I'm buying into the vulture droid swarm and was looking at Kraken on captain sear in the Belbulab to support. However, since the latest article on the sith infiltrator with K2-B4, which tactical relay would be best to support the vulture swarm? I cannot decide between stacking calculate tokens or having a guaranteed evade result/strain on the enemy ship.

What would you suggest? (of course, depending on points when finally released)

Help me, X-Wing hive mind your my only hope 😁

Points pending, Kraken seems more valuable overall. Kraken puts the choice of tokens into your control. K2-B4 gives the control of the effects to your opponent.

Oh shoot, I forgot what Kraken's ability was. Kraken + Probes could make for some seriously powerful Vulture/Hyena Ordnance lists (Grab a few extra calculate tokens early, get locks at your low initiative via a probe, ???, Profit.)

Basically impossible to call without knowing the prices, TBH. I'd say Kraken is better, but whether he's enough better to mean you don't want the other if he's cheaper... who knows.

Not to mention, K2-B4 can have some potentially potent effects if they choose to take the strain, too.

I think Kraken will be better if you're going straight swarm and from an action economy standpoint. If your dice are good, you're saving a lot of actions.

While if your swarm is meant to run interference K2-B4 seems better for a trying to increase the lifespan of your vultures. The issue with K2-B4 is it will depend on whether your opponent will be scared of strain.

Kraken seems likely the pricier option.

It is also going to depend on your chosen vultures.

1 minute ago, Frimmel said:

I think Kraken will be better if you're going straight swarm and from an action economy standpoint. If your dice are good, you're saving a lot of actions.

While if your swarm is meant to run interference K2-B4 seems better for a trying to increase the lifespan of your vultures. The issue with K2-B4 is it will depend on whether your opponent will be scared of strain.

Kraken seems likely the pricier option.

It is also going to depend on your chosen vultures.

That bold part might be the major issue with K2B4. If your ships are all done shooting or the opposing ship has 0-1 agility already with a reinforce, they don't really care. Kraken always has value, where as all other Tac Relays we've seen have situational value.

3 hours ago, Ubjub said:

Just imagine.....

Kraken on Maul Infiltrator, flanked by three fully-loaded Hyenas with torps and bombs.

Double calc slow roll akin to old Rey-bank.

Toss bombs, then ordinance your face off.

I think Kraken will usually be better, but it depends on who you're putting him on. I think Sear works, but might not be best (because if you're spending your calculates on attack for mods, OR to remove an evade with Sear, OR using networked to utilize a calculate from a friendly, Kraken may be a wasted investment, as there's a high chance that most of your calculates are going to be gone to begin with.

K2, admittedly, adds yet another way for you to spend your calculates, which can be risky, but I think I'd rather have another option to make the opponent think about, and to utilize in your squad for antics, rather than rely on not using some calculates to not waste Kraken's points (though if you're going for alpha strikes, Kraken is the way to go. I'm just envisioning having one/two of your vultures out in front, with the rest of your swarm behind to feed them an obscene amount of tokens. Tank a bunch of damage with K2 (or give them strain) and then hit something back really hard with some Energy Shells and remove an evade with K2).

Essentially, how you want to run your swarm. I think each fits different playstyles.

Best,

Sear encourages you to spend your tokens. If you had more tokens (i.e., were able to keep some from turn 1 and then get to do a calculate action again such that 3 ships have double calculate), then that ability that you're hoping for will proc a lot more, especially thanks to networked droid brain thingy. Release the Kraken!

Kraken doubles down on the Attanni Mindlink feel of a droid swarm. I can't imagine running one without it.

The chosen relay will change how you fly. Take these guys.

Do you want to use these guys to just be token generators and keep the tokens with Kraken? Do they just do "clean up" after your other vultures pile on some strain with K2-B4? How do you set these guys into a formation? Do you just flank with them?

Both of these new factions seem like they want to go combined arms and make use of synergies. Lots of interesting questions in squad-building. Lots of interesting questions on the playmat.