I had some pretty decent success (4-0) at a recent local tournament using a three X-Wing build, and I was hoping for your collective input as to what could take it to the next level:

• 37 - Poe Dameron (PS8): Veteran Instincts, BB-8, Black One, Advanced Optics, Integrated Astromech
• 31 - Wes Janson: Veteran Instincts, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• 30 - Wedge Antilles: Adaptability, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• 98 - Total

The EPTs make everyone balanced at PS10 for convenience of movement and shooting. For Poe, while I really missed having Primed Thrusters to allow more BB-8 shenanigans, I adored the freedom that Advanced Optics gave me in terms of action choices. I didn't lose him all tournament long, thanks in part to his everlasting focus token making him an unappealing target. I didn't get to use Black One very often, though I think that was more an effect of having the card, than using it (nobody wanted to waste an action on a target lock that I would just remove). Wes and Wedge both were common targets, and I never ended a game with both on the table (my last two games came down to just Poe). Flight Assist was nice, both for ensuring I got a shot when I could, or for running away when I needed to. Otherwise, both ships were lean and efficient damage dealers. I noticed that many people (mostly those who didn't play in the EARLY days of X-Wing) tend to underestimate the T-65, making them surprisingly punchy.

One concern I have (that I didn't face this tournament) is the dreaded PS11 Alpha Strike, which I don't have much defense against. I also didn't face anyone at PS10, making my initiative bid otherwise worthless... though it seems like 2 points is reasonable, all things considered. Other thoughts include swapping out the Flight Assist Astromech on one or both T-65s for more functional droids, like R3-A2... though I'm kind of leaning towards keeping the maneuverability.

I like the combination, for sure, you have a token stripper, a hammer, and a nail, everything you need. I would personally use FAA rather than BB-8 on Poe to open up his dial a bit more.

You could downgrade to PS9s in order to get Expertise on Wedge, to really capitalize on his crushing attack. But higher PS is a valid choice.

AT is perhaps a valuable inclusion on Poe.

As for Alpha Strikes, that's where Black One really comes into force. You need to carefully leverage that in the opening engagement.

4 minutes ago, Greebwahn said:

I like the combination, for sure, you have a token stripper, a hammer, and a nail, everything you need. I would personally use FAA rather than BB-8 on Poe to open up his dial a bit more.

You could downgrade to PS9s in order to get Expertise on Wedge, to really capitalize on his crushing attack. But higher PS is a valid choice.

AT is perhaps a valuable inclusion on Poe.

As for Alpha Strikes, that's where Black One really comes into force. You need to carefully leverage that in the opening engagement.

And Wes at PS 10 stripping target locks.

Agreed. With Wes and Poe at PS10 with a 2-point initiative bid, you can be pretty confident that a PS10 or below missile barrage isn't going to happen. It's the PS11 crew (Quickdraw/Vader) that you'd need to worry about.

On 12/17/2017 at 7:34 PM, Greebwahn said:

I like the combination, for sure, you have a token stripper, a hammer, and a nail, everything you need. I would personally use FAA rather than BB-8 on Poe to open up his dial a bit more.

You could downgrade to PS9s in order to get Expertise on Wedge, to really capitalize on his crushing attack. But higher PS is a valid choice.

AT is perhaps a valuable inclusion on Poe.

As for Alpha Strikes, that's where Black One really comes into force. You need to carefully leverage that in the opening engagement.

Autothrusters were a possibility for Poe, and was particularly notable in its absence against TLT Thugs in my last game. However, including them would put me at 100 points even, without any initiative bid at all (which I felt was important).

I was also considering putting FAA onto Poe as well, but I wasn't too keen on purchasing a THIRD Sheathipede, just for one droid card.

Do you have suggestions on how I should handle any PS11 ordnance (from Quickdraw, Vader, Talonbane, Fenn Rau, Wedge, etc) that I may come across? Should I try to burn hard to Range 1, and deny them long shots? Just plan on eating a missile or two?

I think range control is powerful ... moving before them, you can burn into range 1 and either force a bump ... in which case you can 2/3-turn and boost with FAA to reengage with tokens intact, or you eat 2 x 3 dice primary attacks rather than 2 x 4 dice missiles. It's weird to think of using a PS10 -wing as a blocker ... but in that PS11 matchup, you need to deploy one of your aces to deny the imperials optimal position.

