Thanks everyone! This is really helping. I scored a big win with one of my fun builds against three scouts the other day. Figured the best way to practice predicting moves is fly three X-wings lol
Strategy against scouts
Asteroid placement:
I worked out my favorite place for asteroid against scouts. Players flying scouts like to lineup on the right side (your left side) to open up their left moves.
Grab largest (longest) asteroid you have available. Place it range 4 from the opponents end, and about half inch (width of range ruler) passed range 2 on the sides. If the scout does a 1,2,3 opening straight move, his 1 bank, 2 sharp and bank, and 3 bank are blocked.
If he moved 1 forward opening, his only turn option is the 1 sharp. If he opens with 1 forward, and 1 forward again trying to slow play, this asteroid placement blocks ALL his moves except straight, so he will be forced to move straight on his third turn. Plenty of time for you to get behind their arc.
Head on collision! Sure Why not!?
To block a scout with a small ship aka Awing Proto:
Round 1: Move 3 forward.
If a scout goes 4 forward, you are still out of range 3. (rule of 11, 4 move + 2 base and your 3 move + 1 base)
Round 2: Move 5 forward and boost (rule of 16 for range 1, you just got the 15 move (3+1base,5+1base,1+1base, and he still has to move at least 1 + 2 base aka bump)
With the 5 boost, and scout did a 1 straight opening, you block all his straights but 4 straight. If he did 2,3 straight, he has to fly past you with a 3+ straight, aka no arc for ordnance.
If he did a 1 straight opening, and you want to range 1 AND fight, do a 5 straight and action. If he does a 1 straight you are both in range 1. 2/3 straight and he bumps.
So, if your awing proto does a 3 forward
His scout does a 1 forward.
Your Awing proto does a 5 straight and boost.
He gets blocked trying to 1,2,3 straight. His banks are blocked by the asteroid. His only safe moves are a 4 straight passed you, or a 1 turn left, putting you out of arc.
Next round if you blocked him, with the asteroid placement above, his ONLY option is to go straight. All his left turns and banks are blocked, and going right is only death off the board)
The times I have faced scouts, never triples mind you, only two and a slaver or something, they always lineup in the opponents right corner, so I have my one asteroid to prevent them turning inwards if they do lineup there.
If you have jousters like a T-70 and want to head on collision. Move a 3 forward, then a 4 and boost. If you bump, you bump. If not, its a range 1 exchange. But then next turn Kturn and fire (defenders are gonna love this!).
Practice practice practice. My brother and I were up for hours one night just going over a billion opening moves against scouts.
I will see if I can snap some photos this weekend.
This is one of the best posts I think I have ever seen on these forums. It's specific, detailed, informative, and helpful. It's not just a vague-ish "learn to manipulate asteroid placement, range, and engagement distances," it's "This is how you can manipulate asteroid placement, range, and engagement distances." For the newer players, it gives them step by step instructions on what to do (as well as how and why), and more importantly, it clearly shows the kind of thinking and analyzing and testing that goes into developing such tactics, so that players who master the type of setup you demonstrated here could then go on to develop their own strategies for other threats and scenarios.
Seriously, bravo man! Well done! *applauds*
Literally X-wings are the counter. Specifically hobbie with stressbot and Wes the almighty oppertunist enabler.
Or anything higher than PS3 with expert handling.
Like Biggs if you are already using the X-wings listed above.
And if you are bringing a Yt2400, try out the countermeasures. 
Literally X-wings are the counter. Specifically hobbie with stressbot and Wes the almighty oppertunist enabler.
Or anything higher than PS3 with expert handling.
Like Biggs if you are already using the X-wings listed above.
And if you are bringing a Yt2400, try out the countermeasures.
Expert Handling and Countermeasures do nothing to u-boats. They use Deadeye for launching, not TLs.
Literally X-wings are the counter. Specifically hobbie with stressbot and Wes the almighty oppertunist enabler.
Or anything higher than PS3 with expert handling.
Like Biggs if you are already using the X-wings listed above.
And if you are bringing a Yt2400, try out the countermeasures.
Expert Handling and Countermeasures do nothing to u-boats. They use Deadeye for launching, not TLs.
Oh. Then I guess I haven't faced the dreaded "uboats", I faced weapons engineer not recon spec+deadeye.
LTP, that's the official standpoint on these forums, because people just refuse to acknowledge FFG didn't do their math with the toilets' cost.
Sadly, that's only for Rebels, because Empire has Carnor and Scum has Palob for this purpose.
