sigh......im actually going to end up buying ANOTHER ship just to paint it for this format......i can see it allready

sigh......im actually going to end up buying ANOTHER ship just to paint it for this format......i can see it allready

That's a great idea!

Already mentioned:

• (30) Onyx + x7
• (30) Royal Guard + PtL + SD + AT

Also consider:

• (30) Gand Findsman + Juke + FCS + TB + title
• (29) Gamma Vet + Crackshot + Homing Missiles + EM + Seismic Charges + LRS

Imperials should take this easily. x7 Onyx in particular becomes absurdly good.

Already mentioned:

• (30) Onyx + x7
• (30) Royal Guard + PtL + SD + AT

Also consider:

• (30) Gand Findsman + Juke + FCS + TB + title
• (29) Gamma Vet + Crackshot + Homing Missiles + EM + Seismic Charges + LRS

Imperials should take this easily. x7 Onyx in particular becomes absurdly good.

Explain how Imps take this please.

Already mentioned:

• (30) Onyx + x7
• (30) Royal Guard + PtL + SD + AT

Also consider:

• (30) Gand Findsman + Juke + FCS + TB + title
• (29) Gamma Vet + Crackshot + Homing Missiles + EM + Seismic Charges + LRS

Imperials should take this easily. x7 Onyx in particular becomes absurdly good.

Explain how Imps take this please.

We fly defenders.

Already mentioned:

• (30) Onyx + x7
• (30) Royal Guard + PtL + SD + AT

Also consider:

• (30) Gand Findsman + Juke + FCS + TB + title
• (29) Gamma Vet + Crackshot + Homing Missiles + EM + Seismic Charges + LRS

Imperials should take this easily. x7 Onyx in particular becomes absurdly good.

Explain how Imps take this please.

We fly defenders.

What about defenders takes it?

Already mentioned:

• (30) Onyx + x7
• (30) Royal Guard + PtL + SD + AT

Also consider:

• (30) Gand Findsman + Juke + FCS + TB + title
• (29) Gamma Vet + Crackshot + Homing Missiles + EM + Seismic Charges + LRS

Imperials should take this easily. x7 Onyx in particular becomes absurdly good.

Explain how Imps take this please.

PS6 Royal Guard with PtL, Stealth Device, and Autothrusters would normally win this out of sheer superior positional capability, but....

... a white K-turn + a free evade, + a focus as well, every single turn, is just really really good. [Edit: note, we are talking about using the x7 title in the upcoming Imperial Veterans expansion.] The Defender has the same token stack as the Royal Guard in full turtle mode, but doesn't get stress, and the K-turn is better than 2 hard turn + boost because you can generally guarantee that you'll keep the enemy ship in arc. Worst case scenario, you trade shots, and you have focus + evade. And you have twice the hull+shields.

Also, math.

Wait, Miramar is a real place? Here I was thinking it was some obscure EU planet.

It's a suburb in my city. No jokes :-)

Not so sure I will be happy about all the defenders messing up our attempt at genericwing. Please play something fun instead.

Just to clarify I don't have a problem with defenders as far as normal competition goes, but based on principal if one ship would dominate this format it would be reason enough to exclude it.

Given that X-7 won't hit the streets for months yet there's still plenty of time to enjoy the format.

Just to clarify I don't have a problem with defenders as far as normal competition goes, but based on principal if one ship would dominate this format it would be reason enough to exclude it.

Then the next ship in line (PtL Royal Guard in this case) dominates instead. Get rid of that ship and you'll have third place step up to wreak some havoc.

There will always be something that is uber-powerful in these custom formats, if only because FFG haven't designed anything with them in mind. You either need to accept them or come up with a more creative way to handle them, because the banhammer just shunts the problem elsewhere instead of fixing it.

I guess I am trying to say I won't like it if that is what everyone wants to play, kind of like palp aces or torp boats in competitive play now. But from the posts it looks like quite a variety of ships.

Really don't have a problem if we did this with friends as long as it isn't a game of everyone bring a defender or interceptor. Not that I want to ban anything really. Looks like quite a few builds would be pretty good as is anyways. Bombers could possibly wreck one of those defenders I think.

Oddly enough, my local FLGS has been playing a Top Gun league for the last 3 weeks.

The Rules

Choose any one small-base ship that, including any chosen upgrades for it, totals no more than 30pts.
- No named pilots - generics only!
- No unique upgrades - this includes all upgrade cards with the dot
- No Phantoms - they'd be far too strong in this setup
- Include four (yes, four!) obstacles of your choice to use alongside your ship each game.

- Give yourself a cool Call Sign - but not Goose, Maverick or Iceman for obvious reasons

- 60 minute rounds

- 'Confirm the Kill' - If the one hour time limit is reached, and *both* ships have only ONE hit left each, then the game CANNOT be ended as a draw. You keep flying until you confirm the kill!

It's been a blast. Some nice variety showing up as well.

