So this isn't exactly a list build, but it is related. I have built and run many lists since starting this game a few months ago, and many of the local guys at my FLGS have given me advice on how to improve my lists. I have built synergy into most of these lists, and I have even taylored a list or two to an opponent (a good friend, so it wasn't a scummy thing to do as I was testing a list).

Here is where my problem starts. I don't know if any of my lists are any good because when the dice are rolled, almost every hit comes up blank. What little I get through re rolls with TL or focus are pushed aside by my opponent rolling almost all evades.

Then on the other side of the dice I face the same problem. My opponent rolls decent hits, and all of my evade dice end up blank. My ships don't even get a second round of shooting. I've tried to build lists that allow for the most dice modification but it just isn't happening.

I have put a lot of time and money into this game, and I want to have fun with it but it is the most frustrating and discouraging thing to not even survive one round of combat. I've tried my dice, his dice, another friend's dice, and it isn't my dice. The Dice Gods just hate me.

Have any of you experienced over a month of bad rolling? I'm really about to put all of my ships in the hangar for a while.

If vassal dice count I will tell you a tale of woe for myself from the other night. I finally got in range 1 with a B and range 2 with a B and on my 7 dice I rolled 5 eyeballs and 2 blanks - both ships were stressed so no focus...I then proceeded to roll blanks on all my evades for the next 2 shooting rounds and everything died (2 B's and a 2400...) I feel your pain. It will get better man. If taking a break is what you need, I say go for it. Maybe a couple weeks off are all your dice need!

Fly casual man, and good luck!

One thing I've been realizing more and more is focus is king. Without focus you hit 4/8, with focus 6/8. Without focus you have equal chance evading or blanking, 3/8. With focus that number goes up to 5/8. Try to get as much focus fire as possible, and be mindful of what you're jousting or engaging into, as that can make it feel like the dice are punishing you when it's actually bad fights.

and focus + tl = >93% hit per die

One thing that can make it seem like dice are against you and people starting out often struggle with is concentrating fire.

On the first exchange, is your opponent often able to have all his ships fire at a single one of your ships, while you only fire back with 50% of your squad because the rest are busy turning through asteroids, or are out of range?

When this happens, it can really make it seem like the dice are against you since you're firing with 1 or 2 ships, scoring a couple hits and then getting one of your ships shot at by 3+ enemy ships, eating 5+ damage on that first exchange. However, in such a scenario, the dice could be totally fair, and you'd still take a beating.

I have no idea if this applies to you, but I know it took me a while to see what was happening.

I'm now of the opinion that orchestrating that first encounter is about 50% of the game. You need to place asteroids, deploy your ships, and maneuver so you get the first exchange to happen when and where you want it to.

You need to ask yourself some questions:

1. On the first round of shooting, are all of your ships positioned so they can all fire on the same target? Focus fire not only kills enemy ships faster, it actually makes your attacks more accurate. Your opponent's can only use their defensive actions like focus and evade against 1 attack per token, so after you force them to use that token, all your other attacks after that won't have to deal with the opponent modifying their green dice rolls.

2. Are all your ships taking actions to modify their attack dice results? Target Lock and Focus both give you a 25% boost in accuracy, but focus is better in a target rich environment because it can be used when attacking any ship and can be used for defense as well. If you needlessly use actions like boost and barrel roll right before a shootout, which I often see newer players doing, or bumping your ships into each other or over asteroids, or taking Target Locks on a ship that you ultimately can't shoot at that turn, then your dice will suffer.

3. If you are moving before your opponent, are you seeking out opportunities to block their movement with your damaged ships so they can't take actions to defend themselves and can't shoot at your weakened ships? If you're moving after the opponent, are you positioning your ships in a way that they can't be blocked, and in a way that creates opportunities for you re-position out of their firing arcs? Your opponent can't get hot dice results if you don't let them roll dice at all.

4. Do you mentally disengage from the fight after a bad round of dice rolls? Do you tell yourself the game is over after a key ship of yours is destroyed, or after you whiff on a big attack, and just start putting your dials down willy-nilly without changing your strategy and thinking about how you're going to come back from behind? Dice can be very streaky, and can heavily favor one player early in the game, then suddenly turn around and start favoring the other player. If you aren't keeping your head in the game and not creating opportunities for luck to favor you, then it never will.

In the end, dice results are not something you can control, but they are something you can influence. You can't control when you're going to roll blanks, but you can minimize the impact of bad rolls by dictating when and why the dice are rolled through how you position your ships in relation to your opponent's ships.

My dice luck is so terrible it's legendary among my friends. Uh..."best"... loss was a fresh TIE bomber to 1 shot from a CR-90's main cannon. I was rolling four agility dice and nothing. The one critical I'm dealt is direct hit, and there goes a loaded TIE Bomber without firing a shot. That Epic match went downhill the moment my teammate left.

Took a TIE swarm to Imdaar Alpha. Only win I had that day was when my opponent broke his Firespray on a rock while my 1pt TIE Fighter survived. Never again will I trust my defense entirely to green dice, and it was almost bad enough for me to never favor the Empire in a tournament. Fortunately I still have hope, but...

I did note that one of the recent championship lists was successful because it tried migitgating dice luck on the Falcon as much as possible.

theres some new card that cancels you dice and gives you 2 hits( If im remembering right) have fun!

Here you go:

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Galactic%20Empire&d=v3!s!20:14:23:-1:U.107;20:14:23:-1:U.107;20:14:23:-1:U.107;20:14:23:-1:U.107

4x Tempest Squadron with Accuracy Correctors and Cluster Missiles. Take Evade actions and use the Accuracy Corrector till the cows come home with no need for dice to roll well

Missed every shot on a point blank five dice proton rocket roll two weeks ago

I've managed to corrall an enemy Corrans into range 1 of my B-wings or Biggs and bandits on two occasions. On both of them, Corran emerged unscathed.

There are days when your skill will simply never beat the dice.

THe solution as of now is ion (even just one damage will get you massive returns) or waiting for Tie Advance X1 titles with accuracy corrects

Agreed, I can't wait for accuracy correctors. I don't know if its possible, but it seems to be only against one opponent that I roll so horridly. I had a game against a complete stranger yesterday and only lost by a little. Even one-shotted a couple of TIEs. I couldn't, however, take care of a defender with HLC that somehow ended up getting out unscathed.