NOVA Squadron Radio – Episode 52: Imperial Veterans & the new Tournament Format

Welcome to NOVA Squadron Radio! This week we are minus a lot of the standard crew as Origins was happening while we were recording. We have David Carver from the Columbus X-Wing group on to help us cover Imperial Veterans. Paul also leads us in a discussion on how the new tournament format is being run and is this a preview of Worlds this year? We also finally announce our contest winners! All of that and a LOT more

NOVA Squadron Radio is:
Ed Horne – Host
Chad Brown – Co-Host
Sean Dorcy – Co-host
Bob Randall – Co-host
Kris Sherriff – Co-host
Richard Hsu – Co-host
Paul Heaver – Co-Host
David Carver – Guest Host


Here are the show notes from Episode 52:

[0:00 – 1:45] Show Opening
[1:45 –38:00] Flight Deck
[38:00– 59:00] News:
The NOVA Open! http://www.novaopen.com/ September 1^st - 4^th, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency in Arlington, VA.
The Vassal X-Wing League - https://www.reddit.com/r/xwingonline/comments/4a13il/new_player_signups_for_the_xwing_vassal_league/
Social Meeples: http://clearbox.socialmeeples.net/home

[59:00– 1:35:15] Main Segment: Imperial Veterans Review
[1:35:15– 2:18:00] Contest Winner Announcements!
[2:18:00– 2:21:45] Show Closing

Musical Credits go out to the band ‘Insane Ride’ and their songs ‘Sound of Rock and Roll’ and ‘Wrong or Right’ found on the Free Music Archive at http://freemusicarchive.org/

Audio Editing & Mixing by Podcast Masters www.podcastmasters.net

Thanks for listening, and talk to you again in two weeks!

Here is the direct link: http://novasquadronradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NOVA_Squadron_Radio_Episode_52_final.mp3

www.novasquadronradio.com

So I use Overcast on iOS usually to listen to podcasts. The last several episodes I've never been able to get to actually play in overcast, but work fine in apple's podcast app. Any ideas what could be going on?

Really guys? Glaive with VI is okay? You will never see a Glaive with VI as long as Steele with Adaptability is an option. As excited as I am for Imperial Veterans, they dropped the ball on several of the cards in the set, including the Glaive.

Really guys? Glaive with VI is okay? You will never see a Glaive with VI as long as Steele with Adaptability is an option. As excited as I am for Imperial Veterans, they dropped the ball on several of the cards in the set, including the Glaive.

What could FFG have done? Made glaive 33 points. Why take Onyx if for a single point more you get 3 PS and an EPT?

Really guys? Glaive with VI is okay? You will never see a Glaive with VI as long as Steele with Adaptability is an option. As excited as I am for Imperial Veterans, they dropped the ball on several of the cards in the set, including the Glaive.

What could FFG have done? Made glaive 33 points. Why take Onyx if for a single point more you get 3 PS and an EPT?

Just because Onyx sucks doesn't mean the Glaive had to. Why take a Glaive when you can get Ryad for the same cost or Vessery/Steele for one point more? The Glaive should have been 33 points.

Really guys? Glaive with VI is okay? You will never see a Glaive with VI as long as Steele with Adaptability is an option. As excited as I am for Imperial Veterans, they dropped the ball on several of the cards in the set, including the Glaive.

What could FFG have done? Made glaive 33 points. Why take Onyx if for a single point more you get 3 PS and an EPT?

Just because Onyx sucks doesn't mean the Glaive had to. Why take a Glaive when you can get Ryad for the same cost or Vessery/Steele for one point more? The Glaive should have been 33 points.

That one point for the better pilots can make a difference, though, right, otherwise you wouldn't be making the case that they should be one point cheaper?

In response to your elite pilot comparisons, I think that there's a long way between playable and "sucks" and while can see the point to some extent when comparing the glaive to Ryad, I do think that making the choice of Ryad over a glaive, even if you were equipping them the same (maybe Juke with X7?) you are yielding the PS which would be significant against an opponent that chooses the glaive over Ryad. I think Ryad will want more points, too, to leverage her ability even more, especially if she wants to effectively fight aces while the Glaive can simply effectively run X7 and Juke and be a good ship.

As for Vessery, making use of his ability requires some more limited squad building options. I do think he'll tend to be a choice for more people over the glaive (and other defenders) but I think it's a choice and not a automatic option.

Marek is a point more for essentially just pilot skill, which at 7 isn't always worthwhile (unless, again ironically, the glaive is seen a lot). His ability is great but costs more points to trigger consistently and adding adaptability takes up a pretty useful EPT.

So, I tend to think glaives will find a home with minimal upgrades where that pilot skill can be leveraged without going overboard (I keep mentioning Juke X7) They certainly have competition and I dont like VI on them, but they are far from a lost cause.

I think the point about VI Glaive was that it's straight worse for the same points than Adaptability Maarek. If you want a PS8 Defender for cheap, They're both PS8 at 35 points, but Maarek gets a pilot ability and cooler artwork.

I happen to agree that if the Glaive had been cheaper, why would you run any other generic Defenders?

I am SUPER excited that Defenders will be a thing, I mean a real thing in X-Wing!

So I use Overcast on iOS usually to listen to podcasts. The last several episodes I've never been able to get to actually play in overcast, but work fine in apple's podcast app. Any ideas what could be going on?

To be honest I am not sure. We are set up correctly in iTunes as it comes through their feed just fine. We also recently fixed our feed through Google Play. I'm always willing to look into it and see what the issue is though.

