Help wanted with Lancer builds

By CoffeeMinion, in X-Wing Squad Lists

Hey guys. Long-time lurker; infrequent poster. I don't get to play a lot and my skill level's pretty low, but I love the game.

Anyway, I picked up a Lancer not long after it came out. I enjoy flying most ships whether I'm any good with them or not, but I've consistently struggled to have fun with dat Lancer. Seems like the ruddy thing ends up perma-dialed with a 3-turn through the middle of the board and Gyroscopic Targeting its mobile arc in some random direction where the enemy isn't.

I'd like to find a couple Lancer builds that might help me find more fun than frustration with the thing. I don't care about 0wnz1ng the competition, though I find it baffling that the Lancer has indeed been near the top of the meta at times.

EDIT: I think I've mostly flown Asajj with Predator or VI for Elite, GT/EI for Mod, and Gunner/Dengar for crew. I sometimes throw a BMST in the Illicit slot but I don't think I've ever gotten it off. Every once in a while I manage to Asajj-stress someone but it's never the amazing thing that people seem to make it out to be.

Edited by CoffeeMinion

Well, the first place to start building a Lancer is with crew.

First off, if you're taking Asajj Ventress, you should probably take Latts Razzi . They're made to work well together, and can really help Asajj stay alive. For any of the other pilots, there are two main options. First, you say you do a lot of 3-turns, which is to be expected, so it's worth leaning into that and taking K-4 Security Droid , so that it'll get free target locks. The other option, if you're not running him elsewhere in the list, is crew Dengar . It's almost like a TL you never need an action for. Sabine can consider Ketsu crew if you're also running the title, but that's kind of a niche pick which you should probably ignore.

Next, Elite Upgrades. There are three main choices. First, there's always pilot skill Elites ( Veteran Instincts, Adaptability ). If you're paired with something like a Boba Fett, it might do you well to have your lancer boosted in PS to shoot first, since if you're running the Shadowcaster title, you can put tractor beams on someone. Other than that, the best two are probably Push the Limit and Expertise. They're both solid enough on both pilots, however... Push the Limit works particularly well with Asajj. She's pretty tanky as is, and allowing her to take a Focus and an Evade each turn really ramps that up. She's just hard to bring down. Expertise works particularly well with Ketsu. Her pilot ability allows her to bump into a small ship in both her firing arcs, and then tractor them off you to get a range 1 shot with reduced agility on the defender. As such, it's great to have an Elite upgrade like Expertise and a crew like Dengar which don't depend on taking actions.

For modifications, Gyroscopic Targeting is often quite good, but consider also Engine Upgrade on Ketsu (putting her into Range 1 for her ability) or Countermeasures on anyone. There's a lot of missiles out there, and adding a green die works best on ships which already have a few of green dice.

For Illicit upgrades, Glitterstim is always good (take two on Sabine!). It's strong on turns you really need to ramp up defenses, and also when someone like a Push The Limit ship bumps. You were planning on being stressed anyway. Scavenger Crane is great on a ship with Countermeasures, but not mandatory. Burnout Slam has uses as a repositioning tool (and can help get out of a 3-hard, 3-hard dawdle in the middle). Illicit upgrades are frequently things with lots of personal perferences, however, and they've all got uses, and play what you like.

The Shadowcaster title is a reasonable pickup, but only really if you've got another ship at the same or lower PS than the ship with the title. Like, if you're running Dengar/Asajj, the title won't do you much good. Running Ketsu/Bossk, or either Ketsu or Asajj with VI and a Boba Fett (with Cluster Missiles and Fearlessness? Spicy!), then the title is pretty solid. I've had some fun with double-Lancer lists, and I've seen a few folks fly a Lancer with a few TLT Y-Wings. In a list like these, the title can be quite handy. However, something like Fenn Rau, Asajj, and a 3rd ship probably should skip the title.

All of the above is great advice. I build out one using the advice above, and usually pair it with a jouster like Fenn Rau and a missile carrier to keep my opponent honest.

Ketsu List - Primary (99)

•Ketsu Onyo (47) - Lancer-class Pursuit Craft
Veteran Instincts (1), K4 Security Droid (3), Shadow Caster (3), Gyroscopic Targeting (2)

•Fenn Rau (32) - Protectorate Starfighter
Fearlessness (1), Concord Dawn Protector (1), Autothrusters (2)

•Kaa'to Leeachos (20) - Z-95 Headhunter
Deadeye (1), Harpoon Missiles (4), Guidance Chips (0)

Edited by jwilliamson12

Thanks guys!

