Has anyone played around with something like this? I love the thought of using Fenn to give additional actions at PS 11, but I am not sure if I will be using them effectively with this build. I don't get many chances to play, either tabletop or online, but am trying to theorycraft this until I can. I have a goal of competitive, but fun to play.

[VI Rebels] - 98 points

Poe Dameron (PS8 Version) (41)
T-70 X-Wing (31), Black One (1), R2-D2 (4), Advanced Optics (2), Veteran Instincts (1), Autothrusters (2)

Wes Janson (31)
X-Wing (29), Flight-Assist Astromech (1), Veteran Instincts (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Fenn Rau (26)
Sheathipede-class Shuttle (20), Veteran Instincts (1), Tactician (2), R2 Astromech (1), Pulsed Ray Shield (2)

Some thoughts:

- I am willing to look at alternatives to Wes as the third ship, but I am currently pretty set on Poe and Fenn.

- Pretty set on VI Fenn, but not sure best way to build him? Currently R2 helps open his dial while still using ability, tactician becasue of double arc, and PRS for survivability

- I wish I could get Poe Vectored Thrusters but could it be worth it on Wes?

- Pulsed Ray Shield worth it?

- Biggs?

- Jan Ors for Evade token

What are your thoughts? Perceived overbuild/weaknesses?

I've been running a lot of Poe/Fenn + ace. I think it's a really good list which is fun to fly.

• First, I'd highly recommend you make them the same PS, so drop Fenn down from VI to Adaptability. The versatility that allows with the list really helps a ton. Other than that, I don't know think there's a preferred way to build Fenn. Your version is great.
• Almost everyone will tell you that regen Poe is just better. I'm going to kindly disagree. Your Poe, at 41 points, isn't going to be much of a point fortress over other point fortresses. Almost any Miranda or Kylo will have you on points in a tournament and has no incentive to engage you if it's an end-game scenario. It might just be play style preference, but I recommend considering BB-8 Poe. You can dodge more arcs, strip more target locks and stay on target far more than with R2-D2. Sure, you might regen 5-7 shields in a game with R2-D2, but how many hits did you avoid by stripping additional target locks, dodging more arcs or killing something earlier because you're on target more?
• Yep, that Wes is good.

On your thoughts:

• If you go Wedge, you can make everyone PS11 with some tweaks
• Poe needs AT and Wes needs IA. Stick with that.
• PRS can be, I think so. It does a few things. I makes Fenn tankier and gives your opponent an obvious target, which can be good if Poe and Wes are set up to punish them for going after Fenn. That Fenn is the same price as a traditional Biggs. It's perfectly fine to trade him for something better on the other side.

So far I've tried:

Poe Dameron (PS8 Version) (42)
T-70 X-Wing (31), Black One (1), R2-D2 (4), Advanced Optics (2), Debris Gambit (2), Autothrusters (2)

Fenn Rau (24)
Sheathipede (20), Veteran Instincts (1), Jan Ors (2), Flight Assist Astromech (1)

Nien Nunb (34)
T-70 X-Wing (29), R3-A2 (2), Primed Thrusters (1), Snap Shot (2), Integrated Astromech (0)

Poe was adequately tanky, and Nien is a good third party though that's pretty flexible. Fenn is great with PS 11 coordinate; by using it on Poe for Boost you can more reliably arc-dodge, shed a target lock, or close to R1 while preserving your action (or with Debris Gambit, really up his defense).

Jan Ors got used more to defend Fenn than otherwise, so I'd probably drop her -- though it is silly when you put three evade tokens on Poe. FAA was fantastic for moving arcs, so I'd keep that. Hadn't considered Pulse Ray Shield -- that might be a good add here.

I need to try Snap Wexley or Jake Farrell in place of Nien in this list, too.

I love Kyle Katarn on Fenn. He is getting a focus every turn thanks to his action, which frees up action for coordinate. Bot can be r2 or faa.

16 hours ago, wurms said:

I love Kyle Katarn on Fenn. He is getting a focus every turn thanks to his action, which frees up action for coordinate. Bot can be r2 or faa.

Yeah, I'm starting to think he's an optimal crew choice for Fenn. Since switching to him, I've been able to keep focus on Fenn pretty much every turn.

Just now, gennataos said:

Yeah, I'm starting to think he's an optimal crew choice for Fenn. Since switching to him, I've been able to keep focus on Fenn pretty much every turn.

I like the idea a lot!

