Yay! I finally got to try out some GUNBOATS! This was just a casual match-up at my FLGS, looking to test out some various GUNBOAT builds.

My list:

•Lieutenant Karsabi (35) - Alpha-class Star Wing
Crack Shot (1), XG-1 Assault Configuration (1), Long-Range Scanners (0), Linked Battery (2), Heavy Laser Cannon (7)

Rho Squadron Veteran (32) - Alpha-class Star Wing
Crack Shot (1), XG-1 Assault Configuration (1), Long-Range Scanners (0), Flechette Cannon (2), Heavy Laser Cannon (7)

Rho Squadron Veteran (32) - Alpha-class Star Wing
Crack Shot (1), XG-1 Assault Configuration (1), Long-Range Scanners (0), Flechette Cannon (2), Heavy Laser Cannon (7)

Opponent's list:

•Darth Vader (34) - TIE Advanced
Adaptability (0), TIE/x1 (0), Engine Upgrade (4), Advanced Targeting Computer (5)

Nu Squadron Veteran (22) - Alpha-class Star Wing
Harpoon Missiles (4), Long-Range Scanners (0)

Nu Squadron Veteran (22) - Alpha-class Star Wing
Harpoon Missiles (4), Long-Range Scanners (0)

Nu Squadron Veteran (22) - Alpha-class Star Wing
Harpoon Missiles (4), Long-Range Scanners (0)

I started off in one corner of the board, in joust mode, while he started with his GUNBOATS opposite of me, facing along the edge. Darth started in the very opposite corner, facing toward me. He flew his ships in a circle trying to box me in, while I kept my boats in formation. The pilot skill difference was a huge advantage in my favor, and I continued to arc-dodge his Nu boats with my Rho boats. Pictured here is the critical game round, where Vader got blocked by the herd of GUNBOATS. I'm sure he Force-strangled that one guy after the battle. (My boats are the yellow ones). Vader got brought down to one health, and the round after this, GUNBOAT #2 got swarmed and died.

Unsurprisingly, Karsabi was the first of my boats to die, but he lasted longer than predicted because Vader didn't want to kill himself by setting off the "Harpooned!" condition! My bloodstriped boat died right after both my remaining boats killed his GUNBOAT #1. Luckily, my boat that died got to use its Crackshot. So it was down to a one-on-one GUNBOAT duel. His boat had three health left and mine had four. My remaining boat flew around the board to get full mods and then circled in. With target lock, focus, and Crackshot on the HLC shot, there was nothing he could do. Good thing too, because when we tested it, we saw that the Harpoon Missile would've killed my boat!

So some big things I took away:

SLAM is fun for both reposition and blocking.

GUNBOATS are fun when you get the kind of dice luck I had!

The Harpoon Nu Pilot is a nice build, but best used for alpha strike, not SLAMming shenanigans.

The Rho Veteran with HLC is pretty formidable.

I like builds that can still do stuff when they SLAM. Although I am pretty sure Linked Batteries is great, I really like Flechette. That sure ruined Vader's day.

GUNBOATS have a lot of health!

I think both of these lists would've done ok against the other stuff we saw tonight. Another one of my friends had a Nu/Nu/Oicunn (Mangler Nu's and Kylo crew) build that barely lost to a DeNym build and later a Kylo/Chiraneau build. Overall, I think any rendition of GUNBOATS and/or Kylo is going to be fun. Another friend had a dual Silencer build that seemed fun! The Imperials definitely seem to have gotten the best stuff this wave!

You flew GUNBOATS against GUNBOATS and blew up a load of GUNBOATS?

You monster .

7 hours ago, Kieransi said:

I like builds that can still do stuff when they SLAM. Although I am pretty sure Linked Batteries is great, I really like Flechette. That sure ruined Vader's day.

I'm not sure it's actually a good idea, but the concept of 4 A/SLAM Flechette XG-1s is amusing.

7 hours ago, Kieransi said:

GUNBOATS have a lot of health!