This definitely gives me some starting points. I'm still kind of curious, though: what is the Lancer's overall "role" on the battlefield? Like both of you mentioned running her with Fenn Rau and someone else... so he's a super-PS ace and the other one carries missiles... but what should the Lancer be trying to do?

(For what it's worth, the Protectorate is another ship that I can't seem to figure out. It's billed as a "fly straight into the enemy's teeth" sort of ship... but then in my experience thus far it gets shot down when I do that!)

EDIT: What I mean is that the Lancer lacks some of the upgrade slots and other characteristics to fit into an obvious "role" in my head. It can't carry missiles or torps, and its lack of a canon means there's no way other than range 1 in arc to get it to 4 dice. But then it doesn't have a true PWT or turret either, so no 360, and I get confused about where I should point the mobile arc, and when to spend actions on moving it. Also it doesn't have bombs, and it seems too expensive and low on repositioning options to work as a blocker.

Edited by CoffeeMinion
3 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

EDIT: What I mean is that the Lancer lacks some of the upgrade slots and other characteristics to fit into an obvious "role" in my head. It can't carry missiles or torps, and its lack of a canon means there's no way other than range 1 in arc to get it to 4 dice. But then it doesn't have a true PWT or turret either, so no 360, and I get confused about where I should point the mobile arc, and when to spend actions on moving it. Also it doesn't have bombs, and it seems too expensive and low on repositioning options to work as a blocker.

Though I am no expert I think it's role is twofold. As Asajj she is a tanky points bank that is super hard to kill. Does some average damage, but is there to help you save points in a tourney. As Ketsu it is a hammer that can pick apart small base ships a turn at a time, especially those that are lower PS.

In regards to the 3rd ship option here was my idea:

Asajj Ventress (37)
Lone Wolf (2)
Latts Razzi (2)
Glitterstim (2)
Scavenger Crane (2)
Countermeasures (3)

Fenn Rau (28)
Push the Limit (3)
Autothrusters (2)
Concord Dawn Protector (1)

Sunny Bounder (14)
Linked Battery (2)
"Heavy Scyk" Interceptor (Cannon) (2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

The idea is to have Asajj do her thing on he own, circling about with 3s and making good use of the lone wolf. Fenn is the hammer here with Sunny being a niche thing that maybe I like too much, though admittedly haven't put on the table yet. But at 18 points she could be a decent little blocker and that linked battery gives here a chance at an extra hit. Some times. Maybe. No bid, but I guess with all the 11s out there Fenn at 9 won't benefit from a bid.

1 hour ago, Rolotamasi said:

Asajj Ventress (37)
Lone Wolf (2)
Latts Razzi (2)
Glitterstim (2)
Scavenger Crane (2)
Countermeasures (3)

Fenn Rau (28)
Push the Limit (3)
Autothrusters (2)
Concord Dawn Protector (1)

Sunny Bounder (14)
Linked Battery (2)
"Heavy Scyk" Interceptor (Cannon) (2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder .

I appreciate the explanation! And the suggestion. I'm still a bit skeptical about getting Fenn to do work for me, but that actually sounds like a pretty decent Asajj. I like the idea of her being a hard-to-kill points fortress. It's just not what I expected.

I also appreciate the earlier suggestion about using the evade action. I think half my problem with the Lancer is second-guessing what actions to take. Things like Gyroscopic Targeting and K4 and PTL make it easy to come out ahead in terms of action economy, but it never felt like it mattered all that much in terms of its performance. Having Glitter and Countermeasures (and the crane to refill them) should free me up to just lock the mobile arc to the side and Evade every turn.

I find myself wanting to drop down to the generic and run with Burnout SLAM instead of Glitter, and throw Cad Bane with Cluster Mines into the mix... that sounds like pretty stupid fun. :-) But maybe this Asajj build will finally help open her up to being fun too...

Hi,

All what theBitterFig said...

Below you can find my list which is pretty fun but its main problem is low PS.

Kath Scarlet (52)

Expertise (4),

Heavy Laser Cannon (7),

Dengar (3)

Ketsu Onyo (48)

Expertise (4),

K4 Security Droid (3),

Shadow Caster (3)

Everything depends on your playstyle ;)

1 hour ago, Grendel Drake said:

Below you can find my list which is pretty fun but its main problem is low PS.

