Been toying with a build for Guri that included Cloaking Device and wondering whether to go with Autothrusters or Stygium Particle Accelerator. Overall the "safer" route is Autothrusters as it will be with me all game, although that free evade token works on all ranges vs Autothrusters which is only out of arc and range 3. The random chance of the Cloaking device failing ends up in a 4 point sink vs just a 2 point for the Cloaking device itself. I'll probably end up trying both, but wanted to get general thoughts on this.

For people who will ask the question of "Well what type of Guri build is it?" I currently have Guri at 41 pts with Virago, Outmaneuver, Advanced Sensors, Cloaking Device and Autothrusters/Stygium.

Also, side question. When Stygium says "You may preform a free evade action." Can you still do that while stressed?

if you're not tycho, no actions while stressed (free or otherwise)

anyway, autothrusters isn't the "safer" route as much as it is the strictly superior one. Gambling away four points on a die roll is just setting yourself up for frusturation, not to mention the fact that you need to set up cloak ahead of time on a low PS ship (i.e, you could give up a shot if you guess incorrectly) that cannot use int agent (to know whether or not it will have a shot ahead of time, ala Sigma phantoms)

basically, scum cloak is a half-price crappy engine upgrade kind of like GONK! is a half price crappy r2-d2. Mind you, the cloak has great utility in its choice of movement, but it is never something to rely on defensively (or at all, really). Advanced Cloaking Device it is not

I have to admit that Stygian sounds really cool! I might have to try that sometime....you know....when I have nothing but free time to try out the 101 ideas for X-wing that are always brewing in the back of my head?

What makes the Phantom's cloak viable is being able to attack/cloak with Advanced Cloaking. With a Scum cloak taking your action, you loose the attack which Guri should be doing anyway. Add to that, Advanced Sensors makes little sense on cloaking turns as it doesn't really change the end result of a cloaked Guri. Maybe best used when slooping, but if I am slooping, I would want to have the shot so I can get behind a someone and unleash outmaneuver.

In my mind, a Adv.Sensors / Outmaneuver Guri should be doing 2 things.

1. Target lock / sloop behind someone at range 1 for a focus / unleash wrath

2. OR, be out of firing range setting up another attack like 1.

Juke + Stygium Particle Accelerator + sensor jammer.

Otherwise stick with autothrusters.

I really wish the Scum Cloaking device either didn't have the ability to be broken, or has an even lower chance by having to roll a crit to break it.

Or, have it allow you to attack while cloaked, but gives you some penalty. Like not being able to modify the attack at all.

Otherwise its another example of FFG being a bit too safe when designing new cards.

Juke + Stygium Particle Accelerator + sensor jammer.

Otherwise stick with autothrusters.

As fun as that sounds, that's a 6 point sink banking on Cloaking Device not failing since the StarViper doesn't even have an Evade action. I'd try it in a fun game, but anything serious, I'm taking a big risk.

The modification options have become very compelling. To the questions at hand, I think Autothrusters aren't super necessary now that PWTs are much more mild.

I think the Scum cloak is cool, fun, and effective. That said you have to be ready for it to fail at any moment. With that in mind, possibly losing 4 points on the first turn through no fault of your own or your opponent's is kinda crappy.

I guess you could wait to use it and then take a cloak action to try to get yourself out of a real mess. 5 agility and an evade token could possibly see you out of trouble. But they are green dice...

Easy way to remember it, well for me is, if it says assign a token I get it all the time. If it says perform a free action, I only get it if I am not stressed.

Soontir's pilot ability is an example of this.

What makes the Phantom's cloak viable is being able to attack/cloak with Advanced Cloaking. With a Scum cloak taking your action, you loose the attack which Guri should be doing anyway. Add to that, Advanced Sensors makes little sense on cloaking turns as it doesn't really change the end result of a cloaked Guri. Maybe best used when slooping, but if I am slooping, I would want to have the shot so I can get behind a someone and unleash outmaneuver.

In my mind, a Adv.Sensors / Outmaneuver Guri should be doing 2 things.

1. Target lock / sloop behind someone at range 1 for a focus / unleash wrath

2. OR, be out of firing range setting up another attack like 1.

Ideally, I'd be decloaking on the same turn that I'd want to sloop behind my target for higher repositioning possibilities. I'm completely content not taking shots at range 3 and cloaking, giving me 6 green dice w/ autothrusters and giving myself more positioning options for the next turn when I will unleash wrath. Decloack, Adv Sensor Target Lock or Engine/Barrel Roll if necessary, Sloop or some closing maneuver for range 1 our of arc. I'm planning on partnering this Guri with a Bumpmaster to help setup Guri.

