Now that we're in a post Guidance Chips work, I'm faced with a quandary about how to create a rebel ordnance swarm. A couple of things are clear to me:

First, Bandits are a waste of time. They shoot too late - after Gold Squadron pilots, after Trandoshan Slavers, after Contracted Scouts - after just about everything. So it has to be Talas.

Second, it has to be concussion missiles. That blank to hit, plus guidance chips gets you at the minimum two hits all but guaranteed.

Beyond that, I'm uncertain. Two main possibilities seem to present themselves.

First, Blount with Thread Tracers, backed up by 4 Talas with Concussion Missiles and one without. That's 4 Concussion Missiles, all shooting with TL, focus and Chimps - have to assume that's a minimum of 14 hits, 16 in many games, and then you have a PS4 Z-95 Swarm with 6 ships. Not bad.

Option 2 is to skip Blount, put 5 Concussion/Chimp Talas on the board and a Chardaan prototype A Wing as a blocker. That's an Alpha strike with essentially 10 guaranteed hits, plus 10 50/50 dice - you should expect 15 hits, on average, and then you have a better blocker.

Which would you take? I feel like the Blount option is the pure Alpha strike - almost anything you point it at will die, but if you come up against a list without an obvious core target, like 4 TLTs, you're a bit stuffed...

I guess, boiled down, the question is: What's better, more dice, or fewer, more reliable dice?

Now that we're in a post Guidance Chips work, I'm faced with a quandary about how to create a rebel ordnance swarm. A couple of things are clear to me:

First, Bandits are a waste of time. They shoot too late - after Gold Squadron pilots, after Trandoshan Slavers, after Contracted Scouts - after just about everything. So it has to be Talas.

Bandits are PS 2, same as Golds and Slavers, so Simultaneous Fire will allow you to launch your missiles even if they kill your ships first, somehow. Are you thinking of the PS 1 Binayre Pirates?

Talas do win the PS bid against Scouts, so we'll have to think about that somewhat.

Second, it has to be concussion missiles. That blank to hit, plus guidance chips gets you at the minimum two hits all but guaranteed.

Slightly over a 90% chance of 4 damage if you're Focused and Chipping, specifically. Which is overkill against most lists, so there's actually wiggle-room here.

It's certainly a strong option, don't get me wrong, and you oughtn't lose ALL of them.

That said, if you're going with a guaranteed PS bid, Blount + Tracers is no longer necessary, so the second list may be stronger than the first.

That said, here's MY recommendation.

Lieutenant Blount

+ {Veteran's Instinct if Wildcard choses a 3 point missile, Adaptability if he chooses Assaults}

+ XX-23 S-Thread Tracers

+ Guidance Chips

2x Bandit Squadron Pilots

+ Concussion Missiles

+ Guidance Chips

2x Bandit Squadron Pilot

+ Cluster Missiles

+ Guidance Chips

{Wildcard} Bandit Squadron Pilot

+ Your choice of AHM, IPM, or Assaults, depending on the dominant metagame in your area

+ Guidance Chips

It clocks in at 97-99 points, depending on the missile you choose on the Wildcard Bandit.

Adding in two Cluster Missiles does two things for you: it closes the Range 1 gap, letting you still be a threat to foes with superior range-control than your list, and deal even greater expected damage against low agility targets.

​Example: Miranda Doni sees your list and scoffs. She knows that she can simply SLAM through the Range barrier, ruining your entire set-up, and ensuring that your list fires off on a different, yet inferior, target.

​Cluster Missiles see her do this, and eat her for Christmas dinner.

​You will face some lists that are just delighted to see an Alpha Strike list across the table. Stuff like a TIE Swarm will laugh at your enormous single-target damage. Assault Missiles happen to have the greatest damage potential in the game in that match-up.

Similarly, an Ion Pulse Missile can shut down a high-value target long enough for the rest of your flight to remove it from the table, or an Advanced Homing Missile can just ruin the day of a Regenerative piece of nonsense that you can treat as a secondary target.

There is no need to fill your toolbox with 5 copies of one tool, even if that tool is quite effective

Why not put Deadeye on Blount? You're not going before the PS 9s and at PS 6 you're going before all the low PS workhorses, so you may as well make it easier to get that autohit with the tracer.

Why not put Deadeye on Blount? You're not going before the PS 9s and at PS 6 you're going before all the low PS workhorses, so you may as well make it easier to get that autohit with the tracer.

Why not put Deadeye on Blount? You're not going before the PS 9s and at PS 6 you're going before all the low PS workhorses, so you may as well make it easier to get that autohit with the tracer.

Tracer already requires focus to shoot.

That'll teach me to read the card...

Why not put Deadeye on Blount? You're not going before the PS 9s and at PS 6 you're going before all the low PS workhorses, so you may as well make it easier to get that autohit with the tracer.

Tracer already requires focus to shoot.

