So I'm moving into the world of Heavy imperial Bombers and want to understand all the tricks of the trade of the Punisher before tabling one. Any advice on decking out this beast? This card seems to be an auto include, yes?

It lets you get an action even when performing a red

it lets you use PTL and then clear the stress via a green

it lets you bump like a madman and keep the mod

it lets you reposition before the move and be a BDSM MISTRESS OF THE LOW PS FURBALL

Certainly good on a Punisher, to be sure, but for Redline it's Fire Control or bust.

Certainly good on a Punisher, to be sure, but for Redline it's Fire Control or bust.

Certainly good on a Punisher, to be sure, but for Redline it's Fire Control or bust.

I think I get why, but what's your experience/reason?

Not quite as potent since the attack sequence revisions, but with the ability to require 2 target locks, you get fully modified ordnance attacks and can use your standard action for a focus to increase damage or to boost to correct your approach for further ordnance attacks.

The only Punisher I ever take anymore is Deathrain.

I like to keep him pretty light, to make him less of a tempting target.

EM, Conners, and your choice of second bomb. I quite like thermal detonators and baffle, which allows you to do some insane k-turn, conner, barrel roll shenanigans.

I've run him with AC before, which really suits him (few actions due to bombs) but that pushes the ship up into 38pts territory.

I like to run Inquisitor, Deathrain and Soonts or Jax. Target priority tends to favour him, to your opponent's loss.

3-bank and boost is often my opening move, which will get you into conner range round two. Good luck with it!

I really enjoy flying Deathrain pulling off shenanigans with Enhanced Scopes. Move her in at PS0, drop bombs onto target before they can move, barrel roll away laughing. Great fun, well worth a try if you're looking to fly the Punisher for the first time.

Certainly good on a Punisher, to be sure, but for Redline it's Fire Control or bust.

I think I get why, but what's your experience/reason?

Cheaper and WAY more useful when you can't fire without a TL.

I'd say Fire Control if carrying missiles, Advanced Sensors if carrying bombs.

People overvalue FCS on Redline. In fact of any pilots Redline is the one who needs FCS least because he already has redundant target locks.

The secret for Punisher is to avoid spending points you don't have to because the dial is just junk. Get in, get a shot off, soak some fire up, if you're lucky get a second shot off. Achieving anything more than that is being pretty ambitious.

People overvalue FCS on Redline. In fact of any pilots Redline is the one who needs FCS least because he already has redundant target locks.

The secret for Punisher is to avoid spending points you don't have to because the dial is just junk. Get in, get a shot off, soak some fire up, if you're lucky get a second shot off. Achieving anything more than that is being pretty ambitious.

Not remotely. It makes it plausible for him to fire with focus and TL, and that's vital when you're spending as much as he's spending on your munitions.

If anything, people tend to overspend on the munitions for him.

People overvalue FCS on Redline. In fact of any pilots Redline is the one who needs FCS least because he already has redundant target locks.

The secret for Punisher is to avoid spending points you don't have to because the dial is just junk. Get in, get a shot off, soak some fire up, if you're lucky get a second shot off. Achieving anything more than that is being pretty ambitious.

Not remotely. It makes it plausible for him to fire with focus and TL, and that's vital when you're spending as much as he's spending on your munitions.

If anything, people tend to overspend on the munitions for him.

And it gives him the option to use that boost action without giving up the option to fire off another missile. Free target locks can't really be redundant on a ship that requires them to do damage.

You can also use accuracy corrector. It's a weird choice, but it's a a tough brute of a ship when it can boost freely without messing up its primary attacks.

You can also use accuracy corrector. It's a weird choice, but it's a a tough brute of a ship when it can boost freely without messing up its primary attacks.

Its 2-die primary attacks. That's a LOT of points for 2 hits at mid-PS, broadly equivalent to (indeed a little more expensive than, IIRC) Accuracy Corrector b-wings and they're not exactly setting the meta alight.

People overvalue FCS on Redline. In fact of any pilots Redline is the one who needs FCS least because he already has redundant target locks.

The secret for Punisher is to avoid spending points you don't have to because the dial is just junk. Get in, get a shot off, soak some fire up, if you're lucky get a second shot off. Achieving anything more than that is being pretty ambitious.

