Lost my train of thought. Anyways.

So, hang back to get lots of enemys in your fire arc (abit at range 3 probably). Then you can probably take actions, but the default focus and target locks arnt very appealing. However, we have upgrades to look at!

R2F2? Sure, if you know that you might be a target but not for the top ace and they either need to change targeting priority or accept your increased defense. Not the best choice.

R7F1 the targetlock booster? Sure! Reposition in the combat phase, or trigger it in the activaction phase and take the focus in the combat phase.

R7 with weapons engineer vs aces to offer deterrence and trigger your ability with a boost or barrel roll modification when they dont shoot at you, and reroll their hits with R7 when they do.

R5D8, when they dont shoot at you, you can regen. Not as solid of a combo as you think. :/

R2D6+ Daredevil(and EU), or Expose, to trigger it after you know they are not shooting at you, or squad leader with loads of green squadron buddys to boost someone into a range 1 shot. Outmanuver with some manuver modifications would be good, pick your targets in the combat phase.

For copilots, do I hear a sabatour? Oh-ho-hon-hon!

Lando is also a good option, trigger lando normally and then make up for any bad rolls in the combat phase with your default focus action and any other droids equipped like R2F2 to be tanky in the late game.

Intelegence agent, so you can keep your fire arc on your opponents, could be a good idea.

So, how would you outfit this Thane guy?

I think either tanking it up to joust with biggs and surviving to the end or going hunter killer with R7F1 or Expose (4 to FIVE DICE) or being a slippery fox with daredevil and boost from R2D6 to pull shinanigans.

I really like the middle of the road aces abilities, and this guy is no exception on pilots with interesting abilities.

honestly, you could probably just run Thane at a naked 26 and force difficult decisions between targeting his Biggs-priced ass or suffering a fully modified retaliation for hurting his buddies

you can further increase his intimidating presence with r2-d6 crackshot and tailgunner

r7 doesn't need weps enginner to work, but it's a good deterrent if you rather him shooting than getting shot

lastly, keep an eye on our friendly ACTION torpedo. if it's any good, well Thane could maybe get a little extra dimension to him (or recoup mods after firing it)

R2F2?

no.

honestly, you could probably just run Thane at a naked 26 and force difficult decisions between targeting his Biggs-priced ass or suffering a fully modified retaliation for hurting his buddies

you can further increase his intimidating presence with r2-d6 crackshot and tailgunner

r7 doesn't need weps enginner to work, but it's a good deterrent if you rather him shooting than getting shot

lastly, keep an eye on our friendly ACTION torpedo. if it's any good, well Thane could maybe get a little extra dimension to him (or recoup mods after firing it)

R2F2?

no.

honestly, you could probably just run Thane at a naked 26 and force difficult decisions between targeting his Biggs-priced ass or suffering a fully modified retaliation for hurting his buddies

you can further increase his intimidating presence with r2-d6 crackshot and tailgunner

r7 doesn't need weps enginner to work, but it's a good deterrent if you rather him shooting than getting shot

lastly, keep an eye on our friendly ACTION torpedo. if it's any good, well Thane could maybe get a little extra dimension to him (or recoup mods after firing it)

R2F2?

no.

Then what about expose? :^)

EXTRA NO.

Expose sucks no matter what you put it on. It's a 4 point EPT on what is supposed to be a cheap pilot(because if he dies because people ended up shooting at him, then you're literally just saying "TAKE 4 EXTRA POINTS FOR YOUR TROUBLES). The counter-tactic would be to shoot at one of his friends, let him Expose, then hit him for every single hit/crit you can roll. Expose is a terrible idea. Keep thane simple, keep thane cheap. the R2-F2/Expose combo is SEVEN ADDITIONAL POINTS. At that point, what can you even fit in your list worth protecting with Thane? And, again, there's no downside to shooting at Thane with that loadout. With JUST those two upgrades, that's a juicy 32 points that you can kill for minimal effort. And with the points you spent on Thane, that's less points going to everything else, meaning that Thane is protecting less, MEANING that the enemy doesnt even need to worry about shooting at Thane.

