Expose is best on Chiraneau, in my opinion. Perhaps if you have another ship with Squad Leader, then it could work with Kenkirk.

I'd agree but I think Oicunn has some potential as well. He rams an enemy ship, causing them damage. Then in the combat phase with shields down, Ysard triggers and then EI can activate Expose.

I almost feel like it's wasted on Oicunn, though. He's a really agressive ship and should be using his actions for Focus and Target Locks. I like Oicunn with Saboteur + Mara Jade + Dauntless.

A Dauntless build is significantly cheaper, so I can certainly see that approach, but Saboteur requires an action and won't allow you to use focus or TL either.

Yeah, but it's even better than a Focus or TL if there is nothing else around.

The only downside of running EI and Expose is you cant run Engine or Expert Handling, both of which aid in winning you games, especially when your dice arent hot and you need to try and out play your opponent. Not a lot of out playing if you take 2 bank every round!

Rear Admiral Chiraneau + Expose + Ysanne Isard + Experimental Interface (57)

Let's try and build out the squad. If we have this 57 points as a base, what do we do with the 43 points remaining?

There is the go big or go home

Rear Admiral Chiraneau + Expose + Ysanne Isard + Experimental Interface (57)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)

Or mini-mini Swarm

Rear Admiral Chiraneau + Expose + Ysanne Isard + Experimental Interface (57)

Howlrunner (18)

Academy Pilot (12)

Academy Pilot (12)

Add a phantom

Rear Admiral Chiraneau + Expose + Ysanne Isard + Rebel Captive + Experimental Interface (60)

"Whisper” + Fire-Control System + Veteran Instincts + Advanced Cloaking Device (39)

My experience is that Howler is of limited utility unless there are /at least/ three other TIEs. Shuttles are a tough sell without FCS. I'm digging the phantom option so far.

I'd be torn between Whisper or the Mini-Swarm. Whisper helps against the Decimator's weakness, which is Swarms, but then you only have two targets, one of which is really hard to hit and the other which is really easy to hit.

I like the Mini Swarm since Howlrunner also helps out your Decimator and can be used to block and protect it.

I'd thought of this combo sans EI (as I don't plan to get a YT-2400), but EI is the cherry here.

So is this just a Fat VT, whose bane will be the Z-swarm?

To be honest, Swarms are the vain of all large ships regardless of the upgrades.

Ruthlessness helps!

I'm thinking of trying this list out once I get my hands on the VT:

Echo: VI+ACD+Navigator+FCS (40)

Oicunn: Dauntless+Mara Jade+Gunner+Rebel Captive+Ruthlessness+APL (60)

Echo would zip around sniping people while Oicunn rams into the action and dishes out a bunch of stress. I feel that it could be capable of dealing with a Z-Swarm if its able to ram into a few and stress them before they can focus or TL.

Has anyone tried these builds and seen how cost effective they are?

Some quick off-the-cuff numbers:

3 attack is worth around 1.7 - 1.75 of 2 attack dice.

4 attack is worth around 2.55 - 2.65 of 2 attack dice.

So going from 3 dice to 4 dice increases combat power by around 50%.

Expose + EI is essentially 7 points for +1 attack dice. I'll ignore the stress it adds for now. Ship value is roughly proportional to the square root of combat power (slightly more for expensive ships like the VT-49), so this implies that the break-even point is when this +7 points makes the ship cost go up by around 25%. The PS1 equivalent cost is 38 points, meaning it is "worth" around 9.5 points to add a 2nd die. So 7 points sounds like a decent deal.

So basically, it works because you don't suffer the negative effects of Expose.

The issue is that your movements will be very predictable to clear stress, and the VT-49 goes down in around 2-3 rounds of firing. So you will likely get to shoot your 4-dice gun 2 or 3 times, and then you're 50+ points of space debris.

The "safer" choice is Engine Upgrade to dodge arcs, but if you're fighting against other turreted ships this is also worthless unless you are chasing down a HLC Outrider.

Has anyone tried these builds and seen how cost effective they are?

Expose + EI is essentially 7 points for +1 attack dice.

Odd how that point cost is the same as a Heavy Laser Cannon and on the Decimator it's on a turret. You have to spend 12 points to get a similar attack for the YT-2400 and it gets a bonus in range 1 over the blind spot.

Yes, however it costs a stress on the VT-49, and if playtesting is any indication, the range 3 bin of the Outrider is the most-used HLC range, so you get defensive bonuses.

grumbles something about ridiculous piloting of Dash Rendar

If you put Marksmanship on Chinreau, can he change two focuses into crits at range 1-2?

Pair it with EI and you can TL + Marksman giving you very accurate shots at all ranges.

For complete Crit shenanigans I give you the Critimator:

Chinreau + Marksmanship + Merc. Co-pilot x 2 + EI

For 56 points he can nail you with crits at all ranges. You can throw in Isard or a Gunner for super accuracy.

If you put Marksmanship on Chinreau, can he change two focuses into crits at range 1-2?