I've flown this same list, only tweak is Poe has AT and it's at 100 points. PS11 is a big concern, and I think the only way to fix that is to drop Wedge or Wes for maybe Jess so you can move Poe up to PS11 to make good use of Black One.

10 hours ago, gennataos said:

I've flown this same list, only tweak is Poe has AT and it's at 100 points. PS11 is a big concern, and I think the only way to fix that is to drop Wedge or Wes for maybe Jess so you can move Poe up to PS11 to make good use of Black One.

Not a bad thought. You could drop Wes, bump Poe and Wedge up to 11s, then have Jess running alongside hoping for some free rerolls...

• Poe Dameron (PS9), Veteran Instincts, Black One, BB-8, Advanced Optics, Autothrusters (41)
• Wedge Antilles, Veteran Instincts, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech (31)
• Jess Pava, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech (26)
• Total - 98

Jess leads the pack and helps with traffic, and hopes for her buddies to keep up behind her, probably soaking the initial round of target locks. Poe uses BB-8 and his own Boost action to clean those Target Locks off, while carrying around his round-one Focus to keep his ability running. Wedge is just Wedge, keeping sustained fire on vulnerable targets.

Other thoughts are to include Primed Thrusters on Jess to make Flight Assist even more capable, but that lowers my initiative bid to only 1 point... is that too risky?

13 hours ago, emeraldbeacon said:

Not a bad thought. You could drop Wes, bump Poe and Wedge up to 11s, then have Jess running alongside hoping for some free rerolls...

• Poe Dameron (PS9), Veteran Instincts, Black One, BB-8, Advanced Optics, Autothrusters (41)
• Wedge Antilles, Veteran Instincts, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech (31)
• Jess Pava, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech (26)
• Total - 98

Jess leads the pack and helps with traffic, and hopes for her buddies to keep up behind her, probably soaking the initial round of target locks. Poe uses BB-8 and his own Boost action to clean those Target Locks off, while carrying around his round-one Focus to keep his ability running. Wedge is just Wedge, keeping sustained fire on vulnerable targets.

Other thoughts are to include Primed Thrusters on Jess to make Flight Assist even more capable, but that lowers my initiative bid to only 1 point... is that too risky?

I don't know if Primed Thrusters does a lot for Jess. You'd have to test it out and see. The occasional positional benefit she'd get out of it probably isn't worth the 1 point on the bid. The PS11 bid is absolutely real.

I do like this version of the list and want to try it out myself. It should punch pretty hard. Don't be afraid to treat Jess like any other T-70 and fly her away from her support. She's only a point more than a Blue Squadron Novice, which is ridiculous value given her ability and 1pt PS increase. I think a mistake with this list in a lot of situations is to joust, then turn back around for more shots, most of them unmodded. I think it wants to joust with good position to jet out afterwards and come around for another pass at your own terms. FAA is great for getting to an engagement quickly and getting back out of it quickly.

On 12/17/2017 at 0:50 PM, emeraldbeacon said:

I had some pretty decent success (4-0) at a recent local tournament using a three X-Wing build, and I was hoping for your collective input as to what could take it to the next level:

• 37 - Poe Dameron (PS8): Veteran Instincts, BB-8, Black One, Advanced Optics, Integrated Astromech
• 31 - Wes Janson: Veteran Instincts, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• 30 - Wedge Antilles: Adaptability, Flight Assist Astromech, Integrated Astromech
• 98 - Total

The EPTs make everyone balanced at PS10 for convenience of movement and shooting. For Poe, while I really missed having Primed Thrusters to allow more BB-8 shenanigans, I adored the freedom that Advanced Optics gave me in terms of action choices. I didn't lose him all tournament long, thanks in part to his everlasting focus token making him an unappealing target. I didn't get to use Black One very often, though I think that was more an effect of having the card, than using it (nobody wanted to waste an action on a target lock that I would just remove). Wes and Wedge both were common targets, and I never ended a game with both on the table (my last two games came down to just Poe). Flight Assist was nice, both for ensuring I got a shot when I could, or for running away when I needed to. Otherwise, both ships were lean and efficient damage dealers. I noticed that many people (mostly those who didn't play in the EARLY days of X-Wing) tend to underestimate the T-65, making them surprisingly punchy.

