Defender Preview??

By Cfcinhull, in X-Wing

If I didn't have points for an Ion Cannon, instead of dropping to Tractor for 2 points, I'd drop to x7 for 5 points and a situational Evade token.

Why so down on the Tractor beam as an option?

My experience with the titles is that people tend to look at a /D Vessery is the single biggest target on the board. His potential damage output with that title is well established, so folks will gun for him over other threats. So keeping him lean, with just a tractor beam and VI, has worked well for me so far.

Ion>Tractor in my book, 95% of the time. Also, it's only a points sink if it's not good.

Yeah. Main advantage for Ion is that it works on everything. Lothal Rebels laugh at Tractor Beam tokens, but need to be smart in how they handle Ions.

But if you're tight on points, I have no trouble dropping that Ion to a Tractor. Tractor Beams on Vessery are glorious fun.

They shrug off ion too unless they get hit with two.

Ion does a damage, Tractor doesnt. I don't want to pay 3 points and give up the Evade for a damage-free situationally useful card.

I just don't see FFG outright obsoleting the Onyx and Delta like that. 1 pt for 3 PS? Especially as I have said, that the one point you spend to upgrade Vessery also needs additional points for different ships. The titles fix alot of the cost issues. So, I fail to see why they will completely reset the costs they have.

I don't see them doing it either, I think that they'll play it safe and go the predictable route with the Glaive costing 34 and Maarek 36. At those costs the ships are playable, but IMO, only if you are bringing two or more Defenders. I'd either find the extra point to upgrade a Glaive to Vessery or save a point and upgrade Maarek to Vessery.

Vessery's ability may require other ships to function, but you don't get to count that as a cost to fielding Vessery, as you are bringing other ships anyways. Granted, when the Defender was released the Empire didn't have a lot of options for getting target locks, but that is no longer the case. It is trivial to field target-lock capable wingmen for Vessery, so his inclusion really doesn't warrant a radical change in list building to accommodate him.

Ion>Tractor in my book, 95% of the time. Also, it's only a points sink if it's not good.

Yeah. Main advantage for Ion is that it works on everything. Lothal Rebels laugh at Tractor Beam tokens, but need to be smart in how they handle Ions.

But if you're tight on points, I have no trouble dropping that Ion to a Tractor. Tractor Beams on Vessery are glorious fun.

They shrug off ion too unless they get hit with two.

Sure, but the first ion token hangs around waiting for the second one. Got to be careful around the asteroids and map edges once you have that one ion token, it would be a shame if half your points flew off the map edge because of that second token.

Edited by HolySorcerer

Yeah but for that you need two ion weapons.

And granted it deals a damage a pro. But the ion token is what you're really using it for.

id like to see a bomber title that lets u play both guidance chips and long range scanners. wout elite pilot talent to use enablers like deadeye the bombers need both to be at full power.

Yeah but for that you need two ion weapons.

And granted it deals a damage a pro. But the ion token is what you're really using it for.

Yeah but for that you need two ion weapons.

And granted it deals a damage a pro. But the ion token is what you're really using it for.

Yeah but for that you need two ion weapons.

And granted it deals a damage a pro. But the ion token is what you're really using it for.

Or you know, just shoot it again with the same ship next turn.

This right here. The ion token(s) are not removed at end of turn unless they trigger the ionized condition. You could ion a Ghost on turn one of combat, then hit it again three turns later when it ends up to close to a map edge, forcing it to fly off. When half your points are on the line, that one little ion token will force you to fly much more conservatively.

Edited by HolySorcerer

I fail to see how having to build your squad in a certain way isn't a cost.

I fail to see how having to build your squad in a certain way isn't a cost.

Because that's the entire game.

I fail to see how having to build your squad in a certain way isn't a cost.

There are three Imperial ships that don't have the target lock action; the TIE Fighter, TIE Interceptor, and TIE Phantom. The Phantom will likely have FCS, so it will be generating target locks anyways. So the "cost" of Vessery in squad building is don't field him with TIE Fighter swarms or TIE Interceptor swarms. Hardly a constraint on list building.

