Most older players should remember everyone’s favorite cheap astromech from 1.0. For some of us, the reason we own multiple Sheathipedes. It was the first taste of boost or barrel roll for generic X-Wings, and mostly just a lot of fun.

Does 2.0 need a direct copy of FAA? I don’t think so. FFG has done a good job with the new action bars on the X-Wings and Y-Wings. As adding cheap action economy starts breaking down the balance of the game, I believe reimagining FAA could be fun instead. My intent is to offer a generic, offensively oriented astromech that is useful to both X-Wings, and Y-Wings. It would “assist” the pilot by automating some of the ship’s systems. With that in mind:

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Flight Assist Astromech

Small Ship Only

At the beginning of the engagement phase, you may spend one charge. If you do, you may rotate your turret indicator or flip an equipped Configuration card.

2x Charges

Add Calculate Action linked to a red Rotate Turret Action to the action bar.

4 Points

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I see three big effects.

1) Twice per game an X-Wing can side step the disadvantages of S-Foils, or a Y-Wing can get a turret shot with perfect board knowledge!

2) Generic gunship Y-Wings gain access to a minor dice modification when forced to use an action to rotate their turret.

3) Red-Armed Resistance C-3PO gets to coordinate to T-70s and IG-88A can pass calculate tokens to Scum Y-Wings.

Would my redesign FAA break the game? Would you fly turret Y-Wings? What would you change? How would you redesign FAA?

Here’s to a discussion that isn’t laser focused on the format of tournaments.

I loved Flight Assist Astromech. It brought a lot of fun back to the Wave 1 stalwarts at a time when it was desperately needed.

I like it, but I think it should be 3 points, lose the engagement phase rotate arc, and make the linked rotate off of the calculate into a white action. 4 points for what is effectively a Luke Gunner that you can spam multiple copies is a bit insane, even with a 2 charge limit. Imagine fighting 5 Y-Wings with this and Dorsal Turret, creating a huge blocking net and always being able to shoot all 5 guns at range 1 no matter what, or 4 Y-Wings with this, ion turret and veteran turret gunner, *shudder.

Luke Gunner is 30 - a force point is currently valued at about 12 points. Therefore, your FAA in engagement arc rotate is replicating the other 18 points of the Luke Gunner card. Knock a few points off for charges, That astro would be lucky to cost less than 10 points.

@Dreadai is right about the value of 'perfect board knowledge'. I don't think it's that brutal on an X-wing but making it work with turrets seems right out. Remember that the original Flight Assist actively locked you out of using turrets by mandating firing arc only.

Is there a reason not just to duplicate the old rule - if you full execute a manoeuvre and have no enemy ship in your firing arc (which as a phrase covers forward and turret, I think), spend a charge for a free boost or barrel roll.

That basically makes you BB-8, but with a different trigger - which means the starting price is ~ 8 points, give or take a modifier for how common "no ship in arc pre manoeuvre" is relative to "revealed a blue manoeuvre".

13 hours ago, Phelan Boots said:

3) Red-Armed Resistance C-3PO gets to coordinate to T-70s and IG-88A can pass calculate tokens to Scum Y-Wings.

That would be an interesting effect but I wouldn't want to add that to an astromech as well as a repositioning effect. That's interesting in and of itself.

I would suggest such an astromech has two effects:

1. Add a white calculate to your action bar (easy to define as it's just an icon on the edge of the card)
2. When you perform an action, you may spend a charge to perform a red calculate action

Basically gives you a (VERY) cut down version of the old push the limit - you only get a calculate, not a focus, and only have a restricted number of uses (1, if you want to make sure it stays cheap and not overpowered). But the ability to lock/calculate even once, or focus/calculate for a sort of mini-glitterstim, is potentially worth it, plus, as you note, it lets you benefit from IG-88 or C-3PO (or, if Seperatists ever gain an astromech-capable ship, Kraken)

1 hour ago, Magnus Grendel said:

1. Add a white calculate to your action bar (easy to define as it's just an icon on the edge of the card

When C-3PO was first revealed, my immediate thought was that they are going to introduce an astromech (or modification) that will allow his ability to be used, because right now, half his cost is in the cross board calculate that he can't use.

Faa is an incredible card, but it was also obviously meant to bring up a rather stiff and incredibly boring 1st Ed xwing

The xwing having boost/roll as a base capability is really what FAA was trying to retroactively achieve (albeit adjusted for 1st Ed idiocy).

Best second Ed FAA could maybe do is provide boost --> focus (red) , bypassing servomotors

so luke gunner, 2x times?

On 1/8/2019 at 1:15 PM, Phelan Boots said:

Flight Assist Astromech

Small Ship Only

At the beginning of the engagement phase, you may spend one charge. If you do, you may rotate your turret indicator or flip an equipped Configuration card.

2x Charges

Add Calculate Action linked to a red Rotate Turret Action to the action bar.

4 Points

Add Calculate to action bar

Charge (2)

After you perform an action, if you have no green tokens, you may spend one charge to perform a red calculate action.

3 points

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8 points for the original IMO

How about this: After you fully execute a 3-5 speed maneuver you may spend a charge to rotate your turret indicator and perform a calculate action.

It would probably have 2 charge and then maybe another advanced droid with 3 charge like R2 astromech and R2-D2. Maybe 5 points?

Don’t forget the app allows the card to cost different points. So maybe more points for a ship with an equipped turret and less points for a ship that doesn’t have one and is using the config part of the ability.

FAA is why I have WAY too many T-70's.

I like the idea of Calc tokens, though.

Adds [calculate] action. Charges: 2.

After you perform a [rotate], [boost], or [barrel roll] action, you may spend 1 charge to perform a [calculate] action, even while stressed.

During the End Phase, you may spend 1 [calculate] token to rotate your turret arc.

Honestly, S-foils give me all the reposition I could reasonably imagine, especially the T70s. FAA in 2.0 would probably be too much.