I'm looking for thoughts and comments on how to spend 48 rebel points.

1) 4 bandits

2) Cracken with swarm and two tala

3) Cracken with swarm and a blue B and some ordinance or adv sensors

4) two dagger Bs

5) lando with some add ons

Looking at firepower, survivability, and tactical advantage (pilot skill to get shots off)

100% depends on that the other 52 is.....

Assume Han

10 Easy steps to playing X-Wing Better

1) Don't netlist.

2) Play what you know how to fly

3) Figure out how your list wins and do that

4) Figure out how your list loses and avoid it

5) Figure out how your opponent's list wins and avoid it

6) Figure out how your opponent's list loses and do that

7) Learn what the other ships and factions can do

8) Learn the movement geometry (bank, turn and joust formulas)

9) Don't rely on luck (evil green dice)

10) Practice

So what you are asking goes against 1 and 2. Figure out what YOU like flying and fly that, and never fly what other people tell you to fly.

I'm looking for thoughts and comments on how to spend 48 rebel points.

1) 4 bandits

2) Cracken with swarm and two tala

3) Cracken with swarm and a blue B and some ordinance or adv sensors

4) two dagger Bs

5) lando with some add ons

Looking at firepower, survivability, and tactical advantage (pilot skill to get shots off)

I'd go with 4, the two Dagger Squad. B-Wings.

Assume Han

Snore... Either #1 or #4 will work.

10 Easy steps to playing X-Wing Better

1) Don't netlist.

2) Play what you know how to fly

3) Figure out how your list wins and do that

4) Figure out how your list loses and avoid it

5) Figure out how your opponent's list wins and avoid it

6) Figure out how your opponent's list loses and do that

7) Learn what the other ships and factions can do

8) Learn the movement geometry (bank, turn and joust formulas)

9) Don't rely on luck (evil green dice)

10) Practice

So what you are asking goes against 1 and 2. Figure out what YOU like flying and fly that, and never fly what other people tell you to fly.

Or he could ask advice for what has worked for many other people with more experience than him at this game... which perhaps might also change what ships he might buy if hes on a budget.

Second, learning a strong list is beneficial to learning more complicated, nuanced aspects of flying. it gives you a list that you know can win if you learn it correctly.

Secondly, asking our opinion may get him to try something he isn't good at and thus increase his overall knowledge of the game.

The typical "net-deck" is:

Han + C3PO + Millenium Falcon + Luke (crew) + Engine Upgrade

3 x Tala Zs

So it seems like based on the math, 4Zs might be the best choice.

10 Easy steps to playing X-Wing Better

1) Don't netlist.

2) Play what you know how to fly

3) Play what you LIKE to fly!

For what it's worth, I use Han plus upgrades that fit my style along with Etahn A'Baht and upgrades. Tailor to your style. I like fewer ships. It keeps my idiot self from running into my own ships.

Crowd sourcing isn't a bad way to see where peoples experience has taught them. Fly your mini phantom swarms or your xxbb or your Z or Tie swarms. Nationals are next week ... We shall see soon enough

Yes, soliciting advice on what to take is sound, but I find whats better is to look at whats been trending as the overall Meta and more specifically your local Meta and build to suit what you fly well.

For instance, the shuttle is supposedly this wonderful laser spitting star bovine of death. I cant seem to get my head around it. Whenever I take one it, it does nothing, despite every third person recommending it. Its probably great, just doesnt suit my style.

And thats the thing with Netdecking. Unlike 40k where you advance 6 inches and then roll a bucket of dice, in X-Wing you have to FEEL your list. Understand how it handles a furball. Understand how it takes a joust. The only way to do this is practice with a list you like. Even if it isnt optimal.

For instance the Wes, Wedge, Luke Opppotunist list. Its not an optimal list by any stretch, but its one of my absolute favourites, and I fly it better than almost anything else. I thread those ships through places they shouldnt fit on a constant basis. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU PULL THAT OFF?" is the catch phrase of that list. Its only defeated by my dice rolling abilities. And thats because I love flying xwings and I have worn those dials down with tons of practice.

But to each his or her own.