Faction Archetypes Post FAQ

By Boom Owl, in X-Wing

Posted at

hosnian-cataclysm.gif

So........that happened!

Good, bad, or indifferent......ignoring unreleased content......what is the "core" of each faction now?

Trying to think through a mental list of Tier 1 to maybe Tier 1.75 archetypes available to each.

Incorrect List Below:

Empire

  • RAC/Kylo + Ace
  • Palp Shuttle + 2x Ace
  • Kylo Lambda/Upsilon + 2x Ace
  • 3x Missile PS10+
  • 3x Small Ship ( Many variations )
  • 3x Defenders
  • Palp Shuttle + 2x Defenders
  • 3x Small Ship Control + Ace
  • 3x TLT + OL
  • 5x Taps with Missiles
  • 4x TLT

Rebel

  • 3-4x Wookie Wagons
  • Kanan/Biggs or Low
  • Rey/Poe
  • Dash/Poe
  • Miranda/Biggs/Low
  • Dash/Miranda
  • Dash/Nym
  • 2x VCX + 1 TLT Y Wing
  • FSR Variants
  • BBBBZ
  • 6x A-Wings with Missiles
  • 4x TLT

Scum

  • Dengar/Nym
  • Dengar/Assaj
  • Assaj/Ketsu
  • Bossk + 2x Scruggs
  • Bossk/Ketsu
  • Scrugg or K-Fighter Alpha Strike
  • Assaj + Fenn + Scout
  • Dengar + Fenn + Inaldra
  • 3x Scum Aces
  • Trip Scouts
  • 6x Z-95s with Missiles
  • 4x TLT

Edited by Boom Owl
Posted at

Ace + support seem to be a thing across all 3 factions, and 4x TLT had been prevalent before imps got theirs, Ddon't think that's going anywhere. I also think the wookies will be the new stress hog distributor. But trip scouts?

Edited by Hooba Jooba
Posted at

I think most swarm types (FSR, BBBBZ, Z-swarm etc.) that require thight formation will die off due to Harpoon missile. It will be the go-to missile for alpha strikes, meaning that imperial aces can wack the crap out of swarms.

Why is triple scouts on?

Posted at
11 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

  • 5x Taps with missiles

Dibs

" The dark side is strong in me, forI am Sith. "

Posted at

I'm not seeing the Heavy Swarm architype outside BBBBZ. Where's 5xCartel Marauder, 5x mangler scyks, 5xZealus Recruit, 5x AutoAlphacepter, 5x LWFStriker, 5x UGR Bombers, and possibly 5x flechette Nus, if it works out...

Posted at

Wookie Killers the new meta :P

Guri (30)
Lone Wolf (2)
Advanced Proton Torpedoes (6)
Sensor Jammer (4)
Inertial Dampeners (1)
Autothrusters (2)
StarViper Mk. II (-3)
Virago (1)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Posted at

You don‘t include Harpoons for some reason

Also you don‘t really factor in „post FAQ“. It‘s the same top20, plus some imperial lists, plus some ideas you had

Posted at

RAC/Kylo plus ace and ps10-11 Imp alpha strike will be the new top dogs.

Miranda/Nym, Miranda/Dash, Miranda/wookie will all still be a thing.

Dengar/Ketsu or Asajj sounds promising but maybe not in the same power curve. I think Scum Nym will see much less use than Rebel Nym because Rebel Nym has the better ability post FAQ and Scum Nym won't be doing his usual collision course and poop routine.

Posted at
34 minutes ago, ScummyRebel said:

Dengar/Ketsu or Asajj sounds promising but maybe not in the same power curve. I think Scum Nym will see much less use than Rebel Nym because Rebel Nym has the better ability post FAQ and Scum Nym won't be doing his usual collision course and poop routine.

That's how I feel as well. I'm not the greatest list builder, but I've played with post-FAQ Scum lists and I have yet to find something that is not simply done better by Rebels or Empire.

Posted at
1 hour ago, ScummyRebel said:

RAC/Kylo plus ace and ps10-11 Imp alpha strike will be the new top dogs.

I'm not sure about this. The high PS imperial alpha is good against Nym right now. If it were that strong overall, it actually likes seeing more Nym (pre-FAQ conditions) compared to less Nym (current conditions, theoretically).

I do think aces with some missiles splashed in will be plenty strong, so maybe the Harpoon will be strong enough to put them into into th S-tier you suggest.

Posted at
1 hour ago, Biophysical said:

I'm not sure about this. The high PS imperial alpha is good against Nym right now. If it were that strong overall, it actually likes seeing more Nym (pre-FAQ conditions) compared to less Nym (current conditions, theoretically).

I do think aces with some missiles splashed in will be plenty strong, so maybe the Harpoon will be strong enough to put them into into th S-tier you suggest.

Nym was basically one of the easier matchups for Imperial Alpha and Kylo pre-FAQ. Actually if the FAQ leads to less 2 ship builds the matchups get super interesting/tricky.

