Quite frankly, most of my days are quiet these days.
My friends were not about to let that happen. G-d bless them.
They showed up at my house most unexpectedly at 10 am. I wasn't even dressed. They brought food, drink, and were prepared for a day of fun, whether I was ready for it or not.
For the first time in more than two years, I got to play D2e. For more than 12 hours we played with the app and battled the demons of Terrinoth.
Tomorrow, I turn 75. This morning, I am thoroughly exhausted, mentally drained, and feeling ill.
It was the best **** birthday gift I have ever received in my life. I love my friends.
I've already said that I felt in this situation I needed clarification.
My die roll included a plain.
I know I can choose a hill. Actually, I chose a hill and stopped taking damage.
But in the back of my mind I kept thinking that my die result included a plain as well.
That's why I asked and now I am waiting for FFG's response. Until then, I am choosing to play it the hard way and keep taking damage until my die does not show any plains whatsoever.
You hawe to see it that way.
Rune wars sets the background of the whole universe. What the different factions are, what is the history of Mennara, introduces the heroes and what may drive them and so on. For instance it is Rune Wars that explains what are the origins of the Mistlands (MoB, CtR expansions in Descent).
Rune Age will focus on the different factions (undead,...) and will bring more details for each faction history. Cities as Tamalir appear in the game.
(for global lore of the universe it is an interesting game)
Battlelore is the game that will bring the best description of units in each faction but nothing new about the whole universe so far.
Descent and Runebound will focus on heroes of menarra in different perspectives. In RuneBound heroes visit towns (similar to Road to Legend) travel accross Menarra whereas in Descent you don't really know exactly where the action take place (a val somewhere in a barony of terrinoth). As Rune bound is a Landcrawler you may think that you are more immerse in Mennara history.
I really enjoy Battlelore. It is a nice, relatively quick, light skirmish game with interesting tactics built into the different units. I really like the style of the art and minis, as many are similar to troops in Descent. Highly recommend it.
First, read the rules in the lieutenants packs, this helps to understand the concept of the agent card (the lieutenants cards without attributes and some small differences in stats / skills).
Short version: every plot deck has a specific card to summon the proper lieutenant in a quest, replacing part of a group of monsters (or all group in the case of the large lieutenants). This concept is used in the app as a major peril, a surprise event that summons this agent with some friends to complicate your life . In this case, the app tells yous to use the agent (for example: place the Splig "agent" within five spaces from the hero, with 4 goblin archers adjacent to him ...." ) and they apper in the middle of a round to fight the heroes. Otherwise, the app tells you to use the proper card for a lieutenant ( place the "lieutenant" Lord Merric Farrow in this place ...). Normally the lieutenants (the ones with attributes stats) appears only in the story missions and they are part of the setup at some point of the quest.
This has been asked of FFG in a rules question already. A hero who stands up during his turn fits the bill for "cannot attack" according to the two hero rule, because of the restrictions of the stand up (which immediately takes you from the "perform actions" step to the "end of turn" step (you cannot even activate a familiar after standing up). However, since it is the end of your turn and you couldn't attack, you get 2 more damage recovered.
Here you go, Felin. Link for posted FFG answer: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1557598/2-hero-rule-and-standing
Assuming the text hadn't changed much, no. It is a monster action containing an attack. You also could not use "Frenzy" to let him do a second "Leap attack".
EDIT: Forgot "Ravage." With that, yes, unless leap attack is otherwise limited by its own text (limit once per round, etc).
Releasing new stuff for other factions doesn't mean that Fantasy Flight want your favourite faction to be weak and you to be unhappy.
When they released Boba Fett crew, it's not because they hate Imperials.
When they fix the TIE Defender, it's not because they hate Rebels.
When they release Heroes Of The Resistance, it's not because they hate Scum.
When you say things like "CLEARLY FFG DON'T GIVE A FIG ABOUT COMPETITIVE BALANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE RELEASING NEW STUFF FOR THIS OTHER FACTION WHILE LEAVING THESE THINGS I PERSONALLY CARE ABOUT UNFIXED", you are becoming that breed of football fan who's honestly convinced that all referees hate hir team and that all calls ever go against them.
This is a natural and understandable consequence of literally all of us being self-obsessed monkeys who are terribly good at seeking out patterns even when those patterns don't exist.