Kath Scarlet (52)

Expertise (4),

Heavy Laser Cannon (7),

Dengar (3)

Ketsu Onyo (48)

Expertise (4),

K4 Security Droid (3),

Shadow Caster (3)

Everything depends on your playstyle ;)

That does look pretty fun. What do you do with the mobile arc on Ketsu, though? Just keep it locked forward to make sure her ability triggers when you get to shoot?

I’d ask the same question for all the Lancer pilots, I suppose... it seems like messing with the arc is necessary, but it either chews up your actions or if you use Gyroscopic, you end up having to commit at an awkward time.

29 minutes ago, CoffeeMinion said:

That does look pretty fun. What do you do with the mobile arc on Ketsu, though? Just keep it locked forward to make sure her ability triggers when you get to shoot?

I usually keep Ketsu’s arc forward unless I’m in a jam.

It sounds like you’ve been moving your arc in reaction to what your opponent is doing. If you plan out your maneuvers, you can position that mobile arc to keep your opponents honest. I’d say with Asajj, fly on one side of the board with the arc pointing towards the center of the mat. If you can cluster asteroids in the middle of the board you can just circle the play area with your three-speed maneuvers. That’s what I’ve always tried to do at least.

As for their specific roles, Asajj is just tough to take down, so keep her in a place where she’s effective but is also protected. I like countermeasures/scavenger crane on Asajj. Ketsu is more of a wildcard depending on your opponent’s PS, but I always play pretty aggressive with her. Just try to go into the fight and fling their ships around.

Just wanted to jump on and say that all of these lists look awesome (I have yet to play my newly acquired Lancer), and also wanted to take a second to discuss Rau for just a second, because I think CoffeeMinion is still confused. Which is totally ok! I just built a list the other day with a Kimogila, Fenn and Thweek. I've played very little of all three of them and had no idea how to fly Fenn.

Everybody else is totally open to agree or disagree with me or whatever! Im just trying ot put down some thoughts on Fenn to maybe help clear pu the confusion. My take on Fenn is that you want to keep him as your super dangerous but super fragile super robo hammer. He's an interceptor (and has the dial to prove it), but you don't want to fly him like an A-Wing (he doesen't have evade, so no PTL Focus Evade) and you cannot fly him like Soontir. He doesen't have the action economy of Soontir.

AVOID RANGE 2 AT ALL COSTS


I've found the real trick is hanging back with him at range 3 so you can maybe deal some damage, but take none in return through your 4 dice + AT + focus. Target lock someone on a turn where you can afford to take one, and then choose the right moment to dive in. It depends on the rest of your list buildout (obviously) but if you pick the right moment to dive in and lay into someone with another shot on top of your 5 attack + focus/TL, you can cream someone or deal some serious damage. Then you peel out and wait for another opportunity like that (probably, again depending on the rest of your list.)


You can't really follow people like Soontir can, because Soontir gets the benefit of being able to reposition and end up with a focus/evade, while you don't have the evade, nor option to focus/TL/barrel roll because you don't get the free focus from a stress.

However you can also hit WAY harder than an A-Wing, and you also can't be afraid to drop in to range 1. You are 100% more survivable and dangerous with 5 dice instead of 3, and you get the free evade from Concord Dawn Protector if you choose the merge right.

In summary,

NO RANGE 2

Use him as a hammer, but a fragile and repeatable hammer

Just practice. He does really well with some builds and not so well with others. He doesen't really fit everywhere like Soontir did.

Hope this helps!

Best,

Cow

40 minutes ago, Cow-of-Doom said:

Just wanted to jump on and say that all of these lists look awesome (I have yet to play my newly acquired Lancer), and also wanted to take a second to discuss Rau for just a second, because I think CoffeeMinion is still confused.

...


I've found the real trick is hanging back with him at range 3 so you can maybe deal some damage, but take none in return through your 4 dice + AT + focus. Target lock someone on a turn where you can afford to take one, and then choose the right moment to dive in. It depends on the rest of your list buildout (obviously) but if you pick the right moment to dive in and lay into someone with another shot on top of your 5 attack + focus/TL, you can cream someone or deal some serious damage. Then you peel out and wait for another opportunity like that (probably, again depending on the rest of your list.)

Thank you! Yes, I've been equally confused about the Protectorate, but I paid a lot less for it (Amazon Warehouse Deals FTW!) so figuring it out was lower on my mental priority list. :-p

This makes some more sense now. Like I could never figure out why people seemed to staple Lancers and Protectorates together but I think I'm getting it: They're both very tanky if played right, but you have to focus on keeping the enemy at arm's length from both of them unless you're diving in for the kill. The ways that they do that might be different but the concept feels similar. You want to divide and conquer and take more of a plinky/harassing approach. Right?

