I've been looking at verious b wing builds. I get the use of Adv Sensors and the other bits and pieces, but I don't get HLC?

It costs 7 points

Ranges 2-3

you get 4 attack dice

but it nerfs all criticle hits down to basic hits

It's the point cost vs lack of damage i dont get.

Or am i seeing this upgrade all wrong?

Think of shooting it at Range 3, defender gets no extra Def die and you are shooting with 4 Attack dice.With focus/TL can often take down anything small except B-wing, Y-wing, and Bomber in one shot at range 3.

It means you get 4 attack on every single roll of the dice with that ship. You may lose the Crits but Crits don't matter if you can 1 shot a tie fighter. It's a trade off for sure but it means consistently higher damage potential.

It's like a space sniper rifle. Great for one-shotting little guys from far away.

You're mostly looking at it wrong.

It's an expensive upgrade, for sure, but a very powerful one. It's a blunt instrument, which is why it doesn't land critical hits by default. That said, there are two things you need to take into account:
1. It rolls 4 dice at range 3, and the defender doesn't get a bonus die (secondary weapon rules) at that range against it,

2. Like any weapon in the game it needs to be focused and/or (ideally and ) target-locked to really shine - the HLC more than most weapons, because any critical damage results that come up on a reroll COUNT.

It's only that initial roll that 'nerfs' the crits down to hits. So if you factor in a target lock, Marksmanship, any number of other ways to modify results in the game, it can be a very brutal weapon.

Thanks for your help guys.

2. Like any weapon in the game it needs to be focused and/or (ideally and ) target-locked to really shine - the HLC more than most weapons, because any critical damage results that come up on a reroll COUNT.

It's only that initial roll that 'nerfs' the crits down to hits.

I didn't know that. I do now and I will use it again on a B hopefully using it how it should be used.

What other upgrades work well with HLC?

Thanks for your help guys.

2. Like any weapon in the game it needs to be focused and/or (ideally and ) target-locked to really shine - the HLC more than most weapons, because any critical damage results that come up on a reroll COUNT.

It's only that initial roll that 'nerfs' the crits down to hits.

I didn't know that. I do now and I will use it again on a B hopefully using it how it should be used.

What other upgrades work well with HLC?

Ibtisam's pilot ability works well

as does fire control system as you will never lose target lock

as does fire control system as you will never lose target lock

...until you blow the target up, which is the best possible way to lose a target lock.

as does fire control system as you will never lose target lock

...until you blow the target up, which is the best possible way to lose a target lock.

Or Expert Handling which is a bad way to lose target lock. Or being blown up which is the worst.

2. Like any weapon in the game it needs to be focused and/or (ideally and ) target-locked to really shine - the HLC more than most weapons, because any critical damage results that come up on a reroll COUNT.

It's only that initial roll that 'nerfs' the crits down to hits. So if you factor in a target lock, Marksmanship, any number of other ways to modify results in the game, it can be a very brutal weapon.

Is this in an FAQ somewhere? I would interpret it differently.

I roll my attack dice - the HLC's rule goes into effect (Immediately after rolling attack dice).

I decide to spend my Target Lock and reroll every single die.

HLC's ability applies again because I am indeed rolling attack dice.

3 daggers with Fire control and HLC puts you at 99. its solid

Is this in an FAQ somewhere?

Yes it is.

Think of shooting it at Range 3, defender gets no extra Def die and you are shooting with 4 Attack dice.With focus/TL can often take down anything small except B-wing, Y-wing, and Bomber in one shot at range 3.

Often?? No way often. And If by anything small you mean just ties? You're not taking down an x-wing, tie advanced, or HWK in one shot either, they have more than 4 hull/shields... So unless you land all 4 dice as hits/crits by spending a TL, and the defender rolls 0 evades you MIGHT take them out in 1 shot. Yeah I kind of doubt that happens "often". Even ties are not going down in 1 shot often, maybe once in a while at best if you're super lucky and your opponent is bad at this game.

Think of shooting it at Range 3, defender gets no extra Def die and you are shooting with 4 Attack dice.With focus/TL can often take down anything small except B-wing, Y-wing, and Bomber in one shot at range 3.

Often?? No way often. And If by anything small you mean just ties? You're not taking down an x-wing, tie advanced, or HWK in one shot either, they have more than 4 hull/shields... So unless you land all 4 dice as hits/crits by spending a TL, and the defender rolls 0 evades you MIGHT take them out in 1 shot. Yeah I kind of doubt that happens "often". Even ties are not going down in 1 shot often, maybe once in a while at best if you're super lucky and your opponent is bad at this game.

How does an unlucky die roll make you "bad at this game?"

2. Like any weapon in the game it needs to be focused and/or (ideally and ) target-locked to really shine - the HLC more than most weapons, because any critical damage results that come up on a reroll COUNT.

