My experience with Defenders is that they suck. I want to like them though, which is why I am going to use them in every list I play with for the next couple of weeks.

The amount of Defenders taken in Store Championships was very low. Only the Bomber and Advanced were taken less often. I didn't see a Defender in the 2 Store Championships I attended with +20 people each.

I actually think you'll see in uptick in Vessery on the table with the Advanced buffs coming in. However, the other 3 pilots will be a rare sight.

I think you don't see Defenders often in tournaments not because they are a bad ship, but because they are a risky ship. If you're rolling average dice, they perform pretty well. If you blow a couple defense rolls, there goes half your list.

I find that a lot of people like to load up Defenders, they get a couple bad dice rolls and then feel it doesn't perform. That's a big reason why I don't like running Brath and I like to run Vessery at 42 points at max. Though I like him best under 40 pts. Deltas though are pretty great with a Flechette at 32 points. At cheaper point values they still perform rather well, are rather reliable and don't completely hose you when they die. I think they're costed appropriately for what they do, but I'd never be brave enough to take a 50 point Defender to a tournament and I can understand other people not wanting to either.

They aren't viable because they have weaknesses and limitations. They can't stack FCS and Gunner. Their dial is limited, and they can't sideways 2 barrel roll or boost before moving every turn.

They're one of the last normal ships in the game. Whereas the rear admiral can boost and still have the equivalent of a focus and a target lock every time it fires. You boost with a defender and you'll roll hit focus blank. Neat.

The amount of Defenders taken in Store Championships was very low. Only the Bomber and Advanced were taken less often. I didn't see a Defender in the 2 Store Championships I attended with +20 people each.

I actually think you'll see in uptick in Vessery on the table with the Advanced buffs coming in. However, the other 3 pilots will be a rare sight.

I think you don't see Defenders often in tournaments not because they are a bad ship, but because they are a risky ship. If you're rolling average dice, they perform pretty well. If you blow a couple defense rolls, there goes half your list.

I find that a lot of people like to load up Defenders, they get a couple bad dice rolls and then feel it doesn't perform. That's a big reason why I don't like running Brath and I like to run Vessery at 42 points at max. Though I like him best under 40 pts. Deltas though are pretty great with a Flechette at 32 points. At cheaper point values they still perform rather well, are rather reliable and don't completely hose you when they die. I think they're costed appropriately for what they do, but I'd never be brave enough to take a 50 point Defender to a tournament and I can understand other people not wanting to either.

This is probably true. The interesting thing is how much love the IG88s are getting. They are also pretty high variance against a lot of lists (Autothrusters obviously making them much more reliable against turrets), and are probably more susceptible to blocking than Defenders because of their large base. They have a ton of tricks and options, but only Advanced Sensors really lets them deal with someone correctly guessing their moves and drowning them in Academy Pilots for a turn, and even then it has a limited effect.

I'm naturally inclined to gamble, and so I like the 50 point Defender. Sometimes it does cost you, but you usually have enough hit points to soak one awful roll and do a little damage before you go out. Generally your offense is a little more predictable, however, via Predator or Vessery's ability giving re-rolled HLC shots. That counts for something.

They aren't viable because they have weaknesses and limitations. They can't stack FCS and Gunner. Their dial is limited, and they can't sideways 2 barrel roll or boost before moving every turn.

They're one of the last normal ships in the game. Whereas the rear admiral can boost and still have the equivalent of a focus and a target lock every time it fires. You boost with a defender and you'll roll hit focus blank. Neat.

every ship has weaknesses

fat turrets have the least amount, but glaring point cost and lack of agility makes them vulnerable to lots of dice (boring, but effective)

Whisper was easy mode, but locking down her de-cloak or getting around ACD at all made her a very vulnerable bundle of MoV points

Aggressors have a single arc and a large base which plays havoc on their ability to reliably draw arcs while dodging blockers and obstructions

the Chiraneau versus defender comparison is absolutely moot because they're completely different ship types with completely different roles and strengths (and costs).

As for the Defender being the last "normal" ship (apart from Vess, I'd assume, since his ability gives him a conditional action efficiency that is similar to other high profile pilots) the actual detriment of this fact is more in the mindset of players than in the actual game. Stuck between the extremes of "super ship" and "tons of fodder" means that the Defender is overshadowed on both sides.

