Yes but use the Count to block the squad cmd for that turn (at lest make it harder). Then while the squds are engaged then you use that to activate 3 squads attacking like a sqd dial.

Also close-long so you could have missed 2 squds that turn with a normal dial

So then could I activate 3 additional squads after I activate the 3 from the card? Sorry I sound like a noob lol I’m just trying to wrap my head around how that only costs 3 poinys

22 minutes ago, SoonerTed said:

Those wave one GCW ships like the VSD are sure looking like they need to be redesigned to keep them on par with the newer game design of these clone war ships.

Yes, cost of AFMk2A and VSD2 along with title cards are looking very expensive.

4 minutes ago, mattmaclaren31 said:

So then could I activate 3 additional squads after I activate the 3 from the card? Sorry I sound like a noob lol I’m just trying to wrap my head around how that only costs 3 poinys

You could activate 3 from a Munificent with the last ship activation, and then (assuming you are first player), utilize Hyperwave Signal Booster to activate 3 during the first squadron turn instead of merely two. AND they get the AI boost as if they were commanded.

1 minute ago, flatpackhamster said:

Yes, cost of AFMk2A and VSD2 along with title cards are looking very expensive.

Well, I would absolutely welcome a cost reduction for my beloved ugly assault duckling

15 minutes ago, TheWampa said:

Well, I would absolutely welcome a cost reduction for my beloved ugly assault duckling

Just looking over Munificents again and they have red flak which, yes, I know, only has a 50/50 chance of hitting by default, but DOES work with Linked Turbolaser Turrets in a way that blue dice don't and has a longer range.

Certainly a worry for those Imperial players who are fans of non-unique TIE interceptors and fighters.

They don't have a weapon team, so they can't shoot out of an arc and flak, but they seem like they're going to be trouble for fighters. I can also see why the Republic aces have an evade.

If the Acclamator is basically 'VSD but good,' i think the Munificent is comparable to an Assault Frigate:

-Same hull and shield configuration

-Cheaper variant has one more squadron value

-3 red on the side arcs makes them a good long-ranged broadsider, and 2 red out the front/rear is good for salvo

Munificent has:

-One less blue in the sides for 2 blue in the front. Its double arc is stronger than MkII B, identical to the A

-Same yaw at speed 1, 1 more click at speed 2 for 3 total

-Support teams slot, so Engine Techs for fake speed 3 and potentially 5 yaw makes it crazy maneuverable, or FCTs for further squadron movement

-Native Salvo instead of Evade (though it can still resolve Evade with the title)

-Ion Cannons slot (but blue dice in only one arc)

-Red flak on both variants, pairs well with LTTs

-Command 2 makes it more responsive (but harder to bank tokens to refresh all those new upgrades)

-Significantly lower cost, a full 8 points less between the more expensive variants

Assault Frigate has:

-Both Offensive and Defensive retrofits on both variants

-Weapons Teams slot, so it can take Gunnery Teams, Flight Controllers, or Local Fire Control

-Mk II A has stronger Salvo potential, and can take Reactive Gunnery to interchangeably use its Evade and the Salvo effect instead of just swapping it with LFC

-Native speed 3

-Blue flak, which is shorter ranged and has a lower damage ceiling than reds, but more consistent than reds, and 2 blue is easier to get full use out of than red+black

Not gonna get into faction-specific upgrades, though IMO the Munificent's titles are better, being cheaper and less finnicky to get off.

Side note: If you spend the 8 points and Modification slot, the Star Frigate with High-Capacity Ion Turbines is the same cost as a Mk II A, with identical side arcs and a stronger front arc. Tbh, barring some new ion upgrade we haven't seen yet, i can't think of much else to add of you're not taking a different modification. It doesn't have enough blue dice to rely on the crits (barring Kraken) or SW-7s, and doesn't have enough dice in general to warrant Leading Shots, especially if you're taking LTTs.

Dooku looks like a great way to make your opponent not want to play the rest of the game

2 minutes ago, DDolan said:

Dooku looks like a great way to make your opponent not want to play the rest of the game

Yea, Dooku seems obnoxious. Against carrier fleets, you'll bank up two Squadron commands. Against most else, especially fleets with stuff like Gladiators, MC30s, etc. you'll bank up two Navigations.

13 minutes ago, DDolan said:

Dooku looks like a great way to make your opponent not want to play the rest of the game

Have there been other commanders that have literally no interaction with your own fleet at all, and ONLY screw around with your opponent's list?