It is also really bloody stupid.
FFG have a vested financial interest in maintaining competitive balance between factions and keeping as many of their products as possible "worth" buying. They don't do this perfectly by any means, and they may not do it in the order you want or the way you'd prefer. Frustration at things that bother you being seemingly ignored is totally understandable, but trying to make the case that they're neglecting a faction because they don't care about it or have, I don't know, some sort of weird grudge against a thing they're actively trying to sell makes you look like you've got a persecution complex.
The wheel turns. Your faction will get its day in the sun soon enough. It's OK. It's fine.
Read the article and all the comments on the actual article as well as the majority of comments here before they became repetitive. We are forgetting a couple if things here. Mainly the correlation between agility and maneuverability. A ship with 3 AGI, if being flown properly, shouldn't be getting shot at in excess (except turrets because turrets) and even against a turret, you have enough movement to stay out of range or go for the doughnut hole. This is a core ideal for a game such as X-wing. Different ships have different t properties which appeal to different players. If you want to arc dodge and fly intelligently in order to avoid getting shot with only three health, you can do that. If you want to "hulk smash" with three ATK, 0-1 AGI, and 8 health, you can do that too. If you want a more balanced all around fighter, hey, those exist too. This game is about way more than just roll a bunch of dice and hit stuff. D&D exists for that.
Secondly, if you are flying any version of a tie and a y wing gets behind you, you are doing it wrong. Same can be said for a majority of rebel ships, except maybe an A wing. This is how the actual star wars universe is brought to life in the game. If all the ships were the same, the game would be boring.
And lastly, this game is about diversity and ability, that is what makes it great. It is a living game that is constantly evolving, and that isn't just in the waves being released, but how people are using old and new upgrades to pull off crazy combos and lists. There is no kill all list. You have to adapt based on what you have versus what you are going against. If you can't do that, you will lose. You can run Heaver's worlds list all day, but if you don't know how to run it, you will lose. There is no secret formula here, you just have to be better than the other guy at flying the list you brought.
Red dice and accuracy will never be an issue if you fly in a way that won't let the other guy shoot.
The TIE Bomber is an excellent ship, but one that has not garnered the attention it deserves. Solid and dependable, this ship is quite the brawler and fighter, but is overlooked because of the TIE Fighter being so much cheaper.
The common mistake many players run into when first attempting to use the TIE Bomber is that ordnance is generally terrible. As a natural carrier of ordnance, the ship itself is often disregarded because of this. That causes them miss the fact that the underlying ship, when not overloaded with points, is a bargain.
Now, with the announcement of an Aces pack that will include a TIE Bomber, the ship gets new love and a new title. The TIE Shuttle.
This title is zero points. It removes all ordnance slots and replaces them with two Crew slots. The caveat is that neither of those crew cards can be more than 4 points. Still, this gives a huge number of options to this versatile ship.
More interesting than the new title, the TIE Bomber is also getting a new ace. Tomax Bren.
As of yet, he has not been featured, but imagery analysis reveals all of the secrets of this ship. A PS8 TIE Bomber for 24 points with an EPT. That’s two points cheaper than the PS7 Major Rhymer. His ability is the interesting part:
‘Once per round, after you discard an EPT Upgrade card, flip that card faceup.’
Tomax may well see play without using his ability solely due to the bargain he represents, but his Pilot Talent is what will be explored in this treatise. There are currently four Discard EPTs, all of which can find a place on Tomax.
Cool Hand
Cool Hand is an upgrade that I’ve struggled to find a good home for. For one point, when you acquire a stress token, the upgrade can be discarded to give the ship a Focus or Evade token. Now, thanks to Tomax Bren, it finally has a home. Take, for instance, the following:
Tomax Bren (24) Cool Hand (1) Fleet Officer (3) Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1) TIE Shuttle (0)
Total: 29
Tomax Bren takes a one-shot EPT and makes it usable once per turn. Fleet Officer allows Tomax to take an action that allows him to select two friendly ships at Range 1-2 and assign them each a focus token. He can select himself as one of those ships. However, Fleet officer gives Tomax a stress token. Tomax can then trigger Cool Hand to give himself a focus token, which he may already have from Fleet Officer, or an Evade Token, which the TIE Bomber cannot naturally get. The TIE MK2 turns 1 Bank and 3 Bank green, giving the ship 9 green maneuvers to clear the stress. With the generous greens on the TIE Bomber dial, it is quite capable of clearing stress. This build is 29 points.
