Without further ado:

Binayre Pirate (12)

Black Market Slicer Tools (1)

Binayre Pirate (12)

Black Market Slicer Tools (1)

Binayre Pirate (12)

Black Market Slicer Tools (1)

Binayre Pirate (12)

Black Market Slicer Tools (1)

Asajj Ventress (37)

Snap Shot (2)

Tactician (2)

Black Market Slicer Tools (1)

Rigged Cargo Chute (1)

Gyroscopic Targeting (2)

Shadow Caster (3)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

I think the idea behind this is pretty obvious. Stess 'em, hack' em, smoke 'em.

Not sayin it's a revelation but it keeps PTL users very honest, has some serious Hitpoints itself and has a lot of potential bonus damage...

I was also thinking about a few HWKs with tacticians for stressing, but as we got Asajj now, why not...

Also noteworthy is that the slicer tools inflict a damage card. This is a big middle finger to Rebel Regen lists... 3 successful slices, bye Poe!

It looks like a fun list, I'll give you that. Now I'm going to stand on a soap box against Black Market Slicer Tools. The card is imbalanced.

For starters, the original Slicer Tools only works on Epic Ships. At the very least, BMST should have been large ship only.

Large ship only or not, range 1-2 is excessive for a 1-point upgrade capable of deterring so many other common tactics in the game. (Not just PtL, there are lots of ships and cards that take stress for a benefit.) The cost should be higher or the range should be range 1 only, or both.

I'm not asking for a nerf, because I'll use the card as-is. I'm going to use it, and every time it works I will feel a little bit dirty.

It looks like a fun list, I'll give you that. Now I'm going to stand on a soap box against Black Market Slicer Tools. The card is imbalanced.

For starters, the original Slicer Tools only works on Epic Ships. At the very least, BMST should have been large ship only.

Large ship only or not, range 1-2 is excessive for a 1-point upgrade capable of deterring so many other common tactics in the game. (Not just PtL, there are lots of ships and cards that take stress for a benefit.) The cost should be higher or the range should be range 1 only, or both.

I'm not asking for a nerf, because I'll use the card as-is. I'm going to use it, and every time it works I will feel a little bit dirty.

I agree with you almost. It certainly is a strong card for 1 point. I don't like this tendency that the FFG designers are exhibiting lately (introduce something into the meta---if it doesn't become super popular, release something almost the same but stronger). This is what they did with contracted scout when wildspace fringer turned out to be a 'flop'. And now BMST is essentially a stronger version of Feedback array. In both cases, it certainly wasn't necessary to go as far as they did.

However, having said all that, BMST is still situational. I am not complaining about it being slightly too cheap at 1 point because it will see no value in some matchups. So a BMST heavy list will be quite strong against PTL users, but even with a control Ventress in there to keep it relevant in other matchups, a list like the OP's has sacrificed significant damage potential just to get more value out of BMST. Ultimately, for that reason, I don't think its a strong list.

And that is the kicker for BMST: its a little too strong when it can be used en masse, and its a little unfair to Tycho (plus other PTL users that were never really too strong in the meta, such as non Soontir TIE interceptors), but there's still enough powerful ships out there that just don't care (defenders, most large-based ships, most of the rebel fleet, etc) that ultimately, BMST isn't going to dominate the meta (but it will certainly have an effect!)

Yeah I don't see BMST as OP. It's an action and it has 50% chance to do nothing. I've played against them a couple times using aces, and plenty of times they just wiff and make the Z an easy tokenless 1-shot.

That many BMSTs can also open up your opponent's dials, as a successful slice is removing the stress, too.

Confirmed: BMST are not as good as previously hyped.

Conclusion based on: list juggler.

And now BMST is essentially a stronger version of Feedback array.

I don't know that that's true. BMST is certainly an easier card to include in a list but I'm not sure that it is stronger than Feedback Array. Unless you are bringing weaponized stress your opponent is in complete control of whether you get to use the card at all.

And now BMST is essentially a stronger version of Feedback array.

I don't know that that's true. BMST is certainly an easier card to include in a list but I'm not sure that it is stronger than Feedback Array. Unless you are bringing weaponized stress your opponent is in complete control of whether you get to use the card at all.

Yes that's true, but the downsides are much less severe. A feedback Z swarm for example is actually not very good. It cannot hunt aces all that well, and even when you get one ship in range to feedback, the cost of using it can often be crippling.

Feedback might seem still relevant on large-based ships, however. They have a bigger base, so therefore larger range 1 zone and they are relatively unaffected by the first use (except the 1 damage). So with fewer drawbacks, its not a bad call. However, BMST is easier to squeeze into lists thanks to being cheaper, and at 1 point, you really don't care if it does nothing. Any damage it deals is 'bonus', so psychologically, it feels less risky to throw it into a list (because feedback is still very situational and may do nothing a lot of the time).

