Really intrigued how the new canon is gonna see play.

2 minutes ago, LUZ_TAK said:

Really intrigued how the new canon is gonna see play.

We just need Wave 5, aka Scyks, to hit the table...

Played with cannon armed Scyks last night to try things out. A single autocannon is likely underwhelming. Four on the other hand... Consistently having at least one bullseye, throwing unblockable crits (this part rarely happened, but did punch through on TIE Interceptors nicely) and with only a minor points bump? Yeah, these are good on Scyks. Not sure on any other cannon carrier, but on Scyks it's good.

5 minutes ago, LagJanson said:

Played with cannon armed Scyks last night to try things out. A single autocannon is likely underwhelming. Four on the other hand... Consistently having at least one bullseye, throwing unblockable crits (this part rarely happened, but did punch through on TIE Interceptors nicely) and with only a minor points bump? Yeah, these are good on Scyks. Not sure on any other cannon carrier, but on Scyks it's good.

I was wondering if something silly like, say, 5 Tansari Point Vets w/ Autoblaster & Afterburners might work. Just get real aggresive with them to try and snag the R1 Bullseye shots

As a weapon, I think it's often going to be bad. 2 dice aren't a good addition to anything (reworded for clarity) . Bullseye isn't great (but Autoblasters providing a range 1 4-dice attack instead of a range 2-3 4-dice attack like a Heavy Laser Cannon probably matters).

But I think the fact of a cheap, normal-damage cannon really matters.

IG-88 B really likes to have a cannon. I don't think this is better than an Ion Cannon in effect, but it's a lot cheaper. That will allow for better overall lists.

The XG-1 gunboat that fascinates me right now is Passive Sensors, Proton Torpedo, XG-1, Autoblasters on a Nu. 50 points. The goal is to use Torpedoes, but you'll be able to SLAM and shoot, or reload decently. If you aren't disarmed, you can pull off a 4-dice range-1 bullseye attack. That's not too bad. I think Autoblaster is cheap and flexible enough on this platform to be kinda legit. Heck, at 34 points for an Autoblaster Nu, that could set up a 5 + (something else... Wampa?) list.

//

As to the M3-A Scyk, I think I'm going to try 3x Ion Cannon Cartel Spacers, Sunny Bounder with Autoblasters, and Fenn Rau (nothing) at 199 points. I liked 4x Ion before, but Sunny with Autoblasters seems like it'll improve the punch-to-control ratio of the list somewhat.

Just now, Innese said:

I was wondering if something silly like, say, 5 Tansari Point Vets w/ Autoblaster & Afterburners might work. Just get real aggresive with them to try and snag this R1 Bullseye shots

Not sure the burners are worth it, but yeah, they are fun. Oh rats, 6 Tansarii don't fit with autocannon - 204 points.

However... 5 Cartel Spacers with cannon and Serissu with cannon certainly fits with space... 8 points to find something more.

2 minutes ago, Innese said:

I was wondering if something silly like, say, 5 Tansari Point Vets w/ Autoblaster & Afterburners might work. Just get real aggresive with them to try and snag the R1 Bullseye shots

5 Rhos with Autoblaster and Advanced SLAM? Similar premise, but a lot beefier.

2 minutes ago, theBitterFig said:

As a weapon, I think it's often going to be bad

2 dice isn't bad, but you need a lot to be worth it... and most ships that can equip the cannon already have 3 dice so it is taking a step down.

I wouldn't be surprised if only Scyks and Gunboats use it much at present...

4 minutes ago, LagJanson said:

2 dice isn't bad, but you need a lot to be worth it... and most ships that can equip the cannon already have 3 dice so it is taking a step down.

I wouldn't be surprised if only Scyks and Gunboats use it much at present...

I guess all I meant by it wasn't that 2-dice attacks are bad in themselves, but that in a lot of positions on the board, Autoblasters are "Spend 2 points. Do nothing." Two points is certainly cheap enough that you don't mind spending it for the few times it is useful, but a lot of the time it won't be.

11 minutes ago, theBitterFig said:

I guess all I meant by it wasn't that 2-dice attacks are bad in themselves, but that in a lot of positions on the board, Autoblasters are "Spend 2 points. Do nothing." Two points is certainly cheap enough that you don't mind spending it for the few times it is useful, but a lot of the time it won't be.

There's the 1 crit result on each of those 2 dice, and that can't be blocked with evade dice. Totally worth the 2 points if you're range 2. Range 3? Wasted points, certainly. I was using the cannons near constantly in both trial games, so don't dismiss.

1 minute ago, LagJanson said:

There's the 1 crit result on each of those 2 dice, and that can't be blocked with evade dice. Totally worth the 2 points if you're range 2. Range 3? Wasted points, certainly. I was using the cannons near constantly in both trial games, so don't dismiss.

Fair. It's hard to have a good sense of how often the "outside the front arc" will occur without on-table play.

Oh, how badly I wish there was a 1e dice probability calc still up on the internet, so that I could examine how good the uncancelled crits are in a mathematical sense.

Vynder, XG1, Slam, Marksmanship. Summoning @ Deathrainsblog

I think Poe Dameron and the other high initiative T-70s may like the cannon; two points isn't too expensive, and the T-70 is on the right side of agile enough to get the most out of it.

