So I am light on practice with the MC80 but have read quite a lot of battle reports and tactics articles, which have made me come to a realisation. I played the MC80 like a slow heavily armed Assault Frigate and was beaten horribly by the ISD-II. The question for me is:

Are we playing the MC80 suboptimally as an Assault Frigate? And should we be playing it using the Ackbar slash?

The evidence:

- no gunnery teams means you will never get maximum firepower from this beast while kiting away

- driving your MC80 into the enemy fleet allows you to fire off both broadsides, or close one side of the board to your opponent giving you area control

- the MC80 is designed to take a beating, and with engine techs could slip between those ISDs and block their respective fields of fire

- this will make your opponent think twice about trying to get into your weak front, by turning for the side shot

What do you think? Could the Ackbar slash be the new preferred Rebel tactic?

With its huge arcs I have been debating on a suicide like MC80 that charges the middle of a formation. . .

I don't think so, it is to head on which favors imperials (apply directly to cause some hurt)

Driving Sideways across a long front arc, or chancing being able to turn and drive by, taking most probably a double arc... Honestly, to me, it does hurt a little more... But if you're able to two it with TWO MonCals, I don't know, the bonus seems to outweigh it...

With its huge arcs I have been debating on a suicide like MC80 that charges the middle of a formation. . .

Exactly - although with engineering commands, Raymus and redundant shields it can be pretty tanky. Take two MC80s with projection experts and you could even shuffle shields between the ships.

Have you conisered flying the MonCal like an aggressive AFIIA? Go in and set up the double arc shot. Use it to block zippy ships from flashing forward at speed 3 / 4.

I've been using the MC80 almost exclusively since Wave 2 came out, and I'm a huge supporter of Engine Techs to set up the slash.

Ideally, what you want to be doing, is move according to who enemy ships are deployed. If you're looking at far flanks, the slash should oriented in a way that one arc points towards your #1 thread (like an enemy ISD), while the other arc covers the flank from the opposite corner.

You should take advantage of your better long range shots to get as many shots in as possible without being cornered or boxed in before turning hard into the enemy if the range bands will favor blue dice while presenting one arc facing one target, and having the other arc hit another target.

I typically only play with one arc if the situation is unwinnable from a more aggressive angle e.g. diving into multiple enemy ships (like Raiders and Gladiators) is not worth the slash.

Just because you CAN slash doesn't mean you should, so you should always look for opportunities where the slash will offer the greatest coverage, but at the same time, not increase the amount of damage you will take.

With its huge arcs I have been debating on a suicide like MC80 that charges the middle of a formation. . .

Well, that's the funny part. Exactly like the tactic, as envisioned by the fictional character, it works in Armada.

The MC-80 is a trundling mess. If a Star Destroyer gets you in it's front arc perpendicular to your path; there is zero chance of you getting away. However, with those MASSIVE side arcs, there is almost no way that a Star Destroyer jousting with you can avoid your side arc while you blitz past them. You'll take at least 2 solid shots from his front...and he'll take just as many return shots...if not more depending on activation control and positioning.

Once you jet past his front arc, he can't turn to get it in sight for a while while you just lazily bank and keep him in your own sights.

Of course, there's tons of other factors; but I honestly believe that MC80's excel at Slashing. It also draws fire onto you that you might otherwise want off another ship like a closing Nebulon-B with heavy frontal firepower.

Basically, yes OP. Slash to your hearts content. Be sure to support it and commit to it though. And don't be predictable.

I've been using the MC80 almost exclusively since Wave 2 came out, and I'm a huge supporter of Engine Techs to set up the slash.

Ideally, what you want to be doing, is move according to who enemy ships are deployed. If you're looking at far flanks, the slash should oriented in a way that one arc points towards your #1 thread (like an enemy ISD), while the other arc covers the flank from the opposite corner.

You should take advantage of your better long range shots to get as many shots in as possible without being cornered or boxed in before turning hard into the enemy if the range bands will favor blue dice while presenting one arc facing one target, and having the other arc hit another target.

I typically only play with one arc if the situation is unwinnable from a more aggressive angle e.g. diving into multiple enemy ships (like Raiders and Gladiators) is not worth the slash.

Just because you CAN slash doesn't mean you should, so you should always look for opportunities where the slash will offer the greatest coverage, but at the same time, not increase the amount of damage you will take.

Also, this. Which goes to my predictability caveat.

The only thing missing from the Nelson/Akbar slash is that shots that miss the enemy end up hitting friendlies. Any blanks should be rerolled against the ship on the other side of the MC80*!

* May not be legal play. Void where prohibited. SomeKittens inc does not claim any responsibility for you getting banned for insisting on this.

Im too much of a coward to go for a proper slash. I might try it some day. I do think it has to be done with engine techs. You need to cover the ground as much as possible.

Also, it is a lot of dice being thrown, but I've found it's useless unless there is at least an MC30 or two shooting four red dice at the same target to overwhelm the defensive tokens.

I think I mention this in IFF 15 but yes, I believe that the slash is a real possibility. Since players try to get in front of and/or behind the Ackbar Conga/Swirl, you just might find ships on both sides and a gap down the middle.

I would suggest this:

• The slash should never be your plan. It is not a strategy. It is a tactic.
• The time to use it is when your opponent opens themselves up to it. Many people will attempt to defend against an MC80 by either boxing it in, or trying to rush it. This is when you want to have the slash on hand to counter that.
• To do that, you probably want engine techs (to maximize speed) and a navigation command handy.

Food for thought, but I would suggest the time to use the slash is "whenever the board state is favorable". You don't plan to do it (too predictable), but you keep it in your toolbox as one of the ways to punish someone if they get close to your MC80.

Sure. Start wroth the conga in mind, but react to the fingertrap.

Sure. Start wroth the conga in mind, but react to the fingertrap.

Star Wars Episode VIII: Wroth of the Conga?

When I'm MC-80ing I start parallel to my edge of the board like I'm gonna conga then let my opponent react to determine my tactics. If he takes a super aggressive cut to head off the conga line then I'm looking for the cut back for the slash. If his angle isnt sharp enough then just keep chugging along feeding him red dice