(tl/dr: sometimes, playing what you want to play instead of following the meta can be fun *AND* serve you well!)

I fell in love with K-Wing Bombers pretty much the day after the K was released. (Or rather, the day after I finally decided to buy one because I might like it.) Some from my local meta might still remember my squeals of sheer glee (" I LOVE THE K-WING!!! ") as I would SLAM across the map and assassinate yet another Soontir, or Carnor, or Inquisitor, or Vader...

For the last six months or so (or at the least, for however long Sabine has been out), my bomber list had stabilized to:

Warden Squadron Pilot (23)
Extra Munitions (2)
Sabine Wren (2)
Cluster Mines (4)
Conner Net (4)
Advanced SLAM (2)

Miranda Doni (29)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
C-3PO (3)

Tarn Mison (23)
R7 Astromech (2)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

A heckuva lot of fun. I've been very busy with work for the past six months, and also play Imperial Assault, so I haven't been able (or willing) to find the time to practice with (or against!) some of these new lists that have been blasting past me, as I enjoyed flying either versions of XXX-Rated against newer players, or my bomber list against the experienced players.

So as the Vancouver (Canada) Regionals approached, I realized I was kind of stuck with my K-Wings, even though I didn't consider it a winning list. Still, I wasn't really attending to win; I was attending to have fun. And I certainly enjoy the K-Wings!

Then about two weeks ago, I read a post somewhere from ficklegreendice, where he recommended the following list as an ace-killer:

Warden Squadron Pilot (23)
Autoblaster Turret (2)
Extra Munitions (2)
"Chopper" (0)
Conner Net (4)
Advanced SLAM (2)

Miranda Doni (29)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
Extra Munitions (2)
Sabine Wren (2)
Seismic Charges (2)
Long-Range Scanners (0)

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

(He may not have included Chopper and/or LRS in his list. Those details are quibbles though.)

It was like a lightbulb went off. I've flown versions of these ships for months! I can make this change two weeks before regionals! Still not a Regionals-winning list (probably), but hey I'm not exactly a top-ace player myself. Would be fun, and if I'm lucky I might make top 16 and get the Cluster Mines--which I might actually use! It's objectively better than my previous list on many different levels, and I would have a couple Thursdays to practice it before Regionals.

Work gets too busy that week, can't play that Thursday. This past week I was sick all week...and couldn't play X-Wing last Thursday either. *sigh*

I decide to bring FGD's list to the tournament anyway, untested, still thinking it's better than my original one. Aaaaaand I promptly lose my first game. Uh oh.

I then proceeded to win all but one of the next 10 games I played this weekend; a few of them without losing a single ship, and in quite a few others I only lost Biggs.

For our Regionals, six games were played on Saturday, and then it cut to a Top 8 for Sunday. Those that didn't make the cut could play in a secondary tournament, with secondary prizes (consisting pretty much of two seasonal tournament kits and some store-donated goodies).

72 players attended the Vancouver Regionals. I placed 10th overall. One of the top 8 dropped out because he couldn't play on Sunday, so the 9th-place player made the cut. I bumped my head on that ceiling, wincing as I was theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees close to making the cut. But, still! Far better than I did last year, and far better than I expected. I nearly made the cut!

32 players attended the "Losers Tournament" the next day. I won that tournament!

Overall results: 9 out of 11 games won. 10th place in Regionals, with the 6th highest MOV of all players. I fought Dengaroo; two versions of U-Boats (both using 2 U-boats and Something Else); 3 or 4 different versions of Palp-Aces; a Soontir/Inquisitor/Mercenary list; a Kanan/Biggs list (a hard counter to my list, and my only other loss), and I'm probably forgetting one or two others. A lot of these types of lists I had never flown against before. I defeated all but two of them.

With two K-Wings and an X-Wing. And I'm nowhere near the level of player that should expect to do that well even if I had been flying something the meta considers to be top-tier!

So thanks, ficklegreendice, from another K-Wing lover (and green dice hater). Your post caught my attention at an opportune moment! ; )

And for everyone else, my point in summary:

Play what you enjoy. Have fun doing it. It's a game. And maybe, just maybe, you might find yourself kicking butt once in a while in the process! : )

I've posted this here before but, having fun is important. And winning is a lot of fun.

