There has been discussions about the Z-95 as the rebel swarmer all over. People await the Headhunter to see in every upcoming wave - now in wave 4 i think its the time for the Z-95.

I'm pretty sold that it will be straight forward with 2-2-3-1 and a missile upgrade slot.

So a no-brainer here, left for the point costs.

Now what I think is that the Z-95 will come along with a new weapon: the Mag Pulse.

Some of you will remember the Mag Pulse from Star Wars computer games.

Basically its a missile that overloads the targets weapon systems. Thats right, target ship can't use its weapons for a brief amount of time. How could this look like in X-Wing?

Here is the first attempt to translate the Mag Pulse to X-Wing:

Mag Pulse (3) (Missile Upgrade)

Attack [Target Lock]: Spend your target lock and discard this card to perform this attack. Hits does not do any damage. For each uncancelled [hit] or [critical hit] the ship receives 1 Mag Pulse token. Attack: 3. Range 1-3.

Mag Pulse Tokens: (Rule Card Text)

For each token assigned, reduce the attack value of your primary weapons and cannon upgrades by 1 (to a minimum of 0). Use an action to remove one token. Large ships must have at least 2 assigned tokens to suffer the effect of 1 token. So if a large ship has assigned 3 tokens, it suffers only the effect of 1 token. A large ship may remove up to 2 tokens with an action.

I would suggest that the effect lasts only 1 turn regardless of the number of tokens or it is OP. Large ships and small ships are effected the same way.

Mag Pulse (3)

Attack [Target Lock]: Spend your target lock and discard this card to perform this attack. Hits do no damage. For each uncancelled [hit] or [critical hit] the targeted ship reduces all weapon attack dice by 1 (to a minimum of 0). This effect last until the next activation phase.

Then higher skilled pilots would be immune from Mag Pulse shots by lower skilled pilots.

Consider high PS pilots have shot already and in the next combat phase the effect is gone already.

If an action is used to get rid of the Mag Pulse Token, at least we have effect that the pilot 'loses' his action. But he must choose ... And since the Mag Pulse is attack 3, you most likely to put a single token on your target - which isn't a big deal.

With lucky dies you cold put 2 tokens on a target - If this is a TIE Fighter, you virtually take him out of play for a round or two ... it depents. As for the large vessels, it should go with the same rules like the ion. large ones takes twice as much.

I think for 3 points the effect is quite adequate.

You make a great point on the action. I would just assign one token and have to use an action to remove it. I would up the cost to 4 points though :-)

Then nobody would use it. I would take a Concussion Missle instead in any case.

I don't think this game needs more upgrades nobody likes. We have a few of them already

Oh, I'd take it. Use one ship to drop the weapon rating on another and force the use of an action to remove it. That is one pretty sweet upgrade.

This weapon should not affect any missiles or topedos. Thats the reason why i wrote "reduce the attack value of your primary weapons and cannon upgrades by 1" Maybe turrets should be affected as well.

Agree on the missile part. Still a potent upgrade though. :-)

Thanks for the compliment.

I also think this can be an interesting tactical option - you could delay or weak an opposing ace pilot- similar to the ion cannon reduces the movement - but the mag pulse is limited to a single use only. So the right timing is crucial.

The only problem I see with this idea is that the Z-95 is outdated technology, and any weapon systems it had (including Mag Pulse, which I've never heard of) were apparently not good enough to be broadly translated to the next generation ships replacing the Headhunter.

Part of me wouldn't like to introduce new upgrades that would allow things to happen that didn't in canon...namely new weapon types on the X-Wing or Y-Wing. That ship may have already sailed, to some degree.

I think you guys ignore the fact that there is a ship already in game that only existed in a computer game - there is no much 'canon' about the HAWK. Even the Goyal Guard Interceptors ... from a computer game.

We now HAVE already all iconic ships and weapons (do you remind any Concussion Missiles from the movies? I tell you what: they are taken from the COMPUTER GAMES) and if you insist on 'thats not canon enough ... thats not iconic enough ... i never heard of it, so it never existed ....' then do yourself a favour and pretend for yourself that X-Wing is now complete and there are no further expensions....

Thats just a friendly advice

As for the Z-95: Yes it is outdated. It was with the introduction of the X-Wing. Nevertheless it will be the Rebel's swarmer ... and it brings a new weapon technology because it is outdated. To equal the chances.

Every new wave will chance or expend the meta of the game a bit. I don't think that there will be waves with 'vanilla' ships only.

I agree the Z-95 will come along to expand the options available to the Rebels.

But, wouldn't it be enough to simply price the ship such that the Rebels have access to a different squadron philosophy; the swarm-lite?

I don't think the Headhunter should be on par with the existing Rebel ships; it should be worse, but be priced fairly for that situation.

Perhaps the lowest level Z-95 pilot would cost 14-15 points...surely it should set a new low for the Rebels but not be as cheap as an Academy TIE.

The only problem I see with this idea is that the Z-95 is outdated technology

That's what I thought too, but it turns out the Z-95 isn't really that old, it was used in the Clone Wars and kept getting updates until the Rebellion Era. In fact the T65 was a prototype and not even in production when the Reb's got their hands on it.

But, wouldn't it be enough to simply price the ship such that the Rebels have access to a different squadron philosophy; the swarm-lite?

I expect that the Z95 cost to be set so that with the lowest PS version you could put 6-7 or so on the table and go up from there.

Well, I don't mean to suggest the Z-95 is so old we should forget about it. I only mean to say that it isn't as good as an X-Wing, and that's fine as long as its point cost reflects that correctly.

The whole point of introducing them to the game is to have a swarm-lite type craft for the Rebels...that means individual craft are worse (but cheaper) than anything the Rebels currently have.

