PSA: Brobots Must be Re-Imagined

By Hoarder of Garlic Bread, in X-Wing

In 1st edition, they were very solid for insane action economy, resilience, and damage/control output. But without PTL, Autothrusters, Advanced Sensors shutting things like C's ability, HLC being bullseye and giving an R3 bonus, and the ability to take only 1 damage from Ion and not any tokens, they are different animals entirely. Yet, whenever I come across them, people attempt to fly them as if 1.0 were still in play, but with a worse choice added: Juke.

Juke does not proc all too often when your initiative is only 4. Not only that, but taking boost/evade as your action locks out the best new feature of the Brobots: Double Calculate! (A feature that in many cases, can be like having a free recon spec). Furthermore, it sings when you have a focus to enforce it so that your dice can have some good results (here is where proper Juke carriers of Whisper and Rexler scoff at single-token'd Brobots who decide not to calculate up). If you are going to take all those red moves with your advanced sensors, why not just throw on Elusive for a more survivable ship?

I don't know what the Brobots are supposed to be, but I know not expensive. The shield/stealth device mods that seem everywhere add little survivability for the whopping 8% of your list cost, especially when you have only an evade as your defensive token (or even double calculate). At I4, even if you take a defensive reroll with a green token on 4 dice, it won't add up to much, as some I4-not-initiative-or-I5/I6 is just going to roll right up and 4 dice you with some decent mods. Maybe even Wedge is present, chucking his proton torps and negating range bonus. Also on the topic, both ships taking seismic charges seems a bit overcosted for what they can do. Continue in the 2.0/competitive 1.0 mindset of slots being options for build diversity, not mandatory holes that need to be filled.

Why do I care if I don't even fly Brobots: because it's a new game with a lot of cool stuff to offer. If people try to force 1.0 stuff, they will not have fun, feeling rather powered down. If they enjoy 2.0 for what it has to offer, then it will seem very new and exciting. To prove my point, I made my own Brobot list: definitely a sub-optimal one, but it could be the start of something with some overhauling. It also has the ability to take that boost/evade if needed enough, yet provide the option to give that boosting bot a calculate all the same should the donor bot be fine with it. It is 2.0 after all: without off the wall action economy, choices have to be weighed and made. The bots are not alone, though, as the tractor is an annoying aggro-drawing mechanism, and perhaps the bid can be converted into Ketsu.

https://raithos.github.io/?f=Scum and Villainy&d=v4!s!81:119,111,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,151:-1:-1:;83:119,111,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,151:-1:-1:;143:-1,-1,-1,-1,-1:-1:-1:&sn=Better than Whatever&obs=

I have been looking at IG C running with IG D on Torkil with engine.

Disclaimer: Definitely not a Scum player... But:

The IG's, IMO, were pretty much forced into a 2 ship build in 1.0. Just a bit too expensive, nothing really cheap enough to consider throwing on. With Autothrusters, they had a supremely survivable, fast-moving chassis.

Now, their chassis is nimbler, they can and probably should be built lighter and have great synergy. They can definitely fit a third ship. 2.0 IG's will remain survivable because of their 3 evade dice and fairly bulky HP count.

I suspect that this will turn into an archetype. It can go back and forth and whether there is a named Quad or what you have slapped on the IG's, but those Quads are going to soften things up with their Tractor Spacetug Array and IG's pounce. It should be pretty brutal. This is my take on the same archetype.

https://raithos.github.io/?f=Scum and Villainy&d=v4!s!83:123,-1,13,-1,-1,96,-1,151:-1:-1:;82:123,-1,13,-1,-1,96,-1,151:-1:-1:;142:-1,36,-1,-1,-1:-1:-1:&sn=IG-QUAD&obs=

My gut feel is that running them fairly stripped down with a third robit with IGGY D is probably the way to go. Most likely L3 in the escape craft, but 4LOM also JUST fits.

L3 gives you the action economy back a bit, 4LOM just gives you a third ship with some pretty solid action economy of his own.