@gennataos I am pretty stuck on keeping Fenn at PS 11 to ensure the latest possible coordinate action as I have a fair amount of PS11 aces in my area. I am intrigued by dropping R2-D2 to BB-8 and then bring Poe up to PS11. I originally put him at PS10 to have him shoot after Wes at a stripped down target though and think Wes loses a fair amount of his role if Poe moves up. Also, I have always played R2-D2 Poe so I might be stuck in my ways.

Just now, AT Leader said:

I like the idea a lot!

@gennataos I am pretty stuck on keeping Fenn at PS 11 to ensure the latest possible coordinate action as I have a fair amount of PS11 aces in my area. I am intrigued by dropping R2-D2 to BB-8 and then bring Poe up to PS11. I originally put him at PS10 to have him shoot after Wes at a stripped down target though and think Wes loses a fair amount of his role if Poe moves up. Also, I have always played R2-D2 Poe so I might be stuck in my ways.

All of that makes sense to me. I wish Wes could be up to PS11, I'd really consider him over Wedge.

On BB-8 vs R2-D2, I think the regen path was more clear before Adv. Optics. Now, I think it's considerably more muddied. I can say this...in my Rebel aces list, Poe is always the last ship alive and very, very seldom have I been tabled at time (twice, once kinda by choice).

4 minutes ago, gennataos said:

All of that makes sense to me. I wish Wes could be up to PS11, I'd really consider him over Wedge.

On BB-8 vs R2-D2, I think the regen path was more clear before Adv. Optics. Now, I think it's considerably more muddied. I can say this...in my Rebel aces list, Poe is always the last ship alive and very, very seldom have I been tabled at time (twice, once kinda by choice).

I think that I will take BB-8 Poe out for a spin tonight. I watching the game from a distance for a while now (got tired out the nym/miranda/etc kite meta) and need to get out some asteroids and practice maneuvers. Seems like as good as time as ever to learn BB-8 Poe.

In this outline, I might suggest the following:

PS8 Poe

VI

Adv. Optics

FAA

Black One

AT

Wes

VI

FAA

IA

Fenn

Adaptability

M9-G8

Weapons Engineer.

This particular build retains the utility/action economy of Wes/Wedge/Coordinate and Fenn's offense stymieing ability, M9/WE allows the other 2 ships to have predator rerolls, freeing up their actions to focus.

I'm currently running a similar list with Wedge as the third ship, and they all have VI to make them PS11. I'm fine tuning it right now to get it where I want it, but having 3 PS 11's with a co-ordinate action is extremely powerful. I'd recommend giving it a try!

@Greebwahn The combination of M9/WE is intriguing. I have also never considered FAA for Poe, but it seems like there is some chance for interaction with B1. Definitely some food for thought.

@Rogue3 Mind sharing your version? Before the FAQ dropped there were a lot of PS10/11 running around my local meta. I burned out of the post-FAQ meta and am just getting back into regular competitive games, but I can imagine that the PS war will be real.

@gennataos I didn't get a chance to get BB-8 Poe on the table but will soon! What are your thoughts on FAA for Poe. Can it compete with BB/R2?

Just now, AT Leader said:

I didn't get a chance to get BB-8 Poe on the table but will soon! What are your thoughts on FAA for Poe. Can it compete with BB/R2?

Admittedly, I've not tried FAA on Poe, but I don't see how it'd be an improvement over BB-8. Poe can already boost on his own and the BR that BB-8 gives Poe is more flexible. My main reason for BB-8 over R2-D2 is more time on target. FAA helps Poe run away, in which case one might as well go with R2-D2.

I also caution against M9-G8/WE on Fenn. I ran that for a while and loved it when it worked. When it didn't, when variance reared its ugly head, I liked it a lot less. I'm on Kyle/R2 now, which opens Fenn's dial and allows him to have arc for his ability pretty much all of the time, plus the action efficiency of a free focus and can still coordinate.

42 minutes ago, gennataos said:

Admittedly, I've not tried FAA on Poe, but I don't see how it'd be an improvement over BB-8. Poe can already boost on his own and the BR that BB-8 gives Poe is more flexible. My main reason for BB-8 over R2-D2 is more time on target. FAA helps Poe run away, in which case one might as well go with R2-D2.

I also caution against M9-G8/WE on Fenn. I ran that for a while and loved it when it worked. When it didn't, when variance reared its ugly head, I liked it a lot less. I'm on Kyle/R2 now, which opens Fenn's dial and allows him to have arc for his ability pretty much all of the time, plus the action efficiency of a free focus and can still coordinate.

