Actually I think the Punisher - Deathrain in particular - is one of the most fun ships in the game - and it even makes it to the top tables from time to time, so it's clearly not that bad.

But hot-**** it's expensive and squishy in a bad match-up (curse you TLT!)

How would you tweak it?

Ept

Make it a target lock and a focus instead of two target locks.

Problem is its designed to have ordnance loaded but it's so squishy you'll almost never empty the racks before it splodes.

You need a bigger threat to distract from them.

Discounted price (-2) on all ordnance. Let's you load them up and stay useful while not eating up all your points.

Add a system designed to work with Ordnance.

As a bonus, this could also help the E-Wing, B-Wing, TIE Advanced and Ghost.

Long Range Sensors! It's coming and it's going to be Glorious!

Also, as sensor slot option for Bombers:

Tracking Radar

Sensor

1 pt

Turn 1 blank results into a Crit Result on all torpedoes and missiles.

This way you can have Guidance Chips and Tracking Radar. Or Long range sensors and Tracking Radar.

Interesting! and Only good on a few ships. Makes the Punisher Different then the Bomber.

Also, sensor slot

Heavy Bombs and Mines

2 pts

Sensor

When a bomb or mine goes off add 1 automatic damage to anyone in range.

Black Eight Squadron Bombardment Loadout

Title

0 Squad Points

TIE Punisher Only

All <missile>, <torpedo>, and <bomb> upgrades cost -2 squad points, to a minimum of 0. You must equip at least one of each of these upgrade types.

Black Eight Squadron Bombardment Loadout

Title

0 Squad Points

TIE Punisher Only

All <missile>, <torpedo>, and <bomb> upgrades cost -2 squad points, to a minimum of 0. You must equip at least one of each of these upgrade types.

Pretty much this, though you really don't need to include the requirement that they buy one of each, as they are going to anyways.

Black Eight Squadron Bombardment Loadout

Title

0 Squad Points

TIE Punisher Only

All <missile>, <torpedo>, and <bomb> upgrades cost -2 squad points, to a minimum of 0. You must equip at least one of each of these upgrade types.

Pretty much this, though you really don't need to include the requirement that they buy one of each, as they are going to anyways.

I could easily see people running this title sans the minimum requirement in order to load up on just missiles, or just torpedoes, or just bombs. In the interest of lore and flavor I wanted to enforce a minimum loudout that included every category. I also considered naming it a Scorched Earth Loadout, but Bombardment Loadout seemed a bit more appropriate for Star Wars.

Black Eight Squadron Bombardment Loadout

Title

0 Squad Points

TIE Punisher Only

All <missile>, <torpedo>, and <bomb> upgrades cost -2 squad points, to a minimum of 0. You must equip at least one of each of these upgrade types.

Pretty much this, though you really don't need to include the requirement that they buy one of each, as they are going to anyways.

I could easily see people running this title sans the minimum requirement in order to load up on just missiles, or just torpedoes, or just bombs. In the interest of lore and flavor I wanted to enforce a minimum loudout that included every category. I also considered naming it a Scorched Earth Loadout, but Bombardment Loadout seemed a bit more appropriate for Star Wars.

Okay, so I buy Extra Munitions, Thread Tracers, and Seismic Charges. There is no reason to enforce a must buy one of each policy as they are going to fill those slots anyways. They may never use them, but they'll certainly fill them for free.

Black Eight Squadron Bombardment Loadout

Title

0 Squad Points

TIE Punisher Only

All <missile>, <torpedo>, and <bomb> upgrades cost -2 squad points, to a minimum of 0. You must equip at least one of each of these upgrade types.

Pretty much this, though you really don't need to include the requirement that they buy one of each, as they are going to anyways.

I could easily see people running this title sans the minimum requirement in order to load up on just missiles, or just torpedoes, or just bombs. In the interest of lore and flavor I wanted to enforce a minimum loudout that included every category. I also considered naming it a Scorched Earth Loadout, but Bombardment Loadout seemed a bit more appropriate for Star Wars.

Okay, so I buy Extra Munitions, Thread Tracers, and Seismic Charges. There is no reason to enforce a must buy one of each policy as they are going to fill those slots anyways. They may never use them, but they'll certainly fill them for free.

Some people might not have one or more of the requisite 2-points-or-less munitions for a given slot.

Black Eight Squadron Bombardment Loadout

Title

0 Squad Points

TIE Punisher Only

All <missile>, <torpedo>, and <bomb> upgrades cost -2 squad points, to a minimum of 0. You must equip at least one of each of these upgrade types.

Pretty much this, though you really don't need to include the requirement that they buy one of each, as they are going to anyways.

