So this was my squad--

Kyle Katarn

Recon Specialist

Moldy Crow Title

TLT's

Vet Instincts

Jake Farrell

Outmaneuver

Refit

Autothrusters

Vet Instincts

Poe Dameron

PTL

BB8

Autothrusters.

Here was my strategy:

• Select the biggest asteroids and make a nice lane that kyle could fly in the first few turns. With Recon specialist, average around 6 focus before attacks started.

• At the start of battle, use Kyle's ability to pass Jake a focus which could trigger barrel roll with Jake to get outside of firing arc (and trigger outmaneuver)

OR

Pass Poe an extra focus to leave options open for his inate ability.

And then I was just going to continuously Kite with Kyle with the TLTs.

And Here's what ACTUALLY happened:

Everyone went flippin aggro on Kyle and immediately blew him up, and then I just flew around like an idiot trying to do that Poe Dameron "triple action no stress " BB-8 gambit, but couldn't because I couldn't barrel-roll-- because of all of my fat-daddy asteroids.

Swiss Round Result:

W- 200pts

L - 0 pts.

L - 33pts.

L - 30 pts.

I feel like this is ALMOST a good build-- but obviously it's not-- or I didn't fly it right.

Thoughts? Add engine upgrade to Kyle? Change poe to a B-wing and add Jan as crew so Kyle can evade?

I once beat my friend with a HWK 290, B Wing, and a Y-wing. I lost my list. So, I made a new improved list if you have these cards/upgrades.

Kyle Katarn (21) Calculation (1) Recon Specialist (3) Blaster Turret (4) Moldy Crow (3) Engine Upgrade (4)

Horton Salm (25) R2D6 (1) Calculation (1) Twin Laser Turret (6)

Tycho Celchu (26) A-Wing Test (0) Push the Limit (3) Squad Leader (2) Chardaan refit (-2) Auto Thrusters (2)

The Katarn listed is close to what I originally flew, Use focus on blaster, maintain the focus with recon, Fire, if focus die, use calculation. keep focus token.

Hortons' job, long range fire, keep distance, use Calculation. Hortons' ability, has re-rolls at range 2-3

Tycho, Keep in range of other ships, 1-2, (Action) Squad Leader, PTL. Why Tycho? Because, he can do actions while stressed. Kind of like a Rebel Vader, only stressed.

Blaster turret is my preferred choice over TlT's. I like to run him with B or y wings armed with Ion weapons (ether cannon or turret). Move as a group and concentrate firepower. As Kyle is a support ship keeping the others close is a good thing. The Ion weapons lock down their movement and allow Kyle to sweep behind and keep up a steady barrage of fire for a turn or two.

This is my list for for Kyle below I ran a couple weeks ago.

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I'd switch BB-8 and PTL for VI and R2-D2 on Poe and switch outmanoeuvre for PTL on Jake. Makes ten both fairly standard builds but there is a reason for that I guess.

If you're planning to pass focus to Jake you can focus to boost and then receive the focus token fem Kyle and barrel roll before PTL to either evade or TL. It's also a stronger list if Kyle goes down early

To be completely honest, any time there is a HWK on the table, I am likely to attack it with extreme prejudice. Kyle is an enabler, and is fairly easy to wipe off the table. Most lists that use him are dependent on him in one fashion or another. In your case, you are using him to enable Poe to use his ability or enable Jake to boost or barrel roll. I eliminate Kyle, I take a good chunk of points off the table while also insuring that Poe does not talon roll and still receive a focus and Jake becomes far less maneuverable.

Please, experiment away. I'm not trying to convince you not to. I just wanted to point out, from a seasoned players perspective, why I will remove him as a threat as quickly as possible.

I don't think thus is the best list right now in the Meta depending on area. But it's fun to fly and has good synergy.

I flew something like this a few tourneys ago. Except I did Keyan instead of Poe(Poe wasn't out yet). It does work pretty ok. But Kyle is a huge target especially with having TLT's on him. I didn't worry about Vet instincts on Jake as I wanted him to move first to try and block ships. So he could barrel roll out of arc after he got bumped. Helped him get actions off plus gain the focus and get outmaneuver off.

I think it has good potential to be a really good list. Just maybe not Tournament levels unfortunately.

I flew this yesterday:

Poe / BB8 / PTL / Autothrusters

Kyle / Recon Specialist / Moldy Crow Title / TLT's

Biggs / R2-D2 / Integrated astromech

Biggs made Kyle stay longer and do his thing. Biggs went down pretty fast though. I think I could pretty easily alternate a bit, so Kyle/Poe takes a few hits, then move Biggs into range and force the opponent to switch target.

