Colonel Vessery (TIE Defender) TIE/x7 Crack Shot
Glaive Squadron Pilot (TIE Defender) TIE/x7 Crack Shot
Countess Ryad (TIE Defender) TIE/x7 Crack Shot
If you drop crackshots you can upgrade Glaive Squadron Pilot to Rexler Brath.

So my question is why not?

Because even with x7 Brath is overcosted, and you'll do more damage with three upgrades that help your attacks hit instead of a pilot ability that depends on damaging something before it becomes useful.

I'm curious where Maarek falls on the spectrum. Vessery and Ryad's abilities outclass the other pilots handily, but how behind is Maarek?

But as far as this goes... Maarek isn't going to be better than a generic either probably (I mean, he's an obvious choice for Score to Settle, but...)

Pilot abilities tend to fall out of favor unless they enhance a ship's basic performance. Defenders are a rare case in which the mid-PS pilots have better pilot abilities than the high-PS pilots. Maarek is better than Brath because Brath has to spend a token better used for dice mods. Defender is the only ship in which the top Ace is actually the worst option.

wow, OK thanks for the insight.

Strange how that works out.

9 hours ago, jmswood said:

Pilot abilities tend to fall out of favor unless they enhance a ship's basic performance. Defenders are a rare case in which the mid-PS pilots have better pilot abilities than the high-PS pilots. Maarek is better than Brath because Brath has to spend a token better used for dice mods. Defender is the only ship in which the top Ace is actually the worst option.

I'm not sure this is true... but the thought interested me.

Hera in the Attack Shuttle is never taken. Zeb is better for the price, and she is usually seen in crew form.

Actually, Hera on the VCX, too... Though I'd argue Chopper is probably worse, he is definitely taken more.

Dace Bonearm in the HWK is hot garbage. Other two pilots have abilities that some may find appealing, while the generic has its uses.

An argument could be made for the Lambda, as Jendon, Yorr, and OGP all see more use than Kagi... Though I'll allow that that's not really a fair metric.

Technically the Aggressor (you know, the OG one), because all options are the "top ace," so fulfill best and worst simultaneously...

@ArbitraryNerd I don't agree with all your points, but they have merit.

Hera's problem is a maneuver-based pilot ability. These have a trend of being ignored in favor of dice mod and action-based abilities.

Dace is garbage compared to Palob or Torkil. Probably on even footing with Spice Runner. However, Dace isn't the top HWK ace, Jan Ors is, and plenty of Rebel players make good use of her.

Lambda is interesting. Cost is the driving factor for OGP being the favored Lambda. The named pilots are viable, but using them does two things: they take points away from your other ships, and give those points to opponents in the form of MoV. I've seen and used great Palp Ace variants with all the Lambda pilots, but there is no denying that OGP is the most efficient choice.

My orginal statement was hyperbole written with only a casual consideration of other Imperial ships. I wasn't really thinking about the other factions at the time. Having taken time for deeper consideration:

Imperial Firspray - not quite as inverted as the Defender. Kath and Krassis are better than Boba. Scum brought the Firespray closer to what it should be.

Y-wings - generics see lots of play. All the aces need help.

I might pick this up again later; duty calls.

1 minute ago, jmswood said:

@ArbitraryNerd I don't agree with all your points, but they have merit.

Hera's problem is a maneuver-based pilot ability. These have a trend of being ignored in favor of dice mod and action-based abilities.

Dace is garbage compared to Palob or Torkil. Probably on even footing with Spice Runner. However, Dace isn't the top HWK ace, Jan Ors is, and plenty of Rebel players make good use of her.

Lambda is interesting. Cost is the driving factor for OGP being the favored Lambda. The named pilots are viable, but using them does two things: they take points away from your other ships, and give those points to opponents in the form of MoV. I've seen and used great Palp Ace variants with all the Lambda pilots, but there is no denying that OGP is the most efficient choice.

My orginal statement was hyperbole written with only a casual consideration of other Imperial ships. I wasn't really thinking about the other factions at the time. Having taken time for deeper consideration:

Imperial Firspray - not quite as inverted as the Defender. Kath and Krassis are better than Boba. Scum brought the Firespray closer to what it should be.

Y-wings - generics see lots of play. All the aces need help.

I might pick this up again later; duty calls.

I definitely assumed it was hyperbole, but I was interested in trying to suss out other ships where that was true for.

I don't disagree with any of your points here, other than on the HWK -- I think they need to be considered within their own factions; if you're flying Scum, the top HWK ace is Dace.

Rebel HWKs definitely do not suffer from that issue, so I agree with that premise, if we were just looking at ships, without consideration to list building... But then, a lot of pilots are awesome... until you start list building.

4 hours ago, ArbitraryNerd said:

But then, a lot of pilots are awesome... until you start list building.

This needs to be a caption on an X-wing meme.