STAR WARS: IMPERIAL TACTICS: QUICKDRAW

For to long Quickdraw has lived in the shadow of cult heroes like Vader, Soontir, Sabacc, Kylo Silencer, and Gunboats.

All the while the ship has quietly formed the backbone of an entire faction.

Its time to admit that Quickdraw is extremely cool.

Visual Review:

• Black and White color scheme with a bit of black, its aggressive, its stealthy, its strong, its badass.
• The two connection points to the wings are a little more bulky than your average tie...because this aint your average Tie Fighter. This is Spec Ops!
• The splash of red on the side `adds more character than seems possible.
• The antenna ties the entire look together. This ship is a leader, on the front lines, in the mix, calling the shots, dictating the field.
• Back of the ship looks cool to! A small window, also red, with rear blasters and what look like little booster engines...who knows what they are, there cool though.

Hit:

• 3 Hull + 3 Shields
• Pilot Skill 9
• Able to equip Light Weight Frames
• Tech Upgrade
• System Upgrade
• Missile Slot
• Ability to shoot twice in one round when losing a shield
• Ability to shoot twice in one round with front/rear arc
• One of the best End Game Ships available to Imperials
• Confuses target priority and can discourage shots entirely
• 1 Green Straight
• 3 Sloops
• 1 Red Hard Turn

Crit:

• Not very fast
• Limited ability to Reposition
• Depends on Green Dice results

Pilot Card :

EPT Upgrades:

• Veteran Instincts
  • Still the best option for Quickdraw
  • The opportunity to fire Missiles first or barrel roll is hard to pass up
  • Puts a ton of pressure on Poe with a bid
  • Enables the use of Cruise and Harpoon Missiles
  • Low pt cost, for a gigantic gain
• Expertise
  • Massively improves offensive capability
  • Paired with Fire Control system this turns Quickdraw into a buzzsaw
  • Makes the ship vulnerable to Tactican, R3A2/Gunner, Assaj, etc.
• Rage
  • Combo this with Electronic Baffle and watch the world burn
  • No opponent fully appreciates the destructiveness of this until they experience it for the first time
  • Takes alot of the "stress" out of running Quickdraw, since your no longer trying to "save" your shields, your choosing to spend them.
  • Very few ships in the game can stand up to a Range 1 Rage/Baffle run from Quickdraw and live very long to talk about it. .
• A Score To Settle
  • Another EPT that is under represented for Quickdraw in my opinion
  • Often allows you to fit a missile or something else for a 3rd ship in your list
  • Can semi-reliably proc a harpoon condition if you build around it.
  • Don't underestimate the power of Quickdraw with a score to settle & a debt to pay
• Draw Their Fire
  • Running into a Quickdraw with Draw Their Fire and a properly played Carnor Jax can be eye opening.
  • Imperials don't have Wookies but we do have a bone to pick with anyone who pushes a crit through on ships near Draw Their Fire Draw
• Push The Limit
  • This is jank...straight up...its sub-optimal...but it can also beat basically anything in the Meta!
  • Paired with Engine Upgrade, Advanced Sensors, Primed Thrusters, and a Cruise Missile....PTL can bring the pain!
  • Will discuss this particular build a bit more later

System Upgrade:

• Fire Control System
  • The debate begins and ends here...this is the defacto first choice System option
  • Its a match made in heaven for Quickdraw's immense pilot ability and it should be given the same respect that Advanced Optics deserves
  • At PS11, FCS gives you so much flexibility to barrel roll or focus and still have strong damage output
  • It opens up Quickdraw's dial to red maneuvers and makes upgrades like Expertise, Advanced Optics, Primed Thrusters, Patern Analyzer, and Score to Settle sing.
  • This is the closest thing to Imperial Dengar Crew that we will ever have and its amazing!
• Sensor Jammer
  • Its 4 pts...which is very steep, but this upgrades ability to preserve your shields for one more round is dramatically undervalued.
  • I would basically never suggest using it instead of FCS, but its a remarkable card particularly next to a Palp Shuttle
• Advanced Sensors
  • Paired with Engine Upgrade and PTL this actually opens up Quickdraw's dial to a vast # of interesting options
  • Its sub-optimal but its wildly entertaining with the availability of that rear arc.
  • Use this with EU/PTL and watch as your opportunities for the dream double range 1 front/rear arc shots increase dramatically!
• Electronic Baffle
  • Covered this briefly above...
  • The option to take a stress isnt just a way to free you up to introduce PTL.
  • Its also a fantastic way to take full advantage the best manuver in the game the 1 hard turn!
  • Throw Rage on Quickdraw and go crush some low agility rebel scum
  • This combo can take Miranda off the board before she even has a chance to throw salt at you.
• Accuracy Corrector
  • In the Immortal words of Obi Wan....don't try it!

