Yes, I know - as of now there is no information about points and upgrade slots available, but given that FFG has already revealed one pilot and the ship's dial, I couldn't resist and run some initial tests out of sheer curiosity. What can I say, this is my single most awaited ship and I was really hyped to see how it plays out (I also can't help but grin at the fact that I actually correctly guessed it having purple speed 2 tallon rolls
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https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/301883-reworked-custom-ship-idea-eta-2-actis-interceptor/
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Since Fly Casual doesn't yet have Eta implemented, if you can't wait and wish to playtest the ship yourselves, I recommend using TIE Silencer dial, since it has the closest set of maneuvers (just follow the colors and speeds of equivalent maneuvers to match those on the Silencer dial). Anakin's cost is likely to be something around 60-70, so I'd say that 65 could be somewhat reasonable as for this present moment. If you'd like a good proxy miniature that isn't a Delta, Mel Miniatures on shapeways has them available or, if you manage to find it, you can convert a "Star Wars Miniatures - Starship Battles' equivalent, it's pretty much a perfect scale and comes in already painted, just needs a spare stand:
About the ship itself, so far I ran bare Anakin in a few makeshift solo games using FFG's solo play rules and one 1v1v1v1 75pts aces high game - not much to go off yet, so take it with a grain of salt, but already some things came to mind after playing them:
- The ship is fast and incredibly slippery: As to be expected, with a TIE-like dial and access to Boosts and Barrel Rolls, Eta is fast, very **** fast. What makes it annoying to catch are three things - the trait (Intuitive Controls), purple Tallon Rolls and a white Evade action.
The trait stands out the most, given that a pre-move reposition can basically alter the entire moveset in several different ways (pretty much like TIE Strikers or anything agile with Advanced Sensors), so correctly guessing where the ship might end up is a tough predicament. Then again, it has a pretty clever limiter to it by way of the reposition being allowed in the System Phase, meaning that no matter your Initiative, you cannot use it to react after someone moved, making Eta more difficult to fly than it would seem on the surface and having it be tied to good planning. That aspect is in my book is a huge plus, since if your planning fails, you have only a single reposition at best available after your move to see if you can scramble your way out (and remember that one of two reposition options you already spent, so it's harder than it seems).
Tallon Rolls, while of mediocre speed, are still a reverse move with no stress, which in itself is a huge boon, letting you potentially reposition after it and take your opponent by surprise (not to mention alongisde with your trait). Ironically though, I found myself in several situations where a red tallon roll would be more welcome, given that it still consumes a Force point, and the ship's Force point economy is much tighter than in Deltas. Still, the amount of possible shenaningans allows Eta a huge diversity in potential approaches and really rewards creative thinking and careful planning.
White Evade action is what makes me wish that Etas don't have a Modification slot - no longer Purple like in deltas, it can be combined with inner Force reserves to turtle up, and I'd hate to see point fortress Anakin deployed with Stealth Device. Given that the ship has 3 hull and no shields (and passive mods), I found myself using that action pretty often, as it really makes the ship hard to damage.
Last but not least, Anakin's ability allows him to ditch target locks, upping his slipperiness even further. While I wasn't using it very often, the possibility alone is something to be aware of especially when bringing ordnance.
- The ship has tight Force Point economy: Much like Deltas, Eta also makes frequent use of Force Points other than mods alone - it spends Force when activating the pre-move reposition, doing Tallon Rolls and optionally activating Force Powers. It might not seem as much more than Deltas, but it's nevertheless something to be really aware of. The aforementioned slipperiness comes from the fact that you can easily be tempted to do all these things together - spend 1 Force before moving, spend another Force to Tallon roll, maybe even throw in Precognitive/Supernatural Reflexes to further modify the maneuver, and you've got yourself an unusual and surprising combination. The low point side is of course the fact spending all these at once, leaving you with fewer points for attack/defense mods, so the fancier you choose to fly, the more likely you're to be left dry and open for being taken out - something a 3 hull ship should really avoid.
- The ship lacks firepower: Given the crazy amount of mobility, the fact Etas don't pack a big punch is a positive, and it's because of 2 major things - the Target Lock action is purple and the only powerful attack is restricted to Bullseye.