That many BMSTs can also open up your opponent's dials, as a successful slice is removing the stress, too.

This is not true. Because BMST is not guaranteed to remove any stress, and dials are set before it is used, it's highly unlikely that a stressed ship will dial in anything that could leave it stranded if BMST doesn't work that round - particularly high value but fragile aces like Fel. They cannot afford to take that kind of risk, so the dial really isn't opened up at all.

That many BMSTs can also open up your opponent's dials, as a successful slice is removing the stress, too.

This is not true. Because BMST is not guaranteed to remove any stress, and dials are set before it is used, it's highly unlikely that a stressed ship will dial in anything that could leave it stranded if BMST doesn't work that round - particularly high value but fragile aces like Fel. They cannot afford to take that kind of risk, so the dial really isn't opened up at all.

Depends on the situation. Certainly not something you can count on, but occasionally, you might have to take a risk with your 'high value but fragile ace' because the alternative is most certainly destruction.

For example, I had PTL carnor vs a Fenn, Teroch & Manny list. Fenn was tailing Jax and Manaroo was closing in. Due to the positioning, Jax had limited options with green moves, and I figured my opponent would block them with manaroo (and that he would most certainly use slicer tools). So I dialed in a hard 3 turn (a white move) despite being stressed because it was my only hope to clear the block (getting stuck on Manny would most likely be death for Jax since Fenn would get a R1 shot with TL).

Manaroo made the expected block move, used slicers successfully and took away Jax' stress token. The 3 hard turn cleared and I was able to boost + evade. Had slicer not worked, Jax would've been actionless, but Fenn would be unable to get close thanks to Manaroo's position. Either way, I think it was the right call in that circumstance.

I was recently toying with a similar list. I was using

BMST on N'Dru didn't do anything, largely because N'Dru was usually the first to go down. BMST on Asajj was used three times (if I remember correctly). It failed once to kill Fenn Rau in time, but won or at least ended two games for me. I won the tournament undefeated but it definitely wasn't because BMST was overpowered.

And now BMST is essentially a stronger version of Feedback array.

It really, really isn't. Not even close. Feedback is guaranteed damage against anyone (including people you couldn't otherwise shoot), BMST only works against stressed targets and only half the time.

They both have their place, but to say they're the same as each other is... just not right. If anything I'm much more inclined to use Feedback than Slicer in most lists, because without a way to inflict stress, slicer is reliant on your opponent to not be a wasted point (and costs you offensive and defensive punch when you're using the action to not focus or TL). Whereas YVs will always be vulnerable from behind (and frequently, unable to take actions, ever), and impossible-to-hit aces will always be impossible to hit, and Feedback Array will always do something to cover both these issues.

What about on a rebel stress list:

Eaden Vrill — YT-2400 32

Operations Specialist 3

Black Market Slicer Tools 1

Smuggling Compartment 0

Experimental Interface 3

Ship Total: 39

Braylen Stramm — ARC-170 25

Gunner 5

R3-A2 2

Alliance Overhaul 0

Ship Total: 32

Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing 22

Heavy Laser Cannon 7

Ship Total: 29

Not really weaponized the best, but it's something. Blue in back helps keep some damage output going, and as long as Vrill shoots same target as Stramm, he's getting a 3PWT shot with it. I just put this together in about 5 minutes, so there could be a lot of holes or just a bad list, but I tried to capitalize on stress with Eaden and BMST. Ops Specialist allows the hopeful miss of Stramm to do even more work.

And now BMST is essentially a stronger version of Feedback array.

It really, really isn't. Not even close. Feedback is guaranteed damage against anyone (including people you couldn't otherwise shoot), BMST only works against stressed targets and only half the time.

They both have their place, but to say they're the same as each other is... just not right. If anything I'm much more inclined to use Feedback than Slicer in most lists, because without a way to inflict stress, slicer is reliant on your opponent to not be a wasted point (and costs you offensive and defensive punch when you're using the action to not focus or TL). Whereas YVs will always be vulnerable from behind (and frequently, unable to take actions, ever), and impossible-to-hit aces will always be impossible to hit, and Feedback Array will always do something to cover both these issues.

I've already commented on the pro's and con's of each, and it seems you are mis-quoting me. But yes, they are very similar and there's nothing wrong in saying so...

BMST is in fact stronger on most platforms. I've already explained where feedback might be preferable (I never said feedback has no place in lists any longer). A lot of your comments sound like fears of BMST's downsides rather than from actual play experience. Give it a try and see how it stacks up to feedback, because the stuff you mention are not advantages that feedback has over BMST. I'm not sure from what you say that you fully realize what's really good and bad about BMST relative to feedback...

Slicer tools is a good card but I really wouldn't build an entire a swarm around it. Maybe other people are luckier but for me if it kicks off 1x per game I'm happy with the point I spent on it. It's quickly becoming a joke locally that slicer tools is at best a 25% chance and usually is taking an action to experience disappointment.