I love the look of the M3-A Scyk fighter but I've never been able to make it work in serious tournament play ... at least not consistently. When I saw the new Black Market Slicer Tools upgrade card I realized that FFG is only one modification card away from making the M3-A a GREAT ship:

Illicit Scyk (Modification. M3-A Only)

Add one Illicit upgrade to your ship paying the point cost for the illicit upgrade as normal.

Cost: -3 points

Combine that theoretical modification to the Scyk with the Heavy Scyk title card (+2 points) and the Flechette Cannon upgrade (+2 points) now you have a "relatively" low cost swarm fighter that deals small amounts of damage and stress and can also force unavoidable damage onto any ship that already has stress.

Yes, the Scyk would still be a glass cannon that dies easily, but now it's more affordable and has a way to deal damage to stressed ships that can't be blocked. The -3 point cost to the Illicit Scyk modification means you can have a swarm of six of those fighters (or a pair of those as flankers/escorts) in a 100 point list.

I can already imagine a scenario where one Scyk engages a target at range 3 (enemy gets no range bonus for defense due to the Flechette Cannon) while another Scyk moves in to range 1 of the target from outside the firing arc to deal damage with Black Market Slicer Tools.

What do you think? Would this work as a way to make the M3-A more competitive?

more competitive relative to what?

itself? just about anything would do that

I would actually glance at a BMST Scyk for Tie Fighter prices, but at least point I do believe you've just introduced a strictly superior tie fighter (+1 PS, a shield for that lucky first crit, imo more flexible dial that removes 3-turns but introduces 1 banks which are two more green maneuvers)

so -2 points for the title, bringing the PS 2 Scyk at least up to 13 and the Crackshot Caddie to 16 (17 with crackshot)

A -2 for "Add an Illicit slot to your upgrade bar" might suffice.

A -3 cost adjustment would make the baseline Scyk 11 points. That would allow 9 in a 100 point list. I'm pretty sure Frank/Alex are on record saying they won't make an 11 point ship, specifically to avoid the 9 ship list.

The Scyk needs some help, but it's not solely it's cost. It's dial really isn't great. It can't do a 1 straight, so that makes the cannon builds less useful. It can't do a 5 straight or a 3 turn, so it's not really fast. The only good thing about it's dial is the 5K and the 1 hards. The dial is very frustrating.

Another big issue is that there are better options in the same price range. A Z95 is better for less. A torpedo Scout at 32 is easily 4 points better than 2 Cartel Spacers. And if you find yourself building a list with many of them, just stop and use Tie Fighters and play Imperials.

I think they need to make it a cannon carrier, and give it an extra shield/hull to make it worthwhile. A Mindlinked Scyk cannon list is actually almost playable, and probably would be a solid choice if they were slightly more durable.

A -3 cost adjustment would make the baseline Scyk 11 points. That would allow 9 in a 100 point list. I'm pretty sure Frank/Alex are on record saying they won't make an 11 point ship, specifically to avoid the 9 ship list.

The Scyk needs some help, but it's not solely it's cost. It's dial really isn't great. It can't do a 1 straight, so that makes the cannon builds less useful. It can't do a 5 straight or a 3 turn, so it's not really fast. The only good thing about it's dial is the 5K and the 1 hards. The dial is very frustrating.

Another big issue is that there are better options in the same price range. A Z95 is better for less. A torpedo Scout at 32 is easily 4 points better than 2 Cartel Spacers. And if you find yourself building a list with many of them, just stop and use Tie Fighters and play Imperials.

I think they need to make it a cannon carrier, and give it an extra shield/hull to make it worthwhile. A Mindlinked Scyk cannon list is actually almost playable, and probably would be a solid choice if they were slightly more durable.

If that title was free, you could run 4 TPV's with Mindlink and HLC. That's not awful, I daresay it would even be competitive. But being limited to Mangler cannons is a big problem because you need 4 dice minimum to hit Palp Aces.

That stupid title though. And it's a missile, torpedo, OR a cannon. If you could at least put LRS on them that would help a little.

When you look at the M3-A and then look at something like Palpatine it's hard not to think the design team is doing glitterstim.

If FFG would just actually errata something for once other than Tactician, this game could be so much better. Scyk title is made free, Palpatine is made epic games only, best meta ever.

A simple additive title that gave it autothrusters, OR made the exiting title free is all it needs. I would love a one-syraight, but short of re-issueing a dial, the would have to have stay-on-target language that would read like "when you reveal a straight maneuver, you may go 1-straight instead". Clunky.

or, to avoid the shipspam potential, free title = free illicit

opens up even more since now you arent limited to 1pt illicits. Literally just give them any illicit you want, no price change or cost.

Nvm

or, to avoid the shipspam potential, free title = free illicit

opens up even more since now you arent limited to 1pt illicits. Literally just give them any illicit you want, no price change or cost.

You say it as if scyk spam wouldn't be a good thing.

no way! MOAR GLORIOUS SWARMS!

Illicit Scyk 0 pts

-Equip a 2nd title or an illicit upgrade for free

A simple additive title that gave it autothrusters, OR made the exiting title free is all it needs. I would love a one-syraight, but short of re-issueing a dial, the would have to have stay-on-target language that would read like "when you reveal a straight maneuver, you may go 1-straight instead". Clunky.

What about a watered-down Juno ability:

"When revealing a [straight] maneuver, you may increase or decrease the speed by 1."

Gets you the 1-straight you're after, but also gives a 5-straight that some (including myself) believe should be a prerequisite to the Interceptor tag.

Still maintains some dial variety between it an the Fang too, and yet not encroaching on the full range of movement of the A or T-Inty.

Makes it a little more unpredictable (even after dials are set), which could only help a ship that is commonly considered sub-par.