Variable Deflectors (Modification, 2 points). Dual Card .

Side 1: Deflectors on Double Front.

When defending against at attacker in your front arc, each shield token requires two damage or one critical damage to remove. Attacks against you from attackers outside your front arc ignore shields when dealing damage. After you perform a maneuver, you may flip this card over.

Side 2: Stabilize Deflectors.

Shield tokens defeat one damage or critical damage as normal. After you perform a maneuver, you may flip this card over.

Discuss. Should card flipping be an action?

Seems too strong and rather cheap.

If it was not an action, you could always have the advantage without having any disadvantages, depending on the opponents list, for example vs. 2 ship lists or against ships like Super Dash, that try to run away from you. It would probably destroy a whole class of ships.

Imagine it on Dengar or the Falcon with the new Title and Kanan. That's 10/8 shield or even 12 on a ghost (plus excess damage, in many situations you will get 3 hits, so 1 shield is worth 3 shields instead of 2) as these ships have no problems keeping opponent ships in their front arc.

Fluffwise, I don't think small ships would be able to manually control their shields, even most large ships might not be able to do so.

I don't think this card is close to being balanced, with or without flipping it as an action. It is just a much better evade action in many situations.

I posted this before.

Simple: X-wing Only

Side 1: Deflectors on Double Front

Add a reinforce token which works in primary arc only. When being attacked from outside your primary arc. Change 1 evade result to a blank result.

After you perform a maneuver, you may flip this card over

Side 2: Stability Deflectors

No Effect

After you perform a maneuver, you may flip this card over.

This makes it a bonus and negative effect, plus uses an already know action of reinforce.

So perhaps flipping needs an ACTION header.

Fluffwise, I don't think small ships would be able to manually control their shields, even most large ships might not be able to do so.

Well, it's a direct lift from Star Wars during the Death Star assault. As they approach the Death Star, Red Leader says "We're passing through their magnetic field ... hold tight ... switch your deflectors on double front." Later, when the Y-wings are in the trench, Gold Leader initially says "Switch all power to front deflector screens" and then later when reports of fighters comes in, Gold Five says "Stabilize your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters." So I think the fluff is on target.

@eaglesi111: Yeah, reinforce is a good mechanic here.

So perhaps flipping needs an ACTION header.

Fluffwise, I don't think small ships would be able to manually control their shields, even most large ships might not be able to do so.

Well, it's a direct lift from Star Wars during the Death Star assault. As they approach the Death Star, Red Leader says "We're passing through their magnetic field ... hold tight ... switch your deflectors on double front." Later, when the Y-wings are in the trench, Gold Leader initially says "Switch all power to front deflector screens" and then later when reports of fighters comes in, Gold Five says "Stabilize your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters." So I think the fluff is on target.

@eaglesi111: Yeah, reinforce is a good mechanic here.

Seems like I missed that. Well, it's been some time ago that I last watched the movies.

About the Reinforce Action: Shouldn't you rather cancel (so they can't be rerolled) 2 evade results (the reinforce action adds one without condition, so cancelling one is the normal result you rolled)?

I posted this before.

Simple:

Side 1: Deflectors on Double Front

Add a reinforce token. When being attacked from outside your primary arc. Change 1 evade result to a blank result.

After you perform a maneuver, you may flip this card over

Side 2: Stability Deflectors

No Effect

After you perform a maneuver, you may flip this card over.

This makes it a bonus and negative effect, plus uses an already know action of reinforce.

I think you'd want to clarify that the reinforce token only applies to attacks within your forward weapon arc, otherwise the 'disadvantage' for off-arc attacks is kinda moot.

Also: dialog made it pretty clear this was an action the pilots were taking. So...DEFINITELY an action to flip it.

Finally: needs to be small base, only! Don't want to see a YV-666 with this thing on it, parked in a corner...

Oh, now, the Falcon was angling its deflector screens all over the place!

Perhaps, revised:

Oh, now, the Falcon was angling its deflector screens all over the place!

Perhaps, revised:

Variable Deflectors (Modification, 2 points). Dual Card .

