There are a lot of "Tier One" upgrades out there. The original was PTL, followed by VI, Autothrusters, TIE/X7, Palpatine, The-Huge-Combination-Of-Unrelated-Elements-That-Made-The-JM5K-So-OP, Attanni and so on. Following are a bunch of really cool tier 2 and 3 and so on upgrades that make the game fun. I believe that snap shot is regarded generally as a second tier upgrade due to its limited application, but this is wrong:

Snap shot is a counter to every single Tier 1 card (to my knowledge):
PTL - Snap shot triggers before PTL, so no tokens to defend. Even Soontir Fel with stealth device can be hit here.
VI - high PS aces are gong to get hit regardless, since you have PS 1-4 ships.
Autothrusters - Done right, you will just ignore ships at range 3 whenever you can, and out of arc is irrelevant.
TIE/X7 - Block with one, kill with the rest. even easier if you have initiative.
JM5Ks - A big challenge, but a good swarm can out-block the blockers and out-joust the jousters. The only real trouble is Dengar, but there are ways to deal with him.
Palpatine - Now nerfed, the sheer volume of snap shot shots makes him ineffective.
Attanni - combined with Operations Specialist (OpSpec), you have better effeciency without the stress clause.

The only downside is the relative difficulty of triggering the snap shot itself. I've found that the skill curve for this is pretty steep, so it's fairly easy after a few games. I've got a few lists that really make use of the snap:

Green Squadron Pilot (21) x 3
A-Wing (19), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Chardaan Refit (-2), Juke (2), Snap Shot (2)

“Zeb” Orrelios (17)
Sabine's TIE Fighter (13), Sabine's Masterpiece (1), Operations Specialist (3)

Green Squadron Pilot (20)
A-Wing (19), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Chardaan Refit (-2), A Score to Settle (0), Swarm Leader (3)

This list brings Snap+Juke, where even a single A-wing has a very good chance of hitting any ship with the snap, and strips tokens in the combat phase. Zeb feeds focus tokens with OpSpec on missed snap shots, and you have an anti-ace 4-gun shot with the swarm leader. but it lacks flexibility so:

Black Squadron Pilot (16) x 4
TIE Fighter (14), Snap Shot (2)

Major Rhymer (35)
TIE Bomber (26), TIE Shuttle (0), Snap Shot (2), Lightweight Frame (2), Tactician (2), Operations Specialist (3)

Now you get 5 snap shots and a devastating stress mechanic (IMO, the best there is). OpSpec is still present, so you get serious action economy on those TIEs. Rhymer is one of my favourite ships because he gets double tokens without even trying whenever he wants them, so he's very hard to pin down. Even so, you don't have high PS, and alpha strikes are dangerous so:

Major Rhymer (36)
TIE Bomber (26), TIE Shuttle (0), Snap Shot (2), Lightweight Frame (2), Tactician (2), Ysanne Isard (4)

Carnor Jax (31)
TIE Interceptor (26), Push the Limit (3), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2)

Maarek Stele (33)
TIE Defender (35), A Score to Settle (0), TIE/x7 (-2)

Now you've got three aces with focus + evade each turn at AGI 3, each with either token denial or massive crit-dealing capabilities. This is one of my most-flown lists,, and many opponents completely ignore Rhymer and go for the more "dangerous" Carnor first, or Maarek if they have a high hull ship on the line like a Falcon. Rhymer eats all other aces for breakfast, Carnor is a pain for swarms and attanni alike, while Maarek has a lot of damage potential.

All up, snap shot isn't the best upgrade, but it is the best designed upgrade, as it is dangerous, counters some previous less thought out upgrades and gives both players something to think about (unlike TLT - the Fat turret counter).

1st paragraph: people think Snap Shot isn't great, they're wrong.

**some words**

Last paragraph: Snap Shot isn't great.

Title: Snap Shot is the best upgrade

Conclusion: Snap Shot isn't the best upgrade.

Also, I think we're playing fast and loose with the term 'counter' here.

I've used snap As, not so much on TIEs. It is a great card against many lists. The latest Scum and Villany podcast covers some of it's new-found usefulness in the current meta, mostly now that Imps guarantees are nerfed.

I played with and against some snap shots. I flew the Phoenix Squadron (3 green Y-Wings, Ahsoka and Sabine. Shoutout to @Stay On The Leader ) and the problem was that the A-wings were simply too fast . Granted, I've only played two games (main reason being the popularity of lone wolf dash in my local metagame, who basically nullifies unmodded 2-dice attacks) but I only got an average of around one shot per snapshot. 2 points for a one-use 2 dice unmodded attack is not worth it.

It was kinda hilarious when I faced a snap swarm (imperial version, more or less what OP posted). I was playing Dengar with Counter-measures and Scavenger Crane. Killing a tie with a retaliation shot in the movement phase, flipping CM, activating them, killing another tie in the combat phase and flipping it again

How would Fenn Rau pilot ability work with Snap Shot, or would it?

I'm pretty sure he gets to add the extra die.