When put all together, Tomax can move, then gain a Stress, a Focus, an Evade, and give a friendly ship a focus token as well. Tomax can then clear stress with any bank or forward maneuver of speed 1, 2, of 3. If you seek to make a ordnance list, he could easily give two other ships a focus token as well as give one to himself. The support options are quite potent, making Tomax in this configuration quite the support craft.
Lightning Reflexes
Lightning Reflexes is another card that has struggled to find a home. It’s a potent card, allowing a ship to turn any white or green maneuver into a K-Turn at the cost of a stress token. Lightning reflexes allows unprecedented adjustment of firing arc as this is chosen after executing the maneuver. That means Tomax can move at PS8, complete the move, then decide whether to rotate 180 degrees. Further, the maneuver does not have to complete in order to activate this ability. Tomax can move, bump into someone, then turn around to get a shot at something else or setup maneuvering for the following round.
Consider the following:
Tomax Bren (24) Lightning Reflexes (1) Agent Kallus (2) Tactician (2) Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1) TIE Shuttle (0)
Total: 30
This configuration, Tomax Bren becomes an excellent control threat. Moving at PS8, he moves after most other ships and can react with the Lightning Reflexes if necessary. Keep in mind he can use Lightning Reflexes even if he starts stressed. This may double stress him if the the maneuver is white. Against aces, he can move into areas that they are not prepared to counter. Even though he is stressed, against a particular ace Tomax will still get the benefit of Agent Kallus. Further, Tactician means that ships have to be very careful as it is difficult to predict where the Range 2 band will be for Tomax. The TIE MK2 turns his dial mostly green and allows him to clear the stress after his unusual positioning. Not a huge offensive threat, but a constant control threat.
Adrenaline Rush
Adrenaline Rush has been with us since the original TIE Bomber was released and is the original discard EPT. The TIE Bomber is a decent platform for the EPT, as the 2 Hard and 5 K-Turn maneuvers are red natively. Turning these key maneuvers white allows the ship to be far more maneuverable and a much higher threat than currently exists. Further, this allows Tomax to perform these maneuvers while already stressed, though at the cost of still being unable to act. Consider the following:
A slightly more expensive build at 35, and one that dips into munitions which are already questionable, Tomax brings something that isn’t usually seen to this realm. The Homing Missiles of both stripes require a Target Lock to fire but do not consume that target lock, allowing it to be used to modify the attack. The 5 K-Turn and 2 Hard Turn being white, thanks to infinite Adrenaline Rush, allows Tomax to setup excellent opportunities to attack, as the opponent must worry about both a 1 Forward and a 5 K-Turn as possible moves. If a Target Lock is preserved between turns, a focus can then be taken to increase the damage or likelihood of a hit. The threat of the Advanced Homing Missiles will make life very difficult for ships with low hull but many shields, such as the E-Wing or B-Wing. Guidance chips helps ensure that all ordnance are heavily modified. Coupled with other high priority threats and Tomax will likely survive long enough to cripple the enemy list.
Crack Shot
The pinnacle of all discard EPTs, Tomax does not mess around when it comes to Crack Shot. Tomax’s 2 dice attack suddenly becomes vicious and a huge threat. Ships with 1 Agility are now effectively 0 Agility. Other ships must constantly worry about the ability of Tomax to punch through damage at the least opportune time. A huge threat to everything on the board, Tomax may quickly find himself public enemy number 1, so it is advised that he be kept light on points. Consider:
For 27 points, Tomax is a dirty, ruthless fighter with no regard for his enemies. Tomax can cancel one evade on every attack. Tactician means that any ship that falls into Range 2 risks Tomax adding a stress to their collection of tokens, which can ensure that even Soontir must fear the wrath of a TIE Bomber. At 27 point, Tomax is a steal, allowing 73 points to accompany him. That is easily 6 Academy TIEs, or two Aces, or any number of other threats.
