hmmm... am I thinking crossways here? I thought chips only triggered once per turn , and thus would affect only one of the two cluster attacks, did I read that wrong?

With average rolls and a focus token you'd usually only need the focus token on one attack and Chips on the other.

That's not true. With three dices you have only 42% chance of not rolling any blanks. So there is around 33% probability of having at least one blank on both rolls.

Yes but your usually using this combo with a ship that has FCS. Meaning you have a TL for the blanks. The one most have mentioned is the one I like, Redline with FCS, Cluster, Extra Munitions and Chimps. TL for 2 TLs, wait till next round with focus, Roll 3 with average of hit hit blank, spend TL to reroll and roll eyeball, focus to 3 hits, reacquire TLs, roll second group, Hit blank focus, TL to reroll blank and focus, Hit Hit blank, Chimps for 3, reacquire TLs, Repeat in third round. Just example but Redline with the new munitions stuff like Chimps can be scary when played right.

True, but this just proves my point of needing some kind of a reroll technique to shine. Clusters are good even on a generic punisher with FCS. I still prefer Juked Barons as a delivery platform though

Deathrain + FCS + clusters + guidance chips. It hits hard. i got smashed by this combo at a tourney.

Redline, you mean. Deathrain is the guy you want to load with Conner Nets.

This is where people screw up using Deathrain, imho. They stop loading him up once they run out of bomb slots.

Deathrain w/ FCS means he's getting a probably cluster shot off in R2-3 after a K-turn. Nothing to sneeze at.

When Ndru missed a Lambda shuttle with cluster missiles I never tried them again.

Deathrain + FCS + clusters + guidance chips. It hits hard. i got smashed by this combo at a tourney.

Redline, you mean. Deathrain is the guy you want to load with Conner Nets.

This is where people screw up using Deathrain, imho. They stop loading him up once they run out of bomb slots.

Deathrain w/ FCS means he's getting a probably cluster shot off in R2-3 after a K-turn. Nothing to sneeze at.

Eh, thats becoming too many points on a one green/no defense tech ship. The best Deathrain is a cheap one. FGD won a store championship with this build:

“Deathrain” (37)

TIE Punisher (26), Accuracy Corrector (3), Extra Munitions (2), Seismic Charges (2), Conner Net (4)

The AC is what maintains value after the bombs (if DR is still alive then, which he probably isn't). It allows him to shamelessly boost. This Deathrain ruins one ship and then allows your team to maybe take out another one.

I like Deathrain with Electronic Baffles. Being able to vom up a conner net after a red move is huge. Especially if that red move is a k-turn that puts you behind an enemy...

When Ndru missed a Lambda shuttle with cluster missiles I never tried them again.

If the dice hate you that much, maybe it is time to play blackjack.

It's true that Cluster Missiles are best at lower Agility ships. Great on 0 or 1 Agility. Not bad on 2 Agility. It can strip tokens and maybe get a hit on 3 Agility, but not always. Terrible vs. a tokened up 3 or 4 Agility ship.

There are a number of builds that can take better use of the Cluster Missile that others have mentioned. Krassis, N'Dru, and Tie Adv w/ Accuracy Corrector come to mind. There is also any Scum ship with Glitterstim, as well. You get the Focus action for both attacks. Guidance Chip only works on one, but often you only need it for one. Especially true if you have Glitterstim and/or some other form of re-roll (Predator). Juke is another good way to make their defense worse.

Accuracy Corrector TIE/x1s love them. Add Guidance Chips for even more power. They don't stack but they're not redundant either.

Especially nasty on Alonzen with Juke

Yeah, that's what I was going to say. So...Alozen with Accuracy Corrector, GC, and Juke means if you get into R1, you can Evade, get the free TL and fire Cluster Missiles. Save the GC for some time when you roll 2 hits and change it to a 3rd. Use Accuracy Corrector if you roll terrible on either of the shots. Juke means they get -1 green die.

Of course, I'd probably go with ATC for Alozen instead of AC, but it's a way to maximize the Cluster.

“Deathrain” (40)
TIE Punisher (26), FCS (2), Extra Munitions (2), Prox Mines (3), Seismic Charges (2), Cluster Missiles (or Proton Torps, pick your flavor) (4)

Prox mines for when you *know* you'll be dropping them on someone. FCS gets target locks after a primary weapon attack at R3. Seismics for the turns that you already have a TL and are making a K turn to swing around.

FCS TL's give a reroll for any weapon I need, really. Just as good to me as AC, since it leaves me free to focus.

Just different flavors, really. My 40 point DR fits perfectly with my 60 point RAC. If you have two other ships instead of one fat deci, I can see needing to shave some points off.

FCS will not give you TL on the first CM missile attack since you need to spend it to fire the missile at all

better off without systems and with homing missiles (and conner nets, by far , over prox mines)

You could go with "Redline" for 1 pt more. He'll get 2 TL's and let you use one on the first.

clusters are good against tokenstackers atleast for burning the tokens. Often the first shot does nothing against tokenstackers but its quite rare for BOTH attacks to not burn those tokens. It might not do any damage but if they manage to dodge both attacks with dicemod shenanigans w/o tokens then the dice gods hate you.