With the resurgence of the Y-wing i just wanted a quick little poll so to speak for an idea i wanna run. Relies on being as Tanky as possible and being annoying as all hell with the Ion but ive got 3 slightly different lists in mind id like opinions on.

http://xwing-builder.co.uk/view/139948/yyyb

Gold Squadron - Ion Turret

Gold Squadron - Ion Turret

Gold Squadron - Ion Turret

Blue Squadron - HLC, FCS

http://xwing-builder.co.uk/view/139944/yyb-hwk

Gold Squadron - Ion Turret

Gold Squadron - Ion Turret

Rebel Operative - Ion Turret

Dagger Squadron - HLC, FCS

I mean, if you want to be annoying sure, but these lists easily create the most boring and mindless games I have ever seen. I won't fight ion spam unless I have to in a tournament. Even then, I would probably concede since I don't care about the prizes.

I mean, if you want to be annoying sure, but these lists easily create the most boring and mindless games I have ever seen. I won't fight ion spam unless I have to in a tournament.

Sorry if i wasnt being clear, this is probably the kind of thing i would take to a tournament. In casual play i just try anything that interests me rather than these more 'sturdy' lists.

Messing with some 3B/1Ylists tonight.

Gold ICT

1 Blue with Enhanced Scopes

2 Daggers with AS

It's not bad. And AS Daggers are not quite bore that mass rebels can be.

I think this would be fun to play for and against. It's different and goes for the long game. Reminds me of how Obi Wan duels.

I don't understand the hate toward facing Ion lists. I mean, I get where it's a longer game and people don't like their movement being "controlled" by the opponent, but it's got such low damage output and it's part of the game, so maybe learn how to outfly it?

Anyway, you can put dual Ion Cannon Turrets and dual Heavy Laser Cannons in a list:

Blue Squadron Pilot (22)

+ Heavy Laser Cannon (7)

Blue Squadron Pilot (22)

+ Heavy Laser Cannon (7)

Rebel Operative (16)

+ Ion Cannon Turret (5)

Rebel Operative (16)

+ Ion Cannon Turret (5)

Sounds like fun to me. Not the sturdiest list and no real tricks up its sleeve, but still pretty versatile and should be relatively easy to fly.

@ ObiWonka: The reason why it's annoying to play against is because you can position yourself behind the enemy ship, then mindlessly ion them off the table (eventually) while they can do very little in return once in that position.

Sure, if facing swarms, you can't really rely on that. But if you are against say a 4-ship Rebel list... Well, you sure can do that.

We have a local who does that all the time. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's just not fun for one person.

I do like that last one, though a little offput by the total loss of the Y-Wings and bottoming out of the PS but hopefully that extra AG and increased firepower could balance things out.

May have to test that one.

@ ObiWonka: The reason why it's annoying to play against is because you can position yourself behind the enemy ship, then mindlessly ion them off the table (eventually) while they can do very little in return once in that position.

Sure, if facing swarms, you can't really rely on that. But if you are against say a 4-ship Rebel list... Well, you sure can do that.

We have a local who does that all the time. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's just not fun for one person.

Its no worse than double YT etc. The only reason i think they have notoriety is because you only see rebels running such control lists. The Imperial ships capable of it are generally too expensive and none of them can take Turrets.

It's only so unfun if you're too focused on losing once out of position and not the mental exercise of trying not to get out of position in the first place. In addition, even though Ion tokens make ships predictable, the ships with the Turrets themselves are pretty predictable as well.

@ ObiWonka: The reason why it's annoying to play against is because you can position yourself behind the enemy ship, then mindlessly ion them off the table (eventually) while they can do very little in return once in that position.

Sure, if facing swarms, you can't really rely on that. But if you are against say a 4-ship Rebel list... Well, you sure can do that.

We have a local who does that all the time. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's just not fun for one person.

Its no worse than double YT etc. The only reason i think they have notoriety is because you only see rebels running such control lists. The Imperial ships capable of it are generally too expensive and none of them can take Turrets.

I think that a double YT list has a better chance of beating most people than ion spam, but I would rather play against the duel YTs. Like TheaY said, it's not that ion spam is really hard to beat, but that when it does work, it makes for incredibly boring games. It's on the same fun level as getting slow played by swarms.

i choose list 1. I wish you could put a serious damage dealing thing on the Ys though. Cuz your damage just sucks.

Bad Falcon matchup. 32% of the field.

I prefer

Roark ICT 24

Blue Flechette FCS 26

Blue Flechette FCS 26

Blue FCS 24

I don't understand the hate toward facing Ion lists. I mean, I get where it's a longer game and people don't like their movement being "controlled" by the opponent, but it's got such low damage output and it's part of the game, so maybe learn how to outfly it?

Anyway, you can put dual Ion Cannon Turrets and dual Heavy Laser Cannons in a list:

Blue Squadron Pilot (22)

+ Heavy Laser Cannon (7)

Blue Squadron Pilot (22)

+ Heavy Laser Cannon (7)

Rebel Operative (16)

+ Ion Cannon Turret (5)

Rebel Operative (16)

+ Ion Cannon Turret (5)

Sounds like fun to me. Not the sturdiest list and no real tricks up its sleeve, but still pretty versatile and should be relatively easy to fly.