Taking a fully loaded Fenn and Asajj doesn't leave room for much, but one decent-PS harassment option occurs to me. Thoughts?

Fenn Rau — Protectorate Starfighter 28
Push the Limit 3
Autothrusters 2
Concord Dawn Protector 1
Ship Total: 34
Asajj Ventress — Lancer-class Pursuit Craft 37
Push the Limit 3
Latts Razzi 2
Glitterstim 2
Scavenger Crane 2
Countermeasures 3
Ship Total: 49
N'Dru Suhlak — Z-95 Headhunter 17
Trick Shot 0
Ship Total: 17

2 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

Thank you! Yes, I've been equally confused about the Protectorate, but I paid a lot less for it (Amazon Warehouse Deals FTW!) so figuring it out was lower on my mental priority list. :-p

This makes some more sense now. Like I could never figure out why people seemed to staple Lancers and Protectorates together but I think I'm getting it: They're both very tanky if played right, but you have to focus on keeping the enemy at arm's length from both of them unless you're diving in for the kill. The ways that they do that might be different but the concept feels similar. You want to divide and conquer and take more of a plinky/harassing approach. Right?

Taking a fully loaded Fenn and Asajj doesn't leave room for much, but one decent-PS harassment option occurs to me. Thoughts?

Fenn Rau — Protectorate Starfighter 28
Push the Limit 3
Autothrusters 2
Concord Dawn Protector 1
Ship Total: 34
Asajj Ventress — Lancer-class Pursuit Craft 37
Push the Limit 3
Latts Razzi 2
Glitterstim 2
Scavenger Crane 2
Countermeasures 3
Ship Total: 49
N'Dru Suhlak — Z-95 Headhunter 17
Trick Shot 0
Ship Total: 17

I’m not sure I’d field a Z-95 without a missile. Maybe go VI instead of PTL on Asajj to make room for a cruise missile. Or drop N’Dru down to fit a harpoon.

Unless you’re looking at the Z95 for pure blocking purposes.

7 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

That does look pretty fun. What do you do with the mobile arc on Ketsu, though? Just keep it locked forward to make sure her ability triggers when you get to shoot?

I’d ask the same question for all the Lancer pilots, I suppose... it seems like messing with the arc is necessary, but it either chews up your actions or if you use Gyroscopic, you end up having to commit at an awkward time.

It takes some getting used to.

Ketsu I go mostly double-front. That's the easiest way to get her pilot ability to trigger. However, turning it to get a shot is frequently worthwhile. Asajj I usually leave to a side, and sort of circle the gameboard with the arc pointed in. That's not entirely accurate, but more what I'd do if I game specifics didn't matter. There's a lot of the game where you can fly to keep an arc toward ships.

As to actions, sure having to turn arc is a bit of a drain on actions, but I've tended to build my Lancers towards action efficiency. I frequently run Expertise/Dengar on Ketsu, so I've already got "two" actions worth already. Asajj I tend to fly with Push the Limit, so she'll have another action, plus Latts Razzi, which is kind of like a free evade action. It's more awkward on something like a Shadowport Hunter, but for Ketsu and Asajj, if you're spending your 3rd of three actions to turn arc, you're still doing OK.

As to using Gyros to commit early, sometimes that's a great trick. Turn the arc to make it look like you'll turn one way, and plot a dial anticipating to shift it again. If your opponent bites on the fake, you can put yourself in an advantageous position.

4 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

You want to divide and conquer and take more of a plinky/harassing approach. Right?

Hit it right on the head!!

The thing with the protectorate is that, as you said, it can be VERY tanky. 4 evades + autoevade at range 1? Please!!! But you can't let this fact fool you into thinking that the protectorate is indistructable. They really need support in there to help keep destroying the enemies that they single out of the fight. If you get one of your enemies to break off and then dive in with Fenn and your lancer coming in next round? They are toast!

Really the protectorate is a big ship for anticipating where yo uthink the enemy is going to go. If you suspect they are going to bait with the wounded ship and then circle around with another to take you out when you are following the burning one, think carefully what you want to do. If you can let your opponent "spring" the trap and then bring in your backup to pound them into dust? Priceless!

