So a standard B-wing is
Speed: 2
Hull: 5
Anti-squadron: 3xblue
Anti-ship: 1xblack, 1xblue
Special Rules: Bomber
Cost: 14
While a standard Y-wing is
Speed: 3
Hull: 6
Anti-squadron: 2xblue
Anti-ship: 1xblack
Special Rules: Bomber, Heavy
Cost: 10 points
Which do you think is the better bomber? Do you think it's situational or there is a clear "best"?
Bring both to the table and escort. Make the enemy choose which is better.
The B-wing
Pros:
50% more anti-fighter dice
2x anti-ship dice
Not Heavy
Cons
66.7% as fast (only 1 speed really, not sure that really matters that much)
1 less hull
So for 40% more you can do twice the anti-ship damage and 50% more anti-fighter damage. I’m sold. Add in Yavaris and a B-wing rolls 4 anti-ship dice a turn vs 2 for the Y-wing. That makes the B-wing equal to the side arc of the ISD.
The benefits of Y-wings come from numbers. So 30 points gets you 3 Y-wings, which have the same amount of anti-fighter dice as 2 B-wings, and give you a 50% chance to crit 3 times. The B-wings would only be able to crit twice, but should do more damage.
Note that Yavaris still benefits the 2 B-wings more than the Y-wings. Potential for 8 anti-ship dice a turn vs 5.
The Y Wing is the cheap bomber, but only good at this Job. Because of Jos Bad fighting skills, he May Need some escort squads. The B Wing is a jack of all trades, who doesn't Need to be protected by other squads. The B Wing can adapt to new situations, but the Y Wing has to stick to it's Single purpose.
So it depends on your strategy for the game, and how much you are willing to stick to it.
I really hope there comes a time or way that allows for starfighters to be used outside their wheelhouse for a time. Overall I think they made fighters rather elegant. But I wonder if they're so streamlined they won't be able to be employed in the occasional out of the box way. Kind of like how in the X-wing novels ships relay targeting data to one another for surprise attacks from unexpected directions.
Y-wings are out and out bombers but it'd be awesome if you could use that nature as a deception. Anybody who see's Y-wings being deployed knows your plan. But then how awesome would it be if that sole X-wing suddenly allowed them to attack/launch from greater range or a Coordinator Card on a nearby capital ship that was able to gain long distance red dice through starfighters acting as spotters?
I kind of think Y-wings will be quietly awesome. While they can't do much to enemy squadrons they are decently speedy and have the most hitpoints of any fighter squadron. They can't be ignored by capital ships either with the black die and bomber ability. They are also cheap.
B-wings seem good on paper, but the slow speed and the amount of capital ship die they roll is going to hurt them. You'll want to get those B-wings off the board before they wreck your ships. They'll likely be priority targets for the enemy fighters. I honestly don't see them being all that good unless you really protect them.
Might be a decent strategy to run 2-3 B-wings to distract your opponent, while you flank around with 2 or so Y-wing squadrons.
I think once the fighter packs come out that Fighters are going to play a bigger part in this game than they do now. There will be so many different builds with fighter heavy ones using all 100 points, and ship heavy ones that may only use a couple to no fighters at all. That is what I think really makes this game so good, there is really no one way that you HAVE to go and the future looks bright.
Plus remember the Escort key word of the X-Wings. Throw those with the B-Wings and you can only shoot at them with ships which aren't fantastic. B-Wings can make it through, and again, if you fly some Y-wings too, that will split the Imp fighter force.
Edited by Goknights12the speed and price both concern me
while the Y-wing is pretty boned versus squadrons, its cheapness and speed 3 makes it seem like a safe investment for keeping imp ships away from yours (looking at you, gladiator)
B-wings could no doubt do the same, but I don't know if the 3 anti-squadron dice really qualifies them as decent all rounders for freaking 14 points (the black and blue anti-ship die are quite tempting)
B-wings! They're crunchy and go well with ketchup.
My interceptor pilots are hungry.
My initial thoughts is Bs will live and die based on how much you want to include to support them. They are slow but make the most out of certain force modifiers we know to be available.
I don't see myself utilizing more then 1 or 2. Though I see one being brought as a late round trump card being quite common.
I think the presence of B-wings will also affect what objectives you choose for your own force. Any objective that has you hold back ships for later will favour B-wings because it will cut down the range they have to travel. Both Ys and Bs will need an Xwing escort to punch up their survivability.
Y-Wings are great in that you get more and can use a few to tie up Ties and are more likely to break through. B-Wings are more likely to survive if they get tied down. Both have their purpose and uses. The Heavy Trait really hampers the Y-Wing as trying to tie anything up though.....Toss Up
I like both, but they seem to be used differently. I'll think of (Rebel) squadrons are forces that tend to be paired together. The best two are the X+Y, because they can fly at the exact same speed with the X's acting as anti-fighter due to their good dice and Escort, with the Y's acting as cleanup for enemy fighters and interceptor types. When they can get into bombing range, the Y's are much more free to use their more potent anti-ship bombing die, and while the X's die isn't bad, it's just simply not as good for that purpose.
