That a scrub pilot like the Countess gets to do green K-turns is total BS. She's only PS5. How could she possibly merit such an elite maneuver when she's not even a Royal Guard TIE pilot?
Sincerely,
Tetran Cowell
Interceptors are for noobs.
-Delta squadron pilot
FFG finaly gives the best abilities to not_top_PS_pilots!
Well, it's certainly pretty amazing, but not sure I would say it's better than Vessery. Countess can still be out PS'd easily to make her ability much less effective. Excited to see how players go about countering this though.
Glad FFG fired the "non ept" and "ok but give a stress" guys form the aces.
All imperials must be scared, if we are getting all these cool pilots, prepare for the rebel veterans
GREEN K-TURNS!?!?!?!?!
GREEN K-TURNS!
That a scrub pilot like the Countess gets to do green K-turns is total BS. She's only PS5. How could she possibly merit such an elite maneuver when she's not even a Royal Guard TIE pilot?
Sincerely,
Tetran Cowell
Interceptors are for noobs.
-Delta squadron pilot
Shields are for cowards.
- Tetran Cowell
Well, it's certainly pretty amazing, but not sure I would say it's better than Vessery. Countess can still be out PS'd easily to make her ability much less effective. Excited to see how players go about countering this though.FFG finaly gives the best abilities to not_top_PS_pilots!
Countess Flipskies on the other hand can just sit with ptl, x7, and mk2 at 36 points of value in any list. Additionally while she can't out ps aces that's fine. Imo she's actually stronger as just having a green 2-5 kturn rather than always being tricky. Often the cadence of the fight clearly deserves a kturn and so you won't surprise anyone but you still get a green 2k or 5k which both are things I know I have wished for occasionally when the 4 is not a good option.
Edited by nigeltasticCountess Ryad + TIE/D looks like a contender for the Rage EPT. You would have rerolls on 2 attacks, plus get the Focus token for defense.
Her dial has so much green that she can easily shed 2 stress while spending a turn out of combat, and she would have an easier time getting back into combat that Corran does.
Yes. I very badly want to make Rage work. Why do you ask?
I just cannot wait to do a green 5k
Defender X7 title with Juke will be awesome!
Well, it's certainly pretty amazing, but not sure I would say it's better than Vessery. Countess can still be out PS'd easily to make her ability much less effective. Excited to see how players go about countering this though.FFG finaly gives the best abilities to not_top_PS_pilots!
That a scrub pilot like the Countess gets to do green K-turns is total BS. She's only PS5. How could she possibly merit such an elite maneuver when she's not even a Royal Guard TIE pilot?
Sincerely,
Tetran Cowell
Interceptors are for noobs.
-Delta squadron pilot
Shields are for cowards.
- Tetran Cowell
Both doesn´t matter, just shoot first
- Anonymous corellian smuggler
The countess also makes a pretty legit case for Outmanuver I think. When blocking your k is exceedingly difficult and sometimes your k is actually straight it feels pretty ok to be doing dirty things with that ept.
One can also wonder about Stay On Target, too! She would be really unpredictable at that point. Let's say you go with moving forward and maybe turning it into a K-turn. Well, that might be predictable. Imagine instead to turn it into a turn instead? It would be red, but she has a lot of green. Or, maybe a bank?
If you went with X7 and a 3 speed, you could get the Evade, even when stressed.
Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.
Muwhahahahahahahahaha!!!
Countess Ryad + TIE/D looks like a contender for the Rage EPT. You would have rerolls on 2 attacks, plus get the Focus token for defense.
Her dial has so much green that she can easily shed 2 stress while spending a turn out of combat, and she would have an easier time getting back into combat that Corran does.
Yes. I very badly want to make Rage work. Why do you ask?
Rage works with- Tycho, Keyan, 4LOM, and sorta Ibtisam. Needs either an ability that ignores stress (Tycho) or adv sensors along with an ability that can use stress to its benefit (the other three). Not sure I would consider putting it on the Countess where she is going to be at a disadvantage for an extra round with the double stress, especially when she is looking to have a billion amazing options.
In fact, longtime X-Wing players often refer to the "jousting value" of a given ship, meaning the raw efficiency of its attack, agility, hull, and shield values when compared to the ship's squad point cost and a valuation of the maneuverability of its dial.
Minor correction from the inventor of the term "jousting value" and the method for calculating it:
The "jousting value" doesn't include any measure of the ship's dial, just raw dice mechanics.
In contrast to my original harsh criticism of the Defender's high cost based on the initial preview, FFG has now swung in the other direction. Ironically, given the inflation of the game's power curve due to many other recent additions, the Defender may end up being right about where it needs to be in order to be top-tier competitive without steamrolling the current meta kings.
This will push pre-wave 7 generic jousters even deeper into the grave though.
Edited by MajorJuggler
Nearby Intel agent might make her one of the best blockers around. And she can decide which way to end facing while setting up the blocks.
