ones, now, nobody would pick them.. see fel' wrath).

maybe in a 2nd edition..?

ps1,2: cheap generics

ps3,4: generics with ept.

5-6/7: elite generics with ept, unique pilots with VERY good abilities (and maybe an ept)

8+: uniques with ept and maybe "okay" abilities

.. would give some more encouragement to pick from all PS

Allow all unique pilots one bonus EPT slot.

With the caveat that it can't be VI, predator, PTL.

Or alternately just give EPT to all uniques that don't already have one

These are just my opinions from experience but..

Torkil Mux at PS 3 has a better ability the PS 7 Dace Bonearm.

Vessery at 6 is better than Rexler at 8

Dark Curse and Backstabber at 16 are way better than Mauler at 7

Biggs at 5 is has one of the best abilities in the game

Keyan at 7 is better than Ten Numb at 8

Lack of EPT slots hurts many pilots form the imperial aces expansion. Many of them would be great with PTL.

A quick listing/comparison of the mid-PS (5) pilots shows some solid abilities, especially for Rebels & Scum which seem to have the edge there.

Rebels: Chewbacca, Etahn, Biggs, Hobbie, Gemmer, Nera, Blue Ace, Leebo

Imperials: Night Beast, Winged Gundark, Alozen, Krassis, Fel's Wrath, Lorrir, Zeta Ace

Scum: Guri, Drea, Palob, Leeachos, Latts

Blue ace has cool ability, but it's near USELESS with his PS6

Lorrir's ability would have been col, had he been not a lousy PS5 DERPilot

They have no EPT, which is why they are not that useful...

Because EPT = VI

Slap it on and fix the derp PS?

I was just thinking if we would see a broader diversity of pilots if the best pilot ability would not simultaneously have the highest pilot skill.

I know, that thematically best pilots should have highest pilot skills (best of the best), but for the sake of the game it would be healthy to have some pilots with super abilites with lower PS (like Tarn Mison). I assume this would shuffle the PS competition leading to a better mixture of pilots.

For example Soontir Fel could have PS 6 (or PS 9 but different ability). Many players would also take a PS 5 pilot with Soontirs ability. Other would prefer higher PS pilot but with less good pilot abilities. Same of course with most of the other ships, like A-wings with Jake and Tycho or T-70 with Poe or E-wings with Corran etc.

Maybe this could be concerned for many pilots in the following waves.

Thoughts on this?

Guri has epicly good ability but lousy PS5.

She has no use outside local funplay.

Echo has cool ability, but lousy PS6

Blue ace has cool ability, but it's near USELESS with his PS6

Garven Dreis ability is of no use if his lousy PS6 is not the highest among the force.

Same goes to Dutch Vander

Lorrir's ability would have been col, had he been not a lousy PS5 DERPilot

Well, it's simply as is.

If you take the PS race in mind, in many cases a lower PS would ruin the most used build, but not provide a new one.

I have no idea what you are talking about Echo is PS8 with no EPT... silly man.

A lot of mid-PS pilots have good/decent abilities, but are limited by the ability not meshing with their PS and/or lack of EPT. Garven has a great ability but can only pass his focus to equal or lower PS (for attacking purposes anyway). Pilots like Guri and Lt. Lorrir (and to a lesser degree Echo) with maneuver-based abilities have trouble making good use of it at with lower PS. Kir Kanos could be deadly with his ability but lacks an EPT slot to really make it good.

Just having a good ability on a high PS pilot does not automatically make them great either. Horton Salm, Talonbane Cobra, and pre-buff Darth Vader arguably have strong abilties and come in at PS8 and 9, but they aren't exactly tearing up the tournament scene. No matter how good the pilot ability and how high the PS, not all ships are naturally built to support the investment into a high PS pilot. Ship costs naturally give a pretty huge tax on high PS, regardless of whether the pilot ability is any good, or whether the ship is capable of supporting that ability and staying alive long enough to make good use of the investment.

There is plenty of room for mid-PS pilots with decent abilities, they just need to be given abilities that match what their ship can do and/or have an EPT slot or other upgrade to support it (or their ship type in general: see A-wings and Interceptors who can't/couldn't take push the limit). Simple combos like Tarn Mison and the R7 astromech make for a potent combination at a reasonable price

The real problem is that PS7 is where you start seeing consistant EPTs. It's also the point where VI lets you bid to PS9

Almost any non-generic with an EPT can be PS9 or higher, and with arcdodgers and phantoms in the meta, many feel they have to.

The point is that the'res a thin (defined by local meta) line

(around 8,5 PS)

that makes you an arcdodger or non-arcdodgeable by arcdodgers of the enemy.

and THAT, good sir, is the problem.

in Boostwing, you're either PS8 or you're food.

Recently a "Food with TLT that shoots needles" type appeared, and that's good.