I really wish the Scum Cloaking device either didn't have the ability to be broken, or has an even lower chance by having to roll a crit to break it.

Or, have it allow you to attack while cloaked, but gives you some penalty. Like not being able to modify the attack at all.

Otherwise its another example of FFG being a bit too safe when designing new cards.

It could be neat to see an extra munitions type card- maybe StarViper only- that takes up the Torpedo slot and let's you discard a token instead of the card when instructed to on illicit upgrades.

It would make Cloaking Device better on the SV, or give Guri a second use of Glitterstim. Or some other tricks...

if you're not tycho, no actions while stressed (free or otherwise)

anyway, autothrusters isn't the "safer" route as much as it is the strictly superior one. Gambling away four points on a die roll is just setting yourself up for frusturation, not to mention the fact that you need to set up cloak ahead of time on a low PS ship (i.e, you could give up a shot if you guess incorrectly) that cannot use int agent (to know whether or not it will have a shot ahead of time, ala Sigma phantoms)

basically, scum cloak is a half-price crappy engine upgrade kind of like GONK! is a half price crappy r2-d2. Mind you, the cloak has great utility in its choice of movement, but it is never something to rely on defensively (or at all, really). Advanced Cloaking Device it is not

I have played a few games with this here:

Dengar (33)

Push the Limit (3)

"Gonk" (2)

R4 Agromech (2)

Glitterstim (2)

Engine Upgrade (4)

Punishing One (12)

Guri (30)

Push the Limit (3)

Sensor Jammer (4)

Cloaking Device (2)

Autothrusters (2)

Virago (1)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

It uses both Gonk and the Cloak. You collect tokens on Gonk while not being too offensive. This makes opponents come and rush your Dengar because after a few turns of not being engaged, afterwards he can just go and load up one shield for one action.

Gonk is pretty amazing really for 2 points especially on a high PS ave that can arc-Dodge if he needs to. Good options on Dengar are Unhinged astro or the new R5 (this really does a number on Imp Aces)

Guri is extremely hard to hit in this configuration when you need her to. The only problem is her mediocre PS as always. But teaming her with Dengar is nice because he will be a big target, and Guri can mop up well endgame if she needs to! I would take the cloak any day of the week over Other illicits on Guri. You don't use it all the time anyway, but it only failed me once in all my games and that was not exactly dramatic. But it has saved me a lot of times. She survived a full Procket salvo and a Poe Dameron shot the same turn thanks to the cloak which simply permitted me to win the game. Imp aces have had a lot of problems damaging her too and while cloaked she laughs at TLTs!

I have yet to run her with Stygium but i think AT is the more solid option especially as you won't use the Cloak if you don't need to! She can still arc dodge and be tough to kill without it and AT is perfect for a Starviper!

Other than that i encourage you to try this build, it's surprisingly competitive if flown decently and its only real nightmare is encountering stress control lists. I have not yet encountered Chopper but i imagine he will be pretty tough as an opponent. I have met a Stresshog and won the game but it was a pretty tough one. Guri managed to 1v2 some TLT Y-Wings (one of which was the Hog as it was the world champs list).

So i do think both Gonk and the Cloak are indeed very cheap and very useful.

Played tonight using a TAP and AT saved it twice it's such a dependable upgrade I wouldn't swap it for the stygium myself.

I tried the illicid cloak + Stygium two times now - with Talonbane.

In the first game I cloaked him right away - and of course I rolled the eye at the end of round 1 - fail.

In the second game I cloaked when I had the situation where I don't had a shot at an enemy ship, but enemy ships got shots on me. It saved Talonbane for this round. But then again, I rolled an eye and it was gone.

Thats my luck.

The dump thing is that you don't get any benefit of the Sygium if you lose the Cloaking Device at the end of the round.

ATs are saver at this point.

Im mostly done with the Cloaking Device now. It should have been that it goes away if you roll a crit.

AUtothrusters, no question. Stygium is tied to an unreliable upgrade you might well end up either breaking the first time you use it, or never using it again because it stops you shooting. Stygium is still only useful to generic Phantoms, sadly.