Bomb Launcher
TIE only. Imperial only. Bomb.
Your upgrade bar gains 2 Bomb icons.
Instead of attacking, you may deploy a bomb that doesn't have the "Action:" header using your front guides and any straight maneuver template. Then, it detonates.

Would this help? Underpowered, or overpowered?

12 hours ago, clanofwolves said:

So the Imperials are really the only faction in cannon to use massive amounts of Bombers and ordinance to obliterate targets, installations and even planets, so what does FFG do? The Imperials have two dedicated Bombers, errrr ordnance missile boats that are minimally OK at missiles casually, but almost exclusively unplayable in a tournament setting save the above mentioned BBBBZ that might make a top 32?

Actually, the three factions are now equal for bombing as part of the films:

• Scum - Slave 1, Seismic Charges, Attack of the Clones
• Empire - Scimitar Squadron, Proton Bombs, Empire Strikes Back
• Rebels - Gold Squadron, Proton Bombs, Rogue One

But yeah - the TIE bomber is much more capable as a missile boat than a bomb-carrier.

The TIE punisher is very much the closest thing the Empire has to a true bomber/minelayer.

Deathrain specifically is actually a pretty good bomber - able to pack lightweight frame, bomblet generator, and (soon) trajectory simulator, giving him an unlimited supply of bombs and a serious flexibility in where to put them, plus access to unguided rockets for a combat phase attack that actually matters.

He is less capable than a tooled-out captain Nym, but then he's 34 points, not 43 points.

2 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

He is less capable than a tooled-out captain Nym, but then he's 34 points, not 43 points.

So he's how much LESS capable than Nym?

1. No EPT

2. No Turret

3. Lower primary weapon attack

4. No protection from his own bomb pilot ability

5. No crew slot

6. 1 less HP

7. No barrel roll

8. worse dial

That price cut does not equal all the losses; what's all that worth?

I was quite impressed with this Deathrain build I ran into at the weekend.

Lightweight Frame is pretty strong on a 1 Agility ship, as you'll pretty much always get the bonus from it. You're also likely to still benefit from obstructed/Range 3 shot modifier, which both help. That can make it a surprisingly tanky ship. Unguided Rockets give you a little more offensive punch, and Bomblet Generator means you're able to consistently use your pilot ability most turns.

The real eye-opener to me was Collision Detector. The ability to drop a bomblet out of the front or back of the ship then barrel roll, including across an asteroid if needs be, gives you a lot of options. It was surprisingly hard to pin Deathrain down, even with two higher PS ships. 33 points isn't too expensive either - it's certainly something I'm going to try flying once I'm the other side of UK Nationals.

2 hours ago, clanofwolves said:

6. 1 less HP

7. No barrel roll

Now, don't get me wrong here, what I'm about to say isn't an attempt to say Deathrain is anywhere near the same strength as Nym, but just wanted to point out a couple discrepancies:

6. Deathrain has access to LWF which will offset the 1HP less and was included in the previous costing.

7. Deathrain actually gets free barrel rolls when dropping bombs, which the bomblet was included in the previous costing, and also already has Boost, which Nym uses his mod slot for at 4 pts (typically included in stated cost). Since you have a bomblet generator, you can barrel roll pre-manuever as a free action. It takes Nym's action to barrel roll. Its not quite as handy as Nym's AdvSensors barrel roll then drop, but that also takes up the Sensor slot.

With the bomblet generator, you really should be dropping bombs all the time. His name is Deathrain, not Deathlightmisting.

If you really want more on-demand barrel rolls instead of the Free Action one you get, you could give up LWF for VT, like how Nym takes EU. You also have the option of getting AdvSensors just like Nym for a roll then drop.

Kinda following up on that, I'm thinking that the new Trajectory upgrade will not trigger Deathrain's free barrel roll as it states something along the lines of "instead of dropping a bomb you may launch a bomb" and Deathrain's ability states "After dropping a bomb..."

You won't be as likely to have to barrel roll to escape the blast area as before since it will be 5 forward away, but just something to keep in mind.

21 minutes ago, kris40k said:

With the bomblet generator, you really should be dropping bombs all the time. His name is Deathrain, not Deathlightmisting.

That sentence makes it look almost as if the Generator was spoiled on Deathrain's Card art

1 hour ago, kris40k said:

Now, don't get me wrong here, what I'm about to say isn't an attempt to say Deathrain is anywhere near the same strength as Nym, but just wanted to point out a couple discrepancies:

6. Deathrain has access to LWF which will offset the 1HP less and was included in the previous costing.

7. Deathrain actually gets free barrel rolls when dropping bombs, which the bomblet was included in the previous costing, and also already has Boost, which Nym uses his mod slot for at 4 pts (typically included in stated cost). Since you have a bomblet generator, you can barrel roll pre-manuever as a free action. It takes Nym's action to barrel roll. Its not quite as handy as Nym's AdvSensors barrel roll then drop, but that also takes up the Sensor slot.

