I've been playing around with all 4 Defenders for the past week, and I have to say that they are absolute beasts on the table. Equipped with Engine Upgrade and an HLC they murder pretty much everybody. They are extraordinarily expensive, to be sure, but any less and they would be terribly OP.

The Defender is easily the best Cannon ship in the game at the moment. There isn't a turn where you aren't hitting somebody with your HLC/Ion, except for the 1 in 4 times when you are point blank and about to put 4 dice primaries into their face. Other ships struggle to keep ships in front of them and/or at range, the Defender does not.

The dial is amazing. No really, it is. Except for the 1 straight, it has EVERY other maneuver. The white K-Turn is very, very useful, allowing you to substitute a 180 plus boost for short turns, when the 3 turn is too large. The combination of K-Turn plus boost/barrel roll or K-Turn plus focus and hit with HLC against a stressed opponent is murderous. The full suite of high-speed maneuvers plus boost/barrel-roll makes you very unpredictable, and lets you cover tons of ground. The much maligned green selection is actually very useful, because it is hard to block everything from a 2 to a 5 straight, whereas it is relatively easy to put a single ship in a spot that would block 1, 2 straight and at least one of the 1 banks.

Too many doubters here, basing their opinion on the way past ships are played. If you treat your Defender like an Interceptor or TIE, you will be disappointed. But if you get a little practice with them and start maneuvering them like Defenders, you will be as pleased as I am.

Where did you get four Defenders from? Are you the Imdaar King or are we talking Vassal/proxy?

Sorry, all four as in Delta, Onyx, Vessery, and Rexler. :-)

I do have 2, but Defenders are so expensive there is really no practical way to play both at the same time.

The Defender may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I have a feeling that a lot of the naysayers who write it off as crap will be sorely mistaken. The "majority" opinion is that they are overpriced crap, but I strongly disagree.

I'm 0-2 with mine but like it. Maybe I just haven't figured out how to fly that well with it.

That's good to hear, OP. I look forward to trying out the one I won at an Imdaar Alpha tournament. The build I've been wanting to try for months has been a Defender with an HLC. I hadn't thought of the Engine Upgrade, but that sounds like a good idea.

Where did you get four Defenders from? Are you the Imdaar King or are we talking Vassal/proxy?

My only complaint about the Defender is the look. When mine arrive I'm thinking of cutting the solar panels off one, flipping them around and see if they fit that way...

My only complaint about the Defender is the look. When mine arrive I'm thinking of cutting the solar panels off one, flipping them around and see if they fit that way...

Then you won't have a Defender.

The look is the best part with this perfection of a ship!

Looking forward to get mine out on the starfield as soon at it arrives!

I'm no rookie pilot and I was one of the naysayers. I have also asked to be proven wrong about them. I'm glad you're having success KO. I plan on getting my proxy on with at least 2 of them at a time really soon.

I did won one also, and hope to learn to use it well. As a critic of the cost, i hope to grow to love it. However, I still think the Hawk is ugly as hell.

I remember in the Rebellion PC game, the only thing my friend feared when we had are space battles was when I went after him with tons of Defender Squadrons. They could destroy anything in their path. I would usually just build of bunch of them instead of expensive ISD II's.

Any good use out of the named Pilots? I've got lists for Vessery, but am thinking about forgetting his ability and use him for the PS and Pilot Talent. Or at least only including 1 ship with a TL option.

Any good use out of the named Pilots? I've got lists for Vessery, but am thinking about forgetting his ability and use him for the PS and Pilot Talent. Or at least only including 1 ship with a TL option.

Throw in a Phantom FCS WE combo

Good to read this. Just about any ship is good in this game, but some get played stupidly and are then branded as a lemon .

Good to read this. Just about any ship is good in this game, but some get played stupidly and are then branded as a lemon .

Except the Advanced. Poor guy.

Good to read this. Just about any ship is good in this game, but some get played stupidly and are then branded as a lemon .

Some are branded a lemon before they are even played.

Sorry,KO, everyone knows that these are overcosted and DOA without having played with them. Your experience with actual table time is nothing next to uninformed speculation. Also, FFG only makes good things for Rebels, so the idea that one of these is viable is prima facie false.

Everyone else, you may return to your regularly scheduled doomsaying.

I've only played a few games with mine so far, but I've enjoyed how it flies. I get too many ideas for builds and not enough chances to play them.

And I'm finally looking forward to Epic again. Our league is going to have a team epic game next monday night. I want to try a kamikaze omicron pilot with flanking Defenders and Ion Cannons.

Good to read this. Just about any ship is good in this game, but some get played stupidly and are then branded as a lemon .

Some are branded a lemon before they are even played.

...and the handful of dummies here are the only thing sour in the entire affair!

The rest of us...most of us, love the game and STAR WARS, and we make it work...which is not a grievous effort.

Seriously though, this is exciting to hear. It makes me eager to get mine soon and put them through their paces.

Sorry,KO, everyone knows that these are overcosted and DOA without having played with them. Your experience with actual table time is nothing next to uninformed speculation. Also, FFG only makes good things for Rebels, so the idea that one of these is viable is prima facie false.

Everyone else, you may return to your regularly scheduled doomsaying.

How dare you!!! I will now go and kill my stupid little self...and it will be all your fault!!!

I hate you, I despise you...I want to murderize you!

I think I am going to have to buy three of the glorious Defenders... at least three!

The Defender was always my favourite ship in the SW universe, so I was always going to get some... now it turns out they're not as bad as (some) people made out at first... I'm happy

I did won one also, and hope to learn to use it well. As a critic of the cost, i hope to grow to love it. However, I still think the Hawk is ugly as hell.

You absolutely must get this done to your hawk then. Its awesome.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/X-Wing-Miniatures-Game-Custom-Painted-HWK-290-Magnetized-SEND-IN-YOUR-PIECE-/291140330450?pt=Games_US&hash=item43c950e3d2

Good to read this. Just about any ship is good in this game, but some get played stupidly and are then branded as a lemon .

Except the Advanced. Poor guy.

Even the Advanced has a place, it's just smaller than most.