What about a refresh instead of a fix?

By GreenLantern1138, in X-Wing

I roll my eyes just as much as any of you when I see people saying that T-65s need a fix, but I have been feeling like they need a something. With every new ship that comes out I feel like the old T-65s are being ignored, not by the players but by the game itself. That's why I've started wondering if fix is the wrong term; they don't need to be fixed, they just need to be refreshed, to be given something extra like most of the other ships have now and bring them back to the front of people's minds. I had this as an idea.

My reasoning was that it should cost a point because a) X-wings don't need to be cheaper and b) I didn't want this title to be an auto-include. I feel it's not a broken ability because even though a focus and target lock on the same turn is potent it can't be used to fire a secondary weapon, it can't be used if you're stressed, you can't keep using it on the same enemy turn after turn, and it wasn't free.

ldx.jpg

I agree with you that a refresh is more needed than a fix. The gameplay of the X-Wing remains stuck at how it was from Wave 0-1. While other ships from that time have got updates to remain interesting (Y-Wing got TLT, Bomb loadout, TIE Fighter got Crackshot, Wampa, Youngster..., TIE Advanced got /x1 and advanced targeting computer).

The X-Wing since has got Integrated astromech, that doesn't really change how it plays. Vectored Thrusters is like much like Engine Upgrade and doesn't especially target the X-Wing. Of all the new astromechs released since, BB-8 and R3-A2 are the best, but they are unique, and they have better ships to fly on.

More than anything else, the X-Wing should get a rework of its gameplay to make it more insteresting that being a glorified Z-95.

I like the idea. The wording could be a bit more elegant. Instead of the first two sentences, you could simply make it a torpedo upgrade. That would leave the title slot open for some cool Rogue Squadron title. Also with your wording I couldn't equip SnapShot in my EPT.

I would also like to see a universally useful 1pt generic Astromech. One of the cool new precedents they've set with re-issuing Han and Poe in HOTR is that we can have cards with the same name. This is a good opportunity to reintroduce R2 and R5 Astros.

Could also leave the secondary weapon clause and remove the loss of torp slot, so you could equip Seismic Torps.

I disagree with your logic. People aren't put off X-Wings because they find them boring but because they find them uncompetitive.

No.

swx40_guidance-chips.png

You remove the Torpedo slot, you remove this. This is very bad to do. The X-Wing needs a reason to use torpedoes, and with 3 firepower it absolutely has every reason to with Guidance Chips.

The X-Wing needs something that allows it to use those torpedoes either more often, or it needs something that can increase its avoidance ability, since X-Wings are supposed to be the "Perfect Balance" by which all other fighters are measured.

(Sadly, the B-Wing appears to be that in X-Wing.)

I cant imagine a situation when i would take guidance chips over integrated anyway. X wing already have its own "must have" upgrade.

Interesting thought: make x-wings the rebel torp carrier?

Torpedo upgrade giving them a second torp slot and free EM effect, and allowing them to retain TL when asked to spend it?

But somehow preventing the use of Deadeye...

The X-wing was never the gold standard ship. Day one that went to the TIE fighter. Early on the T65 PILOTS overcame that with their abilities, but the game has long since moved on from that. The most iconic fighter in Star Wars has been left looking rather sad and forlorn. It has no role and no identity. The T65, bane of the empire, the ship that took down two Death Stars, has no identity!

I don't know about others but I lick my lips seejng them across the table. Since becoming competent at this game, I simply don't lose to them ever. I'm not god like by any means but that's not an exaggeration.

Too easy to kill.

Too easy to weather their fire.

Too easy to outmanoeuvre.

You have a jousteror alpha squad? Cool you fly at them head in and win the initial damage exchange and have it snowball from there.

Have dodgers? Good luck to the T65 ever focussing any fire.

The only ones that make people think currently are well flown Biggs and Wes. Wes is horrible for U-boats (token stripping) and Palp aces (PS10 stress dealer) but very other lists only find him a small annoyance. Imo, he basically relies on Biggs to be able to do his job though without him he's way too easy to kill.

Biggs is the best pilot ability in the game IMO and let's be honest, he is why it's hard to 'fix' T65. He also restricts what new shinies Rebels can have in general. Its basically Corran Horn syndrome. How do you fix the ships flaws without breaking the game with their currently good pilot.

To get to my point, it does need an actual fix. How to do that without making Biggs a total freak is something I'm unsure of.

The X-wing was never the gold standard ship. Day one that went to the TIE fighter. Early on the T65 PILOTS overcame that with their abilities, but the game has long since moved on from that. The most iconic fighter in Star Wars has been left looking rather sad and forlorn. It has no role and no identity. The T65, bane of the empire, the ship that took down two Death Stars, has no identity!

