Posted this on the X-wing TMG Reddit. Something I've been noodling with for a while that I'm happy with after finalising details based off the Visual Dictionary and Cross-Sections books for The Last Jedi.

The primary thought behind this is all about intercepting targets before they can target allies so this A-wing, like it's forbearer is all about speed and agility. Secondary is that the A-wing is a high risk, high reward ship. She's still a tad flimsy but because it's even faster and more agile than it's predecessor, it should survive a lot longer. The 2 ace pilots' abilities are specifically geared to beating the enemy to the punch in any engagement.

The action bar sacrifices the Evade action for a barrel roll for maximum repositioning, but it has a native boost to it's agility from 3 to 4 and has a Tech slot that can take the Adv. Jammer that boosts the RZ-2's agility further from 4 to 6 green dice but at the cost of performing attacks for the round.

To counter the low primary fire output, I've put in a new modification that I've always wanted to see incorporated into the A-wing, Rapid Fire Laser Cannons. These may cost an extra 2 points but they allow you to make a 4 dice attack at range 1 OR perform up to 3 primary weapon attacks until 1 hits but at the cost of not adding your bonus dice if you decide to shoot this way at range 1. This way you can spray 'n' pray at ranges 2-3, token strip at range 1 or go in for single point blank 4 dice attack before screaming away to setup a new attack run.

Finally, I've designed it with the A-wing Test Pilot title and Chardaan refit upgrades in mind so that the RZ-2 can take them because right now... why not XD!

SHIP: RZ-2 A-wing

FACTION: Resistance sub-faction

FIRING ARC: Fore [and possibly Aft secondary] firing arc (for the swivel mounted lasers)

STATS: Attack: 2 / Agility: 4 / Hull: 2 / Shield: 2

ACTIONS: Focus / Target Lock / Barrel Roll / Boost

UPGRADES: Title / Modification / Missile / Tech

DIAL: Greens: 2, 3, 4, 5 forward, 1 turns, 2 banks / Whites: 2, 3 turns, 3 banks / Reds: 4K, 2 S-Loops, 1 T-Rolls

PILOTS:

"Tallie" Lintra (Ps 8) EPT* - 26 points (TLJ Blue Sq. Leader) - Once per round, when another friendly ship is declared the target of an attack, if the attacker is inside your firing arc, you may attack the attacker first.

L'ulo L'ampar (Ps 7) EPT* - 24 (a Green Squadron Vet who technically pilots the RZ-1 A-wing and dies just before TFA but what the heck) - When defending, if the attacker is inside your firing arc and has an agility value equal to or lower than your attack value, perform an attack against the attacker first.

Green Squadron Veteran (Ps 5) EPT* - 22

Blue Squadron Recruit (Ps 2) - 18

UPGRADES:

Rapid Fire Laser Cannons - Modification - A-wing only [including original A-wing] - you may perform primary weapon attacks up to 3 times from you primary firing arc until 1 attack hits. If you do this, you cannot add your range 1 attack bonus to your roll. If you do not, double your range 1 attack bonus. - 2 points

Adv. Concussion Missiles - Missile - Range 1-2 (4 Attack) {Target Lock} Discard this card to perform this attack. If this attack hits, the target removes all focus, evade and blue target lock tokens and suffers 2 damage. Then cancel all dice results. - 5 points

Adv. Jammer - Tech - Once per round, at the start of the combat phase, you may choose to add 2 evade dice to your defence roll. If you do, you cannot perform attacks that round. - 2 points

TIE/FO = TIE/ln + 1 shield

T-75 = T-65 + 1 shield

RZ-2 = RZ-1 + 1 shield

+1 and done. It's a theme.

there are at least 3 topics on this...including my own....

13 hours ago, Darth Meanie said:

TIE/FO = TIE/ln + 1 shield

T-75 = T-65 + 1 shield

RZ-2 = RZ-1 + 1 shield

+1 and done. It's a theme.

+1 shield, and minor dial improvements... and one action that the action bar didn't previously have.

Then done. That's the theme

No space for another action on the a wing dial tho.

Maybe from a title?

On 22/12/2017 at 11:46 AM, thespaceinvader said:

No space for another action on the a wing dial tho.

Shrink the symbols down a bit?

Replace L’ulo with Ronnith Blario, another A-wing pilot from The Last Jedi

to make this a-wing unique, why not remove the target lock and add evade? Then give it a second missile? You still have access to unguided rockets, proton rockets, and XX-23 sThread Tracers.