My first instinct is to agree on FAA. As much as I like the potential for interaction with B1, it does feel defensive in which case I would prefer R2-D2. I can imagine that the BR before movement combined with boost makes for high time-on-target. I feel like Poe is the hitter in this list, and I think that is why I originally had R2-D2 as a 'auto-include' on Poe, but maybe that the reason i need BB-8 to maximize time-on-target. Wes will do some damage, but isn't going to hold up well under fire. Has me considering Jans Ors on Fenn, but I find myself leaning more and more towards the same Fenn build with VI/Kyle/R2 and considering the PRS. R2 really increases his time-on-target, and Kyle increases survivability. I have also thought of FAA on Fenn, but it seems like R2 can do the 'same' but clear the stress.

This is what i am currently sitting at:

Rebel Aces - 97 points

Poe Dameron (PS8 Version) (39)
T-70 X-Wing (31), Black One (1), BB-8 (2), Advanced Optics (2), Veteran Instincts (1), Autothrusters (2)

Wes Janson (31)
X-Wing (29), Flight-Assist Astromech (1), Veteran Instincts (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Fenn Rau (27)
Sheathipede-class Shuttle (20), Veteran Instincts (1), Kyle Katarn (3), R2 Astromech (1), Pulsed Ray Shield (2)

Three point bid worth it? I am thinking yes, as the only thing open is Poe/Wes torp slot. Or should I add a Plasma Torp to Poe/Wes? Do I dare consider Vectored Thrusters on Wes?

Or do we put in Wedge over Wes for the same price and go to 99 pts to make Poe PS11 as well? That feels meta-dependent and like personal preference at first glance, but might be more balanced against more of the meta. And then Wedge is also becoming a hitter along with Poe.

Rebel Aces - 99 point

Fenn Rau (27)
Sheathipede-class Shuttle (20), Veteran Instincts (1), Kyle Katarn (3), R2 Astromech (1), Pulsed Ray Shield (2)

Wedge Antilles (31)
X-Wing (29), Flight-Assist Astromech (1), Veteran Instincts (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Poe Dameron (PS9 Version) (41)
T-70 X-Wing (33), Black One (1), BB-8 (2), Advanced Optics (2), Veteran Instincts (1), Autothrusters (2)

I’ve been waiting to try this version:

Total: 98

13 minutes ago, InstantAequitas said:

In the spirit of curiosity, would you mind giving me your thoughts on your choices for upgrades, namely:

Integrated Astromech vs Autothrusters on Poe? I feel like there are better places to save points considering AT will prevent multiple damage while IA spares one.

Decoy on Wes? I like getting him to PS11 for combat, but is moving at PS8 worth it? I just realized when I was reading this that I never bought the Z-95 expansion, but maybe this is the reason to crack.

I like what you are doing with FAA and Kanan on Fenn, but it seems to me that R2 Astro does the same minus the 3-banks for two points less and free's up the better crew slot.

1 hour ago, AT Leader said:

In the spirit of curiosity, would you mind giving me your thoughts on your choices for upgrades, namely:

Integrated Astromech vs Autothrusters on Poe? I feel like there are better places to save points considering AT will prevent multiple damage while IA spares one.

Decoy on Wes? I like getting him to PS11 for combat, but is moving at PS8 worth it? I just realized when I was reading this that I never bought the Z-95 expansion, but maybe this is the reason to crack.

I like what you are doing with FAA and Kanan on Fenn, but it seems to me that R2 Astro does the same minus the 3-banks for two points less and free's up the better crew slot.

I flew triple X-wings extensively back in the day which was my basis for the thought exercise for this squad. To directly answer your questions:

IA on Poe; aside from the point shaving from using BB-8 and IA, the common enemy of this squad might end up being high-PS Imps and any alpha strike ordnance carriers. Turrets are effective only when your squad can’t shoot back and I intend to get the fight in close and keep arcs on target using post maneuver movements.

Decoy on Wes; in order for Poe to wade in deep, he may have to pass through an alpha strike from (among other things) QuickDraw+ Harpoon. Wes can steal PS from Fenn and fire first and this is the only way to get him to 11. Wes may not steal QD’s TL for the Harpoon per se, but he can steal the lock from others who might be so equipped allowing Fenn to focus his ability on preventing modifications on QD. He does give up some possible reaction speed by being a lower PS, FAA does become a little bit less effective until after the first pass when the turning game becomes more important.

