Jess/Biggs and ??? (inspired by Nand's Worlds list)

By gennataos, in X-Wing Squad Lists

Biggs is the default X-wing and Jess seems to be the consensus best T-70 pilot. Where could we build from there? I've come up with a few ideas to start...

This doesn't pack a huge punch, but could be a pain to bring down.

Jess Pava (25)
M9-G8 (3)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Wes Janson (29)
Veteran Instincts (1)
BB-8 (2)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Captain Rex (14)

Total: 100

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I've wanted to make a U-wing work and haven't yet. This seems to have potential...?

Jess Pava (25)
M9-G8 (3)
Pattern Analyzer (2)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Heff Tobber (24)
Fire-Control System (2)
Jan Ors (2)
"Zeb" Orrelios (1)
Tactical Jammer (1)
Pivot Wing (0)

Captain Rex (14)

Total: 100

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This would be predicated on wild variance, but could be fun to fly

Jess Pava (25)
R2-D6 (1)
Pattern Analyzer (2)
Swarm Leader (3)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R3 Astromech (2)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Juke (2)
Chardaan Refit (-2)
Snap Shot (2)
A-Wing Test Pilot (0)

Green Squadron Pilot (19)
Juke (2)
Chardaan Refit (-2)
Snap Shot (2)
A-Wing Test Pilot (0)

Total: 100

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Is Jess that good?
Personally, I don't think Jess is a staple. Her ability and capacity to carry M9-G8 is what Nand was probably focusing on (3-dice primary ain't bad) - but without the Talon Roll, she'd be unplayable at PS-3 and ~28 points.

I'd much rather see Ahsoka (w/ Sabine and Scavenger), which frees up 5 points for a bigger, badder, third ship.. Obviously I'm simply plugging 100-point Corran, but you could do anything you wanted with those points! Including put M9-G8 on Biggs!

Just now, Rinzler in a Tie said:

Is Jess that good?
Personally, I don't think Jess is a staple. Her ability and capacity to carry M9-G8 is what Nand was probably focusing on (3-dice primary ain't bad) - but without the Talon Roll, she'd be unplayable at PS-3 and ~28 points.

I'd much rather see Ahsoka (w/ Sabine and Scavenger), which frees up 5 points for a bigger, badder, third ship.. Obviously I'm simply plugging 100-point Corran, but you could do anything you wanted with those points! Including put M9-G8 on Biggs!

I think Jess is that good. From what I've seen and heard, anyone who's flown her or against her has been surprised by how good she is. I'm not sure what you mean by "without the Talon Roll, she'd be unplayable at PS-3 and ~28 points".

Just now, gennataos said:

I think Jess is that good. From what I've seen and heard, anyone who's flown her or against her has been surprised by how good she is. I'm not sure what you mean by "without the Talon Roll, she'd be unplayable at PS-3 and ~28 points".

I mean I think she doesn't offer enough maneuverability and if she didn't have a Talon Roll she'd unplayable. Even with the Talon Roll, she doesn't give me enough "stuff" at her price point.

But hey - Nand flew her to the Worlds final table, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

This is intended as a collaborative "What could we do with these two ships" kind of thread, like the Triple T-70 thread. The lists I came up with here just some ideas to start a conversation.

4 minutes ago, Rinzler in a Tie said:

I mean I think she doesn't offer enough maneuverability and if she didn't have a Talon Roll she'd unplayable. Even with the Talon Roll, she doesn't give me enough "stuff" at her price point.

But hey - Nand flew her to the Worlds final table, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

I don't think you can consider a pilot/ship on the merits of what they would be like if they didn't have X, which they do have. If Soontir didn't have a barrel roll and boost, he'd probably never have seen the popularity he did, but he does, so he did.

I picked out these two ships because of the combo of Nands success at World, Biggs is Biggs and most people who have been playing a lot of T-70s agree that Jess is pretty great.

Edited by gennataos
Just now, gennataos said:

I don't think you can consider a pilot/ship on the merits of what they would be like if they didn't have X, which they do have. If Soontir didn't have a barrel roll, he'd never have seen the popularity he did.

I picked out these two ships because of the combo of Nands success at World, Biggs is Biggs and most people who have been playing a lot of T-70s agree that Jess is pretty great.

So, we'll depart from this tangent by me saying: I wouldn't auto-include Jess, if I were building your list.

Build what you like. Fly it. Modify. Repeat.

I suggest trying Ahsoka as a wing-mate.

Just now, Rinzler in a Tie said:

I suggest trying Ahsoka as a wing-mate.

Now that's an interesting suggestion.

