Feel like a noob flying this ship, but getting the hang of it. What is the general consensus on Duchess? Is he worth taking and who are his best wingmen?

Haven't flown Duchess myself, but we've got a local guy who flies all 3 named Strikers along with Palp, and generally does decent with them.

If English isn't your first language "duchess" is the feminine of "duke", so she. If English is your first language... well "duchess" is the feminine of "duke".

Really fun to fly but lacking in the dice mod department. I love the Striker because it moves unlike any other ship but if you are not rolling good you will get caught and killed eventually.

Primarily, I've found the Striker (and Duchess in particular) to be a lot of fun to fly, but as has been pointed out they find themselves lacking in dice modification. Lightweight Frame feels like an autoinclude for them (they need as much help defensively as they can get), and turrets can all but shut them down entirely - particularly Dash turret-cannons and TLT's.

It would seem that the trick to them is to put them alongside far bigger and more immediate threats, so that they get assigned a lower target priority by your opponent and can work their fiendish ways. Some kind of offensive modification is entirely neccesary, for Duchess at least (Sabacc tends to prefer Veteran Instincts) - Lone Wolf, Predator and Expertise are all valid choices for her, and each plays slightly differently. I'm yet to try her with all three - Expertise is my current preference.

Flying them is a case of getting them into position to attack, then getting out before they get caught by something, and in the best case, dodge arcs altogether. This is another reason offensive dice modification in that EPT slot is so critical, because Focus alone is not enough, and half the time you won't even have that (since you'll need to barrel roll or evade in order to live). This is partly why Expertise is my current favourite for Duchess - she can evade every round until needing to roll, and always has consistent modification for her shots. Predator and Lone Wolf require cleverer use of both the Focus action and, in Lone Wolf's case, distance. However, it does make me reluctant to perfrom red moves with her, which misses an element of the Striker - an S-Loop or K-Turn with a pre-emptive not-boost at high PS allows for some very sneaky attack positions.

It in fact has another neat trick that not everyone may know - if you move through a debris field with an Aileron maneuver, and your dial maneuver can then be executed without clipping the debris, it's possible to 'slip' through debris without taking the effect of the stress, provided you dial in a green move. You do, however, still risk taking a crit on an unshielded, 4h ship...but the risk may be worth it for the element of surprise. You could even do it with asteroids, though you would have to be more careful so as not to end up stuck on one.

If English isn't your first language "duchess" is the feminine of "duke", so she. If English is your first language... well "duchess" is the feminine of "duke".

Definitely still a he. Reference post 2

biggest thing with duchess might just be a very specific points issue, but I find him difficult to justify over VI sabecc just conceptually

same cost, same PS, same arc-dodgy nonsense but Sabecc just gets more dice for probably at least one shot we hope

aint actually flying one of those things unless it's countdown, though. That's just guaranteed one-shot dead knowing my dice

Flew all three named last weekend. They take a lot of getting used to, and are remarkably fun to fly, but they are wet paper.

I could see potential, but at all moments they just felt like they were missing something. I rarely felt like a threat. Duchess was reasonably tricksy, but Sabacc was the only one who seemed to have hopes of getting damage in, assuming he survived long enough to do it. Countdown did... Nothing, really. I'm not sure if it was dumb luck or average dice, but the only time he saw more than one damage land on him, he was already stressed.

Having said all that, they're still fun, and I'm certainly going to try that list again.

I don't want to assume Duchesses gender... but pretty sure that's the female version of Duke.

I try to use her as a poor mans Phantom. All bouncy with the map style. Saying that, Strikers get smashed by TLT's. Which are on the rise again. You nerf Scouts, Thug life is gonna come back to the streets.

If English isn't your first language "duchess" is the feminine of "duke", so she. If English is your first language... well "duchess" is the feminine of "duke".

Definitely still a he. Reference post 2

From: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/12/5/a-swift-and-vigilant-defense/

"However, since there are times you might prefer not to have "Duchess" race forward at speed "1" before executing her maneuver, you can allow her to ignore the ability of her Adaptive Ailerons. Effectively, she can execute her maneuver, then, from any of four different positions, rather than from three different positions, and she can better react to fighters that buzz about her in close quarters."

Pretty sure they've made their point.