I could easily see people running this title sans the minimum requirement in order to load up on just missiles, or just torpedoes, or just bombs. In the interest of lore and flavor I wanted to enforce a minimum loudout that included every category. I also considered naming it a Scorched Earth Loadout, but Bombardment Loadout seemed a bit more appropriate for Star Wars.

Okay, so I buy Extra Munitions, Thread Tracers, and Seismic Charges. There is no reason to enforce a must buy one of each policy as they are going to fill those slots anyways. They may never use them, but they'll certainly fill them for free.

Some people might not have one or more of the requisite 2-points-or-less munitions for a given slot.

So your solution is to punish players who didn't buy the TAP with a one point tax if they don't want to buy a missile? It's completely unnecessary extra rules that will have zero impact on the game. Keep it simple.

Long Range Sensors! It's coming and it's going to be Glorious!

Also, as sensor slot option for Bombers:

Tracking Radar

Sensor

1 pt

Turn 1 blank results into a Crit Result on all torpedoes and missiles.

This way you can have Guidance Chips and Tracking Radar. Or Long range sensors and Tracking Radar.

Interesting! and Only good on a few ships. Makes the Punisher Different then the Bomber.

Also, sensor slot

Heavy Bombs and Mines

2 pts

Sensor

When a bomb or mine goes off add 1 automatic damage to anyone in range.

LRS? Then you can't AutoThruster

Long Range Sensors! It's coming and it's going to be Glorious!

Also, as sensor slot option for Bombers:

Tracking Radar

Sensor

1 pt

Turn 1 blank results into a Crit Result on all torpedoes and missiles.

This way you can have Guidance Chips and Tracking Radar. Or Long range sensors and Tracking Radar.

Interesting! and Only good on a few ships. Makes the Punisher Different then the Bomber.

Also, sensor slot

Heavy Bombs and Mines

2 pts

Sensor

When a bomb or mine goes off add 1 automatic damage to anyone in range.

LRS? Then you can't AutoThruster

Which is fine, as AT are terrible on Punishers. Of course, LRS is terrible on FCS Redline, so it's not like LRS is really the fix we were looking for for Punishers.

Black Eight Squadron Bombardment Loadout

Title

0 Squad Points

TIE Punisher Only

All <missile>, <torpedo>, and <bomb> upgrades cost -2 squad points, to a minimum of 0. You must equip at least one of each of these upgrade types.

Pretty much this, though you really don't need to include the requirement that they buy one of each, as they are going to anyways.

I could easily see people running this title sans the minimum requirement in order to load up on just missiles, or just torpedoes, or just bombs. In the interest of lore and flavor I wanted to enforce a minimum loudout that included every category. I also considered naming it a Scorched Earth Loadout, but Bombardment Loadout seemed a bit more appropriate for Star Wars.

Okay, so I buy Extra Munitions, Thread Tracers, and Seismic Charges. There is no reason to enforce a must buy one of each policy as they are going to fill those slots anyways. They may never use them, but they'll certainly fill them for free.

Some people might not have one or more of the requisite 2-points-or-less munitions for a given slot.

So your solution is to punish players who didn't buy the TAP with a one point tax if they don't want to buy a missile? It's completely unnecessary extra rules that will have zero impact on the game. Keep it simple.

I like the minimum requirement, who cares if people are going to anyway. This way you enforce them too. It is fluffy as it fits the role, ie Ordnance carrier. You don't make rules on what people might do, you make the ruling so people have to do it.

Remove TLT from the environment... Fixed!

I've had some design ideas for the Punisher and Bomber.

"Interdictor"

Title, TIE Punisher Only

When you make an attack with an ordnance, you may discard a second copy of that ordnance to resolve the attack twice.

When you drop a bomb, you may discard a second copy of that bomb to deploy a second bomb using the (2s)

* The Punisher/Interdictor has multiple launch tubes so it can clear multiple bombs or torpedoes at once. Interdictor was the original name for this ship so I used it here. Because the trigger is used after the targeting or bomb action or bomb dial reveal trigger, it does not need a second target lock to resolve the duplicated effect.

"Punisher A"

Title, TIE Punisher Only

Add 2 Munitions Tokens to each of your Ordnance. When you would discard that ordnance card for its effect you may discard a munitions token instead.

* Gives the huge carrying capacity the Punisher is supposed to have

"TIE/SA"

Title, TIE Bomber Only

When deploying a Bomb token you may use any of the speed 1 templates.

"Tactical Ordnance Pod"

Missile/Bomb/Torpedo Upgrade, Imperial TIE Only.