With the bomblet generator, you really should be dropping bombs all the time. His name is Deathrain, not Deathlightmisting.

If you really want more on-demand barrel rolls instead of the Free Action one you get, you could give up LWF for VT, like how Nym takes EU. You also have the option of getting AdvSensors just like Nym for a roll then drop.

Kinda following up on that, I'm thinking that the new Trajectory upgrade will not trigger Deathrain's free barrel roll as it states something along the lines of "instead of dropping a bomb you may launch a bomb" and Deathrain's ability states "After dropping a bomb..."

You won't be as likely to have to barrel roll to escape the blast area as before since it will be 5 forward away, but just something to keep in mind.

Also 5 - if you want the Havoc title (which the default ACABT Nym uses), Nym doesn't have a crew slot either.

9 hours ago, clanofwolves said:

So he's how much LESS capable than Nym?

1. No EPT

2. No Turret

3. Lower primary weapon attack

4. No protection from his own bomb pilot ability

5. No crew slot

6. 1 less HP

7. No barrel roll

8. worse dial

That price cut does not equal all the losses; what's all that worth?

This goes back to the arguemebt that Deathrain might actually be pretty good with all these new tricks. Unfortunately there are so many things that are broken OP that "good doesn't cut it anymore.

On 12/09/2017 at 3:42 PM, gamblertuba said:

My current idea is a TIE only Title that stresses any enemy ship that overlaps you.

.

56 minutes ago, HammerOfReason said:

But compared to Rebels and Scums, Imps are still seriously lacking in that department. And mono-thematic imperial Ace squads are obsoleted by now.

This.

Rebels and Scum keep getting the great flying multi-useable Bombing missileing turreted things and Imps get: the Silencer, a heavy Arc Dodger with 3 attack and no other way to deal damage.

Thanks FFG!

....I'm not forgetting the Gunboat, it'll be fun, but meta topping like the Scrugg or K-Wing it ain't.

On 9/12/2017 at 7:58 PM, Warlon said:

Man after my own heart.

XD after playing rebels almost exclusively for two years it's going to be nice to break the mold. I look forward to fielding these along my tie defenders.

8 hours ago, Odanan said:

But how will we tell this and the inevitable Wookiee war cry card apart?

38 minutes ago, FlyingAnchors said:

But how will we tell this and the inevitable Wookiee war cry card apart?

I always pronounced the TIE sounds as like a "OOOOOOOORRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH" Where the O sound slowly blends into the R.

9 hours ago, HammerOfReason said:

So RAC + Ace is keeping up with the top dogs of the meta. What Imperials need are other good large base ships, and/or ships with alternate firing arcs, bombs or other more sofisticated out-of-arc trickery.

SF was a great step in right direction.

But compared to Rebels and Scums, Imps are still seriously lacking in that department. And mono-thematic imperial Ace squads are obsoleted by now.

Thematically Empire has lots of ship of the line, it is a strict military organisation. With some occasional ace sprinkled in between. People normally do not have their personal craft. Even the Aces are not allowed much modification, paintjob only for the "acest" of the aces. Whereas Scum is a band of badly coordinated inviduals, bad at working together (some of which FFG got right, Ka'ato e.g.), people having their own highly costumised ships. (Actually s&v comprises even Mercenaries, but that route is FFG not using (yet?)). Rebels is somewhere in the middle.

Empire slightly also bleeds MOV. So what Empire needs (apart from FFG finally getting a grip and nerf the most OP stuff) a form of squad bonus. Hux and the officers are steps in the right direction. However, this could be easily overdone, TIE swarms were absolutely wrecking faces back in the days.

I'd like a title that lets Imperials roll evade dice against bombs... or a title card you discard to cancel all damage from a bomb attack.

I honestly don't want Imperials to get good at T-Bombing the board. "Minelayer" playstyle is not what I like about X-Wing. I'd much rather see a card that helps arc dodging and good flying be rewarded again... cause it's been awhile.

On 9/13/2017 at 0:50 AM, Kieransi said:

Man, I really want to know what Linked Batteries does. Stupid FFG is being really stingy. They only gave us the last Destiny spoiler (today) two days before the next set hits...

Best guess for Linked Batteries is reroll(s) with primary and cannon weapons, small ship only. No idea of price, it really depends whether FFG are pricing it as a card mostly for the Gunboat and B Wing, or a card more generally - if the former, probably 0 or 1 point, if the latter, almost certainly 3.