Could R2-F2/Expose work in theory? Sure. Is it practical in any way? Will it ever be seen? PFFFFFFFFT NOPE.

honestly, you could probably just run Thane at a naked 26 and force difficult decisions between targeting his Biggs-priced ass or suffering a fully modified retaliation for hurting his buddies

you can further increase his intimidating presence with r2-d6 crackshot and tailgunner

r7 doesn't need weps enginner to work, but it's a good deterrent if you rather him shooting than getting shot

lastly, keep an eye on our friendly ACTION torpedo. if it's any good, well Thane could maybe get a little extra dimension to him (or recoup mods after firing it)

R2F2?

no.

Then what about expose? :^)

EXTRA NO.

Expose sucks no matter what you put it on. It's a 4 point EPT on what is supposed to be a cheap pilot(because if he dies because people ended up shooting at him, then you're literally just saying "TAKE 4 EXTRA POINTS FOR YOUR TROUBLES). The counter-tactic would be to shoot at one of his friends, let him Expose, then hit him for every single hit/crit you can roll. Expose is a terrible idea. Keep thane simple, keep thane cheap. the R2-F2/Expose combo is SEVEN ADDITIONAL POINTS. At that point, what can you even fit in your list worth protecting with Thane? And, again, there's no downside to shooting at Thane with that loadout. With JUST those two upgrades, that's a juicy 32 points that you can kill for minimal effort. And with the points you spent on Thane, that's less points going to everything else, meaning that Thane is protecting less, MEANING that the enemy doesnt even need to worry about shooting at Thane.

Could R2-F2/Expose work in theory? Sure. Is it practical in any way? Will it ever be seen? PFFFFFFFFT NOPE.

F2 is for the tanky thane loadouts with lando as your crew.

Expose with some offensive crew is the combo I might be looking at.

oh god, r2f2 AND lando!?

I died and this is hell

Y'all noticed a smiley on that post, right?

Y'all noticed a smiley on that post, right?

Has anyone ever talked about R5D8 and R2D2 crew? Might not be as good as the Lando and R2F2 combo on the joust though.

Here's how I plan on running Thane:

Thane Kyrell (26)

Alliance Overhaul (0)

Biggs Darklighter (25)

R4-D6 (1)

Integrated Astromech (0)

Gold Squadron Pilot (18)

Twin Laser Turret (6)

Gold Squadron Pilot (18)

Twin Laser Turret (6)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Y's are interchangeable for Z-95s/Daggers too

honestly, you could probably just run Thane at a naked 26 and force difficult decisions between targeting his Biggs-priced ass or suffering a fully modified retaliation for hurting his buddies

you can further increase his intimidating presence with r2-d6 crackshot and tailgunner

r7 doesn't need weps enginner to work, but it's a good deterrent if you rather him shooting than getting shot

lastly, keep an eye on our friendly ACTION torpedo. if it's any good, well Thane could maybe get a little extra dimension to him (or recoup mods after firing it)

R2F2?

no.

Then what about expose? :^)

EXTRA NO.

Expose sucks no matter what you put it on. It's a 4 point EPT on what is supposed to be a cheap pilot(because if he dies because people ended up shooting at him, then you're literally just saying "TAKE 4 EXTRA POINTS FOR YOUR TROUBLES). The counter-tactic would be to shoot at one of his friends, let him Expose, then hit him for every single hit/crit you can roll. Expose is a terrible idea. Keep thane simple, keep thane cheap. the R2-F2/Expose combo is SEVEN ADDITIONAL POINTS. At that point, what can you even fit in your list worth protecting with Thane? And, again, there's no downside to shooting at Thane with that loadout. With JUST those two upgrades, that's a juicy 32 points that you can kill for minimal effort. And with the points you spent on Thane, that's less points going to everything else, meaning that Thane is protecting less, MEANING that the enemy doesnt even need to worry about shooting at Thane.

Could R2-F2/Expose work in theory? Sure. Is it practical in any way? Will it ever be seen? PFFFFFFFFT NOPE.

You need R2D6 to put expose on him right?

F2 is for the tanky thane loadouts with lando as your crew.