Definitely. For sheer comedy value, 5 Jamming or Tractor Beam XG-1s or Flechette/LRS regular 'boats looks hard to beat given the sheer volume of damage needed to stop them.

2 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Definitely. For sheer comedy value, 5 Jamming or Tractor Beam XG-1s or Flechette/LRS regular 'boats looks hard to beat given the sheer volume of damage needed to stop them.

Something like this?

https://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Galactic Empire&d=v4!s!270:-1,-1:56:24:U.109,U.-1;270:-1,-1:56:24:U.144,U.-1;270:-1,-1:56:24:U.109,U.-1;270:-1,-1:56:24:U.144,U.-1;270:-1,-1:-1:24:&sn=Unnamed Squadron&obs=

2 Tractors, 2 flechettes, and a regular. Same agi and a little more hp as 5 bombers, but much crazier and harder to predict. Every game goes to time, I think, but with SLAMming and trading hurt ships out for fresh ones, it's entirely possible to not lose a ship in a timed game. I may have to try this out on vassal...

Or you could trade the regular boat out for a Scimitar with Intel Agent and make 1 of the tractors into another flechette.

6 hours ago, FTS Gecko said:

You monster .

Yes, I am.

3 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

I'm not sure it's actually a good idea, but the concept of 4 A/SLAM Flechette XG-1s is amusing.

Yeah, I really want to try out this list, but I know the Manglers are just a little weak. That's what my buddy with the KyloOicunn build was using.

Nu Squadron Veteran (25) - Alpha-class Star Wing
XG-1 Assault Configuration (1), Long-Range Scanners (0), "Mangler" Cannon (4), Flechette Cannon (2)

Nu Squadron Veteran (25) - Alpha-class Star Wing
XG-1 Assault Configuration (1), Long-Range Scanners (0), "Mangler" Cannon (4), Flechette Cannon (2)

Nu Squadron Veteran (25) - Alpha-class Star Wing
XG-1 Assault Configuration (1), Long-Range Scanners (0), "Mangler" Cannon (4), Flechette Cannon (2)

Nu Squadron Veteran (25) - Alpha-class Star Wing
XG-1 Assault Configuration (1), Long-Range Scanners (0), "Mangler" Cannon (4), Flechette Cannon (2)

1 hour ago, hothie said:

Something like this?

https://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Galactic Empire&d=v4!s!270:-1,-1:56:24:U.109,U.-1;270:-1,-1:56:24:U.144,U.-1;270:-1,-1:56:24:U.109,U.-1;270:-1,-1:56:24:U.144,U.-1;270:-1,-1:-1:24:&sn=Unnamed Squadron&obs=

2 Tractors, 2 flechettes, and a regular. Same agi and a little more hp as 5 bombers, but much crazier and harder to predict. Every game goes to time, I think, but with SLAMming and trading hurt ships out for fresh ones, it's entirely possible to not lose a ship in a timed game. I may have to try this out on vassal...

Or you could trade the regular boat out for a Scimitar with Intel Agent and make 1 of the tractors into another flechette.

Hmm, the pure GUNBOAT spam looks to have potential... I guess the one thing I'm worried about is that the reason his GUNBOATS melted and mine didn't was that my GUNBOATS had the pilot skill and could reposition. In today's meta, a couple four-dice attacks can still melt a poorly-positioned GUNBOAT.

@Kieransi Would you every consider subbing in •Vessery for •Lieutenant Karsabi? He seems like he would do well with all the LRS you are using.

54 minutes ago, RunnerAZ said:

@Kieransi Would you every consider subbing in •Vessery for •Lieutenant Karsabi? He seems like he would do well with all the LRS you are using.

I mean, as much as I love GUNBOATS, Defenders are still probably better than GUNBOATS. I just paint GUNBOATS in squads of three and wanted to get to fly my 'boats I painted. (If you haven't noticed from my other posts, I don't really care if I win or not! ) Case in point - I really feel like flying a build with Rey just because of Episode VIII now. My friends are pretty much the same way - (tiny The Last Jedi spoiler):