B-wing Power

By Astech, in X-Wing Squad Lists

This is less of a squad list and more of an exploration of the B-wing.

Like most rebel ships the B-wing has some astounding Pilot Abilities that are weighed down by there frame. Take Ten Numb - she would be infinitely more dangerous in a TIE Advanced, for instance. Here's a few B-wing builds that I think are worth their shortcomings:

Keyan Farlander (42) Mega-Keyan. Paired with Wes to token strip, Keyan hits a mean 5 dice with focus+target lock, at all ranges.

Heavy Laser Cannon

Opportunist

Fire Control System

Keyan Farlander (33) - Discount Keyan. Hits like a slightly smaller brick than Mega-Keyan, but at a nice, low price.

Advanced Sensors

Rage

Nera Dantels (32) - A 360 degree stress turret, wth decent jousting potential. More of a support ship, though.

Accuracy Corrector

Flechette Torpedoes

Deadeye

Ten Tumb (36) - Discount Ten Numb. At least two uncanceleable damage per turn, if played right.

Snap Shot

Bistan

B-wing/E2

Ten Numb (40) - Ten at Ten. The greatest ace-killer in the game, with infinite 1-hard turns and great action economy.

Mangler Cannon

Fire Control System

Veteran Instincts

B-wing/E2

Hera Syndulla

Ten Numb (36) - Giggly Ten Numb. Swap the tractor for flechette or Ion to taste. Makes a great "spotter" for a swarm.

Bistan

Veteran Instincts

Tractor Beam

B-wing/E2

In particular, Mega-Keyan has won me many games and at least one tournament, to the point of one-shotting a full health Guri. B-wings are, surprisingly, glass cannons. Especially in the early game, they desperately need Biggs for protection. Mushed together:

Ten Numb (40)

Mangler Cannon

Fire Control System

Veteran Instincts

B-wing/E2

Hera Syndulla

Keyan Farlander (33)

Rage

Advanced Sensors

Tractor Beam

Biggs Darklighter (26)

R4-D6

Integrated Astromech

Total: 100 pts.

I'd like to think it has an answer to every problem, but none of them are super great answers. On the one hand, Ten can take out a single ace fairly easily, and Keyan + Ten could possibly handle a swarm, but its a long shot.

What have you done with your B-wings? Are they still viable in the current meta, now that the U-wing has dropped?

Ten Numb (40) - Ten at Ten. The greatest ace-killer in the game, with infinite 1-hard turns and great action economy.

Mangler Cannon

Fire Control System

Veteran Instincts

B-wing/E2

Hera Syndulla

My friend has put his Bullies to good use (accuracy corrector + autoblaster)

See list in other thread.

A guy I know just flies 4 blue Squadron pilots and a Bandit.

It's just...so disheartening to set up across from that much shield and hull, especially because he is an amazing formation flyer and you're rarely facing down only one arc.

Assault Missiles?

Don't for get your friendly neighborhood "Always Raging Keyan"

Keyan Farlander: 32 pts

-Rage

-BWing/E2

-Inspiring Recruit

Throw HLC on there and get "Always Raging SUPER Keyan"

Advanced Sensors, PtL E2, Sabine crew and a choice of mines can be a lot of fun on Keyan. Definitely a lot of points, but the ability to drop a bomb before or after movement and/or barrel roll, then follow up with a modified attack does appeal to me.
Using this build, I did destroy two different ships with Keyan in one turn : barrel roll then dropped a mine on a first enemy, then move to face the second one before blasting it to pieces :)

Edited by Giledhil

Advanced Sensors, PtL E2, Sabine crew and a choice of mines can be a lot of fun on Keyan. Definitely a lot of points, but the ability to drop a bomb before or after movement and/or barrel roll, then follow up with a modified attack does appeal to me.

Using this build, I did destroy two different ships with Keyan in one turn : barrel roll then dropped a mine on a first enemy, then move to face the second one before blasting it to pieces :)

Shame that you can't drop the mine after the barrel roll because ptl only lets you do second actions that are on your action bar, you have to drop the mine 1st then barrel roll unless you have experimental interface, but then you can't take Sabine.

But other than that it is quite funny to see the look on your opponents face when they realise that a b wing just dropped a proton bomb or conner net on top of them

Advanced Sensors, PtL E2, Sabine crew and a choice of mines can be a lot of fun on Keyan. Definitely a lot of points, but the ability to drop a bomb before or after movement and/or barrel roll, then follow up with a modified attack does appeal to me.

Using this build, I did destroy two different ships with Keyan in one turn : barrel roll then dropped a mine on a first enemy, then move to face the second one before blasting it to pieces :)

Shame that you can't drop the mine after the barrel roll because ptl only lets you do second actions that are on your action bar, you have to drop the mine 1st then barrel roll unless you have experimental interface, but then you can't take Sabine.

But other than that it is quite funny to see the look on your opponents face when they realise that a b wing just dropped a proton bomb or conner net on top of them

Yeah you're right, maybe it was bomb drop before barrel roll, I can't remember for sure (and I hope I didn't unintentionally made that mistake, but that is also possible).

Edited by Giledhil

A guy I know just flies 4 blue Squadron pilots and a Bandit.

It's just...so disheartening to set up across from that much shield and hull, especially because he is an amazing formation flyer and you're rarely facing down only one arc.

BBBBZ isn't so hard to defeat - they only have focus/target lock for offense, not both.

I've ran against ye olde BBBB + advanced sensors for all and it's not very special any more - you can arc-dodge all the shots coming at you, then take an unmodified shot on the one ship you inevitably still have in arc and still do damage because of the AGI 1. I think its greatest strength is in being forgiving, as you really can't lose a B-wing to one shot, and two-shotting them is rare.

I'm keen to try:

3 x Blue Squadron Pilots (25)

Fire Control System

Tractor Beam

1 x Blue Squadron Pilot (25)

Collision Detector

Intelligence Agent

B-wing/E2

99 points.

It's much the same as the classic, but rather than a Z-95 you've got tractor beams for when the opportunity presents itself (you know, against Poe, Norra, Kihraxz Fighters, X-wings, etc ), plus Intel agent to block the aces that normally bring you down.