Side 1: Deflectors on Double Front.

When defending against an attacker in your front arc, add one [evade] result to your roll. When defending against an attacker outside your front arc, roll one fewer defense dice.

ACTION: Flip this card over.

Side 2: Stabilize Deflectors.

ACTION: Flip this card over.

It would almost get too complicated, but I wonder if you couldn't handle the three states of deflectors in one card?

So perhaps flipping needs an ACTION header.

Fluffwise, I don't think small ships would be able to manually control their shields, even most large ships might not be able to do so.

Well, it's a direct lift from Star Wars during the Death Star assault. As they approach the Death Star, Red Leader says "We're passing through their magnetic field ... hold tight ... switch your deflectors on double front." Later, when the Y-wings are in the trench, Gold Leader initially says "Switch all power to front deflector screens" and then later when reports of fighters comes in, Gold Five says "Stabilize your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters." So I think the fluff is on target.

@eaglesi111: Yeah, reinforce is a good mechanic here.

Also fluffy in the 90's PC games.

How about

Action: When defending this round, if the attacker is inside your firing arc, add 1 evade result.

Consider that this card stops doing anything at all once you lose your shields.

Also, consider the effects of this card on ships that can regenerate shields. (Miranda, ships with R2D2, R5-P9, "Gonk", etc) Do they lose more by equipping this upgrade than some other preferred upgrade in the same slot?

Finally, consider the effects of this card on Biggs. Does it make him too disruptive for too long?

Can you get something that isn't worthless but at the same time isn't broken on regen ships or Biggs?

Also, fluff wise, you should be able to also switch your deflectors double back.

Regardless of balance, the three-state problem could be solved like this:

Variable Deflectors

Dual card

Shield tokens on this card count for your maximum shield value.

When defending, if the attacker is closest to any of your frontal guides, you may spend a shield token on this card to cancel up to 2 hit results.

Action : Either flip this card over, or move any amount of shield tokens between your pilot card and this card.

Variable Deflectors
Dual card
Shield tokens on this card count for your maximum shield value.
When defending, if the attacker is closest to any of your rear guides, you may spend a shield token on this card to cancel up to 2 hit results.
Action : Either flip this card over, or move any amount of shield tokens between your pilot card and this card.

Thoughts:

- It uses an action con reconfigure the shields, since in game terms the effect could be equivalent to getting 1 evade token per attack at the cost of actually losing shields.

- It uses one shield token to cancel two normal hit results. Crits bypass the double deflectors and can only be cancelled by shield tokens on the pilot card per the usual rules. This makes it less interesting to face away with Norra or Biggs and stack all shields behind, since doing so could lead to a crit getting thru.

- Regenerating ships still would need to move their new shield tokens to the variable deflector card for them to count double. So they need to spend an action too. It's a benefit with a cost.

- Using the frontal or rear guides in the base to determine which side is being attacked solves the fluff concept of double front or double rear.

- This could help B-Wings and rebel ships weather torpedo alpha strikes without totally nullifying them.

Still undecided about the upgrade slot or cost.

Oooooo spending shields to negate two hits interesting

Kinda makes me wish all ship bases had the four quadrants like the Shadow Caster. Would make this sort of thing easier.

Any of these various designs would almost have to be limited to small ships. No good fluffy reason for this but required for balance.

This would be a huge boost for the Rebel faction. Shields aplenty. Good lord, a B-wing cancelling 10 damage before losing hull! Could almost see R2 crew on a B-wing! What ship can't flank a B-wing though...

My thoughts

Angled Deflectors

Modification

(dual sided, not flippable (choose a side at deployment like Adaptability)

Action: Move any number of shield tokens from your ship card to this card.

When defending, if the attacker is inside/outside of your primary firing arc, you may spend shield tokens on this card to cancel 2 [hit] results.

I think this could honestly be zero points. Would give B-wings and Y-wings the ability to weather the alpha from U-boats a bit more successfully. Miranda is probably the biggest concern. Biggs probably would prefer Integrated Astro in most circumstances.