X-Wing League theorycrafting...

The more I think about the current meta in X-Wing the more I am looking at doing something REALLY silly like this:

3B ten (100)

Ten Numb — B-Wing	31
Veteran Instincts	1
"Mangler" Cannon	4
Hera Syndulla	1
B-Wing/E2	1
Ship Total: 38
Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing	22
Fire-Control System	2
Heavy Laser Cannon	7
Ship Total: 31
Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing	22
Fire-Control System	2
Heavy Laser Cannon	7
Ship Total: 31

This one makes it something that might well be able to take down the 2 major architypes I am seeing  these days…  Dengaroo and Imperial Aces would I think both kind of hate to see this…  Ten Numb just automatically hits on a Critical.  Hera would allow him to be REALLY agile, and frankly actions are not that big of a deal…  I LIKE them on him, but if you were able to 2K twice and be able to get in 2 unexpected hits on something and thus dodge the counter attacks…  The FCS is solid, but frankly I’m excited to see the Seismic Torpedoes and Collision Detectors…  I can see fielding those on all 3 of my B-Wings (Detectors) and just bring the Debris Fields…  So, I can simply ignore the terrain with all of my ships just to mess with things as I dodge and barrel roll into the middle.  Thinking the Seismic Torpedoes will be a REALLY good answer to some of the more annoying Ace and Swarm builds with a 50% chance for a free Damage BEFORE the shooting even starts.  No dodge, no defense and it can clear the field for the “less maneuverable” B-Wings as I get rid of the cover that is saving those annoying nimble ships…  But with the FCS/Heavy Laser combo is pretty good for hunting down Large Bases or Aces in the longer game.  This is NOT a one and done build.  The B-Wings are pretty sturdy ships, and can take a Torpedo/R1 shot from most anything and still get in at least one shot…  Usually more of course.  Jousting with say, a TIE Swarm?  No.  Just Don’t do that…  In general of course…  With the Seismic Torpedoes and some decent play?  Maybe…  I DO think that this is still a losing match for the B-Wings, but at least they’ll know they were in a fight.

:-)  Might be something REALLY unexpected to bring to the fight Sunday

Titan League next week and more X-Wing stuff coming...

So, missed Gen Con this year, so didn’t pick up the wave 9 stuff that they had on hand…  So guessing that they’ll hit the stores “soon”…  Have a few pre-ordered, but not entirely sure they’ll be here by the weekend…  So I’ll

DeathfireRyadStele (100)

"Deathfire" — TIE Bomber	17
Plasma Torpedoes	3
Proximity Mines	3
Long-Range Scanners	0
Ship Total: 23
Countess Ryad — TIE Defender	34
Juke	2
Engine Upgrade	4
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 38
Maarek Stele (TIE Defender) — TIE Defender	35
Juke	2
Engine Upgrade	4
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 39

Not thrilled about losing the Extra Munitions…  But Juke on the x7 Defenders is AWESOME…    So we’ll see how it goes…

Wave 10 announced at Gen Con, looking neat…  More interested in the Armada stuff though to be honest…  Will see about getting back into that game…

August X-Wing League Testing...

Looking like I have the next League build set up… 

DeathfireRyadStele (100)

"Deathfire" — TIE Bomber	17
Extra Munitions	2
Concussion Missiles	4
Cluster Mines	4
Long-Range Scanners	0
Ship Total: 27
Countess Ryad — TIE Defender	34
Juke	2
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 34
Maarek Stele (TIE Defender) — TIE Defender	35
Juke	2
Engine Upgrade	4
TIE/x7	-2
Ship Total: 39

Got in a test today, and Setle’s Defender was AWESOME…  The Engine Upgrade was huge.  I think it would be awesome on the Countess’ as well…  But of course 4 points are kind of hard to find here.  First time I flew a TIE Bomber, and Deathfire is pretty good.  WILL die of course, but Turn one Target Lock, Turn two move up and Focus to launch Missiles…  Then Turn three, move in close, Focus and drop Cluster Mines hopefully in or ON something… 

