Expose is pretty well maligned and rightfully so, but it did catch me off guard when I flew against an all named pilots swarm and my opponent exposed with half his ships, focused or evaded with the other and all of a sudden Chaser, a 14pt TIE was shooting 3 dice with a focus every round with a Howlrunner reroll.

Not saying it will take him to worlds and Action EPT's aren't quite there yet, but it was a fun combo that messed with my target priority.

Crack shot.

Doesn't work with Youngster...

Crack shot.

Doesn't work with Youngster...

Doesn't need to. Still better than all the ones that do.

Crack shot.

Doesn't work with Youngster...

Doesn't need to. Still better than all the ones that do.

This is correct. Treat him as a generic pilot with an ept, as that is all he really is.

Crack shot.

Doesn't work with Youngster...

Doesn't need to. Still better than all the ones that do.

This is correct. Treat him as a generic pilot with an ept, as that is all he really is.

Ahh I can get behind that. Same price and Pilot Skill as a Black Squad with Veteran Instincts, except that he can take an EPT. Yeah, I might try that. If it was a more expensive ship I wouldn't waste the points, but CHEAP!

There. It rates high on fun factor, but doesn't use expose.

"Youngster" (15)
Daredevil (3)

Black Squadron Pilot (14)
Intimidation (2)

Darth Vader (29)
Squad Leader (2)
Advanced Targeting Computer (1)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/x1 (0)

Black Squadron Pilot (14)
Intimidation (2)

Black Squadron Pilot (14)
Intimidation (2)

Total: 99

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

So the idea is vader, who moves at ps9, orders a bsp to crash into a ship with daredevil, who also has intimidation going. I tried to get EU on vader, but I couldn't squeeze 2 points.

all of a sudden Chaser, a 14pt TIE was shooting 3 dice with a focus every round with a Howlrunner reroll.

That's one thing I didn't take into account when dismissing this at first; Night Beast and Chaser both get easy access to free focus tokens.

I'm not saying this is going to set the world on fire, but it does make them work with Youngster and Expose better than I thought.

Actually, I have used Expose and Expert Handling,

I truly believe expert handling is the best, because with ties you always barrel roll, so why not drop a TL off your ship when you do it. Plus there is no detriment to it except for cost

However, I have flown this list on several occasions. I done very well with it Went 3-1 and won a small store tourney. Most fun moment. Have 4 ties at range 1 fire on Deci, all with plus one die. It great to see their eyes when you all expose and then remove the stress. Also fun to watch when you all sloop and remove stress too

It works well versus low agility build and 2 ship meta, versus swarms, play as a tie swarm and don't expose until late game keeping it in your back pocket until you need it.

I still think Marksmanship - but not often. It's to be used at the right times only (in other words not when evade or regular focus would serve better). Aside from that, best wait.

I still think Marksmanship - but not often. It's to be used at the right times only (in other words not when evade or regular focus would serve better). Aside from that, best wait.

If you're taking marksmanship, you better get Wampa in there as well.

Probably will, I like the 6 TIE ace swarms.

Granted, this was in a 300-point Epic match with a Gozanti that had Targeting Coordinator and Comms Booster, along with Coordinate (and Auto Proto) but I brought:

Youngster + Expose

Howlrunner + Swarm

Scourge + PtL + TC

Mauler + PtL + TC

Scourge and Mauler were beasts. I deployed them mid-match from the Gozanti right into the middle of the Rebel ships. Being able to drop 4- or 5-dice R1 attacks from a mere TIE was amazing (2 base + Mauler/Scourge + R1 + Expose). The PtL gave them either Focus or Evade, and the Coord action or TL from the Gozanti was amazing. I also had the Suppressor title on the Gozanti so being able to strip a token from the TL'd target was also a huge boost. They were dropped in a position to minimize or entirely avoid enemy fire for the turn so the Agility drop wasn't a problem.

I haven't used Youngster in Standard play, but in a properly configured Epic list, that ship can help others do a world of hurt, very quickly.

all of a sudden Chaser, a 14pt TIE was shooting 3 dice with a focus every round with a Howlrunner reroll.

