Hey X-wing fans! I've had a short break but we're back in gear with a new discussion video. This week we look at Airen Cracken in the Z-95. I'm looking at multiple combinations in this video, so enjoy!

I'd also like to take this time to tell you about my twitter-account. Look for news there when you don't see a video up or you think I'm dead or something. I need a fast way to reach my increasing audience (almost 600 people now! WOW!) and decided that twitter will have to do.

https://twitter.com/MvanRooijenJr

Thanks again for all the support!

THE VIDEO:

http://youtu.be/oNm0ucwZSok

Thanks for the update. I really like your videos. I just got Rebel Aces yesterday and I think this expansion will change the game quite a bit. So many options! Can't wait for your thoughts on it... in upcoming videos maybe? :-)

Great series. You're articulate and you bring your audience in at the end by asking good questions.

Thanks for the update. I really like your videos. I just got Rebel Aces yesterday and I think this expansion will change the game quite a bit. So many options! Can't wait for your thoughts on it... in upcoming videos maybe? :-)

I haven't gotten my hands on Rebel Aces myself yet, but soon! I will indeed do a lot of video's on them.. Rebel Aces is jammed with cards that shake up the competitive meta but also with cards that shake up casual play.

Great series. You're articulate and you bring your audience in at the end by asking good questions.

Much appreciated!

I'm only exploring Rebel now, with aces afoot. Your videos inspire me to learn Z, Hwk, and more!

I'm only exploring Rebel now, with aces afoot. Your videos inspire me to learn Z, Hwk, and more!

The Rebel Aces pack has some amazing cards for the HWK, such as Jan Ors and Kyle Katarn as a crew option.

I try to cover rebel and imperial ships equally, as there are some amazing ships on both sides.

I read Wingman wrong. I thought it transfered the stress to your ship. Looks a lot better now.

One thing I've found with this guy is he just dies real easy. The lack of manueverability and decent defense means he can die with little effort.

I read Wingman wrong. I thought it transfered the stress to your ship. Looks a lot better now.

One thing I've found with this guy is he just dies real easy. The lack of manueverability and decent defense means he can die with little effort.

3 Solutions:

1. Shield/Hull Upgrade (not what I would recommend)

2. Fly next to Biggs (can solve this, but best in conjunction with #3)

3. Fly next to a priority target.

Like I said above, putting him in Range of Biggs, who is also protecting your heavy-hitter/ace is, generally speaking, the best place for Airen.

One thing I've found with this guy is he just dies real easy. The lack of manueverability and decent defense means he can die with little effort.

So it comes down to two schools of thought: Is it better to have fewer beefier ships, or many weaker ships? Sound arguments can be made on both sides. Different people have different preferences and I always wonder what creates those personal opinions. I actually go both ways. I love me some Zs and TIEs but I also like B-wings and Large ships. Some people just can't wrap their heads around the concept of "weaker but I get a whole extra ship", and that's ok.

I also agree with Engine that the best solution for squishy ships is to present other targets that your opponent is going to be much more likely to want to target. I'm new, so correct me if I'm wrong, but that is the whole idea behind any squad that has two big hitters. Pick your poison.

I'm a fan of Cracken and I run him frequently, particularly with b wings so i can barrel roll them to re position after everything has moved. That said I find he dies wayy to easily for how important he can be. I haven't tried him with biggs yet but that's in part because i feel biggs really doesn't benefit from Cracken, which cuts into your ships that do. I feel like i spend too many points trying to protect Cracken and i wind up limiting what he does.

One thing I've found with this guy is he just dies real easy. The lack of manueverability and decent defense means he can die with little effort.

So it comes down to two school of thought: Is it better to have fewer beefier ships, or many weaker ships? Sound arguments can be made on both sides. Different people have different preferences and I always wonder what creates those personal opinions. I actually go both ways. I love me some Zs and TIEs but I also like B-wings and Large ships. Some people just can't wrap their heads around the concept of "weaker but I get a whole extra ship", and that's ok.

