So finally buckling down and reading about the Firespray class and really learning the ins and outs of it . . . I think. It did bring up a few questions though . . . namely . . . Seriously, what's it good for?

I mean, we've played a few games starting off with the YT-1300 stats for a YT-1930, and it's a hard ship for combat. That being said, am I misreading something or is the Firespray even worse? It seems the YT-1300 could easily take the Firespray in a fight.

I mean, on the YT-1300 you have TWO guns that deal 6 damage and crit on a 3. That means a single hit is going to deal a minimum of 7 damage. The Firespray can reduce that down to 3 per hit, but it only has 15 Hull Trauma. Even at minimum damage, it can only survive 5 hits. Oh, and the YT-1300 can essentially fire twice per round.

Now we get the Firespray attacking. Granted, I do not understand the rules fully for Auto Fire, but what I do get is the difficulty is increase by 1 purple, they do only 3 damage (minimum of 4), and they crit on a 5. A freakin' 5. This also means I need SEVEN advantages to crit AND auto fire. So on a minimum damage hit, I can do a whopping 1 damage to the YT-1300 that has 22 Hull Trauma. In 3 turns I'm dead, and in 22 turns it's dead. And this is only dealing with minimum damage (And assuming all attacks hit for argument sake).

Now if I AM reading Auto Fire correctly, which I probably am not, then if I get two Advantages AND a hit, I can activate auto fire which means I can . . . roll again to hit?

Whoopdeedoo. I can deal another minimum of 4 damage . . . err, sorry, 1 damage to the YT-1300. And that's a minimum hit. Even if we extend this, the YT-1300 is still dealing 14+ damage per turn while I need consistent luck to tickle the YT-1300 with my Firespray.

I understand I'm probably getting a million things wrong . . . my inquiry is: What?

The base Firespray has that critical Speed 4, which means you can Gain the Advantage. You can't do that with the YT-1300 unless you upgrade the engines...and if you upgrade the engines on a Firespray you're as fast as a TIE.

Yes, the weapon kind of sucks...until your players make enough money to replace it with a Heavy Laser Cannon and hit at short range, or replace it with a Quad Laser...

Also, the Auto Fire hits are simply additional hits. You don't have to re-roll for them. Just apply the Damage.

Well, here's a few tidbits for you that you may be overlooking:

1) Auto-Fire isn't limited to hitting just ONE target. So in a one-on-one, the Firespray doesn't have the same damage output, but when you need to strafe against multiple targets (like a Minion group piloting TIEs), this is a godsend.

2) Auto-Fire takes 2 advantages to activate, but it hits automatically hits and it deals as much damage as the initial hit. With enough successes and a few advantages, you can disable a ship without utterly destroying it with a critical hit. My party has proven multiple times that they can roll just two successes and six advantages on a standard die roll, making a weapon with Auto-Fire a very deadly thing in their hands.

3) The Firespray has better Handling, which can mean the difference in most situations, especially if piloting through an asteroid belt at full speed.

4) The Firespray has better speed, giving you the ability to Gain the Advantage as well as simply outrun the ship.

5) While not much, the Firespray DOES have Armor 4, meaning each hit from the YT-1300 is only dealing a base of 2 damage per hit.

6) The Firespray also isn't limited to Ventral or Dorsal attacks, but rather a Front firing arc. An attack from above or below on a YT-1300 negates an entire weapon and firing arc, which can reduce the combat capability of the YT in comparison, especially when pitted against a faster, more agile foe.

7) The Firespray has a Tractor Beam, which can possibly trap a YT-1300 in place. Added bonus: trap it from above or below and you are only contending with one cannon firing back, greatly reducing the amount of damage that can be dished out.

8) Cost. The Firespray is 20,000 credits cheaper to purchase, so if the party is purchasing a second ship, or need to purchase a diversion, this is the cheaper alternative.

9) Crew. The ideal crew of a YT-1300 is a Pilot with a Co-pilot, while a Firespray only needs one pilot, with guards being an option if prisoners are aboard. Ditch the bonuses of the co-pilot and possibly incur a penalty for not having the full crew, and the YT-1300 will suffer for it.

