Apples to apples:

Deci with Predator, EU, Isard, Captive and Gunner -65pts

Hera with TLT, FCS and Ezra attack shuttle - 68 pts

Deci has almost 3 hits confirmed, stress when targeted, evade when 1 hull down and PWT

Hera has TLT, free target locks, additional attack.

Deci will do 2 damage to ghost per turn (1 evade), whereas ghost will do 5 damage (3 from primary, 2 from TLT) on the first turn and 4 thereafter (Isard evade). A Deci can last only 4 turns against a ghost, while the ghost can last 8 turns.

It seems to smash the Deci on every single count.

99% of ghost lists will be:

Hera, TLT, FCS, R2D2 - 52

Ezra, TLT, PTL, Kyle - 32

some kind of 16 pt Z95

power creep all the way!

I hope this turn out not to be the case.

Apples to apples:

Deci with Predator, EU, Isard, Captive and Gunner -65pts

Hera with TLT, FCS and Ezra attack shuttle - 68 pts

Deci has almost 3 hits confirmed, stress when targeted, evade when 1 hull down and PWT

Hera has TLT, free target locks, additional attack.

Deci will do 2 damage to ghost per turn (1 evade), whereas ghost will do 5 damage (3 from primary, 2 from TLT) on the first turn and 4 thereafter (Isard evade). A Deci can last only 4 turns against a ghost, while the ghost can last 8 turns.

It seems to smash the Deci on every single count.

99% of ghost lists will be:

Hera, TLT, FCS, R2D2 - 52

Ezra, TLT, PTL, Kyle - 32

some kind of 16 pt Z95

power creep all the way!

I hope this turn out not to be the case.

16 point Z-95? That's a strange way of spelling A-wing. One more point and you got AT on the best blocker in the game!

I'm not sure if FCS is the automatic choice for the Ghost. Zeb and AS could work very well together to make a good anti-blocker. Maybe with Nien Nunb and Hera.

I'm not sure if FCS is the automatic choice for the Ghost. Zeb and AS could work very well together to make a good anti-blocker. Maybe with Nien Nunb and Hera.

Because of the 3 attack capability with TLT, FCS almost certainly provides more value than other systems. Adv Sensors guarantees an action on one of those attacks, to be sure, but FCS provides it for at least 2 of the 3 with one leftover for next turn. Doesn't even matter if you bump again, as you already have your target lock.

I'm not sure if FCS is the automatic choice for the Ghost. Zeb and AS could work very well together to make a good anti-blocker. Maybe with Nien Nunb and Hera.

I hear part of the dial has been spoiled with a 4 green straight revealed. Looks like Mr. Nunb won't be needed.

I'm not sure if FCS is the automatic choice for the Ghost. Zeb and AS could work very well together to make a good anti-blocker. Maybe with Nien Nunb and Hera.

I hear part of the dial has been spoiled with a 4 green straight revealed. Looks like Mr. Nunb won't be needed.

It's visible in the spread image. Green 4 straight on the Ghost, 3 straight on the Attack Shuttle.

green 4 straight has me flashing back to a defender dial, given the promise of reds on Hera's ability

except I rather doubt ghost'll have a white 4-k...or a K-turn at all

green 4 straight has me flashing back to a defender dial, given the promise of reds on Hera's ability

except I rather doubt ghost'll have a white 4-k...or a K-turn at all

Pshhhhh, there's no way that thing doesn't have a Tallon Roll.

Really though, I'd say a K-turn is possible, if unlikely. I'd wager the straights are green, fast turns are red, and maybe a 4K. Otherwise that forward arc will be the suck.

Well that's just it, the dial is going to be an important part of how the Ghost plays, but being too generous there is going to cut into its cost effectiveness and the versatility of its upgrade options. Between the special firing arc and the Turret slot, it can get away with even a Lambda dial and be competitive. Sure, you're going to want Hera and an Engine Upgrade almost by default, but just the rear arc and a Dorsal Turret plus some solid crew like Zeb (!) and you're good to go, plus whatever Phantom you kit out of course.

The best part of X-Wing, for me, is that it is almost always a skill matchup when both lists are relatively solid. The two ships in question will go toe-to-toe pretty well for similar point investments, but I would personally prefer the flexibility and sheer brute force of the Ghost over most Decimators. Six shields, 5 attack dice at Range 1, a second attack almost every turn...

As far as the dial, I'm really not getting my hopes up. I think FFG has finally zeroed in on how the Large ships work and the Ghost is going to favour faster, broader manoeuvres like the Hound's Tooth or the Punisher. With the access to the special arc and a Turret I can see them foregoing a K-Turn just like the YV, VT, and shuttle.

the upgunned imperial patrol boat has to do just one thing if that clumsy fat freighter comes along.

