Like many of you here, I have been reading about the “meta” for a while now and have been busy theorizing and testing different lists designed to break it without using its typical components. For those of you who make the rock-paper-scissor analogy, I have been hard at work building a “Spock” (or lizard). This article will include everything from possible squads to asteroid and units deployments. I have won often with different variations (5 on 5 so far) so while it might not be suited for all, this could, hopefully, steer some of you towards more fun options. Enjoy!
P.S.: this list is highly dependent upon understanding how initiative and asteroid deployment work, so to get the full benefit, you really have to read the whole article, not just the ship list.
The challenge
Ok, so in order to be a “counter-meta” list, we must first define the Meta itself. So here is a broad view of some of the key elements that are good right now and that the counter-meta needs to be good against:
- Whisper + Veteran Instinct + Advanced cloaking device
- Echo + Veteran Instinct (something else) + advanced cloaking device
- Han + gunner (or Luke) + Millenium Falcon title + C3PO + (optional) engine upgrade
Now for the list to be a success, it must also satisfy another set of criteria which is:
- The list must also works against other common lists such as swarms, named pilots, etc.
Note: being good against does not mean “works every time”. That is the key difference here.
The list
There are two variants that I rely upon for Boba’s counter-meta and both work relatively well.
Variant 1 (high firepower)
Boba
Outmaneuver
Engine upgrade
A highly maneuverable Firespray, Boba’s pilot skill rating nets him a nice advantage against most fighters, including Echo with veteran instinct. If you have the initiative, you’ll shoot while Echo is decloaked. If not, you still get to use your engine upgrade to hopefully get out of the firing arc. Boba should be flanking on one side. Outmaneuver, if you can get in position, will reduce the effectiveness of phantoms and neutralize C3PO.
Sigma phantoms X2
Stygium particle accelerator
High damage dealers combine with nice maneuverability, they have the advantage of being able to have a focus and evade token during their initial encounter. They should work in pairs as flankers on the opposite side of Boba. If facing a Falcon, you’ll want to have them strike simultaneously. If facing other phantoms, you’ll want to have one a bit withdrawn to cover the other. Advanced cloaking device or not, 4 attack dice can still make a named phantom pilot nervous.
Variant 2 (more control)
Boba
Outmaneuver
Engine upgrade
Intelligence agent
Same as above, except that the intelligence agent helps Boba know whether he needs to use his engine upgrade or not against the high ranking meta pilots.
Sigma phantom
Rebel captive
Sensor jammer
Stygium particle accelerator
With only one phantom, survival becomes a bit more important. The rebel captive ensures that a named phantom shooting at him will not be able to recloak, opening the way for some major payback. The sensor jammer is mostly to increase survivability against tie fighters and Z-95s. If in trouble, the phantom can overshoot the swarm, forcing them to do a K-turn that will deny them the focus. The sensor jammer could also force a Falcon to use focus instead of an evade.
Scimitar bomber
Proximity mines
This one is an odd duck and many have scoffed at its use. It is however, a though unit to bring down and its proximity mines ignores defense dice. It is a mixture of a gamble and a meat shield. Send it towards the middle of the enemy force at a slow pace during round 1. If, at any time, you end a turn close to the front of an enemy ship with a higher PS rating, do a bank maneuver and drop your payload right in his nose. Not ideal against phantoms, but works very well against Falcons. Don’t be shy about using the 5k turn as well.
Initiative bid
Both lists work counter to what is currently popular on the board because in most cases, you don’t want the initiative (hence why they are both at 100 points). The stygium particle accelerator works whether you shot first or last and Boba’s high maneuverability is easier to use if you move last, but is not solely dependent on it.
Asteroid placement
One key aspect, no matter which variant, is that the Firespray must be able to move fluently through the field. Unlike Rebel large base ships, the Firespray does not have a 1 turn (only 2 or 3). Therefore, it has an easier time maneuvering around asteroids when they are separated by a distance of range 1.5 to 2. Grid-like formations that look a bit like tic-tac-toe actually work well (even if they are highly unoriginal).
I find that if you lose the initiative, you actually have an easier time forming these types of grids since you decide the distance of the second asteroid from the first one.
Boba’s maneuverability and defensive capabilities is significantly increased when fleeing from an opponent while having an asteroid on each flank.
Unit deployment
Bomber (if applicable): in a spot with a clear line of sight towards the enemy. This is easier, again, if you do not have the initiative and the enemy has low pilot skill fillers (hinting at the final disposition of his army).
Phantom(s): on a flank, aimed towards the opposite edge (attack) or a neutral edge (stall). You could also do 45 degrees.
Boba: in the opposite corner, at a 45 degree angle. His initial maneuver should be a bank, which he can switch to fly along either edge as the game unfolds.