Expose with some offensive crew is the combo I might be looking at.

geeze, i completely forgot that you can't even field the two because #noEPTslot.

The combo would be neat if he had an EPT but entirely unpractical and bad.

Either way, Expose just sucks.

Here's how I plan on running Thane: Thane Kyrell (26) Alliance Overhaul (0) Biggs Darklighter (25) R4-D6 (1) Integrated Astromech (0) Gold Squadron Pilot (18) Twin Laser Turret (6) Gold Squadron Pilot (18) Twin Laser Turret (6) Total: 100 View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Y's are interchangeable for Z-95s/Daggers too

The only way it might (I emphasise might) work is R2-D6 & Expose on Thane with Biggs on the field - because then you know Thane can't be shot at until Biggs goes down - which also neatly removes the other problem with expose (the reduction in agility).

The two fighters together is the wrong side of half your list, though.

• Biggs Darklighter - R4-D6, Integrated Astromech
• Thane - Rebel Overhaul, R2-D6, Expose
• ???

I dunno for the last ship. My brain says something you really, really don't want to face in an end-game; which generally means an Ace with shield regeneration....and if you've got a shield-regenerating ace, why not consider Draw Their Fire, to keep Biggs alive longer? That way you can cope with criticals (which R4-D6 can't stop).

• Biggs Darklighter - R4-D6, Integrated Astromech
• Thane - Rebel Overhaul, R2-D6, Expose, Jan Ors
• Luke Skywalker, Draw Their Fire, R2-D2, Integrated Astromech

Kind of like a classic "trench run" list, but with Wedge subbed out for Thane. You lose the "reduce defence dice" but gain an attack die, and lose pilot skill on the 'big stick' attack but trade up Biggs' focus token to an evade.

I always want to make Expose work. I think it could work for a short bit, but the problem is you are paying so many points for Expose. I think it would work as a 1 pt card, but at 4, it's just too much.

I do think R2-D6 and Squad Leader is a good combo, especially if you have Biggs with R2-F2. Biggs can take a Focus for his action and then after the first shot, you let him get another green die. Not amazing, but not bad. You can also use the Squad Leader for other actions, such as maybe give a Z-95 w/ missile a TL so he can fire it. Now, that would be worth it. I think there are a number of things you can do with Squad Leader, especially if you have numerous ships in your list beyond 3. That's because you can give out more actions and you can have more allies in your firing arc. I think a 3 ship list might not be the best use for him.

R5-D8 is a good astromech to take if you aren't going for Biggs. I don't think he's worth it on Biggs as no one will wound Thane first, but with other ships, it's worthwhile. The ARC-170 is a beefy ship and being able to repair damage is a good thing. It can keep him alive a lot longer.

Saboteur is brilliant! I love it. I would actually fly that at some point. You can really mess with the enemy that way. I like it.

Having a Proton Torpedo wouldn't be a bad idea for Thane. He won't get the TL early, but can grab one with his free action. Hope someone is at R 2-3 and maybe he has a Focus, as well. Use GC if you want, but I don't think it's needed. It could be a good thing with his PS 4 most are going to shoot first and give him the action to get the TL. Or maybe Plasma Torpedo if you think you can get the Focus in there.

Vectored Thrusters could be really good on Thane. Either he uses them to get into a better position in the first place (to then get a free action later to modify dice) or he uses it to BR to maybe get a R1 shot at someone.

Overall, I think Thane is a pilot that works best in lists with more ships. So, you can go with some cheap Z-95's in your list to help him out or you use him for a non-standard game. I can see Thane doing well in Epic or 200 pt games, especially if he had something like Squad Leader then. He could be passing out actions like a madman. Or....Saboteur would be amazing in epic! Flip that capital ship damage card into a devastating critical hit!

R5-D8 is a good astromech

no it really isn't

ever

R5-D8 is a good astromech

no it really isn't

ever

Better in some lists than others, maybe thane and some a wings

I agree that it can be a good resource in the right case. You get to remove damage cards from a ship. What's bad about that? The chances are 5/8 that you get it, so it's better than 50-50%. If it's a free action that you get, then what's the problem?

