BTW any one like design symmetry between S&V and Rebel Zs?

Cracken: Stay by me and I will make you more effective

N'Dru: Stay away from me and I will be more effective

Blount: Even when I miss, I hit (mostly useful with Missiles)

Leachos: Yeah I am not going to miss, but my friend will (a focus and target lock ain't so great for a 2 die attack, but becomes more useful on a 4 die Missile)

Yeah there's definitely some ***-for-tat there. I'm not totally certain that N'Dru's ability is equal to Craken, since Airen's ability for sure will be used more often and has multiple applications. Blount's ability wasn't as good as it sounded, but I'm not all jazzed about Leachos either. I think Leech will settle into the meta as a bodyguard for Moldy Palob. That's an ideal spot for him since he's not threatening in the slightest, and can give a tiny bit of aid to Palob who will certainly be taking a lot of fire.

Kyle and Palob mirror as do Torkil and Roark.

it dies just as easily as a 12 point Z 95 and is only slightly more effective.it dies just as easily as a 12 point Z 95 and is only slightly more effective.

Not with Lone Wolf it doesn't.

N'Dru's real issue is the same one that all of the Scyk fighters and Headhunters have. People keep trying to make "killer builds" out of them, but neither Headhunters nor Scyks are feature ships. N'Dru works as an inexpensive addition to a list, providing significant flanking firepower on the cheap. Even on the best day, N'Dru is very unlikely to turn heads or impress unless you consider he only cost 17 points. At 18 points for PS 9, or 19 points for Lone Wolf, you have a very efficient way to deal damage from the outside.

If you try to buff N'Dru up to a point where he is truly dangerous, you will have defeated the entire purpose. N'Dru is a value buy, not a centerpiece. When playing N'Dru, don't ask yourself if you were impressed. Ask yourself if you were 17 points impressed. I'm betting you will be.

N'Dru's real issue is the same one that all of the Scyk fighters and Headhunters have. People keep trying to make "killer builds" out of them, but neither Headhunters nor Scyks are feature ships. N'Dru works as an inexpensive addition to a list, providing significant flanking firepower on the cheap. Even on the best day, N'Dru is very unlikely to turn heads or impress unless you consider he only cost 17 points. At 18 points for PS 9, or 19 points for Lone Wolf, you have a very efficient way to deal damage from the outside.

If you try to buff N'Dru up to a point where he is truly dangerous, you will have defeated the entire purpose. N'Dru is a value buy, not a centerpiece. When playing N'Dru, don't ask yourself if you were impressed. Ask yourself if you were 17 points impressed. I'm betting you will be.

I agree that he needs to be kept cheap. I've steered away from Lone Wolf on him since it seems that you lose too much by not being able to keep distance. I'm starting to wonder if he might be more useful to not run as a flanker from the start but to ease him out of range as the fight develops.

If nothing else, N'Dru makes me wish that Backstabber had an EPT.

If nothing else, N'Dru makes me wish that Backstabber had an EPT.

Backstabber has an EPT

it's called "academy pilot fodder"

If you try to buff N'Dru up to a point where he is truly dangerous, you will have defeated the entire purpose. N'Dru is a value buy, not a centerpiece. When playing N'Dru, don't ask yourself if you were impressed. Ask yourself if you were 17 points impressed. I'm betting you will be.

Yeah. No matter how much extra stuff you put on it, a fast food burger's just a fast food burger. Enjoy it for what it is, and move on.

Good points all.

N'Dru should be lean and Leachos has a lot to be desired of. Having to take VI on Palob or Decoy on Serrisu is too much jury-rigging to make him work when you really should be using another tool. Looks like Binayre Pirates the real diamond in the rough of the Scum Z's. Who doesn't love a cheap platform for Feedback Array?

When you put Lone Wolf with N'Dru you are putting all of your eggs in a basket. Once say some one ions or blocks a ship so it doesn't clear the range 2 then the basket gets bumped and the eggs fall out.

i outfitted him to the limits game 1 with him. wasted all those points and he was killed first

game 2 he was upgraded only with VI. he made it to the late game where his ability finally came into play.

if he had the ability to barrel roll/boost he'd be much easier to get on his own, but that requires point investment in such a niche ship. I also do not like him

Two of us ran N'Dru at our Friday night X-wing last night, both configured with Lone Wolf and Cluster Missiles as flankers. Afterward we both walked away unimpressed.

