Teri is in full "fangirl gush" mode in both videos and she's way too positive about this stuff, but it is an interesting preview.
The Hideki "fighter wing" has an interesting damage mechanic (one clearly inspired by clix bases) and is very maneuverable at low speeds, but for 20 points AND your sole resource slot they look pretty worthless to me. With a zero starting agility, no shields, and not even an evade icon (???) there's no way you're going to get to use that big 6 attack, and most likely not even the 5 token. Eating up ~4 attacks (maybe 5-6 with Kraxon bubble tricks) is helpful for the rest of the fleet, but 20 points is a lot to pay for that compared to big defensive upgrades like Interphase Generators, Sulu, etc. You sure aren't going to get much offense out of the Hidekis as they stand.
If the cost was lower, or they weren't a "one-only" resource, or the stats were better, I'd see a use for them. The lack of Evasive Action on the icon bar is baffling (heck, I'd have expected it as a free action for any "fighter") and the starting agility should have been much higher. Somewhere around 3 to start and climbing by 1 with each token of damage would have been (maybe) worth 20, especially if they weren't saddled with the resource restriction.
The shield text on the resource card does mean the Fed attack wing in month 6 will probably have a shield or two, making them tougher than the Hidekis, but they'll probably trade off offense for the benefit.
The Rav Laerst text is all about lateral maneuverability, very good for lining up shots with Energy Dissipators. Actually not a bad ship, but still not great - maybe superior to the Gor Portas but intended for entirely different use (EDs instead of photons).
Thot Pran is enormously inferior to the same-cost Gul Dukat, but he is a second skill 7 captain for Dominion and he actually has an elite slot. Just serves to reinforce the "use EDs on this ship" mindset here, but he doesn't do a very good job of it. Martok9 this guy is not.
Invaluable Advice is terrific, but as usual, it helps other factions much more than Dominion. Both Klingons and Romulans will find uses for it even crossfaction - 3 points is not a lot to pay for a no-action one-turn Battlestations, especially one you can use while under aux power or after a collision. It theoretically helps score ED hits too, but with that tiny dice pool, it doesn't help much, not even 2 points worth. Rather take Engage or something - Dominion doesn't have elite slots to spare.
Breen Guards is a 5 point "boarding party" crew. It's disable to use, but it still requires you to lower your shields and the enemy's and it still only kills crew, not tech or weapons. Apparently the Jem'Hadar won't share their transporter technology, but even if it could beam through shields and cloaks it would still be way too costly for what it does. Teri's just plain crazy for the fool thing - if I win a Rav Laerst she can have mine.
Cold Storage Units opens up some really scary offensive potential for the small Romulan ships that normally lack weapon upgrade slots. They still don't have Target Lock so no plasmas or photons, but you don't need lock to use Antimatter Mines, and their maneuver dials are insane enough to make spending 11 or even 17 points upgrading a Vo to a minelayer kind of attractive. It's another unique upgrade that doesn't do much for Dominion but helps their enemies a bunch.
Oops, you're right, I'm a ninny. That's what I get for watching the vid at 4AM. Still only going to let it ignore 1 hit per round, sadly. Doesn't change my (low) opinion of their cost effectiveness compared to other resources and ships.
It's also kind of an ominous sign of the future for Dominion players. With the Hidekis probably relegated to Resource status forever, about the only unseen ship we can expect is the Jem'Hadar cruiser, and it won't be out before April, if then. That's not cool - the weakest of the "big four" factions is getting cut out of the production schedule already, and instead we're getting lone Kazon and Species 8472 ships already?
Not that the Dominion's alone in getting shorted. Hope the Romulan players like the TOS warbird in January, because they get nothing in the next wave either. Kind of wondering how much use the Klingons are going to get out of Somraw generics, too. Pretty much a D7 with Scan instead of Battlestations, which is not a trade I'd consider investing in. Still, the upgrades may support it.
Damn and blast, no rear arcs on the small Romulans either, so scratch that antimatter mine idea. I am full of fail today. They might still get some mileage out of mounting Cold Storage and Forward Weapons Grid or Dorsal Weapon Array, but the cost is probably prohibitive - better to just use a flagship card to get a weapon onto them at that point.
For sheer excess, you could use Cold Storage to load a Defiant with four(!) antimatter mines. Not worth the 25 points it would cost, but pretty funny.
Cold Storage will be better if/when we see more cheap and/or one-shot weapon upgrades, which the game could use more of.
I can see some potential for the Hidekis. Someone in the FAQ thread raised the Hidekis as being a good second ship in a Barrage of Fire, adding 6 dice if undamaged, and a high skill captain on the primary Barrage of Fire ship could ensure that the Hidekis probably do contribute all of those 6 dice.
Valid point, although it raises the question of whether they should be allowed to contribute to a Barrage at range 3 or not. Guess we'll have to wait for a FAQ on that one.
Think I'd rather spend 24 points on a Keldon for Barrage support. It's only a "mere" 5 dice, but the broader firing arc makes it easier to use. The Hidekis aren't utterly bad for their cost, but eating up your resource slot is kind of a big deal, and the fact that you can only ever have one squadron of Hidekis is, well, just annoying. They should have been a general release figure, not a one-off OP handout.
