I just keep comparing the contracted scout (CS) to the wild space fringer (WSF):

PS: 3 (CS) v 2 (WSF), CS wins

Dial: WSF has 3-turns, CS has S-Loops (one is white) and more greens (but all to the left or straight). I feel the S-Loop seals the deal, CS wins

Actions: identical

Stats: WSF has one more shield, WSF wins

Upgrades: WSF has cannon, missile, crew. CS has EPT, torpedo x2, crew, salvaged astro, illicit. While cannons are nice, the CS wins here based on sheer options, plus the virtue of an EPT and the crew/droid combo

Ship Specific Upgrades: both have titles (and since Outrider usually has an HLC, they are even the same points) that significantly upgrade the offensive power of the ship, but both are better on named pilots, waste on a generic, so it's a wash.

So the Contracted Scout appears to be hands down the better ship, even naked, and it's 5 points cheaper. The short story? I think there will definitely be places for contracted scouts in lists, even if they aren't alpha strike gods.

Also, I know that WSF is accepted by the community as one of the worst pilots in the game (barely beating out ORS), but look at the other ships the contracted scout stacks up against:

2 points more expensive than Black Sun Ace

2 points more expensive than Ruthless Freelancer

2 points more expensive than Zeta specialist

Same price as Black Sun Enforcer

2 points CHEAPER than the aforementioned ORS

Same price as the cheapest ARC

They will still be eminently abusable, and the deadeye nerf just opens up your list building.

I just keep comparing the contracted scout (CS) to the wild space fringer (WSF):

So the Contracted Scout appears to be hands down the better ship, even naked, and it's 5 points cheaper. The short story? I think there will definitely be places for contracted scouts in lists, even if they aren't alpha strike gods.

the fringer is hideously overpriced, so this really isn't a big deal

though the scout is a ship I personally consider to be fairly priced in the wake of two horribly, horrendously overcosted ships with similar capabilities (fringer and smuggler) in the rebel faction. only the combination of salvaged and deadeye was borked

so ultimately, I agree

it's just that the comparison to a very overpriced ship doesn't necessarily make the scout good, as much as the scout being fairly priced and sporting an ept makes it useful

Honestly the expensive recon spec build may be alive and kicking anyway.

2x Scout - Rec spec, r4 aggro, munitions, chips, plasmas, crack shot (36 each)

Palob - tlt, zuckuss, wired (28)

It's not quite as easymode as the old dead eye version but it gets to put crackshot in instead and with careful setup on the locks via r4 you still get approximately the same effect.

Honestly the expensive recon spec build may be alive and kicking anyway.

2x Scout - Rec spec, r4 aggro, munitions, chips, plasmas, crack shot (36 each)

Palob - tlt, zuckuss, wired (28)

It's not quite as easymode as the old dead eye version but it gets to put crackshot in instead and with careful setup on the locks via r4 you still get approximately the same effect.

I actually tried a very similar set up on Manaroo in a mindlink list last night. Still effective but as you say not easy mode now.

I won't say that wolf pack is "dead" there are still ways to make it work - the super easymode, alphastrike version of it was killed but you can make it work in other ways - you just need to work harder.

Unfortunately i don't own any, because I'm dying to try this list out. It's based upon a list i saw snowhill (I think?) playing on vassal. 2 of these guys nearly killed bossk dengar list after the first got nuked early. http://xwing-builder.co.uk/view/584448/scum-additional-damage

It's basically all of the scummy ways these things can damage you without attacking you.

The solution is to buy another one. 4 naked U-boats!

Well, I mean, you *COULD* throw Adaptability and Guidance Chips because why not?!

Honestly the expensive recon spec build may be alive and kicking anyway.

2x Scout - Rec spec, r4 aggro, munitions, chips, plasmas, crack shot (36 each)

Palob - tlt, zuckuss, wired (28)

It's not quite as easymode as the old dead eye version but it gets to put crackshot in instead and with careful setup on the locks via r4 you still get approximately the same effect.

Against a list that't largely ps4 and above what's your plan for NOT losing a Scout in the 2 rounds of fire it needs to withstand before it can fire the first torp ?

Give'm Draw Their Fire and just shuffle crits around all day.

Now theyre even more annoying to take out. Btw, that card limits one ship taking one crit, not two different ships taking 1 crit each. Put'm in a triangle formation, if you get doublecritted just share the pain!

Honestly the expensive recon spec build may be alive and kicking anyway.

2x Scout - Rec spec, r4 aggro, munitions, chips, plasmas, crack shot (36 each)

Palob - tlt, zuckuss, wired (28)

It's not quite as easymode as the old dead eye version but it gets to put crackshot in instead and with careful setup on the locks via r4 you still get approximately the same effect.

Against a list that't largely ps4 and above what's your plan for NOT losing a Scout in the 2 rounds of fire it needs to withstand before it can fire the first torp ?

Probably whatever the jumpmaster plan was previously for not losing a ship in the first 2 rounds of shooting. I don't really play jumps but in this list specifically they have double focus, so usually one on defense, and palob pulls tokens and pressures aces reliably.

There wasnt a need for a plan before because Deadeye let you fire your torps without risk first round. It was very unlikely to lose one before it fired at all, and even if it did, you had two more that more than likely took a ship out as well.

Thats gone. Now, proper approach means its not that hard for the higher PS guy to sit JUST outside range3 so you cant TL, then inch forward, fire, and then blast into range1 where you cant fire torps next round.

VI would help more than adapt but even then, very few things are PS4/5 that are actually a problem. Ryad being one of the few that comes to mind.

K4 + Fearlessness. There, I Fixed It.

Pair two with a Bumpmaster, like so:

I might try this at some point, just for lols. Circle aces like sharks.

JUNKMASTER BUMPBASTARDS

100 points

PILOTS

Contracted Scout (34) x 2
JumpMaster 5000 (25), K4 Security Droid (3), Unhinged Astromech (1), Push the Limit (3), Anti-Pursuit Lasers (2)

Manaroo (32)
JumpMaster 5000 (27), Adaptability (0), Recon Specialist (3), Anti-Pursuit Lasers (2)

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Without deadeye, there's no reason NOT to bring back R4 Agromech.

APL, R4, Recon Spec, BMST, Trick Shot x3

APL? Trick Shot?

Why not?

I meant what does that mean. I don't know those acronyms.

Neither of those are acronyms.