blockade run looks like a lot of fun, but I fear it might result in imperial players sitting their ISDs at speed 0 in their deployment zone, like I've already seen too much of already.
Ooooh, Yes Please... I quiver with antici-.....
pation?
New Objectives!
pation?
....
Jamming barrier - when previewed in the summer - didn't grab me as that useful. With the Dust Fields tokens doing a similar fire reduction effect and the second player will get to deploy at least one of them you can extend the barrier from one to give a more decent length barrier. If you have a Grav shift too it could be quite a trench line.
I see Fighter Ambush as similar to Opening Salvo at the moment. Only players with 4+ ships select Opening Salvo as one of their 3 objectives and only opponents with significantly more ships than that actually choose it to play. No first player with only a token 3 Tie Fighters will ever choose Fighter Ambush so it may be only played when the enemy think they can out squadron a player who must have a decent fighter force to start with.
I see Fighter Ambush as similar to Opening Salvo at the moment. Only players with 4+ ships select Opening Salvo as one of their 3 objectives and only opponents with significantly more ships than that actually choose it to play. No first player with only a token 3 Tie Fighters will ever choose Fighter Ambush so it may be only played when the enemy think they can out squadron a player who must have a decent fighter force to start with.
That's what I've been trying to convey. You're just not gonna take it if you don't have squadrons. If your opponent DOES have squadrons, deployment will be a major issue. If you're within range to strike an opponent's ships to strike on first turn, guess what? Your opponent is likely in range of your squadrons with his own squadrons. More importantly, they're going first, so they get to attack your squadrons first. I guarantee that if I see fighter ambush against one my squadron heavy builds, I'm gonna grab it without hesitation.
I'm loving the Planetary Ion Cannon. Did some quick sims in Vassal, and wow does that really make a difference on damage to an enemy ship. And distance 1-3 is a massive area! Looks like you can stack them right on top of each other too.
Example:
Start of round: Attack a Gladiator front arc. Here's 2 hits, 1 crit + ACC your Evade. You exhaust your Brace to take 2 damage on front arc. Now exhaust another defense token from Crit. You chose Evade.
Result: Fronts shields at 1, Brace and Evade exhausted. Ok go ahead and start your turn and most likely fly into range of my other ships which will strip you of your exhausted defense tokens. 
If you're playing Rieekian and have to choose between Precision Strike, Superior Positions, and Fighter Ambush you could really let your opponent harvest a pile of tokens off of you.
I'm loving the Planetary Ion Cannon. Did some quick sims in Vassal, and wow does that really make a difference on damage to an enemy ship. And distance 1-3 is a massive area! Looks like you can stack them right on top of each other too.
Example:
Start of round: Attack a Gladiator front arc. Here's 2 hits, 1 crit + ACC your Evade. You exhaust your Brace to take 2 damage on front arc. Now exhaust another defense token from Crit. You chose Evade.
Result: Fronts shields at 1, Brace and Evade exhausted. Ok go ahead and start your turn and most likely fly into range of my other ships which will strip you of your exhausted defense tokens.
it's the perfect anti-demo objective
Too bad the Ion Cannon can't force your opponent to spend exhausted defense tokens.
I'm loving the Planetary Ion Cannon. Did some quick sims in Vassal, and wow does that really make a difference on damage to an enemy ship. And distance 1-3 is a massive area! Looks like you can stack them right on top of each other too.
Example:
Start of round: Attack a Gladiator front arc. Here's 2 hits, 1 crit + ACC your Evade. You exhaust your Brace to take 2 damage on front arc. Now exhaust another defense token from Crit. You chose Evade.
Result: Fronts shields at 1, Brace and Evade exhausted. Ok go ahead and start your turn and most likely fly into range of my other ships which will strip you of your exhausted defense tokens.
This is almost certain to be my go-to yellow objective now (unless the single remaining unknown objective is amazeballs). There is no downside, no risk. Nothing but benefit for the second player, which is definitely not a characteristic of most yellow objectives. I hate Hyperspace and Fight Ambush because they take away deployments. Fleet Ambush is...well...Fleet Ambush. Contested Outpost is an Interdictor away from being a disadvantage. Fire Lanes is the only one I typically like, but you need to be built for it and it too can turn on you against the wrong fleet. Jamming Barrier could be great with the right fleet, but I'm not sure yet.
Edited by Truthiness....pation?
^___________^
remember Dras: at the end of the day, you love me.
OK I'm not panicking yet....
But lets say you are first player with a "balanced" list (say 1 big ship, 1 small ship, some flots and 80 points of squadrons....)
Across from you is JJs list or the Imperial equivalent.
Your options are precision strike, fighter ambush, and superior positions....
What do you do?
What will you do when they catch you?
What will you do when they break you?
WHAT WILL YOU DO??
Anyone else think Corona and Mothma are going to be an aggravating combo?
With these new objectives...... let the bidding for initiative begin.
Anyone else think Corona and Mothma are going to be an aggravating combo?
I'd been thinking Cracken, but yeah.
So, I wrote up a blog article with my thoughts on each of the new objectives. Can't wait to try out Sensor Net, that one just looks like fun.
Read more HERE.
Anyone else think Corona and Mothma are going to be an aggravating combo?
I'd been thinking Cracken, but yeah.
Cracken and jamming barrier. Damnnnnn
With these new objectives...... let the bidding for initiative begin.
Yes I think this may be a thing. The three I mentioned (precision strike, fighter ambush and superior positions) can really run away on you. It might be that the approach you take is to build very strongly for your objectives as second player and only use the bid for first where you think the match up is pretty balanced?
Or you could just run 5 gladiators and play to table him before the points can add up!
New Objectives are nice however I wish in the campaign it was more of a attack move plays red objectives, defensive move plays yellow objective and a long move plays blue objectives. So instead of a one of each color I would like to see a three of one color.
New Objectives are nice however I wish in the campaign it was more of a attack move plays red objectives, defensive move plays yellow objective and a long move plays blue objectives. So instead of a one of each color I would like to see a three of one color.
Well, we still don't know EXACTLY how the Campaign will work with Assigned Objectives as it is.l
New Objectives are nice however I wish in the campaign it was more of a attack move plays red objectives, defensive move plays yellow objective and a long move plays blue objectives. So instead of a one of each color I would like to see a three of one color.
Nah. You want to have some variety so that your opponent can't just build to exploit the objective cards.
Also, they have the two unique objectives. I think that will end up giving plenty of flavor to campaigns.
So, I wrote up a blog article with my thoughts on each of the new objectives. Can't wait to try out Sensor Net, that one just looks like fun.
Read more HERE.
Great analysis, as always.
So, I wrote up a blog article with my thoughts on each of the new objectives. Can't wait to try out Sensor Net, that one just looks like fun.
Read more HERE.
Excellent write-up. There's a lot to think about.
Also, no big deal, but you labeled Targeting Beams as Precision Strike. 
I had a Victory-'Dictor-Victory fleet that I thought was fun in wave 4 for rolling along in tight formation and blasting anything in front arc, but finally in Wave 5 it will come into its own. Jerjerrod makes big cranky ships play like the little guys, and the new objectives add more support for defensive plays and battlefield manipulation.
Anyone else think Corona and Mothma are going to be an aggravating combo?
Beware the Mon in the sun.
If you're playing Rieekian and have to choose between Precision Strike, Superior Positions, and Fighter Ambush you could really let your opponent harvest a pile of tokens off of you.
Except: didn't the clarification on Jamming Field wording make it clear that card effects are optional unless stated, so Rieekan is an optional effect that you could choose not to use, to avoid the detrimental effect of being farmed?