Hey all. Since it's reveal, I have been trying to get the blaster turret to work. As we all know, it just ins't action efficient. However, with the reveal of the Z-95 pilots, I was finally able to put together a 4 ship build that might work ok.

Garven Dreis

Dutch Vander w/ blaster turret

Kyle Katarn w/ blaster turret, recon specialist

Airen Cracken

TOTAL: 100 points

All 4 pilots are able to give actions to each other, making it possible for the turret ships to modify their attack rolls when firing. The list has solid PIlot Skill, decent firepower and health. I realize that this still isn't ultra competetive, but it should do ok. I look forward to taking it out for a spin!

should work until you lose a ship.

Concentrate all firepower on that HWK.

I'd drop Dutch in favor of a Gray Squadron with (eventually) R2-D6 to give him access to Deadeye, he'd profit much more from Kyle's focus tossing, see how that works. It's even 1 point cheaper than Dutch.

And change Airen Cracken for Jake Farrell to also benefit from a focus toss.

To make it work, you'd have to drop the recon specialist though. Hmmm.

This is what I was thinking:

Kyle Katarn, Blaster Turret, Recon Specialist, Moldy Crow, Opportunist.

Dutch, R5, Proton Torp x2, Ion Cannon

Biggs, R2-F2

The theory is to move forward at 1's banking as many focus on Kyle as possible. I figure you should be able to get 6 on him at least by the time shooting starts. At that point you can use Dutch to give him TLs, and Kyle to allow Dutch to either shoot off Protons with Focus, or give Biggs a focus while he increases his agility to 3 to keep him alive longer. That combined with the ability to shoot at 4 attack dice at anything in range 1-2 that doesn't have a green token isn't terrible.

The real question will be if Biggs can tank enough damage to allow Kyle and Dutch to thin the herd before he dies.

Carnor Jax says, "Hi."

Carnor Jax says, "Hi."

Carnor Jax is a Giant Red, "I will be the target of your opening Salvo" beacon with 3 health and costs nearly a third of your force. Sure he can nueter a cheap support ship, but so can any other interceptor, just by shooting it. That doesn't make the tactic sound.

Yes, Jax and Dark Curse are foils to the turret. However, that doesn't mean the list can't perform solidly overall. Dark Curse is used commonly in swarms, but rarely outside that list. And as pointed out above, Jax is very spendy and his ability is so threatening that opponents will try their best to kill him before he gets close.

I could beat a Blaster turret squad with two ships: Dark Curse and Carnor Jax.

EDIT: Ninja'd

Hey, I enjoy blaster turrets more than most, but there's not much reason to actually build a list around them. And assuming you were crazy enough to want to, one isn't nearly enough to be worth the effort. I'm also not running a list that leans heavily on the Hwk as any sort of necessary ship.

I think something like this is viable, but I'm not sure I would ever actually want to play it:

Rebel Operative (23)
HWK-290 (16), Blaster Turret (4), Recon Specialist (3)

Rebel Operative (23)
HWK-290 (16), Blaster Turret (4), Recon Specialist (3)

Garven Dreis (26)

"Dutch" Vander (28)
Y-Wing (23), Ion Cannon Turret (5)

2 2's, and 2 6's, so you should be able to avoid bumping for the most part (which would be devastating). Dutch for TLs since your Hwks can't waste the action to take one, and Garven for the extra Focus if you need it.

I don't get it. How do the blaster turrets not "work"? They work awesomely when I use them.

I don't get it. How do the blaster turrets not "work"? They work awesomely when I use them.

1. Then need to have a Focus to fire. No Focus = no fire.

2. They SPEND a Focus to fire. Dark Curse only never cares about them and Jax can really mess with them as well.

3. Often times when you spend the Focus to fire them you will NOT have another token to make them hit better.

4. It takes actions to build Tokens; actions can be prevented and may also be lost. No action = no Focus = no Focus token to spend to fire the Blaster Turret.

5. A last one for now and a little one but they only shoot out to R2.

There are many ways for Blaster Turrets to NOT work.

That last one isn't so little.

One of the most important traits of secondary weapons is that they don't give a defender at range 3 an additional green to roll.

That last one isn't so little.

One of the most important traits of secondary weapons is that they don't give a defender at range 3 an additional green to roll.

This would be great...if the Blaster Turret could fire past range 2.

So Dark Curse and Carnor Jax are sitting around one day.

