Best small ship Rebel builds? Or, how to make a competitive Rebel list w/o the Falcon

By horsepire, in X-Wing

I've been having some fun/luck with

B-wing + FCS + HLC x2

Bandit z95 x4

Block/deny actions with the Z's while keeping the B's in range 2-3 for the HLC damage.

I assume you mean 3 x bandits because that list is 110 points. I'd probably upgrade 2 of the bandits to Talas with the spare 2 points, just because they are better versus other likely filler ships and initiative is largely meaningless.

Other than that I think it's an effective counter to falcons and has potential versus phantoms.

I think Rebs have to shift towards 5 ship builds, 2 heavies and 3 scrubs. 2 B's 2 Y's still works ok though.

I know the OP isn't a fan of Z-95s, but I just realized you could put 3 Rookies (63 points) and 3 Bandits (36 points) in a squad, with a point left over for Initiative. That's pretty cool. You could have a bus of 6 fighters or you could split the X's and Z's into two different flights. 6 ships, 3x3 dice, 3x2 dice, 27 AGI 2 hit points, melts down Falcons for paperweights.

I've been having some fun/luck with

B-wing + FCS + HLC x2

Bandit z95 x4

Block/deny actions with the Z's while keeping the B's in range 2-3 for the HLC damage.

I assume you mean 3 x bandits because that list is 110 points. I'd probably upgrade 2 of the bandits to Talas with the spare 2 points, just because they are better versus other likely filler ships and initiative is largely meaningless.

Other than that I think it's an effective counter to falcons and has potential versus phantoms.

I think Rebs have to shift towards 5 ship builds, 2 heavies and 3 scrubs. 2 B's 2 Y's still works ok though.

Whoops. Fat fingered. Yep. 3.

They're bandits because I sometimes swap out FCS for Advanced Sensors. I like them all the same pilot skill so I can choose who's going first or last, so I never upgrade anyone when I have the two extra points.

I'm having a dilemma here with similar desires for a tourney this weekend. I want to run a list of 4+ Rebel ships that can work against Fat Han, but mostly focuses on Whisper lists.

Came up with this:

Ten Numb - VI, HLC

Airen Cracken - VI, Homing Missile (Concussion?, jury's out)

Bandit x3

Plan would be to deploy adjacent to Whisper and close in for an alpha with Ten and Airen. Airen uses missile on Whisper, passes Ten an action for TL+F HLC. The Bandits will run interference with the rest of the enemy, or merely take potshots if ignored. I know Ten is overcosted and his ability won't be that useful, but the rest of his kit is highly desirable.

Any oversights to rip apart?

I'm having a dilemma here with similar desires for a tourney this weekend. I want to run a list of 4+ Rebel ships that can work against Fat Han, but mostly focuses on Whisper lists.

Came up with this:

Ten Numb - VI, HLC

Airen Cracken - VI, Homing Missile (Concussion?, jury's out)

Bandit x3

Plan would be to deploy adjacent to Whisper and close in for an alpha with Ten and Airen. Airen uses missile on Whisper, passes Ten an action for TL+F HLC. The Bandits will run interference with the rest of the enemy, or merely take potshots if ignored. I know Ten is overcosted and his ability won't be that useful, but the rest of his kit is highly desirable.

Any oversights to rip apart?

The only oversight may be how hard it is to catch a single Phantom. You can't just "fire a missile" at Whisper. If I was the Whisper player I'd probably send the rest of the list around to flank while Whisper sits around in my backfield waiting to join the fight. PS10 is harder but you can usually figure out which way the enemy will be pointing.

No Zs is a little difficult since they are the most cost efficient ship in the game at the moment.

I've beaten most Falcon and Phantom builds with Ghostbusters:

Roark+Ion

Blue+Ion

Blue

Knave+R3A2

Alternatively if you don't want to go down the Ion route you can go

Roark+Blaster+Recon Spec

Blue FCS

Blue FCS

Blue FCS + Flechette

I know the OP isn't a fan of Z-95s, but I just realized you could put 3 Rookies (63 points) and 3 Bandits (36 points) in a squad, with a point left over for Initiative. That's pretty cool. You could have a bus of 6 fighters or you could split the X's and Z's into two different flights. 6 ships, 3x3 dice, 3x2 dice, 27 AGI 2 hit points, melts down Falcons for paperweights.

I had played it. Some people prefer to switch one X for a B, but i prefer the iniative bid 3X 3Z.

It really melts falcons. Literally smokes them. Phantom lists are very tricky to play against, and it relies on how you deal with his support, because you need enough ships in the lategame to be able to put pressure on him and block his decloaks. Not impossible.

This question sort of fits here, so I'll add it instead of starting a new topic.

What's the deal with the X-wing? In the few months I've been playing, I've almost always had TIE fighters in my squads (I have them and they seem to fit my mentality really well). I'm accumulating a decent Rebel collection now, though, and I'm trying to figure out X-wings. I put them on the table, and all I can seem to think to do is run them straight at the enemy. It feels stupid and wrong, and has terrible results, but it's like they make me stupid.

What do you do with X-wings? They can't Barrel Roll to re-position, they can't 1-turn to do awesome close-quarters fighting. They do get the 1-straight, which is nice, but they sort of just feel like 3 red dice on a stick.

Hahaha. Bio, you're an Imperial at heart. =)

Same thing I felt.

I would say that x-wings feel like: straight. punchy.

They are nice ships though still.

X-Wings are great staple ships and a great way to start a list. Wether its Wedge, Garven, Luke or Biggs, just by adding one to a list you can look at all the other ships and see how that X-Wing can be leveraged (and help) in a fight using said ships. Now they can support each other as well so a Wedge and Biggs together are awesome but really I find that a Rebel list without an X-Wing becomes difficult to figure out what the list is supposed to do or find some synergy.