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

Edit: whafrog and FangGrip beat me to a few points, but I thought they were worth elaborating on.

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

This probably more than anything else. Let's face it, most people who play the game (myself included) do so as a sort of wish fulfillment. I might be playing a doctor in a friend's campaign, but there's an eight-year-old kid inside who's chomping at the bit to play an X-wing pilot.

Well, here's a few tidbits for you that you may be overlooking:

1) Auto-Fire isn't limited to hitting just ONE target. So in a one-on-one, the Firespray doesn't have the same damage output, but when you need to strafe against multiple targets (like a Minion group piloting TIEs), this is a godsend.

2) Auto-Fire takes 2 advantages to activate, but it hits automatically hits and it deals as much damage as the initial hit. With enough successes and a few advantages, you can disable a ship without utterly destroying it with a critical hit. My party has proven multiple times that they can roll just two successes and six advantages on a standard die roll, making a weapon with Auto-Fire a very deadly thing in their hands.

3) The Firespray has better Handling, which can mean the difference in most situations, especially if piloting through an asteroid belt at full speed.

4) The Firespray has better speed, giving you the ability to Gain the Advantage as well as simply outrun the ship.

5) While not much, the Firespray DOES have Armor 4, meaning each hit from the YT-1300 is only dealing a base of 2 damage per hit.

6) The Firespray also isn't limited to Ventral or Dorsal attacks, but rather a Front firing arc. An attack from above or below on a YT-1300 negates an entire weapon and firing arc, which can reduce the combat capability of the YT in comparison, especially when pitted against a faster, more agile foe.

7) The Firespray has a Tractor Beam, which can possibly trap a YT-1300 in place. Added bonus: trap it from above or below and you are only contending with one cannon firing back, greatly reducing the amount of damage that can be dished out.

8) Cost. The Firespray is 20,000 credits cheaper to purchase, so if the party is purchasing a second ship, or need to purchase a diversion, this is the cheaper alternative.

9) Crew. The ideal crew of a YT-1300 is a Pilot with a Co-pilot, while a Firespray only needs one pilot, with guards being an option if prisoners are aboard. Ditch the bonuses of the co-pilot and possibly incur a penalty for not having the full crew, and the YT-1300 will suffer for it.

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

Edit: whafrog and FangGrip beat me to a few points, but I thought they were worth elaborating on.

Your response is far more comprehensive.

Well, here's a few tidbits for you that you may be overlooking:

1) Auto-Fire isn't limited to hitting just ONE target. So in a one-on-one, the Firespray doesn't have the same damage output, but when you need to strafe against multiple targets (like a Minion group piloting TIEs), this is a godsend.

2) Auto-Fire takes 2 advantages to activate, but it hits automatically hits and it deals as much damage as the initial hit. With enough successes and a few advantages, you can disable a ship without utterly destroying it with a critical hit. My party has proven multiple times that they can roll just two successes and six advantages on a standard die roll, making a weapon with Auto-Fire a very deadly thing in their hands.

3) The Firespray has better Handling, which can mean the difference in most situations, especially if piloting through an asteroid belt at full speed.

4) The Firespray has better speed, giving you the ability to Gain the Advantage as well as simply outrun the ship.

5) While not much, the Firespray DOES have Armor 4, meaning each hit from the YT-1300 is only dealing a base of 2 damage per hit.

6) The Firespray also isn't limited to Ventral or Dorsal attacks, but rather a Front firing arc. An attack from above or below on a YT-1300 negates an entire weapon and firing arc, which can reduce the combat capability of the YT in comparison, especially when pitted against a faster, more agile foe.

7) The Firespray has a Tractor Beam, which can possibly trap a YT-1300 in place. Added bonus: trap it from above or below and you are only contending with one cannon firing back, greatly reducing the amount of damage that can be dished out.

8) Cost. The Firespray is 20,000 credits cheaper to purchase, so if the party is purchasing a second ship, or need to purchase a diversion, this is the cheaper alternative.

