Expertise.

I'm not really blown away by either the TIE Striker or the U-Wing. I don't think either of them are bad ships, but with so many other ships to compete with they just don't shine above my top choices.

But Expertise is an amazing upgrade. It basically mean you never have to take a focus token for your action. In other words you can free your action for repositioning. It also makes ships like Rey/Finn that already get re-rolls really deadly without any actions at all.

It would almost be an auto include except it is competing with some pretty good EPTs. I have been preparing some Defenders for Regionals two of which had Predator and Ion Engines. So I had the points to change the EPT to Expertise, abut I decided in the end not to. I pretty much spam focus actions when I am not barrel rolling with my defenders. With the x7 titles I get focus evade most turns. I really like what focus can do for defense. If Expertise as a weakness is it means that if you don't have the evade action then there really aren't any good defensive options. Sure you can still take focus for defense, but it isn't as good an option if you already have expertise.

Don't get me wrong I think there is a pretty good chance that from now on I will at least consider Expertise on every ship that can take it.

I am a little worried that Expertise is just another boost to offense leaving two attack dice ships really outgunned.

My problems with Expertise are the 4pt cost (very steep), and the fact that stress shuts it off. There's a fair bit of stress control out there at the moment, so I think the investment of points is too high a risk for most of the pilots I'd consider giving it to.

Let's wait until the other 60% of Wave 10 comes out first. Boshek!!

I'm running a Squad based on Swarm Leader tomorrow.

Nora 29

Swarm leader 3

Alliance Overhaul 0

Shara Bey 28

Alliance Overhaul 0

Green Squadron (x2) 19

PTL 3

Chardaan -2

Total 100

Open in (YA) X-wing

note:

the U and Striker are not actually wave 10

we're missing more ships than we have

Expertise.

I'm not really blown away by either the TIE Striker or the U-Wing. I don't think either of them are bad ships, but with so many other ships to compete with they just don't shine above my top choices.

But Expertise is an amazing upgrade. It basically mean you never have to take a focus token for your action. In other words you can free your action for repositioning. It also makes ships like Rey/Finn that already get re-rolls really deadly without any actions at all.

It would almost be an auto include except it is competing with some pretty good EPTs. I have been preparing some Defenders for Regionals two of which had Predator and Ion Engines. So I had the points to change the EPT to Expertise, abut I decided in the end not to. I pretty much spam focus actions when I am not barrel rolling with my defenders. With the x7 titles I get focus evade most turns. I really like what focus can do for defense. If Expertise as a weakness is it means that if you don't have the evade action then there really aren't any good defensive options. Sure you can still take focus for defense, but it isn't as good an option if you already have expertise.

Don't get me wrong I think there is a pretty good chance that from now on I will at least consider Expertise on every ship that can take it.

I am a little worried that Expertise is just another boost to offense leaving two attack dice ships really outgunned.

Though it might work really nicely on Rexler, who wants to take that Focus token each turn but doesn't want to spend it on his dice.

note:

the U and Striker are not actually wave 10

we're missing more ships than we have

Big fan of Expertise. It's one of those that's like...if you have the points, just do it. It might not be worth making room for, but it's a solid investment.

note:

the U and Striker are not actually wave 10

we're missing more ships than we have

Yup. Still waiting for ma tug boat and dat Ren Bat

This is what I'm waiting on before I make a final purchase - will the Ren Bat be worth it over all the other good things I could grab

I love it when my opponents take expertise.

Because Braylen turns their 4 point EPT into a card worth cleaning your finger nails with, and Norra punches through their green dice they didn't bother to take a focus action for, while Biggs soaks up the damage they can't put out anymore.

Yeah, expertise is a great upgrade. More people should use it.

Just kidding. Mostly. Expertise is neat but it really is a free 4 points for me when i'm pitted against it.

I love expertise as well, my dying Cassian became extremely annoying, even despite crashing into backdraft and at 1 hull.

It it better than predator...that is what I keep thinking about.

It it better than predator...that is what I keep thinking about.

The advantage of Expertise is greater, but the disadvantage is worse. Predator will ALWAYS work, no matter what. Out of a sloop, k turn, etc. when you're hit with stress.

I love it when my opponents take expertise.

Because Braylen turns their 4 point EPT into a card worth cleaning your finger nails with, and Norra punches through their green dice they didn't bother to take a focus action for, while Biggs soaks up the damage they can't put out anymore.

Yeah, expertise is a great upgrade. More people should use it.

Just kidding. Mostly. Expertise is neat but it really is a free 4 points for me when i'm pitted against it.

In a stress meta, Expertise is certainly much worse, especially compared to Predator.

But, of course, the stress meta is all but extinct -- its fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of that religion.

It it better than predator...that is what I keep thinking about.

The advantage of Expertise is greater, but the disadvantage is worse. Predator will ALWAYS work, no matter what. Out of a sloop, k turn, etc. when you're hit with stress.

It's definitely better than Predator, although it does have drawbacks. Being stress-free is a big deal, but Expertise is much better for dealing burst damage, and big bursts of damage are much better than low but consistent damage. It gives you a stress-free focus+TL if you want, or frees up your actions to use defensively. It really is like PtL, without the stress.

