Monday 10 September 2018

Ten Squads in Ten Days - Part 9) Close Quarters Combat

Tuesday morning means it's Christmas Eve Eve, can you believe it?
I'm going to be bowing out with a festival of Scum & Villainy squadiness.  As I wrote in my Junkyard Falcon squad I'm having a ton of fun making Scum lists right now and so today we're going to have some fun because I end it all on something a bit more killer tomorrow.  For now though, it's time to start throwing some Ion control around...



9) CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT

The first thing to say about this squad is that there's so much great stuff for a 3-man Scum squad that you're really spoiled for choice which ones you actually go with.  This could easily be Talonbane/4-LOM/Fenn, or Palob/Boba/Kavil, or Teroch/Nym/4-LOM... there's so many really solid builds you can throw together and just have fun with what you want to fly.  I'm showing you this version because I want to showcase two pilots who been quietly and subtly buffed a lot from their 1st Edition versions: Kavil and 4-LOM.

Close Quarters Combat
  • Kavil - Expert Handling, R4 Astromech, Ion Cannon Turret, Han Solo, Advanced Proton Torpedoes (62)
  • 4-LOM - Advanced Sensors,0-0-0, Mist Hunter (62)
  • Fenn Rau - Predator (70)
    (194)


Kavil first, in his trusty and rusty old Y-Wing.  So how has Kavil been buffed?
  • Cost - Base 42 points is 6pts less than his old 24pts would justify.  On top of that the old Ion Cannon Turret would have been 10pts, and the old Advanced Proton Torpedoes would have been 12pts.  Kavil with Turret and Torps costs 54pts, a hefty saving vs the equivalent of 70pts that this would all have cost in 1st Edition!
  • R1 Turret Buff - turrets now get an extra dice at Range 1, which they didn't get in 1st Edition
  • Kavil's ability rewording - the new wording of Kavil's ability separates the front arc primary away from the turret, but DOES mean that Kavil's extra red dice does work in the front arc if you're using a rotating turret weapon.  If your Ion Cannon is facing forwards then Kavil can take that extra dice.
  • Gunner slot - and not just any gunner slot but a Scum gunner slot ready to use the new Han crew!
  • Reload action - just in case somebody is foolish enough to let Kavil reload his Advanced Proton Torps

Trusty and rusty old Kavil, then, comes to the table hitting harder than in 1st Edition (throwing as many as 5 red dice with his Ion Turret at Range 1!) and also costing a whole heap less.  He's here fully loaded with Advanced Proton Torpedoes for just 62 points!

4-LOM: my goodness the old G1-A starfighter was a rare sight on the table in 1st Edition, as it arrived in the game as Scum's answer to a question that nobody was asking any more.  I always had a personal soft spot for 4-LOM but he never quite made the cut whenever I was making a squad.  How's he got better in 2nd Edition?

  • Cost - at 49 points 4-LOM comes in 5pts less than he did in 1st Edition.  It's not quite the bargain you get from Kavil but it all helps!
  • Pilot Ability - 4-LOM gains a whole new side to his ability that reflects just how much he is going to be using his red maneuvers.  He now gets a free Calculate token whenever he performs a red maneuver and that's a massive help.
  • Medium Base - a new Medium base helps 4-LOM out in two ways.  First of all he's faster across the table to get onto Range 1 of his targets and stress them, and secondly it means his Range 0-1 bubble is that little bit larger and covers more of the map.
It's just a lovely extra bonus that 4-LOM is such a great partner for the super value of 0-0-0, and also how well he works with Advanced Sensors.  With Advanced Sensors on board 4-LOM can take an action before he moves, perform a red maneuver and get a free Calculate token, then shed the stress onto his opponent.  Hell, with a new 0 Stop maneuver on his dial 4-LOM doesn't even have to move forward, he can either park in space forever, or sidle crab-like across the table with barrel rolls.


