You know I just realized, if the Transport has only 8 hull, 4 shields, and 0 evade It's actually going to be horribly easy to kill for something that's that much bigger considering it will be very easy to keep it in arc. the super evade reinforce action and shield recharge that article mentioned might help but dang...

Maybe there's a special rule for huge ship destruction? On the other hand, it is a drafted civilian ship rather than a military vessel. I'm torn.

Remember that it can regenerate shields like it has a permanent R2D2 on board so you can turtle if you want. But otherwise, yes, an easy target. As it should be. But people can still roll blanks so it's not like they'll be getting full salvos every shot. And the reinforce action gives it a permanent evade on one side so that makes it no different than the B-wing for example.

Also, I'm adding the guess that the "R5-" unique R2 unit we glimpse is R5-D8, that's Porkins' R2 unit so I bet they include it with him, just like Luke and R2D2 in the core. (I went back and added this to my OP of contents.)

R5-D8 comes with the Y-wing expansion pack. I do like the idea of matching my pilots with their droids though. It would be nice if they were released together.

Are you sure that's not R5-K6?

Just checked, UnfairBanana is correct. R5-K6 is in the core, NOT R5-D8 who (at least) Wookiepedia lists as Jek Porkins' R2 unit. So I'm going to stand by my earlier estimation that it is R5-D8 in the Transport pack we can glimpse in the image. In addition to that, the image appears to be a sequence of X-wings on approach to the Death Star, reinforcing my belief that it's Jek's R2.

Also, the second card from the left beside it appears to be an R2 unit as well, you can't see his name but the icon is visible on the bottom left corner.

That makes 2 unique R2 units at least plus another to be determined for a total of 3 astromechs.

R5-K6 comes with the X-wing expansion. But as I said before, R5-D8 comes with the Y-wing. Checked both with list of contents that come with the expansions.

Also, this can helpful: http://www.afewmaneuvers.com/topic/573-full-card-list-by-expansion/

Looking at the pdf, the artwork for the 2 new droids doesn't match with existing. Looks like we get 2 new uniques, or maybe 1 new and 1 reissue with alternate art.

You know what would be cool is if Porkins had an ability that has good synergy w/ R5-D8. R5-D8 allows you to take an action and roll an agility die and discard a facedown if you roll an evade or eyeball. What if Porkins ability allowed you to turn a blank result to an eyeball result once per turn. That way it could still have relevance offensively if you aren't using R5-D8's action but if he does use the action it's a sure success.

Just a thought.

I saw the same thing in my news feed on FB. I dug around and found an internet copy of the story after I saw the GTM 2014 in one of the corners. Less up-side down but it lacks the picture that has the cards in it.

http://www.gametrademagazine.com/Home/1/1/58/581

Edit: This is odd as it is the first real new news we have had on these in a while. In fact when I was looking for news about the huge ships this morning, FFG did not have anything on it other than the announcement from August. Seriously, if you look at upcoming or in products, it is not in development or being produced or being shipped. It simply does not exist aside from the original announcement and now this Game Trade Magazine article.

I was just looking for this as well and you are right and our ace packs have been pushed back again

The original announcement said there were five different upgrade options which are not for the transport: "... the rest of the expansion is likely to make its impact upon the standard game with five different upgrade options, a new X-wing miniature, and four new X-wing pilots, including Jek Porkins and Rebel ace Wes Janson."

In the picture/advertisement I can see three astromechs and one torpedo. What's the fifth upgrade?

Good question. Maybe one of those 2 cards R22 wrote about:

? ((Looks like "Com** Bude***," possible "Computer B_____?")

Flechette Torpedoes [Torpedoes]

? (Looks like "W*** Repa** ***," possible "Weapons Repair Droid." I add droid because Repa- is off center but too short a word on its own, given FFG's tendency to center titles and text.)

The illustration on the 'Computer ...' card looks like a X-Wing cockpit to me.

The 'W*** Repa**' card looks like there is a restriction on it, like 'CR90 only' ... could also be 'X-Wing only'

...

The illustration on the 'Computer ...' card looks like a X-Wing cockpit to me.

The 'W*** Repa**' card looks like there is a restriction on it, like 'CR90 only' ... could also be 'X-Wing only'

...

Could just as easily be "GR75 only", since it's shown with the Gallofree.

Since half the unique X-Wing pilots are known members of Rogue Squadron, the astromech could easily be R5-D2/-G8, Wedge Antilles's droid.

