another problem with r3 is that it doesn't really work against "a lot of academy pilots"

a single evade isn't going to last against all those dice

basically, for all the **** hoops you're jumping through, the result is incredibly underwhelming to boot

you'd be better off changing that focus to a hit and hoping an academy pops before it fires

this is also true of basically any high PS ship shooting at a lower PS without the benefit of incredible defense token stacking + palp

No astromech is really going to do well against "a lot of Academy Pilots". Yes, I said it, but I mean that it would get use against a number of opponents. If you are stuck in front of all of them, it doesn't matter what your astromech is.

The thing is.....if take a TL and then re-roll and get an eyeball....you can't take the Focus. Yes, it's not a huge chance of it happening, but it's pretty powerful when it does.

theoretically, r2-f2 does well against a lot of academy pilots with Biggs

it ups your average evade result per attack to 1; esp at range 3

of course, these are green dice we're talking about and r2-f2 is therefore also very very bad

better than r3, though. At least it only costs an action and is ps independent

I know I harp a lot on how horrible r3 is, and it's not because I enjoy it (well, I do enjoy venting why else would I bother?) but because it's really that TERRIBLE

RNG dependent AND ps dependent at a time when people are complaining about guaranteed defenses HIGHEST ps aces

this is an absolute waste of an upgrade card and not a mistake I'd like to see FFG ever repeat

I would use it at 0 pts on a high PS Xwing and try to keep it alive while not doing much damage.

Maybe I'll put it on Luke as it is currently?

Luke Skywalker — X-Wing 28

Juke 2

R3 Astromech 2

Integrated Astromech 0

Ship Total: 32

"Red Ace" — T-70 X-Wing 29

R3 Astromech 2

Sensor Cluster 2

Integrated Astromech 0

Ship Total: 33

Eh....?

I would use it at 0 pts on a high PS Xwing and try to keep it alive while not doing much damage.

At 0 points, I could see putting it on a lower PS T-70 with Comms Relay. 3 points for Comms Relay, IA, and R3 would be a decent deal. For 5 points, not so much.

Torn between VI or Juke on R3 Luke.

Tough choice on that EPT for Luke.

Incorrect. The answer is obviously Juke Skywalker.

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-K6.

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-K6.

R5-K6 isn't worth 2 points but I don't think that it's worse than R3.

As a 0 point Astromech, R5-K6 would be great. At 0 points R3 is something that could maybe be okay in the right builds.

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-K6.

When spending a TL sometimes get a TL

VS

When you have a shoot, and he has a shot, and you shout before him and you role a focus and you have no focus for some reason and he shoots you and the stars align...

hmm... yeah, I'd take crappy FCS every day thank you very munch.

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-K6.

R5-K6 isn't worth 2 points but I don't think that it's worse than R3.

As a 0 point Astromech, R5-K6 would be great. At 0 points R3 is something that could maybe be okay in the right builds.

my go to astromech punching bag is this *******

but even he isn't PS or attack dependent, and at least you can influence the RNG sorta by running the hell away and trying again and again and again...

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-K6.

R5-K6 isn't worth 2 points but I don't think that it's worse than R3.

As a 0 point Astromech, R5-K6 would be great. At 0 points R3 is something that could maybe be okay in the right builds.

my go to astromech punching bag is this *******

but even he isn't PS or attack dependent, and at least you can influence the RNG sorta by running the hell away and trying again and again and again...

I'd really like to see a pilot with an Astromech slot with the pilot ability:

"After you perform an action, you may perform an action from an Astromech upgrade card as a free action".

Maybe make it give a stress or something, if that's needed to balance it.

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-K6.

R5-K6 isn't worth 2 points but I don't think that it's worse than R3.

As a 0 point Astromech, R5-K6 would be great. At 0 points R3 is something that could maybe be okay in the right builds.

my go to astromech punching bag is this *******

but even he isn't PS or attack dependent, and at least you can influence the RNG sorta by running the hell away and trying again and again and again...

I'd really like to see a pilot with an Astromech slot with the pilot ability:

"After you perform an action, you may perform an action from an Astromech upgrade card as a free action".

Maybe make it give a stress or something, if that's needed to balance it.

You actually could do something like that with Thane Kyrell.

And with Thane, just bump your enemy in arc and let them shoot another friendly, allowing you to action freely to heal without getting shot at.

Actually, make that the X and Ewing fix

"Droid Copilot. Title. 0pts Ewing and Xwing only: after performing an action you may preform a free Action from an equipped astromech."

Or

"Droid Copilot. Title. 0pts Rebel only: after performing an action you may preform a free Action from an equipped astromech. You may not take this title of you have an EPT."