9) Crew. The ideal crew of a YT-1300 is a Pilot with a Co-pilot, while a Firespray only needs one pilot, with guards being an option if prisoners are aboard. Ditch the bonuses of the co-pilot and possibly incur a penalty for not having the full crew, and the YT-1300 will suffer for it.

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

Edit: whafrog and FangGrip beat me to a few points, but I thought they were worth elaborating on.

This is a great list, and you are a Godsend . . . however, I believe #5 and #6 are a bit off.

#5 is just a math error. The minimum damage on a hit is 6 (Base damage) + 1 for rolling at least 1 success, so it's 7. Subtract the 4 armor and that's 3 damage.

#6 I'm not too sure about. Round 1 turn 1 the gunner fires his weapon, turn 2 the pilot flips the YT-1300 over, turn 3 the other gunner fires his gun. I'm not sure that ventral and dorsal really matter too much.

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

This probably more than anything else. Let's face it, most people who play the game (myself included) do so as a sort of wish fulfillment. I might be playing a doctor in a friend's campaign, but there's an eight-year-old kid inside who's chomping at the bit to play an X-wing pilot.

To further promote this: my groups ALWAYS run into this.

In a previous game, I had a player who idolized Boba Fett in and out of game. He snagged a Firespray and Mandalorian Armor the first chances he had, even though he started as a Stormtrooper. We went with it because it was fun and fitting for the situation.

In that same game, we had a pilot who wanted to be like Corran Horn, so he slowly learned how to use the Force and was a hotshot X-Wing pilot, even though other ships were superior.

My current group has a Doctor, sure, but he wants to be as able to cause wounds as he is healing them, so I'm waiting for the day he picks up Assassin and wrecks everyone. The Politico yearns to be a cross of James Bond and Lando Calrissian. The Pilot wants Han Solo to be second to him, and will swear by Correlian ships because of that (even when a ship has better "stats," he still won't budge). The Bodyguard wants to be that awesome Wild West sheriff and is using Malcolm Reynolds as his inspiration, even down to using a Slugthrower as his primary weapon that he won't give up.

Wish fulfillment is HUGE, so rely on that,

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

This probably more than anything else. Let's face it, most people who play the game (myself included) do so as a sort of wish fulfillment. I might be playing a doctor in a friend's campaign, but there's an eight-year-old kid inside who's chomping at the bit to play an X-wing pilot.

While very true, we're just using the Firespray stats but, as we did with the YT-1300 to a YT-1930, changing the ships hull to another ship. It's just that the ship we're using (Prototype StarViper-Class Attack Transport, like the Virago but was intended to be more of a transport ship then a Starfighter. I'll give details as to story later if anybody cares, but sticking to topic at hand for now) is intended to be kind of a nice killing machine . . . which I thought the Firespray stats would have been suited for.

My current group has a Doctor, sure, but he wants to be as able to cause wounds as he is healing them, so I'm waiting for the day he picks up Assassin and wrecks everyone. The Politico yearns to be a cross of James Bond and Lando Calrissian. The Pilot wants Han Solo to be second to him, and will swear by Correlian ships because of that (even when a ship has better "stats," he still won't budge). The Bodyguard wants to be that awesome Wild West sheriff and is using Malcolm Reynolds as his inspiration, even down to using a Slugthrower as his primary weapon that he won't give up.

Has your politico read any on the Miles Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold? I think the player may find some interesting ideas there. It isn't Star Wars, but it is ripping space opera.

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

This probably more than anything else. Let's face it, most people who play the game (myself included) do so as a sort of wish fulfillment. I might be playing a doctor in a friend's campaign, but there's an eight-year-old kid inside who's chomping at the bit to play an X-wing pilot.

To further promote this: my groups ALWAYS run into this.

In a previous game, I had a player who idolized Boba Fett in and out of game. He snagged a Firespray and Mandalorian Armor the first chances he had, even though he started as a Stormtrooper. We went with it because it was fun and fitting for the situation.