Pair it with EI and you can TL + Marksman giving you very accurate shots at all ranges.

As I was looking at EPTs in my list builder, I thought about the same thing. I believe so.

If you put Marksmanship on Chinreau, can he change two focuses into crits at range 1-2?

Pair it with EI and you can TL + Marksman giving you very accurate shots at all ranges.

As I was looking at EPTs in my list builder, I thought about the same thing. I believe so.

Yes both could work but I'm not sure how often you will roll 2+ focus results to make use of both effects.

If you put Marksmanship on Chinreau, can he change two focuses into crits at range 1-2?

Pair it with EI and you can TL + Marksman giving you very accurate shots at all ranges.

As I was looking at EPTs in my list builder, I thought about the same thing. I believe so.

Yes both could work but I'm not sure how often you will roll 2+ focus results to make use of both effects.

My math may be off, but not taking into account an opponent evading, at range 2 you cab expect .375 Foci(?) and at range 1 you can expect .5 Foci(?).

Again, my math could be way off.

EDIT: Already off. There's only 2 Focus symbols!

.375 at Range 2

.5 at Range 1

Has anyone tried these builds and seen how cost effective they are?

Expose + EI is essentially 7 points for +1 attack dice.

Odd how that point cost is the same as a Heavy Laser Cannon and on the Decimator it's on a turret. You have to spend 12 points to get a similar attack for the YT-2400 and it gets a bonus in range 1 over the blind spot.

The HCL has other benefits, too, though. It doesn't allow the extra agility at R3, is useful even when stressed, doesn't require the action to be used, and doesn't take an EPT or modification slot.

Has anyone tried these builds and seen how cost effective they are?

Expose + EI is essentially 7 points for +1 attack dice.

Odd how that point cost is the same as a Heavy Laser Cannon and on the Decimator it's on a turret. You have to spend 12 points to get a similar attack for the YT-2400 and it gets a bonus in range 1 over the blind spot. Those extra points allow for options and flexibility elsewhere.

The HCL has other benefits, too, though. It doesn't allow the extra agility at R3, is useful even when stressed, doesn't require the action to be used, and doesn't take an EPT or modification slot.

However it has some draw backs as well no bonus die at range 1, 5 attack at point blank range is nothing to sniff at for most fighters.

Hopefully Amazon's email is true and I'll be able to try it next week.

Yeah, those were mentioned previously. That said, I predict you're going to see the outrider with the HLC more than the Decimator with Expose+EI because of the high opportunity cost to make the latter work despite a lower point cost.

Isn't it Rebel Aces that's in the near future, not Wave 5?

Amazon sent me a notification saying they expect to ship wave 5 Monday and aces Thursday.

Amazon sent me a notification saying they expect to ship wave 5 Monday and aces Thursday.

Woot! That may be in time for me to run my 2 Live Crew list for X Wing Night this monday!

Amazon sent me a notification saying they expect to ship wave 5 Monday and aces Thursday.

Woot! That may be in time for me to run my 2 Live Crew list for X Wing Night this monday!

We can hope but I don't get why there is a couple of days gap if they are on the same boat.

What is your guys' general consensus on these two 7pt sets of upgrades

Expert Handling + Gunner -7pts

Predator + Engine -7pts

Which do you find more useful on the Decimator?

Also, I like the idea of including Dauntless with one of the movement upgrades, so i can bump and then barrel roll (sadly for 2 stress) or bump and then boost passed with a 1 bank (for 1 stress). Im gonna play test to see which works better in which situation, and try to decide which will put me in a better spot more often, and if the double stress will turn out okay. I want to run Captain Oicunn and i have a sneaking suspicion he will be just a bit better of a ship with Dauntless included.

Amazon sent me a notification saying they expect to ship wave 5 Monday and aces Thursday.

Woot! That may be in time for me to run my 2 Live Crew list for X Wing Night this monday!

We can hope but I don't get why there is a couple of days gap if they are on the same boat.

Uh, not sure what Amazon's doing, but Wave 5 is still at the printer.

Patrol Leader (40)
Rebel Captive (3)
Gunner (5)
Tactician (2)

Patrol Leader (40)
Mara Jade (3)
Gunner (5)
Tactician (2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

I have now played both the Decimator+EI+Isard+expose and the YT-2400 with HLC turret. I was overall much more impressed with the Decimator. 16 hits people, 16 friggin hits! It's is just an absolute beast especially when Isard is going to give you probably 19+ hits and Kenkirk can be even more. 5 dice at range 1 while still having a focus action or TL is overpowering to most ships. The Decimator fills the one hole the empire had, a brutal turret on a very tough ship.

Did I see engine in any of these lists? Nope

then nope.

Engine. Run engine.

Seriously, avoid getting shot by running engine.

Did I see engine in any of these lists? Nope

then nope.

Engine. Run engine.

Seriously, avoid getting shot by running engine.

Then I don't get 4-5 dice. I they are dead they don't shoot.