Interesting. Here's something else that's new, youtube spoilers for the Month 5 OP Hideki participation prize:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLTb7-RUXbI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUD7Q56qYo7vbO8QRrqN-3gA
and the Breen Rav Laerst top slot prize ship:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX6VtlSjCMk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUD7Q56qYo7vbO8QRrqN-3gA
Teri is in full "fangirl gush" mode in both videos and she's way too positive about this stuff, but it is an interesting preview.
The Hideki "fighter wing" has an interesting damage mechanic (one clearly inspired by clix bases) and is very maneuverable at low speeds, but for 20 points AND your sole resource slot they look pretty worthless to me. With a zero starting agility, no shields, and not even an evade icon (???) there's no way you're going to get to use that big 6 attack, and most likely not even the 5 token. Eating up ~4 attacks (maybe 5-6 with Kraxon bubble tricks) is helpful for the rest of the fleet, but 20 points is a lot to pay for that compared to big defensive upgrades like Interphase Generators, Sulu, etc. You sure aren't going to get much offense out of the Hidekis as they stand.
If the cost was lower, or they weren't a "one-only" resource, or the stats were better, I'd see a use for them. The lack of Evasive Action on the icon bar is baffling (heck, I'd have expected it as a free action for any "fighter") and the starting agility should have been much higher. Somewhere around 3 to start and climbing by 1 with each token of damage would have been (maybe) worth 20, especially if they weren't saddled with the resource restriction.
The shield text on the resource card does mean the Fed attack wing in month 6 will probably have a shield or two, making them tougher than the Hidekis, but they'll probably trade off offense for the benefit.
The Rav Laerst text is all about lateral maneuverability, very good for lining up shots with Energy Dissipators. Actually not a bad ship, but still not great - maybe superior to the Gor Portas but intended for entirely different use (EDs instead of photons).
Thot Pran is enormously inferior to the same-cost Gul Dukat, but he is a second skill 7 captain for Dominion and he actually has an elite slot. Just serves to reinforce the "use EDs on this ship" mindset here, but he doesn't do a very good job of it. Martok9 this guy is not.
Invaluable Advice is terrific, but as usual, it helps other factions much more than Dominion. Both Klingons and Romulans will find uses for it even crossfaction - 3 points is not a lot to pay for a no-action one-turn Battlestations, especially one you can use while under aux power or after a collision. It theoretically helps score ED hits too, but with that tiny dice pool, it doesn't help much, not even 2 points worth. Rather take Engage or something - Dominion doesn't have elite slots to spare.
Breen Guards is a 5 point "boarding party" crew. It's disable to use, but it still requires you to lower your shields and the enemy's and it still only kills crew, not tech or weapons. Apparently the Jem'Hadar won't share their transporter technology, but even if it could beam through shields and cloaks it would still be way too costly for what it does. Teri's just plain crazy for the fool thing - if I win a Rav Laerst she can have mine.
Cold Storage Units opens up some really scary offensive potential for the small Romulan ships that normally lack weapon upgrade slots. They still don't have Target Lock so no plasmas or photons, but you don't need lock to use Antimatter Mines, and their maneuver dials are insane enough to make spending 11 or even 17 points upgrading a Vo to a minelayer kind of attractive. It's another unique upgrade that doesn't do much for Dominion but helps their enemies a bunch.
The Hideki Squadron does have Evade, also Target Lock.
DeleteOops, you're right, I'm a ninny. That's what I get for watching the vid at 4AM. Still only going to let it ignore 1 hit per round, sadly. Doesn't change my (low) opinion of their cost effectiveness compared to other resources and ships.
DeleteIt's also kind of an ominous sign of the future for Dominion players. With the Hidekis probably relegated to Resource status forever, about the only unseen ship we can expect is the Jem'Hadar cruiser, and it won't be out before April, if then. That's not cool - the weakest of the "big four" factions is getting cut out of the production schedule already, and instead we're getting lone Kazon and Species 8472 ships already?
Not that the Dominion's alone in getting shorted. Hope the Romulan players like the TOS warbird in January, because they get nothing in the next wave either. Kind of wondering how much use the Klingons are going to get out of Somraw generics, too. Pretty much a D7 with Scan instead of Battlestations, which is not a trade I'd consider investing in. Still, the upgrades may support it.
Damn and blast, no rear arcs on the small Romulans either, so scratch that antimatter mine idea. I am full of fail today. They might still get some mileage out of mounting Cold Storage and Forward Weapons Grid or Dorsal Weapon Array, but the cost is probably prohibitive - better to just use a flagship card to get a weapon onto them at that point.
DeleteFor sheer excess, you could use Cold Storage to load a Defiant with four(!) antimatter mines. Not worth the 25 points it would cost, but pretty funny.
Cold Storage will be better if/when we see more cheap and/or one-shot weapon upgrades, which the game could use more of.
I can see some potential for the Hidekis. Someone in the FAQ thread raised the Hidekis as being a good second ship in a Barrage of Fire, adding 6 dice if undamaged, and a high skill captain on the primary Barrage of Fire ship could ensure that the Hidekis probably do contribute all of those 6 dice.
DeleteValid point, although it raises the question of whether they should be allowed to contribute to a Barrage at range 3 or not. Guess we'll have to wait for a FAQ on that one.
DeleteThink I'd rather spend 24 points on a Keldon for Barrage support. It's only a "mere" 5 dice, but the broader firing arc makes it easier to use. The Hidekis aren't utterly bad for their cost, but eating up your resource slot is kind of a big deal, and the fact that you can only ever have one squadron of Hidekis is, well, just annoying. They should have been a general release figure, not a one-off OP handout.
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