8 hours ago, player2072913 said:

Ah, here in the UK, 'spelt' and 'spelled' are pretty interchangeable spellings!

Oh, have never encountered 'spelt' before. Good to know.

16 hours ago, theBitterFig said:

Kind of surprised me that it wasn't 2 points, actually. 3 points gets you Passive Sensors, which grants Lock or Calculate immediately before you engage, so you'll be able to lock with a knowledge of who you want to shoot.

Rather, I'm still mad Passive Sensors doesn't require you to have the Lock action on your bar to equip it.

I suppose the argument is that Targeting Computer requires the less critical modification slot. A lambda being able to have targeting computer + fire control system, for example, is probably more effective than passive sensors*

The high initiative lock issue isn't so much a thing; as noted, you'd only really need to do that instead of just focusing if trying to employ target lock ordnance, and I can't think of any ship which carries ordnance which can't already target lock. So in that case you're only really buying the passive sensors upgrade to deal with higher initiative opponents.

But still, in the abstract, the passive sensors action is broadly 'better' than the lock action, because you get the flexibility to lock whoever you're actually shooting at when it's your turn to shoot (good in a massed torpedo volley where you risk your original target getting taken out by whoever fired immediately before you do..). So it's weird it's the same price. Gaining the lock action in the abstract doesn't feel that valuable, since as noted it's rare you have any rules using a lock specifically unless you'd already got it. Targeting Computer + Grand Moff Tarkin on a reaper might have some legs, though.

* Yes, I know ST-321 is probably better than either passive sensors or targeting computer. I'm playing Devil's Advocate here.

13 hours ago, executor said:

I don't want to be that guy pointing out minor typos and spelling mistakes; but seeing as you already did. "Spelt" isn't a word. "Spelled" is, just because you pronounce it as "spelt" doesn't mean it's spelled that way

Anyways,..... move along!

13 hours ago, player2072913 said:

Ah, here in the UK, 'spelt' and 'spelled' are pretty interchangeable spellings!

This is hilariuos. Because spelt actually is actually a "wheat" sort, Triticum spelta/dicoocum . In the Oxford Dictionary from 1989 spelt is included as a possible tense form for spell alongside spelled. I have somewhere an Oxford Dictionary from 1974 but cannot find it right now. Would be interesting to see if it is in there as well, as to conclude if spelt is historical, or a more recent language development.

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On 9/11/2019 at 5:28 AM, kempokid said:

As a republic player, I’m really struggling to see where these Y-Wings fit and there’s no obvious build for them that I can see. Guess it’ll take time and trial/error.

As a non-Republic player (apart from dabbling a bit with the glorious wingspan formation of 4 Arc170s), I immediately thought of this stupid building block:

You have an Arc with R3 (Sinker for rerolls on whole squad, generic if going for cheap or Wolffe for punch), the Arc locks some enemy for it's own mods. And then with the second lock it keeps Matchstick locked, Matchstick has VTG and Dorsal, maybe torp, maybe R2 if he wants to get somewhere and double punch after being stressed. Being stressed all the time is not getting value from the VTG. If its Sinker, than Matchstick can reroll 2 attack dice, even on the primary of the double punch.

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19 hours ago, GuacCousteau said:

So as I've not seen much talk on it yet, where are we coming down on Targeting Computer only being 3 points?

On the one hand, I do feel that if it was any more expensive, no one would bother with it.

(...)

So Targeting Computer adds an action with no drawbacks, and is still the cheapest upgrade to add an action. Now, you might argue that Target Lock is also the least effective and game changing of all these actions. It's mostly used for ordnance, after all, and TC won't give ships the corresponding ordnance slot as well. But it does also seem like there's no real opportunity cost to it.

Imperials especially feel like they've been somewhat balanced around limited access to locks. But now for only 3 points a ship you can undo that, and open up a ton more options for Jendon, Vessery and the like.

(...).

And then there are some factions that get basically no use out if it. Every single Rebel ship except the Attack Shuttle, Sheathipede, Auzituck and TIE Fighter already has lock. Every single Republic and First Order ship so far already has target lock. Every single Resistance ship except the Transport Pod already has lock. Even most Scum ships already have lock.

(...)

So, exactly as in 1st edition. An upgrade which Empire gets the most out of.

They also get the most out of passive sensors. They got to have all the tools

Actually Wullfwarro with Magva Yarro on board is pretty scary, shoots 180deg, damaged at range 1 he rolls 5 modded dice. Targetting Computer saves 5pts compared to Magva (if you do not want to take the Reinforce+Magva route).

14 hours ago, ClassicalMoser said:

Generally speaking though, Targeting Computer is a pretty awful choice on generic interceptors. Focus is offensively equivalent, but low-initiative ships get the best of both defense and offense from their focus as they get shot at before they shoot, so they will never waste a focus token by saving it and then not needing it. Even without the 3 point per ship cost, Lock is a poor action choice on Alpha or Saber interceptors.

Unless you want to be double modded in a later turn. Lock when opponent still cannot shot and do not want to shoot you, then next round tasty double mod. Or feint with a TL, sometimes people change their flying pattern, if their valuable piece gets locked.

2 hours ago, Managarmr said:

Unless you want to be double modded in a later turn. Lock when opponent still cannot shot and do not want to shoot you, then next round tasty double mod. Or feint with a TL, sometimes people change their flying pattern, if their valuable piece gets locked.

Indeed. But it's still not, I suspect, attractive enough to invest 3 points per initiative 1 generic on.

For Soontir Fel? Yes. You have to be cagey with him because he's so bloody fragile, so a turn whilst you're within engagement range but no-one's actually trading shots is quite believable, and having picked up a lock, you can then later afford to bullseye someone and potentially accept a focus/evade/lock head-to-head pass or risk a red move to get somewhere unexpected.

The main problem there is that his default talent seems to be predator, which doesn't stack well with gaining the ability to target lock. You could give him crack shot instead, I guess, or just not die in a ditch on bullseye shots and take something more broadly useful.

and yes, as @ClassicalMoser notes, I can see Tarkin working well with strikers. Jendon isn't really needed though as the turn you use your first 'ping', only Jendon himself can acquire a lock; since the striker still don't have the lock action. The combination works really well with TIE/x1, though.

4 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

and yes, as @ClassicalMoser notes, I can see Tarkin working well with strikers. Jendon isn't really needed though as the turn you use your first 'ping', only Jendon himself can acquire a lock; since the striker still don't have the lock action. The combination works really well with TIE/x1, though.

You can fit Jendon/Tarkin/Sloane/Targeting Computer with 4 interceptors or strikers.

Turn one you Jendon with the shuttle to grab a lock. Turn two Tarkin passes that lock to all of the other ships in the system phase, and then you engage with 4 double-modded attacks. If you lose one, they're double-stressed anyway and you get more free rerolls!

It definitely doesn't have as much punch as something like an ESC or Howl swarm, but there's a lot of very interesting potential for control, especially after you nuke the first ship. You won't struggle much for range afterward, but if you ever do, you can just Jendon again, and Tarkin's giving away locks like free candy every two turns. It seems really sweet. I want to try it pretty badly.

Targeting Computer also lets you put Tarkin on a reaper without wasting your other crew slot. It basically makes Krennic almost irrelevant, since Optimized Prototype is such a marginal benefit.

11 hours ago, rhetor said:

Oh, have never encountered 'spelt' before. Good to know.

Are you sure spelt isn't the past tense of turning someone into a newt?

1 hour ago, ficklegreendice said:

Are you sure spelt isn't the past tense of turning someone into a newt?

and certainly on the family of this one: