With the push to make ordinance more useful, FFG has been printing some pretty insane cards.

Scavenger Crane really has me going; interested in making an Alpha Strike list like none other. The biggest downfall of an Alpha Strike list is that it doesn't work for a very long time. If one volley doesn't work, they the list usually devolves into a bad swarm list.

Black Sun Soldier (Z-95) - (13 + 6) ×5

- Cluster Missiles (4)

- Guidance Chips (0)

- Scavenger Crane (2)

Now you may question my choice of Cluster Missiles, but they are the only sensible choice in my opinion. First of all, their range is 1-2, which coincides with the range of Scavenger Crane so that we pretty much ensure that we always get another missile back. Second, they give us the token-stripping and firepower that comes with a 10 ship swarm. We get ten 3-die rolls (an opportunity for 30 hits to go through), and each of those can be modified with Guidance Chips too.

So what does everyone think? Is there merit to Scavenger Crane? Or is this just another fool's errand?

Crane wont make the list have any longevity because it does not address a key problem

Namely, the enthusiasm with which Zs get slaughtered

Technically, guidance chips only triggers on one of the two attacks from each cluster missile. But it should still hurt, and without either long range target lock capability, deadeye, or a high pilot skill, clusters are definitely the right choice of ordnance.

And yes, you're going to lose fighters at a rate of knots. But at least you get something for that.

There may be an argument for taking 2-3 Z-95s alongside something more threatening, to force your opponent to shoot at them first. Talonbane Cobra is nicely glass-cannon-ey, and might be a nice option.

5 such a Zs is not nearly enough. Played VS 5z95s some time ago - also rocket build. The dropped one by one so fast i could not count.

Fielding 3 of those an someone more durable is a way - like mentioned.

3x(Binaye + Clusters + Crane + GC) = 54, that leaves 46 points for a big ship. More then enough to field something nasty.

Tangent: I have long lamented the fact that there is no Z-95 generics with an EPT