I'm on board with lowering the cost of the AT-ST and Weis but they also need assault. The tank and eWebs' have assault. Self focusing like ig-88 is kinda a big band aid but clever to keep him balanced in campaign. How about Somos?

Assault for vehicles seems like a must. An upgrade similar to Beast tamer would be interesting. It could grant accuracy/assault to all vehicles, and also exhaust to have one vehicle perform a move at the start of an activation.

An AT-ST that can move and attack twice might still be worth 14 or 15

6 hours ago, Fightwookies said:

Assault for vehicles seems like a must. An upgrade similar to Beast tamer would be interesting. It could grant accuracy/assault to all vehicles, and also exhaust to have one vehicle perform a move at the start of an activation.

An AT-ST that can move and attack twice might still be worth 14 or 15

if it were an upgrade similar to beast tamer, then you could still put attachments on vehicles, which would be awesome! but I fear that I would do work for jet troopers, which don't need much help right now.

You could add a minimum figure cost (say 10). That would exclude all smaller vehicles.

29 minutes ago, aermet69 said:

You could add a minimum figure cost (say 10). That would exclude all smaller vehicles.

That's a really great idea! It would work as a fix for the existing Weiss/AT-ST/tank but would also let them design future vehicles, like the one in the new Heart of the Empire set, without having to worry about balancing them against the upgrade (by making them 9 points or fewer).

It would be really cool if the fix also made the E-Web Engineer viable (or at least Tier 3), but I think that's asking for too much.

Assault seems really great, except for all the manipulation you have to do to get that figure into a place where it *can* assault. Focused on the Kill's free 2 movement points finally enabled players to use IG's Assault. It'll take similar changes to fix Finn Signis.

Concerning Imperial Vehicles: Y'all might have overlooked this in my current doc:

Quote

Unique Elite Skirmish Upgrade Card: Imperial Retrofitting

Cost: 0

Apply the following to each AT-ST, SCM-2 and General Weiss figures in your army:

Reduce the deployment cost for each AT-ST & General Weiss by 3, SCM-2 Repulsor Tank by 2.

Secondary Cannons: Once during your activation, you may perform an attack using one blue and one red die without spending an action.

You gain "SURGE: Flatten - Choose up to two adjacent hostile figures. Each figure suffers 1 DMG."

Notice that this is an non-Attachment card. I tested this twice, once with the AT-ST and once with the SCM-2. I feel like I need to do something to increase defense, but I'm afraid that adding an always-available +1 BLOCK is too much. I also think that I might rewrite it so that SCM-2 cannot get 3 attacks in an activation.

This skirmish attachment also presumes that the AT-DT and all other Imperial massive vehicles will have a skirmish-appropriate card.

E-Webs: I have been really working hard to get elite E-Webs back into the skirmish game. In prior versions, I wasn't reducing deployment costs at all, and it was impossible to make an eWeb feel balanced enough at 8 points. Since we now know our FFG design team is allowing reduction of point costs, I've got the following up the current version of the doc.

Quote

Elite Skirmish Attachment Card: Heavy Weapon Expert (Elite E-Web Engineer only)

Cost: -2

Rapid Response: When you are granted movement points by a friendly figure, gain 1 additional movement point.

=> Explosive Shot: Perform an attack. This attack gains -2 Accuracy, SURGE: Blast 1 DMG. For this attack, you may apply Blast damage to hostile figures up to 2 spaces away from your target.

I haven't tested this change out yet, but my son and I are going to try and do so this week.

As always, your comments and playtest notes are welcome.

you should almost get 2 eWebs for the cost of one. Their immobile platform works for Campaign, but not for skirmish, They really should redesign the card to have the 2 games separate, or they should be able to be deployed "outside" the deployment zone so they don't have to move and can cause some objective usefulness as well.

I've just been reading this for the first time, it makes for a very interesting read - thank you! My lcoal group and I have talked at elngth about improving characters - I'll share this with them.

In terms of Gaarkhan, would the wording of his ability be better along the lines of: "When an adjacent friendly figure takes damage from an attack, you may suffer 1 DMG to reduce the DMG that figure takes by 1." I'm not 100% sure that my wording quite works, but the idea is that Gaarkhan doesn't end up taking damage and having his extra block pierced.

For 9 points still, I think that Biv should gain more than 2 extra health. A total of at least 12 doesn't seem unreasonable, given the health:cost of many new figures.

I almost think that the two movement points after attacking would be good enough for Jyn. I love that Mak and Loku suddenly become more dangerous. I so dearly want Loku to be good.

I shall keep reading in the future - thanks again!

10 hours ago, MadFuhrer said:

if it were an upgrade similar to beast tamer, then you could still put attachments on vehicles, which would be awesome! but I fear that I would do work for jet troopers, which don't need much help right now.

i almost wouldn't mind if it did apply to the jet troopers. their attack isn't that great unless they're close, and they don't really have the health for that.. If it's similar to beast tamer, in that you exhaust it to have a single figure take a move, i don't think it would be overpowered. overrun with jet troopers is the only thing that would need a specific exclusion.