I love it when my opponents take expertise.

Because Braylen turns their 4 point EPT into a card worth cleaning your finger nails with, and Norra punches through their green dice they didn't bother to take a focus action for, while Biggs soaks up the damage they can't put out anymore.

Yeah, expertise is a great upgrade. More people should use it.

Just kidding. Mostly. Expertise is neat but it really is a free 4 points for me when i'm pitted against it.

Except Inspiring Recruit shuts down Braylen's effectiveness.

I love it when my opponents take expertise.

Because Braylen turns their 4 point EPT into a card worth cleaning your finger nails with, and Norra punches through their green dice they didn't bother to take a focus action for, while Biggs soaks up the damage they can't put out anymore.

Yeah, expertise is a great upgrade. More people should use it.

Just kidding. Mostly. Expertise is neat but it really is a free 4 points for me when i'm pitted against it.

Except Inspiring Recruit shuts down Braylen's effectiveness.

Who's gonna fly him kid, you?

Seriously, what do you put the Recruit on? I've yet to find a good list with Inspiring Recruit and an ace. IR seems built for Cassian but a crew slot is a lot to pay for a stress countermeasure you won't use at all against some lists.

If Expertise didn't have a down side, it would need to be nerfed until it did.

Roll four focus results on attack, no problem. It's marksmen, without the action. It's also great on ships that can take an evade token. Don't even have to think twice about taking a focus token.

Of course having a stressed ship sucks. The key of course is putting it on a ship that has or can have lots of greens. Still there are certain builds that will rock, paper, scissors this every time.

Expertise may very well make non-stress inducing lists noncompetitive in the future. Poor Dangaroo.

I love it when my opponents take expertise.

Because Braylen turns their 4 point EPT into a card worth cleaning your finger nails with, and Norra punches through their green dice they didn't bother to take a focus action for, while Biggs soaks up the damage they can't put out anymore.

Yeah, expertise is a great upgrade. More people should use it.

Just kidding. Mostly. Expertise is neat but it really is a free 4 points for me when i'm pitted against it.

Except Inspiring Recruit shuts down Braylen's effectiveness.

Who's gonna fly him kid, you?

Seriously, what do you put the Recruit on? I've yet to find a good list with Inspiring Recruit and an ace. IR seems built for Cassian but a crew slot is a lot to pay for a stress countermeasure you won't use at all against some lists.

A Palp Decimator or Whisper or Manaroo (in a Fangaroo list) are all exceptional places to stick him as insurance for your aces against stress control.

stress control isn't nearly relevant enough to stick inspiring on anything

though I do appreciate anyone willing to forgo far more useful crew for some recruits. Honestly, if they do that then Braylen has already more than done his job and any damage he sticks through is just gravy

not to mention the entirety of the mindlink list, including Fenn if you hit him with it, still has to deal with stress by forgoing red maneuvers, so the idea that stress is "countered" by inspiring is a bit bunk. It won't control actions, but it will forgo maneuvers. Against ARCs, that often means losing a shot

if against deci + whatever just hit the deci first. If you have a regen ship in a 1v1 versus a cheaper imperial ace, odds are you've automatically won the game

seriously, only real place for inspiring is with rage or if you have Cassian U escorting a stresshog around. 4-k stresshog is fun

I am really eager to try Rey with Expertise, Kanan Jarrus, Finn, Millennium Falcon (SLoop) along with 42pts of Miranda Doni awesomeness...

I love it when my opponents take expertise.

Because Braylen turns their 4 point EPT into a card worth cleaning your finger nails with, and Norra punches through their green dice they didn't bother to take a focus action for, while Biggs soaks up the damage they can't put out anymore.

Yeah, expertise is a great upgrade. More people should use it.

Just kidding. Mostly. Expertise is neat but it really is a free 4 points for me when i'm pitted against it.

Except Inspiring Recruit shuts down Braylen's effectiveness.

Who's gonna fly him kid, you?

Seriously, what do you put the Recruit on? I've yet to find a good list with Inspiring Recruit and an ace. IR seems built for Cassian but a crew slot is a lot to pay for a stress countermeasure you won't use at all against some lists.

Any ship that can take EPT and Crew for rage combo? Add gunner to the equasion and have fun with that firepower....

Expertise seems to be best suited where you get multiple attacks.

Corran Horn, Dengar... etc. Having a focus on each attack is pretty awesome. Especially if you can get a Fire Control System as well :-o

I'm also loving swarm leader for Empire.

Thus far it's the Tie/D Defenders that have impressed me most with expertise. In addition to the EPT allowing them mods on both attacks, it makes their focus action a dedicated defensive action without compromising what becomes an even more effective double hit. And since their most useful moves (namely the white k) are all white, the worry about stressing from maneuvering isn't nearly as big an issue as on other ships who are not so lucky. But honestly it just feels a lot like a defender talent in general, X-7's who'll never be tempted to spend their focus token on or save it for an attack are that much worse to hit.

Zuckuss, the one no one plays with, with expertise and Dengar, again, the one no one plays with has been putting out 3-5 hits a turn pretty reliably depending on range. Good way to push damage through, although the dial does leave a bit to be desired. Hotshot blaster helps with that a bit.