Join Kelvan, Antigrapist, Sozin and Blair cover the latest spoilers from Imperial Veterans and then discuss the state of rebels in the wave 8 meta game. How have rebel squads evolved to deal with both jumpmasters and imperial aces? The only way to find out is to listen in!

List of the Week: AlexW’s Wedge, Sabine, Jake

Submit your imperial bomber and/or system officer lists to scumandvillainy at gmail.com

Show link: http://teamcovenant.com/star-wars-x-wing/scum-and-villainy-31-seeds-of-a-new-rebellion

Direct Link: http://media.blubrry.com/teamcovenant/p/scumvillainy.podbean.com/mf/web/dkirws/episode31_rebeloptions.mp3

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Thanks to all our excutive producers, without which this show wouldn’t sound nearly as good:

Mr. Bubbles

Seth Dunlap

Grayfax

Masseter

Jason H

Guido Kessels

Matt Siebert

Richard Haile

Michael Buccheri

Steve Harvey

Gregory Nussbaum

Ryan Payne

Wereplatypus

Is it on iTunes? The app says there is no new episode.

Kelvan, the skill with which your crew carried on without you suggests they don't need you too much. They haven't thrown you out an airlock yet, though, which suggests they're keeping you around for something. Do you have a fall guy on the crew? You know how it goes, if you look around and you don't see the fall guy, you're the fall guy.

Is it on iTunes? The app says there is no new episode.

Yes, when I load iTunes and refresh our podcast, the new episode appears.

Is it on iTunes? The app says there is no new episode.

Yes, when I load iTunes and refresh our podcast, the new episode appears.

Aaaaand there it showed up for me as well.

Kelvan, the skill with which your crew carried on without you suggests they don't need you too much. They haven't thrown you out an airlock yet, though, which suggests they're keeping you around for something. Do you have a fall guy on the crew? You know how it goes, if you look around and you don't see the fall guy, you're the fall guy.

JoyNvengeance is the fall guy. He's the worst.

Man, the "state of the rebel" talk is on my schedule this week! Dang pirates, stealing my topics!

Man, the "state of the rebel" talk is on my schedule this week! Dang pirates, stealing my topics!

Why did you think we had you on the ship last time? Great artists steal or something...

Excellent episode guys.

I did notice Kelvan's absence since nobody was interrupting when someone else talked .

Anyway i think Rebels are sort of where Scum used to be before wave 8 (save for Brobots) - they have a lot of funky lists, but none which are quite there in terms of tier1 competetive play. I too am quite surprised by the increasing number of Dashes (with VCX), but those lists mostly seem meh to me.I dont think Dash is in a good place in the current meta since he doesnt trade well at R3 with uboots and he cant push for R1 to hide from the ordnance AND he's vulnerable to aces, especially the newly released inquisitor.

Not saying he cant win, just saying that the 2 most popular archetypes right now are unfavorable matchups for Dash (Kanan or Kyle doesnt even matter that much here).

The one rebel list i didnt see talked about which has seen some play in my area is Jake+Tycho+something for ~30pts (can be another A with prockets or 2 prototypes or a Sabine or Ezra shuttle or Jan for 6dice prockets or even something crazy like a Fringer blocker). On paper it threatens both aces and uboats but obviously it has weaknesses (ie blocking and low damage after prockets), so i think its somewhere around tier 1.5-2.

Man, the "state of the rebel" talk is on my schedule this week! Dang pirates, stealing my topics!

Why did you think we had you on the ship last time? Great artists steal or something...

Hiring Pau Lahever was a great call

Thanks for picking the list! I agree that the lack of initiative bid could be a problem, but a lot of people seem to be going to 8s. I agree that LW is maybe not needed but it is a card that in this list, Wedge gets to use quite a bit since everyone does their own thing and he's the easiest target (same reason for BB 8). That said, Adaptability wouldn't be bad and maybe I'll try out that version. The Sabine build is from Theorist and I think can go great anywhere.