My local area is invested with super ships and always have been, there's just something very nice about the reliability of all those modifiers, but the reason I believe Defenders have great game against aggressors is because I have run into super Aggressors repeatedly and this list has yet to fail against them (even when I failed Soontir horribly )

They're a very great, solid ship they're just not as straight forward as find ship X, get focus + target-lock equivalent, load up defensive upgrades, rolls dice.

If anyone wants to try them out, I recommend trying to set obstructions up in a loose ring around the middle. The lack of hard turns makes it difficult to navigate tight clusters of asteroids, necessitating that you find the proper entrance through a field by heading quickly towards it with your fast maneuvers + barrel-roll before the first shots are exchange, but once they're inside a reasonable space their ability to block and the white 4k become horrible pains in the ass for the opponent. Engaging head to head is rarely advantageous for them (unless you can guarantee your 4k with let you joust and the opponent cannot for whatever reason, which is easier to provide with flechette or ion cannons) and obstacles are the most effective method of breaking up an enemy squadron.

I think the risk factor is definitely a big reason they dont see as much competitive play. I've ran defenders in the last 3 store tournaments I've gone to and placed 2nd all 3 times. (My local store only usually has 8-10 ppl show up to its monthly store tournaments so I don't consider this to be a massive accomplishment lol)

The one thing keeping me from clenching 1st place however is ALWAYS that 1 game where I just roll terribly and roll maybe 1 evade out of every 9 dice.

Recently I've had much better luck with autoceptors as an evade token + autothruster evade make them almost as durable as defenders as long as u dont take a crit.

I think what Beardface describes is to fly the interceptors more like the defender: if they all stay tight together and the interceptors do not try arc-dodging (but rely on stacked tokens through PtL for survival) and you get them all in close to the enemy where Carnor's ability kicks in, then your shots with 4 dice are backed up by focus whereas your opponent's return fire is effectively tokenless due to Carnor. To me the risk there is getting blocked---if you lose your tokens due to aggressive flying, your interceptors are toast. This is the part where I've always struggled to get the most out of Carnor because he needs to get in close to use his ability, but getting him there without bumping or taking heavy fire tends to be quite difficult and so I end up flying him more cautiously (that's been my experience anyway).

Exactly. As far as getting the most out of Carnor: I don't generally try to force his ability. Against lower-PS ships, I'll fly a bit more cautiously, and only boost up close if my opponent made the mistake of taking Focus or Evade and if it doesn't put me horribly out of position from where I want to be. Otherwise, I'll just fly like a normal Interceptor and let his ability happen naturally when it does.

Note that I only stay tight together for the initial run - after the opening pass, I'll usually end up splitting the Interceptors up and make repeated attack runs through the middle and out to the edges with the Defender mixing it up in the middle. That, of course, is a situational thing, but I've found it to work pretty well.

This is interesting, because you're basically describing my exact strategy with the rocks when I play dual Defenders. Maybe I'm not well suited to play Interceptors. Not enough patience.

"He will learn patience."

I feel like the Defender would be decent in a competitive setting if the meta didn't revolve around super ships. If you're flying 3-4 ships, your opponent's super ship whisper chiraneau super build can do 4-5 damage to one and cripple it. Then no matter how fast it goes a turret can just kill it anyways. Super corran can burn one down too.

If all I had to face with a defender was x wings and swarm ships and b wings and firesprays and other, what I consider, "normal" ships that move once per turn and don't get a free crit focus and what amounts to a target lock each time they fire.

But either I go swarm and rely on numbers, or I go super ship myself. If I fly soontir and 2 defenders it doesn't have any numbers and it's very easy for a 2 ship super build to just take one of the board.

Also, try plopping 3 blue squadron b-wings (66 pts) on the table and two delta defenders with hull upgrades (also 66 pts) and joust them against each other. The deltas will win every time (barring the most extreme bad luck) and it would get even worse for the b-wings if you slapped ion cannons on the deltas instead of the hulls.