I was just thinking if we would see a broader diversity of pilots if the best pilot ability would not simultaneously have the highest pilot skill.

I know, that thematically best pilots should have highest pilot skills (best of the best), but for the sake of the game it would be healthy to have some pilots with super abilites with lower PS (like Tarn Mison). I assume this would shuffle the PS competition leading to a better mixture of pilots.

For example Soontir Fel could have PS 6 (or PS 9 but different ability). Many players would also take a PS 5 pilot with Soontirs ability. Other would prefer higher PS pilot but with less good pilot abilities. Same of course with most of the other ships, like A-wings with Jake and Tycho or T-70 with Poe or E-wings with Corran etc.

Maybe this could be concerned for many pilots in the following waves.

Thoughts on this?

Guri has epicly good ability but lousy PS5.

She has no use outside local funplay.

Echo has cool ability, but lousy PS6

Blue ace has cool ability, but it's near USELESS with his PS6

Garven Dreis ability is of no use if his lousy PS6 is not the highest among the force.

Same goes to Dutch Vander

Lorrir's ability would have been col, had he been not a lousy PS5 DERPilot

Well, it's simply as is.

If you take the PS race in mind, in many cases a lower PS would ruin the most used build, but not provide a new one.

Guri is excellent against Generics. She's great against swarms, but struggles a bit against Fat Turrets and Arc Dodgers.

Echo has a very powerful ability, but is perhaps the most skill intensive pilot in the game. The reason she doesn't show up is because Whisper is almost as good in many cases (and better against turrets), but easier to fly.

Garven I'll give you, but Dutch works with anyone close to him.

Lorrir... I don't know what he needs. Well, no, that's not true. He, like all arc dodgers, needs a strong action economy. Even if he was PS 8 and had an EPT, he'd be lousy, because his ability wouldn't work with PTL and that's the only form of action economy the Tie Interceptor has (Unless you're Turr Phennir)*

*Technically, Predator might kind of work, but he'd still be playing second fiddle to Turr, Carnor, and Soontir.

I was just thinking if we would see a broader diversity of pilots if the best pilot ability would not simultaneously have the highest pilot skill.

I know, that thematically best pilots should have highest pilot skills (best of the best), but for the sake of the game it would be healthy to have some pilots with super abilites with lower PS (like Tarn Mison). I assume this would shuffle the PS competition leading to a better mixture of pilots.

For example Soontir Fel could have PS 6 (or PS 9 but different ability). Many players would also take a PS 5 pilot with Soontirs ability. Other would prefer higher PS pilot but with less good pilot abilities. Same of course with most of the other ships, like A-wings with Jake and Tycho or T-70 with Poe or E-wings with Corran etc.

Maybe this could be concerned for many pilots in the following waves.

Thoughts on this?

Guri has epicly good ability but lousy PS5.

She has no use outside local funplay.

Echo has cool ability, but lousy PS6

Blue ace has cool ability, but it's near USELESS with his PS6

Garven Dreis ability is of no use if his lousy PS6 is not the highest among the force.

Same goes to Dutch Vander

Lorrir's ability would have been col, had he been not a lousy PS5 DERPilot

Well, it's simply as is.

If you take the PS race in mind, in many cases a lower PS would ruin the most used build, but not provide a new one.

Guri is excellent against Generics. She's great against swarms, but struggles a bit against Fat Turrets and Arc Dodgers.

Echo has a very powerful ability, but is perhaps the most skill intensive pilot in the game. The reason she doesn't show up is because Whisper is almost as good in many cases (and better against turrets), but easier to fly.

Garven I'll give you, but Dutch works with anyone close to him.

Lorrir... I don't know what he needs. Well, no, that's not true. He, like all arc dodgers, needs a strong action economy. Even if he was PS 8 and had an EPT, he'd be lousy, because his ability wouldn't work with PTL and that's the only form of action economy the Tie Interceptor has (Unless you're Turr Phennir).

Guri can EAT PS 4 and lower for breakfast. But you see somebody with higher PS and DERP, no matter how much PTL, AdvSensors and all you try, you won't get that free focus for range 1, you won't evade that fire and most likely not see the enemy that often.

PS race....

Echo sees a PS9.

Echo dies,

Echo goes home.

Lorrir has "guri sindrome" being an arcdodger with puny PS, out-arcdodged by almost anyone from Biggz and up.

I was just thinking if we would see a broader diversity of pilots if the best pilot ability would not simultaneously have the highest pilot skill.

I know, that thematically best pilots should have highest pilot skills (best of the best), but for the sake of the game it would be healthy to have some pilots with super abilites with lower PS (like Tarn Mison). I assume this would shuffle the PS competition leading to a better mixture of pilots.

For example Soontir Fel could have PS 6 (or PS 9 but different ability). Many players would also take a PS 5 pilot with Soontirs ability. Other would prefer higher PS pilot but with less good pilot abilities. Same of course with most of the other ships, like A-wings with Jake and Tycho or T-70 with Poe or E-wings with Corran etc.