1 hour ago, SeerOzymandius said:

For 9 points still, I think that Biv should gain more than 2 extra health. A total of at least 12 doesn't seem unreasonable, given the health:cost of many new figures.

For my games, I just changed his cost to 6.

I've found he's totally playable since he's got access to the hunter cards and close and personal can serve up some massive damage.

He basically walks into the fray, hits super hard with some help from a few command cards, hopefully survives the round, and does it all over again the next round.

If you can pull off 4 attacks and do some serious damage to some larger health characters, at 6 points, he's totally worth it.

If only for a little while, he'll take some of the heat off of your bigger characters.

HotR Luke helps him out with the red or yellow re-rolls x2 with close and personal too.

In no way at 9 points is he even close to being as powerful as the GI, and he's not even all that great!

12 hours ago, buckero0 said:

you should almost get 2 eWebs for the cost of one. Their immobile platform works for Campaign, but not for skirmish, They really should redesign the card to have the 2 games separate, or they should be able to be deployed "outside" the deployment zone so they don't have to move and can cause some objective usefulness as well.

Deploying them anywhere on the map seems really awesome, but given how limited the redeployment options at the start of the game are, I doubt it will be done. It would make them really interesting and thematically cool - they can still be manouvered around, but be careful not to get caught in their cross-hairs!

15 hours ago, Quigman said:

For my games, I just changed his cost to 6.

I've found he's totally playable since he's got access to the hunter cards and close and personal can serve up some massive damage.

He basically walks into the fray, hits super hard with some help from a few command cards, hopefully survives the round, and does it all over again the next round.

If you can pull off 4 attacks and do some serious damage to some larger health characters, at 6 points, he's totally worth it.

If only for a little while, he'll take some of the heat off of your bigger characters.

HotR Luke helps him out with the red or yellow re-rolls x2 with close and personal too.

In no way at 9 points is he even close to being as powerful as the GI, and he's not even all that great!

a lot of the figures are grossly overpriced. Their rules aren't bad and frankly their health isn't as much of an issue if their point cost was managed. Look at 6pt Onar vs. 6pt Biv, very similar in health or how long they'll last on the table, surge abilities and damage production is also similar. Biv is just too expensive. Han is the way too expensive. He has great abilities, awesome dice shot, cool, and thematic defensive abilities and he really shines with the new smuggler cards, but he is easily 4pts too much, he's a great figure @8pts, @7 he's almost a steal. Look at the title of the post OVERPRICED. Sometimes it's not worth it to get too cute with the rules, just lower the price and they're fine. For some figures, their rules never worked well and they felt overpriced. They're the ones that need the rewrite and attachment fixes, etc. Like Saska, Ghaarkhan, Dengar, Fenn, etc.

having just read your section on Sorin and Somos even with the changes i still wouldn't use either of them, if Gideon can use both his abilities from 10 spaces away for 3 cost then the 8 and 10 cost guys should be able to do it as well, they at least have limited choices to use their abilities on.

On 6/8/2017 at 8:37 PM, Fightwookies said:

a 'fell swoop' like ability I'll call 'off-hand blaster' to use 2 surges to trigger 2 movement and another attack. No skills from BD would apply to the second attack.

I like this. Fell Swoop is a cool ability, and I think it becomes very interesting on a ranged character.

3 hours ago, Stompburger said:

I like this. Fell Swoop is a cool ability, and I think it becomes very interesting on a ranged character.

I like it also, and think it would be better than just giving all the fixed figures assault or heroic.

56 minutes ago, Fightwookies said:

I like it also, and think it would be better than just giving all the fixed figures assault or heroic.

I guess my only concern is his ability to generate 2 spare surges. BGY has a pretty low chance of that even before evades from the defense. He has only a 50% chance of triggering it vs a black die, and only 28% vs a white die.

57 minutes ago, Stompburger said:

I guess my only concern is his ability to generate 2 spare surges. BGY has a pretty low chance of that even before evades from the defense. He has only a 50% chance of triggering it vs a black die, and only 28% vs a white die.

Right. That's also why I gave him the ability to generate surge power tokens for defeated enemies. Mandalorian tactics also comes with a free surge on the two 'normal' attacks making it a near lock.

You could talk me into having him grab a surge power token when he's deployed. That would again emulate Davith starting the mission hidden, without giving Boba an additional defensive bonus. With that extra surge available in the beginning, he'd be able to navigate getting enough surges a little better up front.

Quote

Secondary Cannons: Once during your activation, you may perform an attack using one blue and one red die without spending an action.

I would really like that one for the AT-ST and Weiss. Reduce both units cost and that's all what's needed.