I think you might be underestimating the B-Wings in that joust. The B-Wings will have had 6 attacks before it would be possible for the Defenders to have destroyed one of the B-Wings. Assuming that the B-Wings have a way to modify their attacks (and all of the attacks are 3 dice) they should expect to get 13.5 hits/crits. The Defender (without a focus) will be expected to roll 6.75 evades. The The Defender will likely have a Focus to spend against 2 of the 6 attacks but any time that excess evades are rolled they are wasted so the math above is probably close enough to make my point.

Took me a while but I actually did try and every time I tried the Bs won. I think WWHSD has hit the nail on the head about why.

Also I found the B's go slow options gave them more control of the range of the initial volley to the extent of making the 4K not possible pretty often.

To me it feels like the Defenders durability has too much variance. If the goal is to win multiple games in a row then the chances of the dice betraying you at some point is high and then you are down at least a third of your list. The B's on the other hand simply can't be destroyed in a couple of hits and it hurts a lot less when they are. And you can't blame the dice when you choose to depend on them.

I admit I'm a fairly new player and I didn't do a great job of untangling the Defenders once the 4K's were denied and it's quite possible I'm missing something but I'm not seeing their value as Jousters.

Also, try plopping 3 blue squadron b-wings (66 pts) on the table and two delta defenders with hull upgrades (also 66 pts) and joust them against each other. The deltas will win every time (barring the most extreme bad luck) and it would get even worse for the b-wings if you slapped ion cannons on the deltas instead of the hulls.

I think you might be underestimating the B-Wings in that joust. The B-Wings will have had 6 attacks before it would be possible for the Defenders to have destroyed one of the B-Wings. Assuming that the B-Wings have a way to modify their attacks (and all of the attacks are 3 dice) they should expect to get 13.5 hits/crits. The Defender (without a focus) will be expected to roll 6.75 evades. The The Defender will likely have a Focus to spend against 2 of the 6 attacks but any time that excess evades are rolled they are wasted so the math above is probably close enough to make my point.

Took me a while but I actually did try and every time I tried the Bs won. I think WWHSD has hit the nail on the head about why.

Also I found the B's go slow options gave them more control of the range of the initial volley to the extent of making the 4K not possible pretty often.

To me it feels like the Defenders durability has too much variance. If the goal is to win multiple games in a row then the chances of the dice betraying you at some point is high and then you are down at least a third of your list. The B's on the other hand simply can't be destroyed in a couple of hits and it hurts a lot less when they are. And you can't blame the dice when you choose to depend on them.

I admit I'm a fairly new player and I didn't do a great job of untangling the Defenders once the 4K's were denied and it's quite possible I'm missing something but I'm not seeing their value as Jousters.

Actually, fast ships have much better control over engagement distance than slow ships. But only if the fast ships go fast. The defender likes to go fast, has lower PS than the b-wing so always moves first and has an advantage when k-turning since it still gets its action. There are 3 b-wings vs 2 defenders (each with hull upgrade for 66 pts aside), so with a numerical advantage, the b-wings should be trying for R1 shots most of the time, whereas the deltas want R3 shots.

Here's how I set up: 2 deltas R1 from their board edge and 3 b's R1 from theirs (range ruler width a part). I also made a couple assumptions: (1) straight/k-turns only, so no banks or turns (2) focus would be the only action taken & (3) B's have PS 2 (shoot first move last) but at PS 1, the deltas move first so they should be picking moves that are likely to cause bumping.

This is how I figured it would play out (trying to be impartial):

1) Deltas go 5 fwd (the optimal opening to limit the b-wings later moves). B-wings ought to go 1 or 2 fwd. If they go 4, they are stressed and close enough for R3 shots (bad for them). If they go 3, then next turn the defender does 5 fwd again which blocks the b's subsequent 1/2 fwd (no opening shots before k-turns occur is bad for the b-wings).

2) Deltas next moves depend on what the B's did in the 1st turn: on a 2 fwd, the deltas go 3, or if the B's did 1 fwd previously, then the deltas go 4. The B's *should* go 1 fwd in either situation due to the likelihood of getting blocked by the defenders if they try to go any faster. However, if the B's somehow know what the deltas are up to, then they will want to go 2 straight for range 1 shots. *I play out this alternate scenario below*

Assuming the B's went 1 fwd, then its R2 shots for both sides with focus all around. Each B gets an avg of 2.25 hits against 1 delta who gets an average of 1.875 evades once (focus) and 1.125 evade against the other 2 shots. So 2.6 shields off a delta. The deltas reply with 2.25 damage (focus) + 1.5 (without). After accounting for b-wing evading, that's 3 shields off a b-wing.

