Would it break the interceptor?

By Rakky Wistol, in X-Wing

With the inevitability of Kylo Ren's FO/interceptor inbound, that feels like a great time to include an imperial interceptor buff. Yes, I know it could just as well be the FO/Advanced; I'd be ok with that too and the same fix (but Vader would get silly- and I'm ok with that x2).

Would "Interceptor Test Pilot" break the interceptor? Primarily Fell/Jax of course. It would also have the very nice and very needed benefit of getting Lorrir, Kir, and Wrath an EPT.

So what's the worst, and by that I mean best, thing you can do with 2 epts on an interceptor ? Would "if this adds a second EPT icon you may only spend up to 2pts" type clause keep it in check? What if it's actually an Advance/FO and we're worried about Vader, Juno, and co?

Also, would the worst thing, and by that I mean the best thing, be enough to make either of those ships viable in today's META?

And, finally, at least this means we'll never get the Avenger! In fact, "Avenger Prototype Pilot" would be the perfect nod.

Edited by Rakky Wistol

Adaptability. Soontir Fel is now PS 10 for zero additional points. That's pretty scary.

Outmaneuver, Predator, Juke, Expert Handling, Intensity, Lone Wolf, Crack Shot, Veteran Instincts, and Wired are all potentially strong options as well.

2 minutes ago, EdgeOfDreams said:

Outmaneuver, Predator, Juke, Expert Handling, Intensity, Lone Wolf, Crack Shot, Veteran Instincts, and Wired are all potentially strong options as well.

I have begun salivating.

3 hours ago, Rakky Wistol said:

With the inevitability of Kylo Ren's FO/interceptor inbound, that feels like a great time to include an imperial interceptor buff. Yes, I know it could just as well be the FO/Advanced; I'd be ok with that too and the same fix (but Vader would get silly- and I'm ok with that x2).

Would "Interceptor Test Pilot" break the interceptor? Primarily Fell/Jax of course. It would also have the very nice and very needed benefit of getting Lorrir, Kir, and Wrath an EPT.

So what's the worst, and by that I mean best, thing you can do with 2 epts on an interceptor ? Would "if this adds a second EPT icon you may only spend up to 2pts" type clause keep it in check? What if it's actually an Advance/FO and we're worried about Vader, Juno, and co?

Also, would the worst thing, and by that I mean the best thing, be enough to make either of those ships viable in today's META?

And, finally, at least this means we'll never get the Avenger! In fact, "Avenger Prototype Pilot" would be the perfect nod.

What if you could do one extra mod and EPT within the royal guard title,,,,,

This would be a simple FAQ and make it super good inline with the power creep.

Edited by Cubanboy

Anything positive that made them actually usable in a quality squad would be grand; Id love to fly them again without the laminations of our women.

?

So you're now going to open up Interceptors to an additional EPT instead of an additional Modification as both sound like titles to me and would be competing for the same slot? Not that the extra modification really has much over the much more versatile EPT not to mention giving all of those Interceptors EPTs that don't already have them.

14 minutes ago, StevenO said:

.....not to mention giving all of those Interceptors EPTs that don't already have them.

This! Yessssssssss

47 minutes ago, clanofwolves said:
1 hour ago, StevenO said:

.....not to mention giving all of those Interceptors EPTs that don't already have them.

This! Yessssssssss

So perhaps the real question could/should be "would giving EPTs to those Unique Interceptors that don't already have them break the game?" How bad would Kir Kanos be if he could Evade/other every turn?

They need a point reduction across the board. Maybe errata RGT to add a point reduction? maybe by 3 or 4 points.

Careful how you word it, or you could have double EPT Genisis Red running around in his M3A Intercepter.

My preferred fix is a free "If you are unstressed, have a focus token, no questions asked" title.

Helps the low PS pilots, and encourages EPTs that arnt PTL.

7 hours ago, Rakky Wistol said:

Also, would the worst thing, and by that I mean the best thing, be enough to make either of those ships viable in today's META?

Soontir with PtL and Intensity would be amazing

Royal Guard Tie:

All upgrades equipped cost 1 less point (to a minimum of zero).

If your pilot skill is 2 or more, your upgrade bar gains a *medal* icon.

If your Pilot Skill is 6 or more, you may equip two modification upgrades instead.

I don't think Vaksai levels of boosting are needed. The Khiraxz is a pretty poor ship for anything outside of TIE phantom wanabee Talonbane or Five Cartel Marauders at the moment.

Compare:

  1. Saber Squadron Pilot - Royal Guard TIE, Push The Limit, Shield Upgrade, Hull Upgrade
  2. Black Sun Ace - Vaksai, Push The Limit, XX-23 S-Thread Tracers, Inertial Dampeners, Engine Upgrade, Vectored Thrusters, Stealth Device

Neither of these two pilots are optimal, but they're built as they are because they're virtually identical - 3/3/4/1 with mid-tier pilot skill and push the limit - and have exactly the same points value (31 points).