I don't know about others but I lick my lips seejng them across the table. Since becoming competent at this game, I simply don't lose to them ever. I'm not god like by any means but that's not an exaggeration.

Too easy to kill.

Too easy to weather their fire.

Too easy to outmanoeuvre.

You have a jousteror alpha squad? Cool you fly at them head in and win the initial damage exchange and have it snowball from there.

Have dodgers? Good luck to the T65 ever focussing any fire.

The only ones that make people think currently are well flown Biggs and Wes. Wes is horrible for U-boats (token stripping) and Palp aces (PS10 stress dealer) but very other lists only find him a small annoyance. Imo, he basically relies on Biggs to be able to do his job though without him he's way too easy to kill.

Biggs is the best pilot ability in the game IMO and let's be honest, he is why it's hard to 'fix' T65. He also restricts what new shinies Rebels can have in general. Its basically Corran Horn syndrome. How do you fix the ships flaws without breaking the game with their currently good pilot.

To get to my point, it does need an actual fix. How to do that without making Biggs a total freak is something I'm unsure of.

Well, Biggs wouldn't be too excited about mobility or TL-bound offensive.

My reasoning was that it should cost a point because a) X-wings don't need to be cheaper and b) I didn't want this title to be an auto-include. I feel it's not a broken ability because even though a focus and target lock on the same turn is potent it can't be used to fire a secondary weapon, it can't be used if you're stressed , you can't keep using it on the same enemy turn after turn, and it wasn't free.

Why can it not be used when you're stressed? You can acquire a target lock while stressed, Dutch Vander might want a word with you. And on top of that you get a free focus, nice. Targeting Astromech on the X-Wing with Title means you can koiogran and get TL+Focus. Nice. Put Stay on Target on as well and you're looking at "yea I will readjust my maneuver, then get TL+focus". Nice, though stressed now.

Also I can keep using it on the same enemy turn after turn if I clear the TL by using it during attack I assume?

Sounds good to me, I like it and would already consider that an auto-include, though I would keep the torpedo slot.

Some random generic Atromech Droid: - 2 points

When attacking or defending, you may re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial.

OK for generics, increases efficiency, lowers point cost, Biggs won't use it because he can then die in two shots instead of three. Enables Integrated astromech for all X wings. Frees up EPT slot away from Predator, Lone Wold and other re-roll mechanics. Makes flying them unique. Changes the way you approach situations. Can't use with any regen droid. Helps generic E-Wings. Corran likes it but maybe not too much as he won't be able to regen.

Defensively you are going to want to stick to speed 2, which is what they do anyway when turning, etc. Offense, speed three and four opening engagements is the most favourable, i.e. legitimately accelerate to attack speed.

Ia) X-wings don't need to be cheaper

The X-wing's entire problem is that it's too expensive for its ability to trade dice.

Some random generic Atromech Droid: - 2 points

When attacking or defending, you may re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial.

OK for generics, increases efficiency, lowers point cost, Biggs won't use it because he can then die in two shots instead of three. Enables Integrated astromech for all X wings. Frees up EPT slot away from Predator, Lone Wold and other re-roll mechanics. Makes flying them unique. Changes the way you approach situations. Can't use with any regen droid. Helps generic E-Wings. Corran likes it but maybe not too much as he won't be able to regen.

Defensively you are going to want to stick to speed 2, which is what they do anyway when turning, etc. Offense, speed three and four opening engagements is the most favourable, i.e. legitimately accelerate to attack speed.

I roll my eyes just as much as any of you when I see people saying that T-65s need a fix, but I have been feeling like they need a something. With every new ship that comes out I feel like the old T-65s are being ignored, not by the players but by the game itself. That's why I've started wondering if fix is the wrong term; they don't need to be fixed, they just need to be refreshed, to be given something extra like most of the other ships have now and bring them back to the front of people's minds. I had this as an idea.

My reasoning was that it should cost a point because a) X-wings don't need to be cheaper and b) I didn't want this title to be an auto-include. I feel it's not a broken ability because even though a focus and target lock on the same turn is potent it can't be used to fire a secondary weapon, it can't be used if you're stressed, you can't keep using it on the same enemy turn after turn, and it wasn't free.

ldx.jpg

What are these? The Ten Commandments?

Honestly though, I do think what the X-Wing needs is to have a nastier punch. It is not the most slippery ship, nor is it the toughest, but darned if that little ship isn't supposed to pack a serious punch. The problem is a lot of the best X-Wings can't punch properly. I am always flying Wes defensively trying to keep his god tier support in one piece, and Biggs is too busy doing everything he can to stay 1 more turn to be a very effective shot.

