This is the second part of a 3 part article.

You can find the first part here: https://community.fantasyflightgames...viable-or-not/page-2

And the third part here: (to be posted, please hold)

Part 2:

If you've skipped part 1, here's the summary. I read topic today stating that rebels were underpowered, so I have endeavoured to explain that while the rebel faction has never had meta-defining lists like triple U-boats or Palpatine + Aces, they possess the best tools to counter the best parts of those lists and take the game down to a level where the victor is still decided entirely through pilot skill.

With that in mind I decided to create the following fun list to demonstrate this:

4 x Green Squadron Pilot (19)

Chardaan Refit (-2)

A-wing Test Pilot (0)

Crack Shot (1)

Juke (2)

Green Squadron Pilot (19)

Chardaan Refit (-2)

A-wing Test Pilot (0)

Crack Shot (1)

Adaptability (0)

Total: 98 points.

This article will demonstrate this seemingly week and weird lists viability against the Hoth open winner: Triple Jumpmaster 5000s. Scroll to the bottom for a quick summary.

Short version: Stage a joust, avoid munitions.

First turn, slow play (set up well to do this) so that you're just out of range 3. Some practice on an empty field is warranted here. You should have initiative if you can, but if you don't, use adaptability to make the 18 pt A-wing PS 2 and use it to boost for a bump. Follow up with your A-wings flying in into range 1, hopefully with all of them. Then they should all evade, both to avoid damage and to utilise Juke. Having initiative is of great benefit here. Use your 5 range 1 shots to either stress the hell out of 1 JM5K (by forcing it to use overclocked R4 over and over again) or by taking it off the board with crack shot. It is important to focus fire here.

On turn 2, surprise them by going 1 hard right/left instead of 5k. They will be used to slooping here, and acquiring torp shots. By 1 hard turning, even if you bump (which you shouldn't if you really look at the board and plan things out) you deny them torp shots as you'll be at range 1, probably with good shots. At this point, what has been constructed is a joust, where the JM5Ks ordinance, turrets and action economy is negated by your superior numbers, maneuver dial and the fact that you're flying small based ships. After turn 2, who knows what the board state is, but follow the golden rules: always range 1, evade, block, target unstressed ships if choice is difficult. This should give you a good game.

Here's the math of it:

Let's say that every shot of the game is at range 1, with the JM5Ks having a bottomless focus token supply forever (which isn't quite right) and the A-wings taking an evade action every turn. I'll assume the JM5Ks have initiative, which gives them an advantage.

A 3 die attack without focus (the A-wings) against a 2 die defense with focus (JM5K) will net 2/8 damage. Not very much, but keep in mind that Juke forces them to take a stress after each defense, or else it become 10/8 damage per attack.

A 3 die attack with focus (JM5Ks) against a 3 die defense with an evade (A-wings) will net 1/8 damage (assuming you spend the evade) or 9/8 damage if you don't.

Now to combine it all. On the first turn of engagement the A-wings each have an evade and crack shot at the ready, while the JM5Ks have unstressed ships with bottomless focus tokens. The jumpmasters (assuming they focus fire on the PS2 A-wing) will deal a total of 1/8 + 9/8 + 9/8 damage (as the evade is spent on the first defensive roll, naturally), for a total of 19/8 amage, or about 2.375 damage. In other words, virtually unscathed for focused fire by 3 ships. On the return fire the 4 A-wings with Juke (all shooting at the one ship, naturally) will probably use crack shot to do 40/8 damage (5 straight damage), and that's assuming that the JM5K takes 3 stress to avoid Juke. Then the PS 2 A-wing will shoot (hopefully at the same ship) dealing 10/8 more damage, but not giving out Juke stress, as it no longer has an evade token. After the first round of firing the board state is the following: The JM5Ks have done either 2 or 3 damage to one of your A-wings, and you've done 50/8, or 6.25 damage to one of the jumpmasters, which will never get an action again due to its 3 stress, and will almost certainly die next turn to juke fire.

By rushing for range 1 so hard, you remove the key part of the Triple JM5K list, which is its trollish and non-player skill related alpha strike, and taken the game down to a case where player skill will determine the match's result. So long as you keep all your arcs on a target you will win the joust. Hands down. So against JM5Ks you've taken out the munitions variable (except for maybe 1 or 2 sneaky shots), and brought the battle down to a numbers game combined with piloting skill.

Against Imperial aces though, it's a different story...

To be concluded.