In that same game, we had a pilot who wanted to be like Corran Horn, so he slowly learned how to use the Force and was a hotshot X-Wing pilot, even though other ships were superior.

My current group has a Doctor, sure, but he wants to be as able to cause wounds as he is healing them, so I'm waiting for the day he picks up Assassin and wrecks everyone. The Politico yearns to be a cross of James Bond and Lando Calrissian. The Pilot wants Han Solo to be second to him, and will swear by Correlian ships because of that (even when a ship has better "stats," he still won't budge). The Bodyguard wants to be that awesome Wild West sheriff and is using Malcolm Reynolds as his inspiration, even down to using a Slugthrower as his primary weapon that he won't give up.

Wish fulfillment is HUGE, so rely on that,

Does your friend idolize Jodo Kast as well?

Because that's pretty much going to be his story . . . :| :| :| :|

here's an awesome article on why the Firespray is, in fact, the BEST choice...
http://triumphdespair.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/boarding-action/#more-1425

5) While not much, the Firespray DOES have Armor 4, meaning each hit from the YT-1300 is only dealing a base of 2 damage per hit.

6) The Firespray also isn't limited to Ventral or Dorsal attacks, but rather a Front firing arc. An attack from above or below on a YT-1300 negates an entire weapon and firing arc, which can reduce the combat capability of the YT in comparison, especially when pitted against a faster, more agile foe.

This is a great list, and you are a Godsend . . . however, I believe #5 and #6 are a bit off.

#5 is just a math error. The minimum damage on a hit is 6 (Base damage) + 1 for rolling at least 1 success, so it's 7. Subtract the 4 armor and that's 3 damage.

#6 I'm not too sure about. Round 1 turn 1 the gunner fires his weapon, turn 2 the pilot flips the YT-1300 over, turn 3 the other gunner fires his gun. I'm not sure that ventral and dorsal really matter too much.

The math thing is always something that gets debated. I've always considered the first success as the hit for base damage (thus why it is "base damage"), and each additional success adds more to it. I know it's always argued on the boards, and I won't go any further on the topic beyond "Do what works best for you and your table."

As for the ventral/dorsal situation, you are counting on that always being the case. If the ship is trapped in a tractor beam, this approach is useless. If the ship took a critical hit and can't move, this is also useless.

You are also relying on the pilot always going second and spending a maneuver to flip the ship around to allow the second gunner to fire. If you're piloting through an asteroid field, this is a wasted effort that could get everyone killed.

10) Style. Let's face it, which will stand out more: a Firespray or a YT-1300? Get the right color scheme and transponder code, and you'll have a Fear check coming about as the YT-1300 wonders if they are being attacked by none other than Boba Fett.

This probably more than anything else. Let's face it, most people who play the game (myself included) do so as a sort of wish fulfillment. I might be playing a doctor in a friend's campaign, but there's an eight-year-old kid inside who's chomping at the bit to play an X-wing pilot.

While very true, we're just using the Firespray stats but, as we did with the YT-1300 to a YT-1930, changing the ships hull to another ship. It's just that the ship we're using (Prototype StarViper-Class Attack Transport, like the Virago but was intended to be more of a transport ship then a Starfighter. I'll give details as to story later if anybody cares, but sticking to topic at hand for now) is intended to be kind of a nice killing machine . . . which I thought the Firespray stats would have been suited for.

The StarViper is more fighter than transport; you'd be better off using a modified Z-95 (and a heavily modded one, at that) if you want to emulate the Virago. I have an entire thread on starfighters, which includes the Helix (which is more transport than fighter), which goes to show how much you can do with a little bit of canon, a limited selection of official stats, and the willingness to make new ships.

The math thing is always something that gets debated. I've always considered the first success as the hit for base damage (thus why it is "base damage"), and each additional success adds more to it. I know it's always argued on the boards, and I won't go any further on the topic beyond "Do what works best for you and your table."

As for the ventral/dorsal situation, you are counting on that always being the case. If the ship is trapped in a tractor beam, this approach is useless. If the ship took a critical hit and can't move, this is also useless.