Also the fact that they're not actually destroying the world. I'm not sure that they've actually won a single regionals.
You need to be this good at Range control: You should be able to tell me exactly what range every single ship will be at the end of setting dials. This includes enemy barrel rolls.
Literally. Every single one. Exactly what range. Range bump, 1 2 or 3 or out.
If you can't do this, you haven't mastered range control. Simple. Go practice.
Can anyone actually do this? I love this game and have played since Core set 1 release but I'll be damned if my MK1 eyeball and memory will ever allow me to be that good.
Regardless, I do well with Uboats when I slow-roll.
I can do this only on good days, for relevant shots between ships. On other days that level of forethought evades me.
Edited by Blail BlergI've had very mixed results. My Imperial Aces got killed yesterday by 3 Scouts, which I'm very angry about (with myself) as I've practiced this match-up, but fouled up the execution this time. I alpha-struck one scout with 2x proton rockets on turn two (perfect opening), took very little damage in return and thought I was half way to winning. Unfortunately, I messed up some moves badly later, bumped and got shot to bits - guess I was tired, 5th match of the day.
In their advice, I think people underestimate how much damage the scouts can do with R1 shooting - they can usually token their fire up and then mod the defense roll with crew like zuckuss/4 lom. With their manouver dial and b-roll, they also make pretty formidable blockers. So getting to R1 really can be a mixed blessing.
If you want meta lists versus scouts, I think Imperial Aces with Carnor and Crackswarm are pretty good, though not a silver bullet.
The silver bullet lies outside of meta lists, you can nuke them with PS 4 ordnance as a hard counter. I think in particular I should mention Storm sq. Advanceds with cluster missiles, chips and accuracy corrector. Autothruster Barons with prockets and Tie v1 also qualify. A pair of these is half your list, and if everything else you bring is PS4+, I think you're all but guaranteed to smoke a scout on the first pass. Rebels and Scum have Z missile swarms, but I haven't tested any of that, so I just assume it should work with higher PS ships. Maybe I'm wrong.
What I will also be testing against scouts is something like 2 aces + 3 tie fighters. I believe that between their blocking potential and the fact that it takes 2 torps to kill a tie, they should help.
Edited by LesserEvilI'm looking for any videos of the 3 x U boat in action if anyone has any?
Reporting on asteroid placement:
Just came back from flgs tourney. First match was double scouts and a slaver. Placed my asteroid. Opponent lined scouts up in middle facing his right. He slow played with hard 1s then br backwards to his rightside. I slow played with 1 straights. He then 1 str with br again with far scout but banked with middle scout, this gave seperation on his scouts enough, and one in front of my asteroid, that I boosted into r2 of middle scout, out of his arc. His other scout was in front of my asteroid out of r3. His only move next turn was a hard 1 or straight with him, keeping him outside r3 again. I took one scout out the next turn as I just had to deal with one scout and a slaver for first two rounds of combat.
Ended up losing the match overall, testing out heragator ghost and my build does not pack enough firepower for two scouts and a slaver as she was loaded up with AC + ABT, but that one asteroid is great, cause scouts want to naturally go that way and keep the enemy on their left.
Fun match though.
Winner of tourney was
Jax loadout
3x Obs FO + Comms + Juke
Jax is a badass vs scouts. Juked FOs with Jax is just mean.
They took hoth, which was nationals-level competition. They consistently make top eight/top four. Just as importantly, they're gatekeepers. Sure, you could put a ywing in your list. But if you meet scouts, the ywing will not survive the first shots.
So you don't bring ywings.
It is all about how you fly that Y Wing and what other ships you have in support of it, or if the Y wing is supporting other ships.
Jumpmasters are going after threats on the board. Four TLT carrying Y Wings are going to take losses and not be able to put enough damage on the table before you take critical losses. A mixture of A wings with Y wings have different results.
In my region list if my opponent decides to take 2-3 torpedo shots at the Y wing, I will on average dice have one of his JM down. It's not that hard to keep a Y wing out of arc either.
They took hoth, which was nationals-level competition. They consistently make top eight/top four. Just as importantly, they're gatekeepers. Sure, you could put a ywing in your list. But if you meet scouts, the ywing will not survive the first shots.
So you don't bring ywings.
Yes, they are prevalent at Hoth. But, that was the first real tournament post Wave 8.
Of the 60 squads reported that made the cut from the 7 Regionals that have posted results, I count 10 Uboat squads. And consistently making top 8/4 after the cut is a stretch.