The sole fact that locks are purple is what discouraged me from acquiring them in a lot of cases, as it is another Force-spender on a ship that needs to manage its reserves well. Even then, the majority of shots come with 2 attack dice and by activating a re-roll for them you're spending 1 potential mod, so I'd say that in the vast majority of situations, a simple Focus is just better.
The Bullseye shot, while more powerful, tends to be hard to land because of the ship's trait modifying the entire move and not allowing a double reposition after it. To line up a Bullseye shot, you not only might need to sacrifice some positioning (which on a fragile ship is risky), but also make a really precise estimate on where you and your target will potentially end up. Combined with the fact that TL is purple, I found it really hard to deal significant damage with Eta, which I feel is appropriate for a very agile and tricky ship. If you want your Jedi to hit harder, either configuration on a Delta with classic double reposition is a much better bet.
- The ship is fragile: With a 3 hull 0 shield stats, it's pretty obvious. As mentioned before, Etas can turtle pretty well with Force and white Evades if needed, but allowing it to be caught in the open is still best avoided, especially given the ship's Force economy - spend too many on mods and your mobility can suffer.
- Summing up: As opposed to its Delta cousin, Eta seems to be more demanding and less forgiving in gameplay, but also much more rewarding. The curious thing about it is that, because of Force, it's likely going to be similarly costed as Deltas or maybe even more, but it doesn't bear a lot of firepower either, which makes me fear that they might cause Anakin or Obi-Wan to be used as annoying point fortresses. On a more mundane level though, Eta is a fast and costly ship that doesn't hit that hard, meaning that it might actually be a less attractive target than heavy-hitters that are much easier to catch and damage, which likely means that an Eta needs a really well thought-out squad composition to offset its weaknesses and capitalize on its strengths.
- Thoughts on potential upgrades: Since it's pretty obvious Etas will get at least Force and Astromech slots, here are some of my thoughts on what could work and how:
R3 Astromech: No ordnance, weak firepower and it costs Force to acquire locks - not worth 3 points on this one imho.
R4 and R4-P Astromechs: Surprisingly not a strong pick in my opinion, as the only way for Eta to gain Stress is through its KTurn, which I'd argue you should avoid most of the time, given that it shuts down your trait in the following turn (unless you can ditch it with Anakin, but it costs Force).
R4-P17 and R4-P44: Like above, I'd advise against doing the only red maneuver available, so it's a no from me.
R2-C4: A solid maybe. With Evade being white now and Force being more precious, it could actually turn out to be a good idea to spend an Evade offensively every once in a while.
R2-A6: I still don't know why it doesn't have its cost based on Initiative, but I can see it work on Anakin and other I5s, given that you don't have double reposition (kind of) and Bullseye is hard to line up.
Chopper: It could be an interesting pick, given Eta's mediocre firepower. If you're willing to turtle near opponents and stick to knife-fighting, Chopper's debuff might turn out to be pretty beneficial.
R2-D2: Unless the ship can equip Shield Upgrade, I really doubt it will be worth the cost (which is likely to be pretty darn high). With no shields and devices not being certain to appear, you're left with repairing a faceup damage card and given Eta's 3 Hull, it's likely to blow up before having the option.
Brilliant Evasion: Two evades for one Force? Yes please, worth it.
Sense: While I didn't have the opportunity to try it out, it seems like the single best Force power for any Eta pilot because of the fact its trigger has the same timing as the trait, so you can basically peek at a dial and then choose where to go. Alone or together with R2-A6, it might be a scarily good pick since it offsets a lot of the challenge in flying an Eta.
Precognitive/Supernatural Reflexes: A double reposition before executing a maneuver... It is likely going to be strong especially in very good hands, but the fact you spend 2 Force at once for that is a pretty big warning sign, for the reasons I listed before. It could save your life, but misusing it might backfire.
Patience: Depending on its cost (I assume something between 3 and 6), it might be good, but it further strips Etas from firepower. Better survivability and resource management? Obviously, but be wary that you're paying for a ship that might end up rolling 1 attack die per attack.
What do you guys think of Eta so far? Seems broken or weak? What ships would you see as good wingmates to Etas?
Cheers!