The second choice for me is the A+B flight group. This has much more defined roles for the two types of fighters, with the A's being able to go over twice the distance the B's are able to, but being extremely annoying and dangerous to squadrons. The B's are better suited to fighter clean-up (Squadron commands will come in most handy here) and closing in bomber duty (ditto).
I don't think either choice is stronger or weaker than the other, but they do require different thinking. These are also squads that use generics, let alone getting into the sheer face wrecking the heroic squadrons can do.
I see B's as mobile space mines. Deploy 1-2 on the flanks of your fleet to discourage those sneaky Gladiators from nipping at your sides. They're also a bit less dependent on Squadron commands than Ys / TIE Bombers.
I Think like most people I will be using both (once wave 1 arrves) and then see which one works out best at any given time. Flexability is one of the keys for rebels. Bwings speed means they will have to hang back but then that might not be a bad thing as your first wave of x-ys are tied up the B's might just slip through.
With the coming AF Mkii and the noticeably sexy Gallant Haven title, I think B-wings may have a place provided that they play nice with their costs.
At long range, the AF Mkii is capable of flinging 2 red dice out the front/back zone and 3 dice out a side which sounds pretty peachy, imo, considering they're dead even against the ideal Star Destroyer at range 3 (3 out the front and 2 out the side). With the dodge action and a superior degree of movement (+2 side arcs to the victory's 1 front), we're all hoping they can slug it out with a Victory provided they don't get to enable all 6 of their front arc dice.
So, in very simple terms, the imperial ships are going to want to close the distance. Since the B-wing's 2 speed necessitates they be used more as zone control rather than active ships (or as "mines" as Brian put it) and they currently fart out the highest anti-ship damage at the base squadron level, they could be a very nice buffer. X-wing health is rough paired with 1 less blue die, but the Gallant Haven title just seems like a horrible thing for poor Ties to punch through 
Again, the problem lies in the points and in the effective range (most likely going to have to get out of the gallant comfort zone) which make the Y-wing seem like a much safer bet. I don't know if they'd be incredibly effective at 300 or if it would be better to wait till we open up to 400
Edited by ficklegreendiceB's are more effective bombers, and they don't rely so heavily on their escorts. But simply being cheap gives Y's a different role. Y-wings can tank. Throw them at enemy interceptors (or anything really) and they can't move on until they have killed the Y-wings. Sure even TIE fighters will probably eventually kill Y-wings but with so many hits it will take them a while.
B's are more effective bombers, and they don't rely so heavily on their escorts. But simply being cheap gives Y's a different role. Y-wings can tank. Throw them at enemy interceptors (or anything really) and they can't move on until they have killed the Y-wings. Sure even TIE fighters will probably eventually kill Y-wings but with so many hits it will take them a while.
the heavy rule prevents Y-wings from engaging squadrons
though I'm sure the interceptors would be pleased to stay right there and tear the poor piggies apart 
the heavy rule prevents Y-wings from engaging squadrons
though I'm sure the interceptors would be pleased to stay right there and tear the poor piggies apart
Heavy: You do not prevent engaged squadrons from from attacking ships or moving.
To clarify.
the heavy rule prevents Y-wings from engaging squadrons
though I'm sure the interceptors would be pleased to stay right there and tear the poor piggies apart
Heavy: You do not prevent engaged squadrons from from attacking ships or moving.
To clarify.
If they let a Y-wing erode their shields or apply criticals to their ships, they do it at their own peril. They would want to send fighters to deal the with Y-wing.
1v1 a Y-wing will on average beat a Tie-Fighter, so to be safe they would need to send either more than one Tie-Fighter or something more dangerous. This in turn takes pressure off of the rebel's remaining fighters.
Edited by DeltabThe Moving part is why Y-Wings are limited with Heavy. They cannot truly engage and hold Tie Fighters from attacking other Y-Wing flights if you use 3 instead of 2 B-Wings flights and try for the numerical superiority route
2 bwing suadrons can spit 10 dice at ships per turn, 6 of those with rerolls if you have Keyan. If you handle it correctly you nuke a victory in an instant.
Edited by MicroscopI'm going to be taking TIE interceptors/bombers and laughing as I outmaneuver the B-Wings all day. Can't engage what you can't catch!
I'm going to be taking TIE interceptors/bombers and laughing as I outmaneuver the B-Wings all day. Can't engage what you can't catch!
You think the B-Wings care that you aren't engaging them? This whole topic is about avoiding that. So please, avoid them so they can wreck your Star Destroyer. No but really you're going to want to have your interceptors engage those B-Wings pretty quickly
I'm going to be taking TIE interceptors/bombers and laughing as I outmaneuver the B-Wings all day. Can't engage what you can't catch!
still don't believe B-wings are efficient anti-squadron squadrons, so don't expect them to try and engage ties
At 1 blue die less, 1 speed less, and 1 point more than the X-wing, I highly doubt anyone will consider them for that sort of role
it's the succulent looking capital ships we're all interested in