As for Jax vs Inquisitor, I think Jax is still a bit underrated when compared to the aces except by people that play him regularly. I don't see the Inquisitor as a upgrade there.

Thanks for picking the list! I agree that the lack of initiative bid could be a problem, but a lot of people seem to be going to 8s. I agree that LW is maybe not needed but it is a card that in this list, Wedge gets to use quite a bit since everyone does their own thing and he's the easiest target (same reason for BB 8). That said, Adaptability wouldn't be bad and maybe I'll try out that version. The Sabine build is from Theorist and I think can go great anywhere.

As for Jax vs Inquisitor, I think Jax is still a bit underrated when compared to the aces except by people that play him regularly. I don't see the Inquisitor as a upgrade there.

Theorist LOVES Sabine. He and Sozin played several games of Sabine v Omega Leader because he posited that Sabine would win 100 out of 100 times. So of course Sozin won the first game and Jeff changed that to 99 out of 100...

In fairness, Jeff won the second one. It's an interesting match up. At first I thought OL would just crush it, but it isn't a layup at all. Sabine can dodge arcs like a boss, and with Crewbacca on board the shuttle is super beefy.

Excellent episode guys.

I did notice Kelvan's absence since nobody was interrupting when someone else talked .

In fairness sometimes Lyle needs interrupting, and I'm just the man to do it.

So the guys brought up 2A3B because they know my triggers and like when I suffer.

Let's talk about 5 ship rebel and whether it's actually viable right now.

My favorite version is still:

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing 22 Ship Total: 22

Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing 22 Ship Total: 22

Gold Squadron Pilot — Y-Wing 18 Twin Laser Turret 6 R3-A2 2 BTL-A4 Y-Wing 0 Ship Total: 26

So the guys brought up 2A3B because they know my triggers and like when I suffer.

Let's talk about 5 ship rebel and whether it's actually viable right now.

My favorite version is still:

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing 22 Ship Total: 22

Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing 22 Ship Total: 22

Gold Squadron Pilot — Y-Wing 18 Twin Laser Turret 6 R3-A2 2 BTL-A4 Y-Wing 0 Ship Total: 26

I got very excited when 5-Ship Rebels got mentioned. There's nothing I like more in this game than arc-coverage and blocking and nothing does that as well as a those kinds of lists.

At the moment I'm quite enjoying:

2x Prototypes A-Wings with Refit

2x Talas Z-95s with Homing Missiles and Guidance Chips

Ten Numb with Calculation, Tractor Beam and Baffle

I may try adding in Jan instead of Ten. I want to put E'than in instead... but I can't see it working at the moment. Anyway, that list has done okay in a couple of practice games*, I've got a small Kit Tourney soon where I can give it a better test.

* just TLT and some Aces, though. Maybe U-Boats will laugh at them.

So the guys brought up 2A3B because they know my triggers and like when I suffer.

Let's talk about 5 ship rebel and whether it's actually viable right now.

My favorite version is still:

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing 22 Ship Total: 22

Blue Squadron Pilot — B-Wing 22 Ship Total: 22

Gold Squadron Pilot — Y-Wing 18 Twin Laser Turret 6 R3-A2 2 BTL-A4 Y-Wing 0 Ship Total: 26

I got very excited when 5-Ship Rebels got mentioned. There's nothing I like more in this game than arc-coverage and blocking and nothing does that as well as a those kinds of lists.

At the moment I'm quite enjoying:

2x Prototypes A-Wings with Refit

2x Talas Z-95s with Homing Missiles and Guidance Chips

Ten Numb with Calculation, Tractor Beam and Baffle

I may try adding in Jan instead of Ten. I want to put E'than in instead... but I can't see it working at the moment. Anyway, that list has done okay in a couple of practice games*, I've got a small Kit Tourney soon where I can give it a better test.

* just TLT and some Aces, though. Maybe U-Boats will laugh at them.

you did this to me... I hope you can sleep at night.

