When I first started this empire were about swarms a lot of cheap maneuvering ships, and rebels were about strong hard to kill models. Now both factions seem to be the same nothing makes either stand out over the other. Am I wrong in this?

Empire = good

Dirty Rebels = bad

The filthy rebels still have far more in the way of shields than the Immortal Mighty (forces) of Palpatine (IMP from here on) but the IMP are still as a faction far more manuverable and liable to arc dodge than the filthy rebels.

The IMP have a few difficult to kill ships...IE the Decimator, Slave, and Defender...but the filthy rebels have more IE Dirty Bird (Falcon), the Out of touch rider (2400), Bizneach wing, Yucky wing, Ero wing, and so on...

The Filthy rebels still have more (and very effective) turrets and access to the astro(nomically stupid)mech as well and better ion options as well.

Play outside of the "meta" and you will find the two factions are still very much different...

Imps still have large edge in small ship maneuverability. E's and A's are no Interceptors and Phantoms. Rebs have clear edge in shields and hull, and boast the two best (subjective) large base ships (Falcon and Outrider). Imps play selfishly and Rebs have more team buffs. They still play plenty different.

Rebels have more action passing and better action economy when formation flying (which represents their teamwork and 'sum is greater than its parts' mentality). They also have more tanky ships with lots of hull and shields. In general their ships are less maneuverable and have fewer activation phase movement options (boost, cloak and/or barrel roll). In exchange they have access to more turrets than the Empire.

Imperial ships have fewer action passing options but they tend to have more pilots and ships that can operate independently and do really well (such as Soontir Fel, Phantoms and Firespray). They have the TIE fighter, which is still pretty much the best bang for your buck in the game as a cheap cannon fodder ship. They also tend to just be MEANER. Good examples are Mara Jade, Darth Vader crew or Ruthlessness. More offensive upgrades that de-buff your opponent. Imperial ships also tend to have more evade dice (with the glaring exception of the Decimator) than their rebel 'counterpart' ships and depend more on those dice for survivability since many of their ships lack shields or have fewer shields and hull than rebel ships.

Both factions require lots of skill to fly, but they require very different skills

They will both fall to scum so what does it matter

They will both fall to scum so what does it matter

You keep telling yourself that...

Hi, first post here so don't rip me to pieces just yet

In my (limited so far) experience, rebels tend to be a bit more straight forward and imperials tend to be a bit more tricksy. Now that doesn't mean one side is easier to play than the other by any means, just means you've got to keep different things in mind.

To illustrate what I mean lets look at the PS9 pilots, the Aces of Aces if you will, for each faction, as I feel this kinda shows what I mean.

Han and Wedge have unconditional abilities. They're always on, they don't require you do do any particular action or maneuver. Just exist, and shoot, which I suppose is a condition but its a pretty easy one to meet. The skill is not in getting your abilities to work at all, but getting them to work for you, putting your pilots into positions where those powerful abilities always work.

Fel is completely opposite, his ability does nothing unless you fulfill a specific set of conditions, if you don't pick up stress then you're just a really expensive interceptor that shoots first. The skill here is getting the ability to trigger, and triggering it intelligently. Once you've got that worked out however it becomes pretty good. Vader is a bit of an interesting one, in that he is a bit more rebel like, but I suppose he's a special case, and he does rely on the player to make the right choices. Wedge's ability is just "shoot people really good" but Vader is more like "Here's these extra options use them wisely"

If I was to boil it down I'd say Imperials are about making the right choices from the multitude of options you have (more actions and more maneuvers on the dial), rebels is about making the limited options you have (more restrictive dials and less actions) work for you.

Or not, I haven't been playing that long, that's just my initial impressions

EDIT: I play mostly rebels so I'm not trying to make the claim rebels take less skill than the imperials or anything like that, in case that's what you got from my ramblings

They will both fall to scum so what does it matter

You keep telling yourself that...

Rebels take turrets and require no skill to use.

Imps take highly mobile fighters and require alot of skill to use effectively.

Also rebels smell and have cooties!

Rebels get many abilities that boost allies. Those spots are replaced in the empire with padding every other type of ability category with extra focus on movement tricks.

There is nothing that is truly unique to any faction but differences appear in the regularities of each ability.

A Better question is thus: What is the difference between Rebels and scum?

Imperials are exquisitely dressed gentlefolk and rebels are scruffy-looking nerf herders...

Imperials are therefore better

(And yes to all the distinctions above)

Imperials aren't intergalactic terrorists?

A Better question is thus: What is the difference between Rebels and scum?

Nobody's talking about S&V, we don't need their type here...

Imperial aren't intergalactic terrorists?

I say, steady on old chap, that's close to slander is that...

Rebels take turrets and require no skill to use.

Imps take highly mobile fighters and require alot of skill to use effectively.

Also rebels smell and have cooties!

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOUR.

As a regular user of a 4 x X-Wing build I can state with confidence that it takes MUCH more skill and forethought to use than the Imperial's PtL-crutch, arc-dodging wamp rats and their cheap ghostly chums.

Imperial aren't intergalactic terrorists?

The Imperials? It was the Rebels terrorists that worked so hard to overthrow a government and assassinate it's leader. It was the Senate, a government of the people, that voted powers to then Chancellor. Now Emperor Palpatine has said repeatedly all he want is peace and unity to last for the next 1,000 years. This is what the terrorists are against.

"I encounter civilians like you all the time. You believe the Empire is continually plotting to do harm. Let me tell you, your view of the Empire is far too dramatic. The Empire is a government. It keeps billions of beings fed and clothed. Day after day, year after year, on thousands of worlds, people live their lives under Imperial rule without seeing a stormtrooper or hearing a TIE fighter scream overhead."

A Better question is thus: What is the difference between Rebels and scum?

THEY TOOK OUR JOBS SHIPS!!!

Nah, scum is quite different to rebels, they're all loners who mess with you and each other to get better

A Better question is thus: What is the difference between Rebels and scum?

THEY TOOK OUR JOBS SHIPS!!!

Nah, scum is quite different to rebels, they're all loners who mess with you and each other to get better

Oh I wasn't referring to their ships...

The 1-forward.

Rebels take turrets and require no skill to use.

Imps take highly mobile fighters and require alot of skill to use effectively.

Also rebels smell and have cooties!

OBJECTION, YOUR HONOUR.

As a regular user of a 4 x X-Wing build I can state with confidence that it takes MUCH more skill and forethought to use than the Imperial's PtL-crutch, arc-dodging wamp rats and their cheap ghostly chums.

But you don't deny the cooties SEE I WAS RIGHT!

When I first started this empire were about swarms a lot of cheap maneuvering ships, and rebels were about strong hard to kill models. Now both factions seem to be the same nothing makes either stand out over the other. Am I wrong in this?

Empire: Fattie Turret + Phantom or Fattie Turret + Mini-swarm

Rebel: Fattie Turret + Corran or Fattie Turret + Mini-swarm

Yeah, they're basically the same **** this Wave.

Hopefully, Wave 6 makes things more varied and interesting.

Rebels have way more awesome lore.

The 1-forward.

Bah, it is called the barrel roll template, though some use it for boosting. Who would be so gauche as to use it for a regular maneuver?

The 1-forward.

Bah, it is called the barrel roll template, though some use it for boosting. Who would be so gauche as to use it for a regular maneuver?

You're just jealous that the E-Wing can do it in three directions, in addition to doing 5 forward.