If you could get Echo or Whisper into range 1 you could mess his day up. Controlling his movement with ion and stress (not the easiest thing in the world, but if you could do it then you're in business) you could set up your interceptors and phantoms to blow him away. That's the imperial perspective. Y's with ion, coupled with HLC B's maybe could help put out some punishment on him. He doesn't have evade or 3PO to help cancel hits so those shots are going to hurt.

IDK, spitballin and throwing out suggestions. Might not work that well but I figure I'd weigh in with my 2 cents. cheers guys

I'll toss some gasoline on the flames that Buhallin is stoking, and publish a squad that will be diabolically difficult to pin down Dash. You can also get Dash 5 actions in a round (4 on average) if you count free focus tokens from Kyle, and remove 2 in one turn.

"Dash's Wingmen"

With Refit on the Green this comes to 98 points, so you can put Test Pilot + Elusiveness on the Green.

5 actions you say? Preposterous! How can this be?

1. Dash has a stress token from the previous turn, and performs a green maneuver. Free focus token.
2. Dash takes 1 action during the activation phase
3. Dash then uses PtL to take a 2nd action.
4. At the start of the combat phase, either wingman at range 1 removes Dash's stress. Dash now has 2 free focus tokens.
5. Cracken shoots at PS8, and gives Dash (at range 1) another free action. Despite Dash using PtL during the activation phase, he has no stress since Wingman cleared it.

If you keep cycling this way, then normally you won't have a stress during step 1, so it's typically 4 actions per round. But you can set it up so you get 5 actions for the first round of combat: 2 focus tokens, and pick 3 of your 4 options of Target Lock, Focus, Boost, and Barrel Roll.

More importantly, it means that if you can get one of your wingmen at Range 1 of Dash the previous turn, then Dash can reveal a white maneuver, and then Boost + Barrel Roll, and still get a free focus token every turn. (And a free TL or 2nd focus token during the combat phase at PS8 if you have Cracken nearby). I would have to play with the ships to see how hard it is to keep your wingmen near Dash. But as a general rule, if it's hard for you to keep your own ships at range 1, then it will be even harder for your opponent to get into range 1.

Additional shenanigans: if you don't use PtL during the activation phase, then you can trigger PtL during the combat phase from Cracken to Boost and Barrel Roll during the combat phase at PS8. Dash can't avoid obstacles during the combat phase, but this could still be extremely useful.

Additional shenanigans: if you don't use PtL during the activation phase, then you can trigger PtL during the combat phase from Cracken to Boost and Barrel Roll during the combat phase at PS8. Dash can't avoid obstacles during the combat phase, but this could still be extremely useful.

He can avoid them while performing actions though, so as long as he doesn't end up on it (and ruin his shot) he can get off them just fine, or cross them.

Dash should be fairly predictable with wingmen, cracken will get lost more easily, the green can go faster, but can't barrel and boost. Might be better with jake or super tycho as the chaser.

Additional shenanigans: if you don't use PtL during the activation phase, then you can trigger PtL during the combat phase from Cracken to Boost and Barrel Roll during the combat phase at PS8. Dash can't avoid obstacles during the combat phase, but this could still be extremely useful.

He can avoid them while performing actions though, so as long as he doesn't end up on it (and ruin his shot) he can get off them just fine, or cross them.

Good catch, I forgot about that! If it's a debris field then he won't care if he lands on it though, unless it gives his opponent +1 defense dice.

Dash should be fairly predictable with wingmen, cracken will get lost more easily, the green can go faster, but can't barrel and boost. Might be better with jake or super tycho as the chaser.

I don't know that Dash will be predictable, since he can break off at any time. But I like the idea of a chaser that moves after him.

So lets try:

Dash + HLC + Outrider + PtL + Kyle + Engine (58)

Jake + Refit + Test Pilot + Wingman + PtL + Hull (30)

Bandit (12)

It's feels like a silly amount of points to put on Jake though. On a ship that is worth 15 points at PS1, that's like putting 40-42 points on an X-wing, or 36 points on an Interceptor.

...or 36 points on an Interceptor.

People do play fully-kitted Soontirs.

...or 36 points on an Interceptor.

People do play fully-kitted Soontirs.

Soontir isn't an Interceptor...

He's a GOOOOOooooooodddd.

Tonight my buddy Daniel and I tried a new list against the same one I crushed Buhalin with last night. Team Anti-Dash took no damage, killing Dash on something like turn five and leaving Jan to face the rest of it alone. And it didn't need any turrets.

Soontir Fel // PtL / Stealth Device / Targeting Computer

Carnor Jax // PtL / Stealth Device

Turr Phenir // Veteran Instincts / Stealth Device

96 points to win the initiative bid.

The important thing here is trying to maneuver to be either in range 1, or out of Dash's range when Dash is set up to fire. Phenir doesn't have PtL, but so long as he's can shoot Dash, he essentially has that second maneuver PtL would give him anyway. So he can park in range 2, fire, and perform something like a second boost to get into range.

With all these high skills you're moving after Dash and shooting first. So you could quite possibly kill him without him ever landing a return shot.

