Why don't we see R4-D6 on the Y-wings more often? With only having 1 defense die, wouldn't it come into play often enough to keep the Y-wings on the table at least one more round?
R4-D6 on Y-wings
If it wasn't for R4-D6, I probably would not have won my Top 4 match at my SC win. I wrote a full battle report about it here:
TL;DR Against Dash I had 4 hull left, and was able to reduce it to 2, which gave me TLT shots, following up with a R1 shot, followed by a block. This gave the rest of my list a chance to catch up and close out Dash.
Well most attacks are still 2-3 dice so it's not going to kick in that often.
I think we are seeing more 3 and 4 attack ships on the table. It won't help against TLTs, but it should against HLC, missiles and torpedoes frequently.
I think we are seeing more 3 and 4 attack ships on the table. It won't help against TLTs, but it should against HLC, missiles and torpedoes frequently.
Bearing in mind of course that it doesn't stop crits or count them towards the damage total
So if you have 2 hits and 2 crits incoming R4-D6 is just gona sit on his chuff and laugh as you blow up.
Edited by Mace WinduKeep in mind Y-wings only have 2 green maneuvers. That's right only 2. (The shuttle has more green maneuvers than a Y-wing).
Why don't we see R4-D6 on the Y-wings more often? With only having 1 defense die, wouldn't it come into play often enough to keep the Y-wings on the table at least one more round?
Most popular use for Y-wing at the moment is a stresshog so the Astromech slot is taken. If ordnance takes off more (and there are a lot of theory-crafted lists at the moment) I can see R4-D6 becoming popular on the Y-wings for the reasons you state.
Rebels don't seem to have many astromechs that work particularly well with ordnance. R5-K6 helps a bit but is rubbish compared to FCS for the same points. R7-T1 provides a target lock but then causes you to boost (which may put you inside torpedo range). Targetting astromech works better for getting close-range primary attacks when you K-turn or T-roll.
So for a torpedo Y-wing, the best option might simply be R2-D6 to allow you to take Deadeye. 
Y-WIngs deal terribly with stress. To be honest I only see that droid on Biggs who lives on borrowed time anyways.
Y-WIngs deal terribly with stress. To be honest I only see that droid on Biggs who lives on borrowed time anyways.
I just don't think it's useful at all.
The chances of taking 3 uncancelled [boom] results are so low, and Biggs is better with R2D6 and Adaptability to troll Brobots and Crack Swarms.
Hull upgrade costs 3 points so if R4-D6 saves even 1 point of damage, you could argue he has made his points back. Secondly you can combine him with IA for another pseudo hit-point. Biggs does tend to live on borrowed time but every attack he pulls off his wing mates is worthwhile.
So if you are taking a cheap astromech for IA anyway, R4-D6 is probably the best of the 1 point astromechs. A plain R2 is OK but Biggs is not likely to live long enough for stress to become a real hindrance. R2-D6 is possibility but then you need to pay extra points for the EPT (Elusiveness might have mileage).
Overall I think R4-D6 is the best astromech for Biggs and with ordnance alpha strikes looking like they are catching on, the ability to downgrade a 4-hit torpedo/missile might become more useful than it has been in the past.
Edited by KarhedronHull upgrade costs 3 points so if R4-D6 saves even 1 point of damage, you could argue he has made his points back. Secondly you can combine him with IA for another pseudo hit-point. Biggs does tend to live on borrowed time but every attack he pulls off his wing mates is worthwhile.
So if you are taking a cheap astromech for IA anyway, R4-D6 is probably the best of the 1 point astromechs. A plain R2 is OK but Biggs is not likely to live long enough for stress to become a real hindrance. R2-D6 is possibility but then you need to pay extra points for the EPT (Elusiveness might have mileage).
Overall I think R4-D6 is the best astromech for Biggs and with ordnance alpha strikes looking like they are catching on, the ability to downgrade a 4-hit torpedo/missile might become more useful than it has been in the past.
As noted, R2-D6/adaptability is actually surprisingly solid, as long as you give away initiative. Biggs can then sap the attacks of an entire TIE Swarm or all four attacks from both PS6 Brobots before dying, which makes a huge difference and still only costs 1 point total.
It does mean he can't move on the same init as Kanan which is a bit of an issue, as Biggs/Kanan is a very solid build, but I'm not sure it's a huge issue.
R4-D6 does work fairly well paired up with Draw Their Fire on a Regeneration-capable ship (as then you have additional options to deal with criticals), but then you're investing a lot of points in the idea.
Ultimately, R4-D6 will often not trigger. But if he stops one point of damage, once, then for a point he's done his job. Once the torpedoes and heavy laser bolts start flying, Biggs isn't going to last long enough for any other astromech to really do much.
