Asura Drax felt her heart racing. Her sleek X-Wing hurtled through the empty void towards their target. This was her first chance to strike out at the hated empire who had killed so many. Her mission, with her fellows, was to destroy a key command shuttle and it's escort. Enemy reinforcements were already on their way.

The world felt surreal to the young Bothan, both distant and far too real. She was about to fight for her life against hardened Imperial pilots. Target range was rapidly approaching while thoughts flashed through her mind. Who should she target? She had been told the target was all the targets before her. Should she shoot at the command shuttle and try to disrupt command and control? Fire on the escorts first to make the area safer? Should she wait until her wingmen fired first, then concentrate on their target?

If she, an inexperienced Rebel with rudimentary training, choose poorly, the entire attack could fail. The loss of this battle could leading to countless deaths in the larger war. The entire fate of the Rebellion could be in her hands. In one blinding moment of clarity, she realized that this decision was one faced by everyone in this bloody war. It was bigger than her, beyond her, and yet she was the one that must choose. Heart pounding in her ears, she swallowed the doubts and fears swelling within her and selected her target...

List construction is only a small part of the game, and yet the vast majority of discussion of X-Wing is centered around this aspect. More has been focused on asteroid placement and other fine details. However, there are a number of core skills that every player must develop to be competitive. It has long been said that a good player with a mediocre list can beat a mediocre player with a strong list. This is part of the reason many love this game. Skill plays the biggest part in victory, with luck but a minor province of the successful player.

Today we explore two fundamental and interrelated concepts. Target Priority and Firing Order. These critical ideas are rarely talked about except obliquely or colloquially and yet are instinctively considered skills one must utterly master to be a competitive player. Even good players may only have an intuitive grasp of these foundational ideas, leading to blind spots when attempting to improve their skills. It is important for all players to have put some conscious consideration into this realm.

It should be noted that the concepts explored here are sometimes contradictory. This is not a guide to always selecting the perfect target. The game is too complex and each situation too unique to have a simple answer derived from a purely mathematical model. These are but tools used to help one determine the best answer in a variety of situations.

So let us throw back the obfuscating mists and shine the light of reason on these topics.

Target Selection is the art of deciding which enemy to shoot at and when. Not all targets are equal and simply choosing the closest ship or best shot can have disastrous consequences. Selecting the right victim is critical to victory, but there are a host of considerations that go into this decision. Thus, here is a collection of general tools and principles that should be considered when determining the correct target to engage, as well as the correct adversary to plan maneuvers to destroy. These are not the only ideas to mull over, merely the most common ones. Knowing these guidelines is the first step towards mastery, not the last. The second step is understanding when to break them.

A key consideration anytime one considers which target to attack is how likely is it that the attack will cause damage. This concept is codified as the distinction between a hard and soft target. A hard target is one that is well defended against attack and is unlikely to take damage. A soft target is one that is vulnerable and is far more likely to suffer damage from an attack. In general, the two factors that determine this are:

• Number of Evade Dice - These can be from native Agility, Obstacles, Range, or other special abilities
• Defense Abilities - Focus Tokens, Evade Tokens and other special abilities all increase the resistance of the ship to attack

This is usually an ephemeral trait, as each ship will be harder or softer depending upon the state of a game. Soontir Fel with two focus and an evade token at range 3 is a very hard target whereas Soontir Fel at range 1 with no tokens is a soft target. Asteroids, tokens, C-3P0 and all manner of other temporary or once per turn abilities can influence this throughout the game.

A hard target can be brittle or resilient. Some abilities can only be used in a limited fashion, and thus makes a brittle target. Fat Han is an excellent example. Almost impervious to one attack, subsequent attacks will quickly penetrate and cause lasting damage. A resilient hard target, on the other hand, has abilities that can be reused. Autothrusters and Lone Wolf are good examples, as they apply to every attack.

With all else being equal, it is always better to shoot at the softer target, simply because it is more likely to be destroyed. When choosing targets between a TIE Fighter without tokens or one with a focus and evade, it is usually advisable to attack the one that is more likely to die. Unfortunately, in the game of X-Wing, there are so many variables that this is rarely the case. Still, the likelihood of damage being dealt is definitely something to factor into target selection.

A related topic to take into account when choosing a target is a general assessment of how much damage a ship does versus how easy it is to destroy. A heavy damage ship with low defense capabilities is considered a Glass Cannon. A Tank is a ship with high defensive capabilities with low damage output. Clearly, removing the former is easier and will more directly decrease the amount of damage the enemy can dish out over the course of the game. In essence, this categorization allows one to rapidly determine which ship is the largest short term threat.

