Just like my previous thread about Upgrades, let's talk about squadrons and their keywords:

Pick at least one of the following. In all instances, share your reasoning on how it would benefit the game without resorting to "because it sucks, etc" (If I can ask "how is that the case?" Or "why do you think that?" You haven't explained as much as you could have)

1) Name a squdaron card you wish didn't exist and why.

2) Name up to three squadrons you want nerfed, buffed, or altered. Explain how and why.

3) build at least one new squadron card and explain what benefit it would have on gameplay.

4) constructively critique the contribution of a previous post in the thread beyond "yes good" or "this idea sucks". (Again, if I can ask "what makes you think that?" You haven't explained yourself well enough).

2) Phantoms. I think Cloak is not well done in vanilla. I think Cloak currently is what SLAM should be, and I think Cloak should be more about making a squadron harder to hit. I'd also be okay with Phantom getting Grit 2 (same as Grit except that you need three squadrons to lock it down rather than just 2).

1) While there are no squadrons that I necessarily think should not be in the game (ask me around Wave 9 if we start getting the more obscure TIE variants), I would have to Ciena Ree. Her special ability is perfect against squadrons, including counter, but I don't think it works thematically against ships, either through AA, QLT, Ordnance Pods, etc.. I look at AA as a wall of flak that even Ciena can't get away from completely.

2) Dutch Vander - I don't see why a Y-Wing pilot has a special ability against squadrons instead of ships. His special ability could be "When a ship you attack suffers at least one damage, you may cancel one attack die from their next attack." Granted, this would kill the Dutch and Wedge combo though. This would thematically make him a better bomber instead of an anti-squadron tool.

Boba Fett - I rarely see him used because of cost, but maybe it would be worth it if his ability was better. This could be "When you activate, choose 1 enemy squadron at distance 1 to suffer two damage or 1 enemy ship at distance 1 to suffer 1 shield damage or 1 face-up damage card if there are no shields on the closest hull zone." This would not only get him more play but it would fill a role as a bounty hunter that tracks down an eliminates difficult targets (Aces).

3) My apologies in advance; building new ships, squadrons, and upgrades is not my strong suit. "Plasma-Jet Mole Miner (Heir to the Empire [EU]) - 6 Points, 5 Speed, 2 Hull, 0 Anti-Squadron, 1 Black Anti-Ship, Grit, Drill: Choose 1 ship at distance 1. That ship exhausts 2 defense tokens of the attacker's choosing." Need to be quick enough to get through to drill, but a low enough hull to be able to be easily dealt by squadrons (but not easily by ships). Drill would also bypass EWS. This could be a squadron option for BT, and it could be used by both factions as they were stolen from Lando by Thrawn in HtoE (EU).

4) As per @FoaS post on Phantoms, I think they could be improved upon. Like he said, Cloak should be about making the Phantom harder to hit, or better for making a first strike. I wish Cloak would have either given them an extra squadron die the first time they attacked a squadron (like they came out of cloak and surprised their opponent), they would be obstructed until they attacked (obstructing until after de-cloaking), or that they could not be engaged by other squadrons first.

Oh - one more thing: I would change Escort to be optional instead of required, at the defenders choice (not sure on how I'd word it, but perhaps someone might be able to help with that).

2 hours ago, FoaS said:

Oh - one more thing: I would change Escort to be optional instead of required, at the defenders choice (not sure on how I'd word it, but perhaps someone might be able to help with that).

I like the thought, but it would become a gameism, where it would happen in game but not be thematically correct. Fighter escorts, like X-Wings, get engaged to protect more vulnerable targets, which causes them to take damage first. As gamers, we could look at what targets are better at that moment to soak up damage, but that wouldn’t happen it a real battle (in a galaxy far, far away).

Please keep these types of threads going; I love hearing all the ideas that are out there and discussing them.

1: I really don’t have any squads that I think are completely terrible, however, I believe the phantom is lacking. It would be nice if they reworded the text to ‘after activation, you may perform cloak’. This could possibly be too strong, but it would be thematic and make me actually want to take them.

