Hi everyone. I have been experimenting a great deal with Rebel builds lately as my favorite (Dash Corran or Dash Poe) just doesn't seem to cut it in the current meta. I think I have latched onto something though. The Rebels don't have many "fast" ships, the ones we do have though are the E-Wing, A-Wing, and K-Wing. I began thinking about this because of the Chihuahuas list that is out there and my own experiments with Corran and 2 GSP list. I think the Answer Rebels has to the current meta is Speed.

I know it sounds stupid, and I know it may seem like I'm out on a long limb, but the problem I see with U-Boats and Palp Aces is the enemy's capability to control the range and tempo of the combat. The A, E, and K Wings all take that away from the enemy. It is a list type that seems to require a bit more patience and finesse than the older 4 ship standbys that Rebel players are used to, but it seems that they have the speed to dictate how the engagement plays out and can either engage or disengage almost at will and move across the board with enough speed to force the enemy to split or play in a way that they don't want to.

Im curious about what everyone else's thoughts are on this. I know there are hard counters out there but I think this may be the answer that the Rebels are looking for in their efforts against the Wave 8 Meta.

And the Crackshot A-Wing just happens to be fast and efficient. It's a very solid rebel building block. And at the moment the rebels don't have many of those. I am intrigued by that beastly Ghost w/ AC, ABT and Zeb w/ Ezra and something else.

Dash with Ghost are doing pretty well. I would say its top tier build. Some T65 (Biggs, Wes) are also back on tables as their abilities fit nicely into meta but powerbuild with them is to be found yet.

I love my k-wing bombing runs, plus using conner nets and cluster mines to effectively block off the board and give my opponent a choice of take damage or skip a turn repositioning. Advanced slam is a must have on a bomber k wing

I also enjoy my lucky sevens list using gemmer with vi, Jake and etahn (engine upgrade to keep up). Haven't come up against the flying toilet seats yet but slow rolling then boosting into range 1 and changing a hit to a crit works nicely

Some T65 (Biggs, Wes) are also back on tables as their abilities fit nicely into meta but powerbuild with them is to be found yet.

It depends on what you mean by "powerbuild." I placed 9th at Fresno with Brace Yourself, at 4-2, with the 2nd highest MoV -- overall, not just for 4-2 -- after Swiss. One loss was to Dallas (the eventual winner), and one was a very unfortunate loss against a list Brace Yourself beats nine of 10 games. In my Top 8 game (one player dropped), I came one hit (or one non-rolled evade) away from advancing to the Top 4. I just played the player who placed 2nd after Swiss in Fresno (two JumpBastards, Torkil) and beat him two out of three games ... and I flew like complete crap. (My red dice helped me seal the final game after bumps and rocks galore earlier in the game.)

So, again, it depends on what you mean by "powerbuild." I would agree that, without significant luck, Brace Yourself isn't going to win a good-sized Regionals. But I think in the current meta it's an actual favorite -- flown well -- to make the cut and probably a game or two into it. (Which is good, because that's what I designed it to do.) It has incredible hard and soft, brutal and subtle, synergies. It's relatively easy to fly, and not too draining in a long tourney.

Its only truly bad match-up is a Crack Shot TIE Swarm, because that list can kill Biggs much faster than any other archetype. Luckily, TIE swarms are pretty hard to fly. It was designed to kill JumpBastards. It doesn't mind Palp Aces at all. I don't particularly like to see multiple Imperial Aces, because Imperial Aces players (without Palp) tend to be very good flyers, so I have to fly better, too, which is tiring; but the list doesn't hate the match-up: one single overlapping Wes/Keyan shot, and an Ace dies.

Give it a try. People consistently underestimate it until they actually see it in play ... then they either give or take a HHCCC Proton Torp from Keyan, and their eyes light up.