Missile Upgrade:

• Cruise Missiles
  • I put these first simply because I enjoy them more
  • This is my first choice missile for Quickdraw despite the challenge it represents.
  • At PS11, with a bid, and a barrel roll if you cant line up a Cruise shot on your opponent your doing something wrong.
  • Even good opponents can be "controlled" with enough practice and bait.
  • If they cant...sloop and make them pay for their intelligence.
  • Also range control of a Quickdraw Cruise Missile is a lie....oh your at range one of my Quickdraw now...thanks bro...stay out of my arc.
  • Paired with Primed Thrusters or Pattern Analyzer the Sloop becomes a more capable Cruise Missile mechanism
  • Paired with Advanced Optics you can save room for a bid thanks to Cruise being a pt cheaper than harpoons, and you can fully mod 5 dice!
  • Most importantly the mere existence of Cruise in your list forces your opponent to play on your terms. That makes them vulnerable.
• Harpoon Missiles
  • Extraordinary ordinance.
  • All the same comments apply here as they do to Cruise with one significant improvement.
  • Harpoons let you go slow, and Quickdraw as they say...likes to go slow.
  • Has the added benefit of giving you another way to proc Quickdraw's Pilot ability
  • Though if I am honest this gives opponents more control over when I lose my shields than I prefer to give.
  • Harpoons are excellent though and for many should be the first choice missile for the platform
• Ion Pulse Missiles
  • Due to Quickdraw's pilot ability this turns her into a bit of a Ion Cannon Defender type option
  • On many ships taking a turn to double ion a ship puts you to far behind on the damage race to be worthwhile
  • But with Quickdraw...you can force her to be the only ship in arc/range of your opponent and Ion for free or Ion with a chance for a primary attack
• Cluster Missiles
  • What if I told you Quickdraw could shoot 3 times in one round!
  • Well she can...and its awesome...and with Rage...it 100% ruins one of your opponents ships before they can ***** about their dice.

Tech Upgrade:

• Advanced Optics
  • Despite my appreciation for other options this is now without any doubt the best option for any ship that can take it basically
  • This is Rey Crew all wrapped up into a 2 pt Tech Upgrade
  • It borderline changes the entire offensive balance of the game for the First Order sub-faction
  • Paired with FCS and PS11 Advanced Optics opens up both Action and Movement options
  • Its fantastic. Its incredible. Its maybe broken. Its probably best **** card released in the past 6 months.
  • Put it on all the things.
• Primed Thrusters
  • This is my preferred choice. People laugh at me and my lists when I use this
  • But then I just destroy their favorite ship with my cruise missile and a bid and smile
  • Yes Pattern Analyzer does a similar thing...but it doesnt do the same thing because it costs 1 more pt.
  • Throw this on Quickdraw and use the ship at PS11 like the "almost" ace that she is!
  • This always makes people snarky but trust me Primed Thrusters is a great option on Quickdraw.
  • In summary...Primed Thrusters is the Dash killer
• Pattern Analyzer
  • All around crazy useful
  • Quickdraw's 3 turns and 1 turns are red....this makes that fact less relevant
  • Again, i cant emphasize enough how good a 1 hard turn is at PS11.
  • Pattern analyzer allows a ship with barrel and a sloop to basically keep anything in arc at all times.
  • Paired with FCS the option to take a red move and still have a fully modified shot is liberating.
• Sensor Cluster
  • The Duncan Howard uses this upgrade
  • Im not sure I need to say much more...but next to Palpatine the ability to even occasionally "decide" when you lose shields is seriously strong.
  • If getting Quickdraw to the end game is the goal, sensor cluster helps you get there. That makes it good.
  • Its exactly 2 more pts than I can imagine using but the combo of Sensor Jammer + Sensor Cluster + LWF + Palp is the closest to a "tanky" Quickdraw I can imagine.
• Targeting Synchronizer
  • Its niche, its jank, its not easy to manage.
  • But...next to defenders, strikers, anything low ps with a harpoon or cruise missile....this card can change the game.
  • It puts the Alpha in Alpha strike.
  • If you haven't run Quickdraw with a couple Tie Strikers and Targeting Synch your missing out.

