Oh. :'(

I'm just hoping beyond hope (but fear greatly that such hope will not be realized) that they have not shown us the full # of cards in the set because I really want 3x of the Defenders titles, but already own two Defenders. There is LITERALLY no reason to own four defenders if you are like me and never play Epic. You can't even fit them in a list. I will be sorely upset if the pack does not have 3x of each title... and I fear that I will be most upset.

I'm just hoping beyond hope (but fear greatly that such hope will not be realized) that they have not shown us the full # of cards in the set because I really want 3x of the Defenders titles, but already own two Defenders. There is LITERALLY no reason to own four defenders if you are like me and never play Epic. You can't even fit them in a list. I will be sorely upset if the pack does not have 3x of each title... and I fear that I will be most upset.

You will be. We've seen the card fan, it has two of each title.

You can always ebay the singles to fill it out.

if you are like me and never play Epic

Just curious, why not play epic? It's a lot of fun...

I am super excited about this expansion. Finally the Defender will become playable.

But the question I am asking is; will it be competitive? I have been playing around with builds and most variants of the Defender seem to clock in at around 35 points or more. At that number you really have to ask yourself if they are better than a fully kitted Vader or Fel. If not, then they just get thrown onto the big pile of stuff that 'just don't cut it'.

My biggest concern regarding using fel or vader is their weakness to the heavy stress meta I am currently seeing at my local area. The majority of lists have either the stress ywing or tactician on some ship. Vader and fel are worthless if they can't perform their multiple actions, as are many other aces such as poe. In my store championship, i saw many fel's become useless as a stresshog piled stress after stress on him.

x7 defender or tie/D vessery are relatively immune to stress, which can give them an edge against stress based control lists. It all does depend on your local meta and what you play against on a regular basis.

Their defense is their actions, though. The threat of the stress meta isn't the stress tokens, it's the area denial. You're right; if you don't arc dodge, then it's over. But it's just a Y-wing.

Edit: Just so we're clear, this is coming from a player that enjoys arc dodging ships, but is terrible at playing them. I play mostly Y-wings in competition, and scummy Y-wings at that. No Stressbot for me.

I love y wings too it's like Doritos once you pop one you just can't stop.

if you are like me and never play Epic

Just curious, why not play epic? It's a lot of fun...

I don't really enjoy Epic that much. Way more setup time, way longer games, transporting huge ships can be annoying. Not really my cup of tea; I like X-wing because it's small and fast paced. Granted, that doesn't mean I don't have all the Huge ships or intentions to buy two Imperial Veterans, bringing my Defender total to 4...

if you are like me and never play Epic

Just curious, why not play epic? It's a lot of fun...

I barely get time to play as it is... so I'd rather get in a few normal games rather than one game of epic (if even that) when I get to play.

if you are like me and never play Epic

Just curious, why not play epic? It's a lot of fun...

I don't really enjoy Epic that much. Way more setup time, way longer games, transporting huge ships can be annoying. Not really my cup of tea; I like X-wing because it's small and fast paced. Granted, that doesn't mean I don't have all the Huge ships or intentions to buy two Imperial Veterans, bringing my Defender total to 4...

Yeah, that's a perfectly valid view. The main reason I like Epic (besides being a great format for team games) is that the game flips a bit. Builds that don't work in Dogfight can be great, and vice versa. Also, those Huge ships create a totally new strategy to play against. It keeps you thinking, it makes you devise totally new strategies. I like being forced to think differently.

Also, the games go at a pretty good clip if they are team epic, because you're only planning half the team's moves.

So what is the consensus on the titles per pilot? Is it Vess wants the /D for the double target Ion or Tractor attack and Rex wants the X7 to reduce his points or what?

I can see Maarek wanting the X7 and Predator, I don't see the point in forcing his ability, just touch your glasses anime style when it happens and force your opponent to nose bleed flip to the back of the room when you pick the most annoying one. I can't see the /D and Marksmenship being a thing on Maarek, MMS is a dead card and needs to stay dead in my opinion. The issue I have with the Defender is being in IG88 territory and not actually being able to "defend" itself. Removing a defensive focus is just a silly idea to me.

Delta/Onyx/Glaive, I think want the X7 as well, that evade token is just too good to pass up.

