Opening some new options to be able to use Ion Cannon critical effects at long range, what sort of options does the Disposable Capacitor open up?

My first thought was the Victory II seeing Gunnery Team, Disposable Capacitors, Overload Pulse as a can opener for supporting Light Cruisers to take advantage of the lowered defense. Obviously there are many applications for this new upgrade. I am sure the one shot combos could get quite dangerous. Being a game where one turn of fire can make the difference, is the heavy cost of such a combo going to be justified?

2 minutes ago, Wes Janson said:

Opening some new options to be able to use Ion Cannon critical effects at long range, what sort of options does the Disposable Capacitor open up?

My first thought was the Victory II seeing Gunnery Team, Disposable Capacitors, Overload Pulse as a can opener for supporting Light Cruisers to take advantage of the lowered defense. Obviously there are many applications for this new upgrade. I am sure the one shot combos could get quite dangerous. Being a game where one turn of fire can make the difference, is the heavy cost of such a combo going to be justified?

As an OP/Avenger jankmaster, I can say it really could be. It's not just Interdictors and Vic IIs, though definitely useful (especially with tractors and g8s) but the raider.... With gunnery teams OP and DCs I can afford to run two.... which makes getting that pulse tap MUCH easier.

The hardest part, as it always is with ISD Avenger, is getting it in range for a pulse tap. The OP part of the combo may have gotten easier, but the combo is still obvious and can be avoided by most skilled players with minimal effort.

True, but being just one example, every Ion Cannon critical effect can be resolved at long range. Even the cheaper MS-1 Ion Cannon could shine on a critcal turn. Exhausting an enemy Admiral in an early part of the turn comes to mind. Which can't be done cause they still work lol. Oh well.

2 minutes ago, Wes Janson said:

True, but being just one example, every Ion Cannon critical effect can be resolved at long range. Even the cheaper MS-1 Ion Cannon could shine on a critcal turn. Exhausting an enemy Admiral in an early part of the turn comes to mind.

I was under the impression that exhausting cards with no "exhaust" requirement had no effect. Meaning if you Ms-1'd akbar, all enemy ships could still use his effect.

13 minutes ago, Wes Janson said:

Opening some new options to be able to use Ion Cannon critical effects at long range, what sort of options does the Disposable Capacitor open up?

My first thought was the Victory II seeing Gunnery Team, Disposable Capacitors, Overload Pulse as a can opener for supporting Light Cruisers to take advantage of the lowered defense. Obviously there are many applications for this new upgrade. I am sure the one shot combos could get quite dangerous. Being a game where one turn of fire can make the difference, is the heavy cost of such a combo going to be justified?

Gonna stick it on my Suppression version and see how that pans out. Red range on a double arc shot with reliable blue dice, before I close to short-medium range. Sounds like it could be worth the pts.

Good point. Forgot about that. I havn't even used them yet.

3 minutes ago, Darth Sanguis said:

I was under the impression that exhausting cards with no "exhaust" requirement had no effect. Meaning if you Ms-1'd akbar, all enemy ships could still use his effect.

This is correct.

5 minutes ago, Wes Janson said:

True, but being just one example, every Ion Cannon critical effect can be resolved at long range. Even the cheaper MS-1 Ion Cannon could shine on a critcal turn. Exhausting an enemy Admiral in an early part of the turn comes to mind.

Does nothing.

A card still works if exhausted. The only thing you can't do is Exhaust it.

That just solidified me never using that card. MS-1 that is.

1 minute ago, Wes Janson said:

That just solidified me never using that card. MS-1 that is.

Yes. It's 2 pts of pure suckiness. I'm sure they had something really clever planned for it, Engine Techs/ECM tapping or whatnot, but no. Big blooper. PD Reroute level.

2 minutes ago, Green Knight said:

Yes. It's 2 pts of pure suckiness. I'm sure they had something really clever planned for it, Engine Techs/ECM tapping or whatnot, but no. Big blooper. PD Reroute level.

I have not played outside my group, and not seen this card used yet. Now I know why lol.

2 hours ago, Darth Sanguis said:

As an OP/Avenger jankmaster, I can say it really could be. It's not just Interdictors and Vic IIs, though definitely useful (especially with tractors and g8s) but the raider.... With gunnery teams OP and DCs I can afford to run two.... which makes getting that pulse tap MUCH easier.

The hardest part, as it always is with ISD Avenger, is getting it in range for a pulse tap. The OP part of the combo may have gotten easier, but the combo is still obvious and can be avoided by most skilled players with minimal effort.

I think an OP build with Capacitors gets the most bang for its buck with Sloane.

If you can GT/OP two ships, it makes it that much easier to strip vital defense tokens. You've got a small window (1 round) in which to do it, but could be a game changer.

8 minutes ago, Warlord Zepnick said:

I think an OP build with Capacitors gets the most bang for its buck with Sloane.

If you can GT/OP two ships, it makes it that much easier to strip vital defense tokens. You've got a small window (1 round) in which to do it, but could be a game changer.

Yup, Getting an early OP then swarming them with ties could very easily make even the most resilient ships easy prey.

One of the Avenger builds I have for wave 6 activates 10 swarm fighters before the ISD attacks.... I average out at 6 damage 4 acc... as far as I'm concerned, that's more efficient than using OP on a VIC II, INT, or raider... and much more balanced than using it on an ISD II.