I've been running the following:

"Boom Boom"

Baron of the Empire - Tie Advanced Prototype

- PTL

- Homing Missiles

- Title

- AT

So far, 6-1-0

I'm really not sure that the Phantom is too strong in this environment. The highest PS you can get on a Phantom with ACD is 3, which means there will be plenty of ships that shoot before you can re-cloak out there. I think the aforementioned Royal Guard /IN will likely wreck Phantoms in this environment.

I'm really not sure that the Phantom is too strong in this environment. The highest PS you can get on a Phantom with ACD is 3, which means there will be plenty of ships that shoot before you can re-cloak out there. I think the aforementioned Royal Guard /IN will likely wreck Phantoms in this environment.

Yeah two greens are not a great deal of protection the phantom isn't autowin by any means.

On further reflection I don't think I would bother with an ACD Sigma. Shadow with SPA and IA seems like a much better bet. I still think there are plenty of ships that would be a very tough fight for it though.

The fellow who's running the league borrowed the idea from another group he used to play with.

Apparently someone used a Shadow Squadron with SPA and IA and just walked all over people.

Now, that's not to say that there aren't good counters nor is it a comment on players skill levels, but it's his league and his previous experience led him to believe that excluding the phantom was the right choice.

Personally? There's enough other options that I'm not worried. My hardest fight was a grey sq with ICT / R2 / EU - took **** near 50 minutes to kill that thing. Autothrusters really paid for themselves that game

I think, as a T65 fan, I'd have to go with Red sqn pilot, R5P9, engine upgrade - 30pts

Warden Squadron, TLT, Zeb Orelius, Long Range Sensors

royal guard:

PTL

Auto thrusters

title

stealth device

30 pts

When I run after school games for my students we just stick with 25pts. They can run 2 Zs or Ties if they really want but keep it to 1 ship. A few will bid up for PS but most stay generic. We run both free-for-all and 1vs1 (but everyone at the table is flying 1vs1 on a table with 6 people flying). Both are fun and every ship gets a chance (small base of course). Some of the FOs get a little crazy but there are so many guns firing that they still go down and that's not enough points to really kit out a threatening interceptor or phantom for the same reasons.

PS is important but not the be all end all

I don't know about that. You are still in binary pilot skill mode as far as I can see. You can either out-PS a Royal Guard /in or you've little or no interest in PS. All you've really done is moved the break point from 9 to 6. I'd actually say you have more variety in the full game as you have the whole mid-level generics to get in before Wolfpack Jumpmasters and low-ish but over PS 1 to beat out TLTs tiers that don't really exist here. Well, the TLT tier might but a single TLT is not going to scare agile multi-action ships with Autothrusters the way a bunch of them that can strip tokens do at 100pts

Yes, but a Royal Guard that PtL's to boost and barrel roll doesn't get a focus token after it. Assuming he doesn't trigger autothrusters he's as esy to kill as a TIE then.

In order to arc dodge you have to give up offense/defense.

A 'Fel' loaded out Royal Guard is tolerable. You can also get a Shadow Squadron with Stygium and Intel agent, or Green Squadrons with Prockets.

Games may have a focus on arc dodging, but unlike when you face a Fel if your opponent doesn't successfully arc dodge, he's done ******. There will be more of an an emphasis on actual player skill and not just 2 hard turning and dice modding your way through things.

You can get a Black Eight Squadron Punisher with LRS/Guidance Chips, Extra Munitions, and Homing Missiles for 30 points. If you play conservatively and keep it back you can cover a wide area with it. If you go down to Cutlass Squadron you can fit FCS and Cluster Missiles in. Or a Dagger Squadron with Proton Torpedoes and EM and chips.

The PS race is less important with no Acewings in it. If the best Acewing you can make in this format is a PtL Autothrusters Stealth Device Royal Guard, then fine. Seems balanced.

"As easy to kill as a TIE" ... with 4 Agility and Autothrusters? Not so much.

With all that said, the format as a whole looks extremely promising - I've occasionally run demo/one off "Everyone gets a spaceship" game, and while 32pt Furball has always been fun, for new players there was often just too many rules and exceptions for total newbies to keep track of when you had twenty minutes to teach the rules.

Simplifying it down (and cutting PS options by a third) is likely to be that much easier on everyone. Might fudge the 'nothing unique' here and there, but only in moderation and in the name of good. It's easier when you're statting the squads yourself, of course...

Cheers, dude! This should be a blast.

We allow free sheild upgrades for Xwings, Ks, and Scyks and it keeps them pretty well balanced. If a kid is really new I'll even just give them an extra shield token.

(maybe as 2 30pt ships though).

I think I like this the best. And probably 2 ships of the same type.

(maybe as 2 30pt ships though).

I think I like this the best. And probably 2 ships of the same type.

My thinking exactly. Ya gotta have a wingman. Its thematic and gives different tactical options like flanking, or concentrating fire, or the ole bait 'n switch.

Blue Squadron Novice + R2D2 + Auto (30)