This is my tribute to the 10 coolest and most unusual squads that placed (unexpectedly) well at tournaments in recent years. Hope you enjoy it!

Nr 10
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
April 9, 2016
Active Imagination
Players: 35
Level: Regionals

Winner: Julian Horvath (#7 Swiss, 19 / 643): 5x Green Squadron + Adaptability, Crack Shot, Chardaan Refit + A-Wing Test Pilot + Autothrusters
The Why: This was the first big win for the so called chihuahua-swarm (having previously placed in one or two store champs). A creative list in an otherwise rather uniform regionals year, dominated by torp scouts and palp aces.

Nr 9
Milton Keynes, UK
May 3, 2015
Wargames Workshop
Attendance: 60
Level: Regionals

Top 8: Garven + R2-D6 + VI; Dutch + autoblaster turret + BTL-A4 + R5-K6; Airen Cracken + swarm tactics + hull upgrade; Rookie
The Why: That entire squad is odd, and Dutch is just out there.

NR 8
Uppsala, Sweden
June 27, 2015
Grand
Attendance: 40
Level: Regionals

Top 8: Prince Xizor + Veteran Instincts + Autothrusters + Advanced Sensors + Virago; Guri + Predator + Autothrusters; Black Sun Enforcer
The why: Yup, 3 x starvipers. Well done sir, Well done.

Nr 7
UK Games Expo
2014
Level: Nationals

Runner up: 4x Omicron Group Pilot + Fire Control System + Anti-Pursuit Lasers
The Why: MOOUUUU!!

Nr 6
Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
May 14 & 15, 2016
The Games Cube
Players: 66
Level: Regionals

Redline + Fire-Control System + Plasma Torpedoes + Extra Munitions + Cluster Missiles + Seismic Charges + Guidance Chips; Omicron Group Pilot + Darth Vader; 3x Academy Pilot
The Why: Sure, top 16 might not usually be all that great, but it is pretty excellent with that squad.

NR 5
Cooper's Cave and Paintball in NY.
Jan 2016
Level: Store champ

Winner: Warden Pilot, Autoblaster x4
The Why: As far as I can remember, this was completely unheard of before this showing. Putting this wierd thing of a list down and taking first is pretty ballsy. I wonder if it wouldn't still be reasonably competative... hum.

Nr 4
Barcelona, Spain
May 9, 2015
Goblin Trader
Attendance: 80
Level: Regionals

Top 4: Carnor Jax + PtL + Autothrusters + Shield Upgrade + RG; 2x Sigma + Sensor Jammer + Stygium Particle Accelerator + Intel Agent
The Why: Please, your balls are everywhere... (A variation of this squad also appeared later in the French nationals the same year, for another top 4 placement)

NR 3
Stockton, UK
May 17, 2015
Beanie Games
Attendance: 75
Level: Regionals

Top 4: 2x Mandalorian Mercenary + Heavy Laser Cannon + Predator + Feedback Array + Recon Specialist
The Why: The what!

NR 2
Plano, Texas, US
July 18, 2015
Madness Games & Comics
Attendance: 115
Level: Regionals

Runner up (Sable) Torkil Mux + Ion Cannon Turret + Greedo; 5x Black Sun Soldier + Feedback Array
The Why: If the list does not sell you on the achievement by itself, go read the batrep at: https://teamcovenant.com/lord-of-the-rings-lcg/feast-of-crows-2015-dallas-regionals-battle-report

NR 1
Independence, Missouri, US
June 6, 2015
Game Cafe
Level: Regionals

Top 4 (Biophysical): Rexler Brath + Predator + HLC + Hull Upgrade + Ion Pulse Missile; Colonel Vessery + Lone Wolf + HLC + Stealth Device

The Why: Yup, he played them before they became cool. And he was like the only one. Read the bat-rep at:

So, what list is missing from the top 10 (Victory is mined and worlds 2017 dual firespray guy come to mind)? Any list that should knock down bios dual defenders from the top 1?

2 hours ago, Calibri Garamond said:

So, what list is missing from the top 10 (Victory is mined and worlds 2017 dual firespray guy come to mind)? Any list that should knock down bios dual defenders from the top 1?