Knowing when to follow/dive in is huge. Caught in the range 2 band of some missles or even multiple PW shots, Fenn is toast. He has a harder time outmanuvering his opponents shots than Soontir (due to reasons discussed before) but is really good for just setting up round after round of devastating PW shots if they get distracted with your other ship. This is why Fenn is usually attempted to get focused to bits within the first few rounds, so you can play this to your advantage and swing a trap or something.

Best,

Cow

5 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

Thank you! Yes, I've been equally confused about the Protectorate, but I paid a lot less for it (Amazon Warehouse Deals FTW!) so figuring it out was lower on my mental priority list. :-p

This makes some more sense now. Like I could never figure out why people seemed to staple Lancers and Protectorates together but I think I'm getting it: They're both very tanky if played right, but you have to focus on keeping the enemy at arm's length from both of them unless you're diving in for the kill. The ways that they do that might be different but the concept feels similar. You want to divide and conquer and take more of a plinky/harassing approach. Right?

Taking a fully loaded Fenn and Asajj doesn't leave room for much, but one decent-PS harassment option occurs to me. Thoughts?

Maybe not the z-95, but maybe a Quadjumper with the Spacetug Tactor Array might be a good fit. A reasonable amount of control and blocking from one of those, and it doesn't really lose much in baseline stats.

Asajj and Fenn both look fine.

3 hours ago, theBitterFig said:

Maybe not the z-95, but maybe a Quadjumper with the Spacetug Tactor Array might be a good fit. A reasonable amount of control and blocking from one of those, and it doesn't really lose much in baseline stats.

Asajj and Fenn both look fine.

Funny you should mention it: my first thought was actually to stick a Quad + Array in there. I balked because I've not yet run the one I picked up during the holidays, so I don't know how it really handles. There also aren't points to give it the Intel Agent and Primed Thrusters it probably ideally wants. Contrast with N'Dru, who should be throwing 4 dice every turn if he lurks on the sidelines and shoots people through rocks; he's like a discount damage dealer.

If the Quad seems good enough at 17 points though, I could give it a whirl. What's its game plan, though? Run up the middle and hope to draw fire & maybe tractor one or two fools before it pops?

EDIT: Aw fudge , I thought I had 2 copies of PTL but I don't. The most straightforward swap seems like Lone Wolf for Asajj's PTL, though LW can make for less-fun flying when you're trying to keep somebody supported...

Edited by CoffeeMinion

It's hard to say if a Quadjumper will get that much work done in that many games, but it seems like the kind of thing, it's worth trying.

As to shooting people through rocks, I find it hard to do consistently. N'Dru is someone I love on paper, but frequently haven't made the most of on the table. That range 2 restrictions hits harder than you'd think.

As to not having two copies of PTL? Just proxy or borrow. I mean, fly casual.

18 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

That does look pretty fun. What do you do with the mobile arc on Ketsu, though? Just keep it locked forward to make sure her ability triggers when you get to shoot?

I’d ask the same question for all the Lancer pilots, I suppose... it seems like messing with the arc is necessary, but it either chews up your actions or if you use Gyroscopic, you end up having to commit at an awkward time.

With K4 and Expertise I get quite good action economy. When I can keep it locked but when the opportunity is good its mobile for dmg.

5 hours ago, theBitterFig said:

It's hard to say if a Quadjumper will get that much work done in that many games, but it seems like the kind of thing, it's worth trying.

As to shooting people through rocks, I find it hard to do consistently. N'Dru is someone I love on paper, but frequently haven't made the most of on the table. That range 2 restrictions hits harder than you'd think.

Quadjumpers tend to die to fast unfortunately :-/

5 hours ago, Grendel Drake said:

Quadjumpers tend to die to fast unfortunately :-/

True, but I mean, so does a Z-95. :lol:

If you could toss someone once, deny their action by causing a rock or a bump and reduce the agility for the rest of the squad... is that worth it? Comparing it to a disposable missile Z-95, is one use enough? Does it need two triggers?

All right, after some consideration, I wonder if this would work. It keeps the same Asajj but drops Fenn to Intensity, which seems like it might work? Inaldra is there 0% for her ability and 100% to buff Asajj, both in life (by bumping her agility) and in death (by feeding Scavenger Crane). This leaves 3 points open, which could buy me the Lancer title, or a beefy bid.