Remove the Tech slot and give it a bullseye arc.

The reasoning is this: the evade represents the improved jammers that the rz-2 has.

The bullseye arc represents the swivelling laser cannons.

The lack of tech slot is because the RZ-2 is supposedly decades old already.

The lack of targeting computer hurts, but, there is the targeting computer upgrade plus deadeye for the other missiles.

22 minutes ago, That Blasted Samophlange said:

The lack of tech slot is because the RZ-2 is supposedly decades old already.

The lack of targeting computer hurts, but, there is the targeting computer upgrade plus deadeye for the other missiles.

Strictly speaking, the same is true of the T-70 - prototype came out during the Galactic Civil War, shortly before Jakku (Empire's End novel) and the Resistance Bomber (again, entered service in the last days of the Galactic Civil War).

So, the ship being OT-era, and right after ROTJ, doesn't rule out a tech slot, since most Resistance craft seem to be of that era.

22 minutes ago, That Blasted Samophlange said:

to make this a-wing unique, why not remove the target lock and add evade?

Regular A-wings already have Evade. It is Barrel Roll that they lack.

http://xwing-miniatures.wikia.com/wiki/Prototype_Pilot

That's why the OP removed Evade in favour of Barrel Roll in the first place - to add uniqueness. Presumably Target Lock is not removed because missile-carriers need Target Lock to do their job properly (only a very few missiles don't make use of it).

Spruce up the dial, add +1 shield, tech slot. Done.

6 hours ago, BlodVargarna said:

Spruce up the dial, add +1 shield, tech slot. Done.

And give primaries a chance... TIE/ln and AWings need some punch

I don’t dislike to OP ideas on rapid fire primaries.

Needs something to make it stands out as a ship.

Rear firing arc.

SLAM action.

I REALLLY like the idea of adding a gunner-like effect to low attack ships. But it would be better as a mod (maybe 1 pt?) so Tie Fighters can take it.
Really need something to fix 2 dice attacks in this game.

15 hours ago, DirbYh said:

Needs something to make it stands out as a ship.

Rear firing arc.

SLAM action.

Bullseye arc.

6 hours ago, SabineKey said:

Bullseye arc.

THIS!

I know it's now official that the RZ-2 can fire backwards, but in terms of gameplay a bullseye firing arc would be much more suited to an A-wing, not to mention give its 2 attack primary a little more gusto.

I like a lot of OPs ideas.

A 4 agility ship, especially if evade is taken off the table, is cool and not likely to be OP on a two attack ship.

I also like the idea of a gunner effect and an upgrade that buffs both the old and new A Wings, but you're going to have a hard time prising Autothrusters off any ship with boost. Given the Test Pilot title already exists, an EPT would seem to be the natural slot. Your wording also needs cleaning up, and TBH, in my opinion, three attacks is probably pushing it. I'd word it like this:

Rapid Fire. EPT. A Wing only. 2 points.

After performing a primary weapon attack during the combat phase that does not hit, you may immediately perform a primary weapon attack against the same target. You cannot perform another attack this round.

That prevents it being used with Snapshot, and just generally tones down the potential for shenanigans.

I also love the idea of a Bullseye firing arc on an A Wing - I know it's not in the original post, but I think.it needs to happen.

One thing I would definitely ditch is the jammer tech. On this ship, 6 defence dice, plus range and obstacle bonuses, plus things like Autothrusters, Lowhrrick etc... the potential for abuse is enormous. Imagine trying to kill a 47 point Kylo Ren or something with that tech? You'd be chasing him around the board for half an hour, only to lose on points. ****, put Chardaan refit on five of your Blue Squadron Recruits with Autothrusters and that tech and spend 75 minutes running away, never engage anyone, and take your 10 dice final salvo.

If it were to be a thing, it would need to either be substantially toned down, or be a single use discard item. That might be cool actually. Your opponent brings high PS alpha strikers, all set up to eliminate a ship or two at the start of the first engagement, but you pop your jammer, and suddenly it's a six dice, focused defensive roll their harpoon has to shoot through. Make it the small ship only counterpart to Countermeasures.

So, overall, I like what you've designed, with a few tweaks. Whether it's close to where FFG will go... I don't know. They have seemed very reluctant to go over three agility, and while this would maybe a be a good platform for that, there may well be some hard rules preventing it in their back of house design documents. Also, as others have pointed out, the pattern of +1 shield, +1 action, +1 tech slot has been established for upgraded ships, but that's only on two ships so far, so it might be a sample size induced coincidence, rather than a pattern.