I do like the visual of the Slingpaint "Baby Blues" squad

http://slingpaint.com/list-review-bertos-baby-blue-squad-4-t70-xwings-x-wing-miniatures/

The T-70 is an okay fighter, but it's definitely the right side of okay when you consider having four of the buggers in a single squad. With R2 Astromechs, each one has a TIE Interceptor-esque dial and TIE defender-esque hit points (if with still just an X-wing's agility and action economy!)

I was wondering, though, if some of the new options from Heros Of The Resistance might make a nice upgrade to the squad's capabilities.

'Classic' Baby Blues

• Blue Squadron Novice - R2 Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• Blue Squadron Novice - R2 Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• Blue Squadron Novice - R2 Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• Blue Squadron Novice - R2 Astromech, Integrated Astromech

Baby Blues, Too

• Jess Pava
• Blue Squadron Novice - R2 Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• Blue Squadron Novice - R2 Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• Blue Squadron Novice - R2 Astromech, Integrated Astromech

This is the first upgrade I was thinking about and the most obvious one. Jess is the T-70's version of the now apparently default "pilot with PS3 and a decent pilot ability for the price of the better generic" - but unlike the 26 points of the Red Squadron Veteran, Jess is only 25 - meaning she can sub out for a Blue Novice.

Plus her ability gives her a one-die reroll for each friendly ship at range 1....which means she gets better the more squadmates she has. A 4-ship heavy fighter flight is pretty rare, and with 3 squadmates on the board, keeping at least 2 guys on her wing shouldn't be too hard.....and getting a permenant, action-free, stress-ignoring 2-dice reroll is bloody awesome.

Yes, lacking her R2, she has one less hit point, and no green turns. But a reroll on green dice is probably worth a point of damage, and being able to get rerolls on the turn she talon rolls means she's probably not losing out too much. Plus, it means that the one 'obvious target' (the unique pilot with one hit point less than the rest of the squad) is actually the one you want opponents to shoot at early on - anyone who's tried to take down Boba Fett with a swarm knows how annoyingly tough 2 rerolled green dice are.

The other option I can see is swapping out R2 Astromechs (and Integrated Astromech) for

Primed Thrusters:

• Blue Squadron Novice - Primed Thrusters
• Blue Squadron Novice - Primed Thrusters
• Blue Squadron Novice - Primed Thrusters
• Blue Squadron Novice - Primed Thrusters

On the face of it, it's a bad call. R2 Astromech gives you green hard turns, and the 'extra hit', but the few times I've flown the Baby Blues, I find you Talon Roll a lot. Which means that being able to boost after a Talon Roll is a pretty valuable thing. Whether it's worth the hit point....I dunno.

Opinions?

Options I've missed?

If you want to fit in 4 T-70s, there are relatively limited options, because you only have 1 point per ship and Integrated Astromech is such a **** good card.

R5-X3 - A 'discard' astromech, which does not complement the Integrated Astromech modificaton and has a.....potentially potent but highly situational ability. It's not a bad card but is better on other ships.

R4-D6 - Great on Biggs (since he draws heavy gunfire at himself) less good one anyone else. A Baby Blues squad will almost always present a better torpedo target, and massively stressing a T-70 isn't the best plan in the world.

R5 Astromech - No. Only 2 damage out of 7 are affected by this card. It may save you, but the thing is that your extra flexibility from the R2 is more likely to be of use.

Actually, I just flew Jes Pava last night to great amusement.

Biggs

R2D6 / Intgr Astro.

Jess Pava

(ept astromech) / Adaptability / Intgr Astro

Red Sqdn

R2 unit / Intgr Astro

Red Sqdn

R2 unit / Intgr Astro

I love the dice re-rolls. It gives me four hard hitting ships over PS3. Biggs, I hate'em, but he serves a purpose here. Jess won me the game, defeating Dengar in the end. And I'm just realizing I played the game as though I didn't equip ANY of my X-Wings with integrated astromech... Uhg.

Faced off against a TLT Y-Wing, a torpedo armed jumpmaster and a variant Dengar.

Of your lists, I like Baby Blues Too. Jess Pava gets a bit of a defense boost just by flying nearby and a definite increase in firepower. She may draw more fire than the Blues, but she's slightly better at evading that fire if you fly her right. Should be able to handle higher pilot skills without too much problem... Would need to catch a Palp supported ace early or blast the shuttle quick... Torp-armed jumpmasters, as usual, are a potent force against X-Wings - particularly tightly leashed formations of X-Wings. Think you'd need to fly loose in that match up and just take Jess Pava's ability as it comes.

Torp-armed jumpmasters, as usual, are a potent force against X-Wings - particularly tightly leashed formations of X-Wings. Think you'd need to fly loose in that match up and just take Jess Pava's ability as it comes.

True, but in the case of the T-70 at least you have the "oh hell, BOOOOOOOST!" option to try and get in under torpedo range/out of arc.

Nice to see the Red Squad mob get an outing. There are quite a few T-65 squads you can do with 4 ships - you've got a few more points to play with, so whilst you lose the shield and the boost action, access to torpedoes (flechette or seismic), named droids (especially R3-A2), and the nice 23-25 point named pilots (Biggs, Hobbie, Tarn) look like they should do well.

Very true. Trick is your Blue Novice won't know for certain if the boost is well spent due to being a lower PS... That said, I may try something similar after I pick up HotR. Only have two T-70s right now compared to four T-65s.

Think you've keyed some inspiration, need to play with numbers for a bit!