I think in large part that's why the Falcon see's so much play, its one of those ships that requires very little thinking. 360 degree shooting, great defense and great offense, fairly maneuverable for a big ship... its really a list on its own, it almost doesn't matter what else you add, its what I lovingly call a "dice ship"... where its core advantage is that it rolls dice with good odds (assuming you fitted it correctly).

I think in large part that's why the Falcon see's so much play, its one of those ships that requires very little thinking. 360 degree shooting, great defense and great offense, fairly maneuverable for a big ship... its really a list on its own, it almost doesn't matter what else you add, its what I lovingly call a "dice ship"... where its core advantage is that it rolls dice with good odds (assuming you fitted it correctly).

It matters a great deal what you add, because it requires thoughtful play to get the most out of your huge investment in a Falcon--and what you bring along, meaning what you equip on the Falcon itself as well as what you bring as its escorts, makes a big difference in how you fly it.

I think in large part that's why the Falcon see's so much play, its one of those ships that requires very little thinking. 360 degree shooting, great defense and great offense, fairly maneuverable for a big ship... its really a list on its own, it almost doesn't matter what else you add, its what I lovingly call a "dice ship"... where its core advantage is that it rolls dice with good odds (assuming you fitted it correctly).

It matters a great deal what you add, because it requires thoughtful play to get the most out of your huge investment in a Falcon--and what you bring along, meaning what you equip on the Falcon itself as well as what you bring as its escorts, makes a big difference in how you fly it.

Fly Falcon in the middle of table and shoot stuff does not require thoughtful play and its pretty much what people do with it. Sure there is some synergy things you can do and avoiding bumping is always preferable but of all the ships in the game, the falcon requires the least skill to be successful at using it. Its basically a dice game with this ship which largely stems from what I believe to be one of the few mistakes within the game (adding 360 primary weapons). I think it should have gotten the same treatment as the Slave 1... front and back firing arcs, it would have put the Falcon inline with the rest of the game which is about maneuvering for position, something the Falcon largely does not have to worry about.

Fly Falcon in the middle of table and shoot stuff does not require thoughtful play and its pretty much what people do with it.

That's what a lot of people do, but that doesn't make it a good idea. The Falcon is a terrible jouster (as are most Large ships, with the exception of the Shuttle); if you don't dodge arcs with it, your opponent can just swarm you with more efficient attacks and kill you in a couple of rounds.

FYI, the Regionals thread now tracks "effectiveness" as well, which takes into account how often squads make it to the top tables vs how well they then further progress. As Vorpal says, it doesn't tell you everything because you don't know the opponent strength, but it is a starting point.

In general, I would recommend trying out a 5+ rebel ship build. More ships is better, and that archetype has done well when it appears at top tables.

By far the most cost efficient generic pilots are Z-95s and B-wings. Generic X-wings have really taken a back seat, and this shows in both the MathWing, and the Regional results - particularly their effectiveness, not just their appearance rate.

In the other hand I found really annoying for fatSolo deal with tactician x2 (Imperial run) Im thinking to use them on B wings once R.A. shows up.

Ive been flying this list for the last couple of weeks;

Tarn Mison, r7

Gold ICT, R3-A2

2x Blue, Sensors

Amongst others Ive faced and utterly destroyed a Echo list, a Ethan-bbzz and interceptor aces with it. I've jet to face a YT but Im pretty confident since I haven't lost more than a single ship per game!

I think in large part that's why the Falcon see's so much play, its one of those ships that requires very little thinking. 360 degree shooting, great defense and great offense, fairly maneuverable for a big ship... its really a list on its own, it almost doesn't matter what else you add, its what I lovingly call a "dice ship"... where its core advantage is that it rolls dice with good odds (assuming you fitted it correctly).

It matters a great deal what you add, because it requires thoughtful play to get the most out of your huge investment in a Falcon--and what you bring along, meaning what you equip on the Falcon itself as well as what you bring as its escorts, makes a big difference in how you fly it.

Fly Falcon in the middle of table and shoot stuff does not require thoughtful play and its pretty much what people do with it. Sure there is some synergy things you can do and avoiding bumping is always preferable but of all the ships in the game, the falcon requires the least skill to be successful at using it. Its basically a dice game with this ship which largely stems from what I believe to be one of the few mistakes within the game (adding 360 primary weapons). I think it should have gotten the same treatment as the Slave 1... front and back firing arcs, it would have put the Falcon inline with the rest of the game which is about maneuvering for position, something the Falcon largely does not have to worry about.

Generally I'd be happy to go against a 3 attack ship that costs 50-odd points. If you're not playing a position game, and just flying it at your opponent, that's all you have. A fairly tough 3-dice 50 point ship.

Generally I'd be happy to go against a 3 attack ship that costs 50-odd points. If you're not playing a position game, and just flying it at your opponent, that's all you have. A fairly tough 3-dice 50 point ship.

Yeah, it annoys me every time I see someone claim that the way you win with a Large ship is to stroll into the middle of the board and just sit there taking potshots while you drive in circles.

Or, to put it another way, you can get three Alpha Squadron Pilots for 54 points. If you hang a naked Chewie those three Interceptors at Range 2 from one another and assume modal damage results, then the Falcon is dead at the bottom of the third round... and it will have killed exactly one Interceptor. That's not fair point-wise, so let's go ahead and make it Han + Threepio + Gunner; in that case, you manage to kill two Interceptors before the last one takes you down.

As KineticOperator has said more eloquently and at length, you pay a premium to acquire a turret, and a bit turret demands a big premium. If you take a turret and then play it like a brawler, you're probably going to lose.

Edited by Vorpal Sword