Not that it's had time to sink in, but we saw in the top 16 (all flown by excellent players, obviously):

4-ship Rebels

4 TLT Ys

3-ship Rebels

Brobots

Trip-Stress-Ks

Palp and Aces

Corran/Dash

TIE swarm

Whisper Miniswarm

Corran +2 TLT Ys

Miranda/Corran

Whisper/Chiraneau

Can we pull any information out of lists so diverse about what kind of list it takes to compete? I don't know, but there are some trends that I see. Please comment if you disagree, this is sort of an analysis at first blush.

Endurance: There was a lot of beef in these squads. All of them had either 1.) A lot of hit points, 2.) Regeneration, or 3.) high AGI + Autothrusters and/or something else to avoid damage. Usually there was some combination of the two. This may well be due to the necessity of bad dice mitigation over the course of so many games (and something to save your butt when you guess maneuvers wrong). These are not squads with slim margins of error. I don't think any of these squads were banking too hard on always being able to arc-dodge their opponents.

Brute Force: These squads generated a lot of shots, either through multiple TLTs and or many ship hulls. The exceptions to this was Whisper/Chiraneau and the Brobots list, which both only generated 2 shots, but both really hit like bricks and included extra attacks in case the first failed.

Variety: Looking at the Arc Dodger/Turret/Jouster classifications, I think almost all of these lists were hybrids. Nobody went all in on Arc Dodgers, Turrets, or Jousters. Almost all of these lists could shift strategy based on they list they were facing because no list had only one tool in its box.

What does this tell us?

I don't know if it tells us anything. I might have just wasted your time. To actually find similarities in these lists, I had to expand the categories so broadly as to almost make them useless. I guess if there's a real takeaway, it would be that you want a list that is decently tough to survive bad dice, but has a few points dedicated to jacking with arc-dodgers so you can make your guns count. There's clearly no dominant list now, so go to town.

It tells us we have an amazingly balanced game where so many different ships and builds can be forces if well flown.

Beyond that I think we may learn more from what goes down as a result ofworlds than from world's itself?

Really love that diversity. Game is in a great place now.

I tend to agree with High Mitigation and high HP. Those consistencies plus consistent play will yield success. I don't think that's really a surprise. I think the bigger surprise is someone threepeating in this game. And that you can have this diverse a meta so quickly after our last meta.

I tend to agree with High Mitigation and high HP. Those consistencies plus consistent play will yield success. I don't think that's really a surprise. I think the bigger surprise is someone threepeating in this game. And that you can have this diverse a meta so quickly after our last meta.

Threepeating with completely different lists too, which is nuts.

3peat?? Pfft, stupid luck driven game.

By time things settle down from this after people disect the games and builds, wave 8 will hit. I just pray it doesn't send the meta back to being so predictable in archetypes.

None of the lists seem to overly rely on dice. As always lots of modification and mitigation. Not seen the build but the swarm is probably the exception to that but then quantity is a leveller of extremes in itself.

I tend to agree with High Mitigation and high HP. Those consistencies plus consistent play will yield success. I don't think that's really a surprise. I think the bigger surprise is someone threepeating in this game. And that you can have this diverse a meta so quickly after our last meta.

The 3-peat is pretty nuts. High damage mitigation isn't really isn't a surprise, although it's a little bit of a counterpoint to the "maneuver uber alles" mindset that some players have. It's especially interesting that Paul's list was hardly reactive at all, but every ship was a tool to take something away from someone else's maneuver game. Poe had PS10, so most ships couldn't react to him. The Bandit was a blocker, the Stressbot Y make a crippling no-go zone, and the turret Y could put steady pressure on less resilient forms of Arc Dodger (particularly if said Dodger was stressed or blocked).

Edit: Maybe it's because I've had them on the brain, but TIE/fos are looking decent for an Imperial tool box sort of list. Cheap enough to use as blockers, tough enough to stick around, efficient upgrade to PS3 to counter their Rebel and Scum equivalents, and still imminently expendable. They're nicely modifiable to fit a variety of points ranges as well.

Was amazed at the amount of dice angst on the twitch stream. Three-time champ definitely shows that luck is not the deciding factor in X-wing.

I think this tells us that scum is still missing some pieces. They were 26% of the initial squads while only 12.5% of the top 16 and they seem to have the fewest viable builds.

Aces seem to be the dominant archetype although there are tons of options for escorts. Autothrusters are easily the most popular and arguably the strongest upgrade in the game with every list in the top four having at least one copy.

I think that's a valid point about Scum but I think they are in an OK place for how long they have been around. They imo probably need the top tier arc dodging ace which they lack based on current things.