Undisclosed pilot, I am HOPING has some awesome synergy with the /D title. Not sure what yet but a man can pray.

What are other people thoughts on this. is Vess the only real user of the /D?

No Jonas bros still works well with a pair of /D deltas.

My modified DD list also works well with Rexler using /D.

Vessery definitely gets /D He's a terror with it; that accuracy is ridiculous and only increased when you use it to force through a tractor beam hit via juke or crack shot and then follow up with another hit, and then the rest of the list follows up with more.

Virtually everyone else gets /x7 (and Juke ideally) unless the list demands otherwise IMO. Unless Countess Ryad has an amazing synergistic ability with /D.

Rexler Brath — TIE Defender 37

Push the Limit 3

Ion Cannon 3

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 44

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35

Veteran Instincts 1

Tractor Beam 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 37

Scimitar Squadron Pilot — TIE Bomber 16

Fleet Officer 3

TIE Shuttle 0

Ship Total: 19

It's pretty horrendous to be on the receiving end of this list, incredibly accurate control and damage.

Rexler Brath — TIE Defender 37

Push the Limit 3

Ion Cannon 3

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 44

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35

Veteran Instincts 1

Tractor Beam 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 37

Scimitar Squadron Pilot — TIE Bomber 16

Fleet Officer 3

TIE Shuttle 0

Ship Total: 19

It's pretty horrendous to be on the receiving end of this list, incredibly accurate control and damage.

I've done much the same but with Redline rather than Rexler. It's a brute, especially if you factor in Adaptability rather than VI to save a point and allow them to trade off shooting first if you want to guarantee a lock for Vessery to use.

My only real difficulty has been working out what to do with the second seat of the Bomber, but I'm very much hoping the Systems Officer will answer that question... Currently I've wavered between a number of stress-inducing options, but eventually ended up using the points for mods on Vessery or the Bomber, or extra shooty/bomby options for Redline.

Rexler Brath — TIE Defender 37

Push the Limit 3

Ion Cannon 3

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 44

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35

Veteran Instincts 1

Tractor Beam 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 37

Scimitar Squadron Pilot — TIE Bomber 16

Fleet Officer 3

TIE Shuttle 0

Ship Total: 19

It's pretty horrendous to be on the receiving end of this list, incredibly accurate control and damage.

I'd swap the cannons on the two named. Give Rexler the Tractor and Col. V the Ion. Also, the Tie Bomber won't be too much help due to different dials. I don't see the Bomber being close enough often enough.

Rexler Brath — TIE Defender 37

Push the Limit 3

Ion Cannon 3

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 44

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35

Veteran Instincts 1

Tractor Beam 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 37

Scimitar Squadron Pilot — TIE Bomber 16

Fleet Officer 3

TIE Shuttle 0

Ship Total: 19

It's pretty horrendous to be on the receiving end of this list, incredibly accurate control and damage.

I'd swap the cannons on the two named. Give Rexler the Tractor and Col. V the Ion. Also, the Tie Bomber won't be too much help due to different dials. I don't see the Bomber being close enough often enough.

The latter is a lot less of a problem than you think, in practice - range 1-2 is a very large circle of influence even from a small ship, and if you stick TIEmk2 on the Bomber it gets a lot of green on its dial to keep up with those fast moves whilst shedding stress - you just kind of have to accept that it will often not get a shot, which really isn't critical with 2 dice and no mods. And if the worst comes to the worst, it can always fleet officer itself and one other ship, or give up on that for a turn and slap down a lock to spot for Vessery. Not sure where you get the spare point for TIE Mk 2 though.

E: you use /x7 rather than /d on Rexler and replace PTL with Juke. You lose an attack, but you get effectively PTL plus crack shot for every attack (because shooting after vessery the tokens should have been stripped), and it probably ends up giving you more cards to flip with the focus token.

As noted above I'm not much of a fan of /d on anyone but Vessery at the moment.

As noted above I'm not much of a fan of /d on anyone but Vessery at the moment.

Why not? Is it that /x7 is just that good? Or you don't think it's worth it to not modify the dice for attacks? Not even for something like Rexlar w/ Lone Wolf?

I like the sound of Rexlar + Juke + mk II + x7.

I just have no idea what to spend the other 62 points on!

Do people use Decimators anymore? Expose on a Deci sounds amusing.

