CR90 builds

[Gilarius 1,906]

I've been trying to make a CR90 which is both effective and fun to play. However, so far I find that what I've come up with is a bit...lacking.

 

Here are two builds that look ok to me. How can they be improved?

 

1) Missile boat

PILOT: CR90 Corvette (fore) 50
Homing Missiles 5; Ion Pulse Missiles 3; Weapons Engineer 3; WED-15 Repair Droid 2
Sensor Team 4; Gunnery Team 4; Engineering Team 4
Engine Booster 3; Ordnance Tubes 5
Tantive IV 4

PILOT: CR90 Corvette (aft) 40
Homing Missiles 5; Han Solo 2; Ordnance Experts 5; Backup Shield Generator 3
Total Points: 142

 

2) Energy beam boat

PILOT: CR90 Corvette (fore) 50
WED-15 Repair Droid 2; Ion Cannon Battery 6; Quad Laser Cannons 6
Engineering Team 4; Tibanna Gas Supplies 4; Optimized Generators 5
Jaina's Light 2

PILOT: CR90 Corvette (aft) 40
Han Solo 2; Ion Cannon Battery 6; Sensor Team 4; Backup Shield Generator 3
Total Points: 134

 

Any suggestions?

[theninthguardian 157]

I have an Ordnance Boat that's similar to your first build up there, but I have Quad Laser Cannons in place of your Ion Pulse Missiles. I do that so I can shoot things that get w/in Range 1. Also, you've got 3 missiles, so unless you neglect to spend your Target Lock when the Homers fire (so you'd need to roll perfectly) you won't get to fire all 3 in one Attack Phase.

[Gilarius 1,906]

I've now tried the ordnance boat, in a casual shoot-out between it and Rear Admiral Chiraneau, Deathrain, and Maarek Stele (Tie Advanced), all with lots of upgrades to reach a similar points total.

 

theninthguardian is correct: it needs a range 1 weapon (ie Quad Lasers) however the Ion Pulse Missiles were great - ioned the Decimator off the board! But losing one of the Homing Missiles would reduce the damage output too much, so the IPMs would have to go. After the first turn or so the main guns didn't get to do much; maybe with more enemies they will be more useful.

 

2 Target Locks do work, just - gunnery team adds one hit, so do ordnance experts for when the first roll is poor. If you need to spend the TL on the second shot, then you have to fire the 3rd missiles at a different ship. So, overall replacing one missile is best.

[Karhedron 1,865]

Can Dutch grant a free Target Lock to an Epic ship? If so, he and/or Cracken would make great escorts for the Corvette.

[Gilarius 1,906]

Can Dutch grant a free Target Lock to an Epic ship? If so, he and/or Cracken would make great escorts for the Corvette.

Not really.

If, for some reason (like wanting to use the CR90's action to trigger the repair droid) you didn't use the Target Lock action on the CR90, then he can allow it to acquire a TL (2 of them, I believe due to Weapons Engineer). But the corvette can't maintain 3 Target Locks.

 

Next time, I'll try the energy weapons and then try the mixed corvette...currently still preferring the Raider.

[Karhedron 1,865]

Can Dutch grant a free Target Lock to an Epic ship? If so, he and/or Cracken would make great escorts for the Corvette.

If, for some reason (like wanting to use the CR90's action to trigger the repair droid) you didn't use the Target Lock action on the CR90, then he can allow it to acquire a TL (2 of them, I believe due to Weapons Engineer). But the corvette can't maintain 3 Target Locks.

I meant, if the abilities of the Pilots listed above also apply to Epic ships then it is a useful way to boost their action economy. For instance,once a ship starts taking damage, you may want to use both Recover and Reinforce so Cracken comes in useful. Similarly, Dutch allows the ship to get the TLs it needs without compromising other Actions. I wasn't looking to maintain 3 TLs particularly.

[Gilarius 1,906]

 

 

Can Dutch grant a free Target Lock to an Epic ship? If so, he and/or Cracken would make great escorts for the Corvette.

If, for some reason (like wanting to use the CR90's action to trigger the repair droid) you didn't use the Target Lock action on the CR90, then he can allow it to acquire a TL (2 of them, I believe due to Weapons Engineer). But the corvette can't maintain 3 Target Locks.

