I just got back into reading the forums again, and it seems like crack shot is the big new thing. I'm confused as to how this is so popular. Yes it overrides an opponent's evade...once only. Yes it's only 1 point for a disposable ept. But isn't that ept spot more valuable then a one shot card that eliminates one evade result? Evidently I don't see the bigger picture. What am I missing?

I just got back into reading the forums again, and it seems like crack shot is the big new thing. I'm confused as to how this is so popular. Yes it overrides an opponent's evade...once only. Yes it's only 1 point for a disposable ept. But isn't that ept spot more valuable then a one shot card that eliminates one evade result? Evidently I don't see the bigger picture. What am I missing?

You only have to do so much damage to destroy your opponent's ships and win. A single ship with crackshot is a single guaranteed damage that wouldn't have gone through otherwise. A crackshot bearing swarm of Black Squadron pilots is 5 or so, enough to force 5 damage through that would have otherwise been blocked which is enough to destroy an X-wing or a bunch of other ships with less. In that regard it's better en masse but even a single one can make a big impact for a single point.

It also has the surprisingly wonderful effect of "encouraging" aces like Soontir to "Over-Evade" i.e. spend more counters than is required, to ensure they get to keep their precious stealth device. And you get to decide to use it after those tokens are spent so if they do Over-Evade you can save it for next turn

Where it really shines is with defensive tokens. Just the threat of Crack Shot forces over-evades, which opens up the defender to follow-up attacks.

You have turtled-up Soontir Fel for instance, and you're facing Hit Hit Crit. You roll Evade Evade Focus Blank with a focus and an Evade token. The attacker has Crack shot.

If you

-spend Focus: Crack Shot forces the crit through.

-spend Evade: Crack Shot forces the crit through.

-spend both: Your opponent saves Crack Shot for later, but you had to spend both your tokens instead of one. If there's another shot coming, that's trouble.

-spend nothing: Crack Shot gives you Hit Crit. You might be done. What were you saving those tokens for?

Where it really shines is with defensive tokens. Just the threat of Crack Shot forces over-evades, which opens up the defender to follow-up attacks.

You have turtled-up Soontir Fel for instance, and you're facing Hit Hit Crit. You roll Evade Evade Focus Blank with a focus and an Evade token. The attacker has Crack shot.

If you

-spend Focus: Crack Shot forces the crit through.

-spend Evade: Crack Shot forces the crit through.

-spend both: Your opponent saves Crack Shot for later, but you had to spend both your tokens instead of one. If there's another shot coming, that's trouble.

-spend nothing: Crack Shot gives you Hit Crit. You might be done. What were you saving those tokens for?

This completes the thread.

You only have to do so much damage to destroy your opponent's ships and win. A single ship with crackshot is a single guaranteed damage that wouldn't have gone through otherwise. A crackshot bearing swarm of Black Squadron pilots is 5 or so, enough to force 5 damage through that would have otherwise been blocked which is enough to destroy and X-wing or a bunch of other ships with less. In that regard it's better en masse but even a single one can make a big impact for a single point.

Except it's not guaranteed. It's highly likely over the length of the game, but it only really comes into play if your opponent has an equal or less number of Evades as you have hits. Running a load of 2 attack die ships, if your target (improbably) always rolls 3 evades between dice, AT, and tokens, (or just always happens to get at least one more than your hits) then you'll never use that Crackshot.

That is an improbable scenario though, but I wanted to discourage the thinking that you can just blow them all in the Alpha Strike and obliterate a ship.

One of the best uses of Crackshot in a swarm though is forcing the target to use his Evade tokens.

"I have two hits and you've rolled two evades. I still have Crackshot. Would you like to spend your evade token?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then I don't use Crackshot. My next fighter attacks..."

*edit: Ninja'd Twice! I'm slow.

The comments on token-expenditure and boosting the damage output in crackswarms are both absolutely correct, but for a better understanding, the key is in the timing . It's a big enough deal that even expensive ships might take it over a more valuable EPT.

The difference between an enemy ship returning fire on 1 or 2 HP vs being dead entirely can be pretty important. Unlike munitions or tokens, you know whether it's a kill shot before you spend the card, and that's what makes it so vital.