Play what you enjoy. Have fun doing it. It's a game. And maybe, just maybe, you might find yourself kicking butt once in a while in the process! : )

This. 100% this.

Kudos on a great job!

I have been rocking the K-wing love myself and have really enjoyed my games. My list currently consists of Miranda and a Guardian, but I might have to switch it up and try to squeeze Biggs in. My question, are you running Biggs with Miranda to keep her alive longer and then flanking with the Warden since it has adv. slam?

Can you explain how to fly the new list? Also, how do you do against something that isn't aces? Alpha strike or large ships.

There is a lot to be said for finding a list you just enjoy flying . The Vader-Inquisitor-Rudor (TAP, TAP, Sith - heh) list I've been running since the TAP came out I've rarely done much better than 50% success with, although made it to top 4 at a store championship with it once....it's not exactly super competitive, but it fits my style of flying, and is just fun to fly for me.

(OTOH, took a long time for the right ships to come out, and I'm honestly hoping the Assault Gunboat DOES eventually come out and tweaks the few complaints I have on the TAP...but yeah, once you get a list you like the feel of flying...WORTH IT!)

Meta, whats that? I'm still flying the Klingon Bird of Prey with the cloaking device and haven't upgrade it to include the SPA.

kills everything that isnt a triple scout list

good hunting!

Congrats, OP, on the success and the fun! I have always flown things that I like, first and foremost. That's not to say I haven't flown "meta" lists (latest win coming from Dash/Lothal), but they'll either have my own spin on them (see: Meat Popsicles ), or I simply haven't flown the ships competitively yet and would like to. A few folks on the forums seemed to be opposed to this fact, but it's absolutely true:

"Meta" lists and "lists someone enjoys" are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Ive been looking at

Warden - TLT, Sabine, EM, Cluster Mines, Thermal Detonators, Advanced Slam, Connor Net

Warden - TLT, Bombadier, EM, Cluster Mines, Advanced Slam, Connor Net

Bandit Squadron

LOL, I was flying similar lists earlier this year (Miranda/TLT Tactican or Sabine; Warden with EM/Prox/Conner/Bombadier/A-Slam; Stresshog) and having great fun, even gave a few top players a scare, but never quite cracked it during store champs (Sabine wasn't out until after most of them).

Was good to surprise people with the A-SLAM conner net, but I couldn't quite manage to get the results if I played someone a second time.

But congrats for doing so well with a list you like flying, rather than just running with the meta!

Ugh. I really need to get my hands on some K-wings. Been wanting to play some Sabine-bomb lists for a while now.

Ive been looking at

Warden - TLT, Sabine, EM, Cluster Mines, Thermal Detonators, Advanced Slam, Connor Net

Warden - TLT, Bombadier, EM, Cluster Mines, Advanced Slam, Connor Net

Bandit Squadron

I have played this list and it can be quite effective, but you really need to guess your opponent's movements correctly to pull it off. I switched to Miranda and Guardian because it takes some of the guesswork out with the higher pilot skill.

Thanks for all the well-wishing! It was a lot of fun, and I mean it whole-heartedly when I say...play what you love. ; )

I have been rocking the K-wing love myself and have really enjoyed my games. My list currently consists of Miranda and a Guardian, but I might have to switch it up and try to squeeze Biggs in. My question, are you running Biggs with Miranda to keep her alive longer and then flanking with the Warden since it has adv. slam?

Nope. They start out jousting. I usually park my Warden on the edge pointing directly at an asteroid that has been placed just beyond Range 2, Biggs beside him, and Miranda on the other side of Biggs. First round is a 1-forward, which almost always leaves room to any-bank or any-turn the second round. Miranda's first action is to target lock whoever I think my Warden won't assassinate.

The Warden (and Miranda) really needs Biggs' protection to ensure he gets to drop both bombs. Once he does, the Warden becomes a blocker and a range-1-bubble ace-hunter.

Can you explain how to fly the new list? Also, how do you do against something that isn't aces? Alpha strike or large ships.

Slow roll forward at Range 1 of Biggs, try to engage at range 3 of your opponent (preferably one on one, with Biggs *not* being in front). I've had my Warden torpedoed down to one shield in the first round of engagement...and was reasonably sure I would win. (I did.)

