@theBitterFig @ficklegreendice

You both seem to be forgetting that all of the generics you mention also gain an EPT slot and unless that slot is free (which it most certainly is not) then my theory of +2PS for 1 point holds. Some prime examples, including some uniques for which it holds as well:

Unless otherwise noted all ships gain +2PS and EPT slot for two points.

Rebels:

• A-wing: Prototype -> Green Squadron Pilot
• ARC-170: Thane Kyrell -> Shara Bey
• Auzituck Gunship: Kashyyyk Defender -> Wookie Liberator
• Sabines TIE: Zeb -> Sabine
• T-70: Blue Squadron Novice -> Red Squadron Veteran
• Z-95: Bandit Squadron Pilot -> Tala Squadron Pilot (Just +2PS for 1 point)

Scum:

• G-1A Starfighter: Ruthless Freelancer -> Gand Findsman
• Protectorate Starfighter: Zealous Recruit -> Concord Dawn Veteran -> Concord Dawn Ace
• Scurrg H-6 Bomber: Karthakk Pirate -> Lok Revenant
• Quadjumper: Jakku Gunrunner -> Unkar Plutt (Unkar does not get an EPT but gets an ability and unless really outlandish they usually cost +1pt).
• Z-95: Binayre Pilot -> Black Sun Soldier (Just +2PS for 1 point)
• Honorable mentions: Scyk and Kihraxz, they bump by three points for +3PS and EPT giving way that in some cases the single point of PS can be non-free (certain thresholds).

Imperial:

Imperials seems to be a bit of a special case where they either get discounted (2pts) +3PS and EPT or pay +3 points for +3PS and EPT

• Special Forces TIE: Zeta Specialist -> Omega Specialist
• TIE Aggressor: Seinar Specialist -> "Double Edge"
• TIE Bomber: Scimitar Squadron Pilot -> Gamma Squadron Veteran (+3PS and EPT at +3 points)
• TIE Fighter: Academy Pilot -> Black Squadron pilot (+3PS and EPT at +2 points)
• TIE Interceptor: Alpha Squadron Pilot -> Saber Squadron Pilot (+3PS and EPT at +3 points)
• TIE Striker: Imperial Trainee -> Black Squadron Scout (+3PS and EPT at +3 points)
• TIE/fo: Epsilon Squadron Pilot -> Omega Squadron pilot (+3PS and EPT at +2 points)

negative, epts on higher PS generics is a more recent trend for after FFG realized how basically useless going up to PS 4-5 is without an ept or pilot ability in almost every case

Xs, Bs, Ys , Ks, Punishers, TIE Advance, Bombers (before Vets, which occurred way later as a fix ), Defenders (again before Vets), E-wing, Phantoms, and Vipers (before the g4h fix) all suffered from this design oversight

the ept slot really isn't worth any additional points on lower ps generics as they're almost all overpriced relative to named pilots. it's just something they need

Assuming the PS 4 generic Gunboat has an EPT and doesn't cost an arm and a leg, how many are going to run Crackshot, Adv. SLAM and Ordnance on them?

I'm thinking either that or Deadeye, although with Adv. SLAM I don't think the Gunboat will have any issues getting a TL.

Deadeye isn't just about being able to attack without a lock, a lot of its usefulness is about the flexibility of targeting.

Your target ship is high PS, and manages to give you the slip, but there's another potential target hanging out at R3. Now you get to unload again.

1 hour ago, Warlon said:

Assuming the PS 4 generic Gunboat has an EPT and doesn't cost an arm and a leg, how many are going to run Crackshot, Adv. SLAM and Ordnance on them?

I'm thinking either that or Deadeye, although with Adv. SLAM I don't think the Gunboat will have any issues getting a TL.

it will have issues getting a TL and firing on the same round

need to see the other title

deadeye utility is largely unnecessary when you can HLC instead and the mods will definitely be superior with LRS, and probably with what linked batteries has to offer (price pending). The few points more you spend will probably be more than worth it given the flexibility of action you're given due to not needing any to fire or reload

23 hours ago, thespaceinvader said:

Sweet dreams are made of Rho Squadron with cannon title, FLechette Cannon, and Linked Batteries for 25 points each. Except they're terrible dreams because that doesn't fit a useful EPT and you can onyl stress once with Flechette cannons.