Maybe this could be concerned for many pilots in the following waves.

Thoughts on this?

Guri has epicly good ability but lousy PS5.

She has no use outside local funplay.

Echo has cool ability, but lousy PS6

Blue ace has cool ability, but it's near USELESS with his PS6

Garven Dreis ability is of no use if his lousy PS6 is not the highest among the force.

Same goes to Dutch Vander

Lorrir's ability would have been col, had he been not a lousy PS5 DERPilot

Well, it's simply as is.

If you take the PS race in mind, in many cases a lower PS would ruin the most used build, but not provide a new one.

Guri is excellent against Generics. She's great against swarms, but struggles a bit against Fat Turrets and Arc Dodgers.

Echo has a very powerful ability, but is perhaps the most skill intensive pilot in the game. The reason she doesn't show up is because Whisper is almost as good in many cases (and better against turrets), but easier to fly.

Garven I'll give you, but Dutch works with anyone close to him.

Lorrir... I don't know what he needs. Well, no, that's not true. He, like all arc dodgers, needs a strong action economy. Even if he was PS 8 and had an EPT, he'd be lousy, because his ability wouldn't work with PTL and that's the only form of action economy the Tie Interceptor has (Unless you're Turr Phennir).

Guri can EAT PS 4 and lower for breakfast. But you see somebody with higher PS and DERP, no matter how much PTL, AdvSensors and all you try, you won't get that free focus for range 1, you won't evade that fire and most likely not see the enemy that often.

PS race....

Echo sees a PS9.

Echo dies,

Echo goes home.

Lorrir has "guri sindrome" being an arcdodger with puny PS, out-arcdodged by almost anyone from Biggz and up.

If you're trying to fly a low PS ship to range 1 of a high PS ship, you're doing it wrong.

With Echo, you can go places that other ships literally can't go. If you're using her to fly into positions where she will definitely get shot at, that is your own problem.

Same thing with Lorrir. Lorrir can make maneuvers that other ships literally can't make. You can position yourself in places where it is literally impossible for non-turreted ships to shoot you no matter what their PS. PS isn't the end-all, be-all.

There is this amazing thing called blocking. It really does help with Guri getting in close.

You know what would solve this problem? An action phase. Lorrir moves, Wedge moves, Lorrir takes an action, Wedge takes an action, Wedge shoots, Lorrir shoots.

Bit late now though.

Guri is anything but a dedicated arc dodger. I have played her a lot and blocking is the way to go, she is amazing at that. Block an enemy, have an action, get a free focus and then punch the other enemy ships. You have to have a plan for high PS opponents, but then they become manageable.

There is this amazing thing called blocking. It really does help with Guri getting in close.

There are pilots that need complex blocking to get into range and don't give a ****.

And higher PS ones that just don't need that.

That's the difference here D:

There is this amazing thing called blocking. It really does help with Guri getting in close.

There are pilots that need complex blocking to get into range and don't give a ****.

And higher PS ones that just don't need that.

That's the difference here D:

Soontir getting blocked is catastrophic for Soontir. Guri getting blocked...not so much.

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Scum%20and%20Villainy&d=v3!s!126:135,38,112:-1:-1:;125:57,37,-1,-1:3:-1:;101:57,-1:16:15:U.44,U.-1

People hate me for running this list...being unconventional can be a huge advantage (you should try it some day )!

There is this amazing thing called blocking. It really does help with Guri getting in close.

There are pilots that need complex blocking to get into range and don't give a ****.

And higher PS ones that just don't need that.

That's the difference here D:

Soontir getting blocked is catastrophic for Soontir. Guri getting blocked...not so much.

Your cure for blockings with Guri

Extra fun for blockers

There is this amazing thing called blocking. It really does help with Guri getting in close.

There are pilots that need complex blocking to get into range and don't give a ****.

And higher PS ones that just don't need that.

That's the difference here D:

You misunderstand. Guri IS the blocker. Sensor jammer and her ability means she doesnt need a defensive action when blocking, so barrel roll or boost to the perfect spot, even under other ship's guns, or just drop a cone of "if you go here you will eat an APT."

This lets the rest of your low PS ships murder vader/soont/whatever.

With Echo, you can go places that other ships literally can't go. If you're using her to fly into positions where she will definitely get shot at, that is your own problem.

Same thing with Lorrir. Lorrir can make maneuvers that other ships literally can't make. You can position yourself in places where it is literally impossible for non-turreted ships to shoot you no matter what their PS. PS isn't the end-all, be-all.

The difference between Echo and Lorrir is when Lorrir uses his ability, he ends up stressed with unmodified dice. When Echo uses her ability, she still has her action and two upgrade slots that greatly improve her action economy.