X-Wing: “Launching,” “Reveal” Bombs, a Preview of the Resistance Bomber Wave XIII (13), and Speculation on the Guns for Hire Release Date and FAQ

Last week, we previewed the TIE Silencer.  Now it’s time to “Finish What [We] Start[ed]” and preview the B/SF-17 Resistance Bomber!

We’ve known about the Resistance Bomber since the Star Wars: The Last Jedi Official Trailer back in April.  Aesthetically, this ship is nowhere near as cool-looking as the TIE Silencer.  It kind of looks like a B-Wing that has fallen on its back and can’t get up.

Stats-wise, I look at this ship as a “fairer” K-Wing.  Much like the K-Wing, it doesn’t get an Elite Pilot Talent upgrade (“EPT”), it costs like thirty points before you even put anything on it, it has a 2 attack primary weapon turret, one agility, and a ton of health.

However, the Resistance Bomber is a large base ship, so you get half points for bringing it from its whopping twelve health down to six!  Take that, Rebel points fortresses!

I don’t know about you guys, but I wasn’t looking at the current meta and going “GEE WILLIKERS!  SWARMS ARE A PROBLEM.  WHERE ARE THE BOMBS?  I SURE WISH THERE WERE MORE WAYS TO USE BOMBS.”

 

ORDNANCE SILOS

Ordnance Silos are three times as strong as Extra Munitions for the same cost.  The Ordnance Silos are neither a unique title nor “Limited,” so you can equip multiple Resistance Bombers with the title.  However, the title is only for the Resistance Bomber and it takes up one of the Resistance Bomber’s two bomb upgrade slots.  You only get to pick one type of bomb, but at least you get four uses of that bomb over the course of the game.

 

NEW CONDITION: “RATTLED”

One of the Resistance Bomber pilots, the PS7 “Crimson Leader,” has the following special effect:

• “When attacking, if the defender is inside your firing arc, you may spend 1 Hit or Crit result to assign the ‘Rattled’ Condition to the defender”

and the condition card reads:

• “When you suffer damage from a bomb, you suffer 1 additional critical damage.  Then, remove this card.
  Action: Roll 1 attack die.  On a Focus or Hit result, remove this card.”

Of note, the Resistance Bomber’s attack can miss but still apply the condition.  You only need to spend a “hit or crit result” to apply the condition.

This new condition creates some interesting rule interactions, most notably when combined with the Sabine Wren crew card.  As of right now, I’m arguing that this effect stacks with Sabine Wren.  If a ship within range 1 of a bomb takes bomb damage, the ship will take damage for:

• the bomb;
• Sabine Wren; and
• the “Rattled” condition.

However, I’m also arguing that if the bomb misses, the ship will only take the Sabine Damage. The key word here is “bomb.”  Here’s why:

• The “Rattled” condition triggers “[w]hen you suffer damage from a bomb…”
• Nowhere on Sabine does it say that the bomb deals the one extra damage.  It just says “That ship suffers 1 damage.”  Sabine is dealing the damage, not a bomb.

Either way, “Palping” for a miss on bomb rolls is looking better and better.

 

NEW KEYWORD: “LAUNCH”

As many of you know, the 5 straight template is at range 2-3 and a bomb token is slightly smaller than a small ship base.  That means that, combined with the size of the bomb token, you can “launch” a bomb and damage a ship that is outside of range 3.  What does “launch” mean?  Well, we don’t quite know yet.

Edit: In addition to the issue caused by the lack of a definition for “launch,” another reader pointed out that the image of Trajectory Simulator in the article has two different versions.  The remainder of this article is written with the assumption that the “card fan” on the left is incorrect and the individual call out of the image on the right is correct. Hopefully FFG’s official “preview” article clears this up.  Thanks, readers!

 

“REVEAL” BOMBS v. “ACTION” BOMBS

Trajectory Simulator “cannot launch bombs with the ‘Action:‘ header…”  That means you can only “launch” “Reveal” bombs.  “Reveal” bombs are the ones that contain the phrase, “When you reveal your maneuver, you may… drop…”

• Reveal Bombs include (you can “launch” these!):
  • Seismic Charges
  • Proton Bombs
  • Ion Bombs
  • Thermal Detonators
  • Bomblet Generator
• Action Bombs include (you cannot “launch” these):
  • Proximity Mines
  • Cluster Mines
  • Conner Net

Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about range 3 Cluster Mines.

 

INFINITE RANGE-THREE BOMBS

Very few ships have the requisite i) System upgrade and ii) either a Bomb upgrade slot or can equip the Sabine Wren and/or Cad Bane crew (which grant a Bomb upgrade slot) to make any use of the Trajectory Simulator.

Only three ships have the requisite two Bomb upgrade slots to make full use of the Trajectory Simulator and Bomblet Generator infinite range-three bomb combo:

• i) the Resistance Bomber
• ii) the TIE Punisher, and
• iii) the Scurrg with the “Havoc” title.

Deathrain with Trajectory Simulator looks to be hilarious.  Reveal your maneuver, “launch” a Bomblet, barrel roll with Deathrain’s ability, execute your maneuver, then take an action.

Edit: A reader pointed out that the “launch” keyword on Trajectory Simulator might override Deathrain’s text which requires “When dropping… After dropping…” so I guess we’ll have to wait and see if this works or if Deathrain gets an errata!

Nym looks to be top contender for a potential “problem” caused by this expansion.  As if Nym and Wave XI hadn’t made enough of an impact, Trajectory Simulator on a “Havoc” equipped ship can pull off some shenanigans:

• Launch a bomb 5 straight before you move.
• Move 5 straight and then launch a bomb 5 straight after you move with Genius.
• Move 3 bank and then launch a bomb 5 straight after you move with Genius.
• Move 3 hard and then launch a bomb 5 straight after you move with Genius.

This gives a Havoc-and-Genius-equipped Scurgg a large potential blast radius.  Nym, who is usually PS10 with Veteran Instincts, so is going to know where you are before he decides whether to “launch” before or after he moves.  However, only time will tell whether Trajectory Simulator will overthrow Advanced Sensors as the obvious System upgrade for Nym.

 

GUNS FOR HIRE RELEASE & UPCOMING FAQ

Very briefly, I would like to make an educated guess on when we will see some Advanced SLAM bomb-related news.  About a month ago, a user on Reddit leaked the following:

The great FAQQENING is upon us and my guess is October 1, 2017.  First, FFG wasn’t going to make the same mistake it made earlier this year before Worlds and release a FAQ before the Nationals season ended.  Nationals are almost over.  Canada is this upcoming weekend.

Second, the recent announcement of Wave XII shows a change to the text on Advanced SLAM which resembles the leaked text.  There is now a “your” after “perform,” which tends to prove that the “perform an action on your action bar” will be the new text.

Third, FFG recently announced that the first Netrunner expansion rotation will occur on October 1, 2017.  This would be consistent with the fact that FFG likes to FAQ/update its Tournament Rules across all games at the same time.

Finally, rumor has it that Guns for Hire will be released just three days prior, on September 28, 2017, which is consistent with the fact that it has been “On the Boat” since August 8, 2017 and was available for purchase at Gen Con on August 17, 2017.  It’s already here and they are just making us wait for it.

YA’LL READY FOR SOME HARPOONS?

 

WRAP UP

That about does it for the Resistance Bomber until we get a full preview article.  The expansion looks like it contains several more upgrades that we can’t fully read just yet. Once we can, you can bet that we’ll do another article.

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