That'll teach me to read the card...

As you say, VI is not truly necessary, though the PS boost is useful against Aggressors.

Cool Hand and Crack Shot both add interesting aspects to the build, if you're willing to forego that advantage.

Personally, I think that Blount will work best with maybe 2 other Z's with ordnance, but then have other things in your list. The Tracer only works once and you probably don't need 4 other Z's firing ordnance at the same target. What will last that long?

Personally, I'm a fan of homing missiles with Chimps. Focus/TL and they don't get their evade? Well worth the extra points.that being said, en masse it Comes out to a wierd point total and might be worth switching up.

Baa tried it just the other day it didn't work sadly.

Blount is ps8 at best he's four hit points behind two dice building around him will see you boned when a couple of ps9 aces wax him first then dance circles around your low ps generics.

Wish I could run PS 2 Missile Zs, but the PS3 Torp Boats would fry them too quickly, even w/Blount's help.

That's why I'm going to be flying 7 Talas w/Tracers and Chips real soon.

Thats true, I forgot I had Biggs protecting them

Personally, I think that Blount will work best with maybe 2 other Z's with ordnance, but then have other things in your list. The Tracer only works once and you probably don't need 4 other Z's firing ordnance at the same target. What will last that long?

This may very well be the answer. Perhaps 3 or 4 Z-95's with one decent Ace who can benefit from Blount's ability. Poe or Corran spring to mind.

Cheers

Baaa

You just can't have Blount be the biggest threat have him be the second priority, Poe is a good choice you don't want him alive end game and by the time he's dead Blount should of done his thing.

Z-95 Headhunter: · Lieutenant Blount (17)

Adaptability (Increase) (0)

XX-23 S-Thread Tracers (1)

Z-95 Headhunter: Tala Squadron Pilot (13)

Concussion Missiles (4)

Guidance Chips (0)

Z-95 Headhunter: Tala Squadron Pilot (13)

Concussion Missiles (4)

Guidance Chips (0)

Z-95 Headhunter: Tala Squadron Pilot (13)

Concussion Missiles (4)

Guidance Chips (0)

Z-95 Headhunter: Tala Squadron Pilot (13)

Ion Pulse Missiles (3)

Guidance Chips (0)

Z-95 Headhunter: Tala Squadron Pilot (13)

XX-23 S-Thread Tracers (1)

Munitions Failsafe (1)

This is what I'm looking at. 4th concussion is changed to ion pulse. This should add some kind of control to the list. 5th Tala gets tracer and failsafe. For the 2 points saved from adaptability over VI and ion pulse over concussion.

Plus I only have 4 chips right now anyways

I think the stress hog still adds too much value to not have.

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v4!s!6:135,-1,-1,69:21:-1:;66:19,143:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron

Missiles can be adjusted to taste. I'm leaning towards 2 concussion and 1 assault. I like the idea of deadeye on blount.

I think the stress hog still adds too much value to not have.

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v4!s!6:135,-1,-1,69:21:-1:;66:19,143:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron

Missiles can be adjusted to taste. I'm leaning towards 2 concussion and 1 assault. I like the idea of deadeye on blount.

Reread tracer, it's Attack:Focus like a proton missile. Put your point from deadeye somewhere else

You just can't have Blount be the biggest threat have him be the second priority, Poe is a good choice you don't want him alive end game and by the time he's dead Blount should of done his thing.

Joking aside, this is the answer in a nutshell.

You need something in the list that's perceived as a bigger threat than Blount. And it needs to be a ship that can take some damage whilst your Z-95's get into a position to get their shots off.

Cheers

Baaa

You just can't have Blount be the biggest threat have him be the second priority, Poe is a good choice you don't want him alive end game and by the time he's dead Blount should of done his thing.

It's official folks, the end of the world is nigh. That's twice in a week I've agreed with Hobo .

Joking aside, this is the answer in a nutshell.

You need something in the list that's perceived as a bigger threat than Blount. And it needs to be a ship that can take some damage whilst your Z-95's get into a position to get their shots off.

Cheers

Baaa

What shoots before Blount that has sufficient firepower to remove him?

Tycho with prockets?

Cheers

Baaa

I think the stress hog still adds too much value to not have.

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v4!s!6:135,-1,-1,69:21:-1:;66:19,143:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:;65:13:-1:-1:&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron

Missiles can be adjusted to taste. I'm leaning towards 2 concussion and 1 assault. I like the idea of deadeye on blount.

Reread tracer, it's Attack:Focus like a proton missile. Put your point from deadeye somewhere else

Doh, yes, I knew there was a reason I didn't do it before.. Thanks!

Tycho with prockets?

Cheers

Baaa

I was thinking more along the lines of "Both Aces have decided to remove him, putting them in-arc of the rest of the swarmlet", but that's actually accurate.

Han solo w/Tracers.

Nothing is going before that