And the Gallofree's Hull/Shield values might be tracked separately for the bow and stern, requiring the total "destruction" of one or both.

Different damage card decks for front and aft section? wow

A 'Slicer Tool' to convert stress in damage? Whats a 'Slicer Tool'?

In Star Wars, "slicers" are computer hackers.

Aaw, an 'Interdictor' would only be like,

4 times as big as the Tantive 4...

You would 'only' need to have 4 by 6 feet playing board to play with that toy

And by 'Interdictor' I refer to the Imomobilizer 418 cruiser, the iconic Interdictor gravity well ship from the civil war era, 600 meters of pure black hole simulating power

It WOULD look pretty as a mini on the board though...

I was trying to see if the price would come down on the 'clicks' version, I just wanted to put something on the side board to say... look, you got pulled from hyper space by an Interdictor class crusier. What do you do rebel scum... lol.. flavor... it makes a game better..

CR90 was WRONG of course, I meant 'GR75 only'

so this 'computer ... ' upgrade card might be the missing X-Wing upgrade ... possibly an elite upgrade??

Three thoughts about which card might be the fifth for the X-Wing:

a) W*** Repa*** ...

The GR-75 does not have a weapon to be repaired, does it?

b) There seem to be two title cards in the second row. Are both for the GR-75 or is one for the X-Wing?

c) So far every expansion had at least one card for each of the the included ship's upgrade slots. If that continues then an EPT should be somewhere among those 20 cards.

You know I just realized, if the Transport has only 8 hull, 4 shields, and 0 evade It's actually going to be horribly easy to kill for something that's that much bigger considering it will be very easy to keep it in arc. the super evade reinforce action and shield recharge that article mentioned might help but dang...

Maybe there's a special rule for huge ship destruction? On the other hand, it is a drafted civilian ship rather than a military vessel. I'm torn.

well it can recharge shields and im guessing its not destroyed until u have do that damage to both sections of the ship (16shields and 8hull total)

Pretty certain that is a WED Repair Droid.

ad a) Do we know that it really reads 'Weapon' ? Maybe its 'Whale' or 'Weather' or 'Wares' ... A 'Wares Restocking Droid' maybe :-P

http://www.starwarsccg.org/cardlists/images/starwars/Hoth-Light/large/wed1016techiedroid.gif

Good call, I'm officially saying I think it's a WED Repair Droid. Fits the text arrangement and, if you zoom in, you see a glimpse of its distinctive shape. Flat bottom tread and narrow binocular eyes up top. Makes sense for the transport too. Well spotted.

Now what the heck do Flechette Torpedos do? I have this image of a shotgun like blast bursting out of a torpedo for area effect, like an aim bomb.

I'd assume that when the CR90 comes out it'll only have capital ship related cards? It would seem wrong if it had X-wing/Rebel starfighter cards (minus perhaps the flechette torpedos that already come with the transport) too. That would seem to really stick it to people a la pay to play. But perhaps it'll just have support system stye things for it and the GR75 to use?

PS- Does anybody else find the cover art for the damage deck... ridiculous/80's video game like?

I'd assume that when the CR90 comes out it'll only have capital ship related cards?

Probably yes.

Remember that existing ships can use crew cards. Leia was mentioned in the original announcement.

The flechette torpedo was a new weapon developed for the Battle of the Corellian Queen. The projectiles were loaded with jagged bits of durasteel packed around a core of conventional explosive. The shells would detonate and in effect become a debris field for incoming TIE Defenders, not equipped with particle shields to defend against material objects.

Yes, it sounds like a shotgun-like blast. Maybe even with inevitable hits. A new weapon against swarms?

Sounds like the Flechette Torpedoes will either act like the Assault Missile or the Homing Missile. That does make sense given how the escort fighter is needed to usually break up TIE swarms.

As for the Blockade Runner I'd be extremely surprised if there wasn't some cross use cards, at least in terms of crew members that you could use on smaller ships, or maybe a general modification card or two. I also suspect there'll be cards from the transport that would be useful for the CR90 and vice-versa.

Were they specifically designed to counter TIE/Defenders? Seems to bode well for an upcoming TIE/D expansion if so.

I think everyone here on the forum would be extremely surprised if they didn't see a TIE/D at some point. Actually, thinking about the flavour text is making me wonder if the torpedo might be able to bypass shielding...

The card with 'Com... B...' could also read 'Coms Booster'

Computer is too long to fit in for the missing letters.

Any news about decrypting the cards?