Why is hot shot blaster not that popular? Seems like a cheap and potentially good weapon to use as it fires out of arc with 3 dice.

Edit: title is an auto correct fail.

One of the best examples of self-answering I've seen in quite a while.

I have no opinion except that "hit shot" blaster is probably preferable to the alternative "replace an O with an I" variant of Hot Shot Blaster.

Clumsy, random and uncivilized come to mind.

I dont know how theyre used where you play, but it makes headhunters a one time turret ship. And with one turn of shooting before going down in flame that actually adds a lot of improvement to a 12 point ship.

I have no opinion except that "hit shot" blaster is probably preferable to the alternative "replace an O with an I" variant of Hot Shot Blaster.

I'm pretty sure he meant the Hot **** Blaster

Let's assume you've already decided to put something in the illicit upgrade slot, and have made your peace with the point cost and what it does to the rest of your list.

On cheap ships, one is likely to go with Feedback Array because it's one point cheaper and can potentially be used more than once (there are other pros and cons, of course), or Dead Man's Switch, because it's also cheaper and can potentially do more damage.

On expensive ships, one is likely to go with Glitterstim or Intertial Dampeners to enhance the ship's existing capabilities.

I've used Hot Shot Blaster on Firesprays a couple of times, and it was a fun way to punish somebody for coming in on the side, but never really made a big difference in the game. This is, of course, an anecdote, and not a datum.

I like it on my YV666 to diminish the turn around time of that fat ass slow ship's non-shooting rounds.

Let's assume you've already decided to put something in the illicit upgrade slot, and have made your peace with the point cost and what it does to the rest of your list.

On cheap ships, one is likely to go with Feedback Array because it's one point cheaper and can potentially be used more than once (there are other pros and cons, of course), or Dead Man's Switch, because it's also cheaper and can potentially do more damage.

On expensive ships, one is likely to go with Glitterstim or Intertial Dampeners to enhance the ship's existing capabilities.

I've used Hot Shot Blaster on Firesprays a couple of times, and it was a fun way to punish somebody for coming in on the side, but never really made a big difference in the game. This is, of course, an anecdote, and not a datum.

Completely agree with this. It never seems worth the points on the cheap ships like Z's, and it's already a hard enough decision on whether to go with Inertial Dampeners or Glitterstim on the bigger guys. IF it was a point cheaper, it MIGHT see more play.

It's just too streaky. It's a three-dice, single-use, out-of-arc attack in an era when Autothrusters on a high-agility enemy is inevitable.

I've used it in an assymetrical IG-88 build, where the goal was to give my opponent as many variables to think about as possible. It came up huge in a game against a B-Wing swarm. But for every game like that, I can point to two where either I rolled poorly or my opponent's evade dice were great.

A lot of the high-level game is about reducing the impact that probability can have on your plan. Hot Shot simply doesn't provide enough power to justify its cost relative to every other Illicit upgrade available for that slot.

The one exception I might make is for N'dru, as his ability can bump this up to a 4-dice attack.

It does make a ship more threatening especially if the dice can be fully modified. But it's no TLT and everyone is in love with glitterstim and feedback.

At least munitions fail safe works with it, but on a Z that's 1/3 the cost of the whole ship at that point.

Inertial dampeners I can always work into a list, Hot Shot not as much.

I used it a bunch on N'dru with lone wolf before glimmerstim was out. 4 dice out of arc with rerolls was great for a one off. Now glimmerstims and cluster are so much better.

I expect it wasn't cheaper because at some point we will get a pilot or an upgrade that allows you to reuse single use illicits. Not sure that would be limitless but it would be pretty great for any ship at that point.

I think it works best with N'dru.

But still, like others have said, it's a very competitive slot - and Glitterstim is just so awesome right now. You may see more use out of it eventually, since a slow trend has been to gradually increase the viability of secondary weapons. So perhaps in the future.

Expensive one-use thingy? You've got to be kidding.

it MIGHT have been effective if it was an extra attack, attack with Action header or ANYTHING.

I personally find the 1 hit wonder of the Hot Shots to be useful with my IV666, a 180 degree arc foesn't cover your tail, while this one will, and with Bossk at the helm, it has a potential to do massive damage, combined with predator this card can be highly useful in combat.

I use it on my Kihraxz with Talonbane Cobra as well, since he just adds dice normally, but the predator, hotshot and talonbane is nasty, add cluster missile and munitions failsafe, and this pilot becomes very brutal in the hands of a player who knows the movement dial well. Alternately I run shield upgrade or engine upgrade for different squads and purposes.

Just seems cheaper than torps and can shoot out of arc with no tl or focus to use when firing. I have never played with or against scum and was just looking through their upgrades.

With munitions failsafe, swarmed on Z-s it's not terrible.

i've faced that swarm... The only problem there was I faced that swarm with X1 Vader and Maarek, so it was a onesided curbstomp. Poor Z's.

The feedback array is a better choice.

Seen a Z-swarm with these as well.

Roflstomped by Bossk and Guri. It was funny to see a Z firing the blasters at a double-focus+evade+autothruster Guri.

She ended the battle with one last Hull point and lost her EPT, but still.

It should be called the hit **** blaster

Because even afteral all the times I've seen, it has yet to hit ****

Edit: title is an auto correct fail.

I'dve preferred Hot S*** blaster as a typo personally.

So.. basically it's seen on Z-swarms and gets roflstomped.

That's the thread answer.

I popped the stealth device on a Soontir with it in the end game with my Xizor. He forgot I had it and arc dodged me with his actions. Ended up winning that game.

It's probably a point overcosted, though I don't think it's a bad upgrade.

Yeah, it's the cost.

It's fairly evident FFG would rather have a card be over-costed and seldom-used than risk under-costing a card that could warp the meta in a way they wouldn't like. See: the T-65 X-wing, generic Defenders, generic E-Wings, Expose, Flight Instructor, and all of the original ordnance.

Also, I have a suspicion that sometimes the designers cost cards to prevent specific combinations they don't want to see. For example, if the Heavy Scyk title was 1 point instead of 2, you could fit 4 Cartel Spacers with HLCs and Hull Upgrades in 100 points. That would be pretty obnoxious, though probably not game-breaking.

I imagine a similar calculation went into the cost of Hot Shot Blaster. At 3 points it's an over-priced gimmick, but at 2 points it might be worth slapping on every Binayre Pirate or Black Sun Soldier you take. From the point of view of a game designer, it's better to not risk it.

it's the cost, it's the slot.

thematically, I really like the card. ingame, I can have better things that do something similar (flyswatter oh wait it's feedback) for less or have something really cool like glitter, dampeners - also for less. so.. hm. unimpressed/highly situational - and also not weird/funny enough (hello cloaking D..! ;D) - therefore nothing I'd take.

I generally use the Hot Shot blaster to protect my blind spot on a Firespray or YV-666. If would be better if it was a four-dice attack or a multiple-use card.