Brace Yourself

Wes + DTF + R2-D2 + IA (34)

Keyan + AdvS + Opportunist + Proton Torp + GC (40)

Biggs + R4-D6 + IA (26)

Horton Salm (25)
Autoblaster Turret (2)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
Extra Munitions (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

"Dutch" Vander (23)
Autoblaster Turret (2)
Extra Munitions (2)
Proton Torpedoes (4)
R2-D6 (1)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Guidance Chips (0)

Lieutenant Blount (17)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Assault Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Try this it has something for everything

This Keyan build looks pretty nasty, but I would go for something more survivable Tbh it depends on your playstyle. I heard of some other Wes/Biggs builds that sounds capable: with Corran, with Ghost, with Nera, with Z95 missle carriers etc. but I feel that good results of those builds are more connected with the skills of players than with the strength of the list itself. It might be your case as well

This Keyan build looks pretty nasty, but I would go for something more survivable

This is what I mean, though. The survivability of Keyan -- and to only a slightly lesser extent, Wes -- is extremely difficult to understand until you fly the list. When I fly, I rarely lose Keyan or Wes. Either of them. In Fresno, I had three games in which I didn't lose a single ship, not even Biggs.

I feel that good results of those builds are more connected with the skills of players than with the strength of the list itself. It might be your case as well

My ego would love -- seriously, it would -- to accept that, but it's not true. In an absolute sense, within the entire player-base, I'm a strong player. But in a serious tournament environment, I'm "slightly above average" at best. I do have a talent for finding or tweaking very strong squadrons, and that talent has carried me to some success, and that's what Brace Yourself is. An average player will find it very strong in the current meta, and a truly good flyer could ride it further than I can. I'm basically evangelizing, because I want to see an elite pilot win with it. (My own hopes top out at Top Eight.)

Like the list, been playing around with a wes list and this is what I came up with, not sure how it would work vs jump masters but has taken out a dash/chewie list and a nasty imperial closet/maarik/vessery list, just need to get a bit more practice in with it.

Ten plus (99)

Ten Numb (36) - B-Wing

Veteran Instincts (1), Fire Control System (2), B-Wing/E2 (1), Hera Syndulla (1)

Tycho Celchu (31) - A-Wing

Rage (1), Chardaan Refit (-2), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Experimental Interface (3), Push The Limit (3)

Wes Janson (32) - X-Wing

Veteran Instincts (1), Targeting Astromech (2), Integrated Astromech (0)

So far it is ten and tycho that have done the brunt of the damage, wes seems to deal little damage but removing tokens helps push through my own when I need it to.

Some T65 (Biggs, Wes) are also back on tables as their abilities fit nicely into meta but powerbuild with them is to be found yet.

It depends on what you mean by "powerbuild." I placed 9th at Fresno with Brace Yourself, at 4-2, with the 2nd highest MoV -- overall, not just for 4-2 -- after Swiss. One loss was to Dallas (the eventual winner), and one was a very unfortunate loss against a list Brace Yourself beats nine of 10 games. In my Top 8 game (one player dropped), I came one hit (or one non-rolled evade) away from advancing to the Top 4. I just played the player who placed 2nd after Swiss in Fresno (two JumpBastards, Torkil) and beat him two out of three games ... and I flew like complete crap. (My red dice helped me seal the final game after bumps and rocks galore earlier in the game.)

So, again, it depends on what you mean by "powerbuild." I would agree that, without significant luck, Brace Yourself isn't going to win a good-sized Regionals. But I think in the current meta it's an actual favorite -- flown well -- to make the cut and probably a game or two into it. (Which is good, because that's what I designed it to do.) It has incredible hard and soft, brutal and subtle, synergies. It's relatively easy to fly, and not too draining in a long tourney.

Its only truly bad match-up is a Crack Shot TIE Swarm, because that list can kill Biggs much faster than any other archetype. Luckily, TIE swarms are pretty hard to fly. It was designed to kill JumpBastards. It doesn't mind Palp Aces at all. I don't particularly like to see multiple Imperial Aces, because Imperial Aces players (without Palp) tend to be very good flyers, so I have to fly better, too, which is tiring; but the list doesn't hate the match-up: one single overlapping Wes/Keyan shot, and an Ace dies.

Give it a try. People consistently underestimate it until they actually see it in play ... then they either give or take a HHCCC Proton Torp from Keyan, and their eyes light up.