Title:

• I don't have much to say about this other than wow.
• There is very little more satisfying in X-Wing that putting Quickdraw in a position that allows it to shoot twice at the same large base ship in one round front/rear
• This title has won me more games than I can count...typically in last minute desperation moves to try and even the odds.
• With careful planning and liberal use of hard turns + barrel rolls you can very reliably get a chance at using this
• Just remember....shoot out the front first!

Modification:

• Light Weight Frames
  • For good reason most people stop this conversation here...
  • The difference between 2 and 3 green dice is very real and the primary concern most Quickdraw players have is making it to the end game
  • This makes that possible, without it I am not sure Quickdraw would be anything more than a "decent" but not great ship
• Guidance Chips
  • Thanks to that missile upgrade, Chips has a real place in Quickdraw's playbook
  • Typical use case is to fit 3 high PS missile carriers, though in my book your better suited filling out 2 of those ships and compromising on the third.
  • Works well against things like Rebel Fenn that can negate mods
  • For me though, the choice to put Ordinance on Quickdraw is dangerous to begin with...creeping towards 35-40 pts is dangerous for a ship you should expect to lose every game
  • If your going to invest those kind of pts might as well commit to it and include LWF to protect those pts
• Twin Ion Engine MK II
  • I don't feel like this is an upgrade that the community has explored enough.
  • Something tells me PTL MKII Quickdraw actually wouldn't be completely terrible
• Shield Upgrade
  • For Quickdraw...shields are Ammo.
  • If Shield Upgrade was 3 pts instead of 4 pts I think this would see more regular play.
  • All the information you need is that the soon to be released Krennic crew doesn't work with First Order ships, probably entirely because of Quickdraw!
  • Rage/Baffle/Shield Upgrade draw anyone?
• Engine Upgrade
  • So...I hear stories that when the Tie SF first came out everyone dismissed it because it couldn't double resposition.
  • I don't know what version of X-Wing was viewed through that lens but holy crap do I wish I could play that game!
  • Either way...Engine Upgrade Quickdraw is excptionally good fun and just like the Firespray or Arc-170 or Rebel Fenn....EU + Rear Arcs is good.
  • Its far to many pts to invest in place of LWF but still paired with PTL, Advanced Sensors, Primed Thrusters, and a dream Quickdraw can surprise alot of "good" players.

Favorite Wingmen:

