I've been giving the E-wing a go lately, specifically Etahn w/PTL + Adv S + R2 Astro and I haven't been doing well with it. I'm pretty sure its due to the way I'm flying him as I keep landing him into bad positions and trying to fly him like an Interceptor/A-wing by coming in from the flanks. After a few humiliating attempts with him I came to realize that maybe I should be flying E-wings more like an X-wing or an Adv S B-wing instead. Interestingly enough I have had a little more success with Corran Horn as I fly him in a more conventional way.

So, what are your thoughts on it? How do you fly the E-wing in a way that works and is effective for the hefty points you pay for it?

Engine Upgrade and advanced sensors can give you more movement options.

The E-Wing and X-Wing have a very similar dial. The greens are a little different and the E-Wing has a 5 straight. I have had much success flying it in formation with X's. Paring Etahn and Biggs seems to work great at getting Etahn into the late game. The longer he sticks around the longer you can take full advantage of his pilot ability.

It took me a few games but I have basically started treating it like an X-wing--an X-wing that can barrel roll and also 5-straight in/out of trouble if needed. I've got a 3x E-Wing that is Etahn and 2 Blackmoon pilots, all with Fire Control Systems and R2 Astromechs. If I'm just rolling Etahn alone I like PtL and R2. Maybe Engine Upgrade.

I fly it with great joy!

Yeah I tend to treat it more like a faster X-Wing which really is what the ship was meant to be. A replacement for the X-Wing, so it fills the same roll but is just more advanced.

That's one of the things I love about X-Wing, they really seem to do a good job of capturing the feel of most of the ships.

To the left, to the left

R7-T1 is neat with Enhanced Sensors. Combine that with outmanuver and things can get interesting with ethan. Bank boost before your manuver with a target lock. Then k-turn so you have a good chance to get a locked ship in your arc with lowered agility

Etahn is one of the best 41 point ships in the game if you give him Predator, Advanced Sensors, and Hull Upgrade. Now you have a rebel defender that changes one of his hits to crits, and while they are alive, he helps his teammates sneak crits in as well. I flew that set up with 3 Talas and Blount with an Assault Missile the other day, and my Z's all died trading for his Biggs and a couple shields on other ships, then Etahn killed Ten Numb and his Red Squadron Pilot before he conceded with a shieldless Bandit remaining. The fact that his ability spreads to other ships is icing on the cake, it is more than worth the points to get the free crit on a ship that is re-rolling 1-2 dice per shot and nearly always has focus, and has 3 defense with 3 hull and 3 shield.

If you want to go completely nuts, make him 45 points and toss on R2-D2. He will likely never die.

I fly it with great joy!

Yeah I tend to treat it more like a faster X-Wing which really is what the ship was meant to be. A replacement for the X-Wing, so it fills the same roll but is just more advanced.

That's one of the things I love about X-Wing, they really seem to do a good job of capturing the feel of most of the ships.

Yeah I'm starting to realize that too though it may need to be flown more defensively to protect the point investment that goes into it unlike a Rookie Pilot.

R7-T1 is neat with Enhanced Sensors. Combine that with outmanuver and things can get interesting with ethan. Bank boost before your manuver with a target lock. Then k-turn so you have a good chance to get a locked ship in your arc with lowered agility

I've always wanted to try something like this...

Etahn A'Baht

The droid that gives +1 agility

Stealth Device

Push The Limit

Sensor Jammer

Airen Cracken

Wingman'

2 Z's with assault missiles or A's

Basically makes Etahn super hard to kill. It'd be interesting.

I'd love to try this:

Blue Squadron with Sensor Jammer

Blackmoon with Sensor Jammer & R2-D2

Ibtisam with Sensor Jammer & Opportunist

Comes to 99 points. Could also downgrade the E-Wing to PS1, allowing it to serve as a blocker (and deny Focus actions). The extra points can be spent on a hull upgrade.

The E-Wing and X-Wing have a very similar dial. The greens are a little different and the E-Wing has a 5 straight. I have had much success flying it in formation with X's. Paring Etahn and Biggs seems to work great at getting Etahn into the late game. The longer he sticks around the longer you can take full advantage of his pilot ability.

I second this.

I think if you want an E to be a flanker Corran makes more sense. His ability is best used when you can hit and run. I've only tried him once, and the squad may not have been optimal, but I just wanted to test him as a flanker. I ran Corran with FCS & 3 rookie Xs. I deployed in a pinwheel formation and in the first turn he broke out in a different direction.