Not remotely. It makes it plausible for him to fire with focus and TL, and that's vital when you're spending as much as he's spending on your munitions.

If anything, people tend to overspend on the munitions for him.

Why on earth do you need Focus and TL? You've got a second target lock and Guidance Chips, and can carry Proton Torpedoes to flip focuses up for half the price of a Fire Control System.

The Focus is adding minimal extra hits (0.3 with Plasma, 0.1 with Protons) for the 2 extra points you're loading onto a vulnerable frame. Keep it light.

People overvalue FCS on Redline. In fact of any pilots Redline is the one who needs FCS least because he already has redundant target locks.

The secret for Punisher is to avoid spending points you don't have to because the dial is just junk. Get in, get a shot off, soak some fire up, if you're lucky get a second shot off. Achieving anything more than that is being pretty ambitious.

Not remotely. It makes it plausible for him to fire with focus and TL, and that's vital when you're spending as much as he's spending on your munitions.

If anything, people tend to overspend on the munitions for him.

And it gives him the option to use that boost action without giving up the option to fire off another missile. Free target locks can't really be redundant on a ship that requires them to do damage.

They cost 2pts. That's not 'free'.

People overvalue FCS on Redline. In fact of any pilots Redline is the one who needs FCS least because he already has redundant target locks.

The secret for Punisher is to avoid spending points you don't have to because the dial is just junk. Get in, get a shot off, soak some fire up, if you're lucky get a second shot off. Achieving anything more than that is being pretty ambitious.

Not remotely. It makes it plausible for him to fire with focus and TL, and that's vital when you're spending as much as he's spending on your munitions.

If anything, people tend to overspend on the munitions for him.

Why on earth do you need Focus and TL? You've got a second target lock and Guidance Chips, and can carry Proton Torpedoes to flip focuses up for half the price of a Fire Control System.

The Focus is adding minimal extra hits (0.3 with Plasma, 0.1 with Protons) for the 2 extra points you're loading onto a vulnerable frame. Keep it light.

As opposed to AS which costs 3? You need focus and TL because rolling all eyeballs is still possible I've done it. Gettingmore than one eyeball after TL and chips (and proton) isn't unlikely. Nor is firing CLuster Missiles where your mods run out much quicker.

People overvalue FCS on Redline. In fact of any pilots Redline is the one who needs FCS least because he already has redundant target locks.

The secret for Punisher is to avoid spending points you don't have to because the dial is just junk. Get in, get a shot off, soak some fire up, if you're lucky get a second shot off. Achieving anything more than that is being pretty ambitious.

Not remotely. It makes it plausible for him to fire with focus and TL, and that's vital when you're spending as much as he's spending on your munitions.

If anything, people tend to overspend on the munitions for him.

And it gives him the option to use that boost action without giving up the option to fire off another missile. Free target locks can't really be redundant on a ship that requires them to do damage.

They cost 2pts. That's not 'free'.

Free of any action cost.

I'd not take Advanced Sensors either. 0pts on the System Slot.

If you don't put something in the system slot, you'd better like the pilot, specifically, a lot. Otherwise, ask yourself if you couldn't just deliver your explodey things with a tie bomber.

There's also the zero-cost sensor slot in the TIE/sf.

If you don't put something in the system slot, you'd better like the pilot, specifically, a lot. Otherwise, ask yourself if you couldn't just deliver your explodey things with a tie bomber.

Yeah, Redline is the reason to Punisher - he's got like an in-built R4 Agromech to modify your shots with.

Punishers are still the worst Imperial ship by a country mile, but when you know that's the case you're throwing good money after bad by overloading them.

Yay! TIE punisher discussion! I've been flying them lately, but not a whole lot (because I love the TIE/sf). I almost always fly two generics with support, like Colonel Jendon or Captain Jonus. Then I add my default upgrades of Fire-control System, Extra Munitions. FCS is sooo good because you can shoot a missile after a red maneuver, which keeps the pressure on the opponent.

Then I choose an appropriate ordnance, bomb, and modification. It's almost always Homing Missiles and Proximity Mines. The mod is usually Guidance Chips, but I've tried Long-range Scanners. I don't like that one as much.

They have a tough time against higher PS ships, but Prox Mines cover that weakness a bit. I nuked Jake with two Prox Mines in one round last night. So fun! But they suffer damage at an alarming rate.