You can still run them as control bots with advanced sensors. I like B&D. It’s true they lost their token stacks, but so did everyone shooting at them.

Two Aggressors and a coordinate seem fine

B still seems really solid, even with just ions. Throw on elusive + sensors for a tough, mobile, and reliable ship

New Squadron

(70) IG-88 D or C
(2) IG-2000
(8) Advanced Sensors
(3) Elusive
(5) Ion Cannon
Points 88

(70) IG-88B
(5) Ion Cannon
(8) Advanced Sensors
(3) Elusive
(2) IG-2000
Points 88

(24) Outer Rim Pioneer
Points 24

Total points: 200

There's probably also some synergy somewhere with Ig-88D crew + some bloke somewhere

Scum Falcon (A turns them into support, if cheap enough),Quad (A turns into calculate battery?) Firespray (b & c), Mist Hunter (B, 4lom?)

Hwks could theoretically run Ig-88D crew and pal around with cheap EU + IG-88C, but calculate does nothing for Moldy Crow

Edited by ficklegreendice
11 hours ago, player3010587 said:

In 1st edition, they were very solid for insane action economy, resilience, and damage/control output. But without PTL, Autothrusters, Advanced Sensors shutting things like C's ability, HLC being bullseye and giving an R3 bonus, and the ability to take only 1 damage from Ion and not any tokens, they are different animals entirely. Yet, whenever I come across them, people attempt to fly them as if 1.0 were still in play, but with a worse choice added: Juke.

Juke does not proc all too often when your initiative is only 4. Not only that, but taking boost/evade as your action locks out the best new feature of the Brobots: Double Calculate! (A feature that in many cases, can be like having a free recon spec). Furthermore, it sings when you have a focus to enforce it so that your dice can have some good results (here is where proper Juke carriers of Whisper and Rexler scoff at single-token'd Brobots who decide not to calculate up). If you are going to take all those red moves with your advanced sensors, why not just throw on Elusive for a more survivable ship?

I don't know what the Brobots are supposed to be, but I know not expensive. The shield/stealth device mods that seem everywhere add little survivability for the whopping 8% of your list cost, especially when you have only an evade as your defensive token (or even double calculate). At I4, even if you take a defensive reroll with a green token on 4 dice, it won't add up to much, as some I4-not-initiative-or-I5/I6 is just going to roll right up and 4 dice you with some decent mods. Maybe even Wedge is present, chucking his proton torps and negating range bonus. Also on the topic, both ships taking seismic charges seems a bit overcosted for what they can do. Continue in the 2.0/competitive 1.0 mindset of slots being options for build diversity, not mandatory holes that need to be filled.

Why do I care if I don't even fly Brobots: because it's a new game with a lot of cool stuff to offer. If people try to force 1.0 stuff, they will not have fun, feeling rather powered down. If they enjoy 2.0 for what it has to offer, then it will seem very new and exciting. To prove my point, I made my own Brobot list: definitely a sub-optimal one, but it could be the start of something with some overhauling. It also has the ability to take that boost/evade if needed enough, yet provide the option to give that boosting bot a calculate all the same should the donor bot be fine with it. It is 2.0 after all: without off the wall action economy, choices have to be weighed and made. The bots are not alone, though, as the tractor is an annoying aggro-drawing mechanism, and perhaps the bid can be converted into Ketsu.

https://raithos.github.io/?f=Scum and Villainy&d=v4!s!81:119,111,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,151:-1:-1:;83:119,111,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,151:-1:-1:;143:-1,-1,-1,-1,-1:-1:-1:&sn=Better than Whatever&obs=

I too think less kit and a 3rd ship is the way to go in most cases. Lots of variation on the 3rd ship.

A+C seems the way to go. B is dead because cannons are meh. D on the third ship.

Elusive looks promising.

7 minutes ago, westiebestie said:

I too think less kit and a 3rd ship is the way to go in most cases. Lots of variation on the 3rd ship.

A+C seems the way to go. B is dead because cannons are meh. D on the third ship.

Elusive looks promising.

Definitely. Two ships just won't get enough mods and durability.

