So, I love X-wings. I don't really like B-wings. It's just a thing. I think B-wings are under-costed and easier to fly. I think X-wings are still valid, but you have to be smarter about how to use them. So, I've been thinking about running an X-wing list.

Tarn Mison is a go-to guy for me. Perfect at 25 pts with R7.

I ran Porkins w/ R5-D8 (his droid) a couple of times and found him really fun to use. If he does a red maneuver, there is only an 11% chance that he will end up with a hit at the end of the turn. There is a 62% chance that he will remove the stress and get an action. I also found that R5-D8 works against all damage, not just the ones you put on. So, if he's not focused down, he can be a great late gamer. I also thought about Hull Upgrade. Why hadn't I thought of that before? It gives him 4 hp and more likely to use his ability and R5-D8. I also have to chuckle at the idea that Porkins had to get a double-wide X-wing to fit in, so that's where the hull upgrade came from.

Since I was using the new guys, I figured I should throw in Hobbie w/ Stressbot.

With two expensive guys, I need a cheap Z-95. Not quite a full XXXX list, but hey, not bad.

Porkins w/ R5-D8, Hull Upgrade, and Expert Handling
Hobbie Klivian w/ Stressbot
Tarn w/ R7
Tala Squadron

99 pts

I know everyone says that Phantoms eat X-wings alive, but I have played a number of them and think I can handle them. I also love the idea of a barrel rolling X-wing.

What do you guys think? Not sure when I'll get to try it out as I'm trying to get practice with my Tie Bombers.

I'm having a hard time imagining fatty porkins adroitly rolling that 'extra wide' x-wing of his :-P

If you feel comfortable running this against all-comers, then more power to ya!

I personally wouldn't feel confident against highly manoeuvrable enemies, and TIE swarms would be worrisome, but I guess those are less common nowadays?

I love the barrel roll, but in my experience, Porkins wants to have a pseudo action available on the turns he uses the repair bought. Expert handling prevents him from getting any action other than barrel roll which really hampers his offense. As we all know, at the end of the day, an xwing really depends on its offense for survivability.

None of your fighters need to fly in formation. Have you thought about a Porkins with R5D8 and lone wolf? That one works well for me.

Hmmm.....I was thinking that the Barrel Roll would give a high PS X-wing pilot some maneuverability that everyone says is lacking in said X-wings. While it's not as good as a PTL Interceptor, it would still be worth it to BR out of firing arcs, is it not? He also might have a TL from previous rounds that would help him BR into Range 1 or such.

With Porkins, I am not sure what other EPT would be good. If he isn't BRing, he will either be using Focus or TL, so is Predator worth the points? Or maybe no EPT? I guess there is always VI.

I've played against Phantoms and Interceptors and while I think it can be a pain, I do think that it's not a certain lose. I'm under the possible delusion that smart flying can mitigate some of their advantages. I've played against them with other ships, but not this list.

I haven't seen a Swarm in ages in my local meta. It's all big ships in these parts. Personally, I find that the big ships don't do well against good damage output. Can the X-wing survive long enough to dish out enough is the real question.

Besides that, I tend to think that X-wings are a good All Comers. I dunno. Maybe I haven't played against enough high profile players locally.

I think you're right on about Xwings being good "all comers." If you're playing against more big ships locally, then you would definitely benefit from an EPT other than Expert Handling. Predator is good, but in a high PS environment like ours, Lone Wolf is a steal for the points.

I know you like the Hobbie Stressbot, but consider the following lists as potential candidates:

Porkins (LW, R5D8)

Mison (R7, Flechette)

Hobbie (R3A2, Flechette)

Bandit

or

Porkins (LW, R5D8)

Hobbie (R3A2)

Rookie

Cracken (Swarm Tactics)

One list gives some super stress and capitalizes on the desire to get and spend Target Locks. The other (and stronger of the two) gives you a bit of flexibility with a powerful formation flier and an Porkins that will excel on the flanks. Cracken will make your Rookie into a pseudo ace.

I don't have my YT-2400 yet, so I haven't messed around with Lone Wolf yet. I'd have to proxy it to try it out.

I do want to try the Hull Upgrade at some point on Porkins, as I think it will do well, even in normal combat.

Thanks for the input!

You could try this out

Tarn Mison (23)
R7 Astromech (2)

"Hobbie" Klivian (25)
R3-A2 (2)

Jek Porkins (26)
Push the Limit (3)
R5-D8 (3)
Hull Upgrade (3)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

Total: 99

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Tarn is a great end game ship. Hobbie gives out stress. Porkins is your main damage dealer early, but can suffer from bad dice rolls, and will likely go down first. (He can't hold it. He thinks he can, but he can't). However, if he takes too much damage, don't be afraid to peel off away from the fray to heal up. He could be brutal if he lasts to end game.