Every seasoned X-Wing player knows the Hwk-290 is a support ship, meant to stay in back and lob buffs/debuffs at friends/enemies. I challenge that statement with this list, Behold!
Kyle Katarn
-Blaster Turret
-recon specialist
-Moldy Crow
Rebel Operative
-Blaster Turret
-Recon Specialist
Rebel Operative
-Ion Cannon turret
-Flight Instructor
Rebel Operative
-Ion Cannon Turret
I've played against a lot of people who think the HWK is only a support ship and one that can be ignored for most of the battle. They usually end up buying the first round after the game.
The challenge with a reliance on BT comes from Dark Curse or Carnor Jax showing up. They really mess up your day.
Edited by SlugrageAlso low Agi, low shields, and a crummy dial.
Also low Agi, low shields, and a crummy dial.
It's not as bad as you'd think. Turret ships fly so differently from regular ships they feel like cheating. And 2 Agility isn't bad at all. Especially with focuses. If the Hawk had a better dial it would be unfairly broken. The real issue is that we need a better Turret option.
One imagines that the upcoming Jan & Kyle crew cards may expand options here.
As well as any crew cards we see with the huge ships.
I don't see how FFG could make a "better" turret option without breaking the game.
They're always going to be conditional in some way, to make up for the raw advantage of 360 fire in a dogfighting game.
Edited by IntroverdantOne imagines that the upcoming Jan & Kyle crew cards may expand options here.
As well as any crew cards we see with the huge ships.
I don't see how FFG could make a "better" turret option without breaking the game.
They're always going to be conditional in some way, to make up for the raw advantage of 360 fire in a dogfighting game.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Hwk, but borrow the ships. No reason to buy 4 of them.
I'm thinking about doing that to see if I can actually make that list work tomorrow XD
I've bought two HWKs but, as noted, I have much love for them. In a 150pt list I'll often use them both, with Kyle and Jan as my pilots.They've viciously offensive when paired up with some tricked-out Bs.
I also wanted two Rec Spec as well, just cuz. 
I figure a 2 attack turret that can't be fired when stressed would work for 4-5 points. Blaster Turret is way too vulnerable to action denial. Ion Turret has low damage potential.
What would be the point of that? A 2-attack turret is hardly ever doing more than one damage per turn, so you've just created an ion turret that is less effective against high-agility ships, can't be fired at all when stressed, and doesn't ionize you when it hits. Unless you make it incredibly cheap there would be no reason to ever use it.
A guy running a named falcon and two rebel operatives with recon specialist and blaster turret made the top 4 at one of the store championships I was at.
A guy running a named falcon and two rebel operatives with recon specialist and blaster turret made the top 4 at one of the store championships I was at.
Sounds like a gifted pilot. 
Every seasoned X-Wing player knows the Hwk-290 is a support ship, meant to stay in back and lob buffs/debuffs at friends/enemies. I challenge that statement with this list, Behold!
Kyle Katarn
-Blaster Turret
-recon specialist
-Moldy Crow
Rebel Operative
-Blaster Turret
-Recon Specialist
Rebel Operative
-Ion Cannon turret
-Flight Instructor
Rebel Operative
-Ion Cannon Turret
If you had won a Store Championship with this, you would have single handedly more than quadrupled the number of points spent on Rebel Operatives. 
What would be the point of that? A 2-attack turret is hardly ever doing more than one damage per turn, so you've just created an ion turret that is less effective against high-agility ships, can't be fired at all when stressed, and doesn't ionize you when it hits. Unless you make it incredibly cheap there would be no reason to ever use it.I figure a 2 attack turret that can't be fired when stressed would work for 4-5 points. Blaster Turret is way too vulnerable to action denial. Ion Turret has low damage potential.
Because 2 attack and the ability to deal crits is just awful. It's an option that is reliable. Ion cannons will never deal more than one damage. It's more accurate, but still not amazing. I did forget to put that it should have range 1-3 versus the 1-2 range turrets we've seen though.
Who has 4 HWKs?
I was surprised he did as good as he did as well. I think he only lost 1 rebel operative each game. No one tried to action deny them I don't think.
He probably could have made the final game as his first final round opponent had 3 shuttles and fel. So he could have just kept circling around them till they're dead, but he couldn't pull it off.
