Can someone please sell me on Admiral Sato?

I like the idea of him and there are certainly some good combos that you can throw, but the more I think of it the less I think it will translate well to the table.

For example: an MC-30 Scout with Sato and APT. Assuming you have a squadron in position you can throw 2 black dice at long range potentially triggering APTs. Seems amazing. Seems really unreliable too. You have to get the crit on 2 dice, which is tricky even with OE re-rolls. If the target has an Evade token you need 2 crits on 2 dice to get the APT to work. Sure you can Con Fire for another die, but you might have needed a Squadron Command to get a squadron in position. It seems like a combo that looks good on paper, but will rarely work out on the table.

Aside from long range crit shenanigans what do you see Sato helping with on the table?

Can someone please sell me on Admiral Sato?

I like the idea of him and there are certainly some good combos that you can throw, but the more I think of it the less I think it will translate well to the table.

For example: an MC-30 Scout with Sato and APT. Assuming you have a squadron in position you can throw 2 black dice at long range potentially triggering APTs. Seems amazing. Seems really unreliable too. You have to get the crit on 2 dice, which is tricky even with OE re-rolls. If the target has an Evade token you need 2 crits on 2 dice to get the APT to work. Sure you can Con Fire for another die, but you might have needed a Squadron Command to get a squadron in position. It seems like a combo that looks good on paper, but will rarely work out on the table.

Aside from long range crit shenanigans what do you see Sato helping with on the table?

Just generally upping Damage overall.

Replacing Reds with Blacks when you have Blue is always a goer. No reason to not.

Salvation is now shooting 1-2 red, 2+CF blacks, possibly with a CF re-roll.

Gives me blue dice at long range so I can LS my 4-5 reds on my Liberty so I can always deal damage.

Defiance just got even better - you can add some blacks at range, or maybe a blue if you can't get Defiance to shoot at something that's activated. Help keep LS in play for max no rounds.

Yep.

"Dice Shenanigans."

As a rebel player, it'll also force you to hone your Squadron Game somewhat.. Both in pre-planning and execution.

As an Imperial Player, you'll have to learn how to arrange a proper CAP... Or at least be willing to take some punches while you attempt to clear the board.

MC30 Torpedo could take TRCs - just beause

I dont see a use. I think he was nerfed by the text change. I hope to be proved wrong.

I say this as a diehard ackbar user. 2 extra dice beats 2 better dice.

I dont see a use. I think he was nerfed by the text change. I hope to be proved wrong.

I say this as a diehard ackbar user. 2 extra dice beats 2 better dice.

If you are willing to Broadside.

this Admiral has a problem in that you probably NEED squadron superiority to use him reliably, but that usually means skimping on firepower on actual ships. If you come up against the increasingly common squadron-shredding builds (possibly helped by wave 5 squads) and lose the squadron game you now have a 32 point brick.

I dont see a use. I think he was nerfed by the text change. I hope to be proved wrong.

I say this as a diehard ackbar user. 2 extra dice beats 2 better dice.

If you are willing to Broadside.

Good point.

NEBS, ALL THE NEBS.

I dont see a use. I think he was nerfed by the text change. I hope to be proved wrong.

I say this as a diehard ackbar user. 2 extra dice beats 2 better dice.

If you are willing to Broadside.

Good point.

NEBS, ALL THE NEBS.

And the Peltas, and the Liberties....

... and the GR75-Combats... (I don't believe I typed that with a straight face...)...

because the list is growing steadily.

On paper I can't... He sends priced at a premium for what he is just like niche garbage Ackbar.

But I think on the table he might surprise us.

Yeah but just Nebs.

Sato's trigger is definitely a bit finicky but I think he will shine with ships that like double-arcing as you get maximum benefit from his ability. So MC30s, CR90s, and the odd HMC80 (as well as the Pelta, obviously). The long-ranged black crit ordnance trick is fun but not really something to strongly build around. Salvation also loves swapping its red dice in the front for black and it still retains at least one red dice to use the TRCs on if necessary.

The biggest issue is going to be coming up with squadron builds that aren't overinvesting, methinks.

Dice shenanigans.

Honestly, how many times has your MC30 without H9s failed to kill a Flotilla (or any non-ECM target) because of no accuracies. Replace 2 blacks with 2 more blue. Now 4 blue dice to fish for accuracies.

Everyone thinks damage buff. How about Sato for increased reliability against specific targets?

The biggest issue is going to be coming up with squadron builds that aren't overinvesting, methinks.

12 Toryn Farr Hwk 290's

I don't think Sato is the "end all" that the hype built him up to be. When Sato works, you're opponent is going to feel it. I think Sato is up there with Ackbar where you need to have excellent flying and planning to get the most benefit out of them, where as Rieekan and Mothma just work.

Sato will find a niche in the aggressive anti-squad game instead of bombers I think.

Issue there is that in heavy number rebel lists you need every point you can find, and paying an extra 12 points over dodonna.... Idk about that..... There goes a hwk

Issue there is that in heavy number rebel lists you need every point you can find, and paying an extra 12 points over dodonna.... Idk about that..... There goes a hwk

It sounds like you only play Dodonna, then?

If I'm running a bomber list.... Which is most of the time. But I also enjoy crackin, mothma, and an determined for garm to work for me but ya a lot of Dodonna

If you can find the build and points for Mothma and/or Cracken... Then you can find the Build for Sato.

Dismissing him out of hand because he won't fit one archtype is narrow-minded at best... and, wether or not you intended to do that, that's how your statement comes across.

I'm with you in this Shmitty. I'll put him on the table but I don't see him being great, at least not with the current ship roster. Dice shenanigans are great fun though.

If you can find the build and points for Mothma and/or Cracken... Then you can find the Build for Sato.

Dismissing him out of hand because he won't fit one archtype is narrow-minded at best... and, wether or not you intended to do that, that's how your statement comes across.

Well I specifically said I was talking about that archtype in my post so........

Also not sure how saying you will run into issue building with him is dismissing him.......

I don't run crackin with a heavy b list. Not that it can't work. And I don't play mm as much as I should.

He's quite a bit of cost savings on a CR90/Neb-B heavy fleet that can provide the numbers to trigger his ability more often. VS another light fleet, I'd rather keep my evades/burn the opponent's with volume rather than depending on the always evaded double-hit.

Spinal armament scout frigate/OE/ACM/APT shenanigans seems to be an awfully restricted thing to try to build around for that many points though who knows? Maybe he has to be that expensive or that would really make no-evade ships t3h useless