Imperial Fett

By Ronu, in X-Wing Squad Lists

So Friend is trying to figure out what to run with Boba Fett. Plays purely Imperial teams. I keep mentioning he is basically getting the same effect from navigator as stay on target. So what would you change and who do you run with for the other 41 points?

Boba Fett — Firespray-31 39

Stay On Target 2

Heavy Laser Cannon 7

Navigator 3

Advanced Proton Torpedoes 6

Anti-Pursuit Lasers 2

Slave I 0

Ship Total: 59

That's a lot of points that aren't really working together.

Fett already approximates Stay on Target with bank maneuvers, then you've got Navigator as well, meaning you can dial in any bank and take your pick of 6 maneuvers already, and you don't have to get a stress, either. Veteran Instincts will help him leverage those abilities better (Pilot Skill 10, should move after almost everything).

Heavy Laser Cannon is OK. Advanced Proton Torpedoes are not. I see the 'logic' of wanting to fill the hole where HLC can't shoot at Range 1, but you're already getting 4 dice there as-is. So you're paying 6 points for a single extra die that requires spending a Target Lock to use. Then you have no easy way to set up a TL + Focus combo for the shot, meaning you have to grab a TL earlier, hold onto it, then take a focus when your target is in Range 1. Just lose the torpedoes.

Anti-Pursuit Lasers are better for lower Pilot Skills, where you can maneuver to block opponents. Since Fett will move after most/all enemy ships, your opponent shouldn't ever trigger APL unless they are just awful at maneuvering. With the Slave-I title, Boba has both the Missile and Torpedo slots required for Long-Range Scanners. This give him a 'free' bit of action efficiency, as he can take a TL first turn when nothing is in combat range.

I say 'free' because it does use your Modification slot, which may be better suited to Engine Upgrade. Between Veteran Instincts, Navigator, and Boba's ability, Engine lets him really hunt down enemy ships no matter what move they choose. So let's look at what we have:

Boba Fett — Firespray-31 39
Veteran Instincts 1
Heavy Laser Cannon 7
Navigator 3
Engine Upgrade 4
Slave I 0
Ship Total: 54

That's 5 points cheaper and a lot more efficient. You may even find HLC unnecessary if you're able to put your other abilities to use to end up in Range 1 of your targets anyway, which brings you under 50 points to just 47.

That's how I've typically run him, but I've grown less fond of Navigator for him. It sounds soooo cool in theory, switching maneuvers and boosting to be an ace-busting arc-dodger. But in practice obstacles and other ships get in the way of these cool moves and the Navigator ability is largely wasted.

I have tried Boba with Long Range Scanners, Navigator, and Expert Handling and I liked it a lot. I think it will be a hard counter to Omega Leader, and it also is a great ship to arc dodge with because between Boba's ability, Navigator, and the large base barrel roll you can go almost anywhere. I don't use cannons because they're expensive, and with LRS it is nice to do long strafing runs against ships that can't regenerate.

I like running Boba with a pimped out defender. Brath with predator, hull upgrade, and either HLC or Tie/D title and ion cannon is my go-to ship. Vessery can really benefit from LRS, but Boba usually needs to use his TLs.