The combination of Kavil and 4-LOM is a potent duo of control effects that can leave any opposing ship driftly helplessly through space, ionised and stressed.  Helpless and a sitting duck for Fenn Rau to finish off, or for Kavil to pepper with his Advanced Proton Torpedoes.  It's not just control effects here for control's sake, there's plenty of teeth to finish the enemy off once they've been weakened!

But as I said at the top, all the cool stuff on display here really only goes to show how many great options there are in Scum at present.  Go play Scum!





11 comments:

  1. Kavil does not work in the front standard arc.

    From the Rules Reference (p. 4):

    The turret arc indicator points toward one of ship’s four standard arcs. The
    standard arc that the turret arc indicator is pointing toward is a [turret] in addition to still being a standard arc.

    If Kavil points the turret to the front arc and shoots from that arc, he cannot roll an additional dice. It´s still the front arc.

    With the turrets there are not additional arcs. They point towards the standard arcs and they are the same (plus turret arc keyword).

    Greetings and thanks for your blog.

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    1. I've double-checked the rules reference and I think you're wrong. It specifically says than when a Turret points forwards it creates a Turret arc AND is still a primary arc as well. If you use your Turret weapon you're using your Turret arc not your primary arc. At least that's how I read it.

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    2. there is no "primary arc"! just e.g. a primary weapon firing in the front standard arc. if kavils turret fires in the front standard arc it gets no additional die, because, well, he fires in the front standard arc.
      most important rule (see Pablos post above):
      The turret arc indicator points toward one of ship’s four standard arcs. The
      standard arc that the turret arc indicator is pointing toward is a [turret] *in addition to still being a standard arc*.

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    3. I think it's going to be an FAQ job, in that case, as (I'm told) Frank Brooks played it that the two arcs were separate when he demoed the game.

      I don't do the rules, I leave that to other people. If I got fed bad info I'm sorry to have misled!

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    4. no worries.. i like your writings!

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    5. Well we got the FAQ and it works how I'd been told it works - Kavils tossing 5 Ion at R1 front arc.

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    6. after the faq dropped, i was convinced the faq contradicted the rules reference. what i completely missed was the concept of "attack arc" (see rr pg. 5) which only exists during an attack. seeing it that way, u attack from a non-V-attack if you use ur turret in the front arc. you were correct all the way..

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  2. I don't think so.

    From the rules reference:

    - An arc is an area formed between the lines created by extending hash marks or arc lines printed on a ship token to range 3.

    - There are three types of standard arcs created from the crossed diagonal arc lines:
    - Front arc: This arc projects in the same direction that the ship is facing
    [...]

    - Turret Arcs: Unlike other arcs, some weapons use turret arc indicators to SELECT arcs.
    - The turret arc indicator points toward one of ship’s four standard arcs. The standard arc that the turret arc indicator is pointing toward is a [Turret Symbol] in addition to still being a standard arc.

    The turret indicator does not CREATE a new arc, but SELECTS one of the four existing standar arcs.

    When a ship shoots, it does from one of the arcs described in the rules. If the turret indicator points forward, it shoots from the front standar arc (it´s still a standar arc)

    This is a common misunderstanding in the forums and I expect a FAQ entry with the matter.

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    Replies
    1. The question is whether the symbology on cards like Kavil and Veteran Turret Gunner refers to the arc itself or the weapon which uses that arc. Both readings have a decent case.

      But Frank Brooks apparently clarified that it's referring to the weapon. So Kavil can add a die to his turret shot out the front and VTG can double tap out the front. Until we hear otherwise, I don't know why we wouldn't go with that ruling.

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    2. VTG works because the primary forward arc and the turret forward arc are not the same thing.

      Kavil just says you have to be shooting out of a non-forward arc. When you point it forward you are shooting out of the "turret forward" arc. That is still a forward arc.

      VTG works out the front, Kavil does not.

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    3. I think you're confusing 1.0 Kavil w/ 2.0 Kavil.

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