Which is better, Gunner, or Engine Upgrade + Mercenary Co-Pilot?
The latter is actually very viable when you're firing out of your rear arc.

Hard to say. Depends on the rest of your list I would say. If your list can tie things down engine+ merc is nice but if you know they are going to focus on you stick with gunner because you're gonna need to focus/evade.

Personally I like Recon Specialist and Engine Upgrade. Focus on attack or defense or focus on two defenses is very awesome on a Firespray. Engine Upgrade when you need to slant an angle.

Yeah, I am really pleased with Recon Specialist on a Firespray.

Recon Spec. is undeniably awesome on a Firespray, I'll grant you.

I have become less and less a user of Gunner. With focus, I tend to find the return on a gunner to be less than that gained by the Recon Spec.

I am not sold on Merc Co-Pilot on a Firespray, maybe on Kath, but even then, Recon Spec. > Rebel Captive > Gunner > Merc Co-Pilot.

I actually like Expert Handling more than Engine Upgrade on the Firespray. Granted you can't give it to just anyone. But the rear arc works really well with it.

I actually like Expert Handling more than Engine Upgrade on the Firespray. Granted you can't give it to just anyone. But the rear arc works really well with it.

I'm in the same camp. I absolutely love Expert Handling on large base ships. The Firespray becomes extremely difficult to fight if your enemy can skip out of your arc and/or place you in theirs. Breaking target lock is just a bonus and makes it very difficult for the enemy to alpha strike the craft. Further, because of the large base, your placement options become incredible when deciding where to put your ship, since you can slide it so far forward or back.

I to like Expert handling, I was looking solely at what can be used on the standard BH :-)

If you could get barrel roll on a basic model I think we'd see a lot more fire spray builds. It's just nasty. Her's hoping for a 35pt pilot with an EPT and a cute ability. Maybe being able to shoot things you're based with? Or just being able to shoot when overlapping an astroid (those things hide on them all the time anyway).

I actually like Expert Handling more than Engine Upgrade on the Firespray. Granted you can't give it to just anyone. But the rear arc works really well with it.

I'm in the same camp. I absolutely love Expert Handling on large base ships. The Firespray becomes extremely difficult to fight if your enemy can skip out of your arc and/or place you in theirs. Breaking target lock is just a bonus and makes it very difficult for the enemy to alpha strike the craft. Further, because of the large base, your placement options become incredible when deciding where to put your ship, since you can slide it so far forward or back.

That's probably why Krassis doesn't have an EPT slot. I know I would attempt to almost park him using Expert Handling and sniping with an HLC. Might not work too well, but i would try it.

reading over Krassis' ability... anyone run Jonus + Krassis? sounds like a "free" target lock for secondaries if they stack.

reading over Krassis' ability... anyone run Jonus + Krassis? sounds like a "free" target lock for secondaries if they stack.

In that scenario, I actually much prefer a Bounty Hunter with a Recon Specialist to Krassis. The difference between 2 re-rolls and 3 isn't that big.

reading over Krassis' ability... anyone run Jonus + Krassis? sounds like a "free" target lock for secondaries if they stack.

In that scenario, I actually much prefer a Bounty Hunter with a Recon Specialist to Krassis. The difference between 2 re-rolls and 3 isn't that big.

Unless the dice-gods hate you... then again if they hate you, you'll probably still roll 3 blanks on the reroll...

I have run Jonus and Krassis together and Krassis becomes brutal, especially if you give him a Recon Spec crew. (obviously a secondary as well)

I have run Jonus and Krassis together and Krassis becomes brutal, especially if you give him a Recon Spec crew. (obviously a secondary as well)

I don't understand this (I mean, if it's fun or works for you, go bonkers!), Krassis is strong because he can reroll a secondary dice. Jonus is strong because he lets others nearby re-roll secondaries. Running the two gives Krassis an ability he already has, albeit a stronger version. I think Jonus works best with a fleet of bombers. In my experience, Krassis w/HLC and recon is brutal enough.