It's only that initial roll that 'nerfs' the crits down to hits. So if you factor in a target lock, Marksmanship, any number of other ways to modify results in the game, it can be a very brutal weapon.

Is this in an FAQ somewhere? I would interpret it differently.

I roll my attack dice - the HLC's rule goes into effect (Immediately after rolling attack dice).

I decide to spend my Target Lock and reroll every single die.

HLC's ability applies again because I am indeed rolling attack dice.

FAQ page 6.

Also worth noting that when you are spending a target lock to reroll any or all dice, you are not , repeat, NOT, technically "rolling attack dice" according to the rules. You are modifying your original roll.

That's why HLC's ability only affects the original attack roll. Under the rules, rerolls fall under the "Modify Attack Dice" step of combat, which is entirely distinct from "Roll Attack Dice." I know it sounds weird, but it's true.

Re-rolls are die modifications, and not "dice rolls" in and of themselves.

2. Like any weapon in the game it needs to be focused and/or (ideally and ) target-locked to really shine - the HLC more than most weapons, because any critical damage results that come up on a reroll COUNT.

It's only that initial roll that 'nerfs' the crits down to hits. So if you factor in a target lock, Marksmanship, any number of other ways to modify results in the game, it can be a very brutal weapon.

Is this in an FAQ somewhere? I would interpret it differently.

I roll my attack dice - the HLC's rule goes into effect (Immediately after rolling attack dice).

I decide to spend my Target Lock and reroll every single die.

HLC's ability applies again because I am indeed rolling attack dice.

This is the only thingin FAQ i see about the HLC:

then the dice may be modified as normal

Im not sure that reads as a target lock re-roll allows crits...

Someone with more game experience than me please reply

Thanks wookie for the explanation

The last line you quoted there is the explanation in a nutshell.

Roll the dice, immediately change any crits to hits "after they are first rolled," and after that "the dice may be modified as normal." Keeping in mind that rerolls are considered modifications, it pieces together.

Page 10, step 3, Modify Attack Dice:
Players can spend action tokens and resolve abilities that reroll or otherwise modify attack dice results." Emphasis obviously mine.

It starts to get into the simultaneous effects rule; technically, spending a target lock to reroll, and spending a focus token to change eyeballs, happen at the same time during step 3 of the attack - you simply decide in what order you're going to resolve them. Which is why, if you're smart, you spend the target lock to reroll FIRST, in case it comes up with any additional eyeball results which can be modified by the focus token.

But the bottom line is that both are dice "modifications" and both happen during that same combat step, whereas the HLC ability only takes place at the end of the previous step; Step 2. Roll Attack Dice. Once you hit step 3, anything is fair game when it comes to your cannon shot results.

Average damage expected with a HLC w/ TL+F against a naked TIE is 2.63 damage. Chance of one shot = % of rolling 4 hits * (% of rolling 1 evade + % of rolling 0 evade) + (% of rolling 3 hits * % of rolling 0 evades) = .77 * (.44 + .24) + (.21 * .24) = 57.4%

So, more than half the time you will one shot a TIE/ln or TIE/in (if it doesn't have a F or E)

And for the A wing = % 4 hits * % 0 evades = .77 * .24 = 18.48% to one shot the A wing.

Note, none of this takes into account crits and their potential extra damage.

They are also the bane of things like stealthed TIEs or Interceptors. Range doesn't help them, and so worst case you're rolling 4v4 and the odds of not landing at least ONE hit and knocking stealth off are extremely slim.

Odds of doing zero damage against a stealthed and evaded TIE/in or TIE/ln are:

% of 4 hits * % of 3 evades + % of 3 hits * % of 2 evades + % of 2 hits * % of 1 evade + % of 1 hit * % of 0 evade + % of 0 hit

.77 * .13 + .21 * .33 + .02 * .37 + .00 * .15 + .00 = 17.68%

So, you have a 82.32% chance of stripping the stealth device.

I'm so torn. On the one hand part of me just instinctively wants to yell "GO AWAY, MATH GUY - WE DON'T SERVE YOUR KIND HERE." On the other hand, he's backing up my arguments with a bunch of numbers that are probably correct, so I kind of want to give him a pass this one time.

Haha, yup... I basically backed up that more often than not, you'll 1 shot a TIE, and more often than not, you'll strip the stealth of an interceptor =P. If you want, I can just give you the number next time instead of how the number is gotten.

Haha, yup... I basically backed up that more often than not, you'll 1 shot a TIE, and more often than not, you'll strip the stealth of an interceptor =P. If you want, I can just give you the number next time instead of how the number is gotten.

"Never tell me the odds"... and certainly never give me all of the math behind the odds