Dark Curse: "You hear about that new weapon the Rebels have?"

Carnor: "You mean that Blaster Turret."

Dark Curse: "That's the one! Everytime I meet a ship with one it's like they are to scared to fire it."

Carnor: "Yeah...I know what you mean. I even get close enough to wave at the pilot and try to tell him which button to push."

That last one isn't so little.

One of the most important traits of secondary weapons is that they don't give a defender at range 3 an additional green to roll.

It can be seen as "little" because although secondary weapons at R3 normally don't give the target an agility bonus the bonus a Blaster Turret is so big that the game just say "forget about even trying" which is expressed as not allowing shots at that range.

I don't get it. How do the blaster turrets not "work"? They work awesomely when I use them.

1. Then need to have a Focus to fire. No Focus = no fire.

2. They SPEND a Focus to fire. Dark Curse only never cares about them and Jax can really mess with them as well.

3. Often times when you spend the Focus to fire them you will NOT have another token to make them hit better.

4. It takes actions to build Tokens; actions can be prevented and may also be lost. No action = no Focus = no Focus token to spend to fire the Blaster Turret.

5. A last one for now and a little one but they only shoot out to R2.

There are many ways for Blaster Turrets to NOT work.

There's a reason that the blaster turret picture shows an HWK.

A very good reason.

There's a reason that the blaster turret picture shows an HWK.

A very good reason.

1. The HWK can pick up a Recon Specialist to gain two Focus tokens for each Focus action it takes. Increased token availability.

2. The HWK may be the Moldy Crow (title) and actually get to hold onto unused tokens from turn to turn. Having tokens "in the bank" means you have some to spend even if you lose actions.

These two certainly help avoid many of the reasons why a blaster turret doesn't work, maybe bringing it up to workable status, although they still don't help against Dark Curse or Jax when he gets close. They also don't help with range issues. There is one other reason you see the HWK in the Blaster Turret illustration.

3. The HWK really NEEDS a turret if you want any offensive use out of the points you put into getting the ship. Sorry, I don't really care what the pilot abilities are because a primary attack with 1 die, combined with a dial I believe is worse than it should be, is not a ship you want to fly.

I don't get it. How do the blaster turrets not "work"? They work awesomely when I use them.

1. Then need to have a Focus to fire. No Focus = no fire.

2. They SPEND a Focus to fire. Dark Curse only never cares about them and Jax can really mess with them as well.

3. Often times when you spend the Focus to fire them you will NOT have another token to make them hit better.

4. It takes actions to build Tokens; actions can be prevented and may also be lost. No action = no Focus = no Focus token to spend to fire the Blaster Turret.

5. A last one for now and a little one but they only shoot out to R2.

There are many ways for Blaster Turrets to NOT work.

There's a reason that the blaster turret picture shows an HWK.

A very good reason.

Yup...it's called the turrets pic is just a zoomed in crop from the Rebel Operative card. Doesn't mean it on a HWK makes it all of a sudden work.

HWKs are awesome with either the ICT or BT, especially when it's against someone who's never seen one in action or doesn't own one as they're "just a support ship".

However, I don't see the point in building an entire Focus list around a HWK build though. It's tactically unsound. But as an element in a nicely balanced squadron, they're a wonderful asset that's generally ignored until late in the game.

At a thought right now, I don't recall losing a match yet when I've fielded a HWK as part of it. But I don't try flying it like an X or B and merrily jousting with it.

HWKs are awesome with either the ICT or BT, especially when it's against someone who's never seen one in action or doesn't own one as they're "just a support ship".

However, I don't see the point in building an entire Focus list around a HWK build though. It's tactically unsound. But as an element in a nicely balanced squadron, they're a wonderful asset that's generally ignored until late in the game.

At a thought right now, I don't recall losing a match yet when I've fielded a HWK as part of it. But I don't try flying it like an X or B and merrily jousting with it.

Oh god no. What you do there is act like the HWK is the horse and the X-Wing Escorting it closely is the joust.

Two targets, three firepower. One has more reach than the other but your flank is fairly well covered and your field of fire is arguably doubled. Presents a real problem for people. I used that against two interceptors, a TIE and and Advanced.

Granted, the other guy, my father, had some seriously awful rolls. But he flew like shet.

Just take both recon spec AND moldy crow.

Should have enough focus' on Kyle to last a while.