 

I meant, if the abilities of the Pilots listed above also apply to Epic ships then it is a useful way to boost their action economy. For instance,once a ship starts taking damage, you may want to use both Recover and Reinforce so Cracken comes in useful. Similarly, Dutch allows the ship to get the TLs it needs without compromising other Actions. I wasn't looking to maintain 3 TLs particularly.

 

Yes, that makes more sense. I wouldn't want to base my whole build around having a specific other ship nearby, but Dutch, Airen, and Roark are all good choices to have in a squad. Shame Garven's focus passing ability doesn't work - huge ships can't have or use Focus tokens.

[theninthguardian 157]

Huge Ships can't take free actions. Dutch doesn't say anything about a 'free action' though, but I'd check in the Rules forum just to be sure.

[Gilarius 1,906]

Huge Ships can't take free actions. Dutch doesn't say anything about a 'free action' though, but I'd check in the Rules forum just to be sure.

Airen Cracken's ability grants a free action, so that won't work then. Shame. Esege Tuketu's ability also won't be of benefit.

 

Dutch Vander's ability simply allows a TL to be acquired, no actual action needed, so that will work.

[Karhedron 1,865]

OK so Dutch provides a free Target Lock, Weapons Engineer doubles it and Gunnery Team and Ordnance Experts both boosts your shooting with them and all for low energy consumption.

[Gilarius 1,906]

OK so Dutch provides a free Target Lock, Weapons Engineer doubles it and Gunnery Team and Ordnance Experts both boosts your shooting with them and all for low energy consumption.

Yep, but the ship definitely needs something that will hit at range 1. So, Quad Lasers? Is there anything better? I'd rather not use a different missile that uses up a TL since Han Solo can still use that to convert eyes.

It's also nice to be able to not use up the TLs so the Repair Droid can be used. I still prefer the WED over the Construction Droid, because using the Construction Droid requires using the Recover action so not Reinforcing.

Maybe this weekend I can try out the other builds (mixed and energy).

[LagJanson 7,318]

I'm tempted to run the CR90 almost empty. Han Solo crew and sensor team and maybe run Jan Ors flying nearby. It's one big snipe shot at range and a lot of points on fighters. Jan is of use if the corvette blows but otherwise im under 100points. The ship is always vulnerable to fighter swarms anyway.

Gilarius, how were the arcs covered with ordnance? I've been concerned about not getting enough overlapping fire within range three.

[Parakitor 5,654]

My thought about your #1 ordnance build is that WED-15 repair droid is in an uncomfortable spot unless you do have Dutch nearby to let you target lock without spending an action. Granted, WED-15 doesn't start working until you have some damage on you, so it may work out the way it is.

 

My thought about the energy build is that Ion Cannon Battery and Single Turbolasers are meta calls, and I have no idea what you're going to face. Up against low-health bombers and such, Single Turbolasers can absolutely wreck face, but TIE fighters are so small they can easily evade your turbolasers. On the flip side, a bomber wing doesn't mind an ion token and a single point of damage (probably against shields) so much, but the TIE fighter would hate to receive that crit. The problem is that TIE fighters usually attack en masse, so you'd better hope that face up damage card is a crippling one, or else you'll have done nothing to thin their ranks.

[Gilarius 1,906]

I'm tempted to run the CR90 almost empty. Han Solo crew and sensor team and maybe run Jan Ors flying nearby. It's one big snipe shot at range and a lot of points on fighters. Jan is of use if the corvette blows but otherwise im under 100points. The ship is always vulnerable to fighter swarms anyway.

Gilarius, how were the arcs covered with ordnance? I've been concerned about not getting enough overlapping fire within range three.

I'd always put a 2nd weapon on the corvette - having a doughnut hole out to range 3 would be really annoying.

 

Arcs: overlapping front and rear arcs didn't happen much, and when I used a Target Lock (Han Solo crew, or to re-roll) I had to fire at a different target with any remaining missiles anyway.

[Gilarius 1,906]

My thought about your #1 ordnance build is that WED-15 repair droid is in an uncomfortable spot unless you do have Dutch nearby to let you target lock without spending an action. Granted, WED-15 doesn't start working until you have some damage on you, so it may work out the way it is.

