Hey folks,

a friend of mine would like to hear your advice about his Squad, which he calls "The Rebel Aces"

Jake Ferrell (24)

- Veteran Instincts 1

- Outmaneuver 3

- Chardann-Refit -2

- Auto-Thrusters 2

=> PS 9, 2 Shields; 2 Hull; 28 points

Keyan Farlander (29)

- Veteran Insticts 1

- Advanced Sensors 3

- B/E2 1

- Tactician 2

=> PS 9 5 Shields; 3 Hull; 36 points

Bandit #1 (12)

Bandit #2 (12)

Jake without PtL seems like a shame... he just loves PtL. I'd rather use those 36 points on another awesome ship then the bandits but that's just me... never been a 5 ship list kind of guy.

Or use the 36 points to add 2 thrustered prototypes. And have a 2 point initiative bid.

I am not a huge fan of the list...

Jake really wants to take PtL. Outmaneuver and VI don't really matter if you can't get your arc on the enemy. The combination of BR + Boost makes this happen, and I think that it would be worth it to drop Outmaneuver to Push.

Keyan's ability means that he really wants to take some way for him to stress himself. I have seen people use Intel Agent and Stay on Target, Push the Limit, and even Opportunist to decent success. This build kind of ignores his pilot ability, and you would be better off just taking a Blue instead for 8 fewer points because you don't really need to be PS9 to use a tactician well.

I think this list will struggle to throw enough red dice to really threaten a meta list. It doesn't have too much maneuverability, either, so matchups against Dash Corran, or Dual IGs will be very difficult.

If your friend is 'set' on those ships, perhaps he/she could try a slightly different loadout:

Jake: Push the Limit, Chaardan Refit, Veteran Instincts, Autothrusters (28) *Jake is now a slightly less scary version of Soontir. I would try to find a way to give him Proton Rockets to put him at 33 points.

Keyan: Stay on Target, E2, Intel Agent, Adv. Sensors (36) *This turns Keyan into much more of a late-game ship that can dodge arcs or keep his arc on the enemy.

3 Bandit Squad Pilots (36) These guys are pretty solid. Fly them aggressively into range 1 with TL + F and wreck some face.

You could, alternatively, drop one Bandit and put Prockets on Jake, Ion Pulse Missiles on one Z, and Concussion Missiles on the other for a stronger alpha strike. This would make targeting a problem for your opponent because they don't want any of those missiles to go off, but Keyan is the biggest end-game threat by far.

I am not a huge fan of the list...

Jake really wants to take PtL. Outmaneuver and VI don't really matter if you can't get your arc on the enemy. The combination of BR + Boost makes this happen, and I think that it would be worth it to drop Outmaneuver to Push.

Keyan's ability means that he really wants to take some way for him to stress himself. I have seen people use Intel Agent and Stay on Target, Push the Limit, and even Opportunist to decent success. This build kind of ignores his pilot ability, and you would be better off just taking a Blue instead for 8 fewer points because you don't really need to be PS9 to use a tactician well.

I think this list will struggle to throw enough red dice to really threaten a meta list. It doesn't have too much maneuverability, either, so matchups against Dash Corran, or Dual IGs will be very difficult.

If your friend is 'set' on those ships, perhaps he/she could try a slightly different loadout:

Jake: Push the Limit, Chaardan Refit, Veteran Instincts, Autothrusters (28) *Jake is now a slightly less scary version of Soontir. I would try to find a way to give him Proton Rockets to put him at 33 points.

Keyan: Stay on Target, E2, Intel Agent, Adv. Sensors (36) *This turns Keyan into much more of a late-game ship that can dodge arcs or keep his arc on the enemy.

3 Bandit Squad Pilots (36) These guys are pretty solid. Fly them aggressively into range 1 with TL + F and wreck some face.

You could, alternatively, drop one Bandit and put Prockets on Jake, Ion Pulse Missiles on one Z, and Concussion Missiles on the other for a stronger alpha strike. This would make targeting a problem for your opponent because they don't want any of those missiles to go off, but Keyan is the biggest end-game threat by far.

I like your suggested list better than the OP's. Plays into Jake and Keyan's abilities. I also like swapping out the 3 Bandits for two more A's with AT. Unfortunately I'm a lousy pilot of arc dodgers. Need A LOT more practice flying those things.