Poor Gunboat.

Pffft. Forget Flechette, go for Tractor Beam. Dropping an enemy ship in front of onto a rock and reducing it's agility for the rest of your list is probably going to be more useful.

And imagine chaining four Tractor Beam hits together, and boosting an opponent head on towards a board edge...

The boost/barrel roll only happens once from a tractor beam in a turn, but the agility debuff stacks, so it's still decent if you're setting up for an attack. This is why I feel like if you're running a four Gunboats, two need to be firing ordnance and the other two should be reloading and firing tractors. The tractor shots will either strip tokens or drop agility, but the success of the build will hinge on the ability to reengage quickly like that.

Given the red dice and general damage creep, I don't believe there's much room for nuance in a competitive setting

Esp when you're running easily-ps-killed-generics, you need to be able to BURN people down

Which is why I don't think the Gunboat, as currently shown, is gonna make any effective use of it's ASLAM reload trait

SLAM itself will be money, esp when disengaging from bad Chase's and especially running from bombs, but reload itself is incredibly slow and ASLAM makes your ordnance unreliable which kinda defeats the purpose of it. Gonna need more cards to make the strat at all viable

for example, if you dare to dream, imagine the 2nd title letting you fire ordnance through weapons disabled. Then imagine putting PTL on a ship that can SLAM --> ASLAM --> reload --> TL

even with JUST the 2 green foward and a compliment of white banks/turns, you get some incredible flexibility of movement. Ideally, though, we'll be getting a green 2 bank

2 hours ago, ficklegreendice said:

it will have issues getting a TL and firing on the same round

need to see the other title

deadeye utility is largely unnecessary when you can HLC instead and the mods will definitely be superior with LRS, and probably with what linked batteries has to offer (price pending). The few points more you spend will probably be more than worth it given the flexibility of action you're given due to not needing any to fire or reload

I'm really hoping that linked batteries thing offers 1-2 dice rerolls for a low cost. I mean it already takes up a cannon slot, so only the Gunboat can equip it with another cannon since it's small ship only. It also (from what I can see) also allows primary weapon rerolls, so if it allows 2 rerolls of possibly only blank results it could be a helpful card for the B-wing.

Allllllllll depends on the cost though, and doggonit FFG, give us the Gunboat article already!

re-rolls on linked really should only be 2 points

it's like FCS, but more flexible because it's only available to ships that are either clunky (hey, B-wing) or overpriced for their base statline (howdy, gunboat) especially since you can't give it to x7 defenders and it completely defeats the purpose of Tie/D

59 minutes ago, ficklegreendice said:

re-rolls on linked really should only be 2 points

it's like FCS , but more flexible because it's only available to ships that are either clunky (hey, B-wing) or overpriced for their base statline (howdy, gunboat) especially since you can't give it to x7 defenders and it completely defeats the purpose of Tie/D

FCS gives you a TL for a later attack, while Linked allows you to reroll during this attack.
What is better? A reroll now could be more useful than a target lock later, since you are attacking now and maybe you won't get to attack the same target later.
However at the same time, a target lock has other uses and allows you to reroll all your dice while the Linked reroll seems to be limited to maybe 1 die?
Is a 1 die reroll that good, considering that you lose a cannon slot for it, and you needed to pay 1 point for getting those cannon slots?

As you say, the only ships that seem able to use this effectively (other than the gunboat itself) are the B-wing and the titleless Defender. Both ships are not supercompetitive currently.
I would say, this card should be almost 0 cost, since it seems to be a buff for underpowered ships, that just happens to come with the gunboat. Since the gunboat isn't probably overcosted, since it's more recently designed, they might have countered it by making the cannon title cost 1 point.
Some people even say that the Small ship clause on the card seems to be too much to the left to be the only thing there, and that it could be Small ship or Imperial only . That would mean that the imperial Firespray could benefit of this also, and reinforce the idea of it being a really cheap card.

yeeez, cheap re-rolls on imperial firesprays with tailgunners...

3 hours ago, ficklegreendice said:

yeeez, cheap re-rolls on imperial firesprays with tailgunners...

Because IMPERIAL Kath is so overpowered...