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Prototype Pilot — A-Wing 17 Chardaan Refit -2 Ship Total: 15

Bandit Squadron Pilot — Z-95 Headhunter 12 Homing Missiles 5 Guidance Chips 0 Ship Total: 17

Bandit Squadron Pilot — Z-95 Headhunter 12 Homing Missiles 5 Guidance Chips 0 Ship Total: 17

Horton Salm — Y-Wing 25 Twin Laser Turret 6 R2-D6 1 Adaptability 0 Engine Upgrade 4 Ship Total: 36

What about:

Prototype Pilot, Refit 15

Prototype Pilot, Refit 15

Rookie Pilot, R2, Integrated Astromech 22

Rookie Pilot, R2, Integrated Astromech 22

Blue Squadron Novice, R3A2, Integrated Astromech 26

I think B-wings are in a worse place than X-wings, because their slowness makes them more exploitable, and 5 shields 1 AGI is just asking for a 5 damage shot from Plasma Scouts, but you could certainly put Blues instead of the 22 point Rookies. With the BSN, you can either hang back and bother people with R3A2, or you can boost up for a block to protect, and there's really no way for the other squad to predict what's going to happen.

Took this list to the Stele Open and had a lot of fun with it.

Blount (Draw Their Fire, Tracers)

Biggs (R4-D6, Plasma Torps, Guidance Chips)

Tala (Concussion Missiles, Guidance Chips)

Tala (Concussion Missiles, Guidance Chips)

Tala (Homing Missiles, Guidance Chips)

I went 3-3 in Swiss. My two early losses were primarily because I didn't have a good deployment/first turn plan, which I figured out over the course of the day. My final loss was a really close game. I think it has potential if I keep practicing it.

Blair just won a Deep Core match with his worlds 5 ship rebel list.

Was that the 5 A-Wing list?

No he prefers:

100 points Pilots

------

Prototype Pilot (17) A-Wing (17), Chardaan Refit (-2), Autothrusters (2)

Blue Squadron Pilot (22) x 2

Tala Squadron Pilot (13)

Gold Squadron Pilot (26) Y-Wing (18), BTL-A4 Y-Wing (0), R3-A2 (2), Twin Laser Turret (6)

Got a list for Systems Officer and TIE/Shuttle for you guys!

8-BIT (Brath, Inquisitor, Tomax) (100)

The Inquisitor (31) - TIE Adv. Prototype

Push The Limit (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Tomax Bren (31) - TIE Bomber

Cool Hand (1), TIE Shuttle (0), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1), Systems Officer (2), Fleet Officer (3)

Rexler Brath (38) - TIE Defender

Juke (2), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Inquisitor in this list can get up to 4 actions stress free if helped by Systems Officer. Likewise, Brath benefits from SO and the extra focus from FO. Tomax is tricky to take down fast with a potential focus+evade every turn. With them all being the same PS, SO is not as hard to make work. Still tricky, but not as difficult as having varied PS.

Another Systems Officer List...also has 2 other pilots you guys love:

Scimitar + title+ Systems officer + fleet officer + MKII

Deathfire + proximity + plasma torp + extra muni

Valen Rudor + PTL + Title+ thrusters+ Prockets

Zeta Leader + Wired

99pts

You can go for the 31pt Inquisitor instead of Rudor and/or drop Plasmas/fleet officer for comms relay and Juke Inquisor... Some wiggle room overall.

For Systems Officer:

Imperial Snipers 100

The Inquisitor 30

Juke

TIE v1

Autothrusters

Kir Kanos 26

Autothrusters

Omega Squadron 22

Juke

Comms Relay

Scimitar Squadron 22

TIE Shuttle

Systems Officer

Fleet Officer

TIE MKII

For this list I imagine flying the snipers together, leaving the officers behind, to catch up next round. The officer would pass a focus and target lock to Kir Kanos, and the other focus could really go to any of the others. There is also the extra punch from two ships having Juke and relatively reliable evade tokens. In terms of staying power, each ship should have an evade token each turn (except for the officers), which could be used for defense if need be. (Is systems officer the Kir Kanos fix we have been waiting for???)