3) Whichever way the B's went last turn, both ships will be able to k-turn and shots will be at R2. 3 stressed B's have 1.5 expected damage and the defender gets 1.8 evades once (no hits there) and 1.125 evades vs. the remaining two shots = .75 damage total. 1 delta has lost all of its shields, possibly 1 hull damage too. The defenders deal roughly the same damage as last round, so all shields gone and 2 hull remaining on a b-wing.

4) Deltas just have to do 2 fwd to block 1/2 straight from the b-wings, so a bump is inevitable and no shots occur (b-wings are stressed so going 3 fwd to avoid the bump does not help them as the defenders will K-turn and get R3 shots in their rear ends while they try to do greens next turn).

5) After k-turns, ships are R3 a part. 3 stressed B's have 1.5 expected damage and the defender gets 2.5 evades once (focus) and 1.5 evades on the other shots. No damage done (although luck in the b-wing's favour would alter this). Defenders deal 2 damage (focus) + 1.5 (assuming focus spent defensively) - .75 evades per attack from 2 green dice = 2 damage (destroys 1 b-wing).

6 & subsequent turns) At this point, there is very little the b-wings can do...the deltas will repeat the moves from turns 4 & 5 so that the b-wings bump and are then forced to k-turn with R3 shots (Defenders' favour). 1 Delta should die next, but not without significantly damaging a 2nd b-wing, and then it will die soon after. Once its 1v1, the delta will win easily, regardless of how much damage its taken (again, barring unusual luck in favour of the b-wings).

* Alternate turn 2: B's go 2 fwd. So its R1 shots with focus all around. Each B then gets 3 hits, and after the same evades from delta, 4.875 damage is done (shields gone and only 2 hull left). Deltas respond with 3 damage (w/ focus) and 2 damage (without), for a total of 4.25 damage after B's evade (1 shield remaining).

* 3) both sides will k-turn and shots are at R2. 3 stressed B's deal .75 damage after evades, so the damaged delta has 1 hull left. The defenders deal 3 damage back (after evades) so 1 b-wing also has 1 hull left.

*4) deltas do 2 fwd to block 1/2 straight from b-wings so no shots due to bumping.

*5 & subsequent) both sides k-turn again and shots are at R3. 1 delta will die but so will 1 b-wing. The remaining 2 b-wings are stuck in the same pattern (bump then k-turn) until dead because shots at R3 heavily favour the remaining delta. So either way, the Defenders should win unless the b-wings get better-than-average dice rolls (or the deltas get worse than average).

Now obviously a *real* match will not go quite like this. But it should be apparent that the Deltas here are in control of the engagement distance, although that is in part due to their lower PS. Still, it illustrates how using 5 fwd (and the 4 white k-turn) allows the defender to maintain its preferred engagement range vs. slower ships that are otherwise more efficient jousters. This is how the defender outflies 'superior' jousting ships, and there's not much they can do about it, since they cannot keep up.

Edit: even accounting for turns/banks does not help the b-wing in this case, since the delta is more hampered losing its 3 turn/bank than the b-wing is losing its 2 turn/bank.

Another victory for the Triple Deltas with Ion Cannons against a different double IG-2000 build. Admittedly, dice were in my favor. We boxed in IG-88B, and destroyed it with little damage taken. Managed to block IG-88D's Segnor's Turn, so it was stressed and facing away from two of my Deltas. They leapfrogged over it with 5-straight, but it leapfrogged them with a 3-bank, followed by Boost. Each Delta managed to tag IG-88D with an ion token, and it flew off the board with 2 shields remaining. All three of my TIE defenders had at least one shield left. Feeling pretty good about this squad...