Edited by HolySorcerer

I fail to see how having to build your squad in a certain way isn't a cost.

it's only a cost if said "certain way" is less optimal than normal

in this case, Omega L and other elite pilots more than provide for Vessery without impacting the power of your build at all

Don't forget that there is more to this game than 100-point furballs. Pilots like Maarek and Rexlar absolutely shine in epic play, where they have friends who can knock down shields and set them up to drop multiple critical hits from the epic critical hit deck. And there's room for them to fly alongside Vessery and some Glaives!

Seeing some talk about vessery tb etc

Someone mentioned having vessery with tb, paired up with Vader and omega leader

This I find is not a great use for the tb.

You want things to shoot after their agility is lowered.

Tb is kind of useless in my opinion if it's the last too shoot in your list

Vessery using tb you want to have lower PS ships, as to get the most bang for a buck.

You also want ships that can target lock, so kind of leaves out (most) interceptors (unless you like targeting computer) and tie fighters

I've done very well using 3 scimitar bombers.

You don't want to dump to many pts into vessery since he's the maim target.

I've been using crackshot and tractor beam on him. Nothing else.

Crackshot puts the fear of God into high PS ships

The bombers I use as well just to make my opponent fear them with tactician on all of them and one hangs back with Fleet Officer

They make great blockers I can get 3 scimitars in the list, and they protect vessery well as again great blockers and tanky

I also like the other defender title, but so far I am loving vessery with the 3 bombers.

I've tried coming up with other lists but I can't seem to come up with a list that is consistent like this one.

The tactician on the bombers along with crackshot tractor beam puts the fear of God into fel, and leads to my opponent making more mistakes.

The tractor beam with crackshot also makes it easier for those bombers with two attack dice to get dmg through, and in a lot of games I've boosted my opponent ships into range 1 or at least two bombers

On a few occasions now I've beaten the emperor and ace builds with this list.

One that seems to give a lot of people trouble

Edited by Krynn007

Seeing some talk about vessery tb etc

Someone mentioned having vessery with tb, paired up with Vader and omega leader

This I find is not a great use for the tb.

You want things to shoot after their agility is lowered.

Tb is kind of useless in my opinion if it's the last too shoot in your list

Vessery using tb you want to have lower PS ships, as to get the most bang for a buck.

You also want ships that can target lock, so kind of leaves out (most) interceptors (unless you like targeting computer) and tie fighters

These lists are using Adaptability on Vader and VI on Vessery.

Edited by HolySorcerer

Marksmanship isn't bad on Stele with the D as you get mods on both shots but it costs your action and is pricey as hell. Honestly though you might be better off not building for his ability and just treating it as an unexpected bonus when it happens.

Or take tie shuttle with fleet officer and give stele calculation.

Posted this elsewhere, but I've been dabbling with this lately:

Rexler Brath (37)

Juke (2)

TIE/x7 (-2)

Colonel Vessery (35)

Veteran Instincts (1)

Tractor Beam (1)

TIE/D (0)

"Omega Leader" (21)

Juke (2)

Comm Relay (3)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Everyone's at PS8, allowing Vessery to start the party with a tractor beam. If he hits, neat. If not, he's still at least pushing out three attack dice and maybe forcing opponents to burn a token defending against the zero damage attack, making it easier to deal damage with my Jukes. Sometimes I'll use the tractor anyway to burn tokens and fire the primary at someone else.

I still prefer my DD: the augmentation list.

Yoda-Quotes-10.jpg

^wrong, ESB Yoda would have never said padawan. That's only for CGI Yoda.

^wrong, ESB Yoda would have never said padawan. That's only for CGI Yoda.

Also, he told Luke he was too old.

So glaives being 34, or at least speculated at, would mean you could run 2 glaives and Vessary, all with x7 and crackshot. I'll take it. Sure your PS isn't the greatest, but I've flown RGPs forever and never cared about PS 6, works just fine for me.

So glaives being 34, or at least speculated at, would mean you could run 2 glaives and Vessary, all with x7 and crackshot. I'll take it. Sure your PS isn't the greatest, but I've flown RGPs forever and never cared about PS 6, works just fine for me.

