Custom Upgrade Idea [Or, One Less ID Thread]

By ObiWonka, in X-Wing

Posted at

I don't do these often, but I thought this one up the other day and kinda liked it and thought I'd share. The idea is to get some of the lesser-used Astromechs some more play time, as well as possibly help the X-Wing out a little.

⦁ Precursor-Enhanced
Astromech
[X-Wing Only?]
Your upgrade bar gains [Astromech][Astromech]. You may equip a unique [Astromech] and a non-unique [Astromech] with an equal or lower R-series ([Astromech] upgrades without an R-series may be treated as higher or lower). If you are instructed to discard a [Astromech] upgrade, you must discard all your [Astromech] upgrades.
[Astromech]
1 Point
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Thematically, a newer R-series should incorporate older models' abilities. Similarly, a Unique Astromech should still be able to perform what the rest of its R-series can do.
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Examples:
3 Points (R4-D6 + R2 Astromech): When you are hit by an attack and there are at least 3 uncanceled [hit] results, you may choose to cancel those results until there are 2 remaining. For each result canceled this way, receive 1 stress token. You may treat all 1- and 2-speed maneuvers as green maneuvers.
4 Points (BB-8 + R2 Astromech): When you reveal a green maneuver, you may perform a free barrel roll action. You may treat all 1- and 2-speed maneuvers as green maneuvers.
4 Points (R3-A2 + R2 Astromech): When you declare the target of your attack, if the defender is inside your firing arc, you may receive 1 stress token to cause the defender to receive 1 stress token. You may treat all 1- and 2-speed maneuvers as green maneuvers.
5 Points (R5-D8 + R5 Astromech): Action: Roll 1 defense die. On a [evade] or [eye] result, discard 1 of your facedown Damage cards. During the End phase, you may choose 1 of your faceup Damage cards with the Ship trait and flip it facedown.
5 Points (R5-K6 + Targeting Astromech): After spending your target lock, roll 1 defense die. On a [eye] result, immediately acquire a target lock on that same ship. You cannot spend this target lock during this attack. After you execute a red maneuver, you may acquire a target lock.
5 Points (R5-P9 + R5 Astromech): At the end of the Combat phase, you may spend 1 of your focus tokens to recover 1 shield (up to your shield value). During the End phase, you may choose 1 of your faceup Damage cards with the Ship trait and flip it facedown.
6 Points (R2-D2 + R2 Astromech): After executing a green maneuver, you may recover 1 shield (up to your shield value). You may treat all 1- and 2-speed maneuvers as green maneuvers.

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Also, haha! I tricked you intro reading a 'fix' thread! ;)

Posted at

That's actually an interesting idea.

Posted at

The R5 is worse than the R2. It's a budget model.

The R1 was a giant thing that looks nothing like any of the others.

The R2 was Industrial Automation's hit astromech that got everywhere.

The R3 was the R2 for rich people and militaries: essentially R2 Deluxe Edition with glass dome.

The R4 was marketed as an Agromech rather than an Astromech: it was designed to appeal to landspeeder owners.

The R5 was the budget R2 and a total failure: mechanically unreliable and with ghastly temperaments. Eventually IA started reselling R2s in R5 casings.

The R6 was a post Endor R2 rehash that was pretty successful. It's the TFA of Astromechs. Good but not innovative.

The R7 was the special E-wing astromech.

The R8 was the R7 for people who don't want to fly overpriced E-wings.

The R9 is fairly deep into late Legends (post Vong) and they're the ones you find in the back of the undergunned, underarmoured, poorly shielded black with polka dots X-wings the neo-Jedi fly that somehow outperform normal X-wings.

That's how Legends had it anyway.

Anyway, problem with this idea is allowing R2 Astromech's ability to combo with R2-D2 or R3-A2. There's a reason those are mutually exclusive.

Edited by Blue Five
Posted at

Interesting. That is something I always had trouble with previously.

Posted at

1) The R5 is worse than the R2. It's a budget model.

2) The R2 was Industrial Automation's hit astromech that got everywhere.

3) The R7 was the special E-wing astromech.

4) Anyway, problem with this idea is allowing R2 Astromech's ability to combo with R2-D2 or R3-A2. There's a reason those are mutually exclusive.

1) That's something we'd just have to live with since there's no space for ruling out things like that.

2) Makes it sound like they're mischievous and getting into things they shouldn't be.

3) I'm not familiar enough to know whether that means they should or shouldn't be able to plug into X- or Y-Wings. If not, see point #1.

4) That's part of the reason X-Wing Only has a question mark after it. I think restricting the upgrade and hence those particular combos to an X-Wing chassis could help curb their strength, if necessary.

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The R6 was a post Endor R2 rehash that was pretty successful. It's the TFA of Astromechs. Good but not innovative.

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BB-8 and R2 would be a broken combination, especially in combination with PtL, giving you three actions every turn. Can you see it on Wedge moving last?

I like Wedge, but this would make him extremely strong.

Posted at

BB-8 and R2 would be a broken combination, especially in combination with PtL, giving you three actions every turn. Can you see it on Wedge moving last?

I like Wedge, but this would make him extremely strong.

Wedge + BB-8 isn't seeing too much play as far as I know. How much better would the 2-speeds be for 2 points? I don't know, I haven't tested this. :) That said, it wasn't clear, but the italics on the bit about +/- for droids without R-series could be left out as well. That would leave poor Targeting Astromech out in the cold with BB-8, though, and 2 of the only 7 viable combos I found in the OP.

Posted at

Love it. Had another idea for mechs a while back.

*Cloned Programing

Astromech 1 point

Your upgrade bar gains one astromech Icon.

You may equip a unique astromech even if another ship in your squad has equipped that upgrade.

When a game effect instructs you to discard an astromech upgrade you must discard all equipped astromechs.

Want 2 R2-D2's? Well it will cost an extra point but sure. Why should software be unique?