...but there are just SO MANY VARIABLES in this game! What if I had done this maneuver, not that? What if my opponent's reroll from Lone Wolf was an Evade instead of a Blank? What if we set up asteroids differently? It boggles my mind, and I am even more impressed by all those players who consistently make it to final cuts and top-32s at major events. I am enjoying the defenders, but I have a hard time seeing how anybody can claim that they're good OR bad (same for any other ship for that matter).

blade_mercurial, this is essentially my experience under similar circumstances. I would say that the Deltas have it even better, though, because the can Target Lock when they go for the bump and carry it into the next turn.

Here's how I set up: 2 deltas R1 from their board edge and 3 b's R1 from theirs (range ruler width a part). I also made a couple assumptions: (1) straight/k-turns only, so no banks or turns (2) focus would be the only action taken & (3) B's have PS 2 (shoot first move last) but at PS 1, the deltas move first so they should be picking moves that are likely to cause bumping.

I think this set up is far too unfavourable to the B's. A wedge formation is better at blocking K's and allows controled pile up of the B's so they still get shots even if they lost their actions. Given that the defenders should set up first B's shouldn't start with such an obviously bad formation.

Also I don't think the lack of turns/banks doesn't favour the defenders because it means the B's are trapped in in a K-Turn loop bump which they wouldn't be, even if they just control piled up themselves. Also the the focus only is bit strange as if the B's are in a row and really going for a go-slow they can use their barrel roles while out of range. Also to hold the outside to peel off with a hard 2 and avoid shots. unless an asteroid comes to the Defenders rescue. Even if as a result the defenders get one, even two unreturned shots they can't safely just shuffle up and down their edge any more. And the Bs can target lock for later if they can't barrel role to safety so it's not a complete loss. But the margin is so low, anything the B's do to mess with range causes issues for the defenders neat plan. And when the plan breaks the sum of the B's raw stats seem to win it.

I think the bump trap won't work because the B's can pile into each other, still get shots even if they lose their action. It also puts enough entropy into the situation that the scenario you are describing quickly breaks down. I don't see how that bump trap could work on more than one ship.

Like I said I'm not great at the game or with defenders, but setting up and playing the scenario I really can't reproduce the defender win. I don't think playing the strategy you describe for the defenders would change that because the assumptions about what the B's do are too limited.

Actually, fast ships have much better control over engagement distance than slow ships. But only if the fast ships go fast. The defender likes to go fast, has lower PS than the b-wing so always moves first and has an advantage when k-turning since it still gets its action. There are 3 b-wings vs 2 defenders (each with hull upgrade for 66 pts aside), so with a numerical advantage, the b-wings should be trying for R1 shots most of the time, whereas the deltas want R3 shots.

Here's how I set up: 2 deltas R1 from their board edge and 3 b's R1 from theirs (range ruler width a part). I also made a couple assumptions: (1) straight/k-turns only, so no banks or turns (2) focus would be the only action taken & (3) B's have PS 2 (shoot first move last) but at PS 1, the deltas move first so they should be picking moves that are likely to cause bumping.

This is how I figured it would play out (trying to be impartial):

..........

This all assumes the B-wing player is down to party with this K-turn circle jerk, which i assure you most competent players are not. What is this? The Civil War? They're just going to lineup abreast and take turns exchanging shots?

The first thing the B-wing player would do is stagger their line, making your K-turns harder, and the second would be to spread out even farther, keeping you from getting all the B's in a single arc. Anyone who just "lets" you get into a kturn battle with your Defenders deserves to lose hard. Spread the B's out, and vector them in from different directions, and now your Defenders will have a much harder time.

Last night I ran:

Delta Squadron with Ion Cannon

Delta Squadron with Flechette Cannon

Bounty Hunter with Tactician

Opponent pulled out a double IG-88 list, using B and C. The large base ships meant my ion + stress combo wouldn't work so I was worried. But, I won the game! Thanks in part to a 2 hull Delta managing to avoid taking any damage whatsoever from two range 1 IGs with cannon-Gunner ability.

The most useful thing about the Defenders was actually their low PS. Blocking the IGs, or the threat of blocking them, really helped control their movement around the board.

Remember how everyone was comparing aggressors to defenders and declaring defenders the loser? My experience has been the total opposite.

I've seen two defenders tear apart two aggressors never taking hull damage just losing a couple of shields.

