greetings fellow nerf herders.

I am going to be going to a real event for the first time and wanted to get some advice on how to spend the last 4 points in my list.

so here's the list

Tetran Cowall/TIE Interceptor (24) Stay on Target (2) Royal Guard TIE (0)Autothrusters (2) Stealth Device (3)

Countess Ryad/TIE Defender (34) Ruthlessness (3)TIE/D (0) Ion Cannon (3) () ()
“Zeta Leader”/TIE FO (20) Predator (3) Weapons Guidance (2) ()

{96 points}

the reason im playing these ships is because im not totally incompetent with them. i also quite like being able to do things not related to the dial i set. possibly considering zeta ace instead of leader because of the size 2 barrel. but +1 red die just seemed better?

thoughts? suggestions? ... ill even take an insult or 2 i guess, tho they arent really going to contribute.

Tetran Cowell? Surely you jest!

But seriously, without any tokens (because you will be stressed from SOT), you will lose your stealth device the first time someone shoots at him. So its a waste of 3 points and Tetran will be dead in short order. Stealth device is only useful on a ship that can stack multiple tokens that can be used defensively to keep your ship from taking any damage.

I'm not really seeing any synergy here neither. Also, what are you expecting to face? I suppose it being your first tournament, you are unfamiliar with the prevailing meta. Generally speaking, when going to a tournament, you want to bring stuff that you are confident will be strong against the most common/popular ships/lists you expect to face.

However, since it is your first tournament, it is probably best to go with an open mind, try to learn as much as you can, and don't worry too much about how you do. With that in mind, it probably doesn't matter what you bring.

But if you want to do well, I would suggest keeping your list as simple as possible. People tend to be nervous the first time they go to a 'real' event and so are more prone to make silly errors. You can reduce this likelihood by flying ships that you are extremely comfortable and have few rule interactions. Your particular list has a lot of situations that can lead to mistakes (like forgetting your abilities, and especially forgetting to avoid hitting your own ships with Ruthlessness). For that reason, I would suggest simplifying your list a bit to make it easier on yourself. If you do really well, you can always bring more 'outlandish' stuff for your next tournament

Here's my suggestion:

Ryad w/ push the limit, X-7 title & TIE mk 2 = 36

Royal Guard w/ push the limit & autothrusters = 27

Zeta leader w/ wired & comm relay = 24

Academy Pilot = 12

99

Reasoning for changes: each ship has no more than 2 or 3 upgrades, so easier to keep track of all your abilities. It uses all the same ships in your original list, but adds a blocker to help protect your heavy hitters and deal damage on an actionless target. I would suggest flying the TIE fighter, FO and Ryad together (but spread them out a bit---you want to keep Ryads k-turns open and Zeta Leader may want to s-loop at some point). Bring the royal guard in as a flanker or use it as bait to sucker your opponent into bad plays.

Regardless what you use, don't worry too much about your results! Try to review each game you played and consider if there is anything you could do better, and you are on your way to being an experienced tourney-goer!

Good luck!

Tetran? Surely, you joust*

Personally reconmend more standard stuff because it is overally more forgiving

Stuff like ptl x7 ryad wuth TIEmk2 and juke relay omega leader instead of zeta (which is +3 points from your zeta L, if youre just looking to add points to that list)

Not that having them will magically make you better, but theyre easier to use SPECIFICALLY because they take hits better

Thatll alleviate the frustration that can hit when a single mistake (or bad roll) casts a bit of a sour note on the day and theyll fight it out with almost any ship in the late game after a grueling match

Tetran Cowell? Surely you jest!

Here's my suggestion:

Ryad w/ push the limit, X-7 title & TIE mk 2 = 36

Royal Guard w/ push the limit & autothrusters = 27

Zeta leader w/ wired & comm relay = 24

Academy Pilot = 12

99

blek academy pilot. i do not tolerate 2 die attacks. if i can help it. which is actually the only reason zeta leader is acceptable

Tetran? Surely, you joust*

Stuff like ptl x7 ryad wuth TIEmk2 and juke relay omega leader instead of zeta (which is +3 points from your zeta L, if youre just looking to add points to that list)

was that a pun?

