That someone in the design team has a real hardon for scum faction.

I get that, as a late comer, scum needs, what we here in Australia called a "stimulus package" to get them going, but crikey, they have certainly been the winners these last waves and the just spoiled one.

I've generally tended toward rebels as a play style, but I am not someone that is a faction fetishist, and now I'm gathering more and more info on scum lists, and planning on playing them more.

So, is this a good thing overall? Do you feel that scum are getting too many toys? Certainly their crew cards are the new black. Is this just bringing balance to the factions, and it will swing back again in time?

Considering rebels have been the consensus best faction for 3 straight years, I don't understand why anyone is complaining.

who cares? new toys!

Empire for Life. Crackswarms haven't failed me yet.

I suppose I am more interested in if this focus on scum will continue to unbalance the game. I mean we have seen how well the torp scouts smashed the meta.

I suppose I am more interested in if this focus on scum will continue to unbalance the game. I mean we have seen how well the torp scouts smashed the meta.

that's not so much focus on scum as focus on a single ship with a rather incredible combination of upgrade slots

I suppose I am more interested in if this focus on scum will continue to unbalance the game. I mean we have seen how well the torp scouts smashed the meta.

that's not so much focus on scum as focus on a single ship with a rather incredible combination of upgrade slots

Take any one piece away, and the whole house of cards comes down.

That someone in the design team has a real hardon for scum faction.

Yeah the upcoming Scum Epic ship is gonna be epic.

im not upset about the shenanigans they can do. Each faction needs something unique:

Rebels have Regen/gimicks tied to movement

Imps have low priced, fragile, but stupid agile Aces to the point that theres...what two ships that ARENT an ace people actually use? lol (defender/bomber...to a degree phantom i guess)

Scum have a ton of odd mechanics, usually 1 use, that can heavily alter the board if used right or not do a **** thing if you faced the wrong list.

What im upset about is they keep getting these cheap-ish, durable, agile, and insane dial large ships. Heck even the Scum Firespray is a great ship but you never see it because aggressors, uboats, and now the caster are overshadowing it so bad its saddening. I dont get why the caster has THAT dial and the ghost for rebels has almost the same thing (add in 1hards) with almost no greens and a lot more reds. Better than the ghost was expected but not THAT much better lol

I love large base ships so Scum is my jam. Scum for life!

idk about cheapish durable AND agile

the caster is priced the exact same as the spray, has the exact health as a spray (-1 shield +1 hull; worse), AND has the exact same action bar as the spray

all it boasts is a better dial for PTL, most likely (high speed on large ships and all that, whereas the spray can do greens at lower speeds)

Let's not forget that Rebels are gaining access to illicits! They get to play with many of the new toys as well

I suppose I am more interested in if this focus on scum will continue to unbalance the game. I mean we have seen how well the torp scouts smashed the meta.

that's not so much focus on scum as focus on a single ship with a rather incredible combination of upgrade slots

A valid point, but what seems to me, a badly playtested ship, that they are now trying desperately to patch.

The real point though then might be, is that how a single ship can so earth-quakenly shakes up the meta then?

Any doubt that I had that FFG was trying to give Scum a nudge went away when Fearlessness was revealed to be Scum only. I'm not saying that card is unbalanced, but there's no reason to restrict that upgrade to Scum.

(nudge? I'm thinking it is inevitable that Scum will win worlds this year)

Any doubt that I had that FFG was trying to give Scum a nudge went away when Fearlessness was revealed to be Scum only. I'm not saying that card is unbalanced, but there's no reason to restrict that upgrade to Scum.

You restrict an upgrade when it's a bit too good in another faction. I'm not sure what Ruthlessness would have done but Bodyguard was restricted to prevent a Biggs combo and Fearlessness PTL A-wings would have been a bit too crazy.

As for ol' Slicer Tools, after Heroes of the Resistance the Rebels get that too. Smuggling Compartments anyone?

The real point though then might be, is that how a single ship can so earth-quakenly shakes up the meta then?

Ecology. It's not that one ship beats the whole metagame. It's that one archetype kills off almost everything else so the list that counters it thrives like crazy. The Phantom killed the generic Jousters that preyed on the Falcon, so a PWT plague started. Similar case with PalpAces and the Jumpmaster: they counter the lists each other are weak to hard so it's difficult to make a squad that can take both without being either.

I suppose I am more interested in if this focus on scum will continue to unbalance the game. I mean we have seen how well the torp scouts smashed the meta.

that's not so much focus on scum as focus on a single ship with a rather incredible combination of upgrade slots

A valid point, but what seems to me, a badly playtested ship, that they are now trying desperately to patch.

The real point though then might be, is that how a single ship can so earth-quakenly shakes up the meta then?

well it's not a single ship as much as 3 of the same ship

blame Overclocked R4, I guess. He's basically responsible for torp scouts as they are now + dengaroo

Heck even the Scum Firespray is a great ship but you never see it because aggressors, uboats, and now the caster are overshadowing it.

Hehe

Bodyguard should lose Scum Only, I think it'd be interesting in other factions.

I think Bodyguard and Biggs need to stay away from each other.

As far as I can tell, it's just the Jumpmaster. Once that's fixed there's no more problem. Can anyone name a small based Scum ship that's pretty good? The Protectorate Starfighter looks like it will be their first...

I think Bodyguard and Biggs need to stay away from each other.

Walk me through this, I'm intrigued. Does Bodyguard go on Biggs, or does a lower-PS ship give Biggs the extra defense dice?

I see merits in both (though the former is mostly useful because Biggs is best when he's protecting Aces - which makes me think there is a lesser reason for the latter...)

Yea, you'd need another ship using its action to boost Biggs, possibly keeping Biggs alive but also just wasting two ship's offensive capability.

I'm a bleeding heart rebel fan, but wasn't there a time when double Falcons was everyone's worst nightmare?

And what about Paul Heavers infamous rebel list at worlds last year. So as far as Torp scouts and Dengaroo go, indeed they are powerful, but not unbeatable. Who knows, maybe they'll go the way of the dub Falcon.

I think Bodyguard and Biggs need to stay away from each other.

I've run this in a highlander tournament with Manaroo providing bodyguard and a focus. It's really not as good as you'd think it is. It maybe bought Biggs one more turn. I don't think I'd ever run it again.

Considering rebels have been the consensus best faction for 3 straight years, I don't understand why anyone is complaining.

Because swinging the pendulum is not the same thing as game balance.