If his compatriots are sufficiently threatening, Tomax with munitions actually becomes rather terrifying. Take, for instance:
At 35 points, Tomax becomes a force of nature. Homing Missiles already shut down evade tokens, meaning that the enemy is relying on dice alone to evade a 4 dice attack with TL. Then, Tomax instantly removes one successful evade result, which is better than even Wedge’s famous pilot ability. Soontir Fel with Focus and Evade and Stealth Device is now effectively a 3 evade dice ship with focus against 4 attack dice with TL. Further, against large ships, Tomax can ensure he punches through with Ion Pulse Missile two turns in a row, meaning that the enemy ship is under serious threat of being walked off the board. Tomax is a much higher threat level though, so ensure that this seriously considered when choosing allies with the remaining 65 points.
Sample Lists
So, how does Tomax Bren fight into squads? Different configurations fly best with different compatriots. These lists may not be Tier 1 lists, but they will certainly be interesting to explore in league nights or in local tournaments.
Tomax Bren — TIE Bomber 24 Cool Hand 1 Fleet Officer 3 Rebel Captive 3 Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1 TIE Shuttle 0 Ship Total: 32
Omicron Group Pilot — Lambda-Class Shuttle 21 Emperor Palpatine 8 Ship Total: 29
“Wampa” — TIE Fighter 14 Ship Total: 14
A list with deceptively few attack dice, this list punches way outside its weight class. As discussed earlier, Tomax Bren can ensure that he has a focus and evade every turn due to Cool Hand and Fleet Officer, making the TIE Bomber surprisingly survivable. He is able to further hand out a focus token to a nearby friend. Rebel Captive punishes anyone who attacks Tomax, discouraging such foolishness. The Albino Space Cow acts as a huge buff to the list due to Emperor Palpatine fixing any dice that may have gone astray.
The remaining two seem questionable at first, given that they are just two attack dice each and yet must act as the bulk of the offense. Omega Leader, however, can ensure that he lands damage by preventing any modification to defense dice if he has a target lock on the victim. Tomax can ensure that he has a focus token to modify attacks, with the emperor nearby in case he needs a bit more of a push. However, the Sith Lord’s true goal is to modify Wampa’s attacks.
Wampa is a new TIE Fighter, but quite the potent one. If he has a CRIT result when attacking, he may choose to cancel all his dice and deal a facedown damage card. Now, no timing window is specified, which means the default timing window for cancellation is during the Compare Results step. As such, here’s how this works.
Wampa attacks. Emperor Palpatine changes one die to a CRIT result. Wampa finishes modification of dice if necessary with the focus token. The defender rolls defense dice and modifies those as necessary. If the defender has enough evades to cancel all of Wampa’s attack dice,Wampa cancels his attack dice and deal one facedown damage card. Similarly, if Wampa would be hitting shields, especially against a regenerating opponent, he may cancel anyway to ensure the damage sticks.
Tomax Bren — TIE Bomber 24 Lightning Reflexes 1 Agent Kallus 2 Tactician 2 TIE Shuttle 0 Ship Total: 29
Tempest Squadron Pilot — TIE Advanced 21 Accuracy Corrector 0 TIE/x1 0 Ship Total: 21
Tempest Squadron Pilot — TIE Advanced 21 Accuracy Corrector 0 TIE/x1 0 Ship Total: 21
Here, Tomax Bren acts as an Interceptor. With unprecedented mobility for a TIE Bomber due to Lightning Reflexes. Tactician allows him to threaten other aces. If he can get behind an ace, with his dial and Tactician, he can hamper the ability of that ship to turn around. Agent Kallus both protects Tomax and allows him to be a notable threat against one particular ship each game.
Twin Tempest Pilots act as the base of the list. These solid ships constantly threaten low to mid agility ships with two guaranteed hits on each attack from Accuracy Corrector, allowing them to use actions for defense or mobility.
Maarek acts as the ace in this list, though on a budget. VI puts him at PS9 and ATC allows him to add a crit to every attack if he has a target locked. His ability can ensure that his crits are truly devastating against unshielded targets. However, firing first, he is likely attacking a shielded and fully defended target. This encourages the target to spend tokens on defense against this initial attack, leaving them vulnerable to subsequent attacks in the turn.