Kyle worked fine. Im not sure the double focus on Poe is very effective, but it ensures that Poe always gets his focus, even when doing a talon roll, which is awsome.

Im considering switching Recon Specialist for Jan Ors, to be able to pass Biggs evades, then spend some more turns "charging" up focuses on Kyle.

I've been flying a list lately that includes a HWK and Poe and I echo the sentiments posted above of it being a laser magnet. It almost always gets focused first, but you can use that to your advantage playing keep away while the rest of your list gets those oh so sweet Range 1 shots. If you're playing a Rebel HWK in a tourney setting you should have a ship with regen. It's simply too valuable to pass up imo. The synergy between Kyle and Poe + R5-P9 is hard to beat.

The problem is that you have:

- 1 slow support ship that benefits from keeping enemies at a distance

- 1 attack ship that you do not want to joust with (because if he gets focused fire then that regen is not going to do you any good)

- 1 flanker that needs to outmanoeuver the opponent.

So basically, it kind of creates a scenario where the attack and flanker don't want to be between the opponent and Kyle, but Kyle still wants to be close to his allies to use his ability, which leaves him wide open. My advice? Consider removing one of the named pilots to include some cheap but efficient blockers. Even the basic Z-95 is a threat if it's at range 1 with a target lock (and a focus from Kyle?)

Another thought: make Kyle harder to kill. Sure, banking all those focus tokens is a great idea, but apparently he's too wide open, so what would you say to Lando Calrissian instead of Recon Specialist? It's dicey, I know, but putting evade(s) on Kyle is super awesome! I should point out that green dice love me, so Lando is a ton of fun. And if you've already banked 2-3 focus tokens on the approach, it doesn't hurt to try for some evades.

Alternatively, you could keep Kyle the way he is, but choose a different squad mate to put Jan Ors on so when Kyle uses Recon Specialist, it's Focus + Evade instead of two Focus tokens.

But I really like the Biggs idea that was mentioned, too.

I have two very similar lists. They are not perfect but soooo fun to fly. Key to increasing survival? Staging when HWK intends to pass his first focus at R3 at turn 4 or so (normally requires flying HWK around the edge perpendicular to the initial action. If I have Biggs in the mix I make sure at turn 3 or 4 I am at R1 to Kyle). If your TLTs do what is needed you can make steady damage add up while Poe does the heavy lifting. My favourite game was against Phantoms with Whisper taking the piss. I lost but it came down to 1 hull point and me forgetting to use a TL when I had a chance!

Enjoy and fly casual.

POE (40)

PTL / BB-8 / Weapons G / Auto T

KYLE (36)

Predator /TLT / Recon / Moldy Crow

(note Predator is not obvious but I found that over the many rolls of TLT in a game this gives a slight edge to ensure hits land!)

JAKE (24)

Refit / Auto T

note: Jake is great for people who love to fly an arc dodge around asteroids. If you are the type of pilot who wants to keep to open space and are a bit more conservative then I would use the Biggs list below instead

OR

POE (38)

PTL / BB-8 / Auto T

KYLE (33)

TLT / Recon / Moldy Crow

BIGGS (29)

R2-D2

SOME TACTICS FOR THE LISTS ABOVE

1st:

I run Kyle around the table in R1-2 of the edge the WHOLE game. Kyle normally starts his run perpendicular to the end flight path (going left or right if I start from the bottom or top).

If I fly Biggs instead of Jake I make sure that at the likely first combat Biggs has just flown next to HWK at the edge. If I fly Jake then I am using Jake to annoy the hell out of the opponent and try to Barrel Roll into channels they are likely to fly into. Jake's job is to pick off a few shields and hits before dying and then I let Poe and the steady hits of TLT do the rest.

2nd:

If Poe is by himself (which he will be once Jake or Biggs have died), when he is double tagged with focus it just feels awesome with his ability. I can still spend an focus if I have to but for bad rolls I am kosher.

3rd:

Have fun. I know this isn't the most perfect build but the synergy is nice and feels like great flow. I love BB-8 and PTL. Based on my level of aggression I can choose to boost into R1 or target lock to set myself up for re-rolls.

My only note is that I have had ZERO success using Jan Ors instead of Kyle because I just am too stubborn and attack focussed to value the evade token. I imagine a smarter pilot could make great use of the focus+evade sandwich.

Fly on!

A