You are also relying on the pilot always going second and spending a maneuver to flip the ship around to allow the second gunner to fire. If you're piloting through an asteroid field, this is a wasted effort that could get everyone killed.

The StarViper is more fighter than transport; you'd be better off using a modified Z-95 (and a heavily modded one, at that) if you want to emulate the Virago. I have an entire thread on starfighters, which includes the Helix (which is more transport than fighter), which goes to show how much you can do with a little bit of canon, a limited selection of official stats, and the willingness to make new ships.

True. I think I first played like "the first one is a success" at first, but apparently it does state in the rules that each one is a +1. It's kind of one of those passive reads you don't notice until you peruse it.

And again, true. I am relying on that happening, but I can't think of many majorities where it wouldn't happen. Sure, some situations would pop up where there's something else the pilot needs to do . . . but then it's just a matter of "What's more important, ducking, dodging, or blowing the crap out of a ship in 2 rounds?

Last, but not least . . . it's not the Virago starfighter. The story is is that the company created the blueprints for a Starfighter version and a larger version. When Xizor bought the rights to the production of the ship, they had already created a few prototypes of the larger, 'transport' version. My character, along with the help of his crew, managed to steal one of the prototypes. And that's why I have a 30 Bounty Obligation on my head.

here's an awesome article on why the Firespray is, in fact, the BEST choice...

http://triumphdespair.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/boarding-action/#more-1425

I was totally into this until I realized it was all because of a house rule.

"The Firespray is the best choice, because of this houserule I made."

"Well, sure man, but the YT-1300 is the best choice because of a houserule I made where it now has 10 armor. So . . . there."

**shrug**

In a previous game, I had a player who idolized Boba Fett in and out of game. He snagged a Firespray and Mandalorian Armor the first chances he had, even though he started as a Stormtrooper. We went with it because it was fun and fitting for the situation.

Things Mr. Welch is No Longer Allowed To Do in an RPG #191: My character is not in any way related to Boba Fett. This goes double for Star Wars characters.

Truth be told if I would belong to a players party (I am the GM) I would never take the Firespray, the YT-1300 is way better and it has 6 hard points. Unless of course the designers from ffg clarify if the YT-1300 comes with only one weapon (as in the text) or with two, as in the stats block.

So, a couple more questions came up --

Let's say I add quad laser cannons on a Fire Arc Forward. Would I make only one attack roll to fire all weapons forward facing? Do I roll separately? Can I only fire one set of weapons at a time even though I load out my ship to fire like nuts straight ahead?

Note: I feel this has to do with the Linked Quality, but I can't quite put my thumb on it . . .

Gain the Advantage - Aside from if I was fighting a ship with a massive shielding system, what's the point of Gain the Advantage? It's been advertised as something that the Firespray is good at, which is fine . . . but I'd rather spend my turn shooting the hell out of the enemy then negating 1 or 2 disadvantage dice (Or 'Boo-boo dice' in my group).

Other than that, yes, it would suck if an enemy negates my shields with Gain the Advantage, but it's going to suck more for him when he wasted a turn doing that and I unloaded my cannons on him.

The math thing is always something that gets debated. I've always considered the first success as the hit for base damage (thus why it is "base damage"), and each additional success adds more to it. I know it's always argued on the boards, and I won't go any further on the topic beyond "Do what works best for you and your table."

This really isn't a matter of debate anymore, since it was clarified in the official errata. That said, the principle of "do what works best for your table" still applies, obviously.

The math thing is always something that gets debated. I've always considered the first success as the hit for base damage (thus why it is "base damage"), and each additional success adds more to it. I know it's always argued on the boards, and I won't go any further on the topic beyond "Do what works best for you and your table."

This really isn't a matter of debate anymore, since it was clarified in the official errata. That said, the principle of "do what works best for your table" still applies, obviously.

I always found that to be rather odd, as it negates the point behind base damage, but again, I won't get into that. The base damage approach works really well for my group as they don't feel as borked when they get shot by a blaster rifle with a single success and they are in nonexistent armor due to being social.