15 minutes ago, Rinzler in a Tie said:

Is Jess that good?
Personally, I don't think Jess is a staple. Her ability and capacity to carry M9-G8 is what Nand was probably focusing on (3-dice primary ain't bad) - but without the Talon Roll, she'd be unplayable at PS-3 and ~28 points.

I'd much rather see Ahsoka (w/ Sabine and Scavenger), which frees up 5 points for a bigger, badder, third ship.. Obviously I'm simply plugging 100-point Corran, but you could do anything you wanted with those points! Including put M9-G8 on Biggs!

Just now, gennataos said:

Now that's an interesting suggestion.

Indeed it is...

1 minute ago, Rinzler in a Tie said:

Indeed it is...

In addition to Biggs/Jess, not in place of Jess....

Edited by gennataos

Nand's list was about Miranda. Biggs was a reliable way to protect Miranda. Jess was then the best value fighter available. If Biggs is not protecting a ship with heavy firepower and low agility, he is a drain on the list. He doesn't need to protect Jess. If your opponent is shooting into Jess's ability then you are already getting value. If he is to have value you need a 3rd ship in the list worth protecting, and that points towards Miranda, corran, or Norra as rebel heavy hitters fitting in that point range. Biggs feels limiting to build around.

And I wouldn't question Jess' value as a ship. She more than holds her own, even without upgrades.

13 minutes ago, Ohnoeszz said:

Nand's list was about Miranda. Biggs was a reliable way to protect Miranda. Jess was then the best value fighter available. If Biggs is not protecting a ship with heavy firepower and low agility, he is a drain on the list. He doesn't need to protect Jess. If your opponent is shooting into Jess's ability then you are already getting value. If he is to have value you need a 3rd ship in the list worth protecting, and that points towards Miranda, corran, or Norra as rebel heavy hitters fitting in that point range. Biggs feels limiting to build around.

And I wouldn't question Jess' value as a ship. She more than holds her own, even without upgrades.

Thanks! That's an interesting perspective on the value of Biggs, which might be why I like the Heff list the best and the Snap Shot A-wings the least.

Despite venturing down a dark Biggs/Heff/Norra path, I'm continuing to tweak this Biggs/Jess/Heff/Rex list. I've added some shenanigans to Heff for his free actions...

Jess Pava (25)
M9-G8 (3)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Heff Tobber (24)
Fire-Control System (2)
Seismic Torpedo (2)
Jyn Erso (2)
"Zeb" Orrelios (1)
Tactical Jammer (1)
Pivot Wing (0)

Captain Rex (14)

Total: 100

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I like it.

change as you wish, but rex's ability with captured TIE would be pretty good- at the price of luke rather than wes.

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I've put a variation on the TAAX list above.

Instead of Swar Leader, give Jess Expertise.

Jess Swarm (100)

Jess Pava (32) - T-70 X-Wing
R2-D6 (1), Pattern Analyzer (2), Integrated Astromech (0), Expertise (4)

Green Squadron Pilot (21) - A-Wing
Snap Shot (2), Chardaan Refit (-2), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Juke (2)

Green Squadron Pilot (21) - A-Wing
Snap Shot (2), Chardaan Refit (-2), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Juke (2)

Biggs Darklighter (26) - X-Wing
R4-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

I won some tournaments locally with this list, and went 3-4 at Worlds with it (more a comment on my choices and luck than the list -- it's not far off in concept from one of the top four lists):

Jess Pava (27)
T-70 X-Wing (25), R2-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0), Draw Their Fire (1)

Captain Rex (16)
Sabine's TIE Fighter (14), Sabine's Masterpiece (1), Black Market Slicer Tools (1), Chopper (0)

Biggs Darklighter (26)
X-Wing (25), R4-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Wes Janson (31)
X-Wing (29), R3-A2 (2), Adaptability (0), Integrated Astromech (0)

I got three kills in with the StressWess + Rex BMST combo, so there's that. DTF really helps keep Biggs flying -- I actually used it six times in one game that I ran (gambling successfully on a last crit draw).

Edited by Hawkstrike
15 hours ago, BlodVargarna said:

I've put a variation on the TAAX list above.

Instead of Swar Leader, give Jess Expertise.

Jess Swarm (100)

Jess Pava (32) - T-70 X-Wing
R2-D6 (1), Pattern Analyzer (2), Integrated Astromech (0), Expertise (4)

Green Squadron Pilot (21) - A-Wing
Snap Shot (2), Chardaan Refit (-2), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Juke (2)

Green Squadron Pilot (21) - A-Wing
Snap Shot (2), Chardaan Refit (-2), A-Wing Test Pilot (0), Juke (2)

Biggs Darklighter (26) - X-Wing
R4-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

What would Expertise gain Jess? She'll probably already have a focus more rounds and her ability is basically a target lock. To keep it for defense after Biggs goes down?

