Of course you can always pair it with Stay on Target to create new red moves for X-Wings.

As plenty have said, Hobbie and Porkins can both synergize with Targeting Astro to an extent. Additionally, higher PS X-Wing pilots can make use of him with Stay on Target, using their late movement to react to their opponent and snag a TL in the process.

It's not amazing, but it isn't as terrible as a few early posters painted it to be.

For some reason I completely blanked on the fact that Y-Wings and E-Wings can take this astro...

With all the red on a Y-Wing this might be a nice option for it. Can get better use out of the 3 turns and 4 straight.

Ye-eah...but if you take this on a Y-Wing, you're not taking an astromech that gives you lots more green on your dial, which means your maneuverability is pretty shot on the following turn, if you want your actions back.

Main objection: Integrated Astromech finally, finally feeds the X-wing a balance patch. This patch works best with 1pt droids (Of which there are only two!), or with suitably capable more expensive ones. Something that's been missing for the droid slot to date has been, eg, a 3pt straight-up-jousting-buff droid, unlike the Crew slot that, yes, has the K4 Security Droid.

So we were hoping for something to fit one of these two roles; either another interesting little 1-pt cheapie to increase the 22pt Rookie diversity from literally two builds (one of which is noticeably worse than the other, so effectively one!), or something, even if it were 3pts, that was finally a generic Rebel Astromech that gave a worthwhile boost to combat power. Thugs get R4 Agromechs; Crew gets K4 Security Droid, System gets FCS. It was not unreasonable to hope there was a sensibly-built combat-booster on the way with such a droids name...

A target lock on reds isn't bad, but it doesn't help X-wings much; indeed it helps the T-70 and the Y-wing more by a considerable margin. The disappointment was we were really hoping for more stuff for X-wings, because there's gonna be a whole lot of 22pt R2 Rookies flying around soon... for lack of anything else to do with the things.

There are 5 1 point Astromechs if I'm correct. R2, R5, R4-D6, R2-D6. Then there is also that one point discardable in the new core set that turns you into Dash for the entire round.

They should have priced it at 1pt. Would have been good. At 2 pts it's just a trashcan.

Main objection: Integrated Astromech finally, finally feeds the X-wing a balance patch. This patch works best with 1pt droids (Of which there are only two!), or with suitably capable more expensive ones. Something that's been missing for the droid slot to date has been, eg, a 3pt straight-up-jousting-buff droid, unlike the Crew slot that, yes, has the K4 Security Droid.

So we were hoping for something to fit one of these two roles; either another interesting little 1-pt cheapie to increase the 22pt Rookie diversity from literally two builds (one of which is noticeably worse than the other, so effectively one!), or something, even if it were 3pts, that was finally a generic Rebel Astromech that gave a worthwhile boost to combat power. Thugs get R4 Agromechs; Crew gets K4 Security Droid, System gets FCS. It was not unreasonable to hope there was a sensibly-built combat-booster on the way with such a droids name...

A target lock on reds isn't bad, but it doesn't help X-wings much; indeed it helps the T-70 and the Y-wing more by a considerable margin. The disappointment was we were really hoping for more stuff for X-wings, because there's gonna be a whole lot of 22pt R2 Rookies flying around soon... for lack of anything else to do with the things.

There are 5 1 point Astromechs if I'm correct. R2, R5, R4-D6, R2-D6. Then there is also that one point discardable in the new core set that turns you into Dash for the entire round.

Sorry, small clarification there: Two generic droids; you're correct there are others.

With that said, when looking at the 22pt Rookie+IA+1pt 'Mech builds...

R2-D6 isn't legal.

R5-X3 is discardable, so has poor synergy with a discard-your-mech modification.

R2 is legit

R5 is legal (Though turning nonlethal crits facedown is pretty situational when you've only got 40% of your HP that can ever be faceup)

R4-D6 is legal and handy, but unique.

So: Of the five 'mechs, there are three real choices for an IA X-wing... one of which is unique and another marginal; of which, it must be noted, two find greater benefit on Y-wings. This is partly why people were hoping for a psuedo-K4; if a card ran off greens, it helps X- and E-wings up their firepower in a way less applicable to the (these days firepower-plentiful) Y-wing.