..and that is to run. run Rear Admiral Forest, run!

on the table, I have no fear; it'll be fine.

fluffwise, it's *beeeeeeeeep*

the disney-designer who build it / the writers / the rest of those *beeeeep* should have just said that it's a gunboat, armed to the teeth, redesigned it.. would fit way better into what it does on the show (blasting everything). it's jar-jar / ewoks all over.. fighters that get shot down by effing big clumsy freighters.. dogfight-style..

hmmm.. petition to chain the writers and use their "creativity" in the spice mines on kessel!

If you have a big gun with a Jedi pulling the trigger ties go pop. This is classic Star Wars reality. If you're upset about that you must think episode 4 is garbage.

I for one love Star Wars (what you call episode 4) but I'm still not fond of a clumsy freighter being more maneuverable than combat fighters. At least in Star Wars Leia mentioned 'Ease of their escape'. Fighters should be able to take out a freighter. In Empire Strikes Back the Falcon was one the run and in Return of the Jedi it was in the middle of fighters that were most likely priority targets.

A freighter can still be a freighter and be part of the Star Wars universe. And it does seem odd that the Ghost is so powerful, maneuverable and well armed for a freighter. Gun Boat sure, freighter that's tough to swallow. Maybe a Q freighter. Remember even the Falcon was heavily modified. So if it was me, and it is most definitely not, generic YT-1300, YT-2400 and even the Ghost would be barely armed tugs. Just for theme.

I think the dial will need very good to be able to bring it's firing arcs to bear. Otherwise, it may be too easy to outmaneuver. without a good dial, I think a similarly costed chirpy would eat it up. Boost out of arc with higher PS shoot, repeat. Also, the deci can pack bombs, and there are some good bomb choices out there now. time will tell.

The only reason I don't hand it straight to Chiraneau is a combination of 4ATK, Zeb, and the title granting two shots a turn. Even with EU the VT is going to have a hard enough time dodging both arcs, never mind trying to dodge a turret to boot. Hera with a TLT vs Chiraneau at Range 3 is a hell of a slugfest. I'm leaning more towards ICT or Dorsal Turret but honestly the TLT 3x a round is a solid option.

It'll have a reverse manoeuvre of some denomination, I think. A "1-ship" list that can't perform a 180 doesn't sound too viable to me: Soontir and Corran would absolutely munch on its flanks, with little fear of reprisal.

It'll be another large rebel ship with a great dial, to continue the obvious trend, I suspect. If that's right, I'd expect a head-to-head between a Deci and a Ghost to go to the rebels most times.

if it's "one ship" (a gimmick which imo will never work), then it's got special aux-arc and double to triple tap turret

Well, if I were flying chirpy, I would not be slugging it our at range 3, I'd be using EU and the higher PS and trying to stay out of those arcs but hammering away at range 1 or 2. If it comes down to making the ghost use its turret, I figure I'm winning. None of those turrets are going to dish out the damage like the decimators primary would. And if we throw mara jade on as crew, we may be able to lock the ghost dial down as well. It think If I were flying the ghost I would deploy the phantom, so I can "steer" that second arc. Now there is the possibility of getting 2 arcs on the Deci, then you can really bring the hurt. I don't see TLT as a good choice for the ghost in this matchup. It's not hard to hit the Deci. Blaster turret or dorsal turret might be better choices, but ion could make a good choice for setting up a hammering too.

If I were given the choice to fly either in such a matchup, I'd take the decimator.

I wouldn't take a Decimator to a Ghost.

I'd take some ATC Advanceds. Colzet and Stele and Vader.

The bigger they come, the prettier the ball of fire when they explode.

Aces are generally hard to play, and if both of them take TLTs like most people will, they'll be easily downing 1 tie every 1-2 tuns.

The Ghost is a pretty hard thing to counter, if such a counter even exists.

It's a pseudo PWT by being even better than a PWT, having 4 shots in its arc, and using its turret out of it, for roughly the same cost as a deci. Also has a built-in evade.

It counters the swarm anti-PWT meta by being more than 1 ship. It's 2 ship+ most likely, a Z95.

It counters arc-dodging aces meta using TLTs

It counters TLT/stressbot meta by having TLTs, plenty of health and stress-shedding crew

There's nothing it cannot counter, and nothing can counter it, much less a deci.

I doubt that Interceptors with AT will be countered by a single TLT turret, while having no problem to shoot 4 dice at range 1 against a 0 agility ship, and same discussion against 4 scum Ys with TLT, dealing from 6 to 8 damage per turn.