The problem with Torps is that with only a single torp and no way of taking extra munitions, the X-Wing is not really very efficient. I'm wondering if something like

TORP SLOT- X-wing Only: When firing torpedoes if this ship is not stressed it may take a stress instead of paying any Target Lock costs of the card. This ship may take an additional Torpedo Upgrade at -2 cost.

To get a decent Alpha strike normally needs a lot of additional ships to hand out extra tokens. This would make the X-Wing very compitant at solo alpha-strikes, which would give it a role other than just being an all rounder.

Edited by Rodent Mastermind

Some random generic Atromech Droid: - 2 points

When attacking or defending, you may re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial.

OK for generics, increases efficiency, lowers point cost, Biggs won't use it because he can then die in two shots instead of three. Enables Integrated astromech for all X wings. Frees up EPT slot away from Predator, Lone Wold and other re-roll mechanics. Makes flying them unique. Changes the way you approach situations. Can't use with any regen droid. Helps generic E-Wings. Corran likes it but maybe not too much as he won't be able to regen.

Defensively you are going to want to stick to speed 2, which is what they do anyway when turning, etc. Offense, speed three and four opening engagements is the most favourable, i.e. legitimately accelerate to attack speed.

I think this is probably one of the best ideas ive read in a long time.

An interesting thought on the droid...

1pt droid

After executing a 3 (bank) maneuver, if you have not overlapped a ship or obstacle, you may rotate your ship 180 degrees. Then take one stress.

Y-Wings won't touch it. Double stresses them. Corran won't like it. It basically gives the X-Wing some maneuvering abilities that it doesn't have... and E-Wings other than Corran...

Anyway, it's a thought. Not sure I entirely like the idea either...

EDIT: Sorry, forgot my Y-Wing dial... Yeah, 3 bank is not red on a Y-Wing, ignore me.

Edited by LagJanson

Some random generic Atromech Droid: - 2 points

When attacking or defending, you may re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial.

OK for generics, increases efficiency, lowers point cost, Biggs won't use it because he can then die in two shots instead of three. Enables Integrated astromech for all X wings. Frees up EPT slot away from Predator, Lone Wold and other re-roll mechanics. Makes flying them unique. Changes the way you approach situations. Can't use with any regen droid. Helps generic E-Wings. Corran likes it but maybe not too much as he won't be able to regen.

Defensively you are going to want to stick to speed 2, which is what they do anyway when turning, etc. Offense, speed three and four opening engagements is the most favourable, i.e. legitimately accelerate to attack speed.

Maybe too good for minus 2 but I like what you are doing. Remember thought, not only does the proverbial E/X fox now help Biggs and Corran, it helps the T-70. Those pilots aren't too shabby. It's new identity is ignoring stress and TL shenanagins it seems...

Don't get me wrong, I love flying my T-65s but if there was an astromech at -2 points that allowed the pilot to "re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial" when they are "attacking" or "defending", wouldn't this be the most broken modification EVER?!?

Some random generic Atromech Droid: - 2 points

When attacking or defending, you may re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial.

OK for generics, increases efficiency, lowers point cost, Biggs won't use it because he can then die in two shots instead of three. Enables Integrated astromech for all X wings. Frees up EPT slot away from Predator, Lone Wold and other re-roll mechanics. Makes flying them unique. Changes the way you approach situations. Can't use with any regen droid. Helps generic E-Wings. Corran likes it but maybe not too much as he won't be able to regen.

Defensively you are going to want to stick to speed 2, which is what they do anyway when turning, etc. Offense, speed three and four opening engagements is the most favourable, i.e. legitimately accelerate to attack speed.

Maybe too good for minus 2 but I like what you are doing. Remember thought, not only does the proverbial E/X fox now help Biggs and Corran, it helps the T-70. Those pilots aren't too shabby. It's new identity is ignoring stress and TL shenanagins it seems...

Don't get me wrong, I love flying my T-65s but if there was an astromech at -2 points that allowed the pilot to "re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial" when they are "attacking" or "defending", wouldn't this be the most broken modification EVER?!?

I wouldn't think so. -2 is maybe too much, -1 would be more fitting I guess. That being said, remember, whilst you have that droid equipped, you are not:

Treating all speed moves as 1 - 2 green

Adding an EPT

Taking stress to reduce damage

Ignoring obstacles in the movement phase

Performing a free barrel roll

Cancelling a focus to gain an evade token

Taking a stress to apply a stress to a target

Regaining target locks

Forcing a target to re-roll their attack dice

Gaining a target lock after performing a red move

Increasing your agility

Regenerating shields

Discarding damage cards

Also, if you have to use IA, you lose the re-rolls.

The main thing to take away is that whilst it would be a strong droid, it also stops you from doing what the other droids do, such as stressing and regen. Also, with the increase in "assign tractor", you think that rerolling your defence dice is going to be an issue? Ketsu snarls at you and you get to re-roll your one defence dice, hits you, then you have none to roll at all against that HLC coming out of IG88B or DAT Dengar.

