All the matches at our games store are dominated by large turreted ships. I thought the change in scoring might make a difference to this but no, nearly everyone in our upcoming tournament will be fielding Decimators or YTs. I was stupid enough to enter after being trashed by two Decimator squads in the last tournament, and now I feel physically sick at the thought of playing. Even in "friendlies" I seem to face nothing but turrets, and I'm losing on a regular basis to players I could usually beat when it came to ship handling.

My confidence is at rock-bottom and I'm seriously thinking of withdrawing, even though I'll forfeit my registration fee. Is there any way I can still play and avoid being humiliated?

What ships are you usually flying?

I used to fly Imperial squads, but arc-dodging is no use against turrets, and I'm finding it hard to adjust to Rebel ships' relative lack of manoeuvrability. Even the guy I played on Sunday, who's fielding a YT1300/YT2400 squad, thinks it's ridiculous that the X-wing can be out-turned by a couple of freighters!

Have you been using ships with Autothrusters? They help massively against turrets. Soontir especially is a tough nut for them to crack.

I only have two Autothruster cards, but I might be able to come up with a 2 Interceptor, 1 Advanced squad. It might be time to dust off the Defender I won in my first tournament, even though it's expensive. I'm using a library computer, so I'll have to get back to you - thanks for the suggestion.

I was stupid enough to enter after being trashed by two Decimator squads in the last tournament, and now I feel physically sick at the thought of playing ... My confidence is at rock-bottom and I'm seriously thinking of withdrawing, even though I'll forfeit my registration fee. Is there any way I can still play and avoid being humiliated?

X-Wing is supposed to be fun.

Key to them is numbers with high amounts of green dice or arc doggers with Autothrusters. Tie swarms are really effective if you focus fire which should be easy because most of the time if they are taking big turret ships then they usually don't take any ordances. YT-2400 are the biggest problems, but if you have one arc dogger you should be fine. Even with a swarm you should be ok.

Seems like nobody in your area has run mass TLT yet.

Autothrusters help against decis and falcons, but if you really want to make their life miserable use a squad with multiple TLT. They melt quickly.

The squad I faced at the weekend was a YT1300 piloted by Chewbacca (so, no critical hits), and a wild space fringer in a YT2400 with a turreted HLC. I suspect a few people will be fielding Y-wings with TLTs. Again, I have only two of those cards, and I've never had much joy with wishbones.

As far as arc-dodging is concerned, how does this sound?

Soontir Fel

Push the Limit

Royal Guard TIE

Autothrusters

Stealth Device

Turr Phennir

Push the Limit

Royal Guard TIE

Autothrusters

Stealth Device

Maarek Stele

Push the Limit

TIE/x1

Adv. Targeting Computer

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II

If I concentrate fire, Stele can use his pilot ability after the others strip away the target's shields (although Chewie would be immune, obviously). Phennir has the option of either using PtL or his innate pilot ability. The engine upgrade gives Stele a better chance of dumping stress tokens, and his shields will help to offset his lower agility.

Re the post from TezzasGames - I'm seriously thinking of quitting, perhaps permanently.

This solution sounds like a very standard Imperial Aces list. Vader, Soontir, Palpatine. The three of them can tune up a turret pretty well, pretty quickly. Focus on keeping Soontir alive, and even if your other two ships die, he should be able to go head to head with whatever fat turret is still on the table afterwards. Mind the Gunner and Vader crew cards, and it's easy peasy.

If you don't have the Raider cards, you can also just fly a Howlrunner mini-swarm with Soontir on the side. A swarm of accurate tie fighters, capable of blocking and dealing dependable damage against a fat turret's low agility, can be very effective. Your opponent will either focus fire Soontir to try and knock him off the board, or they won't, in which case he'll dominate the end game.

Soontir can have trouble vs. Poe and Vader, but if you go with the mini-swarm, they might be able to block enemy aces for you.

If people are running tons of big ships, plasma Torpedos on a tie bomber can really ruin their day.

Wow, I'm sorry your enjoyment of the game is in such a miserable state at the moment! It seems like your store meta is just a little stuck in regionals meta still. I wrote this https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/180980-x-wing-tactica-how-to-build-a-meta-killing-squad/in the summer, but perhaps it can be of some use to you. If you want to specifically counter fat turrets you could go rebel, with an A wing ace, 2 TLT Ys, and a Z to fill out points; Imperials you could run Soontir, a bomber with some plasma torpedoes and ion pulse missiles, and a cloud of TIEs/another ace; Scum lists like xiZor swarm are also strong against PWTs.

Regardless of what list you take, you shouldn't chase the turrets unless you have AT and tokens.

Don't enter the tourney. Take some time off instead even if you just show up to watch.

There's plenty of ways to beat turrets but if you aren't playing what you like what's the point exactly?

If you're that stressed, make a green maneuver!!

If you want to wreak havoc on turrets, try this....

Lieutenant Colzet — TIE Advanced 23

Fire-Control System 0

TIE/x1 0

Ship Total: 23

Tempest Squadron Pilot — TIE Advanced 21

Accuracy Corrector 0

TIE/x1 0

Ship Total: 21

Tempest Squadron Pilot — TIE Advanced 21

Accuracy Corrector 0

TIE/x1 0

Ship Total: 21

Soontir Fel — TIE Interceptor 27

Push the Limit 3

Autothrusters 2

Stealth Device 3

Royal Guard TIE 0

Ship Total: 35

Agreed. If you're getting frustrated with Chewbacca, consider taking Akal Colzet instead of Maarek Stele - you save a few points, and you can actually cause critical damage on the walking carpet.