I think the point about VI Glaive was that it's straight worse for the same points than Adaptability Maarek. If you want a PS8 Defender for cheap, They're both PS8 at 35 points, but Maarek gets a pilot ability and cooler artwork.

Exactly.

I happen to agree that if the Glaive had been cheaper, why would you run any other generic Defenders?

I am SUPER excited that Defenders will be a thing, I mean a real thing in X-Wing!

From Grim Squadron Radio, thanks for the shout out guys! Good episode! I'm pretty hyped for Imperial Veterans, though mostly to run Bomber Aces.

From Grim Squadron Radio, thanks for the shout out guys! Good episode! I'm pretty hyped for Imperial Veterans, though mostly to run Bomber Aces.

Happy to, you guys rock!

I think the point about VI Glaive was that it's straight worse for the same points than Adaptability Maarek. If you want a PS8 Defender for cheap, They're both PS8 at 35 points, but Maarek gets a pilot ability and cooler artwork.

Exactly.

I happen to agree that if the Glaive had been cheaper, why would you run any other generic Defenders?

I am SUPER excited that Defenders will be a thing, I mean a real thing in X-Wing!

Because they're cheaper? The Delta will see plenty of play because of its price. Sure, it would have put the Onyx in a weird place, but it's not like it's going to see any more play with a Glaive at 34.

I agree about the VI but was more addressing the idea that it seemed you thought the Glaive would suck as well. I think the Onyx is in an interesting place because it's essentially a 30 point ship which is 4 points less than what most people will pay for th Glaive.

I think the point about VI Glaive was that it's straight worse for the same points than Adaptability Maarek. If you want a PS8 Defender for cheap, They're both PS8 at 35 points, but Maarek gets a pilot ability and cooler artwork.

Exactly.

I happen to agree that if the Glaive had been cheaper, why would you run any other generic Defenders?

I am SUPER excited that Defenders will be a thing, I mean a real thing in X-Wing!

Because they're cheaper? The Delta will see plenty of play because of its price. Sure, it would have put the Onyx in a weird place, but it's not like it's going to see any more play with a Glaive at 34.

I agree about the VI but was more addressing the idea that it seemed you thought the Glaive would suck as well. I think the Onyx is in an interesting place because it's essentially a 30 point ship which is 4 points less than what most people will pay for th Glaive.

I don't think we'll see many Glaives or Onyx. PS 3 doesn't get you in front of anything in the current meta and a 34 point generic sucks compared to Ryad, Vessery, and Steele. I would have loved to have run triple Juke Glaives, but at 34 points I have no use for them.

Let's be serious here. We wouldn't have see Glaives in competitive play even at 33 pts. I think Triple Crack Glaive is strong enough for a fun squad.

Let's be serious here. We wouldn't have see Glaives in competitive play even at 33 pts. I think Triple Crack Glaive is strong enough for a fun squad.

The bastard child of Crackswarm and Brobots.

Let's be serious here. We wouldn't have see Glaives in competitive play even at 33 pts. I think Triple Crack Glaive is strong enough for a fun squad.

Hey, Ed -- thanks for the shout out!

I was your Tala swarm opponent at PA -- didn't realize then that you were one of the NOVA podcast guys. Great game -- if I have to lose, it had better be by the nail-biting, skin-of-my-teeth last die roll.

My last round at Nationals was similar in many ways; I missiled three of six ships of a Crack Swarm off the board in the first round of shooting, but by the end it was the StressX vs. two TIEs, then one TIE ... and then the StressX lost the final joust. Good fun!

For the record, the list was:

Red Squadron Veteran w/R3-A2, Wired, Integrated Astromech

3 x Tala Squadron Pilots w/Homing Missiles & Guidance Chips

Tala Squadron Pilot w/Concussion Missiles & Guidance Chips

Hey, Ed -- thanks for the shout out!

I was your Tala swarm opponent at PA -- didn't realize then that you were one of the NOVA podcast guys. Great game -- if I have to lose, it had better be by the nail-biting, skin-of-my-teeth last die roll.

My last round at Nationals was similar in many ways; I missiled three of six ships of a Crack Swarm off the board in the first round of shooting, but by the end it was the StressX vs. two TIEs, then one TIE ... and then the StressX lost the final joust. Good fun!

For the record, the list was:

Red Squadron Veteran w/R3-A2, Wired, Integrated Astromech

3 x Tala Squadron Pilots w/Homing Missiles & Guidance Chips

Tala Squadron Pilot w/Concussion Missiles & Guidance Chips

Yeah, easily my favorite game that event! Such a great game! Thanks!

On the subject of long range scanners vs guidance chips, people always frame it in the context of missile delivery and conclude that chips are the better choice.

While I agree that chips are better for firing ordnance, they do jack **** after missiles are away. Long range scanners continue to offer an increased chance of focus+TL fire, yet this obvious benefit is routinely ignored.

Not saying one is better than the other, but if you're weighing the pros and cons on a build, at least discussing all of the pros of LRS is the only way to make that a meaningful conversation.

Not a criticism of you guys, but an alarming trend every time the discussion comes up.

Anyway, thanks for the show!

Woohoo! Second place in the card competition! Great cast as ever boys, thank you.

Oh, also. Totally agree with Paul about Sabine. She's fun to fly and outrageous to fly against.

I prefer her with Kanan though, because she can boost or barrel roll, do a second action with PtL, clear the stress with any one of 12 maneuvers, and then do a third action.

She's the ultimate arc dodger against anything lower PS. And with an autoblaster turret, she's a highly unpredictable threat to aces.

For only 29 points, it's a steal. Credible threat to aces, jump masters, and swarms.

Finally got around to listening to the new ep but I'm getting account suspended on all the Nova pages?