One of my key delights in X-wing is the way in which the game is really won in the maneuver phase. Anticipation is the key to winning, and making the right maneuver can win you the game - just as making the wrong one will loose it.

It's for that reason that I've never bought any of the heavy turreted ships - the YT1300, YT2400 and Decimator. Until the invention of AutoThrusters they basically ignored much of the maneuver phase - while they still wanted to get out of the enemy's arc, and avoid obstacles and the table edge, the requirement for the to get the enemy in their firing arc was totally absent. Even with ATs that's only a subset of enemy ship for which the maneuvering for a shot will actually matter, and even then you still get a shot, just not such a good one. Please note that I've got no problem playing against fat turrets, as I still have to maneuver well - I'm just not interested in playing with them

What that's meant though is that my rebel fleet has always lacked the equivalent of the Scum Firespray or Imperial shuttle (or Firespray) - a solid large-base ship that can take a beating. The B-wing kind of subs in, but even it doesn't do the full job - there's a limit to how much you want to spend on it, it moves differently, and it can't take the small number of large-base-only upgrades.

And so it always felt like there was a hole in my rebel fleet mix - until earlier tonight when I suddenly realised that there needn't be one.

I'm so used to the YT-2400 bearing the Outrider title that I never stopped to consider what it was like without the Outrider. In fact, it seems to be a fairly tough, mobile large-base ship with two of the holy trinity of upgrade slots (cannon and crew, only sensors lacking). It compares nicely to the Firespray, noticably lacking the rear arc (and bomb slot) but gaining a better dial and the barrel roll action, as well as being slightly cheaper and with some nice pilots. The lower primary firepower of 2 is not too much of a problem when you buy a cannon slot.

So am I crazy, or is this actually a good idea? Has anyone out there flown a YT2400 that wasn't the Outrider, and how does it fare?

I think it's a great idea. The Chicago Regional was won by a guy with Fat Han and a Mangler armed Fringer (no Outrider). It's sort of like you get two weapons, which are each good at different things.

I think it's a great idea. The Chicago Regional was won by a guy with Fat Han and a Mangler armed Fringer (no Outrider). It's sort of like you get two weapons, which are each good at different things.

I actually read that batrep this morning - was so blinkered by the fact that a 2400 is a turreted ship that I didn't realise it wasn't in this case!

I believe it has been done. A WFS with a Mangler or HLC is a pretty solid buy, I think.

And the 2400 without Outrider is still a turreted ship without the cannon, just not as heavily armed in that configuration. Seems decent.

Fringer

*HLC

*Intelligence Agent

it's ******* amazing and amazing fun and you should run it

(just barrel roll and fart right into soont's path; it's marvelous)

a local player use to one this (w/hull) and Dash all the **** time. Sad he abandoned it for his newest boba + IG fancy, because they work like a charm

the fact that it has a PWT is moot. Unlike Han or Cheri, using your PWT lets you know you either sacrificed your HLC (to block, for example) or you done ****** up.

Outrider without the title actually has been having quite a bit success this Regional season.

I tried it once, with HLC. It is difficult to keep in arc and at range 2-3 but doable. However, flying it with outrider is so much easier that I just cannot go back. But maybe you will like the challenge... If flown well, it can be pretty tough... And you have 5 points to buy something else

I've actually been playing around recently with Eaden Vrill.

Eaden w/ Luke Skywalker, Tactical Jammer

Dagger w/ Ion Cannon, B/2E, Tactician

Dagger w/ Ion Cannon, B/2E, Tactician

Total: 100 pts

It looks like complete crap. And it probably is against some lists. The Tactical Jammer was just as a lulz because I had 1 point remaining and didn't feel like I really wanted an init bid. I've been playing it where Eaden barrel rolls into a good location, and the Daggers focus on minimizing return fire for the next turn. Which means that I often forgo their primary weapon in order to ionize someone, but the ability to use the primary and still roll 3 dice is really nice. Between the tacticians and the ion, by the end of the second round, there's a good possibility that Eaden can pick whomever he wants to shoot at, and if it's R1, all the better. However, without an action to modify his attack, you almost WANT to miss the first attack, so Luke can modify the second.

I've now played it 3 times, and drawn 1 damage card. Given one of the matches I won out of the gate (3 PTL A wings, and the guy chose to stress himself, at which point I just double stressed two of them, and it was GG), but at least one of the matches was against a high quality player (who has since recommended the list to everyone). Also, it's hilarious to say "okay, my B wing is rolling 3 greens," as most people forget about Tactical Jammer (seriously, who plays that card?), and helps keep the B wings safe on the initial approach before they can get into knife fighting range. And in the mean time, your enemy doesn't get to roll any bonuses due to Ion cannon denying the R3 bonus, and Eaden's obstruction only going one way.

