Before play testing this game for the past two days I believed that using evade as TIE fighers would be the best option to defend, but after playing this out focus just seems to bet he way to go all the time. Yes I do understand that an evade will garantee a dodge, but the focus just out weighs this in every way. One could focus and on a die roll be succesfull 5/8 times. If you dont get targeted in a round you can even use the focus to attack with….Is anyone else feeling the same way I do or can someone help me see something I am missing.

Cant beat the focus!!

Also random question, If you receive a stress token say from a crit card and you have a focus token on your ship can you still use this??? MY guess yes since the stress just stops you from placing you, but could still use it.

Thanks all!

This thread has a breakdown of numbers for various situations:

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=254&efcid=6&efidt=712597

Now, that of course doesn't factor in the value of Focus being usable for attack, but Evade definitely seems to have a higher upside for defensive purposes. I'd definitely go with Evade over Focus in situations where you're not going to end up with any firing arcs.

lordepyon said:

Getting a stress token after you've already gained a focus or evade or any other action related tokens doesn't keep you from using what you already have. It WILL stop you from performing any more actions until the stress token is removed as well as keep you from taking any Red maneuvers without penalty.

-DavicusPrime

Looking at *just* the defensive capabilities, Evade has the statistical advantage, unless your defense is already very high (like 4+), where the chance to convert multiple focus die results helps Focus catch up.

Likewise, rerolling with Target Lock is better from a purely offensive standpoint than Focus.

This works out well, though, since the power of Focus is that, situationally, it can provide either type of benefit. This ensures that all three see use from a smart player.

Pilot skill can come into it, too. A low-skill pilot will be taking more of a risk using Target Lock over Focus, because he doesn't know if he'll be in a position to fire. A low-skill pilot using Evade is even more of a risk, since the Target Lock can at least be carried over to the next turn if a firing opportunity doesn't present itself. Using Evade early in the Activation phase, though, can result in a wasted action if the ship you were expecting to have a shot on you doesn't end up moving the way you thought it would and you miss an opportunity to use Focus on a shot your low skill pilot *did* have an opportunity to take.

You see, it's this kind of complexity that drew me into the game when it was first announced. It's not complex in the "hard to understand" sense of the word. Rather, there are several options presented, and you need to decide what's best. I can't wait to play!

Parakitor said:

Plus you might be one of those players that gets some crazy rolls the bulk of the time. You all know those players, even if you tell them the odds of pulling it off they some how manage to do the impossible. It is like they them self have some connection to the force it self and just know.

AncientAngel said:

"Never tell me the odds!"

Any Correllian worth his spice doesn't care about odds…

AncientAngel said:

I am the complete opposite. I am the guy that will need to get 3 on 2D6 to win the game and roll snake eyes. Every. Single. Time.

Nalydd said:

Ah, so I'm not alone. My dice hate me. When they roll well, it's just to get my hopes up before they yank the rug out from beneath me again.

-DavicusPrime

DavicusPrime said:

hmm… anyone up for sabacc?

Oh look an Idiots Array, looks like i won the sabacc game > : D