I feel I'm getting out of touch here.

What is Hanger Bay? Is that just another name for 100/6? Which is a death match?

Hanger Bay is basically 100/6 death match, except you and your opponents both have two lists.

At the start of a round, you and your opponent each examine both of the other player's lists, and then you decide which list you'll fly that round in secret. It's supposed to be a slightly more balanced format, because it reduced the odds you'll run into a hard counter, like flying a list with no answers to Soontir, or, conversely, flying Soontir as your highest PS Ace against an opponent with Rebel Captive, etc.

I actually prefer the reverse Hangar Bay (including rivals rule where the two lists have to be different factions) format where the other player chooses which of your two lists you'll fly. It completely prevents any one list from walking away with the meta since you opponent can always just not choose that list.

I'm a huge fan of the current meta, but do understand that the game is a far cry from the much simpler game it was in much earlier waves and that might not be for everyone.

I am not sure how long I could have stand the earlier times of "fly swarm or lose" or "fat turrets or lose" …people seem not that fond of those times in general. ;-)

You forget the other two important list of that era, 4 ship rebels and Imperial aces. All of those did very well to.