They aren't viable because they have weaknesses and limitations. They can't stack FCS and Gunner. Their dial is limited, and they can't sideways 2 barrel roll or boost before moving every turn.

They're one of the last normal ships in the game. Whereas the rear admiral can boost and still have the equivalent of a focus and a target lock every time it fires. You boost with a defender and you'll roll hit focus blank. Neat.

Is this sarcasm? I'm hoping this is sarcasm.

If it isn't, it's pure stupidity.

They aren't viable because they have weaknesses and limitations. They can't stack FCS and Gunner. Their dial is limited, and they can't sideways 2 barrel roll or boost before moving every turn.

They're one of the last normal ships in the game. Whereas the rear admiral can boost and still have the equivalent of a focus and a target lock every time it fires. You boost with a defender and you'll roll hit focus blank. Neat.

Is this sarcasm? I'm hoping this is sarcasm.

If it isn't, it's pure stupidity.

I think it's the later myself.

Actually, fast ships have much better control over engagement distance than slow ships. But only if the fast ships go fast. The defender likes to go fast, has lower PS than the b-wing so always moves first and has an advantage when k-turning since it still gets its action. There are 3 b-wings vs 2 defenders (each with hull upgrade for 66 pts aside), so with a numerical advantage, the b-wings should be trying for R1 shots most of the time, whereas the deltas want R3 shots.

Here's how I set up: 2 deltas R1 from their board edge and 3 b's R1 from theirs (range ruler width a part). I also made a couple assumptions: (1) straight/k-turns only, so no banks or turns (2) focus would be the only action taken & (3) B's have PS 2 (shoot first move last) but at PS 1, the deltas move first so they should be picking moves that are likely to cause bumping.

This is how I figured it would play out (trying to be impartial):

..........

This all assumes the B-wing player is down to party with this K-turn circle jerk, which i assure you most competent players are not. What is this? The Civil War? They're just going to lineup abreast and take turns exchanging shots?

The first thing the B-wing player would do is stagger their line, making your K-turns harder, and the second would be to spread out even farther, keeping you from getting all the B's in a single arc. Anyone who just "lets" you get into a kturn battle with your Defenders deserves to lose hard. Spread the B's out, and vector them in from different directions, and now your Defenders will have a much harder time.

This is true, but it's not quite in favor of the B-wings as much as you suggest. If you get (for example), 1 B-wing blocked and 2 able to fire with actions, you're basically getting 2 on 2 for a round with Defenders vs B-wings. It doesn't matter a lot if all the B's are in the same arc, as long as one of them is. Anyway, it's certainly not a forgone conclusion either way. In both cases, the side that correctly anticipates the opponent will have a pretty high chance of winning, which is what you want in this game.

"The Defender isn't a (insert any other Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game ship here), so it's bad."

They aren't viable because they have weaknesses and limitations. They can't stack FCS and Gunner. Their dial is limited, and they can't sideways 2 barrel roll or boost before moving every turn.

They're one of the last normal ships in the game. Whereas the rear admiral can boost and still have the equivalent of a focus and a target lock every time it fires. You boost with a defender and you'll roll hit focus blank. Neat.

Is this sarcasm? I'm hoping this is sarcasm.

If it isn't, it's pure stupidity.

I wasn't sure the first time I read it, but I'm fairly certain it's sarcasm now/an attack on the old phantom.

Personally I think it's hilarious when people freak out about Gunner on the phantom. Gunner's borderline idiotic on a ship that likely to hit.

"The Defender isn't a (insert any other Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game ship here), so it's bad."

Pretty much what I'm hearing around here.

I wasn't sure the first time I read it, but I'm fairly certain it's sarcasm now/an attack on the old phantom.

I think you're right. And yeah, gunner on a Phantom is an utter waste of points and a crew slot.

I wasn't sure the first time I read it, but I'm fairly certain it's sarcasm now/an attack on the old phantom.

I think you're right. And yeah, gunner on a Phantom is an utter waste of points and a crew slot.

I keep hearing this, but I find it hard to believe considering D4rkt3mpl4r won US nationals with "Whisper" + FCS + Gunner + ACD last year at GenCon Indy. Seemed pretty effective for him.

