This could be a way to fix the faction without being OP IMO. Allowing Hux or Palp to board it could bring new options. Now that Palp has been reduced in efficiency, having a lower cost ship might be a good incentive to bring him back a little more... What do you guys think? Would it make the shuttle unbalanced?

Let's just review. What crew could be available but will not ride in a TIE Shuttle because they are too important/cost too much:

• Palpatine: Ability has no Range limit and affect any allied ship
• Gunner: Probably not going to be seen on a ship with only a primary attack of 2 dice.
• General Hux: Range limited but a very impressive benefit that can assign 3 Focus tokens to ships plus give one potent offensive Condition in exchange for a Stress.

You'd definitely bring in some options but those two unique guys could actually be BETTER in a weaker ship. With Palpatine may give up some durability but gain some agility, a lower cost, and an improved mobility. Making the ship weaker could make it a more tempting target but the cheaper price makes that less appealing while also opening up 5 points for other stuff. Hux in the smaller frame may not reach as far as he does in a larger frame but he's likely much easier to keep in formation and because he's now cheaper to field you can make those ships he's boosting that much stronger; again a good trade for him. A Bomber also has more native Green maneuvers to dump the Hux induced Stress which can nearly be double by adding mkII TIE to the ship.

Is such a power increase "imbalanced?" I guess it all will depend on who you ask but it is a major step up in power.

2 hours ago, Thormind said:

This could be a way to fix the faction without being OP IMO. Allowing Hux or Palp to board it could bring new options. Now that Palp has been reduced in efficiency, having a lower cost ship might be a good incentive to bring him back a little more... What do you guys think? Would it make the shuttle unbalanced?

Tomax with Crackshot, LWF, and Palpatine is 35 points.

A generic is 24 points with palp, 26 with LWF.

I don't like it. You're just removing the need to ever fly a Lambda or Upsilon ever again. Palpatine and Defenders don't need a buff, they're still decent options.

I like the point restriction from a thematic perspective - Palp or Hux wouldn't be seen dead in a TIE Shuttle

From a balance perspective we only have to look at Armada which has recently errata'd rules preventing commanders going on Flotillas - very cheap and small capital ships. Players would put their commanders on them and fly them along their edge of the board safe and sound as they don't have a range restriction. Same would happen with the TIE Shuttle with Palp; it's small and nimble compared to the Lambda so would be difficult to hunt down. Plus you could take Palp for 24 points (you wouldn't need LWF) leaving 76 points for your aces...

2 hours ago, SaltMaster 5000 said:

I don't like it. You're just removing the need to ever fly a Lambda or Upsilon ever again. Palpatine and Defenders don't need a buff, they're still decent options.

Defenders are decent, but not that good. It´s kind of sad that Imperials received a "fix" for a ship which was then partly cancelled. Palpatine isn´t even decent anymore in my experience.

2 hours ago, SaltMaster 5000 said:

Tomax with Crackshot, LWF, and Palpatine is 35 points.

A generic is 24 points with palp, 26 with LWF.

I don't like it. You're just removing the need to ever fly a Lambda or Upsilon ever again. Palpatine and Defenders don't need a buff, they're still decent options.

I find the Upsilon has enough beef behind it with that 4-dice big gun and white turns to actually do some work as a combatant, but I'd definitely agree on the Lambda; aside from people using it for the joy of fielding the Albino Space Moose, it's not really got any functions left* that another ship can't do better other than "carry Palpatine".

* Aside from Epic Games and Missions, of course. Captain Kagi is irritating as hell in epic games, and making an Omicron Group Pilot the prototype in Cutting The Cord is a lot less of a stupid idea as it first sounds; a Lambda Shuttle with green hard turns, agility 2 and 5 attack dice is a true terror to behold.

9 minutes ago, Pretty Green said:

Defenders are decent, but not that good. It´s kind of sad that Imperials received a "fix" for a ship which was then partly cancelled. Palpatine isn´t even decent anymore in my experience.

