Yep. The Tie Defender pilots are about as perfect as you could ask for.

Outside of the Onyx, which is +2 points over the Delta for a more often than not pointless +2 PS (the same reason almost every mid PS generic without an EPT sees no play), every single one of the pilots is right where they need to be cost wise versus their fellow pilots.

Delta is a solid baseline at 30. Countess Ryad, at 34, exchanges PS for an outstanding pilot ability, exactly what a mid PS pilot must do to see play. The EPT bearing generic Glaives gain 1 PS over Countess while sticking at the same price. Colonel Vessery, another middling PS Defender pilot with an outstanding pilot ability, is at the same price (35) as Maarek , who, although 1 PS higher, has a much more situational pilot ability. To round things out, Rexlar Brath comes in at 37. A difficult ability to trigger, he pays a 2 point tax for punching in to the upper echelon of PS at 8. He may not see as much play as his fellow named Defender pilots, but the moment a card comes out which synergizes with his pilot ability *coughexpertisecough*, he very well may be just as common.

This makes me wonder... If FFG can get it right with the Tie Defender, what is keeping them from getting it right with their other expansions? The Tie/SF seems like a candidate for a group of 4 pilots that are fair prices between the 4 of them. The Deci pilots are another group of 4 that seem like they hit the sweet spot. But overall, it seems most ships have 1 or 2 good pilots and a host of poorly costed ones.

Thoughts?

Personally, I take for granted the lightning strike or snow flake, if you will, that is "nailing" any game mechanic.

And lightning doesn't strike the same point often.

Maybe it's just time. They are finally nailing it.

The defender stuff is really pretty new.(was it August or so).

People seem pleased with the heroes of the resistance.

If this next wave shakes out as well then I think we have evidence that's its generally going to be ok going forward.

The thing about named pilots who aren't used it because their abilities are behind the power curve, hard to use and synergize with, or comparatively useless. Also, a lot of them are missing an EPT, which makes their case worse. Then, there are ships who are behing the power curve, and can't make up for their mediocre ship, even with a great ability. Finally, FFG is releasing less generics, and giving more of them EPTs.

Examples of this:

Ability behind power curve: Lt. Lorrir

Bad ability: Fel's Wrath

Hard ability to use: Tarn Mison, a lot of Rebel pilots as well, Omega Ace

Bad ships: Luke, Wedge, pre-Veterans Defenders, Major Rhymer (because he is 26 points)

No EPT: Graz the Hunter, Horton Salm

Generics: Glaive Squadron (to give generic Defenders EPT), Contracted Scouts, ARCs don't even have a generic

If you think about it, most ships that see use have a generic with EPT, and /or several aces with EPT. That slot just opens up so many build options.

Well, they got the X7 SPECIFICALLY right

As for why, it is incredibly simple:

1. Dice ******* suck

2. **** dice

3. Have a free evade

Same reason anything is good competitively, you can mod the crap of of em

Only real difference is the delta isnt atrociously overpriced like a lot of generics tend to be

No, actually. Rexlar is easily one point overcosted even with the Defender fixes. He's the most expensive small ship in the game, with an ability that practically requires a second ship supporting him to pull off, and he isn't even native PS9.

That doesn't mean he can't be useful. I've used PS10 tractors to great effect, but he still isn't as efficient as he should be and is easily the worst named pilot.

his pilot ability *coughexpertisecough*, he very well may be just as common.

I actually kind of doubt this, and he's still stick at PS8 which is hard to take for a 40+ point ship. I will no doubt try it, but I'm not going to hold my breath either.

I have to agree. The defender may actually be the next hot/best ship in the game next to the U Boats but maybe not quite as over powered? But just really really good, Just my 2 cents worth.

I'd argue that the even-more-situational-but-PS8 Rexler would have benefited from being only +1pt over Vessery and Stele, but the trick to realise there is that they had to balance the entire expansion around Vessery.

Likewise, I'd caution that Tarn is just fine! ... but X-wings themselves are in a bad place these days, so even the extra free hit point wasn't enough to really help him out.

And yes, plenty are ruined for their lack of an EPT. This is not to say that all pilots *need* an EPT - but if you're going to lack it, it had better be a really, really good pilot ability. Dark Curse and Torkil Mux are fine, as does the likes of Miranda or the Ghost - but there's no excuse for the plight of Laetin, Graz the Hunter, Arvel, or Lorrir... half of whose abilities aren't really all that astonishing anyway.

The thing about named pilots who aren't used it because their abilities are behind the power curve, hard to use and synergize with, or comparatively useless. Also, a lot of them are missing an EPT, which makes their case worse. Then, there are ships who are behing the power curve, and can't make up for their mediocre ship, even with a great ability. Finally, FFG is releasing less generics, and giving more of them EPTs.

Examples of this:

Ability behind power curve: Lt. Lorrir

Bad ability: Fel's Wrath

Hard ability to use: Tarn Mison, a lot of Rebel pilots as well, Omega Ace

Bad ships: Luke, Wedge, pre-Veterans Defenders, Major Rhymer (because he is 26 points)

No EPT: Graz the Hunter, Horton Salm

Generics: Glaive Squadron (to give generic Defenders EPT), Contracted Scouts, ARCs don't even have a generic

If you think about it, most ships that see use have a generic with EPT, and /or several aces with EPT. That slot just opens up so many build options.

R2-D6 gives Horton a few options (probably the main reason included that card is the bizarre idea that no Y-wing qualified for an EPT).

Omega Ace's ability isn't that hard to use - Push The Limit, job done. I agree it's hard to make it matter, though - Targeting Synchroniser and Swarm Leader makes the 'jackpot attack' much harder to ignore.

I agree with Glaives. Primarily, they suffer from not being Countess Ryad. The increased pilot skill isn't enough to really matter (unless you take three Veteran Instincts Glaives), and they lose out on a freakin' epic pilot ability.

Rhymer is (slowly) getting better. He's still too expensive, but at least his pilot ability is really, really unique, and he can do stuff no other pilot could even consider.

Ryad is a mistake.

The problem with named pilots without EPT is the tuning space you remove from them. Why Emon Azzameen Latts Razzi or Moralo Eval can be "OK." and in the other side Graz or Hobbie are in the "not so good pilot" case ? Because when you put a named pilot without EPT on a YV-666, you only lost 10% of the customization space comparing to his counterpart with an EPT (Bossk). For the special K or the T-65, you lost 25% of that space and generally the ability of the non-EPT pilot doesn't compensate enough (it's often a lack of Versatility). for exemple, compared "Night Beast" to a Black'crack.

The proof is in the pudding for this one.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that they are about as perfect as you could hope for because some are more commonly taken that others which implies some level of efficiency difference. For example Ryad's -1PS reduction compared to the glaive is more than made up for by her extremely good pilot ability to the extent that in the vast majority of cases you would take her over a glaive.

I would agree that generally they are reasonably well costed compared to each other (compared to a ship like the interceptor) but there is still some room for improvements. (Which for me generally comes down to the pricing of pilot abilities - but that's a rabbit hole for another time).

I have stated and always will state that x2 title for -2 points and evade is too good . It should have been 0 points and gain a free evade, that would have balanced it Or just -2 points and no evade like they did with the Awing.

Believe me I flew the two delta and shuttle and two defender sigma/echo lists before the fix and after it's just so much better with the new titles. As for an named defender, the x2 title is just so good. Every time I use it and add the free evade and know that I spent 2 points somewhere else in my list , I just feel dirty

They got the costs on the two titles the wrong way round. Instead of two good titles you've got one overpowered title and one meh title that wouldn't actually be that bad if you didn't have to constantly compare it to the overpowered one.