I think this set up is far too unfavourable to the B's. A wedge formation is better at blocking K's and allows controled pile up of the B's so they still get shots even if they lost their actions. Given that the defenders should set up first B's shouldn't start with such an obviously bad formation.

Also I don't think the lack of turns/banks doesn't favour the defenders because it means the B's are trapped in in a K-Turn loop bump which they wouldn't be, even if they just control piled up themselves. Also the the focus only is bit strange as if the B's are in a row and really going for a go-slow they can use their barrel roles while out of range. Also to hold the outside to peel off with a hard 2 and avoid shots. unless an asteroid comes to the Defenders rescue. Even if as a result the defenders get one, even two unreturned shots they can't safely just shuffle up and down their edge any more. And the Bs can target lock for later if they can't barrel role to safety so it's not a complete loss. But the margin is so low, anything the B's do to mess with range causes issues for the defenders neat plan. And when the plan breaks the sum of the B's raw stats seem to win it.

I think the bump trap won't work because the B's can pile into each other, still get shots even if they lose their action. It also puts enough entropy into the situation that the scenario you are describing quickly breaks down. I don't see how that bump trap could work on more than one ship.

Like I said I'm not great at the game or with defenders, but setting up and playing the scenario I really can't reproduce the defender win. I don't think playing the strategy you describe for the defenders would change that because the assumptions about what the B's do are too limited.

I made some assumptions because I was 'playing against myself'. It a real match obviously, both sides would do whatever possible to get the most advantage. What you describe is the b-wing player trying to play smart, but of course the defender player will try to do the same. For example, a smart strategy for the Defenders in a real 66 pts match would be 1) take ion cannons instead of hull upgrades (b-wings are basically hosed). 2) start with both ships in opposite corners and slow roll with 1bank/2fwd + BR until the b-wings pick a direction. Then, use the flanking delta to deal damage/ion and the delta getting focussed on tries to bump or run (whichever is more favourable given prevailing circumstances). Ion cannons will be quite dangerous because the b-wing player is forced to move away from the centre (or start on the outside close to an edge), going off table is a real possibility and limits b-wing manoeuvres greatly. And the defender being shot at will not be taking serious fire (because either of the following will be true: bumping stops at least 1 shot or an unexpected 5fwd/3turn + BR will avoid at least 1 arc, if not more) and the b-wing player will have a hard time predicting which tactic the defender will use because they both move in opposite directions.

Here's a TL;DR of my entire 'scenario' (from the Defender player perspective):

When going up against better jousters, you have the faster ship so use that to your advantage. Remember: R3 is best for you. You have the lower Pilot Skill, so use it to block incoming shots (a touching enemy ship cannot shoot at you = good for you). Whenever possible, force the enemy to k-turn to keep you in arc (stress means no actions for them but actions for you). Also, if possible, use asteroid placement to force enemy to break up its formations. Broken formations = less focus fire on you and more opportunities to bump enemy ships. And don't be afraid to use 5 fwd to escape combat range, then either 3turn or 4k to come back into the fight at a more favourable range (R3 is best!)

This all assumes the B-wing player is down to party with this K-turn circle jerk, which i assure you most competent players are not. What is this? The Civil War? They're just going to lineup abreast and take turns exchanging shots?

The first thing the B-wing player would do is stagger their line, making your K-turns harder, and the second would be to spread out even farther, keeping you from getting all the B's in a single arc. Anyone who just "lets" you get into a kturn battle with your Defenders deserves to lose hard. Spread the B's out, and vector them in from different directions, and now your Defenders will have a much harder time.

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You are right. But the same can be said of the Defender player. This whole example was obviously artificial. The purpose was to show how the defender can use speed and blocking to dampen enemy jousting efficiency. Understanding this principle can help in real matches. You don't have to block all the b-wings, one is often enough (or 1 per defender---not hard to pull off if you both fly in formation). And you don't care if your k-turn is blocked because remember: you want R3 shots as much as possible! If enemies are in your 4k space, use 5 straight or 3 hard + BR! That pushes you outside of R3 if the b-wings try to k-turn (even their short 2k is not enough to keep them in range). And then when you turn around, you can force a R3 exchange of shots again and repeat the process until the b-wings are dead.