Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have an idea for a new type of card, and wanted to throw it out for some ideas. I'm not the greatest at costing/coming up with abilities, so any help there would be greatly appreciated.

Squadron Card: A squadron card can be applied to a ship list for the points indicated on the card. Each squadron card has a list of the ships that are required to . No ship can belong to more than one squadron, and can only be included in a squadron when the force is built (i.e., you can't add a ship to a squadron mid-game to replace one of the ships of in a squadron that is destroyed). Generally, a squadron consists of one named pilot (PS 5+) and two generic pilots (PS 3 or less). Squadrons grant additional abilities to the members of the squad when they are within Range 1-2 of the squadron leader (the named pilot).

Examples:

Bandit Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 Z-95 PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Y-Wings or Z-95 PS 1-3; After defending, if you are not stressed, you may perform a free barrel roll and then take a stress token; Cost 2

Blue Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 X-Wing PS 5+; Any combination of 2 X-Wings or Z-95 PS 1-3; Squadmates in Range 1-2 gain a free evade (this does not stack from multiple squadmates)

Dagger Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 B-Wing PS 5+; 2 B-Wings PS 1-3; You may reroll blank results with secondary weapon attacks; Cost 3

Gold Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 Y-Wing PS 5+; 2 Y-Wings PS 1-3; Add Evade to your Action Bar; Cost 2

Gray Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 Y-Wing PS 5+; Any combination of 2 X-Wings or Y-Wings PS 1-3; You may spend a focus instead of a target lock when firing secondary weapons

Green Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 A-Wing PS 5+; 2 A-Wing PS 1-3; You may perform a 3 Seignor's Loop Left/Right as a Red manuever instead of a 3 Koiogran Loop; Cost 3

Guardian Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 K-Wing PS 5+; Any combination of 2 K-Wings or Y-Wings PS 1-3; Action: If you have a turret, You may skip your attack to add +2 Attack dice to a squadmate's turret attack; Cost 4

Knave Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 E-Wing PS 5+; Any combination of 2 E-Wings or X-Wings PS 1-3; Add Boost to your Action Bar; Cost 3

Red Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 X-Wing PS 5+; 2 X-Wings PS 1-3; You may boost or barrel roll after an attack that hits; Cost 3

Tala Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirement: 1 Z-95 Headhunter PS 5+; 2 Z-95 Headhunters PS 1-3; You may ignore the first damage you take in a turn; Cost 4

Vanguard Squadron (Rebel Only)
Requirements: 1 HWK-290 PS 5+; Any combination of 2 X-Wings or Y-Wings PS 1-3; When defending, you may change one of the attacker's Hits to a Focus. That die cannot be further modified. Cost: 2

-----------------------------------

Avenger Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Interceptor PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Advanced or Tie Fighters PS 1-4; After attacking, one squadmate in Range 1-2 may Focus for free. Cost: 2

Cutlass Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Punisher PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Punishers or Tie Bombers PS 1-4; You may increase or decrease the range of Secondary weapons by 1 Range. Cost: 2

Black Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Advanced PS 5+; 2 Tie Fighters PS 1-4; Action: +1 Attack Dice; Cost 5

Black Eight Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Punisher PS 5+; 2 Tie Punishers PS 1-4; After an attack with a secondary weapons hit, you MUST choose 1 other ship at Range 1 of the defender (other than a squadmate). That ship suffers 1 damage. Cost: 4

Delta Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Defender PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Advanced or Tie Bombers PS 1-3; Squadmates may take the Extra Munitions card as a Modification. This card is not lost if squadmates move beyond Range 2 of the squad leader.