Even with perfect rolls, 2 attack dice ships often can't pierce the defenses of your typical Acewing ship.

This allows you to actually damage them for more than just a plink damage or two.

Example: You have 3 range 2 TIE Fighter shots on Miranda Doni. Your first attack is 2/2 hits, and Miranda blanks out. That's 2 damage so far. Your next two attacks are hit blanks and your opponent gets lucky and rolls evades both times with her 1 evade die. You've only done 2 damage, and your opponent is going to regenerate one the next time it shoots. You've basically done nothing.

Now, imagine that same situation, except now you have Crackshot on all of your ships. 4 damage! Isn't that WELL worth having to pay the 3 extra points to bid to Black Squadron/Omega Squadron? And hey, you get 4 pilot skill out of it so you can blow away your opponent's PS 2 fodder before it even gets a chance to fire.

The two best Crackshot Swarms are:

3x Black Squadron, 3x Omega Squadron, 6x Crackshot. 99 points.

OR

3x Black Squadron, 2x Omega Squadron, Howlrunner, 6x Crackshot. 100 points.

I prefer the former but the latter should still suit you well. The FO's are GREAT.

I've been running 4x Black Squad with crackshot and Redline recently. Couple of things I've noticed.

1) While timing is important, you can treat it as basically +1 damage for a turn. TIEs die quickly so there is very little incentive to hold on to it.

2) Having said that, keeping it to force crits on your opponents ship is really strong too. There are no hard and fast rules for this, I base it off what my opponent seems to be targeting and if I am maximizing my damage. If my opponent is going after Redline and my damage rolls are poor, I might save it.

3) I faced a triple regeneration list and dropped Miranda in one turn, only because of crackshot. It was still such a slog, but I would have definitely lost without it.

4) Unmodified attacks are still pretty dangerous. You don't sacrifice as much damage potential when you reposition.

5) TIEs with crackshot tend to be prioritized over ones that have spent theirs. Who do you go for, the one at range 2 with crackshot or the one at range 1 without it?

It's an upgrade that is:

• cheap
• can not be countered like other means to mitigate defense (like juke)
• not "dead weight" depending on the match-up (like Veteran instincts can be if you already won the pilot skill bidding)
• not dependent on actions
• functional independent of stress or other negative effects in play

So in short, crackshot is just an aggressively efficient option.

Try it just once, you'll see. The key as mentioned is in the timing. During the compare results step. Not modify. It even trumps the empra.

I've been running 4x Black Squad with crackshot and Redline recently. Couple of things I've noticed.

1) While timing is important, you can treat it as basically +1 damage for a turn. TIEs die quickly so there is very little incentive to hold on to it.

2) Having said that, keeping it to force crits on your opponents ship is really strong too. There are no hard and fast rules for this, I base it off what my opponent seems to be targeting and if I am maximizing my damage. If my opponent is going after Redline and my damage rolls are poor, I might save it.

3) I faced a triple regeneration list and dropped Miranda in one turn, only because of crackshot. It was still such a slog, but I would have definitely lost without it.

4) Unmodified attacks are still pretty dangerous. You don't sacrifice as much damage potential when you reposition.

5) TIEs with crackshot tend to be prioritized over ones that have spent theirs. Who do you go for, the one at range 2 with crackshot or the one at range 1 without it?

What loadout do you use on Redline?

Do you ever ion bomb your own TIEs to force them to do 1 straights? Besides for that ridiculous question, how does the ion bomb help your list? Dropping one on a Poe and knowing where he's going to be? How have you used it to your advantage? What about Seismic Charges?

*Gasp* What about Thread Tracers so that you can give all of your Crack Squadrons Target Locks?

I'm excited because your list is what my ideal meta would look like. A bunch of filler ships and an ordnance boat.

I started with a 2 point initiative bid, but I wasn't really using it so I added the ion bombs after that. I wanted something to deter people from following Redline after the initial joust, but something that wouldn't really hurt my TIEs if they got caught in the blast.