Brace Yourself

Wes + DTF + R2-D2 + IA (34)

Keyan + AdvS + Opportunist + Proton Torp + GC (40)

Biggs + R4-D6 + IA (26)

You and I were the top Rebels at the tourney. I placed 10th (4-2) with:

Miranda + C3P0 + Autoblaster Turret + EM + Homing Mis. + GC

Airen Cracken + VI + Homing Mis. + GC

Jan Ors + VI + TLT + Nien Numb

I had to face your buddy who was running the same list in the 2nd round after I used by regional bye for the first round. We lamented many times how we hated to have to face each other as we felt we were the good guys in this tournament playing rebels. It was a good match that he eventually won (Biggs with R4-D6 is a nightmare for my list).

This is the face of the rebels currently, high damage - glass cannonish.

Some T65 (Biggs, Wes) are also back on tables as their abilities fit nicely into meta but powerbuild with them is to be found yet.

It depends on what you mean by "powerbuild." I placed 9th at Fresno with Brace Yourself, at 4-2, with the 2nd highest MoV -- overall, not just for 4-2 -- after Swiss. One loss was to Dallas (the eventual winner), and one was a very unfortunate loss against a list Brace Yourself beats nine of 10 games. In my Top 8 game (one player dropped), I came one hit (or one non-rolled evade) away from advancing to the Top 4. I just played the player who placed 2nd after Swiss in Fresno (two JumpBastards, Torkil) and beat him two out of three games ... and I flew like complete crap. (My red dice helped me seal the final game after bumps and rocks galore earlier in the game.)

So, again, it depends on what you mean by "powerbuild." I would agree that, without significant luck, Brace Yourself isn't going to win a good-sized Regionals. But I think in the current meta it's an actual favorite -- flown well -- to make the cut and probably a game or two into it. (Which is good, because that's what I designed it to do.) It has incredible hard and soft, brutal and subtle, synergies. It's relatively easy to fly, and not too draining in a long tourney.

Its only truly bad match-up is a Crack Shot TIE Swarm, because that list can kill Biggs much faster than any other archetype. Luckily, TIE swarms are pretty hard to fly. It was designed to kill JumpBastards. It doesn't mind Palp Aces at all. I don't particularly like to see multiple Imperial Aces, because Imperial Aces players (without Palp) tend to be very good flyers, so I have to fly better, too, which is tiring; but the list doesn't hate the match-up: one single overlapping Wes/Keyan shot, and an Ace dies.

Give it a try. People consistently underestimate it until they actually see it in play ... then they either give or take a HHCCC Proton Torp from Keyan, and their eyes light up.

Brace Yourself

Wes + DTF + R2-D2 + IA (34)

Keyan + AdvS + Opportunist + Proton Torp + GC (40)

Biggs + R4-D6 + IA (26)

You and I were the top Rebels at the tourney. I placed 10th (4-2) with:

Miranda + C3P0 + Autoblaster Turret + EM + Homing Mis. + GC

Airen Cracken + VI + Homing Mis. + GC

Jan Ors + VI + TLT + Nien Numb

I had to face your buddy who was running the same list in the 2nd round after I used by regional bye for the first round. We lamented many times how we hated to have to face each other as we felt we were the good guys in this tournament playing rebels. It was a good match that he eventually won (Biggs with R4-D6 is a nightmare for my list).

This is the face of the rebels currently, high damage - glass cannonish.

Interesting list. Do you have any battle reports? Would like to know how you flew the list. Jan Ors has been on my mind a lot recently, toying around with her in many lists.

My regional us next Saturday. I'll see how my list performs in the wild, and if it proves good, I'll report back.

5 A-Wings with AT and Crackshot is the best and probably the only playable list. Dash and Ghost maybe...

Gonna try a list that goes like this:

Dagger Squadron (B-Wing) with Gunner, title and FCS

T-70 Veteran crackshot, R2-Astromech and IA.

2 A-Wing with crack and AT.

The point with this list is to have firepower yet be able to to block opponents. A-Wings could start first and block toilets seats or U-boats. While T-70 and B-Wing fire their laser.

Could also try 3 B-Wings with tractor beam and gunners. Tractor beam didn't go in? Taste my primary.

What about this list?

Horton, Plasma, EM, Chimps, AT

Miranda Protorps, EM, Chimps

Nera, Deadeye, Protorps, EM, Chimps

Should sink a Potty Seat on the first engagement, with turret fire on the pass (faux turret for Nera).