Omicron Group Pilot — Lambda-Class Shuttle 21 Emperor Palpatine 8 Ship Total: 29
Carnor Jax — TIE Interceptor 26 Veteran Instincts 1 Autothrusters 2 Stealth Device 3 Royal Guard TIE 0 Ship Total: 32
Sometimes a Bomber needs to play with ordnance. Here, the trick is that Tomax can do a 5-K Turn, make this maneuver white, and still take the Target Lock. This allows him unprecedented ability to open up arcs and still launch ordnance. Both homing missiles allow him to use the Target Lock for the attack. Extra munitions means he has four missiles on board and Munitions Failsafe ensure that all of them will hit. Ordnance still has the risk of rolling poorly, which is where Emperor Palpatine comes in.
Now, the Alabaster Void Manatee is becoming a known quantity. Able to support any ship on the board, this craft adds considerable survivability to otherwise vulnerable craft.
Carnor Jax is one such vulnerable craft, especially lacking Push the Limit. However Veteran Instincts makes him a terrifying threat to Soontir Fel. Against many enemy ships, shutting down focus and evade tokens can be fatal. Standard survival gear adorns this Interceptor. Taken together, Carnor shuts down enemy aces quite effectively. Tomax becomes unpredictable in the extreme. Both are able to punch well above their weight class, especially when Palpatine is fixing mistaken dice.
One of the best ways to get the most out of Tomax Bren with Crack Shot is to ensure he is the lowest priority threat. Thus, pairing him with a pair of dangerous aces while keeping him cheap is an excellent way to do this. Weighing in at 25 points, Tomax can punch through damage at will, but if he is targeted first he is acting as Biggs for the same cost while possessing more hit points, better PS, and an arguably better dial. Joining him at PS 8 is Rexler Brath. The TIE/x7 title gives Rex a new lease on life. A rebate of 2 points is nice enough, but now if the ship performs a 3, 4, or 5 speed maneuver, he gets an evade token to add to his 6 HP protected by 3 Agility. Predator allows him to reroll at least one die every attack, increasing his offensive threat. The TIE Mk. II gives him one of the most green dials in the game, preventing him from succumbing to stress mechanics.
The Sith Lord Darth Vader rounds out this list. At PS 11 thanks to VI, it is almost certain that he will be moving last and shooting first. ATC makes this TIE Advanced an existential threat to nearly all ships in the game. Engine gives him extremely high maneuverability.
The list weighs in at 99 points. This can be maintained for an initiative bid against any rival PS 8 or 11 lists, or Tomax can be equipped with a TIE Mk. II or even an Intel Agent to for help against high PS aces. Rexlar’s ability is in prime place to be used as the Defender can shoot after both Vader and Tomax soften up the enemy ships.
Tomax Bren — TIE Bomber 24 Crack Shot 1 Extra Munitions 2 Ion Pulse Missiles 3 Homing Missiles 5 Guidance Chips 0 Ship Total: 35
Omicron Group Pilot — Lambda-Class Shuttle 21 Sensor Jammer 4 Emperor Palpatine 8 Ship Total: 33
Carnor Jax — TIE Interceptor 26 Veteran Instincts 1 Autothrusters 2 Stealth Device 3 Royal Guard TIE 0 Ship Total: 32
Ordnance is getting a bit of a boost here with Tomax Bren. Tomax is PS8 and is relatively decent at acquiring target locks. Both missiles he is equipped with do not require him to spend a Target Lock to perform the attack, allowing him to modify dice. Guidance Chips then allows him to fix one errant die, as does the Emperor, letting him get very close to ensuring max damage. Crack Shot then allows him to punch an extra hit through. Soontir Fel does not enjoy the idea of 4 dice with TL, two guaranteed hits, not being able to spend focus, and one of his defense dice cancelled. Nor does any large base ship want to risk two turns of Ion Pulse Missiles. However, Tomax is expensive.
The Notorious OGP acts as a potent carrier for Palpatine. However, with the Sensor Jammer, it becomes surprisingly capable against TLT lists. Indeed, any enemy wishing to hunt the shuttle must have a focus token or other such ability to be reasonably assured of victory.
Carnor Jax makes that proposition very difficult. At PS10, while he can only take one action, he can threaten a great number of ships by shutting down their primary form of offense and defense. Autothrusters, Stealth Device, and the Emperor can ensure that his survival for far longer than expected. His positional advantage fills ships like Soontir or Corran Horn with existential dread. The list clocks in at 99 points with a modest initiative bid, but one that isn’t quite as necessary not having a PS9.