Defenders are great. Intensity with x7 and Engine Upgrade is crazy fun on them. I think you would enjoy playing these, try out a pair of these and a Striker. Seriously, try it out, it's stupid.

Palpatine is still good. He just doesn't carry games single handedly anymore. After the great FAQ I haven't seen a single triple Defender or Commonwealth player at all even though triple Defender is a great all-around squad that can lose a ship and hold its own,Palp Defenders would be good against Death Rey and scouts.

Maybe if Stage 4 takes off, Triple Defender or Palp Defenders will be an answer to it. Immediately K-Turn behind the Super Biggs formation, eventually something will die.

2 minutes ago, SaltMaster 5000 said:

Defenders are great. Intensity with x7 and Engine Upgrade is crazy fun on them. I think you would enjoy playing these, try out a pair of these and a Striker.

Palpatine is still good. He just doesn't carry games single handedly anymore. After the great FAQ I haven't seen a single triple Defender or Commonwealth player at all even though triple Defender is a great all-around squad that can lose a ship and hold its own, and Palp Defenders would be good against Death Rey and scouts.

Maybe if Stage 4 takes off, Triple Defender or Palp Defenders will be an answer to it. Immediately K-Turn behind it.

They are good now, sure, but great is an overstatement. I guess I should try intensity with them. Strikers are fun, but shot down pretty quick.

I do like triple Defenders every now and then and I have tried Palpatine now many times with different combinations. The best was probably RAC, others just weren´t good enough anymore.

Palpatine on the table for 24 points, even in his nerfed state, is a little too good to be true.

Besides, it's canon that he gets around in big comfy shuttles, not the cramped TIE variant (Though I admit it's great that they have them in the universe - of course ships as big as Star Destroyers will have squadrons of, effectively, personnel boats...)

Yes. =D

Though, I'd prefer Kylo and Hux.

Kylo in a tie Shuttle is kinda weird though.

The tie Bomber is all sorts of bad. Only 1 k-turn, bad turns, bad greens, 6 hull instead of 3 hull 3 shields. Going tie shuttle makes it impossible to get firepower value out of it.

The game has jumped the shark. I think I'm pretty done. =)

You must also think of future design space. Characters like Krennic, Thrawn and many other high ranking Imperial Officials can still come out, and allowing them to be put on a TIE shuttle might limit their usage.

Whenever I've played against a cheap ship with Mindlink hiding in the corner of the map and buffing everything else I've always enjoyed the mechanic so much I'd be delighted to see the Empire able to do the same thing.

Fully loaded Soontir, fully loaded Whipser, and a palp bomber. I'd say leave the points as is, or meet your destruction.

21 minutes ago, jonnyd said:

Fully loaded Soontir, fully loaded Whipser, and a palp bomber. I'd say leave the points as is, or meet your destruction.

They would get bombed to death.

6 hours ago, SaltMaster 5000 said:

Palpatine is still good. He just doesn't carry games single handedly anymore. After the great FAQ I haven't seen a single triple Defender or Commonwealth player at all even though triple Defender is a great all-around squad that can lose a ship and hold its own,Palp Defenders would be good against Death Rey and scouts.

Defenders would be good if the meta was different. In its current state its too easy for them to lose that evade. As for Palp im sorry but no, for the point it cost to bring him (ship9+palp) hes not make enough difference to bring him. You are now better if you bring a more powerful ship like Inquisitor. There is a reason why people dont bring triple D or Commonwealth anymore. Its not because people dont realize they are still good. Weve had ample time since the FAQ to find that out and many of us (including myself) have tested them. In the current meta they do not have what it takes to compete with the power creeps.

Palp in a shuttle would reduce its point cost to allow for better partners. Thats would be the goal. Hux in a shuttle is really just because i want to fly him with triple Aggressors sooo bad. Its like hes meant to do that :-)

Oh btw i dont know how good they are yet (not enough play time) but so far i LOVE 4x Aggressors :-)