Devil's... I mean... Talonbane's Advocate

By Schyzo Kitty, in X-Wing Battle Reports

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So I want to throw this idea here:


Talonbane Cobra (33)
Kihraxz Fighter (28), Veteran Instincts (1), Cloaking Device (2), Stygium Particle Accelerator (2)

Now there has been a lot of talkin about putting Cloaking Device on Talonbane lately, so I finally tried it out. But instead of EU, I went with SPA. Reason being, you get an evade pretty much every turn, and I realised it's sacred on this guy.

I played 3 games today, using this guy in every single one. First game coupled with Dengar and a Pirate, second game with a G1-A, a Pirate and a Cluster Missiles N'dru.

Both of these games went really good and Talonbane always got his points back. The cloaking device saved him many times and gave him that extra survivability and mobility to get into range 1 more then once. The secret is to play this guy safe. Don't rush in at the first possibility, get other ships to take the shots and swoop in for a cheeky out of arc blow. Also 6 defence dice + 1 evade token really makes people not want to shoot at that guy.

In the third game I played I tried to couple him with a Tank Trevura and Z-95 Pirate. Unfortunately lost the game due to a double direct hit on Trevura, but Talonbane was making my opponent mad. After surviving a combined fire of 3 Tie/Fos and Vader in one turn, and bringing 3 Ties with him, I can say he is worth a try.

Is he good. Yes. Is he fun. Heck yes. Is he good for tournament. He might, but he needs help from outside as well. I'm going to try him (or her) with Manaroo for more action efficency.

What would you guys couple him with?

PS: I never lost my Cloaking Device in those games. Lucky, but I tried to use it only when I had to.

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I run him with Zuckass and Guri or Manaroo. Cloaking is a good oh-**** action for him to keep him alive, but the scum cloak is too unreliable to use all the time.

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This sounds fun. I'm going to try a list with Talonbane and some of my own flavor and see how it goes.

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I agree that Cloak + SPA is not a bad idea on Talonbane. At worst, the SPA is a 2 point shield upgrade (because an evade token is worth a shield, effectively) so that there is not a bad deal, and it has the potential to be worth even more.

I like the idea of using Talonbane in a Mindlink force:

Talonbane w/ Mindlink, homing missiles, cloak & SPA = 38

Manaroo w/ Mindlink, unhinged & K4 = 32

Tansarri Point Vet w/ Mindlink, title, HLC & hull = 30

100

You've got some interesting options here:

1) Talonbane cloaks into range 3 of the enemy, gaining evade. Manaroo focusses (gives one to TBC and TPV). Start of combat, Manaroo passes her focus to TBC (and gets one back). So now TBC is sitting on 2 focus + evade and is cloaked (minimum 4 agility). Even a torpedo to the face is unlikely to scratch his hull!

2) Talonbane decloaks into range 3 and TLs an enemy (gaining evade from SPA). Manaroo focusses (giving one to TBC and TPV). Start of combat, Manaroo passes her focus to TBC (and gets one back). Again, Talonbane is sitting on 2 focus, an evade AND has target locked an enemy, so is ready to fire his homing missile!

3) Flank with Talonbane, keeping him out of the fight initially. Use similar Manaroo shenanigans to tool up the TPV with double focus, evade and TL to power its HLC. Next turn, bring in Talonbane and use Manaroo shenanigans to power his missile, or even his range 1 5 dice primary!

And you don't have to be shy with Manaroo. She's such a low priority target here, its unlikely she's going to take much heat...

Edited by blade_mercurial
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havent seen him played at a tourney yet. seems a bit fragile for the pts imp.

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I took Manaroo/4-LOM/Talonbane to a Tournament earlier this year. I'm a fairly inexperienced player, but I still got a couple of wins and some close games. I had VI/CD/EU on Talonbane. Being able to boost into range one with PS11 and have focus/lock was devastating.

I do think that the list that Blade_mercurial posted above is better way to play Talonbane though, Mindlink means that all your ships are at least getting a focus token, and they can better focus fire something down.

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Oh, I'd like to try this at some point. I've never flown Talonbane yet. Too bad he can't take an astromech. Painbot would be fun with him.

Edited by heychadwick
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Oh when his ability works at range one it's a beautiful thing! One of the very first times I flew him I hit the Ghost at range one, and rolled 5, yes 5 hits. And 2 were crits. I don't remember who won that one but everyone there remembers that round. I have found that he can be pretty fragile. Shield upgrade helps but engine up helps more so an early crit can really screw you. I really hope FFG puts out a Scum Aces expansion that could help improve the Kihraxz and another scum ship like they did for the Rebel A-wing(Jake Farrel).