Epsilon Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Fighter PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Fighters or Tie Bombers PS 1-3; You may change one blank result to a Hit or Evade result; Cost: 3

Gamma Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Bomber PS 5+; 2 Tie Bombers PS 1-4; Action: You may Delay or Detonate any bomb you have dropped. A delayed bomb does not detonate until you take a Detonate action; Action: You may Drift a Delayed bomb you have dropped 1 Straight in any direction; Cost: 3

Obsidian Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Fighter PS 5+; 2 Tie Fighters PS 1-4; You treat Criticals as two hits against Shields; Cost 3

Omega Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Fighter PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Fighters or Tie Interceptors PS 1-4; If you are destroyed by an attack, roll an attack die. On a critical, remain on the board with no shields and 2 damage cards on your ship; Cost 3

Omnicron Group (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Lambda Class Shuttle PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Fighters or Tie Interceptors PS 1-4; Action: Squadmate in Range 1-2 gain a free Evade. You may not have more than 1 Evade token at a time. Cost: 2

Onyx Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Defender PS 5+; 1-2 Tie Defender PS 1-3; Your Ion attacks deal one additional Ion token. A small ship with two Ion tokens skips it Take Action phase; A large ship with three Ion tokens skips its Take Action phase. Cost: 5

Saber Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Interceptor PS 5+; 2 Tie Interceptors PS 1-4; After you perform an attack that hits, a squadmate at range 1-2 can Barrel Roll or Boost for free; Cost 3

Scimitar Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirements: 1 Tie Bomber PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Advanced or Tie Defender PS 1-4; You may change 1 Hit to a Critical with secondary weapons; Cost 2

Sector Patrol (Empire Only)
Requirements: 1 VT-49 PS 4+; Any combination of 2 Tie Fighters or Tie Interceptors PS 1-4; When attacking, you may discard one Focus result to place a Stress token on the defender; Cost 2

Shadow Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Phantom PS 6+; 2 Tie Phantoms PS 3-5; After performing an Evade action, you may Cloak for free; Cost 4

Sigma Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Phantom PS 6+; Any combination of 2 Tie Phantoms, Tie Advanced (w/ Stealth Device) or Tie Interceptors (w/ Stealth Device) PS 1-4; You can Barrel Roll with the 1 Slight Left/Right instead of 1 Straight; Cost: 2

Storm Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Advanced PS 5+; 2 Tie Advanced PS 1-4; Action: If you have no shields remaining, you may add Boost to your action bar; Cost 2

Tempest Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Advanced PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Tie Advanced or Tie Interceptors PS 1-4; After performing a Boost or Barrel Roll you may acquire a Target Lock for free; Cost 3

Zeta Squadron (Empire Only)
Requirement: 1 Tie Fighter PS 5+; 2 Tie Fighters PS 1-4; Action: If you performed a green maneuver, roll a defense die. On an Evade result, regain 1 Shield; Cost 3
----------------------------------------

Binayre Pirate Band (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 Z-95 PS 5+; 2 Z-95 PS 1-4; Action: Select an enemy ship at Range 1-2. Reduce that ship's Agility by 1; Cost 3

Black Sun Assassination Force (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 Star Viper PS 5+; 2 Star Viper PS 1-4; Action: You may perform a 1 Seignor's Loop Left/Right or a 1 Koiogan Turn. Afterwards, receive a stress token. Cost 2

Black Sun Assault Force (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 Kihraxz PS 5+; 2 Z-95 PS 1-3; Once per turn, after one of your squad members is attacked, a squadmate at Range 1-2 may make a free primary attack against the attacker; Cost 3

Black Sun Enforcers (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 Star Viper PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Kihraxz or Z-95 PS 1-3; You may change 1 Focus result to an Evade result; Cost 2

Bounty Hunter Cadre (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 Firespray-31, G-1A, Jumpmaster 5000 or YV-666 PS 5+; Any combination of 2 Firespray-31, G-1A, Jumpmaster 5000 or YV-666 PS 1-5; When attacking, after a successful hit, one Squadmate in Range 1-2 gains a free target lock on the defender; Cost: 3

Cartel Smugglers (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 Kihrax PS 5+; 2 M3-A PS 1-4; Add Boost to your action bar; Cost 3

Mandalorian War Party (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 Firespray-31 PS 5+; 2 Y-Wings PS 1-4; When attacking a ship in your primary arc, roll 1 additional attack dice. Cost 3