If a one ship has one HP and 2 Agility but does 4 dice of damage and another has 10 HP with 2 Agility but only does 2 Attack dice of damage, the former is clearly the more lucrative target. There is no firm definition of what each of these concepts entails. These are nebulous, vague concepts. One should not devote an inordinate amount of time trying to determine where the line is. To do so misses the purpose, which is to quickly classify threats on the basis of which deal more damage than they require effort to destroy. Keep in mind that these assessments may change over the course of the game. A ship that once had 13 HP that is reduced to 2 HP is suddenly more vulnerable to destruction than the 5 HP ship that is unharmed.

However, this but the first consideration, not the only one.

Some ships may not have the highest damage output, but are almost impossible to destroy in a 1 on 1 fight. These ships are characterized as highly defensive and have spent a lot of points to become generally tough to kill but possessing only moderate damage output. If strictly following the above guidelines, this ship generally ranks low, suggesting the escorts should be targeted first. However, the loss involved in removing those threats will often leave one with too few ships remaining versus a ship that is extremely difficult to destroy anymore. As such, consideration must be given to attacking and destroying this threat first or second, while the resources to destroy it still exist.

Common examples of this are:

• Han Solo + Lone Wolf + C-3P0 + R2D2 + Engine Upgrade
• Luke Skywalker + Lone Wolf + R2D2 + Engine Upgrade
• Soontir Fel + Push the Limit + Autothrusters + Stealth Device
• Dash Rendar + Push The Limit + Outrider + Mangler Cannon + Kyle Katarn + Engine Upgrade

Though less common in the current meta, synergy lists are quite potent and Wave 1-3 lists often featured this as their core mechanic. These lists have some ability that interacts with the other ships in positive and powerful ways, usually by enabling the extra actions or by directly increasing offensive or defensive skills for all the ships involved. A list that can ensure that all ships gain a focus and target lock every turn is a prime example of this concept. These lists generally have a ship which doesn't have a particularly high damage output but which vastly improves the offensive and/or defensive capabilities of the other ships in the squad. This is the keystone which if removed will break the synergy. Killing this target will not only remove an enemy craft from the board, but will make all surrounding ships less effective. Understanding whether a list has a keystone and which ship is this keystone is critical to being able to successfully combat this threat.

Prime examples of keystone targets are:

• Howlrunner - This pilot makes all her wingmen extremely dangerous by allowing them to reroll attack dice.
• Dutch Vander - He is able to pass out free Target Locks while often coupled with an Ion Cannon Turret to control enemy movement
• Serissu - Able to harden the defenses of all around her by allowing defense dice rerols
• Fleet Officer shuttle - Able to ensure all friendly ships have a focus while acting as a large blocker
• Jan Ors of either persuasion - Able to increase attack dice as a pilot or increase defense as a crew, both her forms pose a serious threat

Attempts are usually made to harden these targets, which further disincentivizes attacking these keystones. By spending more points and effort to make these keystones more difficult to destroy, the enemy is attempting to discourage any attacks against them.

This game is highly influenced by board position. When one is able to position their ships to get shots and deny shots to the enemy, they have the dominant position and are more likely to triumph. When maneuvering, it is critical not to just consider this turn, but of the possible positions next turn. The essence of being a good pilot is being able to place ships where they need to be to most effectively concentrate fire while minimizing return fire, as well and preparing to do the same for the next turn.

These same considerations should be paid when one is selecting targets between similar options. This tends to be a more minor consideration, but when deciding between similar targets, pay close attention to what each ship can do next turn. One ship may be boxed in with no escape routes and the other in prime position to have a major game impact next turn. This too revolves around the concept of hardened targets, as being able to force a ship to bump or otherwise lose actions may result in it having increased exposure to damage next turn, as it loses actions. Attacking the enemy with better board position is preferable, especially if there is a good likelihood of destroying the target. Conversely, against sturdier targets, trapping one will allow multiple rounds of favorable damage against it.

No discussion of Firing Order would be complete without mention Biggs. This notorious pilot forces targeting decisions in many cases, fulfilling his role to draw fire. When determining a target, any ship within Range 1 of Biggs is protected. Thus, Biggs removes options when considering targets. This must be kept in mind when developing a plan for which targets to remove first. When maneuvering, it can be difficult to plan correctly to ensure that Biggs is out of arc or range or otherwise not a valid target. Important note on Biggs:

• His ability only works on ships he is at Range 1 of, a point which can often be forgotten in the heat of battle.
• If Biggs is protecting a target and the attacker has any weapon that can target Biggs, it must use that weapon.

One the other hand, there are times when Biggs is a valid target but not the only choice. A common tactic is to keep Biggs out of range 1 for the first round of combat, only swooping in to protect a target after it is damaged. In this case, focusing fire on Biggs may be valuable anyway, in an attempt to remove him from the board quickly.