More recently, I switched out the Plasma and the Bomb for Assault Missiles. Wrecked a swarm and didn't do much against any other list, so unfortunately that's a bit of a dud. I have too many ships, 1 usually ends up at range 1 so I don't use the missile.

Thread Tracers is the next one to try, with a 1 point initiative bid. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea.

I started with a 2 point initiative bid, but I wasn't really using it so I added the ion bombs after that. I wanted something to deter people from following Redline after the initial joust, but something that wouldn't really hurt my TIEs if they got caught in the blast.

More recently, I switched out the Plasma and the Bomb for Assault Missiles. Wrecked a swarm and didn't do much against any other list, so unfortunately that's a bit of a dud. I have too many ships, 1 usually ends up at range 1 so I don't use the missile.

Thread Tracers is the next one to try, with a 1 point initiative bid. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea.

You want an initiative bid in order to prevent an autoloss should you face a Super Dash. Give Dash initiative so you can see where he ends up and then angle boost into position.

Of course, you can run Dash Poe at like 98 points *sigh* so you might want to go to 98. IDK, 99 should be fine against everything that's not that.

Another option is Flechette instead of Plasma, and Tracer rounds, giving some stress control and a 2 point initiative bid.

If you play Vassal or in a casual group that is okay with you playing unreleased cards, give it a whirl and let me know how you go with it.

Back on topic, crackshot is great. Use it.

Another option is Flechette instead of Plasma, and Tracer rounds, giving some stress control and a 2 point initiative bid.

If you play Vassal or in a casual group that is okay with you playing unreleased cards, give it a whirl and let me know how you go with it.

Back on topic, crackshot is great. Use it.

The difference between 4 and 3 dice in the context of redline is way too big to downgrade like that.

Don't forget Crackshot + HLC on IG-88B. They can't play that "I'll permit 1 damage" game to deal with the Gunner effect as readily. You can push 2 damage through, or they have to deal with your Fire-Controlled follow up (still with Crackshot at the ready).

Also keep in mind the soon to be released Imperial Veterans box with the Gamma Veteran.

PS 5 bomber with an EPT. I look forward to trying it with Crackshot, EM, Homing Missile and Long Range Scanners.

4 dice attack that you should be able to engineer both TL and focus for, ignores evade tokens and you cancel 1 evade result from your opponent with crackshot.

It's pretty brutal.

I love to take it on my IG with FCS, Heavy laser cannon and Ion Cannon. When I don't have any modifier I shoot at aces with the Ion Cannon First. Believe me they will do everything to not get ioned. Then, for my second shot, I either shoot with the Ion again or the Heavy Laser Cannon to do the most damage, I use Crack Shot then if it means I would kill the target, or to guarantee that I ionized the ship.

Sounds like you got the Crackshot logic you were looking for. I'd like to add that Crackshot BEATS Palpatine's modifications as Palpatine CANNOT modify after someone has spent Crackshot.

That is a 1-point card beating out an 8-point card. And it may have just won you the match...

Maybe. Think of it this way... Besides VI, which other 1-point EPT buys you so much potential?

What's the best way to get six Crack Shots? Was it a tournament participation prize? Come in the bottom of a cereal box?

Do I really need to pick up a half dozen of those Scum ships that rarely get used?

What's the best way to get six Crack Shots? Was it a tournament participation prize? Come in the bottom of a cereal box?

Do I really need to pick up a half dozen of those Scum ships that rarely get used?

Borrow?

That's what I had to do for a couple tournaments until I got ahold of my own. The only reason I have six myself is because there was a great online sale at Coolstuffinc one day on those K-fighters, so I picked up two more.

I just got back into reading the forums again, and it seems like crack shot is the big new thing. I'm confused as to how this is so popular. Yes it overrides an opponent's evade...once only. Yes it's only 1 point for a disposable ept. But isn't that ept spot more valuable then a one shot card that eliminates one evade result? Evidently I don't see the bigger picture. What am I missing?

Depends on the ship. It's basically the only way a TIE Fighter will ever touch Soontir and some other aces. It helps revive the swarm. It helps punch damage through the auto-cancels on heavy turrets.

In short, it's all that AND a bag of chips.