I was reading a few different articles on various topics but was struck by the number of posters who avoid mid-level PS as a waste. Either they're trumped by all-out PS9+ builds (a reaction to the Phantom menace?), or are wasted against PS1-2 swarms.

What would it take to shift the meta back to an even spread of PS?

At the moment it seems that any pilot such as Chewie or Echo who do make it into competitive builds have VI on them almost by default. Once-popular pilots like Biggs or Turr who occupy the middle range but benefit more from a different EPT have lost their shine.

And it seems a shame that mid PS generics are entirely overlooked unless they come with an EPT slot.

Do we need to see an arrival of some shiny new "must have" pilots in the next waves at PS4-5?

Do we need to see new abilities that are less reliant on PS? (Suggestions?)

Do we need to see some new EPTs along the line of Swarm Tactics but that chain down through PS?

Interested to hear your thoughts.

We won't see more of the mid-range PSs until we get PS-related abilities which don't use an EPT slot, to create smaller steps (instead of the four steps we have now, namely PS1-2, PS3-6, PS7-9, PS10+)

PS4-6 aren't included in the recent PS battle. ACD prompted the shift towards high-PS, as it's really good when you have the highest PS. Predator hinders specifically PS1 and PS2. Cards like Stay on Target will help only ships with an EPT slot, which most of the PS4-6 don't have (I know, there are exceptions), so it will be used mostly on high-PS pilots.

It's also worth noting that PS has always been a game of pros and cons in the standard rules where extremes get the best benefits. The present upgrades only benefit/hinder extremes. So what I'm saying is that without further intervention there's not much incentive to pick the middle field.

Some upgrades that can't be equipped with a PS greater than 5 or 6, maybe? I don't think you'd need to apply a minimum, as when you're taking very cheap low PS ships you usually don't kit them out too much.

Something to help less good pilots - a training wings style upgrade.

I think Tarn Mison is a good example of a mid (actually, low) PS ship that's pretty effective.

So mid-PS ships with pilot abilities that pair very well with certain upgrades (preferably upgrades that are currently underused) might be what's needed.

Or, upgrades that are limited to ships of a certain PS or lower, or that work better on ships that move early and shoot later.

The two lower-PS scum firesprays should help revitalize the mid-PS game, as both of them are awesome.

Yes, I think the arrival of the scum faction will shake up the PS extremes a bit. they have a lot of great pilots and abilities in the mid band, as well as a lot of midband pilots with access to EPTs (Like the mando firespray pilot.)

Scum might do the trick. PS7 triple action dash will also likely become a new meta point, changing the Ps from 9 to 11 to 8 and 9.

really, think about this: to make the mid PS more relevant would be highly variable mobility or attack angles, meaning like hotshot blaster and dropping bombs sideways that allow mid PS ships to compete with the knowledge you gain from higher ps. That and also maybe incredible power to destroy generics. I want to see more generics being powerful though.

I think the increase in utility mechanics alone will bolster PS 5-6 uniques. Most PS 7+ uniques have abilities that directly affect their combat performance, while lower-PS uniques often haven synergy or control effects. With increased access to stress and ion mechanics, the newly-spoiled Scum pilot abilities, and the threat of hypermobile ships from all factions; these utility pilots will be more desirable for their special abilities than their Pilot Skill bid.

hmm, i think its going to be utility over power... because power wont matter if you cant paste dash or the phantom to the wall.

Well, they did a great job bringing the Awing back from obscurity. I wish they'd just make a universal Prototype Pilot card so the rest of the factions can get some use out of their lower PS pilots. It would be nice to put an EPT on a ship that has PS3 or higher without paying for the extra cost for a unique pilot. Gammas are my first thought for this. Screw Munitions Failsafe, I'd be getting Deadeye by the score on my ships.

Yeah. Gammas could really use a buff. Sadly, its pretty hard. And some better singleton uniques would have been nice.

I like sometimes how some ships don't have EPTs as easily. But a few really should have them... Shuttle, Defender

I think Tarn Mison is a good example of a mid (actually, low) PS ship that's pretty effective.

So mid-PS ships with pilot abilities that pair very well with certain upgrades (preferably upgrades that are currently underused) might be what's needed.

Or, upgrades that are limited to ships of a certain PS or lower, or that work better on ships that move early and shoot later.

Tarns ability is specifically geared for his lower PS3, especially so with R7 Astro.

Though having said that I think the same could be said of Arvel Crynyd if his PS was 3 instead of 6. it really is a shame you cant run enhanced scopes on the A-Wing.

I think Predator was a bit of a lost opportunity in this regard. Had it read "You may reroll 1 dice against any target with a lower PS than you or reroll 2 dice against any target that is 3 or more lower PS than you" it would have spread the wealth out a little more broadly.

Although people might have gotten salty at PS 10 pilots rerolling twice against 7s, etc.

I think Predator was a bit of a lost opportunity in this regard. Had it read "You may reroll 1 dice against any target with a lower PS than you or reroll 2 dice against any target that is 3 or more lower PS than you" it would have spread the wealth out a little more broadly.

