In the latest episode of Nova Sq. Radio, It's been mentioned that you cant't afford not to take a stresshog when play rebels competively, because its just too good pointwise. If the stresshog is a must-have for rebels, what would you guys say is a must have when you play Imperial or Scum?

Empire: Soontir

Scum: Thug+TLT+Unhinged

It is not that you can't afford not to run it, but rather that you need a good reason not to. A reason like that would be wanting to run Fat Han/Super Dash, since neither of these go too well with the Stresshog.

The other factions don't quite have ships that are so obviously strong. Vader/Fel come close for the Empire, IG-88 B for S&V, but these don't slot into lists easily.

There were 8 rebel lists in the top 16 at Worlds, 2 of them included the stresshog. I don´t think the stresshog has to be included in every rebel build but in certain types of builds it is essential to combat Acewing.

Part of the reason that the Stresshog is so popular is that it punches above its weight and is relatively cheap. Soontir Fel approaches the same level of efficiency/utility/popularity.

Scum don't have anything quite like that. Maybe that will change when the Punishing One is revealed. That's also probably why the Scum-meta is so open right now. There is no singular, obvious choice for them.

As far as quintessential ships, Paul Heaver previously offered that if you're flying imperials without soontir you're doing it wrong. Ig88b is close to that for scum. In fact they're part of the reason for the proliferation of the stresshog, our have to be able to account for this ships in your building.

For cheap ace counters I do like vi carnor and vi juno for imperials, Scum's big problem is that they don't have an effective ace counter yet

Is ion or TLT the better choice on a Stresshog? I realise TLT has the option to put double stress on a target but at the cost of double stress on the hog itself. Stress + Ion will take 2 turns to clear and make the target much more predictable on the following turn but can only do a maximum of 1 point of damage.

I find the range-2 limit on the ion turret problematic. The stress arc reaching range-3 with the TLT is so much wider.

Good ace counters are great for the game. I am not sure everyone needs the same anti ace options.

Imperials have the best ace (soontir) and the best anti ace (Omega Leader). and the best blockers (tie fighters). They have Whisper which just solos some match ups.

Not yet, but in a few months Vessery will be promoted to general.

There were 8 rebel lists in the top 16 at Worlds, 2 of them included the stresshog. I don´t think the stresshog has to be included in every rebel build but in certain types of builds it is essential to combat Acewing.

And both lists were at the final table...

Is ion or TLT the better choice on a Stresshog? I realise TLT has the option to put double stress on a target but at the cost of double stress on the hog itself. Stress + Ion will take 2 turns to clear and make the target much more predictable on the following turn but can only do a maximum of 1 point of damage.

TLT doesn't put double stress unless you have the title. The stress boy is when you declare the defender you can do the stress. I've been using it wrong and just recently found out. I like the idea of the ion turret though. With the title it would take 3 turns to clear.

In the latest episode of Nova Sq. Radio, It's been mentioned that you cant't afford not to take a stresshog when play rebels competively, because its just too good pointwise. If the stresshog is a must-have for rebels, what would you guys say is a must have when you play Imperial or Scm?

The problem is that to counter acewing you must have anti-ace tools. Or be a leader of it.

While the empire tries to lead it, rebels try to take the tools against them.

and because both K-wing and Stress-Y are rebel-only there's a real problem for scum: we didn't get out aces (or ffg deliberately tried to not make them as good as Vaders Soontirs, Poes and Horns)

Nor did we get anti-ace tools.

MAYBE HLK Moralo Eval with G1A crew will be able to DERP aces, it's still not a true answer.

More than that, the stressdroid just doesn't soudn Rebel, because it's exactle what S&V is: he whacks you stress for whacking the enemy.

Same goes for most illicits: it makes you feel bad to make enemy feel even worse.

So, telling the truth, I'd say it's a problem of stress-droid. He's just a S&V Droid in rebel makeup

Is ion or TLT the better choice on a Stresshog? I realise TLT has the option to put double stress on a target but at the cost of double stress on the hog itself. Stress + Ion will take 2 turns to clear and make the target much more predictable on the following turn but can only do a maximum of 1 point of damage.

TLT doesn't put double stress unless you have the title. The stress boy is when you declare the defender you can do the stress. I've been using it wrong and just recently found out. I like the idea of the ion turret though. With the title it would take 3 turns to clear.

Why would TLT not do double stress without the title?

Why would TLT not do double stress without the title?

Because the bot triggers when you select your target. With the TLT you only do that once, even though you attack twice. Note that Tactician triggers after the attack, so a HWK or K with one of those and a TLT will double stress its target.

Oh, and woe be everyone if Rebels ever get a ship with both astromech and crew.

Is ion or TLT the better choice on a Stresshog? I realise TLT has the option to put double stress on a target but at the cost of double stress on the hog itself. Stress + Ion will take 2 turns to clear and make the target much more predictable on the following turn but can only do a maximum of 1 point of damage.

TLT doesn't put double stress unless you have the title. The stress boy is when you declare the defender you can do the stress. I've been using it wrong and just recently found out. I like the idea of the ion turret though. With the title it would take 3 turns to clear.

Why would TLT not do double stress without the title?

The Droid works differently than Tactician. With the Droid, it is when you select a target, which you only do once with TLT.

The Droid works differently than Tactician. With the Droid, it is when you select a target, which you only do once with TLT.

Oops, I assumed it was for each attack.

The Droid works differently than Tactician. With the Droid, it is when you select a target, which you only do once with TLT.

Oops, I assumed it was for each attack.

if it worked that way stresshog would be not 4 points undercosted, but 6 points undercosted

There were 8 rebel lists in the top 16 at Worlds, 2 of them included the stresshog. I don´t think the stresshog has to be included in every rebel build but in certain types of builds it is essential to combat Acewing.

And both lists were at the final table...

No, Nathan had Poe, Corran and a prototype. The other list finished 15 after swiss and got eliminated in the top 16.

Not a true replacement but i like kath scum with taction and stress cannon

Scimitar Bomber with Ion Pulse Missiles, Conner Nets, Extra Munitions, choice of LRS or chimps.

Scimitar Bomber with Homing Missiles, Extra Munitions, Flechette Torpedoes, LRS or chimps.

Gamma Squadron Veteran with Deadeye, Ion Pulse, Extra Munitions, Long Range Scanners.

Scimitar Bomber with Flechette Torpedoes, Extra Munitions, Conner Net, Munitions Failsafe.

Note how all of these are 25 points.

Ionization forces a white 1 straight, which denies r2-dPoe. Poe is capped at 2 agility dice, which even assuming he rolls 2/2 evades is easy to punch above with chips or TL focus. Ion Pulse Missiles do not force you to spend a TL, just have one.

Flechette Torpedoes apply stress regardless of whether or not they hit. So you can just spam 4 of these at something and then next turn bag it with something else.

Homing Missiles do not require you to spend the TL to fire them, just to have the TL. With chips/ easymode TL + Focus from LRS that's a good chance of 4 hits that deny evade tokens. Who cares about control when you can just kill an ace outright?