I am one of those people who wasn't so excited about the all EU wave 4 release. I didn't really care for the other ships coming out but here I am only going to talk about the Z-95.

I didn't really like the way it looked. I didn't like the hunch-back thing that was going on. And the Z-95 always looked like an early concept sketch for the X-wing that had simply be recycled. (It of course is an early concept sketch of the x-wing that has been recycled). But with the news we got I got a look at the ship from the top. I have to confess, that from the top I like it a lot better.

I didn't like the idea of a Rebel TIE Fighter. It didn't seem to jive with the Rebels respect for life and all that. But, at least according to the new article, it isn't supposed to be a swarm fighter like the TIE.

I like the new options it has as a missile carrier. Sure its missile upgrades help every missile carrier ship out there, but they are cheap enough that they can really be all about the missiles they carry.

The Z-95 feel a lot like the TIE Bomber, sure it can't carry near as much ordnance, but it is cheap enough to put some ordnance, use that ordnance and after you fire your missiles, it is still a good enough dog fighter to justify its existence in the fight.

I agree. After seeing the spoilers, I feel like they're only so cheap because you're supposed to take missiles with them. Granted, there WILL still be swarms, but...I dunno. Using them as missile fighters will certainly do my wallet a favor

Well, I've always liked the headhunter, so I was excited for it to begin with, but the new previews really impress me with how different they are making the ship feel when, on the surface, it is so superficially similar to the TIE fighter.

I like that they give you options. You can run one as a dedicated missile specialist, or as support; you can run (eg) 2-3 Tala + Homing Missile for a really cheap and accurate alpha strike; or you can run a few Bandits to round out your points and add some cheap blockers to a list with a pair of elites.

You can swarm them, but you don't have to, and I think they'll be most effective in mixed lists of 4-5 ships than in swarm-style lists of 6-7.

The upgrade cards in the z-95 expansion also ironically made Tie Fighters into cheap support craft as well.

4-5 is probably the way to go.. Z-95 x2 with Assault Missiles + Failsafe, Lt. Blount with Assault + PTL, Cracken.

Cracken is awesome... he's basically PTL for ships how shoot after him. Toss in Squad Leader and he's PTL for 2 different ships; unless you stack both actions on a single pilot.

highly expecting a decrease in close formation 7-8 TIE swarms. Some of those academy nuggets are probably going to be staying in the Academy until they get transferred to an actual squadron..

I like the Z-95, because like VS said, they give you so many options.

I can see flying a 6 Z list, with Airen, maybe the Lt and either bandits or Tala, and missiles. I can also see putting 2 Bandits in a list to simply increase the number of ships.

I can see using Blount as filler for most any list that needs 19 points.

I like the Z-95, because like VS said, they give you so many options.

I can see flying a 6 Z list, with Airen, maybe the Lt and either bandits or Tala, and missiles. I can also see putting 2 Bandits in a list to simply increase the number of ships.

I can see using Blount as filler for most any list that needs 19 points.

Cracken is 19 points. Blount is 17.

But I agree that Cracken probably will be sprinkled into a lot of lists. He can help pretty much any squad.

If you exclude the effects of Howlrunner, the Z95 is basically just as good if not better than the TIE at swarming. A 2/2/2/2 stat line is basically the same jousting strength as 2/3/3/0.

But the Z95 has +1 PS for the same cost, so it shoots first. But the TIEs have Howlrunner.

Between it and the 15 point Awing, I think it will push the standard rebel squad up closer to 5 ships.

But I agree that Cracken probably will be sprinkled into a lot of lists. He can help pretty much any squad.

Yeah you're right I think either one will make great filler. 17 or 19 points for a high PS pilot with a useful ability... Yes please.

If you exclude the effects of Howlrunner, the Z95 is basically just as good if not better than the TIE at swarming. A 2/2/2/2 stat line is basically the same jousting strength as 2/3/3/0.

I think it was Khyros, who ran the numbers and based on what we knew back then shortly after Wave 4 was announced and we only had stats on the Bandit Squad... IIRC he figured out that odds were a Tie Swarm would beat the same number of Z-95's by one attack.

The last Z would fire on the last Tie, and not finish it, but the Tie would kill it that round.

If you exclude the effects of Howlrunner, the Z95 is basically just as good if not better than the TIE at swarming. A 2/2/2/2 stat line is basically the same jousting strength as 2/3/3/0.

I think it was Khyros, who ran the numbers and based on what we knew back then shortly after Wave 4 was announced and we only had stats on the Bandit Squad... IIRC he figured out that odds were a Tie Swarm would beat the same number of Z-95's by one attack.The last Z would fire on the last Tie, and not finish it, but the Tie would kill it that round.

Interesting. I was looking at it from a meta game sense based on the numbers in my Lanchester's thread. The specific matchups can and will vary slightly from the overall averages.

So it looks like they are about 50-50 then. I guess we could start play testing them now that we have the dial, technically.

I'm more excited about wave 4 than any of the previous releases. Well, except for the fugly E-wing.

I guess we could start play testing them now that we have the dial, technically.

I see Z-95's being used one of two ways. Neither of those ways include a 7-8 naked Bandit Squads.

1) 5-6 Z-95's with Airen and maybe Blount, and 4-5 Bandit or Tala squad pilots with some sort of warhead.

2) 1-2 Z-95's as filler, with or without a warhead of some sort.