Conclusion
Tomax Bren is a force to be reckoned with, one which will grow with each new discardable EPT. Coupled with a durable ship and a high PS, this TIE Bomber will find a home in many lists of those players who take a chance on this pilot. The amount of customization is huge on Tomax, especially with the TIE Shuttle title. While Crack Shot may be the best of the discard EPTs, Tomax can find a use for them all.
The options for Tomax will only become more numerous with each new wave. New EPTs and new crew will allow this ship to be tailored to many lists and Tomax will be the foundation of many a potent build. Tomax can fulfill a support role, an aces role, or as the backbone of a swarm. This is a pilot to study and understand, for to disregard Tomax is to court disaster.
This article is a part of the monthly Scum and Villainy Article Series paid for by our wonderful Patreons. You can find our patreon at https://www.patreon.com/scumandvillainy
Most of us know that this is not possible, BUT I just want to put it out there because I had an opponent do this with his Miranda piloted Kwing in a match during a recent tournament. NOW it was not a store championship so, I decided to not make a big deal about it. Basically it went down like this:
We BOTH had a Miranda Doni piloted Kwing. I've been flying a list with Miranda in it pretty strictly for the last two months. At one point in the match his Miranda was out of range of all my ships and he had NOT slammed (so he had an opportunity to attack if he had range on any enemy ships). When it was his Miranda's turn to attack he checked range and realized he had no enemy ships inside of range 3 or less. SO he said, "I am firing Miranda's primary weapon at no target, with one less die and recovering a shield."
Looking at the rules regarding attack (new Rules Reference book in TFA Core Set)... the first phase of attack is the "Declare target phase" and as you read through the various bullet points you will see that you MUST have a target in range of the weapon you intend to use AND in that weapon's firing arc. Without a target in range and firing arc of a weapon you can not proceed to the next step: (2) Roll Attack Dice.
I'm really just posting this out there so that it's known that someone is trying this method of shield recovery for Miranda in the tournament scene in the greater Puget Sound area.
I'm relatively confident that I am reading things right and this method of shield recovering is out side of the rules. BUT if I am wrong, please... some one let me know.
They are the best I've ever dealt with.
Have had a few things replaced over last few years
I emailed them once asking if I could buy a dial because I had lost mine
They sent me the dial, plus all upgrades that came with the expansion. Everything except the ship, free of charge.
Just dont abuse their generosity. Because if you do you'll just ruin it for everyone including yourselves
yeah, the FO's been a gloriously fresh experience. Even Omega isn't an ace in your typical sense, he's still a Tie Fighter i.t.o defenses and maneuverability, but his ability and build make him/her the patient assassin of far more "elite" pilots
the lower PS still makes things a slight challenge, but a combination of sloop and Juke + Omega letting a Tie fighter smack thrusters at range 3 (like, holy ****, did we ever expect that to happen ?) make it a very realistic prospect
Good insight.
Fire control system looks like it will work well in this case.
And the analysis regarding Advanced Targeting computer on Colzet is sound. Better to keep him with more actions available to give him a chance to survive and attack.
Thank you.
The only other card that I could think of that 'could' fit into the combo is Colzet. Turn those wampa facedowns into crits! and actionless too, sort of.
The timing of Wampa is unclear. We used to have a rule saying that abilities that cancel die results happen during Compare Results*, which would mean that it happens after the defender rolls defense dice, but the current Rules Reference is silent on the issue. I've been assuming that's still the case, but I have submitted a rules question about it. If it turns out that Wampa does happen during Attacker Modifies Attack Dice, then I'll have to send in another question immediately asking if that means that "Cancel" is now considered one of the kinds of Dice Modification, and if so what that does with Palpatine.
*: Before somebody brings up Accuracy Corrector, it was errata'd to happen during Attacker Modifies Attack Dice specifically because otherwise it would have happened during Compare Results and not worked the way it was intended.
AARONZEA got a reaction from alexbobspoons in Asuryan's cleansing Q
AARONZEA reacted to cparadis10 in about declaring defenders
AARONZEA got a reaction from Julia in Cult town rolling plains in die.
AARONZEA got a reaction from numb3rc in Wampa with Palpatine