I fly that list on a somewhat regular basis - flew it at Imdaar Alpha, for example (and last night on Vassal, for that matter). It's deceptively good vs non-YT rebel builds, and even the Wave 3 high PS 6-TIE swarms. It does tend to fall down against Fat Han and TIE swarm, though. It actually has a fair shot at beating phantom lists though - relying on green dice vs ion turrets is no fun if they can keep taking enough shots, and HLCs have a good chance to land a hit through the cloak.

Bring on the YT-1300, the YT-2400 and the VT-49.

Bet you wished you had some Ion pulse missiles for your squadron now

Definitely the first one, if you have to go with any of them. But I wouldn't take an ion list in general. Sure, you'll have some nice boring games against low-agility lists with 3-4 ships where you just get behind them and spend a few turns rolling dice until you officially win, but most of the time you're going to struggle to do anything. Your damage output from the ions is capped at one damage per turn against each enemy ship, so even when you hit you aren't bringing the game to a conclusion and if/when your opponent gets shots on you they can make a comeback. And if you're ever outnumbered you can't ion everything, which means that the ship(s) you couldn't lock down get to start killing you while you slowly grind away at their friends. Your HLC can do some damage, but it's going to be a pretty obvious priority target and once it goes down you're just not going to kill stuff fast enough.

Now, a single ion ship as a control element is fine in the right list, but you really need to be sure that the rest of your ships are putting out enough damage to take advantage of the movement disruption and end the game before your opponent can get back in the fight.

Like TheaY said, it's not that ion spam is really hard to beat, but that when it does work, it makes for incredibly boring games. It's on the same fun level as getting slow played by swarms.

This. Most lists have a good chance of winning against ion spam, but when it works it isn't really fun for either player. So you really have to ask yourself why you want to play a list that isn't fun and doesn't win as consistently as the top-tier lists.

If you want people to stop playing x-wing with you lists like that will do it, it's the very opposite of fly casual making a list designed to frustrate and annoy the other guy.

Don't be TFG.

I disagree Hobo. how is it any different than 2 falcons, or biggs, or carnor jax? To quote C3PO "He made a fair move, screaming about it won't help." I wonder how often it actually works than you can sucessfully and continually lock them all down anyway? I don't have any heartburn with flying against this list. It's legal, after all. Effective, It seems very situational to me. a single large base ship is going to mess you up I think, as will a 5 ship or more list as mentioned above. Having said that, the "current meta" high PS lists might have a difficult time with this.

If you want people to stop playing x-wing with you lists like that will do it, it's the very opposite of fly casual making a list designed to frustrate and annoy the other guy.

Don't be TFG.

Imagine I'm making a witty, single sentence response full of pith and poignancy that suggests something about how every list is valid and while it may not be the most fun to fly against, consider it a righteous challenge that should tax your brain to counter.

Flying casual is great. But flying so casual as to never present a different challenge to your opponent doesn't improve anyone as a player. Ion - fly on.

I disagree Hobo. how is it any different than 2 falcons, or biggs, or carnor jax? To quote C3PO "He made a fair move, screaming about it won't help." I wonder how often it actually works than you can sucessfully and continually lock them all down anyway? I don't have any heartburn with flying against this list. It's legal, after all. Effective, It seems very situational to me. a single large base ship is going to mess you up I think, as will a 5 ship or more list as mentioned above. Having said that, the "current meta" high PS lists might have a difficult time with this.

OP did call out his intention to be annoying so I think Hobo has a point. If the primary motivation behind building a list is to frustrate your opponents then it's a bit of a **** move.

Its a legitimate stratagy that being said i do not agree with th op reason nehind playing it

I disagree Hobo. how is it any different than 2 falcons, or biggs, or carnor jax? To quote C3PO "He made a fair move, screaming about it won't help." I wonder how often it actually works than you can sucessfully and continually lock them all down anyway? I don't have any heartburn with flying against this list. It's legal, after all. Effective, It seems very situational to me. a single large base ship is going to mess you up I think, as will a 5 ship or more list as mentioned above. Having said that, the "current meta" high PS lists might have a difficult time with this.

OP did call out his intention to be annoying so I think Hobo has a point. If the primary motivation behind building a list is to frustrate your opponents then it's a bit of a **** move.

Its a legitimate stratagy that being said i do not agree with th op reason nehind playing it

My comments on being annoying isnt for me to be a **** for the sake of being a ****. Sorry if it came across like that.

Im not out to frustrate other gamers for the sake of it, however i know personally that being taken off your gameplan is annoying and nothing does that quite like massed Ion. My local area is filled with the High PS lists that fly circles around 'standard' lists and i dont mind knocking some of these 'elite' attitudes down a peg with something like this.

Again this is a tournament list, id never take this for fun etc.