I've really enjoyed Outrider-less YT-2400 and went 5-0 in Swiss during Seattle regionals (we won't talk about the first round of single-elim). I did find I had issues with giving up a lot of MOV, but I don't think that was on the 2400.

I ran:

Dash w/ VI, HLC, Recon Specialist

Jake w/ VI, Outmaneuver, Autothrusters

B-Wing w/ FCS

It's super fun to fly, and that second focus can make Dash pretty beefy.

It looks like I'll have to buy another spaceship.

How terrible.

Flew Dash with the HLC minus title once back when I first started. It was an unmitigated disaster. Partly because we misinterpreted Dash's ability when hit with the stunned pilot crit and partly because I'm a lousy pilot with bad spatial relation. Going to revisit the build. I'm a better pilot now still with crappy spatial awareness.

Hi there, I'm the crazy guy who flew the WSF without Outrider at the Chicago Regionals. It works, and it's actually fun to fly it like a primary arc ship. The Turret part is just a nice to have for those times you have blocking duty or just can't get those arc Dodgers in your front arc.

I've actually been flying different versions of the YT2400 without Outrider for a while. Won a store championships, an bay area invitational, and now a regionals with it, so I probably isn't that bad. ;-)

I miss Eaden a lot, but just can't find 2 more points to keep him over WSF.

I tried it once, with HLC. It is difficult to keep in arc and at range 2-3 but doable. However, flying it with outrider is so much easier that I just cannot go back. But maybe you will like the challenge... If flown well, it can be pretty tough... And you have 5 points to buy something else

At regionals, I made a guy ragequit because he thought his Autothrusters Brobots were an auto-win against Dash. I took them down without letting Autothrusters trigger once for him. He was not happy about that...

Fringer

*HLC

*Intelligence Agent

it's ******* amazing and amazing fun and you should run it

(just barrel roll and fart right into soont's path; it's marvelous)

a local player use to one this (w/hull) and Dash all the **** time. Sad he abandoned it for his newest boba + IG fancy, because they work like a charm

the fact that it has a PWT is moot. Unlike Han or Cheri, using your PWT lets you know you either sacrificed your HLC (to block, for example) or you done ****** up.

I am so glad he stopped that because it was ******* evil

on the table this list looks like it cost way more then 100 points

Wild Space Fringer (30)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Recon Specialist (3)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Batreps coming soon on how effective it is a destroying all meta lists

E. Virgil is basicly the outrider free pilot as his ability doesn't work well with outrider. The only problem is that it need friends to deliver stress. 2 in arc is a very small area in comparison to the area covered by a PWT.

Fringer

*HLC

*Intelligence Agent

it's ******* amazing and amazing fun and you should run it

(just barrel roll and fart right into soont's path; it's marvelous)

You forgot anti pursuit laser

E. Virgil is basicly the outrider free pilot as his ability doesn't work well with outrider. The only problem is that it need friends to deliver stress. 2 in arc is a very small area in comparison to the area covered by a PWT.

It's ultimately a "nice to have" abliity for 2 points (plus 1 higher PS to avoid Predator pain). With all the PTL ships out there, and swarms that need to K-turn, his ability triggers quite often.

I have tried the following lists:

Vrill + HLC + Recon Specialist

2x Blue + HLC

Can melt a Decimator in two turns of shooting and Vrill is very survivable with Recon Specialist, but I found it to be rather weak against high-agility arc dodgers (Soontir and Brobots). Took 3rd place at a 10-player spring tourney with it.

Vrill + HLC + Luke

2x Blue + FCS + Tactician

Took 14th out of 34 at a Regional, lost against RAC/Fel and Corran/Blue/Stresshog. I'm now considering this version:

Vrill + Gunner + Engine Upgrade

2x Dagger + FCS + Tactician

The Daggers will fire before Vrill, making his primary weapon more effective. The Engine Upgrade is for blocking, I might drop it for some other modification (anti-pursuit lasers?) and Luke.

I tried flying an Outrider-less YT-2400 (Leebomination with HLC) alongside Chewie at a tournament not long after the Outrider was released. Didn't go too well, mostly due to my manuevering though.

That said, the build did wreck a Vessery/Decimator list in less than 10 minutes.