I also agree with Engine that the best solution for squishy ships is to present other targets that your opponent is going to be much more likely to want to target. I'm new, so correct me if I'm wrong, but that is the whole idea behind any squad that has two big hitters. Pick your poison.

I don't mind many squishy ships, but he costs 6pts more than a Tala Pilot. Is he worth the 6 extra points if he does so fast.

I like the idea of keeping him near high value targets, but that can be hard when you have the movement dial of the Z-95. It's like what catachanninja says, he does way too easily for how important he can be.

I don't mind many squishy ships, but he costs 6pts more than a Tala Pilot. Is he worth the 6 extra points if he does so fast.

Yeah, that's the issue. Is the six points worth an ability, extra slots and a higher PS... I can see both sides of the fence.

I have found that Airen is indeed a one-hit-blab kind of guy, you need some mileage out of him before he's gutted off the field. Klecser makes a valid point, higher priority targets have to fly next to him. Honestly if I can get his ability to fire 3 or 4 times and can absorb stress 3 or 4 times, before he dies: he's been a worthy addition.

He works well with Biggs. Cracken with Swarm Tactics can make Biggs a PS 8 and he gives Biggs a focus action to increase his defense. ANd then Biggs can concentrate on using Target lock on an enemy ship.

I have been running him fairly successfully with either Veteran Instincts and Wedge/Biggs or vanilla with Wes Janson and Biggs. To me he is cheap enough to allow me to field biggs plus something good and still have 20+ points left which at times can let me grab something nice.

The other way I have run him is with Chewy, Biggs, and Cracken with cracken carrying cluster missiles to get the double orders on your small fleet. Haven't had as much success that way though.

I basically see him as part of biggs at the 44 point mark. Giving you that nice 28ish point slot for two more threatening rebel fighters.

I have been running him fairly successfully with either Veteran Instincts and Wedge/Biggs or vanilla with Wes Janson and Biggs. To me he is cheap enough to allow me to field biggs plus something good and still have 20+ points left which at times can let me grab something nice.

The other way I have run him is with Chewy, Biggs, and Cracken with cracken carrying cluster missiles to get the double orders on your small fleet. Haven't had as much success that way though.

I basically see him as part of biggs at the 44 point mark. Giving you that nice 28ish point slot for two more threatening rebel fighters.

Looking at him as an expensive Biggs.. wow.

Thanks again for all the positive feedback and responses to my video's, as always: much appreciated.

I'm fond of fielding General Airen lots of times: he's often seen as either non-threatening because of his low attack value, or as a priority target because of his ability that ends up drawing fire from ships I tend to field as heavy hitters, though I have also run him with a Biggs/Tarn/Hobbie list with middling success.

I actually think he tends to stand out when flying alongside Wedge and Wes Janson: you put Veteran Instincts on him and Janson, effectively giving you two attacks against targets that allow you to play around with your opponent for a follow-up attack with Wedge to either kill or seriously damage a ship. This basic pilot framework gives you 11 points to play with with Airen and Wes' EPT slots already filled, perfect for giving astromechs to both X-Wings, maybe a talent for Wedge, maybe ordnance, maybe shield/hull/engine upgrades. It's a simple but fun three ship list that has lots of variable application because of Wes' token removal attacks, Airen's ability to flesh out an action economy and Wedge hitting as he tends to do.

I also thought of running him and Wes like above but replacing Wedge with Luke with DTF and either R2-D2 or R5-P9. This list benefits from not having to force Wes and Cracken to take VI, freeing up a couple of points and their EPT slots for other abilities. Predator or Outmaneuver are both excellent choices for Wes since it makes his attacks even more infuriating. plus you can also put Squad Leader onto Cracken to emphasize his action economy even more. It will have problems with Fat Han and VI Whisper and Echo lists, but it's an option if you like three ship lists. I just don't like it because it doesn't feel quite as punchy, but makes up for it with slightly better defensive building on Luke.