Although people might have gotten salty at PS 10 pilots rerolling twice against 7s, etc.

A simple fix to that would be to gain the 2nd reroll if your PS is double the target's PS. This way, even PS10 pilots would only get their 2 dice reroll against PS 5 or lower.

Oh well, too late now I guess.

Mid level PS is good thing to have. It's a matter of finding that strong balance between "swarm"(6-8 ships) and "Elite" (4-2 ships) builds. Being at a mid PS means you need to build a list that can withstand facing high PS builds and damaging enough to take advantage of lower PS swarms. Being at mid-range means you don't have to worry about PS bidding and all you need to worry about is how you fly and how well your list works with itself.

I still find that having 1 PS below your opponent too advantageous if used correctly. In the new turn 0 article I have to disagree with his thought on PS bidding. If you are going to try, dor it to the max or not at all

Edit: wow I didn't realize this was so long. Basically ACD strips the numbers advantage of Rebel mid PS builds over previous High PS builds. This is a good thing and essentially forces Rebels to generate PS builds on the extreme edges of the spectrum. I would like to return to being able to play mid PS Rebels (generics) but they are really not a smart use of points like they used to be.

--->Sorry for the mess of a quote, posting from my phone. This is also a primarily Rebel player perspective. I find that Mid PS Imperials are still viable.

I was reading a few different articles on various topics but was struck by the number of posters who avoid mid-level PS as a waste.

---> If you are primarily a Rebellion player like me, it is a waste of points for most of the mid level generics. Only the Green Squad has an EPT standard with it. Considering the potential for the PS2s to block, there is no added benefit to take a PS4 that has the potential to get blocked and still shoot last. Save for Talas. But that is because the Z-95 is such a great filler for 13 pts.

Either they're trumped by all-out PS9+ builds (a reaction to the Phantom menace?)

----> hit the nail on the head with that one from a Rebel standpoint. Maybe if ACD took effect at the end of the combat phase it would not be so, but that is not the case. In order to shut down ACD I have to shoot before the Phantom and either kill it or stick a stress on it with FlechetteTorpedoes or R3-A2. <-----

or are wasted against PS1-2 swarms.

----> I don't consider it a waste if I am still shooting first. Though I understand the perceived wasted points in PS vs a swarm is seen as another possible ship or upgrades for a squad, normally those are recouped as at least one of the swarm will have bee shot down before it could fire... Hopefully the one with the biggest gun or most action efficiency.( Obviously focusing down targets does not always guarantee a kill but it's not as if Bounty Hunters and Defenders can really "swarm").

What would it take to shift the meta back to an even spread of PS?

----> Eliminate the need for ACD to be countered. It is a good dual purpose upgrade to have as it protects an investment with extra agility and provides maneuvering options for the next turn. That singular upgrade essentially negates every Rebel ship below a PS of 8 (except Chewie) because the phantom sees where they move and then parks out their arc. If your ship can't shoot, it is a much bigger waste of points. Points you could have spent on PS.<---

At the moment it seems that any pilot such as Chewie or Echo who do make it into competitive builds have VI on them almost by default. Once-popular pilots like Biggs or Turr who occupy the middle range but benefit more from a different EPT have lost their shine.

--->Biggs is still very popular for the simple fact that he is Biggs. Turr is still awesome with PTL.<---

And it seems a shame that mid PS generics are entirely overlooked unless they come with an EPT slot.

--->Because they offer no benefit or pilot talent that can help with synergy. If Red Sqaudron had an EPT I would bet Luke, Wes or Wedge + swarm tactics would be a thing. <---

Do we need to see an arrival of some shiny new "must have" pilots in the next waves at PS4-5? --->only if they have an EPT standard<---

Do we need to see new abilities that are less reliant on PS? (Suggestions?) ---> no. Forcing squad size vs PS value is a key component to keeping the balance of the forces. The more generics with EPTs the less effectual the high PS's become, stripping them or their advantages.<---

Do we need to see some new EPTs along the line of Swarm Tactics but that chain down through PS? <--- Like chaining predator? Or chaining target locks? The Rebels already kinda have this effect with Garven, Dutch, Lando, and Cracken. They already pass actions down to others (generally) of lower PS. <---

I'm not trying to put you down or anything. I like the idea that you have presented of moving to Wave 3 levels of mid PS generic use again. (I loved, loved, loved, playing Bloody Daggers and Saber Squadron Pilots with PTL) but the advent of ACD forced a move to higher PS. I actually like that though. I used to ignore a lot of high PS pilots because they didn't offer the safety of having that fourth rebel ship ( X-wings in particular). Now that PS is more important, the ability and tactic of leaving the opposite side a ship down after the first shots of the match (especially killing the Phantom before he shoots) becomes better than flying around like space bumper cars who have no additional benefit other than sheer numbers.

Now the problem is getting a high PS AND having 4 ships. 3 ships is hard.

I agree ACD makes everything hard.... but PS9 Boosting unkillable, 1 damage throughput guaranteed a turn, Han is the other meta killer.

We need a better counter for the Falcon. Phantom can be defeated by flying better, using more blocking and using PS9 pilots, of which both sides have.