I've used it on Porkins before and he's actually lived quite a long time with it. I'd peel him away from the fight and build him back up. Porkins has lived a lot longer than he should've due to R5-P8.

With Thane, he's got 6 hull points to chew through and free actions. Why is it not a good option to remove damage cards? I think people need to challenge the iron clad mindset of what is good and what is bad to really try things out.

for 3 points of something that doesn't work 100% of the time, it's not a good card

not to mention the free action only triggers when you're not getting shot

Yes, but it's the only thing that can regen hull. I've used it to good effect before. You can always peel off and use the action without a free action if you need to.

Ha! You can always crew C-3PO to ensure you get the heal, but that adds some points.

It also kinda wastes c3po which can be used on a defense roll

Unless you're just running and not getting shot, which is more difficult to accomplish for a low PS ship with no native repositioning (and no action independent positioning, because then you can use r5d8)

Super situational and rng dependent

With Thane, he's got 6 hull points to chew through and free actions. Why is it not a good option to remove damage cards? I think people need to challenge the iron clad mindset of what is good and what is bad to really try things out.

Because people tend to focus fire. Thane gets to fix hull damage when the enemy shoots at someone else. But if the enemy's already done enough damage to punch through his (pretty impressive) shields, then that means they're probably concentrating fire on him....so no free actions.

R5-D8 isn't bad on Porkins specifically because Porkins occasionally takes face-down damage even whilst he still has shields; so R5-D8 is an insurance policy against overusing his ability to bin off stress; if you K-turn, discard the stress, and take damage, you can use R5-D8 to (potentially) fix the damage - which if it works costs your action but arguably leaves you no worse off than you would have been without either because whilst you didn't get a useful action at least you're not stressed for next turn.

I do think R2-D6 and Squad Leader is a good combo

Now that one is a good idea. However, Squad Leader can only hand out actions to someone with a lower pilot skill, so annoyingly I don't think Biggs is a valid target.

A nice idea might be something that naturally draws fire - like missile-laden alpha strike generic units (concussion Z-95s?) your opponent will want to try and kill before it fires missiles.

would rather have Talonbane have more gain!! like a native boost.

man **** talonbane

Thane outranks him anyway

Putting Squad Leader on him isnt that amazing either since you lose the Astromech just to hand out 1 action to another ship of lower PS. It would be rather rare thats actually a good idea.

R2F2 wouldnt do much either since he has to actually be attacked for that, and if your opponent is attacking him he gets no action.

R7-T1 would be interesting...could sneak you into range1 before you attack (since you can proc it off any ship looking at you and elect to NOT take the TL if you dont want it and still boost as per faq).

He has 6 hull so perhaps R5-D8 would be a good idea. Normally a bad idea because its another Action + Die Roll to do anything, but its a free action and even if it goes off once he paid for himself (literally, since 3pts = hull upgrade) and hes not wasting HIS action to do it.

Putting Squad Leader on him isnt that amazing either since you lose the Astromech just to hand out 1 action to another ship of lower PS. It would be rather rare thats actually a good idea.

Now that one is a good idea. However, Squad Leader can only hand out actions to someone with a lower pilot skill, so annoyingly I don't think Biggs is a valid target.

A nice idea might be something that naturally draws fire - like missile-laden alpha strike generic units (concussion Z-95s?) your opponent will want to try and kill before it fires missiles.

I do think going with Z's with Concussion Missiles....or even Homing Missiles....is a good idea. It could work.

Well, my inner fluff obsessive approves of a mixed ARC-170/Z-95 force.....

It'd be an interesting force. Rebel Z-95s are free actions a-go-go already (between XX-23 Blount and Airen Cracken).

Random idea:

• Airen Cracken - Swarm Tactics, Homing Missiles, Guidance Chips
• Lieutenant Blount - Swarm Tactics, XX-23 Thread Tracers, Hull Upgrade
• Bandit Squadron Pilot - Homing Missiles, Guidance Chips
• Thane Kyrell - Alliance Overhaul, Expose, Gunner, R2-D6