Tactics
The enemy deploys to kill my phantom(s)
The enemy is deployed to take out the phantoms? Good:
- 1 turn, cloak (get a free evade).
- Decloak towards the imperial edge, 1 turn, cloak again.
In short, you’d be amazed at how unmoving a phantom can be if he wants to, giving Boba the time he needs to get in a prime position to make full use of outmaneuver. If you do this well, you can actually bring your phantom to the very corner of the map, forcing enemy ships into uncomfortable turns and k turns at some point. Also, guess what, a phantom facing the corner has a hard time decloaking.
The enemy deploys to kill Boba
For those who have never used a Firespray with an engine upgrade, let me just say that the bugger can move… a lot. That’s where a 3 or 4 straight combined with a boost (straight or bank) can allow you to slip through most if not all firing arcs. Meanwhile, your phantoms must double time it (yay extra boost from uncloaking) to shoot the enemy in the back.
Note that if you are facing Whisper, you might wish to fly along the imperial edge of the map instead. That is one reason why you deployed at a 45 degree angle (and you can switch your bank maneuver thanks to Boba’s ability). It also keeps your opponent guessing as to where you’ll go and the truth may be that you probably won’t know yourself until the time comes.
Evade tokens vs gunner
Here is one key advantage that an evade token has compared to the advanced cloaking device; instead of using it to avoid the attack, you can use it to control how much damage you’ll get. For example: Han rolls 3 crits (super happy Han) in the alpha phase and your uncloaked phantom with an evade token rolls 2 evade. You might wish to consider taking the 1 shield damage anyway and prevent the use of his gunner. That’s right; 60 points of Falcon did 1 point of damage that round… try to return the favor, but a lot stronger. If you’re extremely lucky, it could take the Falcon 4 rounds to kill a single phantom (but realistically, it won’t). Either case, you still have a focus left and itchy trigger fingers.
You don’t need to recloak
If you have not experienced the joys of flying a sigma yet, then let me break it to you; you don’t need to recloak every round; do it only when you can’t attack anyone.
Don’t be afraid to completely disengage
During some rounds, you might face a situation where you probably won’t get good firing arcs, but your enemy most likely will. In such a scenario, don’t be afraid to flee and regroup. This means 3 or 4 straight with Boba with a boost on top of it all and phantoms moving away while cloaking (and getting that free evade token).
Short circuiting the advanced cloaking device
Aside from the obvious rebel captive, there is another way to mess up your opponent’s cloaking device. A phantom equipped with it can only turn 90 degrees in any direction during a turn (except for Echo). If the phantom cannot shoot, it cannot freely recloak. This list is either built with extreme mobility in mind or with an expendable meat shield (bomber). As much as possible, you should dodge your opponent’s arc, which brings me to my next point.
Dodging firing arcs with Boba midgame
In the initial phase, the list is designed to flank your opponent, but then things usually degenerate in a general melee which no amount of planning can predict (your best laid plans will fall apaprt). From that point on, you should try to end your movements with every ship between two asteroids. This is especially important for Boba for him to make full use of his of his outmaneuver ability. If these conditions are met, then Phantoms will have an especially hard time following because a decloak right or left will set them on a collision course for the asteroid, which leaves only decloaking forward (Echo might not even be able to do it if following Boba and having the initiative).
Even if the enemy phantom decloaks successfully, it will still end in a position where it will have the choice of trying to guess where Boba will go. Many of those choices will end with no Boba in sight, but the Firespray having a clear shot through its rear firing arc. If your opponent also has the intelligence agent then using a bank maneuver on Boba could be handy.
Against a Falcon, Han might very well end up with a single choice of following through the gap in the asteroid, ensuring that Boba’s outmaneuver will trigger.
Final notes
Like I said, “Boba’s counter-meta” has been a list that I have been working on for a while now and I might tweak it some more as new upgrades become available (or think of new crazy combos). It is my “Spock” to the rock-paper-scissors and I’m pretty fond of it.
Will it win tournaments or appear in regional finals? How does it fare in so or so mathematical computations? Don’t know, don’t care.
What I do know is that I have fun playing it and there’s a mad glint in my eyes when:
- A proximity mine blows up
- Boba lays chase to an enemy ship or…
- Slips through my opponent’s fingers while phantoms shoot him in the back
So if you have managed to read this far (congratulations!) and found this article entertaining and want to give it a shot or found some interesting ideas that would inspire you to create your own fun list (or Spock or lizard) then I’ll be happy. This is my little contribution to try and lift whatever doom and gloom is hovering in the area and remind people of the possibilities and how much fun this game is 
Have fun out there!
