I'm worried that my local meta is going to start going all-in on high-PS ordnance alpha strikes, and was looking for ways to help mitigate that threat. To that end, I decided to look at ways to strip target locks, and put this little squad together. It's certainly got some punch, but I'm worried that two ships might not be quite enough to stave off threats like Kylo Ren, or highly defensive builds like Palp Aces. Your thoughts?

• HAN SOLO (Rebel): Expertise, Chewbacca, Chopper, Millennium Falcon (evade), Smuggling Compartment, Scavenger Crane, Countermeasures (60 points)
• POE DAMERON (PS9): Push The Limit, BB-8, Black One, Primed Thrusters, Integrated Astromech (40 points)

Tactically, Poe would stay relatively close to Han, using BB-8 and PTL to strip target locks as needed. Han has Countermeasures if Poe can't help, plus Chewbacca can prevent a particularly nasty Crit from getting through. Chopper is there only as an emergency contingency plan (plus, he's free).

PS9 won’t save Poe from high ps ordnance. Needs VI to guarantee.

Yeah, that's the danger. At PS11, at least he could pre-move barrel roll to strip one lock, then focus after his move... but he loses the double action. If I do swap PTL for VI, though, that also gives me 2 important points of initiative bid against super-high-PS aces. I could do the same for Han, though that means losing the attack efficiency of Expertise...

Another variant idea, with both aces "turned up to 11":

• HAN SOLO (Rebel): Veteran Instincts , Chewbacca, C-3P0 , Millennium Falcon (evade), Smuggling Compartment, Scavenger Crane, Countermeasures (60 points)
• POE DAMERON (PS9): Veteran Instincts , BB-8, Black One, Primed Thrusters, Integrated Astromech (38 points)
• TOTAL - 98 points

The Falcon becomes a more traditional Shoots-First-Fat-Han, relying on the Evade action and Threepio to mitigate damage, while losing his best combat modifiers. Poe becomes loses some action efficiency, but becomes a much better target lock stripper. Alternately, I could rely on PS-11 Poe to strip locks, and revert Han to his more offensive PS9 iteration.

If you're afraid of High PS missiles, Veteran Instincts Poe seems sensible, but Veteran Insticts Han is less compulsory; countermeasures will work regardless of the relative PS of the ships.

Poe can strip off one target lock (theoretically two but that leaves you with no focus token which is a bad place to be) and Han can blow off another. That means in theory facing one missile and two primary shots with an evade token, a bonus green dice and threepio in the bank - something that should hurt but be survivable.

The other option is to go for a supermanouvrable Han.

• The much-feared PS10/11 imperial missile alpha strike relies generally on Quickdraw, Vader, and The Inquisitor so far as I've seen.
• All three pack Veteran instincts which means that other than Vader, they don't have much in the way of action economy.
• As a result, whilst they move last and can get their locks easily, they can't actually react that well to a "speed 3-4 and boost" large ship going somewhere unexpected.

might i suggest my latest build?

even just using that fenn elsewhere, it will make your ps alpha guys think really really hard about how they engage, a raclo matchup may be a bit tedious though (battle of the wet noodles!!). That said, having kylo setup the condition only to have rac throw 1 dice might be somewhat amusing.....

13 hours ago, emeraldbeacon said:

POE DAMERON (PS9): Veteran Instincts , BB-8, Black One, Primed Thrusters, Integrated Astromech (38 points)

Use the newly spoiled AdvancedOptics to remove 2 TLs at PS11 and still have a focus anyway!

2 hours ago, GreenDragoon said:

Use the newly spoiled AdvancedOptics to remove 2 TLs at PS11 and still have a focus anyway!

But I can't use newly-spoiled, as-yet-unreleased cards at a tournament in three days!

2 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

But I can't use newly-spoiled, as-yet-unreleased cards at a tournament in three days!

Indeed!

I just had a tense game with an imperial highPS harpoon list vs a scum scurrg triple harpoon list. I removed one before he shot, and then stayed out of range or too close until I removed the second one. He could only fire one harpoon in total, which is why I won. I was pretty nervous in the beginning though.

But I imagine that Han is much easier to keep close in range 1 due to his turret, and Poe is super mobile. So with that in mind I think you don‘t have to fear low PS alphastrikes.

And highPS... VIPoe is one way to survive it, but then you‘re action starved. Make sure to rush from range 4 to 1? It‘s risky but better than playing with only Han...