I'm not understanding what the advantages of this card are. The card states that when attacking, the defender must spend a focus token if able and when defending, the attacker must spend a focus token if able.

1) Does 'if able' apply to simply the fact that a focus token exists? Or is it only required to be spent if there are eyeballs showing?

2) When that focus token is spent, why does the player spending the token still get to use the advantage of spending the token to modify dice? Why isn't it costing the opposing player the focus token entirely?

1) "If Able" refers to both a token exists and not being blocked from using it, i.e. Carnor Jax is around preventing its use. If theres no token, Hotshot does nothing. If theres something preventing its use (cannot mod dice, carnor jax, 4lom crew) but its there, they still are not "able" to use it so Hotshot does nothing.

2) Its still allowing the player to benefit from the focus because otherwise it would be insanely OP to make focus tokens 100% useless against a HotshotCopilot user. Its designed to prevent you from opting out of a focus spent (say, if i focus im not going to get hit so gunner will trigger, so opting to not focus is a good idea) and it also is designed to burn a focus even if it wasnt needed (blanks, didnt roll dice to begin with, etc).

Alright. I can see how this makes sense. So there are still advantages of forcing the spending of a focus even if the opponent still gets a benefit of the effect of spending it. It also sounds like the hot shot co pilot is specifically designed to be used in combination with other upgrades.

44 minutes ago, iamzoner said:

Alright. I can see how this makes sense. So there are still advantages of forcing the spending of a focus even if the opponent still gets a benefit of the effect of spending it.

It's a good way to strip PTL Soontir of his double focus tokens when YOU went him to as opposed to when HE wants to.

This card is a bigger pain in the caboose, than you might think. Regardless of whether your opponent hits you or not, you still have to spend that token.

I see. So it's not even damage dependent, it's just based on the action of attacking or defending, whether there is a hit or not. Nice.

It's my understanding that you also have to spend the token even if your roll doesn't have focus results.

3 hours ago, Velvetelvis said:

It's my understanding that you also have to spend the token even if your roll doesn't have focus results.

Correct. Spending a focus token changes all of your eyes to hits/evades. If you have 0 eyes then you can successfully change all 0 of them by spending a token. This is what makes both Hotshot Copilot's and Keyan Farlander's abilities work well.

It works even if you roll 0 green Dice too right?

2 minutes ago, Goseki1 said:

It works even if you roll 0 green Dice too right?

Yup.

Predator + HSCP + Gunner is such a nice combo.

First shot, use predator to reroll your hit so you'll intentionally miss and strip the focus token. Gunner procs, fire again use predator to reroll miss to a possible hit.

I like Han (rebel) + HSCP + Luke Skywalker

Fly with Jan and a GSP blocker.

Han attacks, rerolls with his native ability, triggers HSCP, attacks again with Luke Skywalker, adds a die with Jan, changes focus to hits. profit.

It's a one trick pony, but it's a fun trick.

The other one I like is this:

Han Solo (46)
Predator (3)
Hotshot Co-pilot (4)
Luke Skywalker (7)
Engine Upgrade (4)
Millennium Falcon (1)

Wes Janson (29)
Adaptability (0)
R3-A2 (2)
Vectored Thrusters (2)

Total: 98

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Both at skill 9. Wes attacks first, strips the evade token off the stupid defender. Han attacks, strips the focus and hopefully misses. then attacks again and says bye bye Defender!

11 hours ago, thespaceinvader said:

Yup.

... Wut? If you're not rolling green dice (i.e., a Decimator at range 2), you aren't getting a token stripped by HSCP while defending, because you have no ability to spend a focus token.

There's a difference between: "You must spend a focus token even if you roll no eyeballs on your green dice" and "you're not rolling any green dice." In the first case you're able ... in the second case, you aren't able.

Am I missing something?

4 minutes ago, Jeff Wilder said:

... Wut? If you're not rolling green dice (i.e., a Decimator at range 2), you aren't getting a token stripped by HSCP while defending, because you have no ability to spend a focus token.

There's a difference between: "You must spend a focus token even if you roll no eyeballs on your green dice" and "you're not rolling any green dice." In the first case you're able ... in the second case, you aren't able.

Am I missing something?

You still have the roll and modify defense dice steps, even if you have no agility

Refer Timing Chart.

4i: Identify number of dice
4ii: Resolve abilities to add/remove dice
5: Modify dice.

You can identify (and roll) 0 in step 4, but you always proceed to step 5

Step 5 may even have the option to add a dice result to 0 roll, so you have to perform the steps as shown even if rolling 0 dice.
If you are able to modify from 0 to add a result, you can sure modify 0 dice to spend a focus.

1 minute ago, DeathstarII said:

You still have the roll and modify defense dice steps, even if you have no agility

As far as I am aware, you cannot spend a focus token to modify dice when you have no dice to modify. (Note, again, there is a difference between "dice to modify, no eyeballs rolled" and "no dice to modify.") You don't have the ability to do that. Therefore HSCP does not apply.

Just now, Jeff Wilder said:

As far as I am aware, you cannot spend a focus token to modify dice when you have no dice to modify. (Note, again, there is a difference between "dice to modify, no eyeballs rolled" and "no dice to modify.") You don't have the ability to do that. Therefore HSCP does not apply.

You still have "dice" in the pool, and zero focus results, therefore you still have to spend the focus, same thing applies to if a ship throws zero attack dice (such as the old damage deck blinded pilot), they'd still need to use the focus

2 minutes ago, Jeff Wilder said:

As far as I am aware, you cannot spend a focus token to modify dice when you have no dice to modify. (Note, again, there is a difference between "dice to modify, no eyeballs rolled" and "no dice to modify.") You don't have the ability to do that. Therefore HSCP does not apply.

Precedent was already set on another card (if someone can remember which one) where you can spend on your own roll to get yourself something in return.

Found it...

FAQ For Garven Dreis Pilot:

A ship may spend a focus token during an
attack even if there are 0 [EYE] results to
change (including an attack where no dice
are rolled, such as when a ship has a faceup
Blinded Pilot

Okay, thanks. Very weird parenthetical, but it does seem to apply.

Just now, ThisIsDavin said:

Found it...

FAQ For Garven Pilot:

A ship may spend a focus token during an
attack even if there are 0 ? results to
change (including an attack where no dice
are rolled, such as when a ship has a faceup
Blinded Pilot

Same thing would apply to Keyan spending a stress token (I still believe keyan is rebels second most reliable version of stress-removal, behind green maneuvers)

Yeah... and I think R4 had the same too

Hello again!

Sorry, but I have to reactivate this thread once again.

How can I proove that Hotshot Copilot forces a player to spend a focus token, even when 0 <eye> results are rolled or maybe even when no green dice are rolled?

I have just checked the FAQ, which does not state this.

I know there is a pretty similar entry for Garven Dreis, but.... the Garved Dreis FAQ does not exactly represent the HotCop case, does it?

9 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

Hello again!

Sorry, but I have to reactivate this thread once again.

How can I proove that Hotshot Copilot forces a player to spend a focus token, even when 0 <eye> results are rolled or maybe even when no green dice are rolled?

I have just checked the FAQ, which does not state this.

I know there is a pretty similar entry for Garven Dreis, but.... the Garved Dreis FAQ does not exactly represent the HotCop case, does it?

Hotshot Copilot says the focus token -must- be spent if able (This means you can’t spend a focus token if you don’t have a focus token)

In the FAQ on Page 7, it says players may spend focus tokens even if they have no focus results.

True story! Thanks!