One concern I have (that I didn't face this tournament) is the dreaded PS11 Alpha Strike, which I don't have much defense against. I also didn't face anyone at PS10, making my initiative bid otherwise worthless... though it seems like 2 points is reasonable, all things considered. Other thoughts include swapping out the Flight Assist Astromech on one or both T-65s for more functional droids, like R3-A2... though I'm kind of leaning towards keeping the maneuverability.

I like hearing succes with x-wings, and T-65 too! Nice job.

With your list, do you fly in formation or separate trying to converge on one target?

4 hours ago, Ccwebb said:

With your list, do you fly in formation or separate trying to converge on one target?

In most cases, loose formation. I typically deploy as if I'm opening with a joust, but pull hard-2/3s on the first maneuver, and skirt my board edge. This either screws up my opponent's joust, or helps me better deal with them forcing a "chase" scenario. The turn-one FAA lets me adjust nicely to compensate for whatever the other guy's plan is.

I think I'm going to give that list with Jess a go tomorrow against a friend who is trying out some bomb craziness. I wanted to test out my jousting skills. Jess' ability to boost may help me out a bit, so two T-70's seems like the better route. My only concern is, at such a low PS, will Jess benefit from FAA?

1 hour ago, jwilliamson12 said:

I think I'm going to give that list with Jess a go tomorrow against a friend who is trying out some bomb craziness. I wanted to test out my jousting skills. Jess' ability to boost may help me out a bit, so two T-70's seems like the better route. My only concern is, at such a low PS, will Jess benefit from FAA?

In the opening rounds, FAA helps Jess reposition herself for maximum effect. In the first engagement, it likely won't have much effect. In the subsequent breakaway, it can help her burn out, away from the potential drop zones for bombs. And when re-engaging, it again helps her to position herself for optimum flight lanes.

And worst case scenario, it's a 1 point shield upgrade.

1 hour ago, emeraldbeacon said:

In the opening rounds, FAA helps Jess reposition herself for maximum effect. In the first engagement, it likely won't have much effect. In the subsequent breakaway, it can help her burn out, away from the potential drop zones for bombs. And when re-engaging, it again helps her to position herself for optimum flight lanes.

And worst case scenario, it's a 1 point shield upgrade.

Fair point. I guess you can also use it to navigate asteroid fields if needed. I’ve yet to use FAA so I wasn’t sure if it only benefited high Ps ships.

22 minutes ago, jwilliamson12 said:

Fair point. I guess you can also use it to navigate asteroid fields if needed. I’ve yet to use FAA so I wasn’t sure if it only benefited high Ps ships.

One nice use at low pilot skill: You can almost bank on it as a reverse Adaptive Ailerons, if you know you're able to point your arc away. It's also REALLY handy if you find yourself needing to run away, whether on the post-joust re-engagement, or the late-game stalling tactics.

I'd say it's about the most generically useful 1 point droid you can put on a non-turret ship (since it has that darn arc-lock in effect). Sure, there are plenty of times that R2 Astromech or the EPT Droid are called for... but FAA is really useful.

18 hours ago, emeraldbeacon said:

One nice use at low pilot skill: You can almost bank on it as a reverse Adaptive Ailerons, if you know you're able to point your arc away. It's also REALLY handy if you find yourself needing to run away, whether on the post-joust re-engagement, or the late-game stalling tactics.

I'd say it's about the most generically useful 1 point droid you can put on a non-turret ship (since it has that darn arc-lock in effect). Sure, there are plenty of times that R2 Astromech or the EPT Droid are called for... but FAA is really useful.

Okay, so I took the Wedge/Poe/Jess build to a game today. My opponent is a rather new player who wanted to try out bombs. So I gave a list with Nym w/ Minefield Mapper,EM, Connor Nets, Ion bombs, a generic B-Wing with TS,Sabine, Siesmics, EM, and Crismon Specialist with TS,bomblets and deflective plating.

I got crushed. So many bombs. So many bombs. I couldn't do much to get out of their range. Part of it was bad flying. Part of it was also back luck. Jess got killed after I rolled back-to-back two hits on a bomblet (third hit from Sabine each round). My opponent kept deflective plating for three rounds as well.