Wave 6 should be fun, no doubt.

It's making me strongly consider a double-interdictor list. The extra turn of hard-hitting shots from their double arcs is quite tempting and brings their damage into the competitive range.

Really though, I think the upgrade gives us a viable reason to use VSD-IIs, even without any other upgrades the amount of hitting power at that range is intimidating, with Gunnery Teams and H9s, however, flotillas are going to be fleeing in terror. I still with the VSDII was a bit cheaper in points, but it gives a very convincing argument for upgrading from a VSDI and makes it an actual reliable gunship.

3 hours ago, Darth Sanguis said:

The hardest part, as it always is with ISD Avenger, is getting it in range for a pulse tap. The OP part of the combo may have gotten easier, but the combo is still obvious and can be avoided by most skilled players with minimal effort.

This. Pretty much this is my feelings on OP.

Trying to make blue crit effects is still probably going to be more trouble than they're worth. On the other hand, giving the Vic-II a level of long ranged firepower only rivaled by the typically 200 point Defiance is very impressive.

OP usable at long range, makes Screed happy.

People though that Sato was going to make black crits at long range a thing but I have yet to see much Sato, and when I have, I am yet to be hit by a APT crit at red range.

I think blue crits with DC's will be much the same. There are some that might see some use simply because of the reduced cost and easier use of the DC's, but it's a one turn trick that I don't think is going to change the way ships are played. The damage increase will be the motivation to use them, not so much the crit effect shenanigans.

Ironically, I think Ion Cannon Batteries maybe the best multi-purpose synergy upgrade with them as they can strip a nav token at long range before activation of say Demolisher or any ship that wants to bug in and bug out it's going to be useful. If no token, it's an extra damage which is compatible with the primary purpose of taking the upgrade.

1 minute ago, BrobaFett said:

People though that Sato was going to make black crits at long range a thing but I have yet to see much Sato, and when I have, I am yet to be hit by a APT crit at red range.

I think blue crits with DC's will be much the same. There are some that might see some use simply because of the reduced cost and easier use of the DC's, but it's a one turn trick that I don't think is going to change the way ships are played. The damage increase will be the motivation to use them, not so much the crit effect shenanigans.

It makes being a jankmaster easier. I can tell ya, I'm beyond stoked to get this on my PT fleet.

My main fleet may be a one trick pony, but it's a good trick, and one solid round is all it needs. lol

On average though, you're probably right, I don't suspect anyone who isn't using OP already will suddenly jump on the bandwagon.

42 minutes ago, geek19 said:

This. Pretty much this is my feelings on OP.

It's difficult to be competitive with a list like this.

I placed second in a local tournament with one like this.

I've had a moderate amount of success by making my bid low. Low 80s high 70s, and using objectives.

Station assault and contested outpost, let OP fleets guard objectives and gain points for keeping them, it can make them a little more tricky, especially considering the addition of DCs. I throw in solar corona as a trick choice. A lot of folks will take it, but of the choices it's probably the worst. Losing 1st player deployment and delay advantages against an ISD fleet can do more than cripple. I've had some success pinning large ships and the occasional Mc30s and corvettes round 2-3 this way.

34 minutes ago, BrobaFett said:

Ironically, I think Ion Cannon Batteries maybe the best multi-purpose synergy upgrade with them as they can strip a nav token at long range before activation of say Demolisher or any ship that wants to bug in and bug out it's going to be useful. If no token, it's an extra damage which is compatible with the primary purpose of taking the upgrade.

Pair this with Tractor Beams and Slicer Tools and you can stop Demo in it's tracks.

39 minutes ago, BrobaFett said:

People though that Sato was going to make black crits at long range a thing but I have yet to see much Sato, and when I have, I am yet to be hit by a APT crit at red range.

I've done it.

Its just... Y'know... If we actually had a Gladiator or Raider instead of an Mc30 , It'd be an easier time... Fewer Points, fewer upgrades, fewer reliance on the Titles for Defence, etc.

Hammerheads could make a difference in that style - being a potentially super-cheap Ordnance boat .

2 minutes ago, Drasnighta said:

I've done it.

Its just... Y'know... If we actually had a Gladiator or Raider instead of an Mc30 , It'd be an easier time... Fewer Points, fewer upgrades, fewer reliance on the Titles for Defence, etc.

Hammerheads could make a difference in that style - being a potentially super-cheap Ordnance boat .

im dodging the Sato article as much as I can until the hammerhead shows, as i think its going to help him immensely.

5 minutes ago, BrobaFett said:

Ironically, I think Ion Cannon Batteries maybe the best multi-purpose synergy upgrade with them as they can strip a nav token at long range before activation of say Demolisher or any ship that wants to bug in and bug out it's going to be useful. If no token, it's an extra damage which is compatible with the primary purpose of taking the upgrade.

Ion Cannon Batteries is the best blue-crit upgrade we currently have because it's okay with doing some very basic work on a crit. Zapping a token can be circumstantially useful and the shield damage is effectively a kind-of-but-not-quite APTs effect. The other blue crit upgrades are way more janky and usually require a combo engine.

25 minutes ago, Darth Sanguis said:

I've had a moderate amount of success by making my bid low. Low 80s high 70s, and using objectives.

That's a low bid?
Lately I've been bidding 2.