Mind, I wasted one Missile at an A-Wing…  Range 3, through Debris and with Autothrusters?  Yeah, I think it missed entirely even with 3-4 hits…  MUCH better hitting the Ghost, no dodging there.  And of course that is what the Bomber is really there to do…  He replaces Omega Leader in a TIE/fo, and I am thinking that the x7’s have that function covered well enough.  I NEED burst damage like you get from Ordinance and the Mines are nice to help “discourage” closing and pursuit…

Thinking of dropping Juke on the Countess, dropping the Missiles down to Plasma Torpedoes and maybe the Cluster Mines down to a Proximity Mine…  This clears up enough points for me to get the Engine Upgrade.  I think the ability to do a Green 3-5 K Turn then Boost or Barrel Roll gives me a LOT of ability to maneuver and get where I’d need to be…  Might be where I go next…

X-Wing, more testing for the next League...

K, tried the Horn/Dash build…  And I understand the warnings about “you have to play it a LOT”…  Making stupid mistakes like getting the E-Wing caught at close range before regenerating the Shields would be one of the bigger ones…  So, longer term a maybe…  But the E-Wing is just too fragile I think.  And of course the YT-2400 is not nearly as good as the Jumpmasters I think…  Bouncing around on the Asteroids was amusing for a bit, but Dash built like that is 58 points.  And still just 2 Agility and the 10 life…  I need to work on the whole PTL/Kanan thing to always be taking the 2 Actions, moving around like a bat out of Hell…

Time to break the Defenders I think…  At the VERY least they are a lot of fun to play…  Haven’t gotten the hand of flying the /D title yet, and might be interesting…

With the Wave 9 Previews out for 3 of the 4 ships there is a decent chance that they'll be out during if not before the League hits...  REALLY looking forward to the ones I've seen so far...

X-Wing Wave 9 soon?

So, two of the official previews are now up for X-Wing Wave 9…  Were I an optimist I might guess that there would be some at Gen Con perhaps there might be some there…  But that IS a bit of a squeeze time wise.  Doesn’t matter for me of course as I’ll not be there in any case.  But the fact that they are going into the detailed previews this soon does lead me to believe that Wave 9 is closer rather than later.  Some of the upcoming upgrades are REALLY looking good.  But then I’m one of the weird players who does like to try out a lot of different things…  I think the question will be just how many of the Wave 9 ships will I be getting.

The Mandalorian ships are REALLY close to my play style.  Fast, aggressive and all about Offence.  Their Defense is actually quite good, but it is only really good if they are moving fast and in close to the enemy… 

The TIE/sf looks like it will be yet another part of a TIE swarm, and I am guessing I’ll be able to fit one in with say Defenders or the Phantom…  Neat, but probably more of  gimmick than  something overpoweringly effective…  But we’ll see.

The ARC-170?  I suspect the same…  Neat, and a lot of fun builds are shaping up…  Might be fun, but I see this as more “interesting” things than overpowered ones.  The Shadowcaster looks to be the same…  We’ll see I guess

Titan AAR and Rebel X-Wing builds...

50 point Team event @ Titan AAR

Was a pretty fun one, 8 players showed up with the majority being Imperials…  Will and I I know played S&V with Will being N’Dru’s Z-95 and a Y-Wing TLT build…  I flew the Dengar option…  A few TIE swarms, both Crack and normal…  Tyler flew a TIE Defender loaded out and a basic TIE/fo…  But in the game we had together, we were plagued by a complete lack of Agility dice on our part and his Defender melted to a series of Range 3 shots from basic TIEs…  If you can’t evade it, even the 2 Dice attacks from a TIE will eventually win out…  Game went to time with my Dengar down to 3 Hull left and them with two basic TIEs (a 12 and 13 point version) for an actual draw…  Each side had 25 points left on the table J…  Happens when I get 3 hits for 3 turns and they roll perfect Defense each time…  It is a dice game after all…  Fun time, got in some good games with good folks...  Back to a more competitive League next month... 