Only one I can think off of the top of my head is Konstantine - who does still require something of your list (ship types and maneuvering), has a limited effect on only some enemy ships, is a LOT cheaper...and is still considered garbage.

Dooku is...weird.

11 minutes ago, xanderf said:

Dooku is...weird.

He is different, but since Kraken (the Droid) helps friendly firepower, what else would Dooku do?

7 minutes ago, xanderf said:

Have there been other commanders that have literally no interaction with your own fleet at all, and ONLY screw around with your opponent's list?

Only one I can think off of the top of my head is Konstantine - who does still require something of your list (ship types and maneuvering), has a limited effect on only some enemy ships, is a LOT cheaper...and is still considered garbage.

Dooku is...weird.

I think Emperor Palpatine also has no interaction with your own fleet and only screws with your opponent’s fleet. Dooku is a lot like Palpatine, but imo he seems worse because (as I understand it) he raids all enemy ships, so every ship the opponent has must waste a turn. Absolutely brutal, but Bail Organa seems like a good counter assuming his dials can remove raid tokens.

It's good to see the Separatist Alliance preview. I was gravitating more to the Separatists because I always liked the Munificent more than the Acclamator in terms of their depictions in the movies and animated series, but that was before the Munificents were revealed as speed 2. The Acclamator isn't very maneuverable but that 1 extra speed can be very important. Whereas the Munificent is maneuverable but handicapped by speed 2.

The fact that it has the Support Team slot enables it to take Engine Techs and move the equivalent of speed 3 using Nav commands, which makes it similar to a Victory SD with Harrow, but not limited to one ship. But placing Engine Techs on every Munificent will hog a lot of points and give a points advantage to the Republic. Also, the requirement of Nav commands would prevent Munificent Comms Frigates from using Squadron commands -- although the Sa Nalaor ship title helps with that.

I think what I'll do is put Engine Techs on the Munificent Star Frigate but not the Comm Frigate, so the latter can focus on Squadron commands.

Unfortunately, this preview didn't provide any insight for the Hardcells -- similar to last week's Republic preview omitted any details about Consular Corvettes.

I'm pleased that Count Dooku is the second Commander in the Separatist Starter. I suspected it would be Dooku because the Starter's description mentioned him. Dooku's ability is incredible. It's like a combination of Surprise Attack and Emperor Palpatine -- but better than Palpatine because there's no (apparent) way for the enemy to avoid the Raid tokens; they just have to deal with them.

Dooku's primary target will probably be Squadron commands, which he'll probably use in 2 rounds between rounds 2 and 4. That means that Republic squadrons will get whittled down by Separatist squadrons and the Munificent's long-range anti-squadron attacks early in the match, and only be able to move or attack during the Squadron Phase. That means that V-19 Torrents will be essential for their 5 hull and Escort keyword, and Delta-7's Counter 2 and Dodge 1 will allow them to give as good as they get from Droid squadrons.

Bail Organa's ability could counter Dooku's ability, but only if Dooku uses Raid against Nav or Repair commands. Thrawn will be much more effective at countering Dooku.

The Separatists get one of the best squadrons I've seen: Hadr Chall Prototypes.

If I'm reading the card correctly, it should be able to attack twice per round if an enemy ship or squadron is at distance 1 makes a move. It even ignores its AI: Anti-Squadron keyword if its ability is triggered by an enemy ship. It's not as versatile as Jendon's ability, but it's cheaper and isn't reliant on a second squadron solely for support. I think the Hadr Chall Prototypes squadron will be an auto-include for any Separatist build that uses squadrons.

14 minutes ago, redleader002 said:

I think Emperor Palpatine also has no interaction with your own fleet and only screws with your opponent’s fleet. Dooku is a lot like Palpatine, but imo he seems worse because (as I understand it) he raids all enemy ships, so every ship the opponent has must waste a turn. Absolutely brutal, but Bail Organa seems like a good counter assuming his dials can remove raid tokens.

Well Raid has always felt rather undeveloped to me. It made a vague appearance back in.the day with the Mandalorian Gauntlets (ripe for a 1.5 refresh if ever anything was) so maybe there's a 1.5 update for raid...

Something weird I just noticed about the Sa Nalaor title: It specifies speed 2 or higher on a ship that caps out at speed 2. Makes me curious if they have something planned that let's ships go above their maximum speed. I'm sure they don't (no idea how that would work) and they're just safeguarding against a thing like that happening in the future, but its interesting to think about.

6 minutes ago, Captain Corvid said:

If I'm reading the card correctly, it should be able to attack twice per round if an enemy ship or squadron is at distance 1 makes a move.