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so as far as i know these are the things im supposed to do

1: not be in arc

2: not rely on dice, ever

3: roll as many dice as you can

4: dont hit the rock.

5. seriously, rock bad, dont hit it.

isnt the best way to not be in arc to move as late as possible as unpredictably as possible? people do the vader fel thing where ps 9 barrel roll boost to dodge. but they still have to move how the dial they set indicated. i feel like its to my advantage if i can effectively set my dial when i have to move instead of at the start of the turn.

also i thought my interactions were pretty easy to remember. they consist of, "do i like this dial setting now that stuff moved" and "im attacking, time for more dice". i dont need to remember some wierd "target lock gives evade and then evade + coms lets me change your rolls and then boosting gives me stress which gives me focus." <- this nonsence is complicated. i think i jumbled together 2 different pilot/ship abilities there or something.

all of that said i see the point about auto thrusters and tetran. is there some reason tetran is considered bad? is it just the k turn thing?

is running a 2 defender a terrible idea? i quite like them if the other guys are "not meta" w/e that means.

oh uhh the things i have in case theres a better thing hidden in my stuff in order of preference (defender, imp aces, slave 1,phantom, inquisitor, tie FO, imp vets, core box 2, and i can borrow upgrades from my buddy)

I don't think Tetran is bad... But Soontir, Carnor, or even Turr are better... Or Kir Kanos if he had an EPT to take Push The Limit.

I friggin love the Interceptor, but they are squishy as hell. All the times i fly Soontir a double damage critic is waiting for him...

I'm loving the Defenders right now. They are beefy, and they have shields to absorb your mistakes. The Interceptors are not very forgiving if you made a mistake.

That's why people is recomending you to take something simpler.

Also, there are two problems with Tetran using Stay On Target:

1) He has no tokens, just naked dice. Those aren't very reliable, so he will either fail to contribute significant damage or fail to live long or both.

2) Using Stay on Target to change your dial when you're relatively new to the game does not really help you get better. One of the most important skills to learn in X-wing is being able to predict your opponent's maneuvers and counter them with superior positioning. You are never going to learn this skill if you rely on Stay on Target. Not saying that its a bad upgrade, because it certainly has its place on a small number of pilots, but I really don't think Tetran is one of them (if he was more durable and had some way to get action-independent dice modification, then maybe).

isnt the best way to not be in arc to move as late as possible as unpredictably as possible? people do the vader fel thing where ps 9 barrel roll boost to dodge. but they still have to move how the dial they set indicated. i feel like its to my advantage if i can effectively set my dial when i have to move instead of at the start of the turn.

Yes, it is. This is the reason why people take Vader (already PS9) and seriously consider giving him Veteran Instincts, for example.

Being able to 'tweak' your dial on the fly is a powerful ability - it's basically what boost and barrel roll do, so you're also right there.

The problem is, that the people you really need it against are the Inquisitors, the Fenn Raus, the Tycho Celchus and so on - the PS8+ boosty/barrel rolly aces who'll squirrel milimetres out of your arc given half a chance.

And they're still moving after you anyway. So whether you 'lock in' your move in the planning phase, or at PS5-7 in the activation phase, Soontir and Vader are still moving knowing exactly where you are and that you're not moving any further.

Being able to change your dial only really helps if you do it after the enemy has moved. Which is why the major proponents that I've seen are Veteran Instincts Hera Syndulla (PS9), Veteran Instincts Boba Fett (PS10) and Stay On Target Wedge Antilles (PS9).

blek academy pilot. i do not tolerate 2 die attacks. if i can help it. which is actually the only reason zeta leader is acceptable

Don't underestimate him. 2-dice attacks are nice at knocking hit points off 1-agility and 0-agility ships (like the Ghost and the Decimator), and more importantly, a PS1, manouvrable ship with Barrel Roll is an incredibly good blocker. He's not there to shoot so much as get in the way - which may leave an enemy ace without an action, and - even if he dodges you - may leave you with a much more satisfactory point-blank 3-dice shot.

so as far as i know these are the things im supposed to do

1: not be in arc

2: not rely on dice, ever

3: roll as many dice as you can

4: dont hit the rock.