Snapshot is a good upgrade on the right ship and/or in the right list. I don't think it's the best upgrade in terms of efficiency, flexibility, and/or popularity, but it's definitely an interestingly designed card.

I did enjoy comboing it with Operations Specialist and PRockets on a bunch of Green Squadron A-wings, but it was a bit too janky for my liking. Very Fun, but janky.

I once snap shotted a man just to watch him die.

Look
If you had
One snapshot
Or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
In one moment
Would you capture it
Or just let it slip?

It is definitely fun to play. And can be scary if you can make it work. I've been playing around with Snap Jess Pava and 2x Juke/Snap GSPs flown in formation lately, and once done 4 Snap damage (not dice, damage) in one turn, with a total return of 8 for the whole game. It really felt great for the cost.

The problem for me, is there's no super-appealing Rebel ship around 30 points, so I've opted for U-wing as a filler. It's another 3 attack dice, nice health and can potentially clog the pathways quite nicely, while the A's and Jess swoop in from the side. The best part is that all of the ships in the list are at PS3, so you decide the order of all your movements and attacks.

I'm still unsure of the upgrades' choice on the U-wing, as depending on the game, you might not get to use FCS (but it's just so tempting to take it!). You could just as well downgrade to Collision Detector and get Chewbacca on-board for those 2 extra health, or save on the crew and go Hera + Chopper, while getting 3 points for Countermeasures. Lots of options for those 6 points. Anyway, here's the full list, give it a spin and enjoy.

Jess Pava (25)
R2-D6 (1)
Snap Shot (2)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Snap Shot (2)
Chardaan Refit (-2)
Juke (2)
A-Wing Test Pilot (0)

Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Snap Shot (2)
Chardaan Refit (-2)
Juke (2)
A-Wing Test Pilot (0)

Heff Tobber (24)
Fire-Control System (2)
Rey (2)
Cassian Andor (2)
Pivot Wing (0)

Total: 100

2 hours ago, BlodVargarna said:

Look
If you had
One snapshot
Or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
In one moment
Would you capture it
Or just let it slip?

You only get one SnapShot, do not miss your chance to blow,

the combo with Opportunist, it only comes once in a lifetime

I am not throwing away my snapshot!
I am not throwing away my snapshot!
Hey yo, I’m just like my country
I’m young, scrappy and hungry
And I’m not throwing away my snapshot!

Soo... the best designed upgrade is the one I've never seen on the table yet and that never managed to achieve anything in a tournament of a reasonable size?

Yeah, we've got quite a few upgrades in X-wing that were designed about as good. They're all collecting dust in my album. But hey, maybe the entire community is just blind and snap shot a-wing would have won the worlds if anyone cared to take them there?

I have only played against snapshot in a couple games I think. Once was a game at regionals I know, on a single a-wing, and it never got used.

Played against it last night on a list that had rhymer with it. Even with the extra range to use it, he only used it once all game I think, twice at most.

So for now at least I'm not that impressed with it, though I do think a-wings and rhymer are the best homes for it for sure.

37 minutes ago, markcsoul said:

I have only played against snapshot in a couple games I think. Once was a game at regionals I know, on a single a-wing, and it never got used.

Played against it last night on a list that had rhymer with it. Even with the extra range to use it, he only used it once all game I think, twice at most.

So for now at least I'm not that impressed with it, though I do think a-wings and rhymer are the best homes for it for sure.

It's the kind of upgrade that you have to build around, which instantly makes it a less flexible choice compared to stuff like predator, atanni, VI and crackshot, which are pretty much always useful. That isn't to suggest it's never a good choice, it's just very niche.

I ran Mauler Mithel with snapshot and 5 Black Squadron TIEs with snapshot. It was ridiculous and just whittled down the lists I flew against. If you roll enough red dice, things will die. I love the upgrade, and when you combine it with other things like OpSpec or Swarm Leader it really starts to hold its own. in a list. I would love to see it paired with Intel Agent, that would be such a troll! I guess you could to a Gamma Squad Vet shuttle with snap shot and intel agent for 22, or add mara jade or opspec for 25. Not too bad I guess.

28 minutes ago, Gersun said:

I ran Mauler Mithel with snapshot and 5 Black Squadron TIEs with snapshot . It was ridiculous and just whittled down the lists I flew against. If you roll enough red dice, things will die. I love the upgrade, and when you combine it with other things like OpSpec or Swarm Leader it really starts to hold its own. in a list. I would love to see it paired with Intel Agent , that would be such a troll! I guess you could to a Gamma Squad Vet shuttle with snap shot and intel agent for 22, or add mara jade or opspec for 25. Not too bad I guess.

Gamma Squadron Veteran (25) x 4
TIE Bomber (19), TIE Shuttle (0), Snap Shot (2), Operations Specialist (3), Intelligence Agent (1)

Every time you miss a snap shot you can deal out 4 focus tokens however you like. That's potentially 5 tokens per ship, every round stress-free.

I still don't understand how an unmodified 2 dice attack (range 1 only) could be anywhere close to "the best upgrade card".

PTL, VI, Predator, Expertise seem to be sooooo much better.