You got regen if you need it, actionless mods, lots of HP. You can't block the Potties though. Should be able to handle Aces reasonably well. Have not flown it so I dunno. Basically inspired by some lists already discussed here.

works v palp aces at least

two "Chadwick" guardians (homing, seismics) and a sabine warden with moar seismics. Torn between ABT or flechette on him. 1 point bid essential for opposing crackswarms with sexy seismics and SLAM shenanigans

**** hard to play, though, and the dice will still **** you. Lost a game at a local tournie because an opposing ghost rolled more naked evades than all 3 of them combined

I had a good time running a Warden K-Wing with Sabine and Conner Nets against Palp Aces. Omega Leader was deleted in a single turn.

Edit: Here's the list in case anyone is interested.

I have been testing Keyan of late and find this to be a very resilient package:

Sensor Jammer (4), B-Wing/E2 (1), C-3PO (3)

C-3po and the jammer let him sluff off hits like crazy.

I've been linking it with PtL and a mangler on Keyan, but it could work well outside of this.

I imagine that double ghost Biggs or double ghost Y-Wing, 3x autoblaster turret is great. Dash especially with Kanan is overpowered as always.

Rebel players have options, they just need to put thought into list building instead of just slapping Poe and Miranda together like it's wave 7.

I'm not an experienced Rebel player, but I ran an experimental list at a local tournament yesterday. It was:

Prototype Pilot, refit = 15

Red Squadron Veteran, R3A2, Crack Shot, Integrated Astromech = 29

Red Squadron Veteran, R4D6, Adrenaline Rush, Integrated Astromech = 28

Red Squadron Veteran, R5X3, Adrenaline Rush, Integrated Astromech = 28

The particular EPTs used were just a function of what I had available, and there's an argument to be made for different choices, but the general squad makeup seemed solid to me. The whoever archetype and flying style us something I'm pretty unfamiliar with, but I was able to beat a 3-ship Rebel list, Poe-Dash(slim)-Z, and Chihuahuas, all run by fairly competent players. The tournament was only 3 rounds, and I came in second due to first having more MOV.

Obviously I didn't face the meta bogeymen out there, but I don't really hate those matchups either. The A-wing gives you a good chance to block up some scouts, and the T70s both shoot before the Scouts and can boost into Range 1. They take some work to kill, as well. While 7 effective hit points behind 2 AGI is not great for an ace, for a ship in the high 20s, it's fairly stout. Against aces, each ship can be a blocker, and it's got a touch of stress control to keep them on their toes. It's also got the speed and firepower to just wreck the shuttle before taking too much damage. PS4 seems to be in a good place right now, too.

I'm not an experienced Rebel player, but I ran an experimental list at a local tournament yesterday. It was:

Prototype Pilot, refit = 15

Red Squadron Veteran, R3A2, Crack Shot, Integrated Astromech = 29

Red Squadron Veteran, R4D6, Adrenaline Rush, Integrated Astromech = 28

Red Squadron Veteran, R5X3, Adrenaline Rush, Integrated Astromech = 28

The particular EPTs used were just a function of what I had available, and there's an argument to be made for different choices, but the general squad makeup seemed solid to me. The whoever archetype and flying style us something I'm pretty unfamiliar with, but I was able to beat a 3-ship Rebel list, Poe-Dash(slim)-Z, and Chihuahuas, all run by fairly competent players. The tournament was only 3 rounds, and I came in second due to first having more MOV.

Obviously I didn't face the meta bogeymen out there, but I don't really hate those matchups either. The A-wing gives you a good chance to block up some scouts, and the T70s both shoot before the Scouts and can boost into Range 1. They take some work to kill, as well. While 7 effective hit points behind 2 AGI is not great for an ace, for a ship in the high 20s, it's fairly stout. Against aces, each ship can be a blocker, and it's got a touch of stress control to keep them on their toes. It's also got the speed and firepower to just wreck the shuttle before taking too much damage. PS4 seems to be in a good place right now, too.

I'd put Adrenaline Rush on the Stressbot carrier so it can turn around while stressed if need be.

Yeah, my initial thought was that it should have Crack Shot, because the Stressbot would be the first target, and might not live to use Adrenaline Rush. I was probably underestimating the durability of the platform, though. I also considered Wired, and even Cool Hand, which are all sort of good against different things. Adrenaline Rush was really useful on the other two, though, maybe better than Crack Shot, because its effect could really propagate over several turns.