Thanks for all the advice guys; you've given me a lot to think about, both squad-wise and in a broader sense. I think the problem in our circle is that with all the excitement over Episode VII a lot of new players have joined in and, rather than learn to handle their ships well, they see turrets and upgrade cards as the way to win. I'm going to see if I can put together those squads you suggested; if not, I'll probably withdraw and stick to co-operative games for a while. At any rate, I'll let you know next week.

OK, I know it's not next week, but looking at the advice from Gersun I've come up with this list for 100 points:

Tycho Celchu

A-Wing Test Pilot

Outmaneuver

Push the Limit

Proton Rockets

Autothrusters

Gold Squadron Pilot (2)

Twin Laser Turret

Bandit Squadron Pilot

Ion Pulse Missiles

That's giving my opponent four targets, and the most expensive ship is going to be hard to hit, with the option of dashing in to Range 1 to finish off a fat turret with his rockets. The Z-95 is dirt cheap and can ionize a large ship, and the Y-wings have a lot of hull points. I'm assuming I should use the BTL-A4 title to maximize their damage output; am I right?

Take a rebel fleet.

Maybe use Paul heaver world's build.

It's solid, and you have the stressbot

Hit Han or dash with double stress, they ain't going anywhere and have no action. Letting you get in close And slap dat ass

Also Pauls build has poe with regen capabilities and autothrusters, and a tlt turret itself.

Maybe try something different

Edit

If you want to use arc dodgers maybe try fel, Vader and Palpatine shuttle

They can be very tough. They excel more where your opponent has less ships. The emperor pays off better the less dice your opponent rolls.

Not so effective against swarm type of builds, fel with autothrusters, Stealth device, will be near impossible for Han or dash get their dmg through.

Fel also excels at closing is to range one of dash.

In all honesty I'd avoid using Bandits with missles.

Their low ps will make it hard to get a target lock on Han or any ship that can move after and reposition itself.

I've tried a few times even with Blount and they just aren't as effective as one would think.

A bandit is best naked imo.

Cheap blocker / fodder ship.

I highly suggest a stressbot build really. Which is why heavers world build would work great. If you want to teach these fat turret players how to play, this should give them a good lesson

Chances are from the sounds of it they would not be use to dealing with the stressbot.

One shot is all it would take for a stress bot to put Han out of business.

Incase your not sure this is the build

Poe

Veteran instincts

R2d2

Autothrusters

Gold squadron

Twin laser turret

Btl title

R3a2

Gold squadron

Twin laser turret

Bandit

I really think this will help you get back on top really fast from the sounds of your meta.

It's not squishy like imperial lists.

You have regen capabilities

Autothrusters and poe ability make it very difficult for turrets to get dmg through

Tlt ywing so you can still shoot at enemy Flankers.

Stressbot literally shuts down high ps aces.

Ywing are tanky. Especially having two.

Even if you lose the stressbot early often enough having double stress on a ace is enough to put it out of business.

Experience players know go for the stressbot, new players may make that mistake and focus on poe because he is scary and worth the most pts

Bandit as a blocker and fodder ship

I can understand new players using ships that make it easier for them but this isn't turret wing, and be a good time to teach them that turrets don't net you autowins

Hope it goes well.

To stick with imperials but still beat those pancakes, I humbly suggest trying to dust off the defender, and Rexler Brath. Below is a variation of your list with him included.

100 Points

Soontir fell is obviously killy, and deserves his role. Here he is a little more vulnerable due to lack of stealth device, but its worth it for predator on Rexler.

Turr Phennir is a poor mans Fel in this configuration. Fly him straight into the enemies face and the boost or barrel roll out of arc after shooting at PS 9.

Brath is the winner here. He shoots after Soontir and Turr so they can strip a pancakes shields for him. Then he shoots, uses predator to re-roll one, and after damage cards are dealt (which is after chewie) he can spend his focus to flip all those damage cards faceup (think of giving three crits to a chewie). I have had this effect turn 3 hits into 5-6 damage at least once.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes!

***** edit

For those who doubt, see the FAQ on page 8 https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/9d/df/9ddf0774-9bbc-4eab-89bf-01a9c4ef7eca/x-wing-faq.pdf

"Damage cards flipped faceup by card abilities (such as Saboteur or Rexler Brath) are not considered “dealt,” and therefore Chewbacca’s ability does not apply"

Well, the tournament has come and gone and, despite by back giving me hell, I actually showed up. I decided to go with the stressbot squad, even though I'd never used it before. Lost the first round to a Han Solo/4 Z-95 squad, and a 6 TIE swarm (including some of the new pilots) in the second. My lack of practice with the squad really showed, but I went the distance and had survivors in both games. By then, however, my back was worse and my nerves were shredded so I withdrew. I later found out that a still managed to place 12th out of 16, actually beating a couple of guys who played in every round!

I had trouble sleeping that night because something was nagging at me (one of the joys of having OCD), so I got up and confirmed my suspicions; my opponent in the 1st round had fielded a 108-point squad! Not only that, he'd been using C-3PO to defend against every attack instead of just once per round. I'm going to offer my services to the TO for the next Store Championship, since an obsessive points checker is just what he needs to keep things running smoothly.

BTW, the eventual winner fielded two YT-1300s.

I want to play where you are... My list tends to wreck the turrets and big ships. Every game it seems like someone is complaining that I killed a firespray or a falcon too quickly.

Sorry to hear about your back! Sounds like your store could use a good TO!

Hopefully you can find a good answer to yt-2400's. They can be killed!

One last thing I remembered is that if you give Rexler Brath a Heavy Laser Cannon, he can potentially do 4 crits in one turn. Since Brath's ability is triggered after cards are dealt.

Personally I have only played a few games, but I was at a tournament a few days ago and an effective list I saw was

Emperor in Lamba

Vader in TIE Advanced

Supported by Various TIE Interceptor Pilots

They won every game I saw them playing in.