You may equip up to 3 ordnance cards with a total value 6 or less. Each other copy of TOP increases this value by 1. If your Pilot skill is 3 or more you may choose this ordnance when deployed.

* So the TIE bomber pods are designed for tactical load outs for missions not just 2 torps, 2 missiles, and 1 bomb. This gives the correct flexibility to the Bombers. If you have more of this card in a group then you get a better return value. A punisher can equip two of these. Pilot skill should matter, so the Black eights and Gamma's get to adjust their load out on deployment.

That should fix all the mechanical missing pieces, so it just needs price balancing after that which a seasonal handicap would do.

Personally, I'm loving Fire Control System + Cluster Missiles + Extra Munitions + Guidance Chips.

That's funny

You beat me too it. I was just thinking about a thread about the Punisher. With all the uBoat talk taking place, the uBoats really did take the job away from the Punisher.

Problem is as I see it, is there is no reason to take a punisher so long as the uBoats are the way they are. These things are not as tanky as a uBoat. If you try spamming them you'll die lol.

I think allowing them to take ordnance for free or some how add something that'll allow them a little more defense is what they need

Maybe a sensor upgrades that when you gain a target lock you may get a free evade action, and up to 8 pts of ordnance. Lol Maybe that's pushing it, but really why fly one.

What it cost again to load one of these things up? Like 40 pts? And after it shoots, it may hurt something, but after that it's near crippled. 3 uBoats will shred this up so fast it's not funny.

Really it's a **** shame, I'd love to see this ship more. I mean honestly I forgot all about it until today. I can't remember the last time I even considered using one.

And what punisher build made it to top spot in a tournament? You peaked my interest. How many players? Was it regional, or seasonal kit tournament?

Have a title that adds an ept or drops a bomb for a crew member slot (4pts or less).

A sensor upgrade that adds a focus when you acquire a target lock.

A sensor upgrade that lets you fire secondary weapons out of ark.

A sensor upgrade that can increase the range of a secondary weapon by 1 (but not decrease) to a max of range 3.

A sensor upgrade that adds an evade token for some reason (like in range 1-2 of an enemy ship).

Currently as I see it there isn't a reason to run a punisher if you aren't using the sensor upgrade because it is way more expensive than the bomber. The cheapest punisher is only 2 or 3 points less expensive then the most expensive bomber.

I'm looking forward to running Tomax Bren alongside redline. Whichever your opponent chooses to go after thir screwed.

I do believe a -2/-3 price cut at a base level would be enough to make it not utter ass while not replacing the bomber, but major juggler could prove me wrong there

the -2 price cut for ordnance is intriguing (does it include extra munitions? all ordnance?)

hypothecal -2 price cut:

Scimitar bomber (16)

*homing (5)

*seismic (2)

*extras (2)

*gchips/scanners (0)

[25]

Cutlass Punisher, current (21)

*homing (5)

*seismic (2)

*Extra (2)

*gchips/scanners (0)

[30]

Cutlass Punisher , ordnance cut (21)

*homing (5 - 2 = 3)

*Seismic (2 - 2 = 0)

*Extra (2 - 2 = 0)

*gchips/scanners (0)

[24]

well that wouldn't work

also, apparently the dang thing's called the TIE/IT Interdictor starfighter ,

so we already have a title fix ready

then again, Tie/IT might just be the ******* you have to call when the servers on your starship crash

so anyway, "The craft was to be used in assault missions where Star Destroyers could not venture, and earned an effective reputation as they hunted Rebel bases"

Tie/IT (0)

Tie Punisher Only

Once per round, after performing a MISSILE or TORPEDO attack that hits OR before a friendly bomb token is removed, choose 1 ship at Range 1 of the defender/that token. That ship suffers 1 damage.

bam! large scale area damage destruction! (or targeted destruction too, whichever comes first)

problem is that the bomb wording is auto-death to like 50% of the game if you just run four punishers. stupid wording issues

Funny this came out as I JUST picked mine up off the shelf to start using after getting it in December haha.

It is pricy for what it does compared to other options.

To be absolutely fair, Deathrain isn't technically overpriced since technically there is no other option for doing what deathrain does

to be absolutely absolutely fair, Torp scouts showed him the back door regardless. He was actually starting to shine back in Wave 7 during the palp aces days

still, **** if he couldn't be cheaper

My most successful list so far is Deathrain + RAC. I'm not "pro", but it'll be a list I fly tomorrow night w/ a "tourney list challenge" laid out. Shove a PS10 RAC w/ nasty crew into R2-3 firing on turn one, and suddenly everyone forgets DR is on the board. Makes for an unpleasant T2.