That's one thing I didn't take into account when dismissing this at first; Night Beast and Chaser both get easy access to free focus tokens.

I'm not saying this is going to set the world on fire, but it does make them work with Youngster and Expose better than I thought.

I knew I forgot someone! It was a pretty great combo and one that's near the top of things to try out.

The greatest sin of Youngster is that he comes in a very expensive box with a wide range of cards - and not a single one of the cards they provided for him to use them were new.

C'mon, that's just lazy.

I think it's more that they were trying to make those cards work; if they'd included a new [ACTION] elite pilot talent that was better than the existing ones, it'd just be an automatic choice, and the rest would still stay in card folders where they are.

As it is, they're not great, but they now have a practical use - and the one that doesn't really work (expose) had already popped up occasionally on the VT-49 decimator; Expose/Experimental Interface/Gunner/Admiral Chiraneau is certainly a passable way to use the ship.

Granted, this was in a 300-point Epic match with a Gozanti that had Targeting Coordinator and Comms Booster, along with Coordinate (and Auto Proto) but I brought:

Youngster + Expose

Howlrunner + Swarm

Scourge + PtL + TC

Mauler + PtL + TC

Scourge and Mauler were beasts. I deployed them mid-match from the Gozanti right into the middle of the Rebel ships. Being able to drop 4- or 5-dice R1 attacks from a mere TIE was amazing (2 base + Mauler/Scourge + R1 + Expose). The PtL gave them either Focus or Evade, and the Coord action or TL from the Gozanti was amazing. I also had the Suppressor title on the Gozanti so being able to strip a token from the TL'd target was also a huge boost. They were dropped in a position to minimize or entirely avoid enemy fire for the turn so the Agility drop wasn't a problem.

I haven't used Youngster in Standard play, but in a properly configured Epic list, that ship can help others do a world of hurt, very quickly.

I've used it in epic play too. Suppressor is indeed a hell of a ship.

A Howlrunner/Youngster mob can lay down ridiculous firepower - and, unlike Howlrunner, Youngster has the advantage that his bonus is conferred at the 'action' step - whereas howlrunner needs to still be alive at the pilot skill step where the ship fires, which is often not easy in an epic game; you can often see enough PS8+ aces on the board to blow away an evading TIE fighter, even at Range 3.

I think Eaglets111 put it best: " keeping it in your back pocket until you need it ". A TIE swarm with Youngster can rack up insane firepower but you're best not using expose as an automatic response. Whilst Howlrunner joins a TIE swarm to amp up their firepower during the first pass (after which she's usually confetti*), Youngster is best used in subsequent rounds. by turn 3-4 (a turn or two after the initial pass), there's usually someone with a shot with no-one in a position to shoot back. With ships as agile as TIE fighters, potentially several someones. And with range 1-3 on his ability, unlike Howlrunner's range 1, Youngster can pass them expose as needed.

I dunno. The big problem isn't really Youngster, it's Crack Shot. Because without the extra action for focus that you really need to make Expose work, it's not worth it, and those pilots with an elite pilot talent in a TIE fighter pair up so well with crack shot it's untrue. The Alpha Strike of a Crack Shot TIE swarm is insane and it's hard to argue any amount of later-game performance against "yes, but I just blew a Y-wing to pieces before it got a chance to fire".

The other problem is that it requires investment. Youngster is essentially a support unit, as is howlrunner. Take both of them with elite pilot talents and you're talking 40 points. Spending 40% of your squad on support units rather than primary fighters doesn't seem a great plan - even the Emperor in his shuttle is only 30% - because no matter how well supported, you're then fighting a 100 point squad with a 60 point squad, even if the latter has some free bonuses.

In an epic game, by comparison, they're amazing, because you can take a full squadron of elite TIE fighter pilots with gear for a little over half your points.

* The only other thought is whether it'd be worth including an academy pilot in the squad, and using expose on the first pass. A lot of kill-hungry opponents will probably go for the newbie (and splat him) rather than firing at howlrunner or youngster.