Yes, I know that Snap Shot is fired while the opponent doesn't have any tokens yet, so it's basically an unmodified 2 dice attack against an unmodified 2 or 3 dice defense.

Expected Damage: 0.5 (2 greens) or 0.35 (3 greens)

Alright... so you might get one damage through, if you're lucky. How is that great? Following this logic, Ten Numb with a Mangler should be awesome, too, because he always puts (at least) one damage on anything he fires at, as long as his red dice don't fail completely.

I think Snap Shot only makes sense when you can use it to put stress onto the target, just like a "Snap Shot - R3A2 - Nien Numb" at Range 1 maybe. That's powerful, yes!

Apart from this Snap Shot seems okay, if it's used against a 0 or 1 Evade ship... which hardly happens to me, as I am the Rebel Player of my local meta,while everyone else plays either Imperials or Scum

But anyway: Predator should give you 1 extra damage too, at any range... isn't that much more reliable?

4 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

I still don't understand how an unmodified 2 dice attack (range 1 only) could be anywhere close to "the best upgrade card".

PTL , VI , Predator , Expertise seem to be sooooo much better.

Yes, I know that Snap Shot is fired while the opponent doesn't have any tokens yet, so it's basically an unmodified 2 dice attack against an unmodified 2 or 3 dice defense.

Expected Damage: 0.5 (2 greens) or 0.35 (3 greens)

Alright... so you might get one damage through, if you're lucky. How is that great? Following this logic, Ten Numb with a Mangler should be awesome, too, because he always puts (at least) one damage on anything he fires at, as long as his red dice don't fail completely.

I think Snap Shot only makes sense when you can use it to put stress onto the target, just like a " Snap Shot - R3A2 - Nien Numb" at Range 1 maybe. That's powerful, yes!

Apart from this Snap Shot seems okay, if it's used against a 0 or 1 Evade ship... which hardly happens to me, as I am the Rebel Player of my local meta,while everyone else plays either Imperials or Scum

But anyway: Predator should give you 1 extra damage too, at any range... isn't that much more reliable?

In particular on A-wings with Juke+Snap, they reliably do serious damage against any target. Even a single 21 pt GSP like this can ruin the day of any ace with reliable activation phase damage. Ten numb is more than twice the price in a shoddier frame. In addition, you can fit 5 BSPs with snap and howlrunner with snap into 100 pts. That's up to 12 attacks coming at your ships each turn, or 30 dice. Any given ace will be wrecked by that kind of firepower given more than one snap per turn.

What I like about snap shot isn't some OP gimmick like JM5Ks have loved forever, it's the fact that I build a snap shot swarm and the game comes down purely to player skill , rather than list building. The only thing that really counters it is larger swarms, so that's a plus, too.

I still have no idea why Major Rhymer with Tactician is even a thing. Its still only stress at R2.... Whaaat?

15 hours ago, HammerGibbens said:

I'm pretty sure he gets to add the extra die.

To confirm: yes, he does. Changing the number of dice rolled is not a modification.

1 hour ago, Blail Blerg said:

I still have no idea why Major Rhymer with Tactician is even a thing. Its still only stress at R2.... Whaaat?

It's no more of a thing than any other terribad jank idea is a thing.

8 hours ago, Lightrock said:

Soo... the best designed upgrade is the one I've never seen on the table yet and that never managed to achieve anything in a tournament of a reasonable size?

Snap-A-wings won at least 2 Regionals. Also, you're using bandwagon fallacy - everybody is going it therefore it's best.

4 hours ago, CRCL said:

It's the kind of upgrade that you have to build around, which instantly makes it a less flexible choice compared to stuff like predator , atanni, VI and crackshot, which are pretty much always useful. That isn't to suggest it's never a good choice, it's just very niche.

So I can put PTL on Kavil and it's brilliant? Or attanni on a single ship? Or crack shot on Dash? Predator on Vessery? None of those upgrades can be used without centering a pilot - or indeed, a whole list - on them.

2 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

I still have no idea why Major Rhymer with Tactician is even a thing. Its still only stress at R2.... Whaaat?

It's currently the best counter to all arc-dodgers. He's also a decent support shuttle with the second crew member.

7 minutes ago, Astech said:

Snap-A-wings won at least 2 Regionals. Also, you're using bandwagon fallacy - everybody is going it therefore it's best.

So I can put PTL on Kavil and it's brilliant? Or attanni on a single ship? Or crack shot on Dash? Predator on Vessery? None of those upgrades can be used without centering a pilot - or indeed, a whole list - on them.

It's currently the best counter to all arc-dodgers. He's also a decent support shuttle with the second crew member.

I'd say Snap shot stressbot red vet is better than snap tac rhymer at countering arc dodgers. Less snap range, but lower PS makes it a lot less predictable, boost rather than BR makes it a little better at getting its arc into unpredictable places, and it's a LOT cheaper. Not to mention that the extra die of attack means it's more likely to do more damage if it manages to snapstress someone. And the stressbot means it can stress at all ranges, so you can catch a PTL ace in range 3 arc and double stress it.