I made some mistakes flying but I did in the games last night and still demolished Kevin. The only shot I was able to get off with this match was once with my Ion cannon, missing a second opportunity when I beached Jan on a rock. Even so, that's three dice against four for the first defense.

The lists might have been flown better by better players, but I think it's a start, and it's not a turret slugging match. Maneuver here is still very important because you need to gauge where you can land your move-actions when you perform them so that you do get in range of Dash. Dash can either choose to scuffle away from you to the board egde to get those shots, or try dodging you by dancing inward, at which point you dance away out of distance on the next turn until you're ready to try jumping him again.

By the way? Dash did take some crits. One of which was Munitions Failure. It turned the game on it's side, making Dash want to knife-fight with his mobility, but he died before he even got the chance to shoot.

It's good to know that there's at least some option that may be able to keep up, even if it may be limited to other high-PS hypermobile units. I do suspect that this highlights the weakness of Jan as the sole supporting element of the squadron, though - with no other guns to threaten, the Interceptors were free to throw everything they had into avoiding Dash (either via range or the donut hole). A pair of X-wings in there changes the calculus a lot, IMHO. Not only will it be other (good quality) guns to avoid, it will be much riskier to commit everything you've got to movement and leave your squints token-less

There's 42 points left taking Jan out of the equation. Exactly 2 Rookie squadrons can fit into that list, or 3 Zs with a few points left over. I think it's worth practicing over but this PS9 list does have some armchair advantages. you can still react in setup to the 2/2/7 placement and if you choose, you can play the evasion game and try to isolate someone. Dash can ignore obstacles but his wingmen can't.

You'll also enjoy all the things hyper-mobile Interceptors do anyway and just move around these fighters. I think a majority of the times those PS2 rookies are going to target lock you is when you're setting up a way to strike Dash at range 1. But you don't have to do that either and try finding a way to get behind those X-Wings and hit them outside of the Outrider's arc.

I suppose team Dash could also try taking A-Wings as blockers but they're only going to fit 2. 3 Zs are the most you're going to see flying with Dash, even after dropping Kyle, and 2 dice out of a derpy fighter against hyper-lethal Interceptor gods?

I just think looking at upgrades that give you mobility to willfully cross a range band are a good direction. PtL moves, R7-T1, Tycho, Farel, Phenir, etx.

I think it manages to keep a semblance of balance, did you keep track of the dice rolling in your games? How far over or under the curve were they? This monster dash is definitely a powerhouse, but is he more of a power house than other builds? What happens to the rest of your list when monster dash is gone?

I think another key factor will be using the play area edges - That's a serious constraint to where you can go. I believe the new obstacles and positioning at the start are playing a greater roll in the game now than they had in the past.

As for the power - it's the repositioning, Fast Han with boost and expert handling has simmilar slipperyness - though clearly not as high as dash. It's surprising how many people don't take into account what boost gets you.

I used to run an Expert Handling Han list as well. For a while it was okay but it didn't feel as bad as this Outrider list does. Adding another attack power, ignoring range AND obstacles makes this more deadly by comparison.

I think the games against Buhalin saw some powerful rolls for Dash. One-shotting the Phantom using only a focus to modify one hit was disgusting.

The game I ran just this past evening seemed to go well for the interceptors when they were rolling. Dash wasn't maxing on his evade, the final hits against him were both blanks. With Jax behind him I couldn't focus anything.

Ran another list that managed to kill Dash tonight.

Farlander // Push the Limit / Advanced Sensors / Engine Upgrade
Tycho // Push the Limit / Expert Handling / A-Wing Test Pilot
Jake Ferrel // Veteran Instincts / Push the Limit

98 points. Give initiative to Dash to let him move first, and then Farlander can react to it.

The particular setup for the second game had Cracken with Wingman, and Blount with an Ion Pulse missile. Tycho was really the only casualty and in part through pilot error (I rarely fly PtL ships... it's something to get used to). Farrel managed to stay with Dash for a good six-seven turns, continually on his tail while the Zs were busy in the middle of the board.

Great thread! I like the fact that A-Wings are coming back thanks to Rebel Aces.

Did you find that the A-Wings had enough fire power even if it can tag along the back of Dash? Was Keyan able to shoot at Dash?

I don't think Farlander got a lot of hits in until near the end. I was mostly tangling with the escorts with him, but that B-Wing was able to dodge fire pretty well.

The Value of those A-Wings on Dash's tail was that they were continually putting pressure on Dash, and possibly stripping away tokens. 5/5 is the weakest stat ratio for large ships and Dash is stuck with it. 2 agilty can help him some but it's not like he can pick the evade action.

I don't think Farlander got a lot of hits in until near the end. I was mostly tangling with the escorts with him, but that B-Wing was able to dodge fire pretty well.

The Value of those A-Wings on Dash's tail was that they were continually putting pressure on Dash, and possibly stripping away tokens. 5/5 is the weakest stat ratio for large ships and Dash is stuck with it. 2 agilty can help him some but it's not like he can pick the evade action.

I would pick 5/5 over the 6/4 of the Firespray or ORS. You always want more shield, so having them equal is pretty good in my book with a total of ten. If guess the Falcon and Decimator would be different animals of they had 6/6 (out 6/7 because if the 13HP) and 8/8.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your meaning of 5/5?