5. seriously, rock bad, dont hit it.

Not a bad summary.

oh uhh the things i have in case theres a better thing hidden in my stuff in order of preference (defender, imp aces, slave 1,phantom, inquisitor, tie FO, imp vets, core box 2, and i can borrow upgrades from my buddy)

Whilst he only has 2 attack dice, don't underestimate Omega Leader. He does rely on the interaction of three cards (his own pilot ability, Juke, and Comms Relay) to work, but he is pretty deadly to aces - certainly for his points.

Countess Ryad is probably best with Push The Limit - she has a wide range of green moves (including an 'effective' green K-turn), so the best way to leverage that is to assume you're clearing stress every turn. With push the limit and the TIE/x7 title you can have a target lock and focus and evade every turn for little effort - which makes her lethally accurate with her primary weapon and **** hard to hurt.

Tetran.....I'd swap him for someone else, to be honest. If you really want a TIE interceptor, Carnor Jax and Soontir Fel are the best - I'd suggest Carnor simply because he comes in Imperial Aces and you have that one. Plus red squint and red defender colour-co-ordinate.

• Carnor Jax - Royal Guard TIE, Push The Limit, Autothrusters, Stealth Device
• Omega Leader - Juke, Comms Relay
• Countess Ryad - TIE/x7, Push The Limit, Twin Ion Engines MkII

Tetran.....I'd swap him for someone else, to be honest. If you really want a TIE interceptor, Carnor Jax and Soontir Fel are the best - I'd suggest Carnor simply because he comes in Imperial Aces and you have that one. Plus red squint and red defender colour-co-ordinate.

• Carnor Jax - Royal Guard TIE, Push The Limit, Autothrusters, Stealth Device
• Omega Leader - Juke, Comms Relay
• Countess Ryad - TIE/x7, Push The Limit, Twin Ion Engines MkII

wont taking so much stress make it hard to position with the intercepter. wasnt that part of the issue with the stay on target thing?

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so what about this instead

Colonel Vessery/ TIE Defender (35) Push the Limit (3) TIE/x7 (-2)Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Countess Ryad/TIE Defender (34) Ruthlessness (3)TIE/D (0) Ion Cannon (3) () ()

“Zeta Leader”/TIE FO (20) Wired (1) Weapons Guidance (2) ()

{100 points}

i cut the intercepter for a defender. and vessery gets to use his target lock thing.

Tetran.....I'd swap him for someone else, to be honest. If you really want a TIE interceptor, Carnor Jax and Soontir Fel are the best - I'd suggest Carnor simply because he comes in Imperial Aces and you have that one. Plus red squint and red defender colour-co-ordinate.

• Carnor Jax - Royal Guard TIE, Push The Limit, Autothrusters, Stealth Device
• Omega Leader - Juke, Comms Relay
• Countess Ryad - TIE/x7, Push The Limit, Twin Ion Engines MkII

wont taking so much stress make it hard to position with the intercepter. wasnt that part of the issue with the stay on target thing?

------------------------------------------------------

so what about this instead

Colonel Vessery/ TIE Defender (35) Push the Limit (3) TIE/x7 (-2)Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Countess Ryad/TIE Defender (34) Ruthlessness (3)TIE/D (0) Ion Cannon (3) () ()

“Zeta Leader”/TIE FO (20) Wired (1) Weapons Guidance (2) ()

{96 points}

i cut the intercepter for a defender. and vessery gets to use his target lock thing.

An Interceptor with Push the Limit is A LOT different than Stay on Target. Its a matter of timing:

-With Stay on Target, you reveal your dial, and if you want to change it, you immediately get stressed and therefore cannot take an action.

-With Push the Limit, you reveal your dial and complete your move, and then you get to take your action. If you want, you can use push the limit to take another action, but you get a stress token. Next turn, thanks to having 7 green maneuvers on the dial, you can easily clear the stress and do it all over again. Your ship is never vulnerable and is quite mobile provided you don't bump into another ship or an asteroid.

As to your list, you have Ryad and Vessery's Upgrades backwards. Vessery WANTS the cannon +TIE/D title because of his ability (he can get and spend target locks on both primary and ion shots). Thanks to his ability, he also has the best chance of getting Ruthlessness to trigger (because Vessery hits more often than most other pilots provided he has allies putting target locks on his targets).