Harder to get the flexible list when you are missing one of the key tools the other factions have

I think it's in a great place for diversity, and also rewarding choices and good flying.

I think Scum will be helped by them getting two totally new types of ship in the next wave. One 360 big ship, and one ship people are already saying might be their B-Wing. Plus loads of new crew options, and a bunch of new upgrades for everyone to use.

Scum will be up there more next year

I feel like Scum will be better situated when they get better ace pilots.

I think this tells us that scum is still missing some pieces. They were 26% of the initial squads while only 12.5% of the top 16 and they seem to have the fewest viable builds.

Aces seem to be the dominant archetype although there are tons of options for escorts. Autothrusters are easily the most popular and arguably the strongest upgrade in the game with every list in the top four having at least one copy.

I think you're right, and I think they're missing the durable ace. They also don't have a budget Ace counter like Stressbot. Imperials get token-stacking, super-maneuverable, natively high PS pilots. Rebels get slightly less high PS, regenerating brawlers. Scum has Talonbane Cobra, who is neither super-maneuverable or a tank, and Xizor, who I think is pretty dang good, actually, but hasn't caught on all the way. Maybe it's because most aces like to flank, and Xizor doesn't really want to. He's got the tools otherwise. Good maneuverability, great damage mitigation, can get to PS9, with some nice flexibility in the Illicit and Systems slots.

I think the most important lesson we've learned is that a significant portion of the really good players were very cagey about even revealing the pieces they thought would be competitive.

I follow X wing pretty close and like half of the top 16 had elements I would have raised an eyebrow at if someone brought them to casual play.

Brobots are a durable ace. They just don't have the PS to abuse position against high-ps aces.

Brobots are a durable ace. They just don't have the PS to abuse position against high-ps aces.

Agree, sort of. Their typical price point is a bit higher than non-Corran aces. They also fly differently enough that I think they have harder time coordinating with the rest of a squad.

Pilots between PS2 and PS8 (after VI) in the top 16:

Champion: (none)

2nd: (none)

Top 4: IG88 A, IG88B

Top 8: Dash Rendar

Top 16: 2x Grey Squadron TLTs, Dash again, 6x Obsidian Squadron, 3x Grey Squadron B-TL-T,

It appears that it's PS8 or bust, unless your ability is bonkers. Possibly PS9 or bust.

There are a number of ships that seem to be missing from the competitive zone: Defenders, Tie-bombers, X-wings, B-wings?, most scum stuff etc. Good to see swarms coming back strong with the new rules regarding points for damaged large ships.

Brobots are a durable ace. They just don't have the PS to abuse position against high-ps aces.

Thank goodness... if they could it would be shamefully overpowered.

I think Autothrusters versus Twin Lasers is just as boring a meta as last year's was. No matter what pretty ships you slap them on. Just being honest.

There are a number of ships that seem to be missing from the competitive zone: Defenders, Tie-bombers, X-wings, B-wings?, most scum stuff etc. Good to see swarms coming back strong with the new rules regarding points for damaged large ships.

Defenders are probably a title and a pilot away from being really good...nice FO's and Adv Protos are going to give them nice buddies to fly with.

Tie bombers...still just not there. Maybe after wave 8 when the guidance chip and Tracers hit. Xwings will be fine after integrated. Bwings have been fine and will be fine again. I'm kinda glad we didn't see them this year...pretty tired of them. They could use a useful ACE but that's about it.

Any Scyk sightings at all? They're the real underdog.

I feel like Scum will be better situated when they get better ace pilots.

I think they will be better situated when the jumpmaster and the misthunter come in wave 8...both those ships look like possible game changers.

I think Autothrusters versus Twin Lasers is just as boring a meta as last year's was. No matter what pretty ships you slap them on. Just being honest.

There seem to be a few of you confusing a 2pt upgrade and a 6pt upgrade with 100pt lists. Not sure I can honestly help you out of whatever hole you're in.

I think Autothrusters versus Twin Lasers is just as boring a meta as last year's was. No matter what pretty ships you slap them on. Just being honest.

There seem to be a few of you confusing a 2pt upgrade and a 6pt upgrade with 100pt lists. Not sure I can honestly help you out of whatever hole you're in.

I'm not sure that we can help you understand how awful it is to play against 4x TLT.

I think Autothrusters versus Twin Lasers is just as boring a meta as last year's was. No matter what pretty ships you slap them on. Just being honest.

There seem to be a few of you confusing a 2pt upgrade and a 6pt upgrade with 100pt lists. Not sure I can honestly help you out of whatever hole you're in.

I'm not sure that we can help you understand how awful it is to play against 4x TLT.

Unless you're at a tournament you never have to. If you want to go to a tournament, figure it out...just like every other list.