Test Pilot "Blackout"

[That Blasted Samophlange 6,649]

1 hour ago, thespaceinvader said:

I'd like to have seen the Silencer get a bullseye arc, and an extra red against ships inside it if there's nothing else in it, from the title.

Something more than just a basic arc with 3 basic dice.

We still might.   There are bound to be more inconsistencies than the lack of missiles for the Silencer, so we are likely to get a “heroes of” pack.

part of the reason I only buy one of each sku, is they will release the ship in another pack.

So, we will possibly get a pilot or two for released ships that might have a bullseye arc.   Maybe even an elite talent.  Heck, redo Expose to offer the bullseye instead of the extra die.

[Malasombra 422]

On 26/11/2017 at 7:19 AM, flyboymb said:

Actually, if it is defense only, one has to wonder if DUN DUN DUN Expose might be a good upgrade choice for Blackout? You would still be gaining a net increase in defense dice, but would be firing through a suddenly non-obstructing Decimator with one more die that usual. Put Expose on the Deci too and that could be some serious hurting if your formation flying is up to par.

4 points, your EPT (so no PTL on an "interceptoresque" ship), and your action.

EXPOSE is never the answer.

Repeat with me, kids...

[thespaceinvader 17,538]

13 minutes ago, That Blasted Samophlange said:

We still might.   There are bound to be more inconsistencies than the lack of missiles for the Silencer, so we are likely to get a “heroes of” pack.

part of the reason I only buy one of each sku, is they will release the ship in another pack.

So, we will possibly get a pilot or two for released ships that might have a bullseye arc.   Maybe even an elite talent.  Heck, redo Expose to offer the bullseye instead of the extra die.

I very much doubt they will ever release a single pilot with a different sort of arc to the rest of the pilots, and I doubt they will add Bullseye as an upgrade. The former because it would be confusing, the latter because getting it precise enough just would be too difficult, physically.

[HolySorcerer 4,103]

3 hours ago, Malasombra said:

4 points, your EPT (so no PTL on an "interceptoresque" ship), and your action.

EXPOSE is never the answer.

Repeat with me, kids...

This is correct.  Expose is always a bad choice, yes even on RAC.

[Vineheart01 6,403]

RAC is the absolute closest expose will ever be good

And its still terrible compared to other shenanigans he has access to.

Expose will never be valid unless it drops to a 1pt ept or loses the action and is just a start of combat thing (or after maneuver)

[HolySorcerer 4,103]

5 minutes ago, Vineheart01 said:

RAC is the absolute closest expose will ever be good

And its still terrible compared to other shenanigans he has access to.

Expose will never be valid unless it drops to a 1pt ept or loses the action and is just a start of combat thing (or after maneuver)

It should have been a double sided EPT that you can flip at the end of the combat phase.  That might have seen use.

[Vineheart01 6,403]

Doublesided?

What would that have been? One side +1atk -1def, action flip to other side -1atk +1def?

[flyboymb 1,067]

I think you guys are forgetting that we're talking about an instance where you'll

A) Be saving 3 points by taking TJ instead of EU so Expose will nearly even out

B) Have the opportunity to take an extra defense die, possibly utilize AT, and in a pinch throw out your free Predator title in order to reroll failed green dice which means you're under AT LEAST 4 green dice if the pilot ability is defensive rather than offensive.

C) Have the opportunity to do throw out 4-5 green dice every time the opportunity arises and otherwise just play as normal.

D) This thing has Tech AND System. Between FCS and Sensor Cluster, you have the possibility of taking multiple 'free actions' every turn.

E) Possibly be playing with a Deci that just loves to ram enemy fighters thereby depriving them of their 1-2 actions while setting up your shot at the same time.

I think this hate on Expose is just getting kneejerk at this point.

[Rogue_Group1 31]

On 11/24/2017 at 5:46 PM, RufusDaMan said:

Look. We have things like Fenn Rau, TBC, Rey+Finn, and easy to get off 4+ dice ordnance in game.

Finally, someone who understands me!

But Norra-Finn will still probably never be good, unfortunately.

[ficklegreendice 34,359]

57 minutes ago, flyboymb said:

I think you guys are forgetting that we're talking about an instance where you'll

A) Be saving 3 points by taking TJ instead of EU so Expose will nearly even out

B) Have the opportunity to take an extra defense die, possibly utilize AT, and in a pinch throw out your free Predator title in order to reroll failed green dice which means you're under AT LEAST 4 green dice if the pilot ability is defensive rather than offensive.

C) Have the opportunity to do throw out 4-5 green dice every time the opportunity arises and otherwise just play as normal.

D) This thing has Tech AND System. Between FCS and Sensor Cluster, you have the possibility of taking multiple 'free actions' every turn.

E) Possibly be playing with a Deci that just loves to ram enemy fighters thereby depriving them of their 1-2 actions while setting up your shot at the same time.

I think this hate on Expose is just getting kneejerk at this point.

Been a "kneejerk" since wave 2

Longest, most validated "kneejerk" ever

Edited November 27, 2017 by ficklegreendice

[flyboymb 1,067]

This sounded a lot funnier when I only had 3 hours of sleep...

[Jo Jo 4,663]

On 11/24/2017 at 2:56 PM, Jo Jo said:

OP is almost right, but he's got the defender in this case wrong. Blackout has a "super" Wedge ability and when attacking through an obstacle the Defender is -2 agility (reliable source on this). Really good at sniping 3 agility ships through rocks. The less agility a target has though the less impact his ability has. Trick shot will be particularly nasty on him, but I still think Push is optimal. You'll be wanting to be able to barrel roll him behind rocks and still get a TL or Focus. 

 

I was sort of right. Its not -2 agility, but defense dice. Even better. 