The Tank would be great with Rapid Fire instead of Focused Fire. Maybe add some health or reduce its cost.

But actually, I think they will upgrade the main characters like Han and Boba.

MAYBE they will upgrade some units like the AT-ST or the E-Web, but I don't really believe, that this will happen before Imperial Assault v2.0.

I really doubt that they will upgrade their own creations like Biv or Somos.

Version 0.7 is now available . Highlights include:

• Power Tokens make their first appearance in the design document.
• A complete rework of the E-Web Engineer's Skirmish Upgrade card that allows the figure to move immediately after deployment and gain a special ability to damage figures entering a space within a five space radius. I'm afraid this ability might slow the game down. In my initial testing, having just one E-Web wasn't prohibitive.
• A first pass at reducing the cost of Elite HK Droids and giving all HK Droids a very unique attachment ability.
• Some simple tweaks for Trandoshan Hunters and Bossk.
• A new attempt to buff Troopers with a figure cost of 3... and a different attachment option for Troopers with a figure cost of 2.
• Making Fenn Signis a complimentary piece to the new Ko-Tun Feralo.
• A whole new approach to Boba Fett:

Quote

Boba Fett (Cost: 13)

After several attempts, there may be no Skirmish Attachment that makes Boba Fett fit properly into the new post-Jabba's Realm world. The Mandalorian Tactics ability is just too restrictive and flavorless. Instead Boba should have a new Skirmish card and Command card altogether. These new cards should keep some of the great aspects of the old Boba (speed 6, mobile) and add the iconic Boba attacks we know from the movies.

Unique Elite Deployment Card

Boba Fett - Relentless Hunter (Cost: 12)

Health: 12, Speed: 6, Defense: Black, Attack: Ranged, Blue/Green/Green

Abilities: +1 EVADE, Pierce 1 | Mobile | SURGE: +2 Accuracy, +2 DMG | SURGE: -1 DODGE

While attacking, you may reroll one of your attack dice.

=> Flamethrower - Choose a space within 2 spaces. Figures other than you on or adjacent to this space suffer 1 DMG, 1 STRAIN and become Weakened.

=> Wrist Rocket - A hostile figure within 4 spaces suffers 2 DMG, then you push that figure 1 space.

=> Wrist Cable - An adjacent hostile figure loses all Beneficial conditions and becomes Stunned.

Mandalorian Arsenal: Once during your activation, if you do not have a Skirmish Attachment, you may perform Flamethrower, Wrist Rocket or Wrist Cable without spending an action

Command Card

Death From Above (Boba Fett only)

Cost: 2

When you draw this card, place it immediately in your play area.

When you declare an attack, exhaust this card; figures do not block line-of-sight for this attack.

As always, your feedback is welcome.

On 6/12/2017 at 0:40 AM, Fightwookies said:

Assault for vehicles seems like a must. An upgrade similar to Beast tamer would be interesting. It could grant accuracy/assault to all vehicles, and also exhaust to have one vehicle perform a move at the start of an activation.

An AT-ST that can move and attack twice might still be worth 14 or 15

I like the idea of a "beast tamer" for the vehicles. My feeling is that their biggest issue is the cost for something that's likely only getting to shoot once per round. However, if it could "move" faster, that could make it more viable.

1 hour ago, NeverBetTheFett said:

I like the idea of a "beast tamer" for the vehicles. My feeling is that their biggest issue is the cost for something that's likely only getting to shoot once per round. However, if it could "move" faster, that could make it more viable.

The original post (if you follow up the quoted post chain) had all vehicles gaining assault also. I do think now that it would be easy to have this upgrade limited to massive vehicles and that would take care of any jet trooper overrun abuse.

Beast tamer allows a move or sentience. I'd love it if this upgrade exhausted at the beginning of the activation, allowing for a move or the option of block for the one vehicle for the rest of the round.

Here's my most recent stab at the AT-ST/SCM-2/Weiss problem:

Quote

Unique Elite Skirmish Upgrade Card: Imperial Retrofitting

Cost: 0

Apply the following to each AT-ST, SCM-2 and General Weiss figures in your army:

Reduce the deployment cost for each AT-ST & General Weiss by 3, SCM-2 Repulsor Tank by 2. SCM-2 Repulsor Tanks also gain: Health +2.

After deployment, you gain 1 BLOCK TOKEN.

Once during your activation, you may perform an attack using one blue and one red die without spending an action.

1 hour ago, Fightwookies said:

The original post (if you follow up the quoted post chain) had all vehicles gaining assault also. I do think now that it would be easy to have this upgrade limited to massive vehicles and that would take care of any jet trooper overrun abuse.

Beast tamer allows a move or sentience. I'd love it if this upgrade exhausted at the beginning of the activation, allowing for a move or the option of block for the one vehicle for the rest of the round.

Another great idea. So, it's like a beast tamer for vehicles. You can choose to use the move or apply a built in block.