I think 4LOM with Elusive is a decent shout for the third.

My favorite set up right now, though I have to wait til next week to put it on the table:

Charlie: Elusive, Trajectory Simulator, Seismics, Ablative, title

Alpha: Elusive, Trajectory Simulator, Seismics, Ablative, title

L337 Escape Craft: Elusive, Delta Crew

199

I plan to bomb Han's, Rendar's, and swarms into the stone age. If I find that Ablative isn't all that useful I may switch some stuff around to give one bot Proton Bombs.

On 9/4/2018 at 1:33 PM, ficklegreendice said:

Hwks could theoretically run Ig-88D crew and pal around with cheap EU + IG-88C , but calculate does nothing for Moldy Crow

Not specifically, but you can save 2 focus with moldy crow the first couple rounds,t hen use the double calculate and only spend the focus tokens if you roll multiple eyeballs. And if you have IG-D on moldy crow alongside IG-A instead of IG-C, you can pass those calculate tokens around and still have the other calculate + focus tokens from MC for yourself.

Not super thrilled about that set-up, since focus takes forever to bank without Perceptive or Palob yoinking it from folks

But I'm liking the idea of an ig-88d spray with ig-88c

Like boba, Marauder, gunner Han, ig-88d

Fits fearless on boba, a fearless + sensors Ig-88c, and an outerrim pioneer

Also for some reason didn't realize escape crafts could get crew...they're PEFFECT calc batteries (then again, gotta weigh Coordinate v Calculate)

Edited by ficklegreendice
8 minutes ago, ficklegreendice said:

Not super thrilled about that set-up, since focus takes forever to bank without Perceptive or Palob yoinking it from folks

But I'm liking the idea of an ig-88d spray with ig-88c

Like boba, Marauder, gunner Han, ig-88d

I kind of like Alpha the best now, being able to juggle the Calculate tokens out to range 3 is pretty nice. At the same time the Firespray has synergy with Charlie soooo ::shrugs::

Charlie evade gives boba ALL TEH MODS and makes him a scary Fearless ship

Even if Charlie don't surf

17 minutes ago, ficklegreendice said:

Charlie evade gives boba ALL TEH MODS and makes him a scary Fearless ship

Even if Charlie don't surf

Doesn't he though? Getting an Evade token after a boost feels like some wicked surfing

I also like Lando in the Falcon with 000, Iggy-D, Engine, maybe BT along side Alpha or Charlie with Adv Sensors a Talent(cough, cough, Elusive) and a third ship.

I lean toward Alpha because passing the Calculate tokens around to where they are needed most seems really good. Not pre-nerf Manaroo good, but still pretty good.

I'm really enjoying Boba and IG-C with L3-37 up the rear. You can boost Boba into R1 and get the evade, coord a calculate to get two calculates, and use Han for the red focus token. All the tokens belong to Boba.

Edited by dsul413

Everything about 2.0 screams "less kit, more ships".

I'm pretty interested in A/C with trick shot and IG-2000, alongside 4-LOM with BT-1 & Mist Hunter. That's a pretty good spread of points and abilities that should be pretty interesting in combat. I can get IG-88D on there without mist hunter or without one trick shot.

IG-88C — Aggressor 70
Trick Shot 1
IG-2000 2
Ship Total: 73
IG-88A — Aggressor 70
Trick Shot 1
IG-2000 2
Ship Total: 73
4-LOM — G-1A Starfighter 49
IG-88D 4
Ship Total: 53

Edit: Palob fits also.

IG-88C — Aggressor 70
Trick Shot 1
IG-2000 2
Ship Total: 73

IG-88A — Aggressor 70
Trick Shot 1
IG-2000 2
Ship Total: 73

Palob Godalhi — HWK-290 38
IG-88D 4
Moldy Crow 12
Ship Total: 54

Edited by dsul413

Packing an ion B with an ion mist Hunter is probably a fine way of getting Zuckus to trigger

He's obviously far more effective when he has mods and the opponent does not. Having a gunner effect REALLY helps out in that department