2: Squads that could use some fun changes:

Y-wings, I’ve always thought the turret should give them counter 1, maybe raise them 1 point.

Vader, raise him to 6 hp and remove escort. Vader is a great squad killer but escort makes him always die first. It’s reasonable that he would be a prime target and therefore was given escort, but it’s more of a hindrance to Vader, making him seem overcosted.

3: Tie Striker- Speed 3, Hull 3, 3 blue AA, 1 red AS, Swarm, Escort, 10-11 points. This would be great for counterballs, and give Imperials a light escort to pair with other squads. If planetary bodies and gravity wells were in the game there could be some fun mechanics with strikers being better in these conditions.

I like the idea of a boarding trooper type squad. I was actually hoping the mandilorion squads would have had a similar ability. The novel Lost Stars has a few instances of boarding shuttles, but I like the idea more of a drill ship (I read that book a long time ago, don’t quite recall). I think drill might better with a bit of chance, ‘roll a black die, spend defenders defense tokens equal to hits/crits’.

Phantoms need an alpha strike ability to make the cloak more appropriate ie: phantoms cannot be attacked or engaged until they have made an attack.

I like the ideas suggested in the image above. They seem reasonable.

Vader needs to be reworked to make him more akin the best pilot in the galaxy. Lose escort for starters. Gain rogue.

3)

Gives the Rebels a squadron with Assault.

Someway to add bomber on vt49 decimaters

1) Seriously, I'm all about adding stuff not taking it out.

2) IG88, remove the "unique" dots. I should be able to run as many IG88s as I have Aggressors.

3)

A true heavy bomber for the Empire. Flotilla hunters.

4) @Admiral Calkins , I don't think quality of ability has anything to do with why Boba Fett is not used. I think it is more cost is Hull. Morna Kee, most expensive squadron point wise, lesser ability to Boba Fett, way more Hull. (What I want is escort on those things. But that is just me being said I don't have a yt1300 varient for the Empire.)

I’d prefer the Scimitar Assault Bomber as a heavy imperial bomber.

8 minutes ago, cynanbloodbane said:

1) Seriously, I'm all about adding stuff not taking it out.

2) IG88, remove the "unique" dots. I should be able to run as many IG88s as I have Aggressors.

3)

A true heavy bomber for the Empire.

Give 3 anti squad that is a heavy turrent on top

2 hours ago, cynanbloodbane said:

4) @Admiral Calkins , I don't think quality of ability has anything to do with why Boba Fett is not used. I think it is more cost is Hull. Morna Kee, most expensive squadron point wise, lesser ability to Boba Fett, way more Hull.

I’ll give you that. Was trying to get creative in my adjustment. Just really would like to see him get more play time.

1) Dengar, or more specifically a scatter intel unit. I'm not a great fan of Jan either. Intel circumvents a big part of the squad game and giving it scatter protection just seems too strong to me. Grit and Cloak are undervalued due to their comparison to Intel.

2) YV-666s - let them be used with Sloane or give them a better antiship dice pool. Something! Anything!
Vader - strong power, but it just attracts aggro which isnt worth that much in a world of counter imperial squadrons. He should have been like Valen

4) re-phantoms. Whilst I can see the complaints, I tend to think that weakening Intel would do more for Phantoms than changing their keywords.

1) Agreed with Dengar and scatter. Scatter in general is just bad design IMO.

2) Phantoms need some love. Grit 2 makes a lot of sense. Just Grit 1 would help it

3) Lancers should have had 5 HP instead of 4. They simply die too easily for their cost. E-Wings need to have something going for them.... I just don't see much point in running them. But maybe just a price reduction could be enough...

1) mauler mithel very strong ability and with scatter and a brace too much value imo

3) Make Rogues great again

1) intel because it dumbs down squadron play. Some more elegant and thematic alternative would be nice.

2) cloak doesnt feel thematic, seems to be copy pasted from xwing.

3) xwings with foldable wings. Speed 4 and 3 blue when folded. But bring 3 stands and it takes an hours to fold 9 tiny xwing sfoils. Somebody built a lambda with folding wings so why not?