13 hours ago, Hawkstrike said:

I won some tournaments locally with this list, and went 3-4 at Worlds with it (more a comment on my choices and luck than the list -- it's not far off in concept from one of the top four lists):

Jess Pava (27)
T-70 X-Wing (25), R2-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0), Draw Their Fire (1)

Captain Rex (16)
Sabine's TIE Fighter (14), Sabine's Masterpiece (1), Black Market Slicer Tools (1), Chopper (0)

Biggs Darklighter (26)
X-Wing (25), R4-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Wes Janson (31)
X-Wing (29), R3-A2 (2), Adaptability (0), Integrated Astromech (0)

I got three kills in with the StressWess + Rex BMST combo, so there's that. DTF really helps keep Biggs flying -- I actually used it six times in one game that I ran (gambling successfully on a last crit draw).

Nice! Glad to know I'm not just dreaming up bad combos!

There's a pretty good chance I'm going to have a chance to play today at lunch. If I do, I'll probably try Heff list. I'll report back afterwards.

Rebellion (99)

Biggs Darklighter (26) - X-Wing
R4-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Jess Pava (30) - T-70 X-Wing
M9-G8 (3), Pattern Analyzer (2), Integrated Astromech (0)

Norra Wexley (43) - ARC-170
Push The Limit (3), C-3PO (3), R2-D2 (4), Alliance Overhaul (0), Shield Upgrade (4)

2 minutes ago, jmswood said:

Rebellion (99)

Biggs Darklighter (26) - X-Wing
R4-D6 (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Jess Pava (30) - T-70 X-Wing
M9-G8 (3), Pattern Analyzer (2), Integrated Astromech (0)

Norra Wexley (43) - ARC-170
Push The Limit (3), C-3PO (3), R2-D2 (4), Alliance Overhaul (0), Shield Upgrade (4)

Yep! I was starting to go down a path like that with Biggs/Heff/Norra...love this idea! If you can knock down your opponent a good deal by the time Biggs goes down, then you probably have the advantage. Hmmm....you're making me rethink running that Heff list at lunch now.

I see what you're trying to do with Norra for the end game, but I wonder if the points for C-3PO and SU would be better spent for front-loading offensive potential?

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Norra Wexley (29)
Push the Limit (3)
Tail Gunner (2)
R2-D2 (4)
Vectored Thrusters (2)
Alliance Overhaul (0)

Jess Pava (25)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
M9-G8 (3)
Pattern Analyzer (2)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Total: 99

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1 hour ago, gennataos said:

What would Expertise gain Jess? She'll probably already have a focus more rounds and her ability is basically a target lock. To keep it for defense after Biggs goes down?

Yes her focus action would be used for defense. At PS3, she'll probably need it.

On offense with her rerolls she has a better chance of rolling paint and getting more hits.

Edited by BlodVargarna

Oh, damnit. I know I iniitally demanded this be about Biggs and Jess, but I have to float this out there. Which seems better, Jess or Heff? I think both have their merits.

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Norra Wexley (29)
Push the Limit (3)
Tail Gunner (2)
R2-D2 (4)
Vectored Thrusters (2)
Alliance Overhaul (0)

Jess Pava (25)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
M9-G8 (3)
Pattern Analyzer (2)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Total: 99

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Biggs Darklighter (25)
R4-D6 (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Heff Tobber (24)
Fire-Control System (2)
Seismic Torpedo (2)
Jan Ors (2)
"Zeb" Orrelios (1)
Tactical Jammer (1)
Pivot Wing (0)

Norra Wexley (29)
Push the Limit (3)
Kyle Katarn (3)
R2-D2 (4)
Vectored Thrusters (2)
Alliance Overhaul (0)

Total: 99

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Edited by gennataos

Jess always and forever.

Who the hell is Heff anyway? According to the R1 source book he didn't even make it theough the shield gate to reinforce Scarrif. JP helped destroy Star Killer Base.

It's a no brainer really.

21 minutes ago, BlodVargarna said:

Jess always and forever.

Who the hell is Heff anyway? According to the R1 source book he didn't even make it theough the shield gate to reinforce Scarrif. JP helped destroy Star Killer Base.

It's a no brainer really.

Haha...true!...but the Heff shenanigans!

You're right, though. I'm going to stick to the spirit of this and go with Jess. As much as I do love the idea of making the U-wing work, it's worth proving out this Norra/Jess/Biggs list out first.

Edited by gennataos