Well, it's certainly pretty amazing, but not sure I would say it's better than Vessery. Countess can still be out PS'd easily to make her ability much less effective. Excited to see how players go about countering this though.FFG finaly gives the best abilities to not_top_PS_pilots!
I was thinking this exactly. You block, then turn around, so you're facing the same direction as the blocked ship. Now you move to the place the where your blocked ship has a K-turn, blocking it, and K-turning in the process. Now the other ship can do a short move and end up facing your guns at range 1 while Ryad has a Focus/TL/Evade (probably) or they can run for it. Heaven help them if they try to K-turn into the spot you occupy.
Imagine it against something like an Aggressor. You K-turn into the spot they would occupy if doing a 1-forward. Either you block them, get unreturned shots on their rear, or exchange fire when they made a Sloop or K-turn (action economy heavily favoring the Defender here). Any of these are good results. Say you block them, you can then K-turn into their 4-K spot, meaning. Their Sloops can't touch you and a straight move brings them into range 1 of you (with action economy probably favoring the Defender again), in the Range 1 HLC blind spot, so no IGB. It's filth. Other jousting ships, even top tier ones will just have to run away. Arc Dodgers still have a hard time, because the x7 Defender is so **** tough in the first place.
I'm having such a hard time trying to figure out a 2-Defender list right now.
That is one hideously powerful ability. Might now threaten aces that much, but having four green K-turns to choose from is amazing, and against anything PS1-4 this is downright murderous. Can't see myself taking a Glaive over Ryad now.
Actually, doing full-full K-Turns is one of the weaknesses of aces. They can typically do hard turns and then boost for 135 degree turns, but since they're super action dependent, they hate to do K-Turns and leave themselves actionless. If you can plan to be directly behind enemy Vader/Poe/Soontir, they've always been hard pressed to do anything about it. A ship that can K-Turn and then re-position turn after turn should be able to give real trouble to aces.
holy.... Countess Ryad might just be one of my new favourite pilots 
I have been waiting for another small based ship to have a 2 k-turn... and it's green on top... geez... the defenders are going to be everywhere I LOVE THIS GAME!!!
After reading the article and some of the subsequent tactical thoughts here, I think I need a cigarette. And I don't even smoke.
So many great choices for Defenders now, I'll be surprised if I ever fly a list without at least one in it ever again.
I AM FREAKING OUT SO HARD RIGHT NOW
GLAIVES. 34 POINTS. ALL THE TIME.
Ryad at PS5 with an EPT. Oh what's that? STILL 34 POINTS.
Not good enough? All Greens ALL THE TIME.
Maarek, the flight sim VIP, still at PS7 with the same skill, a paltry 35 points.
WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING
I'm not going to lie folks; I'm terrified.
In fact, longtime X-Wing players often refer to the "jousting value" of a given ship, meaning the raw efficiency of its attack, agility, hull, and shield values when compared to the ship's squad point cost and a valuation of the maneuverability of its dial.
Minor correction from the inventor of the term "jousting value" and the method for calculating it:
The "jousting value" doesn't include any measure of the ship's dial, just raw dice mechanics.
In contrast to my original harsh criticism of the Defender's high cost based on the initial preview, FFG has now swung in the other direction. Ironically, given the inflation of the game's power curve due to many other recent additions, the Defender may end up being right about where it needs to be in order to be top-tier competitive without steamrolling the current meta kings.
This will push pre-wave 7 generic jousters even deeper into the grave though.
I'm thinking modern jousters need to be Joust+
1.) They have a good dial to be Jousters that maneuver and block well, but even then usually need an EPT (for Crack Shot). TIE Fighters and A-wings fit this pretty well. Neither can reasonably be classified as Arc Dodgers due to their low ps, but en mass they have ferocious firepower and control via blocking.
2.) They do massive, if temporary damage to overwhelm modern regen/green dice manipulation. Ordnance Zs seem to fit here pretty well. Y-wings might start seeing some play as torp boats, too. I feel like B-wings are in a worse spot because of plasma Torp vulnerability.
3.) There might be other options, I'm not thinking of them right now.
Obviously, it's important to note that Wave 7 cards are needed to bring the pre-7 jousters into a good position, (Crack Shot, Guidance Chips), and I suppose we can recognize that FFG probably had something like this in mind when they planned the cards.
I don't get it, why are all her K-turn's green? the ion engines turn all banks green.
I don't get it, why are all her K-turn's green? the ion engines turn all banks green.
Defender has all green straights. Her ability allows her to change straights into K-turns. Thus, green K-turns.
Edited by KdubbI don't get it, why are all her K-turn's green? the ion engines turn all banks green.
Her ability makes you able to change any straight into a k turn. All her straights are green, ergo, she can do green k turns at any speed she could normally do a straight.
TIE mk2 has nothing to do with her pilot ability.