Neither of us succeeded in getting our Cluster Missiles off (I had one good opportunity early in the first game, and forgot I needed a TL -- so my mistake). I had N-Dru one-shotted by an Interceptor in the first game (four hits rolled; my green dice came up nothing in spite of Lone Wolf) and scored minimally before being destroyed in the second. The Z just doesn't seem tough or agile enough to be off running around on its own using Lone Wolf.

Perhaps throwing a Stealth Device on there for another 3 points would help ... or follow the advice above and stick to 17 points.

When you put Lone Wolf with N'Dru you are putting all of your eggs in a basket. Once say some one ions or blocks a ship so it doesn't clear the range 2 then the basket gets bumped and the eggs fall out.

19 points is a really tiny basket

you should be playing with the full 100, for fairness' sake

The key with Ndru and Lone Wolf in general is not to start your ships apart. Start them together and separate them in the first few turns. This gives you more time before they inevitably reconverge and turn off his ability. If you start them far apart the only way to reliably focus fire is to do a lobster pinch maneuver, meaning they will get close together very quickly. Avoid this and fly them in opposite directions as much as you can while maintaining focus fire.

I don't think a Z 95 with sometimes 3 attack dice is worth it. Better off spending a few points more and throwing in a rookie x wing or blue squadron b wing. For 17 points he's an okay value. Anymore than that is throwing points away. Maybe adrenaline rush or VI is a good idea and nothing else, missiles and hot shot is just giving more points to your enemy.

He dies just as easily as a regular Z 95, I can kill him pretty much at will with any 3 dice attack dice ship. Probably better off with a green squadron a wing and an ept or two.

I don't think a Z 95 with sometimes 3 attack dice is worth it. Better off spending a few points more and throwing in a rookie x wing or blue squadron b wing. For 17 points he's an okay value. Anymore than that is throwing points away. Maybe adrenaline rush or VI is a good idea and nothing else, missiles and hot shot is just giving more points to your enemy..

Problem is you can't take a rookie x-wing or Blue B-wing. Scum didn't managed to steal them.

Honestly, 17/19 N'dru is leagues better than a sh*tty Rookie. Provided you trigger the ability, he's the exactly same profile -1 hull + 5 PS and for 4 points less. If you trigger lone-wolf atop that for 19 points, it's not even fair.

Of course, the value all rests in being able to trigger the ability, which is easier said than done depending on the specific list.

He dies just as easily as a regular Z 95, I can kill him pretty much at will with any 3 dice attack dice ship.

At will?

N'dru exists because we allow it, and will end because we demand it.

I love threads with titles "Am I the only one....". It's the internet. I do not care what you like or do not like. It is impossible for you to be the only one. EVER. Just sayin'.

As to the subject: I have no opinion.

I don't think a Z 95 with sometimes 3 attack dice is worth it. Better off spending a few points more and throwing in a rookie x wing or blue squadron b wing. For 17 points he's an okay value. Anymore than that is throwing points away. Maybe adrenaline rush or VI is a good idea and nothing else, missiles and hot shot is just giving more points to your enemy.

He dies just as easily as a regular Z 95, I can kill him pretty much at will with any 3 dice attack dice ship. Probably better off with a green squadron a wing and an ept or two.

1) You can't take a Rookie or a Blue Squadron in Scum. What comparable Scum ship is there for less than 20 points, that fills the same niche he does and is so much better?

2) No, he doesn't die just as easily as a regular Z-95, actually. He's pilot skill 7 (the best Scum Z-95 pilot), so he'll shoot first and move last compared to lots of Z's, and with Lone Wolf on him (the build people are discussing), he's got a defensive reroll which will certainly be helpful.

3) And -- again -- you can't take a Green Squadron A-Wing in a Scum list, either, can you? What's next, Scum players should just invest a few more points and take Soontir Fel instead?

I don't think anyone's saying he's the best thing since sliced bread, folks're just saying he's pretty solid.