For missions which say to use a rookie or academy pilot when you lose a ship, does that mean to use the lowest skill pilot of any destroyed ship? Like if Han Solo dies, can you bring back an Outer Rim Smuggler? Or does it have to be a Rookie Pilot X Wing?

I think it means exactly a Rookie pilot. Not a rookie meaning "an unskilled pilot"

It means you use the lowest point value version of that ship.

So if Wedge is destroyed you bring back a Rookie, if Dutch is destroyed you bring back a Gold Squad, if Soontir is destroyed you bring in a Alpha squad, ect...

Two conflicting answers woohoo!

It's like that in my house. I play with my partner and he thinks it means lowest skill pilot. I think it explicitly states Rookie Pilot or Academy Pilot. However the problem with that is we don't have enough X Wings and TIEs.

It does explicitly state "Rookie Pilot" and "Academy Pilot" in the main box but it also assumes using preset ships for the mission.

I just read the Shuttle mission and it says to use the cheapest of the destroyed craft for a reinforcement, case closed

Well here's the text from the rules for the GR-75 campaign.

At the end of each end phase, the imperial player may call for one reinforcement for each Imperial ship with a pilot skill value of 4 or higher that was destroyed that round... he takes the lowest cost Ship card that matches the destroyed ships type and places outside the player area.

Which means the answer depends on the mission. If the mission says Rookie Pilot or Academy Pilot, that's what you get. That said, all of the missions are for fun, casual play so if you and your opponent want to house rule to use lowest cost ship card that matches rule from more recent missions that works too.

Am playing Undeniable Assets scenario.

So the Rebel reinforcement ships come into play with the same weapons and upgrades as the destroyed ships?

Tks

Am playing Undeniable Assets scenario.

So the Rebel reinforcement ships come into play with the same weapons and upgrades as the destroyed ships?

Tks

No, you wouldn't get the same weapons and upgrades. All you get is the lowest point value ship to replace the one you lost. If you lost Wedge, you'd replace him with a Rookie. If you upgraded Wedge with an Elite Pilot skill, then you'd lose that, because the Rookie pilot can't take one.

If you replaced each destroyed ship with the cheapest version, but with all the upgrades it had, the scenario would get really unbalanced. And remember, the reinforcement ships are freebies.

Am playing Undeniable Assets scenario.

So the Rebel reinforcement ships come into play with the same weapons and upgrades as the destroyed ships?

Tks

No, you wouldn't get the same weapons and upgrades. All you get is the lowest point value ship to replace the one you lost. If you lost Wedge, you'd replace him with a Rookie. If you upgraded Wedge with an Elite Pilot skill, then you'd lose that, because the Rookie pilot can't take one.

If you replaced each destroyed ship with the cheapest version, but with all the upgrades it had, the scenario would get really unbalanced. And remember, the reinforcement ships are freebies.

Thanks Parravon. I've replayed this one 3 times. Imperials can't win. Rebels keep coming back with fresh ships with reloaded ordinance. Gets real tough.

It really means you got to make the most out of the initial ships while you've got them, because the reinforcements aren't going to be as good.

I noticed that the rules are a little different depending on the mission you're playing. However the main theme seems to replace the downed pilot with the lowest skilled pilot, no upgrades or munitions (unless otherwise specified).

So, Mission 3: Dark Whispers, 100 point.

I take 8 z-95 Bandit Squadron Pilots (12 point per ship) and in my first turn I fly away them from play area.
On next turn I replace them 8 X-wing Rookie Pilots.
?????
PROFIT!!!

May by this mission need fix?