Guidance Chip - fluff question

By Trevor Goodchild, in X-Wing

Not aiming to duplicate the existing threads on the pros/cons of the Chimps - great to see FFG making ordnance more viable.

So the card states if your primary weapon value is 3 or higher you can change a blank result to a crit. Now mechanics wise this makes sense to tempt high primary firepower ships into taking ordnance, but I'm curious about the fluff reasoning to support this.

I can't see how having a good primary laser system would enhance the effectiveness of a ship's missiles or torpedos and there's no allusion to simultaneous employment of ordance and laser systems to rationalise the extra damage.

Any thoughts from the community on the fluff behind this?

I ask as I often like visualising the impact of various abilities and mechanics - an integral part of my enjoyment of this amazing game!

The card image doesn't really provide any clues as all it shows is something resembling a building fire sprinkler nozzle.

https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/07/b3/07b3d0d5-a97f-4be3-a5d5-faede643e8d3/swx40_guidance-chips.png

Better targeting systems on offensively oriented ships? These would help the guidance chimp lock better.

Yeah as said above - if it allowed an extra dice to be rolled, you'd consider that to be increasing your firepower, but allowing you to modify your result instead actually gives you increased accuracy rather than increased firepower. Consider it more a kind of "native target lock" if you will.

Better targeting systems on offensively oriented ships? These would help the guidance chimp lock better.

I'm now picturing a small primate steering the missile/torpedo to its target...

On further reflection this actually seems more incongruous with ship roles and capabilities.

Most specialised ordnance carriers (TIE-Bombers and Punishers, and the K-Wing) have two dice primaries, this infers that those ships actually have worse integrated/organic missile and torpedo targeting systems than ships like the X-Wing, Kihraxz, and the TIE-Defender, with three dice primaries....

Better targeting systems on offensively oriented ships? These would help the guidance chimp lock better.

I'm now picturing a small primate steering the missile/torpedo to its target...

Somebody actually tried it with pigeons.

On further reflection this actually seems more incongruous with ship roles and capabilities.

Most specialised ordnance carriers (TIE-Bombers and Punishers, and the K-Wing) have two dice primaries, this infers that those ships actually have worse integrated/organic missile and torpedo targeting systems than ships like the X-Wing, Kihraxz, and the TIE-Defender, with three dice primaries....

more laser make monkey angrey and when monkey angrey he make crit go boom

heres an illustration:

4nCvMER.png 2 dice guidance chimp

vs

UP5pErn.png3 dice guidance chimp

there is literally no reason other than to make it more attractive for ships that normally wouldn't bother with ordnance since their primaries are almost as damaging

granted, it's not enough of an incentive to bother, but it's something

Chimps are very proud creatures. Critical chimps refuse to fly on things that throw fewer than 3 dice at any range so bombers etc must stick to the normal chimps they attract.

more laser make monkey angrey and when monkey angrey he make crit go boom

LMFAO

*falls off chair*

I had time on my hands and came up with the following.



TL,DR: Guidance chips are fitted to the primary weapons power train and only operate at full performance on ships capable of supply a lot of power (att 3+).



Dear Customer,



Congratulations on your purchase of Alderaan Starsystems Guidance Chip upgrade components.



Alderaan Starsystem Guidance Chips operate autonomously to your existing targeting system packages and are fully integratable with existing fighter designs and munitions loadouts.


Guidance chips continuously poll the location of your opponent from the moment your ordnance is released to the moment it hits the target. No longer do your munitions have to rely on limited onboard processing power to track to target thanks to Alderaan Starsystems Guidance Chips.




Understanding Guidance Chip power requirements.



Alderaan Starsystems Guidance Chips utilise both active tracking and predictive movement components from the Alderaan Starsystems munitions suite. Both components should be connected to the primary weapons system power train. The predictive movement component places a significantly higher draw on the system and should only be enabled on systems with a suitable primary weapon power supply.



Disclaimer: Alderaan Starsystems is unaffiliated with the planet Alderaan which was tragically destroyed by the :DELETE AS APPROPRIATE: [ terrorist Rebel Alliance using a stolen planetary ore extractor. ][ tyrannical Imperial forces testing their new battle station. ]


Better targeting systems on offensively oriented ships? These would help the guidance chimp lock better.

I'm now picturing a small primate steering the missile/torpedo to its target...

:P Shhhh... we don't want xeno rights activist to know about the Ewok we shoved in behind the warhead. ;)

Edited by Marinealver

I had time on my hands and came up with the following.

TL,DR: Guidance chips are fitted to the primary weapons power train and only operate at full performance on ships capable of supply a lot of power (att 3+).

Dear Customer,

Congratulations on your purchase of Alderaan Starsystems Guidance Chip upgrade components.

Alderaan Starsystem Guidance Chips operate autonomously to your existing targeting system packages and are fully integratable with existing fighter designs and munitions loadouts.

Guidance chips continuously poll the location of your opponent from the moment your ordnance is released to the moment it hits the target. No longer do your munitions have to rely on limited onboard processing power to track to target thanks to Alderaan Starsystems Guidance Chips.

Understanding Guidance Chip power requirements.

Alderaan Starsystems Guidance Chips utilise both active tracking and predictive movement components from the Alderaan Starsystems munitions suite. Both components should be connected to the primary weapons system power train. The predictive movement component places a significantly higher draw on the system and should only be enabled on systems with a suitable primary weapon power supply.

Disclaimer: Alderaan Starsystems is unaffiliated with the planet Alderaan which was tragically destroyed by the :DELETE AS APPROPRIATE: [ terrorist Rebel Alliance using a stolen planetary ore extractor. ][ tyrannical Imperial forces testing their new battle station. ]

Nice work sah!