The Haor Chall Prototype has the potential to be able to attack a lot of times per round if I am reading it correctly. Any time an enemy ship or squadron at distance 1 moves it gets an opportunity to attack. With the new Intel squadrons won't be moving around each other quite as much, but still any time a squadron tries to run away, or if you stick it on an obstacle in the middle of an enemy squadron swarm and they try to move, there are opportunities to attack.

Plus it works on ships as well, which would include things like Engine Techs moves, or Rift moves and so on. Think of it more like Moralo Eval, less like Jendon.

1 hour ago, Flyinpenguin117 said:

If the Acclamator is basically 'VSD but good,' i think the Munificent is comparable to an Assault Frigate:

-Same hull and shield configuration

-Cheaper variant has one more squadron value

-3 red on the side arcs makes them a good long-ranged broadsider, and 2 red out the front/rear is good for salvo

Munificent has:

-One less blue in the sides for 2 blue in the front. Its double arc is stronger than MkII B, identical to the A

-Same yaw at speed 1, 1 more click at speed 2 for 3 total

-Support teams slot, so Engine Techs for fake speed 3 and potentially 5 yaw makes it crazy maneuverable, or FCTs for further squadron movement

-Native Salvo instead of Evade

-Ion Cannons slot (but blue dice in only one arc)

-Red flak on both variants, pairs well with LTTs

-Command 2 makes it more responsive (but harder to bank tokens to refresh all those new upgrades)

-Significantly lower cost, a full 8 points less between the more expensive variants

Assault Frigate has:

-Both Offensive and Defensive retrofits on both variants

-Weapons Teams slot, so it can take Gunnery Teams, Flight Controllers, or Local Fire Control

-Mk II A has stronger Salvo potential, and can take Reactive Gunnery to interchangeably use its Evade and the Salvo effect instead of just swapping it with LFC

-Native speed 3

-Blue flak, which is shorter ranged and has a lower damage ceiling than reds, but more consistent than reds, and 2 blue is easier to get full use out of than red+black

Not gonna get into faction-specific upgrades, though IMO the Munificent's titles are better, being cheaper and less finnicky to get off.

Side note: If you spend the 8 points and Modification slot, the Star Frigate with High-Capacity Ion Turbines is the same cost as a Mk II A, with identical side arcs and a stronger front arc. Tbh, barring some new ion upgrade we haven't seen yet, i can't think of much else to add of you're not taking a different modification. It doesn't have enough blue dice to rely on the crits or SW-7s, and doesn't have enough dice in general to warrant Leading Shots, especially if you're taking LTTs.

This. I like the VSD-I. (And the II).

But the VSD variants are both worse than these ships, even though the VSDs are supposedly more new and modern.

This is the power curve in action, and older ships need to be updated using the newer design principles.

25 minutes ago, SoonerTed said:

This is the power curve in action, and older ships need to be updated using the newer design principles.

To be fair, the AFII and VSD have been underpowered/overcosted compared to the other Galactic Civil War Releases since a long time, so this is not really a new clone wars-specific kind of powercreep.

So, Separatists are Rebel ships with Imperial Squadrons, and Republic is Imperial ships with Rebel Squadrons. Got it.

28 minutes ago, SoonerTed said:

This. I like the VSD-I. (And the II).

But the VSD variants are both worse than these ships, even though the VSDs are supposedly more new and modern.

This is the power curve in action, and older ships need to be updated using the newer design principles.

It's an interesting comparison, for sure.

For 73 points, you get 12 anti-ship dice (14 with Salvo), 2 flak dice, 12 shields, and 6 hull. More command flexibility than a Victory, but less squadron pushing capability (though the Comms Frigate makes up for this). Speed is equal; however, maneuverability is better and Support Team is built in, which enables Engine Techs. Anti-ship dice being mostly red also means that the Star Frigate can shoot from the perimeter, rather than having to maneuver in up close. (Flip side of the coin is that red are the least reliable.)

The Vic-I, also 73 points, gives you 14 anti-ship dice, 1 flak die, 10 shields (2 less total, but bolstered by double re-directs, potentially mitigating damage to the hull), and 8 hull (10 with Motti, though most Vic drivers no doubt run Jerjerrod). You have less command flexibility, but greater squadron pushing ability (than the Star Frigate, not the Comms Frigate). Of course, the true Achilles' heel is that speed and maneuverability are abysmal, unless equipped with Harrow and Engine Techs (which can only be equipped to one ship). Black dice pack a punch in close-in encounters, but the ship's speed and maneuverability (or lack thereof) make this easy to avoid.