• Quickdraw/Vader + Anything
  • Lamda Shuttle, Sabacc, Kylo Scimitar Bomber, Nu Boat, Rho Boat, Aggressor, you name it...
  • Two fully kitted PS11 Missile Aces and w/e distraction you want.
  • I prefer either a Kylo Bomber or a very light Sabacc.
  • There is nothing in the game this archetype can't beat.
  • Fragile unforgiving PS11 stuff like this needs a bid, if you dont have one your doing it wrong and should have a different EPT or something besides Vader.
• Quickdraw/Inquistor + Anything
  • Inquisitor takes a great deal of practice to use well.
  • However...unlike Vader you can survive the Turret gauntlet that is present day X-Wing due to Autothrusters and the free evade from Target locks.
  • The best version of this is with Yorr since it not only opens up Quickdraw's dial it also completely liberates the Inquisitor to act like double action Darth Vader
  • Due to the slightly reduced pts, Inquistor gives you room to keep a 2 pt bid and run Advanced Optics. Thats good.
• Quickdraw + RAC
  • If your not familiar with this archetype...basically throw Kylo Crew and Palpatine on an Engine Upgrade RAC Decimator.
  • Smash in to range 1-2 and blind or damage cockpit w/e scares you the most...and in the same turn bring the pain with a PS11 Missile Draw.
  • Its an EXTREMELY good list
  • Anytime you ever see anyone ever complain about any 2 ship turret low agility list in your local meta....
  • Run home kit out RAC/Lo + Quickdraw come back and make them sorry for every pretending that Nym/Miranda is "fun"
• Quickdraw + Imperial Boba Fett
  • Yea I said it...deal with it...its fun and its actually better than you think, though it is also not good
  • My preferred set up is PTL/Advanced Sensors/Primed Thrusters/Engine Upgrade/Cruise missile draw
  • And....Expertise/Heavy Laser Cannon/Rebel Captive/Engine Upgrade Boba Fett.
  • Where I am from there is an old saying....if your going to run jank then RUN JANK! Don't half *** it. Commit to it.
• Quickdraw + Vessery + Anything
  • This is a very common archetype...and paired with a PS11 FCS Draw Vessery's pilot ability is all but guaranteed.
  • Thanks to Quickdraw's rear arc and Vessery's easy mode k turns you should be able to keep nearly all the things in arc all game.
  • Leaves plenty of pts for lots of solid 25+ pt options.
  • This is in my mind the best possible "beginner" list for new Imperial players.
  • Its Imperial Training wheels...but with practice...its also kinda so much more than that.
• Quickdraw + Kylo Silencer + Wampa
  • WOW. This takes guts. Real Imperial guts.
  • It solves Kylo's minor PS11 vulnerabilities ( though those are not nearly as significant as the internet will have you believe ).
  • It makes your opponents target priority choices genuinely terrible. Shoot Kylo and take a condition, shoot Quickdraw and suffer the consequences.
  • Wampa is a serious blocking threat. Don't ignore this little guy or he will make you pay at Range 1 every time.
• Quickdraw + 2x Sienar Silencer
  • This has recently been making the rounds in the UK Regional meta.
  • Its gotta be the coolest looking list on the table I have ever seen.
  • Typically seen with VI/FCS/Advanced Optics/LWF and 2x PS4 Silencers with FCS/Advanced Optics/Autothrusters
  • Joust the things? Probably
  • Make cut in style after some practice? You bet your skeptical *** it can.
  • This is an honorable list built for honorable laser rocket knights of the highest order
  • Leave your Turrets and Regen and Defensive combos at home.
  • Quickdraw is blasting those Bose Speakers and all it is the Sound of Silence on repeat
• Quickdraw + Backdraft + Anything
  • Another training wheels list with the potential to be a dominate tournament list in genuinely skilled hands
  • Paired with Harpoons and A Score to Settle on Quickdraw these two can bring a wild amount of damage to the table with minimal effort
  • Omega Leader is a common 3rd member of this special forces squad. Your opponent's choice on who to shoot first often decides the game.
  • There is even talk of an Imperial hero who once ran QD/BD + Soontir to great effect. Try it, just don't forget Targeting Computer on Soontir.
  • If you like to make "correct" choices, swap Soontir for Inquistor
• Quickdraw + Nu + Nu + Nu
  • This is Harpoon missile nirvana
  • Lots of players like to complain about this list but the reality is this is Quickdraw and 3 PS2 small base arcs!
  • Played properly it involves a wide net of spread out ships layering their arcs over a very intentional area of the board.
  • Its not uncommon to watch rebel players pick this list up and run it in a 4 ship formation....thats the wrong way to do it.
  • There is no regen here, no defense, no protection.
  • Coordinate the overlap of your arcs properly or suffer the consequences.
  • This is in recent times one of the best Imperial lists in the game. But its still on paper much worse than Palp Aces.
  • Search your feelings, you know its true.
  • This list is very good because it puts a decent % of the burden of execution back on Miranda/Low+ and Ghost/Fenn players.
• Quickdraw + 3x Strikers
  • Yes its possible...yes its bad compared to boats
  • But holy cow does it sing with Targeting Syncrhonizer!
• Quickdraw + Vader + Inquistor
  • Guidance Chips and Missiles for everyone!
  • You get the idea...this list is feast or famine takes a good bit of skill and can carry you all the way to the Top 16 at any tournament.
  • Its just incredibly fragile and absolutely punishes you for ever mistake made.

Questions for the Experts:

• If you had to kit Quickdraw without Veteran Instincts, Light Weight Frames, Advanced Optics, and Harpoons....what would your next choice be?
• Is Duncan Howard the only good X-Wing player or is Sensor Cluster only good if you also have Palpatine in your list?
• Why do you think the player base doesn't give Quickdraw the same amount of "love" as they do Soonitr? Isn't this ship the Imperial factions Blue Chip Blue Collar Steel Toed Work Boots?
• I believe the Tie SF is the single best thing that came out of the Force Awakens. I'll fight anyone who provides a counter point that doesn't include the fact that Finn is the best character in Force Awakens.