You might be correct that there are more than two options, but for a 22pt IA X-wing... it's still a barren field.

Does Ello Asty get a target lock and focus from talon rolls with this droid?

Maybe.Ello doesn't have to treat a T-Roll as a white maneuver so you can treat it as a red one, and get the TL. But then you get the stress as well.

I would think not, doesnt his card read that as long as he is without stress, then he treats the his Talon Roll as white. So not red!

Though if it says "may" then he could treat them as red or white, player's choice...though I think that would waste his ability.

They should have priced it at 1pt. Would have been good. At 2 pts it's just a trashcan.

You know, there are varying grades to look at. It's not just amazing or horrible. If you think it's 1 pt too much, that doesn't mean it's never to be used. I think if you use it with an ace and Stay On Target, it's worth it. If you find yourself using K-turns more than you need 1-2's green, then it's better than an R2. Just because something becomes situational doesn't mean it's horrible.

Also, Y-wings could do a red maneuver...and yes, they would have to do a green next turn, but sometimes that's alright. The maneuvers that are red for a Y-wing might push it out of someone's arc for 2 turns or so. It gives you a certain flexibility that you don't really have with just having 1-2's green. Sometimes it's flying different that can let you win.

Main objection: Integrated Astromech finally, finally feeds the X-wing a balance patch. This patch works best with 1pt droids (Of which there are only two!), or with suitably capable more expensive ones. Something that's been missing for the droid slot to date has been, eg, a 3pt straight-up-jousting-buff droid, unlike the Crew slot that, yes, has the K4 Security Droid.

So we were hoping for something to fit one of these two roles; either another interesting little 1-pt cheapie to increase the 22pt Rookie diversity from literally two builds (one of which is noticeably worse than the other, so effectively one!), or something, even if it were 3pts, that was finally a generic Rebel Astromech that gave a worthwhile boost to combat power. Thugs get R4 Agromechs; Crew gets K4 Security Droid, System gets FCS. It was not unreasonable to hope there was a sensibly-built combat-booster on the way with such a droids name...

A target lock on reds isn't bad, but it doesn't help X-wings much; indeed it helps the T-70 and the Y-wing more by a considerable margin. The disappointment was we were really hoping for more stuff for X-wings, because there's gonna be a whole lot of 22pt R2 Rookies flying around soon... for lack of anything else to do with the things.

There are 5 1 point Astromechs if I'm correct. R2, R5, R4-D6, R2-D6. Then there is also that one point discardable in the new core set that turns you into Dash for the entire round.

Sorry, small clarification there: Two generic droids; you're correct there are others.

With that said, when looking at the 22pt Rookie+IA+1pt 'Mech builds...

R2-D6 isn't legal.

R5-X3 is discardable, so has poor synergy with a discard-your-mech modification.

R2 is legit

R5 is legal (Though turning nonlethal crits facedown is pretty situational when you've only got 40% of your HP that can ever be faceup)

R4-D6 is legal and handy, but unique.

So: Of the five 'mechs, there are three real choices for an IA X-wing... one of which is unique and another marginal; of which, it must be noted, two find greater benefit on Y-wings. This is partly why people were hoping for a psuedo-K4; if a card ran off greens, it helps X- and E-wings up their firepower in a way less applicable to the (these days firepower-plentiful) Y-wing.

You might be correct that there are more than two options, but for a 22pt IA X-wing... it's still a barren field.

If only the text on r5-x3 said to turn upside down as opposed to discard, allowing it to synergize with IA.

If only the text on r5-x3 said to turn upside down as opposed to discard, allowing it to synergize with IA.

That's what 'discard' is defined as in the rules - that's why the new bomber pilot's ability says 'turn the card back face-up'.

True that a Y-wing gets as much mileage out of this (in theory) as an X-wing, but the most common Y-wings these days don't make K-turns. Laser Turrets don't care about coming end-around. Torpedo-bomber Y-wings love it, which is good - anything which makes torpedoes more appealing compared to turrets is a good thing.

Equally, it makes a T65's torp slot more tempting - because it gives you a lock as you come out of a K-turn - the point where your target will, generally speaking, not have any defensive tokens and will be carrying stress. This makes it the perfect moment to drop a flechette or ion torpedo on the poor bugger.