Going forward, I have my Juke Box Heroes with TIE Defenders, a good fun list…  Looking at a few Rebel builds as well.

Unnamed Squadron (100)

Hera Syndulla — VCX-100	40
Accuracy Corrector	3
Twin Laser Turret	6
Nien Nunb	1
Intelligence Agent	1
Ghost	0
Ship Total: 51
Sabine Wren — Attack Shuttle	21
Adaptability	0
Autoblaster Turret	2
"Chopper"	0
Phantom	0
Ship Total: 23
Jake Farrell — A-Wing	24
Lone Wolf	2
Chardaan Refit	-2
Adaptability	0
Autothrusters	2
A-Wing Test Pilot	0
Ship Total: 26

With the FAQ the TLT looks a LOT better on the Ghost…  And it comes down to Accuracy Corrector, Sensor Jammer or Reinforced Deflectors…  I tend to go a “bit” more aggressive (hence “Garau” as my call sign) so AC is my preference in general for a ship with no real Defense in any case.  Might as well go all Offence and Defend by killing them faster and hopefully first…  Wren on the Attack Shuttle is really only there as a last ditch effort, I think having the end of turn extra Turret shot will be better overall…  Though I could swap the TLT for an Autoblaster Turret and the Engine Upgrade for the extra movement…  THAT might well be a very rude surprise for a lot of folks…  Change it from a “Stand Off and Circle” sort of thing to an aggressive move to contact and obliterate them….  The A-Wing is a solid contender, not bad, but still quite fragile for my taste at least…  Still, having it run a flank and threaten say, a Shuttle with the Emperor on it?  Seeing that particular combo a LOT of course, and so…  Jake really shines with PTL, but points are tight, so…

Unnamed Squadron (100)

Dash Rendar — YT-2400	36
Push the Limit	3
Heavy Laser Cannon	7
Kanan Jarrus	3
Engine Upgrade	4
Outrider	5
Ship Total: 58
Corran Horn — E-Wing	35
Veteran Instincts	1
Fire-Control System	2
R2-D2	4
Ship Total: 42

The other Rebel build I am looking at is a lot more like what I started the game with…  With those ships being the first I got for the game as gifts from my wonderful, understanding wife…  They are still among my favorites.  The E-Wing really does need a bit of help these days though, and I suspect that a Rebel Veterans sort of thing to shore up the E-Wing and X-Wing might well be a very good thing…  But in any case, I think running Corran along a flank and heading Dash into the Asteroids will be a good thing…  Dare them to come in and try to get into Range 1 among the rocks while I dodge and take HLC shots.  The E-Wing is really there for the end game and the double tap option to kill vulnerable things on the way.  The YT-2400 will likely NOT make it to the end, it simply melts too quickly in the modern game.  It is better than a lot of big ships, but at the end of the day, 2 Agility, even trying for Range and Rocks…  Well, while good not quite as scary as it was in the beginning…  But still, a LOT of options here for me and the way I DO fly…  Seeing a LOT of things I think this will be able to deal with in the local Meta…

50 point X-wing team event at Titan tomorrow...

Looking like I WILL be going to the Titan event as dropping my youngest off at her camp will actually end in the same time frame… 

Unnamed Squadron (50)

Dash Rendar — YT-2400	36
Lone Wolf	2
Heavy Laser Cannon	7
"Chopper"	0
Outrider	5
Ship Total: 50

Pretty simple…  Dash roams in and zips about the rocks…  I might swap in PTL and the Mangler cannon, but that does drop off the potential damage.

A better one might be:

Unnamed Squadron (50)

Dengar — JumpMaster 5000	33
Veteran Instincts	1
K4 Security Droid	3
Unhinged Astromech	1
Punishing One	12
Ship Total: 50

THIS one might be more interesting…    Especially with the FAQ boost he gets…

50 points IS an odd one though, the Defenders are 30-40 point ships or I’d fly one of those…  Most of the good Aces are in the same range, so not sure what I’ll see…