Cool Tie SF Art....because the Tie SF looks amazing and is amazing and deserves a hipster fan club.

This picture captures its cool factor better than any combination of words I can write.

If you read anything in this post....read this picture.

FFG DEVELOPERS

PLEASE READ THIS!

FIND AN EXCUSE TO PUT THE SHIP BELOW IN GAME

WE WILL REWARD YOU WITH A LARGE # OF COCONUT MONKEY DOLLARS

Happy Sunday.

X-Wings fun.

Kessel Run is the new best X-Wing podcast.

Live Free, Don't Join.

Arcs On Top.

Feel free to correct any of the many incorrect things I said above.

I like a lot of what you said.

AC on 'Draw is actually pretty good when paired with Debris Gambit. You can use your action for evades and never worry about offensive output again.

The PTL-EU-Threat Tracker-FCS is pretty insane but very expensive for what it does.

The Rage-Electronic Baffle build is so much fun... even more than Buzzsaw Whisper.

Hecko my gecko (taking a cue from you and signing off my post).

I love Quickdraw.

It's so fun to strip all of his shields in the first round of shooting and render his ability useless.

1 minute ago, Hawkstrike said:

I love Quickdraw.

It's so fun to strip all of his shields in the first round of shooting and render his ability useless.

Thats what balance looks like

I share your love for Quickdraw and the Tie/sf. I run a list with three of them: Quickdraw, Backdraft and a Zeta Specialist.

Excellent write up. Very entertaining. It’s true. All of it.

I’ve been running QD with Blackout and Zeta Specialist as below. So much fun and I’m having some success. Those rear arcs are amazing on the SF. Yet to trigger Blackout’s ability though! But the threat of him seems to deter people using debris as cover giving QD lots of good shots.

Zeta Specialist (28) - TIE/SF Fighter
Accuracy Corrector (3), Special Ops Training (0), Lightweight Frame (2)

•Test Pilot "Blackout" (37) - TIE Silencer
Trick Shot (0), Collision Detector (0), Advanced Optics (2), •First Order Vanguard (2), Autothrusters (2)

•"Quickdraw" (35) - TIE/SF Fighter
Veteran Instincts (1), Fire Control System (2), Primed Thrusters (1), Special Ops Training (0), Lightweight Frame (2)

I just saw Quickdraw flip a match against me the other night. It was a NuNuNu squad, and my Boba/Asajj combo were doing well. Boba had lost a few shields and was carrying a Harpoon, but one Nu was dead, the others were wounded and QD had already lost a shield.

Then he managed a sloop right into R1 of Boba's rear arc. QD attacks, gets three hits and a crit, Harpoon detonates to trigger a second shot, and Boba was erased. Completely flipped the match on me. I wasn't even mad. It was too awesome.

5 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

STAR WARS: IMPERIAL TACTICS: QUICKDRAW

X-Wings fun.

CAROLINA KRYATS is ALWAYS THE best X-Wing podcast.

Live Free, Don't Join.

Arcs On Top. Krayts further on top though.

Feel free to correct any of the many incorrect things I said above.

Fixed

Oh nice, Quickdraw! A couple of points to consider:

• She has 3 shields
  • her ability can procc 3 times
  • often you will lose more than one shield per turn
    • the "normal" number of using her ability is 2 per game in my experience.
• QD depends strongly on how offensively or defensively you kit her out
  • Offensive cards: they either increase the likelihood of losing a shield (e..g by doing it yourself) or don't decrease it
    • FCS, Electronic baffle
    • Expertise, Rage, Draw their fire, ASTS
    • Guidance Chips
  • Defensive cards: they help decrease the likelihood of losing a shield
    • VI
    • Sensor Jammer
    • Sensor Cluster, Advanced Optics, (arguably also PA and Primed Thrusters)
    • Lightweight Frame
  • I think there's a tendency that the more defensive the build the better she works

My favorite builds:

• 40pt Quickdraw: VI, FCS, AdvOptics, Harpoon, Title, LWF
• 38pt is more tricky. 38 can be necessary because 38pt QD paired with a NuPoon gives you 40 more points. Or 38-39 with an ini bid! Awesome in a imperial alpha strike list.
  • arguments for/against scrapping FCS:
    • it triggers 1-3 times per game where it can be used after the shield is lost, which is amazing
    • after that it's "just" a free action, but purely offense
    • after shields are lost it is almost the same as advanced optics, only AO can be used defensively too
  • for/against AdvOptics
    • way more defensive than FCS
    • often similar to a free action: you will focus and not use the token, especially if you have shields and nobody wants to shoot you
    • gives you a much stronger alphastrike, now with TL and Focus. That's even strictly better than TL + Chips!
  • for/against LWF
    • there are almost no attacks with 2 dice (Fenn/Ezra are frequent now. But you want Ezra to hit or he'll double stress!), meaning it turns QD into a 3/3/3/3 ship with the title.
    • just take it

And finally Cruise vs Harpoon:

• Cruise
  • means you will fly 4 forward. There is no ambiguity about it. You definitely won't use the red 3turn to fire 4 dice. And the 3bank is so similar to the 4 straight that range 1 of one move will often cover both and jump the distance
  • costs only 3 points, can throw 5 dice
• Harpoon
  • very nice because you have the 1 straight. This allows you to range control as easily as it gets
  • condition can trigger your shield and give you another ps11 shot if you have VI Vader and he triggers it

I prefer Optics+LWF and leave FCS out. However, a QD with FCS and a 38-39pt Vader can almost duo any list. It is very hard to find a good 20pt filler for those two (and definitely not a Gunboat with jamming beam...). In my opinion, HarpoonQD should take Optics+LWF, not chips+FCS. That is the more defensive build, which is important because she draws a lot of "burst aggro" - often ignored for some time and then, if you allow it, every gun will shoot at her to remove as many shields as possible in one turn.

And going through the slots:

• Sensor Cluster is another great upgrade for a crowded slot and the choice if you have Palpatine in your squad. Otherwise Optics is the choice for me.
• FCS is preferable if you have the points, but the first thing to ditch if necessary (well, first is the harpoon unless you really need/want it)
• EPT
  • VI: PS11 is great for QD, but not that important as for e.g. Vader. QD is essentially a jouster, a brawler, and doesn't need the high PS. [note: this gave me an idea, writing it: ASTS and FCS would also save me a point!]. VI is of course important because of PS11 poe, if you have harpoons and the higher bid - otherwise your TL will never stay. I do have harpoons however, and that makes VI the EPT of my choice.
  • Expertise is awesome.
  • I never understood Rage/Baffle because I do not want to help removing shields. Sure it punches hard, but you do that once per game.
  • ASTS is great because it draws shots, but only works against the chosen ship.
  • Draw their Fire is similar to Rage/Baffle: but it is more situational and thus not as bad. Might save another important ship from a horrible crit which is very valuable.
• Mod:
  • LWF or go home.
  • Chips brought me to my first final table. But I'm convinced by now that it was a mistake

To make it short: QD is awesome, but her ability can be a bit of a trap. I take her primarily as PS11 ship with great stats and slots that allow double mods, her ability is a bonus. That worked out quite well for me so far.

On top of this other discussion, Expertise/Baffle is an interesting combo. It sort of compromises between standard offense Quickdraw and suicide Quickdraw. With Optics, you can bring a defensive and offensive Focus equivalent, as well as a Target Lock with your action to the first turn of combat. If you have a ship that you think you can finish off, next turn you can pull a red move, Baffle the stress, and take a Combat phase shot. Against squirrel high PS stuff, it gives you a chance to kill before they flee or token up. Against low PS stuff, it lets you take two shots before they take one. It's pretty hilarious against Asajj, who is inclined to stress Quickdraw to shut off Expertise. Baffles, however, turns that stress into a damage, which triggers a shot and keeps Expertise up and running and takes away Latts. Overall, it's probably too much of an expensive janky niche build to succeed long term, but it's interesting.

Is there a world where quickdraw with snap shot and enhanced scopes sees comparative play? In theory you could move as PS 0, set up the block, enemy moves and triggers snap shot, then attack with PS 9, and potentially take damage and fire a 3rd time. Seems possible, but not sure if it is as viable as FCS and VI

I know there are downsides to it, but it's tough for me to give up Ruthlessness on QD. If I can set up primary and secondary arcs, I'm potentially passing out 4 free damage in a round onto a ship or ships that I'm not even attacking. It can be very brutal.

Quietly? QuickDraw is in like 90% of competitive Imperial lists. If that's quiet then WTF is loud?