How to build for an unknown meta?

By yoji, in X-Wing Squad Lists

Hey

Im a fairly new player and havent been to any tourney's yet. Ive only played against my friends for the couple of weeks we have played the game.

So the first option to go to a tourney is this weekend, and its a SC. Ive played some different cardgames throughout the years and ive always been a person to construct my decks/lists etc after the meta. What do i think i will face? What is my list biggest flaws and how do i play around them. Its alot easier when you know the game inside and out more or less. You know that like 85% of the field is goin to play tier 1.

Ive always liked rogue decks/lists (in my case atleast meaning something that people arent prepared for, maybe a something that runs things that isnt tier 1, but will be able to get the win just because people isnt prepared for it.) The thing i feel with X-Wing is that there isnt that noticable drawn line for what is tier 1, the field is very open. I mean there are staples like Palpshuttle and Stresshog. But the game feels more balanced then a tier structure (if you get what i mean?).

So how do you boil down to what list you want to play?

Ive played alot of different Palpshuttle builds, and ive been leaning to run Crackbots at this tourney. But my mind wanders of to this conclussion. If i run a stapled list like one of those, its that i have to fly better then all those that have the same list (which is probably gonna be atleast a couple since they are popular?). During the few weeks ive now played the game, im probably nowhere close to the amount of flight hours other people have.

So my thought are.

I should find a list that people are prepared to fly against, that they havent met that often atleast. A list that actually can put up a fight against the known top lists (stresshogs, palpshuttle, crackbots etc.) in my meaning a list that isnt dead in setup if i meet a certain list. Of course you should enjoy the list you play, thats a given, but as i stated i havent played the game for to long so i havent gotten stuck to a list that i enjoy more then another, i plainly just enjoy the game as a whole.

Anyone have any ideas on my thoughts or any suggestion for a list to run im glad to discuss

Sorry for the wall of text, but im just trying to find my niche.

Edited by yoji

I'd say play something you want to play and know how to play, and know how it answers things which are generally strong in the meta these days, so have an answer for:

Palp/Aces

Double rebel regen

Quad TLTs/TLTs generally

Triple TLT/Tac K wings

Crackswarms

Palp decimator ace

Soontir

Stresshog

Omega Leader

Brobots

Otherwise, just... play what you want, play what you're good at, and remember that a well flown list middling list will usually beat a poorly flown strong-meta list, so play what you like and practice a bunch.

well thats abit the point. I have nothing i feel more comfortable then the other..

Then pick something you enjoy.

Or if you genuinely can't choose, netlist something good and practice with it a lot.

You're basically asking the same question that every newer player asks themselves before an event. I still have yet to go into a turnament knowing exactly what I was going to run. I'll have a general idea but will have about 3-4 different versions of the same list.

If you stick with what you know and are familiar with you have a better chance of doing well. Use upgrade cards and pilots your familiar with so you don't forget that one ability that could have won the game. I hope this helps at least a little and good luck this weekend.

yea thats one of the reason im not goin to run Palpshuttle, Wampa and whisperer.. keep forgetting to decloak and to use Kallus :P

You bring bombs, the most unknown meta of all

had a nice 2x K wing bomb build.. but TLT can really destroy it..

How about 4x K-wing with seismic charges?

well problem there is you fly first.. alot harder to anticipate bombs ;)

I asked myself exactly the same question when I started X-Wing (all the way back to wave 3 and february 2014!).

I'd been playing with friends doing okay with 4 ships rebel lists but not great and

What can I play that is going to be solid no matter what I encounter and will forgive mistakes?

The 8 tie swarm.

8 bodies means that the game becomes a war of attrition instead of a war of skills. It 's more forgiving than other lists (no linchpin) and through blocking can hinder the opponent playstyle.

Current equivalents would be 4B1Z, 4 TLT ywings, 5Z and 2 khiraxz, 8 Z .

Lists like this are easier to play for a new player because they do not rely on special tricks and allow you to concentrate on your opponent play. You're also much less likely to be crippled by a mistake.

well im more concerned about flying in formation.. still working that out a bit..

what about trying a 3 kwing list.

Miranda with Tactician TLT advanced SLAM

warden pilot x2 with tactition and TLT advanced SLAM

isnt that like 105 points?

Dump the ASlams they're useless. 3 K wings, one of which is Miranda, all with Tactician is a strong but intensely boring list both to play and to play against.

yea feels more or less like 4x thug TLT

yea feels more or less like 4x thug TLT

they're basically completely different, especially when you run the two lists into each other

the tactical Ks actually really care about their arcs for rather obvious reasons (and they basically need to tactician because they're so disgustingly inefficient otherwise), have SLAM for shenanigans, and build to 99 in order to let opposing TLTs move first so they can duck into range 1 with their PWTs

plus there's Miranda and her shield management, which you'll have to regen of course but which can also be used to keep enemies outside of range 1 with the threat of 4 dice primaries

ofc, it's never that easy especially since miranda without shields can't trigger the +1 die ability, but that's part of the fun

Edited by ficklegreendice