Es have so many upgrade options that the can be something of a point trap I think (Bs & Shuttles are also bad at this).

E-Wings are definitely more X-Wingish than they are A-Wingish. Unless you add an engine upgrade or R7-T1. In fact, in a three-ship list, Corran Horn + EU + FCS makes a mean, if expensive, flanker.

R7-T1 is neat with Enhanced Sensors. Combine that with outmanuver and things can get interesting with ethan. Bank boost before your manuver with a target lock. Then k-turn so you have a good chance to get a locked ship in your arc with lowered agility

You mean Advanced Sensors right? And how had I not thought of that combo. It comes in the stupid box... Nerts.

Sorry. Yes I meant advanced sensors

I've seen Etahn mainly used as a support aggressor, fly him in a formation and turn your squadron's hits to crits to chew up TIEs.

Ethan is well used with the stealth and r2-f2 droid for agil of five. Use him as a flanks within range three of the target to give your main force shots the hit to crit bonus. Keep him at range three if you can for the six defense dice rolls. Allow your mail force to do the work.

My only experience has been turning them into debris they do that really well.

I like my Etahn like I like my women; bare-assed naked.

Etahn + stealth + r2f2 is a lot of points to just keep to the sidelines and buff with. Also because of the way his talent works (i.e. in front of him) he's gonna mix it up eventually.

My experience with E-wings thus far have been limited to Corran.

Plus I 'cheated' a bit by taking upgrades not yet available.

Here I made a topic about it. http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/110585-corran-horn-2-green-squadron-pilots/#entry1151065

In short; I am sold about the following:

Corran Horn (44), R2-D2 (4), Veteran Instincts (1), Engine Upgrade (4)
Green Squadron Pilot (28), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Proton Rockets (3), Push the Limit (3), Outmaneuver (3)
Green Squadron Pilot (28), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Proton Rockets (3), Push the Limit (3), Outmaneuver (3)

Initially I fly the A-wings together on one flank with the E-wing on the other.

Whichever the opponent chooses to focus on they have the other highly mobile and elusive half of my force in their side or rear.

I have not tested this vs big ships with gunners but I hope that 2 proton rockets really, REALLY can hurt such builds.

Especially if I manage to get in the side or rear. (1 less green die due to outmaneuver)

Low PS ordnance craft are a huge gamble. In larger numbers, like with multiple Z-95s, you still stand a good chance of getting a few of your missiles off before they inevitably get shot down. One or two A-Wings with missiles paint a huge target on their heads, and subjecting yourself to a range one shot in the hope of getting a PR off afterward isn't an enviable position in a three ship build.

Range one but with both a focus and an evade mind you.

They are tankier than you think. They survive amazing amounts of fire.

Even if you should make sure they are not in the arcs of more than one ship.

Also note that if they hunt for/at the A-wings odds are you are succeeding.

The e-wing with PS10 and regenerating shields is among the scariest ships to face in an endgame...

I'm not exactly speaking in the abstract here. I've flown ordnance laden A-Wings, and I was not impressed.

I could be wrong about this, but the problem with Etahan +R2F2 is that the E-wing comes with an evade action already, and since all R2-F2 is is an action that gives you an extra evade die then there aren't any one action scenarios where it makes sense to to use R2-F2 for a 3/8 chance of an evade when you can just take an evade action for an 1/1 chance of an evade.

I guess you could push the limit and evade and R2-F2 for 4 evade dice plus an evade token (or 5 evade dice plus an evade token with stealth device) but 4 unfocused evade dice should result in an average of 1.5 evades plus the evade token resulting in 2.5 evades.

3 focused evade dice results in an average of 1.875 evades plus the evade token for an average of 2.875 evades which is more than 2.5. Though I guess R2F2 helps on all rolls so if you're going to be focus fired it makes sense.

And I think I just totally neckbearded this thing, my bad guys.

To the subject at hand... I'm just getting into builds with E-wings myself.

My build right now is:

Etahn+VI+R2D2

Wedge+predator+R5 P9

Kyle+MoldyCrow+blaster turret

Used it today for the first time and was very successful, but it was against a friend who was using the phantom for the first time and made a ton of mistakes cloaking and decloaking. The Etahn's crits were really helpful to the entire party, predator on wedge was like a free half target lock. Kyle's ability to pass focus tokens (albeit diminished) gave wedge an extra focus so he had one to use for a roll and one to use to regenerate his shields.

Right now I'm debating if I should replace Wedge with Luke and remove VI from Etahn and put a FCS on him.