Spicer Escort (Scum Only)
Requirement: 1 HWK-290 PS 3+; Any combination of 2 Kihraxz or M3-A PS 1-4; Action (Limited*): Treat one squadmate in Range 1-2 as if they had Piloting 12 (*= only one ship in the squad can perform this action per turn). Cost: 4

Syndicate Thugs (Scum Only)
Requirements: 1 Y-Wing PS 5+; Any combination of 2 M3-A or Z-95 PS 1-4; Any enemy ship you touch gains a Stress token. Cost 2



Automatically Appended Next Post:
P.S.: What do think about also allowing the primary ship (the one with PS 5+) taking the Squad Leader and the secondary ships (the ones with PS 1-4) taking Wingman without taking up an Elite slot - but they still have to pay the points?

Some of these are extremely powerful and some extremely not. Including many ideas and reusing some abilities already found in the game at a premium points cost for mere peanuts for 3+ ships has the potential to be game breaking.

The E-wing squad kind of sucks. Red Squadron is really powerful. Turr Phennir is a viable pilot currently. Giving that ability to someone like Wedge at PS 11 is insane. Tala Squadron is really good too. "oh sorry that damage just doesn't count" that's not very tactical or thought inspiring. I know we all as gamers enjoy things that are reliable and strong but that doesn't help game balance. Vanguard Squadron is pretty insane. An unchangable Sensor Jammer on a HWK and 2 x wings or y wings for only 2 points? Sensor jammer is 4 points, takes up a valuable systems upgrade slot and can be countered by focus actions at the cost of not being able to defend with that focus. That's fairly well balanced and is still a good choice especially against TLTs.

Cutlass squad is just a rip of Major Rhymer's ability. Which while I love and would love to have on multiple ships isnt fair to just hand out for 2 points. Black Squadron is just really good. Darth Vader rolling 4 attack dice and adding a crit will hurt a lot. Black Eight is just a rip of Ruthlessness for 4 points instead of 3 and is therefore equally as terrible. Delta Squad is the first one that seems cool. Moving things around in upgrade slots is interesting though Extra Munitions is meh on Defenders and Advanceds. Epsilon Squad is really powerful for 3 points. Especially if it applies to each ship individually. Gamma squad is also interesting. Obsidian squad is a broken rip of Bossk. Omicron group is really really good for 2 points when so many people are taking the Palp shuttle + wampa + interceptor. Shadow squad is really meh for 4 points. Tempest Squad might be good. Not sure. Zeta squad is brokenly good. Shield regen on 3 ships for 3 points even if it doesn't work all the time and you have to take shield upgrades is way too good. can you imagine Omega Leader with that? Kill me now.

All of the Scum ones are pretty awful. Especially the Bounty Hunter Cadre. How do you fit any combination of 3 of those ships except 3 G-1As? And why would you take 3 G-1As and pay 3 extra points to get one free target lock a turn when you can just put fire control systems on them. Cartel smugglers is only interesting because it allows taking of autothrusters but I don't know if that's good or bad.

The last rule is weird. Might be workable. Especially if there's a clause saying that squad leader can be used in addition to another action for a stress. Then Push the Limit is not the automatic choice and promotes synergy between Wingman and Squad Leader for a benefit of real action economy at a reasonable points cost.

Why so many? Maybe have the squadron cards as a role type bonus card.

Assault Squadron: All ships share the same target lock, the Target lock is not removed when used for rerolls, but still is for attacks that spend a target lock.

Guardian Squadron: Ships in this squadron at range 1 of another ship add 1 defense die for each friendly ship at range 1 to the defending ship.

Thanks on your input - taking these back to the drawing board to re-evaluate and see if I can get some actual playtesting in.

It sounds like a GW formation, which is one of the reasons I left 40k.

I like the idea a lot for "fun" games at home, but I'd agree that some of them are a bit much. The range of 1-2 may also be too much. I'd suggest trying just Range 1 (thinking Wingman), but allow the "squad" to all move (not shoot) at the leader's PS if they all reveal the same maneuver.