Cool. I will hopefully get a try myself some time this week or next. I've used Baby Blues before, and been impressed, even when they've lost. People just aren't used to seeing four ships on the board without one of them being a TIE fighter, Z-95 or similar, and whilst it's no TIE/x7 Defender, a T-70 can take a surprising beating for its cost.

I flew the 'Baby Blues' (I called them Green Squadron due to their extra green moves as well as them being 'novices' so they're 'green') at our spring Regionals and it's such a nice, simple tournament list. I went 3-3, and it can actually do well against Torp Scouts if you can sit at Range 4 then close to Range 1 the next round. Which is tricky, but not as tricky as you'd think.

R2 is hands-down the best 1 point droid, it's the most useful, and the most general. The rest are too situational. I've tried r4-d6 and honestly I've never seen 3 uncanceled hits. Either there's a crit mixed in, or I get an evade. Even against Torp Scouts it seems like a pretty rare circumstance.

I think Integrated is pretty clutch for this list as since you're firing last, you need to weather the initial onslaught. It's really useful for ditching the first crit and keeping one from dying before it gets a chance to fire in the first exchange.

Why not give Jess the R2 astro/integrated and just have an upgradeless Blue? Surely having Jess live a little longer benefits more?

Fly them in a T formation

With Jess in the middle and the blank Blue at the back makes it a target further away, hopefully countering the loss of bulk.

In fact, give Jess R2-D6 which allows her to take Adaptability. She can match the Blues' pilot skills this way.

Cool. I will hopefully get a try myself some time this week or next. I've used Baby Blues before, and been impressed, even when they've lost. People just aren't used to seeing four ships on the board without one of them being a TIE fighter, Z-95 or similar, and whilst it's no TIE/x7 Defender, a T-70 can take a surprising beating for its cost.

I've been flying 4 ship formations for much of the year and I'll totally agree with your post here. My Miranda + Three Rookies list has been very successful even with my mediocre skills. X-Wings individually aren't so hot in the current meta, but when you've got several they seem to boost in potential. A 4-ship covers a lot of fire arcs.

Why not give Jess the R2 astro/integrated and just have an upgradeless Blue? Surely having Jess live a little longer benefits more?

Fly them in formation:

B J B

D

With D being the blank Blue at the back makes it a target further away, hopefully countering the loss of bulk.

In fact, give Jess R2-D6 which allows her to take Adaptability. She can match the Blues' pilot skills this way.

I thought the same... but there's one reason to leave it as is... Jess can re-roll green dice as well so she already has a little theoretical enhance on her survivability.

And your formation is entirely how I flew my particular four ship last night with Biggs being the trailer. Worked beautifully. You'd need to loosen up against high PS arc dodgers though, your fire arcs can be easily dodged in that formation.

I've been wanting to fly a Biggy Jess pair along with 2 Novices. Still trying to figure out where to spend the remaining 2pts.

Seems like Thane is a perfect wingman for Biggs...maybe give Thane R7T1 or R2F2 or Jyn erso crew when its released

I actually like R5X3, even with Integrated Astromech. If it's the first target, R5X3 is the same cost and effect as R2 Astromech. If it's not the first target, converting 1 hp into the ability to ignore effects of obstacles for a turn to get a good block or good shot is often well worth it. If you're going over an asteroid, R5X3 is already worth half a hit point, so the increased functionality of getting an action (and maybe ignoring defense modifiers on the target) only costs you another half hit point.

I thought the same... but there's one reason to leave it as is... Jess can re-roll green dice as well so she already has a little theoretical enhance on her survivability.

Exactly. Jess is someone you best deal with by killing her wingmen. Think of her as a mini-dengaroo; she's already tough enough, it's her squadmates who need to survive long enough to give her rerolls.

If someone shoots at her first, I'll happily trade my extra integrated astromech upgrade for unlimited defensive rerolls. If they wait until she's the last one standing, she has an essentially blank pilot ability and a shoddy PS, so there's no mileage in protecting her more than one of her wingmen.

I've been wanting to fly a Biggy Jess pair along with 2 Novices. Still trying to figure out where to spend the remaining 2pts.

After that? An R2 for someone, I guess. I agree that the R2 is the best droid. I'm not sure about primed thrusters; that's the only other card I can see might be good. Being able to talon roll and boost goes a long way to laying multiple shots on one elusive target.

I actually like R5X3, even with Integrated Astromech. If it's the first target, R5X3 is the same cost and effect as R2 Astromech. If it's not the first target, converting 1 hp into the ability to ignore effects of obstacles for a turn to get a good block or good shot is often well worth it. If you're going over an asteroid, R5X3 is already worth half a hit point, so the increased functionality of getting an action (and maybe ignoring defense modifiers on the target) only costs you another half hit point.

That's an interesting way of thinking about it. The T-70 seems to have got seriously impressive as a ship for dancing around the board (with Blue Ace, Snap Wexley and Ello Asty being the founding members of the X-wing Hooning Around Club)

That's an interesting way of thinking about it. The T-70 seems to have got seriously impressive as a ship for dancing around the board (with Blue Ace, Snap Wexley and Ello Asty being the founding members of the X-wing Hooning Around Club)

I had to look up 'hoon' and now it's going to be a permanent part of my lexicon b/c I like it that much. While not a T-70, Hobbie with a Targeting Astromech could join that club, as could any ship that can equip BB-8 and PtL.

The technical X-wing term is "Hooning Around Like A Drunken Fruitbat" and is generally applied to anything with Daredevil, SLAM, or other silly combinations of movement abilities.....

BB-8 PTL certainly qualifies. I'd give Hobbie a pass if he had Vectored Thrusters.