 

 

[BadMotivator 1,261]

I actually think he'll be really good. Thanks to Advanced Sensors, he can really hug rocks while staying safe. Even so far as to just do donuts around them. Maneuver up to the rock. Then next turn, barrel roll, and hard 1 turn to keep facing the rock again. Even without any tokens, he'll have a reroll from the title. And you can give him trick-shot to make him hit harder or Intensity to get a focus/evade token. He can carry a focus/evade token around with Comms Relay or Advanced Optics.

His pilot ability is basically a better, if more conditional, version of Juke and its got a lot of synergy with the upgrades he can take. Plus you aren't really locked into a specific EPT. You could go VI, PTL, Trick Shot, Intensity, etc...

[wurms 5,044]

It will be weird having the opponent argue that the shot isn't obstructed  on those shots that are "oh so close" and require a laser and a set of neutral eyes.

[thespaceinvader 17,538]

4 hours ago, BadMotivator said:

I actually think he'll be really good. Thanks to Advanced Sensors, he can really hug rocks while staying safe. Even so far as to just do donuts around them. Maneuver up to the rock. Then next turn, barrel roll, and hard 1 turn to keep facing the rock again. Even without any tokens, he'll have a reroll from the title. And you can give him trick-shot to make him hit harder or Intensity to get a focus/evade token. He can carry a focus/evade token around with Comms Relay or Advanced Optics.

His pilot ability is basically a better, if more conditional, version of Juke and its got a lot of synergy with the upgrades he can take. Plus you aren't really locked into a specific EPT. You could go VI, PTL, Trick Shot, Intensity, etc...

I suspect his best trick will be long range sniping actually.  He's perfectly weighted to sit at range 3 with a focus token and a reroll from the title and advsens to get the moves right, and strip the enemy of both their extra dice from range and rock, +1 red from Trick Shot.  It's a lot easier to keep a rock between you and them at long range than short.

[Magnus Grendel 10,575]

1 minute ago, thespaceinvader said:

I suspect his best trick will be long range sniping actually.  He's perfectly weighted to sit at range 3 with a focus token and a reroll from the title and advsens to get the moves right, and strip the enemy of both their extra dice from range and rock, +1 red from Trick Shot.  It's a lot easier to keep a rock between you and them at long range than short.

Indeed. Lurking at range with autothrusters and 3 dice is pretty safe even with no evade token, and 4-dice, -1 (net) agility attacks are nasty as heck.

It's a shame a tactical jammer can't obstruct your own shots...

With lots of debris on the board, Trick Shot, Collision Detector and Primed Thrusters, combined with the Silencer's dial, the Imperials finally have a pretty reasonable answer to Dash Rendar on the 'trolling around in debris clouds' front.

[Bonza 199]

9 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

 

With lots of debris on the board, Trick Shot, Collision Detector and Primed Thrusters, combined with the Silencer's dial, the Imperials finally have a pretty reasonable answer to Dash Rendar on the 'trolling around in debris clouds' front.

A glorious day indeed. 

[Magnus Grendel 10,575]

Other thought - for a turn 1 ambush...

• Lieutenant Dormitz
  • Hyperwave Comm Scanner
• Test Pilot "Blackout"
  • First Order Vanguard
  • Trick Shot
  • Collision Detector
  • Hyperwave Comm Scanner

is 66 points. Giving you 1/3 of your squad for a smattering of upgrades for these ships and/or an escort to accompany Dormitz as your main 'battle line'.

Blackout can deploy at PS12 and straight 5/boost to get snuggled in behind a debris cloud with a lovely 4-dice-focus-and-one-reroll, -1 (net) defence dice shot from a safe angle on the first turn. Given that you can theoretically do this even to Veteran Instincts Vader/Poe/Quickdraw, that's one heck of a "Surprise, B*****s!" opening gambit.

 

[Celestial Lizards 2,221]

Is a Juke-Comm Relay combo (from HCS) possible? 

[Magnus Grendel 10,575]

11 minutes ago, Celestial Lizards said:

Is a Juke-Comm Relay combo (from HCS) possible? 

It is - but you've got the issue that you're holding the evade token pretty much soley to juke with as you can't regenerate it (and you need a ship with the HCS to generate them).

At the same time, the combination of Juke and Sensor Jammer is a nasty one - damned if you do, damned if you don't

Unless you're Poe Dameron, of course.

(especially in multiples and especially especially if there's a hotshot co-pilot or stress distributor or carnor jax on the board).

Edited November 29, 2017 by Magnus Grendel

[Biophysical 15,515]

3 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Indeed. Lurking at range with autothrusters and 3 dice is pretty safe even with no evade token, and 4-dice, -1 (net) agility attacks are nasty as heck.

It's a shame a tactical jammer can't obstruct your own shots...

With lots of debris on the board, Trick Shot, Collision Detector and Primed Thrusters, combined with the Silencer's dial, the Imperials finally have a pretty reasonable answer to Dash Rendar on the 'trolling around in debris clouds' front.

It's pretty cheap as far as ace Silencers go, as well.

[Magnus Grendel 10,575]

Expanding on the squad idea above:

When suddenly, Ninjas!

• Zeta Specialist
  • Spec Ops Training
  • Fire Control System
  • Hyperwave Comm Scanner
  • Lightweight Frame
• Lieutenant Dormitz
  • Kylo Ren's Shuttle
  • Fire Control System
  • Hyperwave Comm Scanner
  • Advanced Optics
• Test Pilot "Blackout"
  • First Order Vanguard
  • Trick Shot
  • Collision Detector
  • Hyperwave Comm Scanner
  • Autothrusters

The Upsilon and TIE/sf form a decent 'battle line', whilst "Blackout" can be on your flank from turn 1 and zip in and out of debris to 'snipe' at people..