I still think it's a good list, but may have trouble if you run into some bomb jank.

10 hours ago, jwilliamson12 said:

Okay, so I took the Wedge/Poe/Jess build to a game today. My opponent is a rather new player who wanted to try out bombs. So I gave a list with Nym w/ Minefield Mapper,EM, Connor Nets, Ion bombs, a generic B-Wing with TS,Sabine, Siesmics, EM, and Crismon Specialist with TS,bomblets and deflective plating.

I got crushed. So many bombs. So many bombs. I couldn't do much to get out of their range. Part of it was bad flying. Part of it was also back luck. Jess got killed after I rolled back-to-back two hits on a bomblet (third hit from Sabine each round). My opponent kept deflective plating for three rounds as well.

I still think it's a good list, but may have trouble if you run into some bomb jank.

Yeah... against that many bombs, about the best you can do is pull back and snipe from range. It really becomes a chess game at that point, because you need to plan not just where you'll be at the end of the next activation, but also where the other guy's bombs will be one turn LATER. And with so many bomb units, he probably flew the squad in a wide formation, which forms a natural resistance to FAA.

7 hours ago, emeraldbeacon said:

Yeah... against that many bombs, about the best you can do is pull back and snipe from range. It really becomes a chess game at that point, because you need to plan not just where you'll be at the end of the next activation, but also where the other guy's bombs will be one turn LATER. And with so many bomb units, he probably flew the squad in a wide formation, which forms a natural resistance to FAA.

Bingo. Nym used minefield mapper to close off the middle of the asteroids, and then spread out his ships. I went straight for the Bomber to get bomblets out of the way, but wonder if I should have taken care of the B-Wing carrying Sabine first.

I hope he didn't drop all four bombs at the game opening... technically, he could only deploy one of each.

1 hour ago, emeraldbeacon said:

I hope he didn't drop all four bombs at the game opening... technically, he could only deploy one of each.

Nope, just the two. He has Nym on one side of the board and the bomber on the other. b-Wing in the middle. If I had better luck with my rolls vs the bomblets I think I would have been able to take the game. Poe managed to beat the Bomber and the B-Wing by himself, but blew up before I could start going after Nym.

Just started another discussion on a similar topic, but I think my 3 XWing build does more reliable damage and stays on target better, the T-65 is old news .

On 12/18/2017 at 10:32 PM, emeraldbeacon said:

Autothrusters were a possibility for Poe, and was particularly notable in its absence against TLT Thugs in my last game. However, including them would put me at 100 points even, without any initiative bid at all (which I felt was important).

I was also considering putting FAA onto Poe as well, but I wasn't too keen on purchasing a THIRD Sheathipede, just for one droid card.

Do you have suggestions on how I should handle any PS11 ordnance (from Quickdraw, Vader, Talonbane, Fenn Rau, Wedge, etc) that I may come across? Should I try to burn hard to Range 1, and deny them long shots? Just plan on eating a missile or two?

When you have Black One, I like to think that you can ditch at least 1, maybe 2 locks, allowing you to survive the initial engagement and then push range, or else force them to disengage to get the range they need.

30 minutes ago, Greebwahn said:

When you have Black One, I like to think that you can ditch at least 1, maybe 2 locks, allowing you to survive the initial engagement and then push range, or else force them to disengage to get the range they need.

The problem is, with 3 ships at PS-10, I need to prevent my opponent from catching me at R3 with their PS-11 ships; Poe can't strip locks AFTER he's moved. Meaning, I would have to gauge the initial approach carefully to make sure I'm not getting into their attack range... then burn hard to close ranks on the second round of shooting, to either get R1 shots or force bumps. Most PS-11 Alpha Strikes are built around Ordnance, relying on the Cruise and Harpoon Missiles to do the lion's share of damage. If I can deny even one shot going off, that's a win.

15 minutes ago, emeraldbeacon said:

. If I can deny even one shot going off, that's a win.

If Poe is PS 11 and goes last then you drop a TL and win every turn Its worth the extra points

2 hours ago, BenDay said:

If Poe is PS 11 and goes last then you drop a TL and win every turn Its worth the extra points

Agreed, and that's one reason why I've since revised my list to include him at PS-11... but the original statement was based off of suitable tactics for a PS-10 team going up against PS-11 Ordnance Alpha Strike.