Chopper - like its hot

By Rolotamasi, in X-Wing Rules Questions

So I had an idea for a Fenn supportbug build:

Fenn Rau (Sheathipede) (20)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Hotshot Co-pilot (4)
"Chopper" (Astromech) (1)
Guidance Chips (0)
Phantom II (0)

I am sure the Chopper/GC works as 1 free shield for the cost of an action. And I know in a pinch I can jettison the hotcop as well. The rules question here is: can I equip the title even if I am not docked? Looking for another "free shield" here. The text just references to things that happen when you are docked, not "you must be docked to equip this card". Unless I don't understand docking. Which is probably true.

Edit: Side question - if I shunt VI do I drop to 9 or stay 11? I thought I remembered something when Thweek came out talking about if your PS changes mid game he keeps it or something. Also isn't there a precedent set with the old damage deck removing EPTs? I may be way off base here. But in a game where PS11 isn't a deal, or if I get dropped to PS 0 that card is another free shield.

Edited by Rolotamasi
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No, you can't. It has no cost, and the only instruction to equip it is on the Ghost title.

And it’s explicitly stated either in the Ghost Expansion pamphlet or the FAQ that you cannot equip it due to the lack of cost.

As for VI, I’m not seeing anything explicit in FAQ offhand, but I’m fairly certain you drop to 9.

Yeah, I missed the VI question. You can definitely junk that, and it will knock your PS down appropriately.

'Free' is an exaggeration though. An action is a big cost, especially for a ship that really wants to be using Coordinate.

4 hours ago, thespaceinvader said:

'Free' is an exaggeration though. An action is a big cost, especially for a ship that really wants to be using Coordinate.

Agreed. About the only time you'd want to use Chopper is if Fenn Rau has nobody to coordinate an action to, in which case he's usually the last man standing flying. Which ALSO means he's likely desperate to survive, and would rather focus up than regen a single shield.

Instead, if you can spare a few points, consider swapping Chopper and the G-Chips for an R2 Astromech and a Pulsed Ray Shield. You gain the "free" shield regen every turn you want/need it, and your droid makes that ion maneuver into a green-1-straight (useful for clearing his own stress)... plus your action is still open to coordinate or focus as needed. Yes, it makes Fenn very predictable... but it's a way to earn shields back, without having to spend a valuable action in the process.

Freakin' Rebel Shield Regen... ;)

Wait R2 overrides the whiteness of Ion maneuvers?

Nien Nunb, too.

Edited by theBitterFig
17 minutes ago, SpiderMana said:

Wait R2 overrides the whiteness of Ion maneuvers?

R2 Astromech yes. Not R2-D2 just to be clear. Being ioned just instructs you to perform a "white 1 straight". It's assigning you a maneuver but doesn't restrict modification. R2 Astromech says you may treat any 1 or 2 speed as green. You're doing a 1 so bam.

By contrast the "revel a red while stressed" section specifies you may not change the speed or bearing.