All in all, I have to agree with you: the Munificent is the better all-around ship, especially considering this is the cheaper variant of the Victory. Power curve, indeed. (And this is coming from someone who fields Vics often.)

Edit: Yes, I know you can't use all of a ship's dice in a round. Just using numbers for comparative purposes.

Worth bearing in mind the value of the Weapon Team slot and Gunnery Team to the Vic. 2 shots with its 6 dice arc, not 1.

Not saying I disagree with you about pricing (particularly the Vic2) but Weapon team isn't available for the Munificents.

28 minutes ago, SoonerTed said:

This. I like the VSD-I. (And the II).

But the VSD variants are both worse than these ships, even though the VSDs are supposedly more new and modern.

This is the power curve in action, and older ships need to be updated using the newer design principles.

True, but lets not act like the VSD and AssFrig were widely regarded as stellar ships to begin with, and were already kinda curved out by later releases (even with no other combat-focused mediums). To me, the Muni and Acc are FFG's attempts to 'fix' the issues with mediums. Mainly, they're costed far more efficiently, and there's more differentiation between the two variants (though they're clearly meant to be built one of two ways- cheaper variant as a carrier, more expensive as a range-specific brawler). IMO the power difference between the Muni and AssFrig is far less than the Vic and Acc, and just reducing the MkII A down to 75 or so points would make it more competitive.

Compare the smalls and its much closer. The Charger C70 is nearly identical to a CR90A, the Hardcell looks like a Hammerhead Scout with one more shield in the rear.

5 minutes ago, Flyinpenguin117 said:

True, but lets not act like the VSD and AssFrig were widely regarded as stellar ships to begin with, and were already kinda curved out by later releases (even with no other combat-focused mediums). To me, the Muni and Acc are FFG's attempts to 'fix' the issues with mediums. Mainly, they're costed far more efficiently, and there's more differentiation between the two variants (though they're clearly meant to be built one of two ways- cheaper variant as a carrier, more expensive as a range-specific brawler). IMO the power difference between the Muni and AssFrig is far less than the Vic and Acc, and just reducing the MkII A down to 75 or so points would make it more competitive.

Compare the smalls and its much closer. The Charger C70 is nearly identical to a CR90A, the Hardcell looks like a Hammerhead Scout with one more shield in the rear.

Good analysis. We've had multiple attempts to "fix" the VSD, all through upgrade cards.

The early Armada releases need to go through the same type of review legion is getting with its new RRG this month.

3 minutes ago, SoonerTed said:

Good analysis. We've had multiple attempts to "fix" the VSD, all through upgrade cards.

The early Armada releases need to go through the same type of review legion is getting with its new RRG this month.

IIRC they've mentioned rereleasing the GCW ship cards with the new formatting and keywords, so I think a '1.5 conversion kit' could be a thing after a few waves of CW releases (as of now there are no upgrades that specify any keywords but Clone and Droid). I doubt we'll see a full ship rework for anything, since they'd also need to print new cardboard bases if they changed hull/dice, but points adjustments would make sense. I don't know if the upgrade card pack is coming with ship titles, but if not, it could be their chance to rework some of the lackluster titles as well. I love my MC80 Carrier, but Independence is the hottest of garbage compared to Nevoota Bee. Dominator is tied with Concord for most expensive ship title and second most expensive upgrade (after Expanded Launchers).

With the recent announcement of Armada development going to a new studio, I can see the new team prioritizing a conversion kit like that as a near-future update.

18 minutes ago, Flyinpenguin117 said:

True, but lets not act like the VSD and AssFrig were widely regarded as stellar ships to begin with, and were already kinda curved out by later releases (even with no other combat-focused mediums). To me, the Muni and Acc are FFG's attempts to 'fix' the issues with mediums. Mainly, they're costed far more efficiently, and there's more differentiation between the two variants (though they're clearly meant to be built one of two ways- cheaper variant as a carrier, more expensive as a range-specific brawler). IMO the power difference between the Muni and AssFrig is far less than the Vic and Acc, and just reducing the MkII A down to 75 or so points would make it more competitive.

Compare the smalls and its much closer. The Charger C70 is nearly identical to a CR90A, the Hardcell looks like a Hammerhead Scout with one more shield in the rear.

Doesn't the Hardcell have a Fleet Support slot? Almost a cross between a Nebulon-B and a GR-75 (if we're grasping for an analogy).