Ryad however wants Push the Limit, X-7 and TIE mk 2 upgrades because of her ability (she can turn GREEN straight maneuvers into K-TURNS! This synergizes nicely with push the limit because you can more easily clear your stress than any other TIE defender can).

As to your list, you have Ryad and Vessery's Upgrades backwards. Vessery WANTS the cannon +TIE/D title because of his ability (he can get and spend target locks on both primary and ion shots). Thanks to his ability, he also has the best chance of getting Ruthlessness to trigger (because Vessery hits more often than most other pilots provided he has allies putting target locks on his targets).

Ryad however wants Push the Limit, X-7 and TIE mk 2 upgrades because of her ability (she can turn GREEN straight maneuvers into K-TURNS! This synergizes nicely with push the limit because you can more easily clear your stress than any other TIE defender can).

i did not understand that, that's how vesserys target lock worked. i thought it was after he finished his shooting actions. not after each shot.

As to your list, you have Ryad and Vessery's Upgrades backwards. Vessery WANTS the cannon +TIE/D title because of his ability (he can get and spend target locks on both primary and ion shots). Thanks to his ability, he also has the best chance of getting Ruthlessness to trigger (because Vessery hits more often than most other pilots provided he has allies putting target locks on his targets).

Ryad however wants Push the Limit, X-7 and TIE mk 2 upgrades because of her ability (she can turn GREEN straight maneuvers into K-TURNS! This synergizes nicely with push the limit because you can more easily clear your stress than any other TIE defender can).

i did not understand that, that's how vesserys target lock worked. i thought it was after he finished his shooting actions. not after each shot.

He gains the target lock IMMEDIATELY after rolling the dice. This occurs BEFORE dice modification, therefore, he can then spend the target lock to modify his dice. And he can do it EVERY single time he shoots (provided there's a target lock from an ally already there!)

wont taking so much stress make it hard to position with the intercepter. wasnt that part of the issue with the stay on target thing?

The only thing a stressed TIE interceptor can't do is K-turn - and even then, you can come about 135^o by doing a hard '2' turn and then boosting.

The key thing is getting a nice balance of the ability to reposition and the ability to modify your dice.

A TIE interceptor forced to rely on its basic, unmodified die rolls will crap out sooner or later, and - being no tougher than a 12 point academy pilot - will be blown to dust bunnies when it does. Focus and Evade tokens are key to 'cheating' the dice gods reliably.

The problem with building purely for manouvrability is that some people just don't care. Autothrusters make you resistant to turret fire, but not immune to it; sooner or latter you have to suck up some red dice, and if you're doing it when you have no tokens, you're in trouble.

i did not understand that, that's how vesserys target lock worked. i thought it was after he finished his shooting actions. not after each shot.

No. It's after you roll your red dice. That means, theoretically, you can spend a target lock to fire cluster missiles, immediately gain it back to modify the cluster missile shot, make a second cluster missile attack, gain a second target lock, and use that to modify the second cluster missile shot.

The most common build for Vessery these days is a TIE/D packing a cannon - to get two attacks with 'free target locks'.

Either an Ion Cannon or Tractor Beam is usually recommended, then elite upgrade to taste.

The key weakness of using Vessery is that you need a target lock on your victim - which means that (a) you need a friend who'll target lock them, that (b) said friend needs to still be alive come vessery's turn to shoot, and © said friend needs to have not spent their target lock come vessery's turn to shoot.

As a rule, he plays best with pilots with a lower PS than him (the countess is good, as are cheap TIE bombers) or those higher PS pilots who tend to retain target locks turn-after-turn (Darth Vader or Omega Leader, for example).

As you've got it set up, Ryad can provide a target lock, but if she goes down, Zeta Leader won't be helping - firstly he's firing before vessery, secondly with weapons guidance you're likely to be using focus, not target lock. Having both ships being able to support the Colonel is not a bad idea.

Finally, Vessery's ability generates 'free' target locks. Assuming you're getting your target lock free, and using your normal action to focus....... Push The Limit is a bit of a waste.