I really wanted to face him in the finals as he was the best matchup for me, but instead I got stuck with the tie swarm 
What would be the point of that? A 2-attack turret is hardly ever doing more than one damage per turn, so you've just created an ion turret that is less effective against high-agility ships, can't be fired at all when stressed, and doesn't ionize you when it hits. Unless you make it incredibly cheap there would be no reason to ever use it.I figure a 2 attack turret that can't be fired when stressed would work for 4-5 points. Blaster Turret is way too vulnerable to action denial. Ion Turret has low damage potential.
Because 2 attack and the ability to deal crits is just awful. It's an option that is reliable. Ion cannons will never deal more than one damage. It's more accurate, but still not amazing. I did forget to put that it should have range 1-3 versus the 1-2 range turrets we've seen though.
Ions don't exist to kill ships (though I finish off ships with them all the time), they exist to make ships easy to outmaneuver. And they are great at it, I wouldn't change anything.
My issue is the blaster turret is garbage. There is no good reason for that thing to require a focus. It's only range 1-2 so it's no better than an ion range-wise, and doesn't get to use the benefit of range 3 secondary weapons. But it still suffers from the downside of secondaries at range 1. Giving it 360 degree sight seems like a fair trade. But requiring a focus means there is no reason to take it over the ion (unless you are sadistically building a list around turrets). It makes a recon specialist almost a necessity which means it costs 2 more points than the ion to make it as productive as it can be. And it's even worse on a Y-Wing since they can't take crew to compensate for it.
I just wish they made it better so there was a reason to have some variety in the lists.
Good lord, everyone says the blaster turret is garbage.
Come on folks. Just use it on Kyle. You can't lose with that, since he literally poops out focus.
Like, he literally sweats it.
You sweat poop? 
Blaster turret by itself is not good. Blaster turret with recon specialist is good but more expensive than a ion turret.
Besides, consider replacing flight instructor with Chewbacca. He repairs more damage than flight instructor prevents.
Good lord, everyone says the blaster turret is garbage.
Come on folks. Just use it on Kyle. You can't lose with that, since he literally poops out focus.
Like, he literally sweats it.
Yeah, but that's at least 31 points to try to make 3 dice at range band 1 and 2 work. And it's focus he's not using to evade, boost his shot, or lend to a friend. He generates a lot, but not enough to do everything you want to do. The blaster starts to compete with the other uses for the focus, whereas the ion cannon does its thing and Kyle does his. No competition.
I'd rather take the specialized weapon that offers something different from what every other ship in my squad brings.
I use my HWK with Jan piloting, circling around the outside of the centre, taking opportunity shots with an Ion Cannon Turret
You sweat poop?
Only on tuesdays.
Good lord, everyone says the blaster turret is garbage.
Come on folks. Just use it on Kyle. You can't lose with that, since he literally poops out focus.
Like, he literally sweats it.
Yeah, but that's at least 31 points to try to make 3 dice at range band 1 and 2 work. And it's focus he's not using to evade, boost his shot, or lend to a friend. He generates a lot, but not enough to do everything you want to do. The blaster starts to compete with the other uses for the focus, whereas the ion cannon does its thing and Kyle does his. No competition.
I'd rather take the specialized weapon that offers something different from what every other ship in my squad brings.
You've jut got to use him in tandem with other guys that use focus. Like Garvin! Juggle that focus and you can get some serious stuff accomplished.
The entire point of the HWK is not to make it an effective unit on its own, but to make it synergize and compliment the other vessels- all the while, maintaining a presence.
Use a blaster on Kyle, but use an Ion on Jan. Entirely due to Kyle's ability to utterly excrete focus. That card was seriously made to be used with him. Not that it can't be used for other stuff- but it's best with Kyle.
Good lord, everyone says the blaster turret is garbage.
Come on folks. Just use it on Kyle. You can't lose with that, since he literally poops out focus.
Like, he literally sweats it.
Try this fun build Kyle katarn-recon specialist-moldy crow-blaster turret
roark garnett-chewbacca-blaster turret
2x rookie pilot
have had great fun with this, roark allows an x or kyle to shoot first at 12, kyle can collect focusses and hand out one per turn, simple to fly and abillities are range 3 turrets give you range 2 360 fire arc.
chewie is a shield and hit point all in one for 4 pts.
Edited by mrgoodtrips