Friday, November 27, 2015

Commander's Guide - Firespray-31

On Wednesday we talked about the rebel YT-1300 and Han Solo, so today we're going to discuss the Imperial Counterpart, the bounty hunter Boba Fett and the Firespray-31.




Firespray-31:


The generic Firespray-31 is the first Imperial Bomber to show up to the fight with 2 dice (Blue) in its anti-ship armament, and the only generic Bomber with the Rogue keyword.  Able to move and shoot during the squadron phase, the Firespray gives the Imperials a reliable source of squadron damage against ships, and does so without any need for squadron activations.

That's not to say the Firespray is a one trick pony, like the TIE Bomber.  Despite a low speed of 3, the Firespray comes with a hull of 6, and an anti-squadron of 3 Blue dice, letting it mix it up with enemy squadrons as needed.  Though the anti-ship capabilities are a bit low for its cost of 18 points, with Rogue it should be able to dictate the engagement even without a dedicated carrier ship.

While the Firespray is capable of working well alone, it can be supported in a few different ways.  Major Rhymer gives it the same long range firepower that he gives anyone.  With the ability to move and fire, the Rhymer supported Firespray ball gains ridiculous levels of manuverability for attacking enemy ships.  While typically not dealing with squadron commands, the Firespray is still eligible for Corruptor speed boosts, being a Bomber - not the most cost effective combo, but something to keep in the back of your mind.  Lacking Grit, an Intel ship like Dengar or the JumpMaster 5000 can help keep the Firesprays make the most of their Rogue keyword, even if overwhelmed by superior numbers. 

Boba Fett:


Clocking in at 26 points, Boba Fett and the Slave 1 retain the same Bomber and Rogue keywords associated with the generic Firespray.  He also keeps the same speed 3 and 6 hull, though with a pair of Brace tokens for defense.  The big difference is in the offense.  For the extra 8 points, Boba packs in 1 extra dice for 4 Blue against enemy squadrons, and 1 Blue and 1 Black to compliment his Bomber attack.  Plus, when Boba activates, he deals 1 damage to an enemy ship or squadron at Range 1.  (A note for this - if against an enemy ship, because the location is not specified, the opponent gets to chose the hull zone the damage is dealt to.)

This gives Boba quite a bit of offensive flexability, especially as enemy squadrons start to be worn down, or when all squadrons are eliminated and he is going up against enemy ships.  After all, being able to pop an extra point of damage can be what finishes off an engaged squadron or softens one up for a 4 dice attack to do the job.

Boba works best when in a tussle with other squadrons.  Combine him with IG-88 to hunt down specific rebel targets, or with other Firesprays to have an all-purpose group not dependent on squadron commands.  Or use him as a non-Escort escort for your Rhymer ball, easily blowing up enemy squadrons that try to engage the ball, and not eating a command to move and attack.


That's it for this discussion on the Imperial's new bomber.  We've got a lot more squadrons to cover, and we definately need to get to the MC30c sooner, rather than later.  Join us Monday for more discussions!

This article is part of the Commander's Guide series.

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