2 hours ago, GreenDragoon said:

You don‘t include Harpoons for some reason

Also you don‘t really factor in „post FAQ“. It‘s the same top20, plus some imperial lists, plus some ideas you had

Pretty much yep, just wanted to have something other than a question to start with.

Also I am less and less convinced the meta will change as much as we might be expecting. It might initially but plenty of Nym, Biggs, Miranda, and Jumps will stick around. Biggs/Low is still sorts useful, just put selflessness on biggs. The 3 turret monsters still have enough upgrade options to evolve and absorb back into the mix.

What I see happening is Imperials creating a lot of bad matchups for themselves that arent really that much better against what was good before for rebel/scum. People will just be encouraged to fly stuff that makes it harder for the Empires only hope ( RAC/Lo ) to make it very far. All speculation :)

I have no idea whats going to happen.....

The only thing I feel confident about is that multiple Wookie lists are going to be everywhere.

Edited by Boom Owl
Posted at
4 hours ago, X Wing Nut said:

Wookie Killers the new meta :P

Guri (30)
Lone Wolf (2)
Advanced Proton Torpedoes (6)
Sensor Jammer (4)
Inertial Dampeners (1)
Autothrusters (2)
StarViper Mk. II (-3)
Virago (1)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Fun! For some reason I feel like thats only enough ordinance to destroy one maybe two cookies.

Edited by Boom Owl
Posted at
3 hours ago, X Wing Nut said:

Wookie Killers the new meta :P

Guri (30)
Lone Wolf (2)
Advanced Proton Torpedoes (6)
Sensor Jammer (4)
Inertial Dampeners (1)
Autothrusters (2)
StarViper Mk. II (-3)
Virago (1)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Black Sun Soldier (13)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Guidance Chips (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Why go for three harpoons relying on crits to spread the splash damage, when you could go for 2 and guarantee the crit results via guidance chips? ^_^
And furthermore you can use those beautifully themed black sun Kihraxz fighters :D

Guri (30)
Push the Limit (3)
Ion Torpedoes (5)
Advanced Sensors (3)
Inertial Dampeners (1)
Autothrusters (2)
StarViper Mk. II (-3)
Virago (1)

Black Sun Ace (23)
Deadeye (1)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Scavenger Crane (2)
Pulsed Ray Shield (2)
Guidance Chips (0)
Vectored Thrusters (2)
Vaksai (0)

Black Sun Ace (23)
Deadeye (1)
Harpoon Missiles (4)
Scavenger Crane (2)
Pulsed Ray Shield (2)
Guidance Chips (0)
Vectored Thrusters (2)
Vaksai (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Posted at

You forgot the GUNBOAT! Archetype.

Posted at

What about 4 contracted scouts everyone with trickshot?

Posted at
14 hours ago, Rakaydos said:

I'm not seeing the Heavy Swarm architype outside BBBBZ. Where's 5xCartel Marauder, 5x mangler scyks, 5xZealus Recruit, 5x AutoAlphacepter, 5x LWFStriker, 5x UGR Bombers, and possibly 5x flechette Nus, if it works out...

StarViper: Black Sun Enforcer (25)
StarViper Mk.II (-3)
StarViper: Black Sun Enforcer (25)
StarViper Mk.II (-3)
StarViper: Black Sun Enforcer (25)
StarViper Mk.II (-3)
StarViper: Black Sun Enforcer (25)
StarViper Mk.II (-3)
M3-A Interceptor: · Sunny Bounder (14)
"Light Scyk" Interceptor (-2)
-- TOTAL ------- 100p. --

That is all...

Posted at

"Heavy Swarm" comes in many flavors; enough that simply listing it as such is probably sufficient: Especially in Scum, the variety of different combinations of their 20pt ships (Kithraxz, Protectorate, Scyk, Autoblaster Y-wings, upgraded versions thereof and/or StarVipers escorted by a Z-95) is positively dizzying.

Triple Aces has a place, and in a meta where I expect bombs to be a thing (if not the thing, anymore), it has some real advantages in redundancy over Palp Aces, so might actually be more popular than ever.

One such Triple Aces is quite likely to be twin Defenders with an Ace, but whether that qualifies as a difference in kind enough to bother with remains negotiable.

Brobots might start making a return too, now that Trip U-boats has now vacated their niche. I'm not convinced - I really wish they had some new toys after all this time - but if you enjoy the playstyle of 'large based mid-PS ships that like to catch enemies in arc', Brobots is your best pick now that U-Boats lost their torpedos.

Posted at
15 hours ago, SEApocalypse said:

Why go for three harpoons relying on crits to spread the splash damage, when you could go for 2 and guarantee the crit results via guidance chips?

I added Harpoons because there 4 points and you keep the TL the condition is just a bonus

16 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

Fun! For some reason I feel like thats only enough ordinance to destroy one maybe two cookies.

I want the Z's to take out 1 and put some damage on the others. Guri can clean the rest up solo without breaking a sweet :D