When your only green maneuvers are straight forward, you're going to wish you could have found room for TIE Mk. II.

At 34 points, I expect Glaives will find less table time than Deltas. A 33 point Delta (Flechette Cannon and TIE Mk. II) will do a better job of pointing in the direction you want against the lists with the new stress pilots, Chopper and 4-Lom. And Crack Shot has dubious value against the Ghost, or TLT lists.

The Delta card only comes in the TIE Defender expansion. To run 3 Delta Ds, you will own a total of 5 Defenders, lawl.

Edited by Vulf

So glaives being 34, or at least speculated at, would mean you could run 2 glaives and Vessary, all with x7 and crackshot. I'll take it. Sure your PS isn't the greatest, but I've flown RGPs forever and never cared about PS 6, works just fine for me.

When your only green maneuvers are straight forward, you're going to wish you could have found room for TIE Mk. II.

At 34 points, I expect Glaives will find less table time than Deltas. A 33 point Delta (Flechette Cannon and TIE Mk. II) will do a better job of pointing in the direction you want against the lists with the new stress pilots, Chopper and 4-Lom. And Crack Shot has dubious value against the Ghost, or TLT lists.

The Delta card only comes in the TIE Defender expansion. To run 3 Delta Ds, you will own a total of 5 Defenders, lawl.

Agreed. The Glaive is in a hard spot. Price it at 34, and no one will take it with Vessery at 35 if they only want a single Defender. Its also too expensive for triple defenders, as there is no great ept that you could run on all three with the x7 title. Price it at 33, and you deliver the killing blow to Onyx (though I'm pretty sure they were stillborn anyways). You open up the nice triple Glaive x7 with Juke list, but apparently people think that is too cheap, even if it leaves no room for TIE mk II, which they will want. You still can't run triple Defenders with /D on the Glaive, even at 33 points, you'll have to go down to Delta's for that, so they aren't negatively impacted by that price.

Price them at 33 points. This makes them usable as a single, as a pair, or even as a pack of three. Price them at 34 points, and no one will pick one over Vessery if they only want one Defender, they might become usable as a pair with Vessery (remember, you chose him as your first Defender) if you want two, and you can't field 3 of them together with an ept that matters.

Edited by HolySorcerer

So glaives being 34, or at least speculated at, would mean you could run 2 glaives and Vessary, all with x7 and crackshot. I'll take it. Sure your PS isn't the greatest, but I've flown RGPs forever and never cared about PS 6, works just fine for me.

When your only green maneuvers are straight forward, you're going to wish you could have found room for TIE Mk. II.

At 34 points, I expect Glaives will find less table time than Deltas. A 33 point Delta (Flechette Cannon and TIE Mk. II) will do a better job of pointing in the direction you want against the lists with the new stress pilots, Chopper and 4-Lom. And Crack Shot has dubious value against the Ghost, or TLT lists.

The Delta card only comes in the TIE Defender expansion. To run 3 Delta Ds, you will own a total of 5 Defenders, lawl.

Agreed. The Glaive is in a hard spot. Price it at 34, and no one will take it with Vessery at 35 if they only want a single Defender. Its also too expensive for triple defenders, as there is no great ept that you could run on all three with the x7 title. Price it at 33, and you deliver the killing blow to Onyx (though I'm pretty sure they were stillborn anyways). You open up the nice triple Glaive x7 with Juke list, but apparently people think that is too cheap, even if it leaves no room for TIE mk II, which they will want. You still can't run triple Defenders with /D on the Glaive, even at 33 points, you'll have to go down to Delta's for that, so they aren't negatively impacted by that price.

Price them at 33 points. This makes them usable as a single, as a pair, or even as a pack of three. Price them at 34 points, and no one will pick one over Vessery if they only want one Defender, they might become usable as a pair with Vessery (remember, you chose him as your first Defender) if you want two, and you can't field 3 of them together with an ept that matters.

Well, you could run three of them with X7 and VI if you want all 8s