Alpha strikes--except perhaps FGD's fear of triple U-boats (I've never flown against them; we have an odd meta here in Vancouver ; )--were never a problem. That torpedo I just mentioned was against a two U-boat + Slaver list: he parked the U-boats side by side in front of the Slaver in Round 1, and spent the rest of the game just parked in the corner, constantly bumping, forcing me to come to him.

So, after some careful thought (like, five minutes of careful--to his credit, the guy just patiently waited me out), I took his bait. I led with my Warden, hoping he'd turn to engage -here-, where only one U-boat would have a shot. He did. Warden down to one shield. 3-banked with it to block his next maneuver, all his ships slammed into it and each other, and from there it was just a furball that I tried to block and deny as much as possible. I may have gotten lucky; maybe a make-the-cut player with that list (or one with more experience; he admitted afterward that he had never tried that tactic before) would have done better. But between my Conner Nets, range control, and blocking, he only ever got off the one torpedo the entire game.

Phrases I kept hearing (and inwardly loving!) the entire weekend: "Wait, the Conner Net does what to me?!?" "I didn't think that Warden could get there!" "Do...you have any more of those bombs left? ...Oh thank god." ; )

My biggest worry came in my final game actually, when I blew through an asteroid with a double-3-bank SLAM to end up facing my opponent's Soontir at Range 1 (he was holding Soontir back hoping to kill my Warden off with the rest of his list--probably knowing Soontir could solo Miranda if need be). I planned to assassinate Soontir next round. He proceeded to spend an inordinate amount of time planning Soontir's movement, figuring out where I could SLAM to, or if I didn't SLAM then where he could be certain to the avoid the Range 1 Autoblaster Bubble. After I realized what he was doing, I also realized that he was quite probably the first player I faced that weekend to so clearly consider that. I jokingly protested against it, saying he needed to ignore the bombs. He managed to delay Soontir's assassination. For one full round. (Honestly, I think the double-3-bank-SLAM shocked him so much it threw off his whole game. He flew...rather poorly for the rest of the game, and I know he's a good player.)

But that double-3-bank-lunge straight through an asteroid? To leave the Warden sitting right there in Soontir's face? And watching the realization dawn on my opponent that yes indeed, his Soontir is royally &*#^ed?

That's why I -adore- the K-Wing. ; )

Practice when to lunge forward with the Warden to SLAM-assassinate your target, so that you can properly follow up with Miranda (and preferably Biggs too). My second loss happened because a) my opponent was arguably a Worlds-class player, and b) I lunged forward with my K-Wing one round too soon, allowing him to just rip it to shreds before Miranda and Biggs could properly catch up.

Keep Miranda near Biggs until he dies, but don't be afraid to break formation if opportune. (Of course, the Warden will inevitably break formation for his lunge.)

"Meta" lists and "lists someone enjoys" are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Oh, absolutely! I'm about to buy a second Jumpmaster just so I can try out Dengaroo, because it looks like something I would enjoy! ; )

Well, sounds like I need a second K-wing...

Well, sounds like I need a second K-wing...

only second?

Don't tempt me! I have to save up for my three ARC-170s.

Don't tempt me! I have to save up for my three ARC-170s.

and that's when you migrate to epic

you wield four and four, you automatically win because there's nowhere for your opponent to deploy between all dat wingspan

"Do...you have any more of those bombs left? ...Oh thank god." ; )

"Meta" lists and "lists someone enjoys" are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Oh, absolutely! I'm about to buy a second Jumpmaster just so I can try out Dengaroo, because it looks like something I would enjoy! ; )

I, too, love hearing "Do you have any more bombs left!?", though to be fair, I was doing the opposite with Dash/Lothal against triple u-boats, "How many torpedoes do you have left?" (It was two. Dash survived them and won. )

I also just bought a second JM5K for the Love Boats list! I've flown it a couple times on Vassal and done OK with it. I like its completely unique style and might give it a go at an actual tournament this weekend.

Well, sounds like I need a second K-wing...

only second?

My favorite part of this picture is how worn out that K-Wing dial is. Seems like taking K-Wing advise from you just might not be a bad idea.

But taking advice on how to maintain Kwing dials from me would probably be a bad idea

I think you need to ditch the X-wing.

Why?

ITS WINGS AREN'T BROAD ENOUGH

I think you need to ditch the X-wing.

Why?

ITS WINGS AREN'T BROAD ENOUGH

great, now we gotta buy two more Ks so we can replace the X's X-wings with two pairs of K's