I've played around with Flight Assist Astromech lists based on 4 rebel fighters a few times now, and I'm becoming convinced that they're both fun and good enough to pursue more seriously. They're fast, they throw a lot of dice, they're reasonably tough, and they're incredibly stylish.

The main weakness in my estimation is a lack of doubly modified dice. To a degree, you can Target Lock to bank for later, but FAA gives a surprisingly solid time on target.

The two lists I've tried so far have been four T70s (Blue Squadron Novices) and 2 BSNs plus two Gold Squadron Pilots with Ion Cannons and BTLA4s.

Both have advantages the quad 70s is fast and punchy, and can reposition with an action even when FAA doesn't trigger. The Golds add the element of control, but have even more low quality attacks, and the dial is crap. That Ion can swing games, though.

Consequently, I'd like to draw in additional expertise to this problem and see what kinds of stuff people are looking at.

Ideas so far:

Throwing a Stresshog in instead of one FAA fighter.

Making sure one T70 is Jess (it's really a no-brainer).

Making one ship a support ship to try and enhance the offense of the other 3.

Any practice or theory any of you can share to put Rebel Fighters back on the map?

Flight assist is not for low PS. A ship that will be in arc will not be in arc after movement.

You put it on Wedge, not Rookie.

If you drop one of the T-70's to a T-65, you can do this:

• Rookie Pilot, FAA, IA
• Blue Squadron Novice, FAA, IA
• Gold Squadron Pilot, BTL-A4, FAA, ICT
• "Dutch" Vander, BTL-A4, FAA, ICT

Dutch can help with getting fully modded shots.

If you're struggling with mods, perhaps blockers might help?

Jess Pava (25)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Rookie Pilot (21)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Rookie Pilot (21)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Prototype Pilot (17)
Chardaan Refit (-2)

Prototype Pilot (17)
Chardaan Refit (-2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Honestly, if you're willing for the generics to lose the HP and the boost (slightly less needed on a faXwing anyway), you end up with 30 points to play with. You can do a lot with 30 points, and Jess still gets reasonably well-matched wingmates to keep her company in the meantime. If Rebels had a solid 34pt ace out there, I'd be willing to even consider forgoing Jess, but Poe's a little too expensive and I'm not sure how much milage Jake would actually buy you, while a HWK or Wookie gunship feels like it might be too slow for a list like this.

Still, it's an option to consider.

29 minutes ago, Marinealver said:

Flight assist is not for low PS. A ship that will be in arc will not be in arc after movement.

You put it on Wedge, not Rookie.

I disagree entirely. FAA is great for low PS ships to get a block. You have knowledge of board state to dial a maneuver that will guarantee the FAA will proc. So you can barrel roll and or boost (in case of T-70s) to put your ships in position to block and/ or cover likely moves your opponent is going to dial in.

Also for opening moves, you can get a boost to get into range for a target lock if you were carrying ordinance like say 4 Rookies with plasma torpedos.

30 minutes ago, Marinealver said:

Flight assist is not for low PS. A ship that will be in arc will not be in arc after movement.

You put it on Wedge, not Rookie.

I dunno, I think FAA can induce some crazy blocking shenanigans.

@Biophysical have you tried 4 BTLA4 Y-Wings with TLT with FAA yet? Does the mass fire power of 3 shots per ship to plink ideally 1 dmg each shot work well enough? Or does the dial/other factors of the T70 make the FAA more worth while on the T70 platform?

33 minutes ago, Marinealver said:

Flight assist is not for low PS. A ship that will be in arc will not be in arc after movement.

You put it on Wedge, not Rookie.

One of the things I really like about FA's design is that it has a place at both ends of the spectrum: On high-PS, it allows arc-hunting as you'd expect, if not arc-dodging.

On low PS, with the ability to dial in maneuvers to guarantee its triggering, it can add considerable flexibility to ships that rarely had the actions to spare even if they had the option, and can also let low-PS ships at least guarantee closing with an enemy, even if you still have to gamble on arcs. It might still not be enough for the X-wing, sure, but it is at last an interesting astromech.

1 minute ago, RStan said:

@Biophysical have you tried 4 BTLA4 Y-Wings with TLT with FAA yet? Does the mass fire power of 3 shots per ship to plink ideally 1 dmg each shot work well enough? Or does the dial/other factors of the T70 make the FAA more worth while on the T70 platform?

Do you really want to be rolling 12 attack rolls when you aren't playing Epic?