One of the benefits of having the same Pilot Skill is the ability to activate them in any order. If all friendly ships are of different Pilot Skill, this order is forced. The benefits of activating ships in any order during movement is well understood, allowing all variety of bumping shenanigans, or vacating a space before another ship occupies it. However, the benefits for selecting which ship to shoot first with is less clear and is often far less understood. If one can freely change the order, though, how does one choose which ship should fire first?

Firing order is the codification of the the order in which ships of the same Pilot Skill are activated during the Combat Phase. There are a host of considerations, with the most common explored here.

Important Note: When ships are the same PS, they may fire in any order. When a ship is selected, it can measure range and arc to any possible enemy ships before deciding which enemy to shoot. However, it is important to note that range and arc cannot be measured from all ships before selecting from which to shoot. Effective Firing Order selection therefore requires some skill in eyeballing arcs and ranges.

The first and foremost rule to keep in mind is how many possible targets each ship likely has. Due to angles and range some ships may have more potential targets than others. One friendly ship may have arc and range on two enemy targets while another has but one viable target. In this case, consideration must be paid to the likelihood of one attack destroying a target. If the ship with two possible shots is activated first, it must immediately choose which of the two to at which to fire. Does it take the shot at the ship the other friendly can shoot? If the shot destroys the target, the other friendly is unable to shoot this round. If the choice is made to attack the other target, the second friendly may miss, leaving two threats on the board.

However, if the firing order is reversed, whether or not the target is destroyed, the other friendly still has a shot. If the enemy target is destroyed, the friendly wingman may target the remaining enemy. If the shot goes wide, the second ship can attack the same target, attempting to remove it from the board.

Keep in mind the rule about measuring. If one is unsure one ship has a shot at a certain target or not, the general rule is to assume that it does not have the shot. Developing the skills to eyeball range and arc is important. Don't be afraid to move around the table a bit to get a better view.

With a large friendly force, a number of ships may have shots on a high value target. In this case, it is often preferable to activate from the worst shot to the best. The logic behind this is that the worse shots are rolling fewer dice against more. It is less likely for them to hit. But if they do hit, it is likely with uncanceled Hit/Crit results. This may force the enemy to spend tokens, such as focus, to absorb one or two hits when that token would have protected against a more important crit or against more hits from the better attacks to come. Or it may force the opponent not to spend the token in hopes of a bigger reward against a future attack, only for those attacks to miss or for the evade dice to roll poorly.

Further, this has a slight positive psychological effect on the attacker. If one works from worst to best, it seems each shot is better and more likely. This can improve and focus the morale of the attacking player, especially if there is a large payoff in getting several hits or crits through in a later shot.

Of note is that this is usually, but not always, furthest to closest. This makes sense because Range 1 attacks get a bonus attack die while Range 3 shots have a bonus Defense die. Further shots are more likely to be through obstacles. However, there are things that can entirely reverse this calculus. A B-Wing at Range 3 generally has a worse shot than an X-Wing at Range 1. But if the B-Wing has a Heavy Laser Cannon, which would be 4 dice and ignoring the Range defensive bonus, and the X-Wing has a Weapon Malfunction crit and is shooting through a rock, the situation is suddenly reversed.

Conversely, against softer targets, there may be reason to shoot in the reverse order. Keep in mind the principle that one should activate ships with only one valid target first which was explored at the beginning of this section. When a list has a large number of attacks, usually gained through lots of ships but could be gained through the use of Gunner or other means, there will come a time when the bulk of these shots have multiple possible targets. Then, one must consider the likelihood of destroying a target and still having attacks remaining.

Simply put, better shots are more likely to destroy the target than worse shots. If a ship is destroyed, the remaining ships would be able to fire at a secondary target instead. This second victim is likely either a harder target or a lower value target, or it would have been selected as the primary target for attack. By quickly destroying the first enemy ship with fewer shots, more attacks can be made against this second target. This target of opportunity will be more likely to take damage simply because more dice are being thrown at it.

A number of abilities may have some impact on order selection. Further, abilities may combine to interact in surprising ways. A ship without stress should usually attack a Rebel Captive before one with stress, but adding Tycho entirely changes that assessment. A ship with R3-A2 should fire last, as if the target is destroyed first, the carrier would not have to gain a stress that turn whereas if it is used first, that ship gets a stress even if the target is then destroyed. However, Eadin Vrill would change that calculation. A Tactician may generate a stress at no cost, which is generally a good thing, but against Soontir Fel this would also give that target another token to use for defense. As such, the stress generating ship should let all of her companions shoot first, hoping to punch through, before the final shot gives the slippery foe a stress.

