Any pilot ability that deals with crits seems to be 'not that good' as voted by a a vocal minority on the forums. The Defender will soon have two such pilots, Good ol Rexler and Stele. If you don't want to include either pilot in your lists then don't. Personally I think these pilots can work in both 100 pt death matches with minimal upgrades as well as be phenomenal in Epic games. Getting to use those abilities is great, but don't forget to actually fly the **** ship first.

Rexler's doesn't deal with crits (or at least, not on the dice).

He's seen as not that good because you have to spend an action to activate his ability which you can't use to mod dice. And modded dice are how you make good lists.

I've seen Juke Rexler work, and I think he's going to be made better by the twin officer shuttle, but other than PS, he's not an outstanding pilot.

I look at both him and Maarek in Defenders more as pilot skill with a bonus ability, rather than paying huge attention to either ability. They're bonuses, not the central point.

Anyone who's earned their hipster defender pilot status knows the power of Rexler, you kids will learn the hard way.

Anyone who's earned their hipster defender pilot status knows the power of Rexler, you kids will learn the hard way.

I guess I wasn't hipster enough. I always flew the Col. and thought I was cool. Maybe that makes me a wannabe? Still, there are some guys that have a reflexive hatred of Col V enough that they target him first in every match.

U guys r well hung up on spelling, have u never usedtxt speak before? Anyway I think x7 mkii ptl wud b cool, /D I think tractor beam wud suit him better but I think x7 wud lend better keep him cheap as n get natural crits wen they come

Man, here's the thing (and please be aware I mean all this in the nicest, most constructive way possible). Spelling is how we communicate with one another on here. Spelling is pronunciation. If someone walked up to you and started to talk to you the way you're typing to us, you'd think they had some real problems. And YOU, meanwhile, would have a real problem immediately understanding them. It's hard to tell when you're "text speaking" versus when you're dropping an abbreviation versus when you're using an acronym for something, and basically it's a dumpster fire.

For real. Take just a few extra seconds and communicate in a legible fashion, and these comments will go away.

TIE/D, Marksmanship, Ion Cannon, TIEmk2.

At least, until FFG adds these upgrades to the game.

TIE/D, Marksmanship, Ion Cannon, TIEmk2.

At least, until FFG adds these upgrades to the game.

"With these upgrades, you never stood a chance"

U guys r well hung up on spelling, have u never usedtxt speak before?

I know it isn't the case here; but in general, the thing is, if you cannot be bothered to spell correctly - then most people cannot be bothered to read what you post - and many will also take offense, as it makes you look lazy.

For me, Maarek belongs in the TIE Adv. for now.

I cannot justify taking him over Rexler, Vessery or even Ryad.

Maybe that will change with future upgrade cards.

Anyone who's earned their hipster defender pilot status knows the power of Rexler, you kids will learn the hard way.

I guess I wasn't hipster enough. I always flew the Col. and thought I was cool. Maybe that makes me a wannabe? Still, there are some guys that have a reflexive hatred of Col V enough that they target him first in every match.

In time, you will learn to fear the Rex.

Anyone who's earned their hipster defender pilot status knows the power of Rexler, you kids will learn the hard way.

I guess I wasn't hipster enough. I always flew the Col. and thought I was cool. Maybe that makes me a wannabe? Still, there are some guys that have a reflexive hatred of Col V enough that they target him first in every match.

In time, you will learn to fear the Rex.

I loved him as a whaling ship during the height of the Fat Turret meta and hes always been great in epic. Brath is weird in that his ability is not one you will use every game or even every event but when you get to trigger it you instantly alter the entire course of the game because it just absolute wrecks what it hits.

must be my neck of the woods then coz ppl do type n talk like this where im from and we also accept tht in say an exam or interview u hav to speak eloquently and properly but as language evolves casually it will eventually turn into something much more informal. I jus surprised ur so hung up on it when I've been on forums for years and no one has ever had a problem with txt type/speak. but hey to each ones one. we not here for tht we here to talk awesome defenders. I reckon im settled on calculation, mkii, x7.

U guys r well hung up on spelling, have u never usedtxt speak before? Anyway I think x7 mkii ptl wud b cool, /D I think tractor beam wud suit him better but I think x7 wud lend better keep him cheap as n get natural crits wen they come

Man, here's the thing (and please be aware I mean all this in the nicest, most constructive way possible). Spelling is how we communicate with one another on here. Spelling is pronunciation. If someone walked up to you and started to talk to you the way you're typing to us, you'd think they had some real problems. And YOU, meanwhile, would have a real problem immediately understanding them. It's hard to tell when you're "text speaking" versus when you're dropping an abbreviation versus when you're using an acronym for something, and basically it's a dumpster fire.

For real. Take just a few extra seconds and communicate in a legible fashion, and these comments will go away.

U wat mate?

Think yer a geezer do ya? ur havin a lauf mate innit.

See, that's the great thing and maaerek. If PS5 isn't appealing and/or you're already flying the countess, a PS7 pilot for one point more - on a 28pt hull no less - is a bargain.

While Vessery needs squads built to help him, and the countess wants to load up with funky fancy tricks, stele lines x7 just fine - and with VI is PS9, with juke is hitting like a truck for 34pts total , and with calculation is critting as often as the x1 version does when you factor in the TL limits on ATC, and with more flexibility besides.

Is he the best pilot in the ship? No. But he's certainly got a niche - and with so many pilots priced the same in one ship, that's all we could possibly have asked for.

I wouldn't. I would take Vessery instead, and get a pilot ability that is actually good.

Only in lists where there's synergy. And where the point in pilot skill doesn't matter (and sometimes it really does). And if you're willing to spend on TIE/D, or if you're willing to go to all that hassle for a single TL'd shot if you run x/7.

Don't get me wrong, Vessery is and will remain a beast. But if we were flying palp shuttle and soontir? Maaerek is a much better ace-level wingman.

Yes, Vessery is very dependent on the rest of his squad "feeding" him that TL. It is somewhat limiting, but there are a number of good pilots that go well with him. Vader, Omega leader and Whisper all come to mind. Valen Rudor is a possibility, and so is the Inquisitor (if you put VI on Vessery).

Maarek's ability is gimmicky, and the times it will actually make a difference are few and far between. Compared to the higher damage output of Vessery, Maarek looks pretty bleak. And it's not like you could just trigger his ability whenever you want to. He needs a mechanic to reliably be able to use it, and as such he needs to be built around, just like Vessery.