Fenn exists to pass PS in this build (and ensure modifications don’t occur like the other builds) There may be a few more greens with R2, but the ability to reposition is more powerful in order for his ability to proc and in my previous experiences with rebel aces, slower was better and the one speed maneuvers were the most important to keep enemies in arc and at manageable distances. Kanan allows for the 1 banks to clear stress to allow his ability to proc which is very important. FAA like on Wes, helps out when the turning battle starts.

Nothing is fully tested yet, due to my recent move to Italy and I am waiting on my stuff to ship out here. There are some things that I have never been able to work and decoy is one of them. Normally I would just default to VI R3-A2 on Wes, but getting him to shoot before Poe was important to test a theory, even if it turns up nothing.

edit: afterthought, Kanan also can clear stress if Fenn uses pulse ray shields after his ability allowing for him to use FAA and take an action.

4 hours ago, AT Leader said:

My first instinct is to agree on FAA. As much as I like the potential for interaction with B1, it does feel defensive in which case I would prefer R2-D2. I can imagine that the BR before movement combined with boost makes for high time-on-target. I feel like Poe is the hitter in this list, and I think that is why I originally had R2-D2 as a 'auto-include' on Poe, but maybe that the reason i need BB-8 to maximize time-on-target. Wes will do some damage, but isn't going to hold up well under fire. Has me considering Jans Ors on Fenn, but I find myself leaning more and more towards the same Fenn build with VI/Kyle/R2 and considering the PRS. R2 really increases his time-on-target, and Kyle increases survivability. I have also thought of FAA on Fenn, but it seems like R2 can do the 'same' but clear the stress.

This is what i am currently sitting at:

Rebel Aces - 97 points

Poe Dameron (PS8 Version) (39)
T-70 X-Wing (31), Black One (1), BB-8 (2), Advanced Optics (2), Veteran Instincts (1), Autothrusters (2)

Wes Janson (31)
X-Wing (29), Flight-Assist Astromech (1), Veteran Instincts (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Fenn Rau (27)
Sheathipede-class Shuttle (20), Veteran Instincts (1), Kyle Katarn (3), R2 Astromech (1), Pulsed Ray Shield (2)

Three point bid worth it? I am thinking yes, as the only thing open is Poe/Wes torp slot. Or should I add a Plasma Torp to Poe/Wes? Do I dare consider Vectored Thrusters on Wes?

Or do we put in Wedge over Wes for the same price and go to 99 pts to make Poe PS11 as well? That feels meta-dependent and like personal preference at first glance, but might be more balanced against more of the meta. And then Wedge is also becoming a hitter along with Poe.

Rebel Aces - 99 point

Fenn Rau (27)
Sheathipede-class Shuttle (20), Veteran Instincts (1), Kyle Katarn (3), R2 Astromech (1), Pulsed Ray Shield (2)

Wedge Antilles (31)
X-Wing (29), Flight-Assist Astromech (1), Veteran Instincts (1), Integrated Astromech (0)

Poe Dameron (PS9 Version) (41)
T-70 X-Wing (33), Black One (1), BB-8 (2), Advanced Optics (2), Veteran Instincts (1), Autothrusters (2)

You've basically landed on my two variants of the list with some minor tweaks (not sure if PRS is worth it, etc.). I've played with Wedge a ton and it's good, but might struggle against deadeye alphas. I'm leaning toward Wes now, but going to PS10 with any of them makes me a little sad.

Just now, gennataos said:

You've basically landed on my two variants of the list with some minor tweaks (not sure if PRS is worth it, etc.). I've played with Wedge a ton and it's good, but might struggle against deadeye alphas. I'm leaning toward Wes now, but going to PS10 with any of them makes me a little sad.

I am definitely at the point where I need to get these on the table and see what I think, or finally learn how to use Vassal properly. I like the idea of having Wedge as a second hitter alongside Poe, but maybe Wes will be more necessary if Imp Aces rear their heads in my neck of the woods.

1 hour ago, InstantAequitas said:

I flew triple X-wings extensively back in the day which was my basis for the thought exercise for this squad. To directly answer your questions:

[Solid Responses removed for post length. See above]

Nothing is fully tested yet, due to my recent move to Italy and I am waiting on my stuff to ship out here. There are some things that I have never been able to work and decoy is one of them. Normally I would just default to VI R3-A2 on Wes, but getting him to shoot before Poe was important to test a theory, even if it turns up nothing.

edit: afterthought, Kanan also can clear stress if Fenn uses pulse ray shields after his ability allowing for him to use FAA and take an action.

Appreciate the feedback! Gives me some new angles to think about! Intrigued by Decoy on Wes at least enough to play around with it.