Maybe R2-F2 might work, but he really needs experimental interface or some external source of tokens/actions to support, by which time you're getting very expensive.
As noted, R2-D6/adaptability is actually surprisingly solid, as long as you give away initiative. Biggs can then sap the attacks of an entire TIE Swarm or all four attacks from both PS6 Brobots before dying, which makes a huge difference and still only costs 1 point total.
I may be missing something here. How does adaptability help Biggs particularly? Is it just that at PS6 he has a better chance to make his attacks before he gets splatted? If that is the case then it is true but probably just as situational as R4-D6 as it depends on your opponent having PS5 or PS6 ships for Biggs to compete with. It won't help at all against higher or lower PS ships.As noted, R2-D6/adaptability is actually surprisingly solid, as long as you give away initiative. Biggs can then sap the attacks of an entire TIE Swarm or all four attacks from both PS6 Brobots before dying, which makes a huge difference and still only costs 1 point total.
It's a result of clarifications to Simultaneous Fire from the last FAQ.
So, you're facing a Crack Swarm. You give them the initiative.
Now, when they kill Biggs, he stays on the board due to Simultaneous Fire. HIs pilot ability remains active until he's removed. So even if the second TIE kills him, all 4 of the others still have to shoot him. Then he gets his single shot and explodes.
Same with Brobots.
It takes some engineering, but I think it's the best combination of a 1-point astromech with IA to put on him.
Clever, I guess that is what you get for actually reading the FAQs. 
If I ran it, I think it'd be with Salm. Slap a TLT and no title on him, R4-D6, go to town. He won't care so much about being stressed, can kite along the edges with his turret, and potentially take an annoying amount of shots to remove.
If it wasn't for R4-D6, I probably would not have won my Top 4 match at my SC win. I wrote a full battle report about it here:
TL;DR Against Dash I had 4 hull left, and was able to reduce it to 2, which gave me TLT shots, following up with a R1 shot, followed by a block. This gave the rest of my list a chance to catch up and close out Dash.
Nice battle report, but you could have called that event TLT tourney, would have been very boring to fly against and with.. Oh you roll three dice and do 1 damage twice? Oh me too, lets see who RNG appreciates the most. I still find tourneys that finish after midnight the stupidest thing ever from a games perspective.
Edited by ArchangelspivNice battle report, but you could have called that event TLT tourney, would have been very boring to fly against and with.. Oh you roll three dice and do 1 damage twice? Oh me too, lets see who RNG appreciates the most. I still find tourneys that finish after midnight the stupidest thing ever from a games perspective.If it wasn't for R4-D6, I probably would not have won my Top 4 match at my SC win. I wrote a full battle report about it here:https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/204873-“24-hours”-stuffnpodunk-store-championships-battle-report/
TL;DR Against Dash I had 4 hull left, and was able to reduce it to 2, which gave me TLT shots, following up with a R1 shot, followed by a block. This gave the rest of my list a chance to catch up and close out Dash.
I really enjoyed the tournament, even though I faced lots of TLTs. I'm not one to complain about match ups, I try to learn something from each game to improve on the next time I see a similar list again.
It was a very long tournament, but the shop and TO were great and it ran well. Just had a late start.
Edited by VaynMaanen
I wouldn't say it was all RNG... there were critical decisions made in the activation phase in each of those matches that resulted in drastically changing the outcome of the game.
Nice battle report, but you could have called that event TLT tourney, would have been very boring to fly against and with.. Oh you roll three dice and do 1 damage twice? Oh me too, lets see who RNG appreciates the most. I still find tourneys that finish after midnight the stupidest thing ever from a games perspective.If it wasn't for R4-D6, I probably would not have won my Top 4 match at my SC win. I wrote a full battle report about it here:https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/204873-“24-hours”-stuffnpodunk-store-championships-battle-report/
TL;DR Against Dash I had 4 hull left, and was able to reduce it to 2, which gave me TLT shots, following up with a R1 shot, followed by a block. This gave the rest of my list a chance to catch up and close out Dash.
I really enjoyed the tournament, even though I faced lots of TLTs. I'm not one to complain about match ups, I try to learn something from each game to improve on the next time I see a similar list again.
It was a very long tournament, but the shop and TO were great and it ran well. Just had a late start.
Wasn't meaning to sound snide. It was a well written report and I enjoyed reading it. I was thinking as I was reading it it's a plink plink fest. I guess I enjoy tournaments for the variety of lists you come across and get to play against. Lists you many not usually fight against in your local area, so when virtually every list is nigh on the same, it takes away the tournament experience, well for me anyways