I would like some suggestions for the 14pts I have left.

I want to play Wes, Luke and Wedge (86pts), with all the options out there now I'm at a loss ... or maybe overwhelmed. I'm fed up with low PS ships and classic Falcon / Phantom builds.

Ideas?

Wedge Antilles - Predator, R5-P9

Wes Janson - Veteran Instincts, R7-T1

Luke Skywalker - R2-D2

Wes wants to shoot first, so VI is essential for him. R7-T1 should help him boost into range one for 4 dice plus target lock, adjust an angle of attack or boost out of firing arcs if necessary.

Wedge has Predator, which combined with his pilot ability and Wes stripping tokens should allow him to keep his focus for shield regeneration.

Luke and R2-D2 is another tanky regeneration build.

Three Amigos lists are fun to play, hit hard but risky. Careful planning in deployment and movement is key when facing arc dodgers, and you need to keep everyone alive for as long as you can - you'll often find yourself starting the game outnumbered, so the second you lose a ship it becomes an uphill battle.

When faced with the choice between upgrades and adding another ship, I generally opt for adding an extra ship.

So my first choice would be to add a Tala or a Bandit

My second choice would be to add up the points correctly and realise I had 18 to play with, not 14 - and add a Proto pilot with CR

Wes 29 pts, Wedge, 29pts, Luke 28 pts = 18 pts?? Math totals to 86

go with FTS Gecko's build but don't take V.I. on Wes but D.T.F. on Luke.

Go with FTS Gecko's build but don't take V.I. on Wes but D.T.F. on Luke.

Draw their Fire on Luke is a great choice, but I'd always want Wes shooting first. He strips tokens from your opponent, making your other ships shooting that much more effective. He sets Wedge up for "easy" kills.

If I could free up another point somewhere, Luke would have had DTF for sure.

Are you dead set on using three X wings?

I love Wedge with Vet Instincts and Predator! Luke with R2-D2 is a given, Wes, is always interesting. I like the stress-bot on him (R3-A2), because you can be a jerk and stripe tokens off and stress you're opponent.

That being said, three X-Wings is not the most competitive build. Fun, sure, and in a casual environment great to play. But not the most optimized build for Rebels.

Thanks for this help, I really appreciate it as well as the explanation of why.

To Red and Evil, I'm not committed to the Three Xs, but want something competitive for a fun night. BUT I'm intrigued. What is optimized for the Rebels? I've played lots of low PS builds with the Rebels and am fed up. I've played Fat Han to some success but it just seems boring to me now.

So again, what are some optimized builds?

Evil, I would disagree with your last statement. The three ship rebel build is certainly not the most forgiving, but in the right hands it definitely stands in a competitive environment. However, I do think you have to seriously consider how much firepower you can draw out of it since you have only three ships. Making this kind of list work is about dishing out maximum damage before the return fire.

That's why I've been such a fan of Opportunist builds. Although, considering the use of R7-T1 has made me think about the following:

Wedge - R5-P9 or R7-T1/PtL

Wes - R3-A2/VI

Keyan - Opportunist

I like the utility R7 offers Wedge. He can get in close for the 4th dice or boost out of arc. I think this may be more useful than saving a focus to get a shield back, but that remains to be seen. I love Keyan here because he essentially has two actions at firepower 4 against Wes' target. You could also drop the R3 in favor of R2 on Wes for added maneuverability and initiative bidding.

Edit: Ghaerdon, you will want to roll as many dice as you can each combat phase with this. This kind of list can wreck large ships in a round of shooting and severely handicaps bomber lists which depend on ordnance.

Wes 29 pts, Wedge, 29pts, Luke 28 pts = 18 pts?? Math totals to 86

go with FTS Gecko's build but don't take V.I. on Wes but D.T.F. on Luke.

How the heck did I make that add up to 82 ????

I'll check to see if brain transplants are available on the NHS

I think Wes' Ability is crying out for Opportunist to be thrown on somebody, then an R2 to ditch the stress.

There is also the Opportunist heavy list that was being used back in late Wave 3 a lot.

Wes with VI

Wedge with Opportunist and R2

Luke with Opportunist and R2D2

Brutal alpha strike and so long as you can keep taking ships off the board quicker than they are damaging you it is pretty effective.

I think FTS Gecko's list is really nice for 3 named X-Wings. Here's another option (not 3 X-Wings though) to be sure to shoot first:

Wedge (R2-D2, Swarm Tactics)

Keyan (PTL, HLC)

Roark (Blaster Cannon, Recon Spec)

Not competitive, but fun!