I really want to go back to taht Wave 3 meta too. Anything goes in that meta. At least everything went forward from its starting position

If ACD is the problem I wish they'd just remove it from the game instead of introducing more upgrade cards that indirectly (law of unintended consequences) buff Fat Han.

You know, what was funny was I saw a lot of things that hamper the Phantom in SV previews, but nothing that screamed, help me kill the Falcon.

I guess they're okay with it taking up 32% of the meta. *passive-aggro attack mode initiated.

What would it take to shift the meta back to an even spread of PS?

Very interesting topic, but I just wanted to touch on this comment for a second.

The reason mid PS suffers in the current game is because it has no clear advantage it can leverage. Most games suffer from a certain level of polarisation, of having 2 distinct and different ways to approach a particular problem, and anything that doesn't do 1 or the other very well tends to suffer. Blood Bowl was a bit like this with the dodge vs bash teams, for example.

With X-Wing, we have 2 approaches that generally get labelled as high PS arc dodging and low PS swarm. While that's definitely qualities of the 2 approaches, I think the broader and easier way to think about it is Quality vs Quantity

The Swarm usually refers to large numbers of low PS ships, but it could also include cheap ships with lots of hull (hello shuttles). It's about getting as much hull and damage on the board and hoping you can grind your opponent down before you lose all your ships.

The other approach usually Arc Dodgers, is about using your post dial movement (any movement you get to choose at, or after you reveal your dial, something you are not required to commit to until it's time to move the ship) to evade opposing ships entirely, and to eliminate threats to your ships before they have a chance to do damage.

There are a few exceptions to this, but as an overall observation, this is true enough.

The problem with mid PS ships is that they really can't compete with either. First is the costing problem. A mid PS ship needs to cost more than a low PS ship, but is about as equally bad as a low PS ship when against high PS opponents. Every mid PS ship you include in your force weakens you against high PS opponents, points that could better be spent on more ships.

The other half of this problem has to do with upgrades. The reason high PS ships are a strong way to play the game is that it is safer and cheaper to put upgrades on them. Safer because they have more advantages in seeing the layout of the board when it is less likely to change, so their actions are more significant, and safer because if they are in a bad spot, they have the potential to reduce or remove the threat before it acts. Cheaper because you only have to upgrade 2 or 3 ships, rather than 4 or 5.

Flying mid PS ships only leaves you with not enough quantity to take on high PS squads, and not enough quality to grind down the quantity squads before they ultimately overwhelm you. There is an added challenge of flying the same squad entirely differently depending on your opponent, which would require more and sometimes conflicting upgrades to your own ships to leverage that, but it just makes it all more pointless.

So, in answer to the question I quoted above?

What the game needs for a more even spread of PS, is to recognise the limitations of the current design and give mid PS ships a role that isn't covered already. Something that can interact with and change how the other 2 extremes play. They aren't quality, they aren't quantity. I would suggest support a role. Some will buff low PS pilots, some with protect high PS pilots. Some will debuff opponents in range of them. They need some abilities that you can't get through EPT or other upgrades that change the way your opponent has to deal with your squad.

Anyway, that's enough from me.

Middle pilot skill has sort of come under the middle of the road syndrome. You get the worst of both worlds. You shoot after ships like Han and Whisper get a chance to blast your face off and you get blocked by the sacrificial Academy pilot so that its buddies can have a shot without worry about target locks or focus or evade tokens. When you got mid pilot skill you have the difficult task of making the most from shooting at lower pilot skill while interdicting higher pilot skill to pull of a win.

This is one of the reasons why I'm exploring builds with Cracken + Squad leader

Team him up with a couple of ships that can take PTL, and SL gives one the potential to throw a boost + barrel roll combo after most, if not all, enemy ships have completed their moves - regardless of the PS of the pilot. Then once the shooting starts Cracken can use his pilot ability to get a second ship to throw the same combo.

It's limited in terms of the ships that can pull it off - and leaves Phil a little exposed - but it's worth it for the look on your opponents face when you move a pair of mid PS B-wings into a range 1 flanking shot of his VI-ed Echo after he's moved

A lot of very thoughtful answers here.

Quite a few rather negative ones though - (and unsurprisingly a few who blame it all on ACD, even though Fat Han seems to be the winner of that particular arms race. [/controversy])

I agree that a few of the new Scum faction look amazing (Azzameen - omg), and if that trend continues then the all out PS bidding war may calm down a little, and perhaps a few of the mid range Rebel pilots with useful abilities may come back into vogue - because let's face it, Dutch, Garven and (to a lesser extent) Biggs have become pretty unfashionable recently.

Perhaps some title cards to go on some of the higher level generics would also be handy....

Now with the prophesized second coming of the bombs, we may yet see an effect on PS. Suddenly lower PS means you land a Proximity Mine (or "Genius" detonation) before your target activates, higher PS means you 100% know you hit your target (assuming a good eye) with a normal bomb. So this doesn't cater to extremes, but to all PSs (because we have a generous range of PS2-8 for Bomb carrying ships and PS0-12 for possible targets).