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-D8

R7 is very situational on all but Tarn

R5-K6

Targeting Astromech

R4-D6 on anyone but Biggs

R5-X3, because you want to keep it for IA

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-D8

R7 is very situational on all but Tarn

R5-K6

Targeting Astromech

R4-D6 on anyone but Biggs

R5-X3, because you want to keep it for IA

Really, Targeting Astromech? I need more of them for how good it is.

There are plenty of worse astromechs than R3.

Name one.

R5-D8

R7 is very situational on all but Tarn

R5-K6

Targeting Astromech

R4-D6 on anyone but Biggs

R5-X3, because you want to keep it for IA

OK, lets go over these.

R5-D8

It's just too bad the thing is pilot skill dependent. I have actually seen a few good cases for r3, like the aforementioned target lock reasoning, but I just can't justify taking it unless I'm flying pilot skill 9+. there are simply better options for for those pilots than r3.

Rebels could have totally used a cheap, defensive, generic Astro too. Someone had the right idea to start with, and apparently got scared of making something OP so went the other direction instead. Even if they were happy with the rules, why its 2 points I cannot fathom.

It's just too bad the thing is pilot skill dependent. I have actually seen a few good cases for r3, like the aforementioned target lock reasoning, but I just can't justify taking it unless I'm flying pilot skill 9+. there are simply better options for for those pilots than r3.

Rebels could have totally used a cheap, defensive, generic Astro too. Someone had the right idea to start with, and apparently got scared of making something OP so went the other direction instead. Even if they were happy with the rules, why its 2 points I cannot fathom.

R3 should have had the effect that Sensor Cluster has. It probably could have been a single point without being over powered since it can't stack with the regen astromechs the way that Sensor Clusters can.

nah, r3 needed to be a modifier removing astromech (esp focus removing) that would've catapulted rebels back into the competitively limelight while simultaneously not reintroducing rebel regen as a dominant archetype (because r3 takes r2-d2's seat)

thereby adding a lot of variety to the competitive scene as well as casual; opening the doors for ARCs and Ys to come back swinging

but no, we got this crap instead

nah, r3 needed to be a modifier removing astromech (esp focus removing) that would've catapulted rebels back into the competitively limelight while simultaneously not reintroducing rebel regen as a dominant archetype (because r3 takes r2-d2's seat)

thereby adding a lot of variety to the competitive scene as well as casual; opening the doors for ARCs and Ys to come back swinging

but no, we got this crap instead

That would have been great and all, but if FFG wanted the droid to be something that somehow got evades for the ship it was on, at least this would have been worth using. I only see a Sensor Cluster droid possibly replacing R2-D2 on either Poe or Luke. For anyone else it is a reduction in damage mitigation compared to regenerating a shield and being able to spend a focus token on defense.

Sensor clusters effect is too small to have any meaningful impact against the current staple of competitive lists

Like weapons guidance, it's a double priced 1 point upgrade that offers exceptionally minor dice fixing. Introducing it as an astro would affect basically nothing, especially when you can't even use it to break away and regenerate all the shield damage you took using r5_p9 for one point more

Would still be better than the r3 we got, though (at least it does something)

Sensor clusters effect is too small to have any meaningful impact against the current staple of competitive lists

Like weapons guidance, it's a double priced 1 point upgrade that offers exceptionally minor dice fixing. Introducing it as an astro would affect basically nothing, especially when you can't even use it to break away and regenerate all the shield damage you took using r5_p9 for one point more

Would still be better than the r3 we got, though (at least it does something)

I guess I didn't have my hopes up that it was going to be anything that stripped tokens from enemies. I was expecting it to do something with evades tokens since the expansion comes with one and none of the other upgrades seemed to be likely sources.

I just figured they'd do something more useful with evade tokens than they did. It a bad sign when a two point upgrade would only be mediocre or good in circumstances if it were reduced to 0 points. At 0 points, the biggest selling point would be a free way to use IA.

Perhaps they plan to add afix for another astro carrier (x,e?) that adds a free focus result to attack dice. Generics like focus tokens so it's like a free hit, aces will have choice between four possible damage or three dice TL and an evade.

Could this work on a multi attack ship? Say. TLT. Spent the Focus. Convert from the second attack?

Could this work on a multi attack ship? Say. TLT. Spent the Focus. Convert from the second attack?

Has to be primary weapon. Gunner on the ARC, BTL y-wings and Corran are the options. Corran would definitely prefer regen. Gunner Arcs may work but are pricy. The odds of rolling focus on two reds aren't great, but Horton may work.