11 minutes ago, theBitterFig said:

Oh, how badly I wish there was a 1e dice probability calc still up on the internet, so that I could examine how good the uncancelled crits are in a mathematical sense.

It's probably not good math if you're depending on those crit results. Only got a couple of them in two games. There are other ways to get crits, but then that starts getting expensive or janky. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe this is a game breakingly good weapon. On 2-dice primary cannon carriers though, it seems worth it.

5 minutes ago, AceDogbert said:

I think Poe Dameron and the other high initiative T-70s may like the cannon; two points isn't too expensive, and the T-70 is on the right side of agile enough to get the most out of it.

But... why? 3 red seems by far better...

1 hour ago, Innese said:

We just need Wave 5, aka Scyks, to hit the table...

Scyks are already out on the table......oh, you only play Hyper-whatever? Wow...the game must be pretty....confining.

45 minutes ago, theBitterFig said:

he M3-A Scyk, I think I'm going to try 3x Ion Cannon Cartel Spacers, Sunny Bounder with Autoblasters, and Fenn Rau (nothing) at 199 points. I liked 4x Ion before, but Sunny with Autoblasters seems like it'll improve the punch-to-control ratio of the list somewhat.

I found Scyks paired with Kihraxz work great. They have similar dials and the Kihraxz have the firepower the Scyks need.

6 minutes ago, heychadwick said:

Scyks are already out on the table......oh, you only play Hyper-whatever? Wow...the game must be pretty....confining.

Extremely... And its not by choice, its just the only way that anyone around here actually wants to play.

4 minutes ago, LagJanson said:

But... why? 3 red seems by far better...

I'll admit, most the time you'd be using your standard attacks. However, the Autoblaster gets used if you've got the target in bullseye and you are out of the target's forward arc. If you satisfy those conditions, you may be able to push uncancellable crits onto the target. No guarantees it will come up, but for two points a ship I consider it a fair gamble.

6 minutes ago, heychadwick said:

I found Scyks paired with Kihraxz work great. They have similar dials and the Kihraxz have the firepower the Scyks need.

But I just like Fenn Rau

Still, it's a decent idea.

4 Ion Tansarri and Predator Talonbane.

3 Ion Spacers, Predator Talonbane, and Predator Graz. Alas, can't work in the newly-cheaper Contraband Cybernetics.

Also, 8 points away from 4 Ion Spacer, 2 Marauder. That'd be sweet.

21 minutes ago, AceDogbert said:

I think Poe Dameron and the other high initiative T-70s may like the cannon; two points isn't too expensive, and the T-70 is on the right side of agile enough to get the most out of it.

Poe and Nien are two of the ships which really make me wish I knew how good or bad the crit effect really was in a mathematical sense. Autoblaster does literally nothing for their attack dice--it'll be exactly the same as just having S-Foils closed. However, they're both decent enough at dodging and getting out of arc.

11 minutes ago, theBitterFig said:

Poe and Nien are two of the ships which really make me wish I knew how good or bad the crit effect really was in a mathematical sense. Autoblaster does literally nothing for their attack dice--it'll be exactly the same as just having S-Foils closed. However, they're both decent enough at dodging and getting out of arc.

It is an interesting puzzle, which also makes me wonder about whether or not sticking Marksmanship on them is a better choice than the other options (Heroic, Predator on Poe, Elusive on Nien etc). I look forwards to trying them out.

A Rho Boat with this cannon, advanced SLAM, and trick shot is 44 points. You have 3 different ways of getting 3 dice out the cannon: Range 1, Bullseye, and Obstructed. Advanced SLAM caps you at 3 dice anyway, so it's not a huge loss. Your ability to SLAM also makes you a fantastic flanker with some moves that even aces can't touch.

I think this cannon may be pretty strong on the gunboat platform. It feels like you would still want to add munitions of some sort, but I really don't think you would HAVE to.

21 minutes ago, AceDogbert said:

It is an interesting puzzle, which also makes me wonder about whether or not sticking Marksmanship on them is a better choice than the other options (Heroic, Predator on Poe, Elusive on Nien etc). I look forwards to trying them out.

I've been working through the same thoughts. There are times I toy around with flying the high init T-70s with the s-foils closed anyway just to open up the linked barrel roll. Autoblaster, marksmanship, and advanced optics seems like a gimmicky but interesting option.

Autoblasters should help Scyks a fair amount. Same attack value but if you roll a crit on a flank it's unblockable. If you get bullseye you get to be a real boy and have a real gun that also makes crits unblockable on a flank.

I like the idea of it on Aggressors and higher initiative T-70s as a cheap cannon that lets you, potentially, do nasty things on flanking attacks. The reason it may work is just that the cost of 2 is low enough to be worth it even if only once or twice a game. In general I could see it working on ships with three attack primaries so long as they are either swarming or high enough initiative to arc dodge and work on pushing the crits through.

I like the idea of Autoblasters on gunboats en mass. For just one or two idk, it can be tough to line up their bullseyes with only a couple.

Gunboats are going to start to see play, but it'll be due to Passive Sensors + Munitions

Is there utility with the Upsilon? In bullseye it's 4 dice at r2, at r1 in bullseye it's 5...

Even out of bullseye at range one it's 4 dice, and with mods that could potentially do a lot of damage. 2 points seems good for the opportunities you might get with it.

I realise you have to be out of the defenders arc, but depending on how you play you might get some good shots.