In an age when being able to use your brace is the difference between survival and defeat, how useful have you found Walex Blissex to be? I see him as a major help against big ships with Intel Officer but I've seen most people run Needa on ISDs, so he Blissex worth the 5 points and an officer slot?

On a more personal note, I'm running an Independence B-Wing bomber list in an unfamiliar meta in a few weeks, and I'm considering moving Keyan Farlander down to a regular B-Wing Squadron in exchange for Walex Blissex. So that's my interest into this question.

What are your thoughts either from the Rebel or Imperial side? (or both I guess)

In an age when everyone seems to be spamming Electronic Countermeasures at 7 points apiece to protect their Brace tokens I'm rather surprised I don't see more usage of both Walex and Lando at cheaper points costs for potentially larger payoffs, albeit only in one shot. Getting your Brace token back all shiny and chrome green is extremely appealing and a good workaround against Intel Officers (who are becoming more prevalent) and multi-attack (nibbled to death by ducks) lists that hope to get you to spend your tokens permanently to keep from dying early.

In an age when everyone seems to be spamming Electronic Countermeasures at 7 points apiece to protect their Brace tokens I'm rather surprised I don't see more usage of both Walex and Lando at cheaper points costs for potentially larger payoffs, albeit only in one shot. Getting your Brace token back all shiny and chrome green is extremely appealing and a good workaround against Intel Officers (who are becoming more prevalent) and multi-attack (nibbled to death by ducks) lists that hope to get you to spend your tokens permanently to keep from dying early.

Plus, at 5 points he is a steal !

I think he's best used on big ships that can afford to activate last (because his ability triggers when you activate). As such, with the Defiance, he's a pretty interesting officer choice : go for engineering commands on an Assault cruiser, activate last, spend your Brace and refresh it.

I don't use him all that often...

Mostly, that's because the ship only has one Officer Slot...

Wallex means no Raymus Shenanigans.

Wallex means no Adar Shenanigans.

Wallex means no Leia Shenanigans.

Wallex means no Intel Officer Shenanigans.

Wallex means no Wing Commander Shenanigans.

Wallex only means a Doubled up Brace Token.

Now, not to discount the ability of a Returned Brace token for five points. That's an absolute steal in certain games.

But in other certain games, shenanigans are worth soo much more...

So its mainly just difficult finding a place for him in a Rebel List.

I used to like him a great deal on an Admonition MC-30, but I have since gone to running a single Foresight MC-30 in my Mon Mothma list, where I have found Lando to be a much better buy.

Foresight is pretty well protected at long and medium range, but that re-roll at short is gold.

On large ships, I can find better things to spend 5 points on than either of them.

I have become a big fan of wallex, especially on larger "fire magnets" like the AFmk2 and mc80. The double brace can really make the difference in a tight spot.

Just made a fleet using him in a shrimp with Admonition. I let you know after I use him.

I usually use him in every fleet just because he's one of my favorite WEG created Star Wars characters, and the idea of a family lineage of starship designers has influenced the backgrounds of many of my RPG characters though their families usually get along much better then the Blissex family.

He goes on the Admonition to make it one of the most defensible ships in the game. Just as Lando goes on Foresight.

Else I dunno, Brace protection in the face of ISD oppression?

Walex is great, but just like Lando, the problem is that he's occupying a spot for crucial personell. Also if you never discard that brace token he didn't do alot. Intel Officers and other Commanders almost always see use in every game, thats why i tend to not take him. It's a bit like the turbolasers... there's many that i would like to try but in the end i always regret it if i didn't put XI7's in.

He fails to be useful in the only situation for which I'd bring him, that is to save a big ship from a double activation intel officer demolisher.

Everyone should bring the power of Martin Landau to their fleet.

He fails to be useful in the only situation for which I'd bring him, that is to save a big ship from a double activation intel officer demolisher.

Amen.

In Blissex' defense: this is actually more a problem with the Demolisher title/the rules allowing double activations.

And is he really that useful when HTTs are also increasingly brought on big hitting ships?

I've been swapping them in instead of XI-7s specifically for those braces. At long and medium range, especially Mothma lists, they create an agonizing choice of whether or not to pop that evade and make your brace virtually useless or use your brace to effect and sit on the redirect or evade (making them effectively as useful as XI-7s and slightly cheaper)

I think he is one of those upgrades that is fun and interesting but is costed without much thought to *opportunity cost* and only thought to *face value* if he were, say, 2 points he would be a seriously viable option as list "caulking" when you have spare points and slots, but to spend 5 points and an officer slot you have to do it with intent and in full knowledge of the serious advantages you are leaving on the table by taking such a situational upgrade.

Consider, as stated above, all of the other officer slot options you are leaving behind that are costed often a measly 1 point more and are far more likely to weigh in!