The new Proving Grounds Expansion (PGE) is set to release in October, 2020. As mentioned before, Proving Grounds includes another set of maps and over 100 cards.
The legacy maps from Dog Fight 1.0 worked really well for the downloadable missions and have been reworked as debris fields in this 2.0 expansion. Maps 1001-A and 1002-A are also downloadable now in a print-friendly format from our DriveThruRPG location.
Proving Grounds is also introducing some new ideas to play around with. PGE includes a lot of ENVIRONMENT type cards and a new "Mission" series of action cards.
ENVIRONMENT cards work differently from action cards as they may affect the map or apply an effect to all players. And they are played from their own separate deck. As explained earlier a community ENVIRONMENT deck is created if more than one player uses ENVIRONMENT cards. The Standard Environment can be found from ENVIRONMENT cards provided in the Core Set and all four ship Extension sets.
ENVIRONMENT cards in PGE also add many more examples of the LASTING keyword. LASTING cards basically stay in play like equipped cards would except they don't equip to anything.
With two players using an ENVIRONMENT deck that's 10 cards adding new big-picture rules, 15 cards for three players, etc. It could be a lot to keep track of, especially as more ENVIRONMENT cards are added in future releases, so just be aware.
The new "Mission" series of cards focuses a card manipulation. For example, PGE introduces the REINFORCE keyword, where the player can search the top 5 cards of the Action Deck for a Normal card and set it in secondary position of that tier. Upon satisfying a certain condition the REINFORCE card can then be played. Not all REINFORCE effects are the same; be sure to read these carefully.
Here's a combo example. Let's say you've got a vessel with 3 Mobility. With "Veteran Helmsman" released in the Maneuvering Mini-set you'll have a +1 Mobility. With any other Mobility boost you'll have 5. The new card "Evade - Jump Start" allows for REINFORCEMENT. If you end up pulling "Double Shot" (found in the Core Set) with this effect, and you move the full 5 distance, you can then play "Double Shot" which permits 2 attacks in this context. Boom and boom, two attacks without giving your opponent any hint during preparation that "Double Shot" was coming.
Another dynamic of the "Mission" series affects cards in the hand, equipped to a vessel, or in a tier. For example the new card "Secret Mission: Combat Ready" allows you to negate a card equipped to the target for the following tier. You only have to hit the target for 10 combat damage (not necessarily inflicting that much Hull damage). For a modest cost of 3 energy, this is a bargain effect - especially if you play it in secondary position which nullifies the energy cost.
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