The title is really all there is to it, previously no one really thought about Proton Rockets on anything without 3 agility. A four dice attack at range one once mostly wasn't worth the three extra points. However, with the inclusion of the free Guidance Chips in the nearly always open mod slot, is this now reasonable?

Zs seem to be in a good place right now because if they have a focus they have only a 14% chance of dying to a 4 hit attack, and 4 hit attacks are becoming more and more common. If something else is targeted (or they hit the 60% chance of not needing to use the focus on defense) they can return fire with a very solid chance on a four hit attack back.

I'm having a bit of trouble on the math for the chances of four hits with Guidance Chips, my fraction multiplication breaks down with converting results.

obviously the title isn't all there is to it, because the title is a question begging for an answer

i.e, incomplete

anyway, the answer is "not really"

you're super limited to only range 1 being relevant on a low PS ship without any re-positioning options.

you'd rather have range 2-3 missiles where your firing arc extends further out AND where you're more likely to survive long enough to actually fire it

sure, low PS TLs are a pain, but the range 1 limitation doesn't make the generally less restrictive focus requirement any more practical

It's about a 73% chance of getting 4 hits. http://xwingcalculator.x10host.com/diceuilm.html

Not good enough to overcome the issues with getting into Range 1.

I agree. Concussion missiles and VI Blount are where its at if you want a Headhunter alpha-strike.

obviously the title isn't all there is to it, because the title is a question begging for an answer

i.e, incomplete

anyway, the answer is "not really"

you're super limited to only range 1 being relevant on a low PS ship without any re-positioning options.

you'd rather have range 2-3 missiles where your firing arc extends further out AND where you're more likely to survive long enough to actually fire it

sure, low PS TLs are a pain, but the range 1 limitation doesn't make the generally less restrictive focus requirement any more practical

Take it from a guy who just ran 5 TAPs with Guidance Chips, Proton Rockets, and V1 title at a local tournament,(I went 2-2 and finished 7 of 16) it is very hard to get those Prockets off, and the TAP has a better dial and boost to help close range. What happens is you move first against most enemies, and focus. They move and either a)get out of arc/range, or b)get in arc and range and unload a 4 dice attack on you with TL and Focus of their own(or Palpatine, Tokens from Attani mindlink or Manaroo, etc) and you have to spend the focus on defense or you die anyway. Proton Rockets are great in theory(and they are awesome when they work - the few times I actually got to fire them, they did a ton of damage) but really aren't that good in actuality, especially on low PS, low health or agility ships.

the Z is pretty fine without a missile, IMO. a nice 12p blocker and soon to be a dirtcheap, yet dangerous BMST-carrier. there a better places in many lists if you wanna run missiles.

Hmmm I don't like trying to use proton rockets on a z 95. I've never tried it granted, but It's hard enough on a ptl a wing, with a great dial, better defense, and boost. Granted, it's nice and cheap on a z95 though. Personally I'd rather take a tala z with something that punches really hard at range 2-3. Assault or concussion missiles maybe.

Proton Rockets? Nope. Concussion Missiles? Yessssssssssssss

I've flown Biggs and five Procket Z's before. Won a small tournament, and that was before Chips were a thing. That said, even I wouldn't say they're highly competitive -- if anything, I just got lucky. It was a fun list to fly, and those prockets give the Headhunters some punch (and Biggs helps to ensure that they can actually get their missiles off); but a basic Crackswarm is just . . . better.

I agree. Concussion missiles and VI Blount are where its at if you want a Headhunter alpha-strike.

N'dru, Glitterstim, Clusters.

In all seriousness though I don't think this is a good combo. Why not try the tread tracer concussion swarm style build that has been somewhat decent?

I ran Scum Zs, Kaa'to can take crack shot and get tracers off, but I was finding I needed to run some up close to block and keep range for concussions. The blockers could use a bit of punch.

The best thing about Headhunters is they're cheap.

For every one you load with ordnance, you lose ~3/4 points.

Now obviously that eventually equates to one less potential ship in your list.

That's one less small base ship blocking, firing etc.

Great idea, in theory. In reality I would say they don't work that well.

I'd much rather have an extra two, three modified dice working down a target from a different arc than a 'maybe' ordnance being cancelled out through dice mods.

They're cheap and annoying. That's the beauty of them!

I guess this is one of the reasons ordnance-laden Headhunters never really took off.

Five or six ships is far more intimidating than four.

I have a list theory with five Talas and a TLT Ezra Shuttle that is difficult to hit.

The theory being that five ships coming toward a target is one hell of a pain, especially backed by a mobile target with a TLT stripping tokens in a very action-heavy meta.

Dengaroo, Scouts, Defenders, Aces - they all have something in common. Get in there, block like mad and strip tokens.

Well, that's the theory anyway. Speaking from a Rebel perspective. I guess Scum have it a little different with Glitterstim and other Illicits.

Gotta say no a-wings have a hard time and they can boost headhunters are stuck with their final position, whatsmore they are easy to kill before they even get into range one.

I've had decent luck with a Banana Pirate, Guidance Chips, Concussion Missiles, and Feedback Array.

Nobody wants that missile up their tailpipes, so they go for it and give Zuckuss and Bossk more time to pummel away.

Or they think it's a trap, and they do get the missile and usually 3-4 hits. Typically after they've spent all their tokens.

Proton rockets really only work on 2 attack 3 agility ships. You don't want to put too many points into 1 shot that is 1 additional attack dice even if it is on top of a range bonus.

I think in this case concussion missiles might be the better option, but then again you don't want to be loading up cheap filler ships like headhunters.

I just finished two epic games with 5-Zs, one of them Blount with tracers, the rest with Assault missiles.

Boy was that amazing! Super annoying to kill them, they just speed one into whatever the opponent brings at your cap ship, and love to see those fragile ties go down and scatter all over trying to get out the way.

Had 4 Green As with prockets on the other flank with cool hand and PTL - they hit the Raider like a truck in the second game, and really smashed the bombers good in the first (although that 6-health is sure annoying).

Good times.

Anyway, prockets belong on As.

Kaa'to Leeachos with Attanni Mindlink does a job pretty well.

He sets Target Lock,gets Focus form other Attanni ship, and then - at start of the combat phase he gets second Focus thanks to ability. If he gets the token form other Attanni ship, this ship gets it back.

With Attanni, Guidance Chips and Concussion Missles its only 20pts and pretty accurate and durable with 2 focuses. After initial salvo he's standard blocker and Focus deliverer.

Thanks to PS5 for 21pts he can be Swarm devastator with Assault Missles (2 focuses and Guidance Chips provides good accuracy).

It can be done, but it's not so easy. It might be great for U-boats or things like that where you have a higher PS than it (if you went with higher than normal PS). Other things would be difficult.

Kaa'to Leeachos would be good with it.

It can be done, but it's not so easy. It might be great for U-boats or things like that where you have a higher PS than it (if you went with higher than normal PS). Other things would be difficult.

Kaa'to Leeachos would be good with it.

Surprisingly rocket Kaa'to is easy to use against lots of most popular pilots: swarms (ps4), scouts (ps3), party bus (ps2 mostyly), lothal rebel (ps3), stress hog (ps2/ps4), bomber k-wing (ps2/ps4) not too mention lot of PS5 pilots if initiative is on the right side (like Chewbacca, Kannan Jarrus, Palob etc.)

Against Aces you do some blocking and you can set TL.