I don't think it should displace anything, but I was pretty happy with my anti-U-boat list "Brace Yourself," which won a couple of Store Championships and got me 9th Swiss (and third-highest MoV overall) in the 2016 Fresno Regionals. This was when Rebels were really, really struggling.

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

Keyan Farlander (29)
Opportunist (4)
Advanced Sensors (3)
Proton Torpedoes (4)
Guidance Chips (0)

Wes Janson (29)
Draw Their Fire (1)
R2-D2 (4)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Thank you for this thread. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see things which aren't "competitive" or "viable" making good showings.

World's 2015, top 8

Kinetic Operator

• Miranda Doni + Tactician + Twin Laser Turret;
• 2x Warden Squadron Pilot + Tactician + Twin Laser Turret

One of the few lists to probably directly lead to the timing chart, now tactician does not double stress when combined with TLT, and we can all credit Aaron Bonar.

Aww... That's so nice.

13 minutes ago, AEIllingworth said:

World's 2015, top 8

Kinetic Operator

• Miranda Doni + Tactician + Twin Laser Turret;
• 2x Warden Squadron Pilot + Tactician + Twin Laser Turret

One of the few lists to probably directly lead to the timing chart, now tactician does not double stress when combined with TLT, and we can all credit Aaron Bonar.

Aaron Bonar also ran Sigma pilots to a top cut finish in the Worlds previous. And before that? Oh, just a casual OUTER RIM SMUGGLER making the top cut AT WORLDS.

Dude is unreal.

The 4 HWK list last year had a lot of people talking about it

51 minutes ago, Kdubb said:

Aaron Bonar also ran Sigma pilots to a top cut finish in the Worlds previous. And before that? Oh, just a casual OUTER RIM SMUGGLER making the top cut AT WORLDS.

Dude is unreal.

Truth. Fun fact: in my top 4 Regionals with Defenders referenced by the OP, Aaron was the only player to beat me. Figured that the one really good player with extensive experience against Defenders would be at the regionals where I was bringing Defenders.

Of course! KineticOperators tripple K should have been in the list! Forgot about it and going back through the various results threads I just didn't pay any attention to squads with K-wings in them And yeah, the sigma+echo he played at worlds is also very cool.

You definitely missed this list from Tatooine System Open! (March 2017) According to listjuggler it was flown by Daniel Aizueta Curto who placed 2nd in swiss and finished top 8.

(29) X-Wing: •Biggs Darklighter (25)
Integrated Astromech (0)
•R2-D2 (4)

(30) ARC-170: •Thane Kyrell (26)
Alliance Overhaul (0)
•Jyn Erso (2)
•R3-A2 (2)

(27) HWK-290: •Roark Garnet (19)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
•Jan Ors (2)

(14) TIE Fighter: •Captain Rex (14)

Total: 100/100

Remember the guy at Lothal Open that went 4-0 on day one with Mindlinked Scycks and cloaking Palob? Too bad his day 2 didn't go well, that was amazing. And before the Scyck buff, even!

Someday 4 generic T-65s (without some kind of Uber-fix) will win a nationals, and it will be forever in the top spot.

Throw Corran Wes Biggs on there. I don't think anyone expected two X-Wings and an E-Wing to win two Regionals and place Top 4 at Nationals last year.

I gotta say, reading through this has got me kinda sad . . . I'm sitting here, thinking back to the times when you could throw together something completely crazy and still win. These days people still come up with some unexpected lists, but all of them have some sort of super-synergy that makes them work. Bringing four space cows to the table was crazy even when they came out -- no one plopped down that list and thought "this is going to be top-tier competitive." But the disparity was so much smaller back then. It was small enough that you could actually win if you were good and brought a bad list. Now . . . I don't know. I've sorta lost hope. I wanna fly my B-Wings again.

Careful what you say about Dutch, I took him to worlds this year and went 4-3. Missed the cut by 29 points (66th place Day 1B). If Kanan/Biggs is a problem in your area, try it out.

Dutch, R2-D6, Trickshot, Plasma Torpedoes, Extra Munitions, TLT, Guidance Chips.

Biggs, R7, IA

Gold, R3-A2, TLT, Title

Bandit

Kinetic Operator needs to be on this list. 3 crazy squads at worlds, all with pretty darn good success.