  • The Saber has 1 point of pilot skill lower (4 vs 5) but can 'jump' to 6 by swapping up to a Royal Guard Pilot.
  • The Black Sun Ace loses its third point of agility when hit, but has its thread tracers, allowing it to trade a focus token and attack for free target locks for multiple ships, .
  • The Saber can evade whilst the Black Sun Ace can target lock.
  • The Saber has a much better dial for supporting Push The Limit (speed 2 green turns) and a much faster dial overall (speed 3 turns, speed 5 straight), whilst the Khiraxz has a better slow dial (speed 1 green banks, 'one-use' stop maneuver).

I'm not advocating either as 'better' than the other, but the two ships built as close as possible to the same goal look pretty equivalent in cost and effectiveness - meaning to me that once you go back along the direction that a TIE interceptor really wants to go (stealth device/autothrusters, for example), it should hold its own.

I'm not saying the Interceptor couldn't do with something. But whatever it is doesn't have to be "TIE/x7 plus" levels of 'fix'.

More than anything, the thing TIE interceptors really need is something to help protect them from automatic damage - bombs, mines, black market slicer tools, Darth Vader, feedback arrays, that sort of thing.

No it wouldn't break the Squint. You can put all the mods and EPTs and shinies on the Squint that you want, it'll still be killed by a single Cluster Mine from Sabine or Bane.

So PS 10 PTL Soontir or PTL intensity Soontir is the worst monster this can create?

Sounds like something worth doing.

Would it break the Scyk?

On Friday, July 14, 2017 at 4:50 AM, clanofwolves said:

Anything positive that made them actually usable in a quality squad would be grand; Id love to fly them again without the laminations of our women.

?

Why do you want to apply a plastic film to your women? :P

5 hours ago, Rakky Wistol said:

So PS 10 PTL Soontir or PTL intensity Soontir is the worst monster this can create?

Sounds like something worth doing.

Would it break the Scyk?

VI and Attani Mindlink on Genesis Red get hype!

Honestly I think there should be a way for Imperial ships to add an EPT slot.

I like the idea of an Academy Training title,

Academy Training: Title: TIE only. 1 point.

Your upgrade bar gains :EPT slot:. You may equip a second Title card.

Why does the interceptor need a buff - last year it was one of the best ships in the game.

Ridiculous.

16 minutes ago, The Penguin UK said:

Why does the interceptor need a buff - last year it was one of the best ships in the game.

Ridiculous.

1) "Perfect storm" torpedo boat scouts with every munition fix ever.

2) Sabine/Cad Bane bomb shenanigans

3) More alt-arcs and mobile arcs on competitive ships, nerfing arcdodging and autothrusters.

4) Attani Mindlink being a 2 point cheaper PTL, but only for a different faction.

Hopefully there's an FAQ that nerfs 1 and 4, but 2 and 3 cannot simply be put back in the genie bottle.

Edited by Rakaydos
Just now, Rakaydos said:

1) "Perfect storm" torpedo boat scouts with every munition fix ever.

2) Sabine / Cad Bane bomb shenanigans

3) More alt-arcs and mobile arcs on competitive ships, nerfing arcdodging and autothrusters .

4) Attani Mindlink being a 2 point cheaper PTL , but only for a different faction.

Say that to all the other ships that need work first - B's, A's, X's, Punishers etc.

Yes, interceptors have dropped out a little, but lets not pretend they suck so much they need loads more bolting onto them so they becoming even more unkillable when the meta resets.

17 minutes ago, The Penguin UK said:

Why does the interceptor need a buff - last year it was one of the best ships in the game.

Ridiculous.

Apparently they suck now, I guess. Imperials have always had strong viable options in this game... A lot of them becoming subpar within a year has really hurt us Imperial players. Plus, everyone loves Soontir! We can't let him fall into obscurity!

1 minute ago, The Penguin UK said:

Say that to all the other ships that need work first - B's, A's, X's, Punishers etc.

Yes, interceptors have dropped out a little, but lets not pretend they suck so much they need loads more bolting onto them so they becoming even more unkillable when the meta resets.

Punishers are getting buffs- LWF, UGR, Bomblets and Minefield mapper are all recent buffs to punishers.

Rebels CANT be buffed while biggs exists. Hopefully that happens at the same time as the Attani/scout nerf.

3 hours ago, Chibi-Nya said:

Apparently they suck now, I guess. Imperials have always had strong viable options in this game... A lot of them becoming subpar within a year has really hurt us Imperial players. Plus, everyone loves Soontir! We can't let him fall into obscurity!

A 40-player store championship was just won yesterday by Soontir (PtL, AT and SD), Carnor (PtL, AT and SD) and The Inquisitor (PtL, AT and v1). We're not letting him die here in Barcelona =).