List should be called "Dakka Dakka"

11 minutes ago, BlodVargarna said:

I disagree entirely. FAA is great for low PS ships to get a block. You have knowledge of board state to dial a maneuver that will guarantee the FAA will proc. So you can barrel roll and or boost (in case of T-70s) to put your ships in position to block and/ or cover likely moves your opponent is going to dial in.

Also for opening moves, you can get a boost to get into range for a target lock if you were carrying ordinance like say 4 Rookies with plasma torpedos.

32 red dice a turn is nothing to sneeze at. Even Soontir and his pile of tokens is going to lose those odds.

10 minutes ago, Reiver said:

If you're struggling with mods, perhaps blockers might help?

Jess Pava (25)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Rookie Pilot (21)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Rookie Pilot (21)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Prototype Pilot (17)
Chardaan Refit (-2)

Prototype Pilot (17)
Chardaan Refit (-2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Honestly, if you're willing for the generics to lose the HP and the boost (slightly less needed on a faXwing anyway), you end up with 30 points to play with. You can do a lot with 30 points, and Jess still gets reasonably well-matched wingmates to keep her company in the meantime. If Rebels had a solid 34pt ace out there, I'd be willing to even consider forgoing Jess, but Poe's a little too expensive and I'm not sure how much milage Jake would actually buy you, while a HWK or Wookie gunship feels like it might be too slow for a list like this.

Still, it's an option to consider.

34 point ace? Take your pick!

Horton+tlt+title+FAA+flechettes+chips

Wedge +Eu+faa+ Ia

Wes (same build as wedge)

Luke+R2-D2+IA+Ept

Keyan farlander+e/2+Kyle katarn+ VI

and jake or Tycho can buy you a lot of mileage if you load em with missiles. But that gets expensive, but having 5 dice shot go off in range one is totally worth it... if it hits.

38 minutes ago, Marinealver said:

Flight assist is not for low PS. A ship that will be in arc will not be in arc after movement.

You put it on Wedge, not Rookie.

I disagree wholeheartedly. Not that it isn't good on Wedge, but it has offered my ships a ton of utility at PS2. You can close and chase more effectively, you can set up your joust more effectively, you can block more effectively. It's an extraordinary one point on these ships. The basic unconventional play is to select a move that takes an enemy ship out of arc, and then barrel roll or boost to point yourself where they'll be after they move, for free. It's like nothing else incthe game right now.

3 minutes ago, RStan said:

@Biophysical have you tried 4 BTLA4 Y-Wings with TLT with FAA yet? Does the mass fire power of 3 shots per ship to plink ideally 1 dmg each shot work well enough? Or does the dial/other factors of the T70 make the FAA more worth while on the T70 platform?

No. It's probably good, but not really interesting to me.

How about this? Add an "anvil" in a Kashyyyk Defender...

Kashyyyk Defender (24)
"Chopper" (0)
Courier Droid (0)

Jess Pava (25)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Blue Squadron Novice (24)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Blue Squadron Novice (24)
Flight-Assist Astromech (1)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

7 minutes ago, kris40k said:

Do you really want to be rolling 12 attack rolls when you aren't playing Epic?

List should be called "Dakka Dakka"

Move over thug lyfe, Dakka Dakka is in town!

Could you imagine that match up? So.... slow!!

Hey @Biophysical - Have you tried Blue Ace yet in your testing? That hard turn for free could be good. Still lacks the double modification of dice, which I'm not sure is there to be found. Four FAA ships are going to be pretty limited. I'm starting to lean away from mass FAA droids because it becomes a luck dependent list unless you totally outfly your opponent.

52 minutes ago, viedit said:

32 red dice a turn is nothing to sneeze at. Even Soontir and his pile of tokens is going to lose those odds.

Never tell me the odds!

4 minutes ago, LagJanson said:

Hey @Biophysical - Have you tried Blue Ace yet in your testing? That hard turn for free could be good. Still lacks the double modification of dice, which I'm not sure is there to be found. Four FAA ships are going to be pretty limited. I'm starting to lean away from mass FAA droids because it becomes a luck dependent list unless you totally outfly your opponent.

Blue Ace with Daredevilllllllllllllllllll!

Just now, Boba Rick said:

Blue Ace with Daredevilllllllllllllllllll!

That would be awesome, but he lacks the EPT slot

1 minute ago, Boba Rick said:

Blue Ace with Daredevilllllllllllllllllll!