 

My thought about the energy build is that Ion Cannon Battery and Single Turbolasers are meta calls, and I have no idea what you're going to face. Up against low-health bombers and such, Single Turbolasers can absolutely wreck face, but TIE fighters are so small they can easily evade your turbolasers. On the flip side, a bomber wing doesn't mind an ion token and a single point of damage (probably against shields) so much, but the TIE fighter would hate to receive that crit. The problem is that TIE fighters usually attack en masse, so you'd better hope that face up damage card is a crippling one, or else you'll have done nothing to thin their ranks.

 

I really like the WED-15 droid since so many criticals are crippling, and it's the only way to fix them. However, I was solo-ing the corvette against only 3 enemies, and by the time I was taking hull damage there was only Maarek Stele left - this meant that I didn't need to take any target lock actions, unless I used it up.

 

Fortunate, since he had 4 rounds of shooting me (dealing automatic crits with his accuracy corrector, of course) while staying in my range 1 hole and I frantically fixed myself each round. Eventually, I finished off his last hull point (he'd lost the rest getting into range 1) when he tried to fly through me and rolled a hit on himself. Tie Advanceds lack a 1 straight so he couldn't fly slowly enough to stay out of my arcs for longer.

 

Against more enemies, the story might have been different which is why I probably won't fly something with 3 missiles in future. The main question is, are 2 missiles worth using or just energy weapons?

 

As for deciding which energy weapons to use, I usually build my Raider to take out opposing huge ships and low agility targets, while relying on Interceptors to destroy fighters. And removing energy from the huge ships is more important than doing, for example, one more hit. Without any way of converting eyes on my attacks, anything with more than 2 green dice (native, or from range) is unlikely to take a lot of damage.

 

I'd really like a weapon that works at ranges 1, 2, and 3, but that is the nature of the compromises you have to make (same with turrets on small/large ships). 2-4 seems to be best for the way I fly the Raider, and I like the results from the Ion Batteries. For the CR90, I'm still trying to decide!

[theninthguardian 157]

I've been hesitant about the WED Droid myself because it costs a lot of energy and an action, but Gilarius is right, if you thought the crits were bad in Standard Play, the ones that apply to the Huge ships are outright devastating. Structural Collapse alone is a game-ender.

[Gilarius 1,906]

I've been hesitant about the WED Droid myself because it costs a lot of energy and an action, but Gilarius is right, if you thought the crits were bad in Standard Play, the ones that apply to the Huge ships are outright devastating. Structural Collapse alone is a game-ender.

 

Structural Collapse killed my first Corvette! I'd just bought it and the Raider, my 8yr old son played the Raider and I tried out the CR90 (no other ships in that game). He was down to his very last hull point on his remaining (fore) section; I had full shields on my front, but only 2 hull points left. My aft had taken half damage when he made his final dice roll: 4 red dice, all crits! Knocked the last shield off the aft, and dealt 3 crits to it, killing it - and the Structural Collapse killed my fore section too, despite the shields. Now I never leave port without the repair droid!

[LagJanson 7,318]

I'm tempted to run the CR90 almost empty. Han Solo crew and sensor team and maybe run Jan Ors flying nearby. It's one big snipe shot at range and a lot of points on fighters. Jan is of use if the corvette blows but otherwise im under 100points. The ship is always vulnerable to fighter swarms anyway.

Gilarius, how were the arcs covered with ordnance? I've been concerned about not getting enough overlapping fire within range three.

I'd always put a 2nd weapon on the corvette - having a doughnut hole out to range 3 would be really annoying.

 

Arcs: overlapping front and rear arcs didn't happen much, and when I used a Target Lock (Han Solo crew, or to re-roll) I had to fire at a different target with any remaining missiles anyway.

Still playing with the list. I don't like the range three bubble either. The nice thing is I managed to cram ten rebel fighters in with the CR90 which should be plenty enough to threaten other epic lists too. Four Xwings, three Ywings and three Awings. Might be able to downgrade a ship for an ion cannon though.

Shame about the overlapping arcs. I love it on the Raider. I think we've gone in opposite directions with Raider designs. I love the triple homing missiles and to go anti-starfighter mode. It'll shred the corvette but rebel fighters are tough and pesky.