"When compared to the T-65, [the Z-95] was slower, less maneuverable, had lighter armor and shielding, and was not as heavily armed." (from Stars Wars Wikia)

Following that statement exactly almost writes the stat line for you:

Z-95 Rookie Pilot: PS2 PW2 AG1 HU2 SH1

Probably only a missile upgrade, target lock, and focus icons.

I might suggest this one would cost 13 points?

The maneuver dial would be a sad sight to see as well (no 4 speed maneuvers).

Although another statement from Star Wars Wikia suggests the Z-95 was less maneuverable than the X-Wing but capable of a tighter turn than the X-Wing. Thus you might add in the tight 1 left and right maneuvers and not have the tight 3 left and right that the maneuver dial X-Wing has.

Having a hull value lower than a TIE/in is sad (and maybe not even plausible).

The Z-95 maneuver dial might not even have a K-Turn possible (or only a 3-speed K-Turn if it did).

I'd make it so when you fire under the effect of a mag token you shed all the tokens. Requiring an action to remove a single token is too powerful.

Why not follow the Ion Token more closely, rules-wise?

Perhaps have your attack add one or more Mag Pulse tokens as you suggest.

Then, imagining the rules card:

Planning Phase: The ship may plan a maneuver as normal.

Activation Phase: The owner moves the ship and perform actions as normal.

Combat Phase: For each Mag Pulse token present the ship's Primary Weapons value is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0). After completing any attacks this turn, remove all mag pulse tokens from the ship.

This weapon should not affect any missiles or topedos. Thats the reason why i wrote "reduce the attack value of your primary weapons and cannon upgrades by 1" Maybe turrets should be affected as well.

The whole point of introducing them to the game is to have a swarm-lite type craft for the Rebels...that means individual craft are worse (but cheaper) than anything the Rebels currently have.

I agree. I'd put the Z-95 somewhere between the X-Wing and Tie fighter. So something what was said above with 2 2 3 1 would make sense. Although I'd say 2's across the board might be better. That would give it A-Wing hp's and attack with X-Wing agi.

I think the dial would be something between a X-Wing and B-Wing. So good at slow speeds but not many options at the 3 or higher speeds.

Point wise, I'd say the lowest PS version would be around 14 point. That would give you 7 ships with no upgrades and 2 more points to play with. That or maybe 13, which would still only leave room for 7 ships but 9 points for upgrades.

I also think the mag pulse sounds interesting as well.

Here's an idea, only a thought.

What if the '95 didn't have a missile slot? It would be cheaper, in theory.

Scrap all upgrades. This baby would be used for rear guard, patrol, or swarm duties.

The most inexperienced pilots get training in one, a flight instructor could be a Z95 ace.

I like some of the thigns have have been said here.

Slow maneuver dial & 2,2,2,2 sounds perfect.

What if the '95 didn't have a missile slot? It would be cheaper, in theory.

Z's always had missiles though. Wouldn't be quite the same if they didn't have them.

Here's an idea, only a thought.

What if the '95 didn't have a missile slot? It would be cheaper, in theory.

Scrap all upgrades.

I'm not so sure that scrapping a missile slot would reduce cost. You'd still need to pay for the missile if you want to use it. We can also look at the Slave 1 or Royal Guard tiles as examples where just adding potential options to a ship doesn't actually increase the ship's cost unless those options are exercised. With a single missile slot how would the Z-95 be any better than say a TIE Bomber which may start costing a touch more but can take more hits and could carry an incredible amount of payload.

Now the Mag Pulse missile is an interesting idea but I don't seem to remember any difference in its effectiveness based on what it hits. For some reason it would disable all the weapons on a SSD (assuming it managed to hit) just as long as it would disable the weapons on a fighter. I also remember it as all or nothing; either you could use your weapons or you couldn't. Maybe my memory is that bad but I thought it also disabled my ability to fire projectiles. My thoughts on how it would work are:

Mag Pulse Missile (?): TL + Discard; 3 attack, Range ?, if it hits it deals no damage but target gets a Mag Pulse token.

Token Rule: A ship with a Mag Pulse token may not make attacks on any ship. When a ship could make an attack it may instead remove one Mag Pulse token from it. Ships that can make attacks after an attack misses may remove an additional token or can resolve that ability normally.

In short if the missile "hits" it doesn't deal any damage but it prevents its target from attacking the next time it could attack. Getting hit by multiple Mag Pulse weapons would extend how long the target could not attack as it can only remove one token when it would otherwise be attacking. The last line I added so that a ship with a Gunner could shed extra tokens faster; without this something like the Falcon will become a sitting duck to swarms equipped with Mag Pulse weapons. The Mag Pulse tokens would basically work just like an Ion token except that an Ion token lasts until after the target would reveal its maneuver dial while this lasts until the ship could next attack. If you hit a low skill pilot with it then they can't do anything this turn and if you hit a higher skill pilot they will not be able to shoot next turn; of course the higher level pilot can use that knowledge to go "full defense" while the lower level pilot was stuck with whatever they planned on doing.

I believe this better fits the feel of the video game's Mag Pulse weapon as it will completely shut down an opponent's weapons for a brief period of time. Note this would NOT affect the release of bombs/mines and other "non-attack" attacks.

2/2/2/2 or 2/2/3/1 lots of upgrade options, good slow dial but bad fast dial, TL and focus, and 14-15pts. A lot of people seem to dislike PS 1 and 3 pilots. Not sure why.

Not being able to attack at my turn, afterwards discarding the token may be an option.

But thats not worth 3 points. I probably wouldn't even use this weapon for 2 points.

Yeah. Not sure that is a worthwhile trade. Might make sense in some very niche situations- a 1-2 attack ship losing its attack to prevent a 4 attack ship. Definitely not at 3pts though, and probably not even at 2.