A list, for your consideration:

26 Garven Dreis

23 Tarn Mison

2 R7

21 Rookie Pilot

4 R2-D2

21 Rookie Pilot

3 R5-P9

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The concept is simple: fly them in pairs, Garven with the R5 Rookie and Tarn with the R2 Rookie. Garven is the most vulnerable of all the ships, and thus most likely to be focused early - keep him in the rear. This list benefits from a lot of stalling, so don't just joust. If one of your ships is on the verge of death, break off and try to distract your opponent, then come back for a re-attack later.

Hmm! Sounds promising.

There aren't that many Rebel lists around with strong defense, and I like the idea. Major downside is that, as you say, Garven will be an early target, but his ability has a nice long leash and he's not an outsized investment point-wise. I'd love to know how this works the first couple of times you get it on the table.

Live in Texas?

Since everyone will be gunning for Garven, have you considered just a naked Biggs paired with him? Or are you planning on flying in two different groups?

Since everyone will be gunning for Garven, have you considered just a naked Biggs paired with him? Or are you planning on flying in two different groups?

He's paired with the R5 Rookie, for the express purpose of restoring a shield.

Right, but after Garven is dead, what to do then? Biggs married with Garven would keep Garven alive that much longer. Nobody is even going to be targeting the Rookie, with a high priority target like Garven out there. This, no shields to recover. Just my two cents.

I was thinking of trying Hobbie, Biggs, jek and Tarn. 99pts, could be fun.

Right, but after Garven is dead, what to do then? Biggs married with Garven would keep Garven alive that much longer. Nobody is even going to be targeting the Rookie, with a high priority target like Garven out there. This, no shields to recover. Just my two cents.

So you fly Garven a range band or two back, breaking off if you're heavily damaged, using him to force your opponent into a bad situation: either shoot at Rookie + R5-P9 and watch him heal up like Wolverine at the end of every round, or chase Garven around the board while three more X-wings have free rein.

Once Garven dies R5-P9 is less useful, but can still be an effective defensive boost any time you'd have a focus token left--and, moreover, your opponent hasn't escaped the list's second fork. Your choices are the Rookie with R5-P9 (who can still heal if you don't focus fire), the Rookie with R2-D2 (ditto), and Tarn with R7 (who dodges damage and/or hits back hard). Any of those three are going to make a strong closing piece in the endgame; R5-P9 is probably the weakest, but if you kill Garven and then go for R2-D2 or Tarn, you're re-orienting your ships on a different pair on a different part of the battlefield--and turning your back on R5-P9.

It's really a fairly nasty set of nested traps, and killing Garven first doesn't really unwind them at all.

Its sounds good,

I really like R5-P9

Cool! Thanks for the run down. I'll have to try it out sometime. Would the strategy then to not fly them in a formation of four?

You'll want to fly them in pairs, but not so far apart from each other that you can't bring all of your guns to bear at the same time. There's really no incentive to fly them all together in a tight formation, and it behooves you to give yourself room to break off where and when necessary.

I like that idea. Consolidate if you drop a ship so you're down to three, but make two separate and it makes your opponent choose one to gun for!

Those E-Wings can't get here fast enough. I desperately want those droids.

Why are there 2 topics with the same name from two weeks apart. Seriously WTH!

Would you say they are the droids you are looking for?

Because I set my X-Wing throttle to 88 MPH and went two weeks into the past. Also, I thought it would be funny to see them next to each other.

Would you say they are the droids you are looking for?

Oh, it never gets old...

any list with 4 x wings will be solid in its own right. I think tarn is a good deal for his pts price as well.

I've been thinking about a XXXX squad, mixing in some astromechs for variety, deployed in a nice compact 2x2 square formation.

I do like how you have a lot of good late game ships. Let's be honest, Dreis is not going to be the last ship left around (even if I do think he's the lowest threat). Any of the other ships has an advantage late game. The rookies can regen and Tarn can seriously mess up some attacks against him.

That said, it does suffer from low Pilot Skill and lower health. Each ship really isn't that hardy. Especially if you fly in pairs.

See, one of the problems with a pincer attack, as is demonstrated repeatedly in wars through history, is that it's only good if you can complete the strike. You have two pairs of X-Wings. If I can suddenly and decisively turn and face one, before you can bring the second to bear, I can probably crush your list. Yes, it's a risk with any flanking list. Here's the difference though.

In a flanking list, you have a fraction of your forces attacking from the side. If they turn to face the flanker, they will crush it. However, they have now turned their flank to your main force, which is suddenly in a much better tactical position. This is why flanking is a potent tactic. If you turn to attack the flank, you are exposing yourself. If you don't, you have a serious threat to your rear.

In a pincer list, however, there is no objective beyond you like baggage trains or command centers to attack. There is nothing to draw them in like there would be in most such engagements in real life. So they are much more likely to turn to attack a flank. If they don't just setup on one side of the map. Now, you can still make this work in a list, but it requires two things. To move after you opponent (or to guess which way he is going to turn and preempt it). And to be able to adjust your attacks to match his pace. Your list has nether ability. Your rookies are probably going first. They don't have boost or barrel roll or navigator. Nothing can change their final position.

So, let's say they setup in the middle. They move forward while you move up each flank. If they suddenly and decisively turn to catch one flank you may well end up in a situation where one of your pincers can't shoot because of range issues and the second is too close, perhaps even touching, which would cause serious problems with target selection. Either way, the first round of shooting is going to seriously mess up your plans for dominance.

Will it happen every time? No. But it's a serious risk. I would not setup the two pairs on opposite corners. I would setup one in the middle, (roughly) and one on a side. This makes the above scenario far less likely. But it does get you into a situation you worried about, which is a jousting match.

You've got a decent list here. You just need to ponder tactics to use it to its best advantage. I await battle reports.

Is that enough critique for you?

Are you sure you want Garven in there? You already say he's going to be picked on first which means the R5 Rookie is probably next. You're basically making the opponent's choice for him in target priority.

Why not switch Garven out for a Rookie with R7-T1? Now you've got extra movement options on one flank, and both flanks have a focus/rebuild and a TL X-Wing.

Is that enough critique for you?

I'm not the OP, obviously, but my understanding of how this is supposed to work is that everything flies together at the start, so its not a pincer manoeuvre. I think the bit about flying in pairs is that after the initial exchange of fire, the x-wings will try to pair off as described. At least that's how I would fly it. I don't think x-wings without engine upgrade are nimble enough for fancy outmanoevring prior to initial engagement. BBut as you mentioned, the weakness is low PS means you might lose a ship to an alpha strike...maybe smart placement of asteroids can mitigate that...

I fly a similar list, and in general I fly in close pairs; close enough to effectively focus fire, but not so far apart that they are easily isolated. If I see the chance to go for a pincer attack I try it, but X-wings are medium-speed ships, and you want fast ships if you are trying to pull off that kind of attack I think.

But as you mentioned, the weakness is low PS means you might lose a ship to an alpha strike...maybe smart placement of asteroids can mitigate that...

A Phantom could be hard to catch as well with the lower PS.

I am digging this XXXX list though. The X-Wing is my favorite ship!

But as you mentioned, the weakness is low PS means you might lose a ship to an alpha strike...maybe smart placement of asteroids can mitigate that...

A Phantom could be hard to catch as well with the lower PS.

I am digging this XXXX list though. The X-Wing is my favorite ship!

4 xxxx's is awesome list. even if you just take 4 rooks w/ torps.. stand a decent chance against just about anything. sure some lists might be a little easier / harder to fly against but it's really all about having fun with a list you like.