There is no way to explore all such abilities and they will only grow more numerous. It is simply important to understand which order of firing would be most beneficial with the ships present. This gets at a deeper point, that one should understand what abilities a ship has and try to understand their interactions. One helpful tip is that players should get in the habit that, every time they begin to set dials, they take a look at their own list as well as that of their opponent to ensure they aren't missing any vital abilities and to refresh their memory of what the strengths and weaknesses of all ships are.

This game is primarily one of skill. Luck plays a part, but a small one. Every aspect of skill in this game should be brought into the light and examined. Firing Order and Target Selection are two key components of this game which are often ignored when discussing the finer points of the game, leaving a gap for less skilled players to navigate on their own. Understanding these key concepts lets a player more effectively concentrate fire to maximize damage, so some time must be devoted to exploring these topics.

As stated, there is no magic formula to determine which target to engage or to determine which ship should be activated fist. The topics discussed here are merely tools. Taking the time during a game to ensure they are consciously and explicitly considered allows a player to make more informed decisions. In time, these aid a player in gaining the skill to more effectively examine the game and to more fully learn from the successes and mistakes of the past. In so doing, the quality of players in the game is improved and we all benefit from a more skilled player base.

The importance of these skills is not to be underestimated. Being able to effectively direct fire means more shots that do more damage and fewer return shots from the enemy. Decisions made on this subject can win or lose engagements. Victory or defeat in a single, small battle can change the course of a war. Or a tournament.

Note: This article was originally posted on teamcovenant.com where all my articles are posted.

Good write up, want to know more about the Bothan, did she die crossing a space whale?

Nice work.

excellent article, as always Sable. I feel like it could use a few more examples, and possibly some vassal screenshots in sort of a "who would you choose to target and why?" kinda thing.

Also, there is one other factor that I think you failed to mention when determining your target: the opponent's firing order. All other things being equal, it is better to destroy an enemy ship that hasn't fired yet this round instead of one who has. Also, all other things being equal again, with you and your opponent having a mix of pilot skills, it is better to target and destroy an enemy who could potentially destroy or damage one of your ships with lower PS before it has a chance to shoot.

you fool!

you forgot to commence primary ignition!

(stand by...stand by...)

A great article as always, Sable.
I look forward to reading it once I've slept and recovered from work (curse you, my late-night hours!).

Very informative. Thank you for posting.

This is definitely one of the more overlooked parts of the game for newer players. Great job shining a light on it for them. Better players are good for the long term health of the game and the community that plays it.

Regarding keystones, the best defense I've found for them is to build redundancy. For example, you noted both Howlrunner and the Fleet Officer shuttle as examples of lynchpin ships. One of my favorite Defender lists actually pairs the two, with Swarm Tactics Howlrunner and a Fleet Officer supporting Rexlar Brath. If you go after Howlrunner (now turtled with a Focus and Evade token), I still have my shuttle pssing out focus tokens. If you go after my shuttle, I still have Howlrunner giving her Academy wingman a PS8 and rerolls for both him and Rexlar.

Great article! I learned a ton. Thanks SableGryphon!

My biggest take away was Worst to Best vs Best to Worst shots. When shooting with multiple ships of the same PS, I normally fire in the easiest to remember order instead of thinking through it more thoroughly. I need to change that immediately.

"Further, this has a slight positive psychological effect on the attacker. If one works from worst to best, it seems each shot is better and more likely. This can improve and focus the morale of the attacking player, especially if there is a large payoff in getting several hits or crits through in a later shot."

I've used this to my advantage for a long time in our monthly Heroscape tournaments. It's also a "slight negative psychological effect on the defender". When I start with attacks that are at a disadvantage compared to others, I find I'm more easily able to shrug off misses because it can "only get better" from there. Meanwhile, my opponent is sweating every attack because s/he knows there is a greater and greater chance I get the kill I'm after with every roll of the dice. Definitely one of my favorite tactics.

Also when determining worst-to-best or best-to-worst order, shields and crits are an important consideration. For instance, one of my favorite squads is Etahn, a B, and 3 Zs. I might normally want to start with Zs as they are the worst shot and finish with the B, but in this case I usually want to go from best to worst. Try to knock out the last shield or two with my best shot from the B, and then the Zs can potentially turn up to 3 crits. If I did it the other way, it might take all 3 Zs to strip the shields and the B will only force one crit.

The same principle applies with manglers, calculation, the up-and-coming ATC, etc. But it is always something worth considering even if you don't take upgrades that guarantee crits. I often prioritize my shooting with this thought, "how can I strip the remaining shields with the fewest shots?" If I do that, I can potentially produce the maximum amount of crits each turn.