Sure Wes is now getting re-rolls and removing A token but now he isn't applying stress. Biggs is dying at the same speed. Wedge still needs Biggs, Luke is still sitting in the box since Poe arrived and Poe, well he isn't regenerating or barrel rolling and abusing his Black One Title. No one takes Garven, Porkins, Hobbie, etc. Maybe you see Tarn every now an again, but not without R7.

As for Corran, PS10 Corran that is forced to constantly do speed 2 - 3 moves to get rerolls isn't actually that bad. He only has one action. PtL Corran is PS8 and stuck doing Speed 2 banks for days and isn't even regenerating.

Y wings actually get the best use out of it but in order to do so, need to fly faster. If they are constantly doing speed 2 to increase their TLT power, then they are more predictable and again NO DOUBLE STRESS.

Now T70 pilots get some nice use out of it. Snap loves it and beasts but his PS6 is going to hurt. Nien Numb is OK with it I guess.

Personally, I think this droid provides options, but doesn't catapult them into Tier 1 meta because in that field, you are still a ship that cannot reposition, only ever focuses and generally gets out flown.

For that effect, 0 is more than good enough.

Some random generic Atromech Droid: - 2 points

When attacking or defending, you may re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial.

OK for generics, increases efficiency, lowers point cost, Biggs won't use it because he can then die in two shots instead of three. Enables Integrated astromech for all X wings. Frees up EPT slot away from Predator, Lone Wold and other re-roll mechanics. Makes flying them unique. Changes the way you approach situations. Can't use with any regen droid. Helps generic E-Wings. Corran likes it but maybe not too much as he won't be able to regen.

Defensively you are going to want to stick to speed 2, which is what they do anyway when turning, etc. Offense, speed three and four opening engagements is the most favourable, i.e. legitimately accelerate to attack speed.

Maybe too good for minus 2 but I like what you are doing. Remember thought, not only does the proverbial E/X fox now help Biggs and Corran, it helps the T-70. Those pilots aren't too shabby. It's new identity is ignoring stress and TL shenanagins it seems...

Don't get me wrong, I love flying my T-65s but if there was an astromech at -2 points that allowed the pilot to "re-roll a number of dice equal to the revealed speed of your ships dial" when they are "attacking" or "defending", wouldn't this be the most broken modification EVER?!?

I wouldn't think so. -2 is maybe too much, -1 would be more fitting I guess. That being said, remember, whilst you have that droid equipped, you are not:

Treating all speed moves as 1 - 2 green

Adding an EPT

Taking stress to reduce damage

Ignoring obstacles in the movement phase

Performing a free barrel roll

Cancelling a focus to gain an evade token

Taking a stress to apply a stress to a target

Regaining target locks

Forcing a target to re-roll their attack dice

Gaining a target lock after performing a red move

Increasing your agility

Regenerating shields

Discarding damage cards

Also, if you have to use IA, you lose the re-rolls.

The main thing to take away is that whilst it would be a strong droid, it also stops you from doing what the other droids do, such as stressing and regen. Also, with the increase in "assign tractor", you think that rerolling your defence dice is going to be an issue? Ketsu snarls at you and you get to re-roll your one defence dice, hits you, then you have none to roll at all against that HLC coming out of IG88B or DAT Dengar.

Sure Wes is now getting re-rolls and removing A token but now he isn't applying stress. Biggs is dying at the same speed. Wedge still needs Biggs, Luke is still sitting in the box since Poe arrived and Poe, well he isn't regenerating or barrel rolling and abusing his Black One Title. No one takes Garven, Porkins, Hobbie, etc. Maybe you see Tarn every now an again, but not without R7.

As for Corran, PS10 Corran that is forced to constantly do speed 2 - 3 moves to get rerolls isn't actually that bad. He only has one action. PtL Corran is PS8 and stuck doing Speed 2 banks for days and isn't even regenerating.

Y wings actually get the best use out of it but in order to do so, need to fly faster. If they are constantly doing speed 2 to increase their TLT power, then they are more predictable and again NO DOUBLE STRESS.

Now T70 pilots get some nice use out of it. Snap loves it and beasts but his PS6 is going to hurt. Nien Numb is OK with it I guess.

Personally, I think this droid provides options, but doesn't catapult them into Tier 1 meta because in that field, you are still a ship that cannot reposition, only ever focuses and generally gets out flown.

Hobbie needs more love. He's actually pretty strong. His pilot skill and lack of EPT hurt but he's stupidly versatile in the end and am excellent cheap generic hunter. Honestly, I think he's one of the T-76s best options.