I like the sound of Rexlar + Juke + mk II + x7.

I just have no idea what to spend the other 62 points on!

Do people use Decimators anymore? That tempts me.

Who cares if other people do. Play what you want and make it work! I'm a firm believer in practicing and tweaking to make many different lists work.

As noted above I'm not much of a fan of /d on anyone but Vessery at the moment.

Why not? Is it that /x7 is just that good? Or you don't think it's worth it to not modify the dice for attacks? Not even for something like Rexlar w/ Lone Wolf?

Because /x7 is just that good. The second attack becomes progressively lower value the less accuracy/mods you have, and losing /X7 loses some of the best accuracy options, particularly Juke, which is just tasty on Rexler in particular - giving you a potent offensive mod which doesn't take an action or cost focus is huge for him, because it means he can take a focus as his action and not use it so he can save it for his ability. If you could get Juke on /Ds I would say different, because Juke gets better the more attacks you throw. But I can't think of a way to do it.

/x7 also makes the Defender more... well, defensive, whereas /D paints a giant target all over it.

The 2 free points are just gravy.

/Ds with Rage might be interesting. But the real issue with /D for me is the lack of pilots with any real synergy with it except Vessery; it's why I hope Ryad has an ace ability for it.

I like the sound of Rexlar + Juke + mk II + x7.

I just have no idea what to spend the other 62 points on!

Do people use Decimators anymore? That tempts me.

Palp Decimator/Ace is certainly a competitive build in my local meta. And this version of Rexler would certainly fit into it.

I don't have a Palpatine card. But kitting one out with Ace Rexlar by his side interests me.

I always try to give Decis more agility, picking Kenkirk, Ysanne and Jerjerrod though. Not sure if that's the right way to go about it.

Rexler Brath — TIE Defender 37

Push the Limit 3

Ion Cannon 3

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 44

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35

Veteran Instincts 1

Tractor Beam 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 37

Scimitar Squadron Pilot — TIE Bomber 16

Fleet Officer 3

TIE Shuttle 0

Ship Total: 19

It's pretty horrendous to be on the receiving end of this list, incredibly accurate control and damage.

I've done much the same but with Redline rather than Rexler. It's a brute, especially if you factor in Adaptability rather than VI to save a point and allow them to trade off shooting first if you want to guarantee a lock for Vessery to use.

Rexler Brath — TIE Defender 37

Push the Limit 3

Ion Cannon 3

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 44

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35

Veteran Instincts 1

Tractor Beam 1

TIE/D 0

Ship Total: 37

Scimitar Squadron Pilot — TIE Bomber 16

Fleet Officer 3

TIE Shuttle 0

Ship Total: 19

It's pretty horrendous to be on the receiving end of this list, incredibly accurate control and damage.

I've done much the same but with Redline rather than Rexler. It's a brute, especially if you factor in Adaptability rather than VI to save a point and allow them to trade off shooting first if you want to guarantee a lock for Vessery to use.

Man. The VI build of that is 1 point away from allowing Redline to take Plasma and Clusters/Concussion (with Chimps and FCS) with Omega Leader as the third ship. It's a real shame there are no 3-point missiles that Redline wants to take because I feel like that's a pretty mean trio.

You do Redline with EM, FCS, Flechettes and Clusters, probably.

But whilst OL is good, I don't think his place is in this build - you want to have TLs on the ships people are focussing on, and OL is at his best when he can pick something out of the herd and harry it alone whilst the rest of the list focusses on everyone else.

Plus that fleet officer really likes having two big-dice-throwers to give focus to. Redline with maximal modifications on both cluster shots and Vessery with two focussed shots are just terrors.

I think any of the pilots make good use of /D, just because it's such a powerful card. Rex likes it because it leverages his PS8 that much more. It helps Maarek because the Ion Cannon helps strip tokens and shields that might block his primary weapon crits from going through.

The big argument against the /D title now, is the increasing number of alpha striking cards. Control is so powerful on those ships because they can use their hit points soak enough attacks to get into good positions and stop taking powerful attacks. Torpedo/Missile alpha strikes, however, can slam these ships so hard so early that they might not be able to get into a good position. Consequently, I'm actually looking at the x7 title a lot harder right now than I was when it first was revealed.