The use of the masculine pronoun in reference to the pilot code name: Duchess is a tribute to the best spy working today in American animation, one Sterling Malory Archer, code name: Duchess (after his mother's dog).

The use of the masculine pronoun in reference to the pilot code name: Duchess is a tribute to the best spy working today in American animation, one Sterling Malory Archer, code name: Duchess (after his mother's dog).

Let's split the difference: in the Star Wars Universe, Sterling Malory "Duchess" Archer is a woman.

Done.

The use of the masculine pronoun in reference to the pilot code name: Duchess is a tribute to the best spy working today in American animation, one Sterling Malory Archer, code name: Duchess (after his mother's dog).

Let's split the difference: in the Star Wars Universe, Sterling Malory "Duchess" Archer is a woman.

Done.

I try to use her as a poor mans Phantom. All bouncy with the map style.

The TIE Striker is, visually, 2/3 of a Phantom. It's pre movement ability is 2/3 that of a Phantom. And Duchess is kitted out at roughly 2/3 that of Whisper.

I try to use her as a poor mans Phantom. All bouncy with the map style.

The TIE Striker is, visually, 2/3 of a Phantom. It's pre movement ability is 2/3 that of a Phantom. And Duchess is kitted out at roughly 2/3 that of Whisper.

4 red dice multiplied by 2/3rds is 2 and 2/3rds

or 3, when rounded up

How about we just agree that some people are going to get some fun out of calling Duchess "him" after Archer, and others are going to prefer sticking to the fluff and saying "her"? It's hardly a treasonous offence. Good God, it's like Echo after the Phantom reveal all over again...

Sidebar: Sabacc with Crackshot over VI. Thoughts? I'm tempted to switch that up.

How about we just agree that some people are going to get some fun out of calling Duchess "him" after Archer, and others are going to prefer sticking to the fluff and saying "her"? It's hardly a treasonous offence. Good God, it's like Echo after the Phantom reveal all over again...

Sidebar: Sabacc with Crackshot over VI. Thoughts? I'm tempted to switch that up.

so it's like an echo of Echo then, eh?

would rather run VI on Sabacc over Crackshot just so he actually shoots maybe once before popping

also rather important for potential arc-dodging, i.e the only possible way to keep these soap-bubble-and-prayer flying coffins in the air

VI vaults the very important hurdles of Vess, Glaives and Asajj

I waited anxiously for Duchess to join my fleet. After three disappointing games with Duchess I figured out this much:

1- Duchess needs Lone Wolf.

2- Duchess and Echo have opposing initiative needs. (Shocker right?)

I took a break from Duchess to help a friend prep for Sacramento Regionals. After playing a few games with my version of Corran/Miranda, I realized I needed to fly Duchess the way I fly Corran. I equip Corran with Lone Wolf, Flechette Torps, R2-D2, Sensor Jammer and Stealth Device, and I fly him slow until he needs to go fast.

One more game with Duchess proved it. The results were night and day. Against a list that previously crushed me; Duchess went six rounds without being in a firing arc, against two ships with rear arcs. After that, Duchess was in a clear position to win the game for me. It all came down the flight plan: slow until you need to be fast. Keeping the Adaptive Ailerons option open is vital. Those Segnor's are tempting, but you're better off disengaging if you can.

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/FIRRIB

Anyway, for 25 points you have a very maneuverably PS10 with loads of greens.

That should allow you to get up to all sorts of things.

I greatly enjoy predator Duchess and intend to stick that 28 point ship into many squads. I also enjoyed VI Sabacc and find they make an awesome 53 point tag team. Expertise Tractor/D Rexler Brath with an engine upgrade made a fun squad.

Duchess' ability to negate the title is useful but i think the sheer power of Sabaac is better. VI Sabaac is the same price as an EPT-less Duchess but can easily hit harder. Sure, Duchess can be kitted out with a proper EPT and such to hit more reliably but then hes breaking 30pts easily and still just as easy to kill if caught as any striker.

Sabaac can be a major threat at a simple 25pts (VI + LF + Title). Duchess needs to break that value to be worth it.

If English isn't your first language "duchess" is the feminine of "duke", so she. If English is your first language... well "duchess" is the feminine of "duke".

Definitely still a he. Reference post 2

So yea... SHE