And again, true. I am relying on that happening, but I can't think of many majorities where it wouldn't happen. Sure, some situations would pop up where there's something else the pilot needs to do . . . but then it's just a matter of "What's more important, ducking, dodging, or blowing the crap out of a ship in 2 rounds?

Last, but not least . . . it's not the Virago starfighter. The story is is that the company created the blueprints for a Starfighter version and a larger version. When Xizor bought the rights to the production of the ship, they had already created a few prototypes of the larger, 'transport' version. My character, along with the help of his crew, managed to steal one of the prototypes. And that's why I have a 30 Bounty Obligation on my head.

Again, the entire thing is situational, so you'd have to just roll with it and make the best of it all.

As for the Virago, have at it! I'd personally stat it up by using a ship close to it and make modifications from there. Again, just my thought.

Let's say I add quad laser cannons on a Fire Arc Forward. Would I make only one attack roll to fire all weapons forward facing? Do I roll separately? Can I only fire one set of weapons at a time even though I load out my ship to fire like nuts straight ahead?

Note: I feel this has to do with the Linked Quality, but I can't quite put my thumb on it . . .

That's the Linked Quality. If you have enough people to man each gun and fire them, then yeah, you can lay down some major hurt.

Otherwise, you're linking them and using those extra advantages to hit with the other weapons.

Gain the Advantage - Aside from if I was fighting a ship with a massive shielding system, what's the point of Gain the Advantage? It's been advertised as something that the Firespray is good at, which is fine . . . but I'd rather spend my turn shooting the hell out of the enemy then negating 1 or 2 disadvantage dice (Or 'Boo-boo dice' in my group).

Other than that, yes, it would suck if an enemy negates my shields with Gain the Advantage, but it's going to suck more for him when he wasted a turn doing that and I unloaded my cannons on him.

When you Gain the Advantage, you get to choose which defense zone gets hit in an attack and you negate all penalties imposed by your and your opponent's use of Evasive Maneuvers. This means if you have a gunner or if you are firing yourself, all of those penalty dice from Evasive Actions get removed, which is pretty sweet when you think about it.

Also note that you get to choose which defense zone gets hit. This means if your prey decides to set all shields to rear, you can narrate how you overshoot them, do an insane spin and unleash your firepower on their now unprotected front end. You may not think it means very much, but those setback dice can really add up sometimes, especially when enough disadvantages pop up to grant boosts to the opposition.

All in all, you can use Gain the Advantage to negate up to FOUR setback dice in your example of YT vs Firespray. You may call them "boo-boo dice" in your group, but my group has learned to fear having more than one setback die in their pool, especially when they need to make every shot count.

here's an awesome article on why the Firespray is, in fact, the BEST choice...

http://triumphdespair.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/boarding-action/#more-1425

I was totally into this until I realized it was all because of a house rule.

"The Firespray is the best choice, because of this houserule I made."

"Well, sure man, but the YT-1300 is the best choice because of a houserule I made where it now has 10 armor. So . . . there."

**shrug**

See, this is one of those situations where not having an official rule gets in the way of the setting. Pirates do boarding actions all the time, and we even see that happen in A New Hope. The rule actually doesn't sound too bad, either, so I'd allow it in my group if they ever get a ship with a tractor beam and/or go more militant (as we have a Doctor/Maruader, Politico/Assassin, Bodyguard/Recruit, Mechanic/Outlaw Tech, and a Smuggler/Mercenary Captain on the crew).

Gain the Advantage is also a good move for the pilot to do when he isn't also the gunner.

Gain the Advantage is also a good move for the pilot to do when he isn't also the gunner.

Exactly. Sadly, it doesn't help as much when you are the only one in a Firespray, but for the sake of the argument, a "fully crewed" Firespray should have two guards, one of which could (and should) probably be a gunner and the other can act as a copilot, making it comparable to a fully crewed YT-1300.

Without the crew, on the other hand, it doesn't help AS much, but it can still mean the difference between hitting a target and just whiffing against shields. . .