A use I could see being fun to use would be :

Howlrunner;

• crackshot

Youngster;

• expose
• experimental interface

Nightbeast;

Chaser; and

2x Black Squadron pilots.

• 2x Crackshot

It trades 50% of a crackswarm for some free focus tokens and hopefully some more reliable use of expose as a result. If used right, it should hit surprisingly hard.

Expert Handling would be the only one i'd say is worth it. The only other Action EPL are either bad on TIEs to begin with or doesnt help them much. Expert Handling at least lets all your TIEs shake off targetlocks, which can really bug a lot of lists.

I put it on a Decimator once so i could give it barrelroll but ended up using it more to irritate a brobot with firecontrol system lol. Completely negated that targetlock every single turn and boy did it keep me alive.

Crazy theory:

The Snap Shot card in Heroes says something like

Action: Perform an attack. If you do so, skip your perform attack step in the Combat Phase.

Attack as soon as you get into position, before aces get to dodge you. For best results, pair with experimental Interface so that you can take an action first and modify the attack.

A use I could see being fun to use would be :

Howlrunner;

• crackshot

Youngster;

• expose
• experimental interface

Nightbeast;

Chaser; and

2x Black Squadron pilots.

• 2x Crackshot

It trades 50% of a crackswarm for some free focus tokens and hopefully some more reliable use of expose as a result. If used right, it should hit surprisingly hard.

Expose is bad, never use Expose.

Its not amazing, but Rage is prob the best ept for his ability. It allows you to modify red blanks in an 8 tie swarm which you never could before (but at a significant downside). If you can time it right with blocking it can work, but its not a top tier list.

Expose is the best for now until FFG makes something better

Expose is the best for now until FFG makes something better

No, Crackshot is the best EPT for Youngster.

Expose isn't good on anything.

"The other problem is that it requires investment. Youngster is essentially a support unit, as is howlrunner. Take both of them with elite pilot talents and you're talking 40 points. Spending 40% of your squad on support units rather than primary fighters doesn't seem a great plan - even the Emperor in his shuttle is only 30% - because no matter how well supported, you're then fighting a 100 point squad with a 60 point squad, even if the latter has some free bonuses."

This is simply not true. Howlrunner and Youngster aren't support ships their EPTs may qualify as "support" but Howl is still a PS8 TIE and as such is likely worth at least 16-17 pts simply based on ship and PS. Your "waste" would be 1-2 pts for unique pilot ability plus EPT (if used). Same with Youngster but with him you are getting his unique skill basically for free since a Black TIE at PS4 is 14 pts and Youngster is 15 pts. His "waste" would be the 4 pts for Expose. Not much of the actual value of Howl and Youngster is support.

"The other problem is that it requires investment. Youngster is essentially a support unit, as is howlrunner. Take both of them with elite pilot talents and you're talking 40 points. Spending 40% of your squad on support units rather than primary fighters doesn't seem a great plan - even the Emperor in his shuttle is only 30% - because no matter how well supported, you're then fighting a 100 point squad with a 60 point squad, even if the latter has some free bonuses."

This is simply not true. Howlrunner and Youngster aren't support ships their EPTs may qualify as "support" but Howl is still a PS8 TIE and as such is likely worth at least 16-17 pts simply based on ship and PS. Your "waste" would be 1-2 pts for unique pilot ability plus EPT (if used). Same with Youngster but with him you are getting his unique skill basically for free since a Black TIE at PS4 is 14 pts and Youngster is 15 pts. His "waste" would be the 4 pts for Expose. Not much of the actual value of Howl and Youngster is support.

TIE Fighters are wastes of points without Crackshot. So yes, Youngster with Expose is a waste of 19 points. This is no longer wave 3, if you waste 19 points on Youngster with Expose (even after Rage has been released! At least you can field 8 TIEs with Rage Youngster) you will automatically lose against Palp Aces flown by a non-idiot.

You want to know a half decent squad with Expose in it? 5x Autothruster Alpha Squadron Interceptor. I get 3 attack dice and I get to actually modifiy them. And that's still not enough to punch through Palp Aces.