7 Talas w/ Tracers and Guidance Chips

Also, though a swarm of Zs may not be fun for you, they are fun to fly for others. And no, they simply are not point and shoot. Sure, that's kinda all they can do, but you've got to plan ahead and set up blocks, and know how to fly back out of those block positions to get back in the fight and shoot stuff down. And boy are aces a pain to deal with.

I certainly don't dislike Z-95's and it's very unusual for me to fly a list without them. However, playing 8 of them against U-boats wasn't a pleasurable gaming experience.

Cheers

Baaa

The "how to sink U-Boats" threads have replaced the "TLT are OP" threads, it seems.

Something involving Wes Jansen seems like a good place to start.

Definitely a good option. Try the Following.

37 Esege Tuketu, Proton Torpedoes, Extra Munitions, Recon Specialist, Guidance Chips

28 Dutch Vander, Plasma Torpedoes, Extra Munitions, Guidance Chips

34 Wes Janson, Push the Limit, BB-8, Integrated Astromech

99 Total

Esege and Dutch can feed each other TLs and Focus tokens meaning every volley you fire should be pretty deadly. They can't quite kill a Jumpmaster in a single volley but they can come pretty close, with luck you may get a useful crit or two on one while Wes shuts down another.

That list looks pretty flimsy for duelling alpha-strikes. Even with Wes shenanigans I think it'll have a hard time winning the damage race against 3 U-boats, and it doesn't seem to have that much game against arc-dodgers or Crack swarms.

Yup. I've played a few times with a Chopper-Wes-Biggs list, and it handles triple JumpMasters just fine but struggles against other lists--even JumpMasters with non-standard loadouts (e.g., double U-boats + Recon Specialist, flying with a less-expensive escort ship). And if it's not working in a high-durability scenario like that, I don't have a lot of faith in a K/Y/Wes list to close the deal.

I beat the triple jump masters with 2 named jumpys manaroo and tel trevula with torpedoes and ndru with lone wolf and missiles. It out jousts the triple jumps but.....

It's kinda boring and easily countered with other lists.....

But against triple jumps it owns....

How about some of those Dash and Ghost lists? The first can move like crazy out of arc, and the other is big enough to occupy the range 1 of Jumps or bump them while has the health to tank a few torpedo hits.

Once you've flown against them once....they're not that scary.

It's a one-trick pony.

I nearly beat them flying Bossk and 2 G-1A's at the Atlanta Regionals. Came down to a 1 hull point difference and his ability to consistently role hit-crit on every 2 dice attack and hit-hit-crit on every 3 dice attack naturally...no spending focus or target locks. It was uncanny.

5 A-Wings can do it as well, as show by the Rochester and New Mexico regionals. I feel like A-Wings are a lot more fun to fly than Zs, but it is still a swarm.

I quite fancy 5 x A-Wings and you're right, they're a lot more fun to fly.

Cheers

Baaa

That list is actually sneaky expensive to build though

3 Mist Hunters, 3 StarVipers, 3 Rebel Aces, 2 A-Wings? that's only $270!

5 A-Wings can do it as well, as show by the Rochester and New Mexico regionals. I feel like A-Wings are a lot more fun to fly than Zs, but it is still a swarm.

I quite fancy 5 x A-Wings and you're right, they're a lot more fun to fly.

Cheers

Baaa

That list is actually sneaky expensive to build though

3 Mist Hunters, 3 StarVipers, 3 Rebel Aces, 2 A-Wings? that's only $270!

dont forget the crackshots needing houndstooth or Khiraxz.

Replace 2 Z95 with Jake Farrel + PTL + AT + VI.

It's better than sex (well... almost)

Well placed asteroids and a solid game plan that makes your opponent have to actually fly! Good luck getting actions trying to control three large bases.

Has anyone tried Kanan, the VCX 100 with 2 x rec spec and sensor jammer?

The British and American navies, that's what!

5 Green Squadron Pilots with Adaptability/Crackshot/Autothrusters seem to fit the bill.

There's no need for an initiative bid since the GSP can choose to be either PS2 (blockers preventing the JM5K from getting their focus action) or PS4 (repositioners either getting out of torpedo arcs or into range 1).

As Adaptability works on deployment, you can choose a combination of PS2/PS4 in your squadron making it very unpredictable for the U-Boat player.

As long as the GSPs wait out the torpedoes (there's only six) either by tanking them, or destroying U-Boats before they fire them, U-Boats that have expended their munitions are no match for the GSPs' 3 AGI and Autothrusters.

@OP: The Royal Navy.

Jax+Kagi+OL: We be jammin, mon.

I've done well with this:

https://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v4!s!67:9,13:-1:25:;66:9,143:-1:6:;65:13:-1:25:;65:13:-1:25:;65:13:-1:25:&sn=Z%20Swarm

Its 5 Zs, 8 seems excessive and exhausting

Cracken w/ Swarm Tactics, Concussion & Guidance Chips

Blount w/ Swarm Tactics, Tracers and Hull Upgrade

Tala w/ Concussion & Guidance Chips X3 (Can swap one for Assault Missiles)

Swarm Tactics is great for being competitive with other lists, with either an 8,8,4,4,4 or 8,8,6,6,4. HU helps ensure than in this Aces heavy meta a PS blount gets his tracers off. I can usually kill U and strip the shields off another which dies the following turn. Cracken also gives actions to any ship that bumps.

Has anyone tried Kanan, the VCX 100 with 2 x rec spec and sensor jammer?

OK, in theory it might do quite well against the torpedo salvos since you can effectively take each torp down to just 2 damage. Even if they sink all 6 torps into the Ghost, it should still be clinging to life at the end of it.

The Sensor jammer would also help to protect the ghost against being pecked to death by the PWTs once the torpedoes are fired. But that is roughly half the fleet on a damage sponge, what do you spend the rest of your points on to actually threaten the U-boats in return?

And if you include some more offensive counters, you raise the risk of your opponent targeting them instead of the well-padded Ghost.