Cannot pair with FAA unfortunately.

@Biophysical
I think a mid ps ship might be best on these, and the T-70 seems like a waste since it already has boost.

You can fit 3 Red Squadrons and Biggs in a list at 98 pts with flight astro. Biggs lets the Reds survive and they can outmaneuver wookies or scurggs.

1 minute ago, AngryAlbatross said:

@Biophysical
I think a mid ps ship might be best on these, and the T-70 seems like a waste since it already has boost.

I disagree. A free boost is still awesome, and the droid gives you a choice of barrel roll or boost. You can do both with a T-70 (free barrel roll) and a boost as action.

Blue ace likes FAA. Dial a maneuver taking you away from enemy then use FAA for free hard 1 boost. It’s pretty cool.

5 minutes ago, AngryAlbatross said:

@Biophysical
I think a mid ps ship might be best on these, and the T-70 seems like a waste since it already has boost.

You can fit 3 Red Squadrons and Biggs in a list at 98 pts with flight astro. Biggs lets the Reds survive and they can outmaneuver wookies or scurggs.

I always find Biggs really pointless in lists that he's protecting basically the same ship as himself. You made my target options easy. I'm shooting Biggs first. I'd run Tarn or a Stresshog instead.

1 minute ago, BlodVargarna said:

I disagree. A free boost is still awesome, and the droid gives you a choice of barrel roll or boost. You can do both with a T-70 (free barrel roll) and a boost as action.

Blue ace likes FAA. Dial a maneuver taking you away from enemy then use FAA for free hard 1 boost. It’s pretty cool.

Blue Ace is my all time favorite "casual" pilot. At least in an X-wing. He's not good enough for any hardcore meta build, but in a casual setting he's a blast. He often catches people off guard. He can block you when you don't think he could normally. He can also dance around lower generics pretty well. I love him with R2-D6 and predator. I'll have to give flight test a go.

I fell in love with FAAs on Blue Squadron Novices with Primed Thrusters and Integrated Astromech. For fun I have filled the list with a Gold Squadron Y-Wing with Chopper, Dorsal Turret and as much 0 point upgrades as possible. Next time I am going to try Rookie Pilot with FAA and IA as the fourth ship.

1 hour ago, Reiver said:

One of the things I really like about FA's design is that it has a place at both ends of the spectrum: On high-PS, it allows arc-hunting as you'd expect, if not arc-dodging.

On low PS, with the ability to dial in maneuvers to guarantee its triggering, it can add considerable flexibility to ships that rarely had the actions to spare even if they had the option, and can also let low-PS ships at least guarantee closing with an enemy, even if you still have to gamble on arcs. It might still not be enough for the X-wing, sure, but it is at last an interesting astromech.

With the whole game the best pilot skills are on the far end of the spectrum. In order for a mid range pilot skill to be effective it has to be considerably OP like Biggs or Manaroo.

So yeah just because something is kind of good on a low pilot skill ship doesn't make it well, good.

1 hour ago, Biophysical said:

I disagree wholeheartedly. Not that it isn't good on Wedge, but it has offered my ships a ton of utility at PS2. You can close and chase more effectively, you can set up your joust more effectively, you can block more effectively. It's an extraordinary one point on these ships. The basic unconventional play is to select a move that takes an enemy ship out of arc, and then barrel roll or boost to point yourself where they'll be after they move, for free. It's like nothing else incthe game right now.

...

You forget the key component of arc dodgers is the ability to reposistion after everyone has moved (which is why a TIE Phantom is now a blocker and not an arc dodger). Go ahead and plan where the high pilot skill ship is going to be. If you guessed right, all they have to do is simply moved out of the way and you are as good as wrong. Furthermore if they have blockers of their own they could set up a screen so you cant use the droid, then simply move those out of the way.

Some upgrades are better on a low pilot skill ship such as Deadeye, some are better on a high pilot skill ship such as advanced cloaking device. Nothing is good on a middle pilot skill ship because there is nothing good in the middle. For this upgrade, it is the higher pilot skill ship.

6 minutes ago, Marinealver said:

You forget the key component of arc dodgers is the ability to reposistion after everyone has moved (which is why a TIE Phantom is now a blocker and not an arc dodger). Go ahead and plan where the high pilot skill ship is going to be. If you guessed right, all they have to do is simply moved out of the way and you are as good as wrong.

Edit: NM, I misunderstood you were not talking about blockers; it looks like Bio was.