Unnamed Squadron ( 97 )

Fenn Rau — Protectorate Starfighter 28
Intensity 2
Autothrusters 2
Concord Dawn Protector 1
Ship Total: 33
Asajj Ventress — Lancer-class Pursuit Craft 37
Push the Limit 3
Latts Razzi 2
Glitterstim 2
Scavenger Crane 2
Countermeasures 3
Ship Total: 49
Inaldra — M3-A Interceptor 15
Bodyguard 2
"Light Scyk" Interceptor -2
Ship Total: 15

EDIT: I managed to score a game time with my buddy today and I'm going to give this a shot, 3-point bid and all. Fingers crossed...

EDIT-EDIT: We had to call the game way early due to scheduling conflicts and some lengthy setup time, but we got to fly the first 3-4 turns and I got kind of a sense of how these guys work. My buddy flew this list:

Unnamed Squadron ( 100 )

Rey — YT-1300 45
Veteran Instincts 1
Gunner 5
Hera Syndulla 1
Millennium Falcon (TFA) 1
Ship Total: 53
Keyan Farlander — B-Wing 29
Trick Shot 0
Fire-Control System 2
Kyle Katarn 3
B-Wing/E2 1
Ship Total: 35
Bandit Squadron Pilot — Z-95 Headhunter 12
Ship Total: 12

I started out by having Asajj and Inaldra break from the right of the board to the left, and Fenn break from left to right, crossing in the middle. My buddy very quickly fixated on Fenn as target number one, and sent Rey and Keyan after him hard, with the Z drifting up the middle. Fenn was in no hurry to engage, and tried to lead them on an asteroid chase via banks and boosts. Meanwhile, Inaldra dutifully fed Asajj her Bodyguard agility, and Asajj shrugged off initial fire from the Z and Rey.

Sadly, on turn 3 Inaldra had to fly over an asteroid to stay with Asajj, and she lost her shield--then ate two crits from Rey despite rolling 5 greens (range 3 through asteroid... evaded hard the first shot, blanked hard on the gunner shot). Also that turn, Fenn ran out of board and got caught by Keyan and Rey (though the latter chose not to shoot him)--mercifully at range 3.

Turn 4 was rough. The Z sped past Fenn, but Keyan set up a 2-K-turn that I should've anticipated with a 4K of my own, but it was not to be. I 5-straighted instead, then BR'd and popped Intensity for an Evade. That got me out of Keyan's arc, but Rey slow-rolled up to me and caught Fenn at the dreaded range 2. That Evade saved my bacon! Meanwhile, Asajj continued plinking from a distance.

Overall I was pleased for the most part. I didn't like how fast Inaldra died, and might consider swapping her for Kaa'to for a difference of 2 points. I think I could've played Asajj more aggressively; I never had a reason to pop Measures or Glitter. My instinct to avoid Lone Wolf seemed to pay off, though, as token-stacked Asajj and friends made for a more fun play experience than before with the Lancer.

So that was at least a moral victory. :-)

Edited by CoffeeMinion
15 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

Unnamed Squadron ( 97 )

Fenn Rau — Protectorate Starfighter 28
Intensity 2
Autothrusters 2
Concord Dawn Protector 1
Ship Total: 33
Asajj Ventress — Lancer-class Pursuit Craft 37
Push the Limit 3
Latts Razzi 2
Glitterstim 2
Scavenger Crane 2
Countermeasures 3
Ship Total: 49
Inaldra — M3-A Interceptor 15
Bodyguard 2
"Light Scyk" Interceptor -2
Ship Total: 15

If you are going to run Inaldra with light, why not just use the power of Attanni? Keep her in the corner and focus to improve the action economy on Fenn. This also gives room for the title on Asajj. There is a 2 point bid but at 9, I don't think that is a thing anymore. You could add Flechette or Seismic on Fenn but I wouldn't bother.

Asajj Ventress (37)
Push the Limit (3)
Latts Razzi (2)
Glitterstim (2)
Scavenger Crane (2)
Countermeasures (3)
Shadow Caster (3)

Fenn Rau (28)
Attanni Mindlink (1)
Autothrusters (2)
Concord Dawn Protector (1)

Inaldra (15)
Attanni Mindlink (1)
"Light Scyk" Interceptor (-2)

Total: 98

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Edited by Rolotamasi

So I saw this basic list a while ago in the forums. It is what I can only describe as a complete riot to fly:

Sabine

Dengar

Glitterstim x2

Shadowcaster

Latts Razzi

Jabba the Hutt

Hot Shot Blaster

Engine Upgrade

K4 Security Droid (to capitalize on her ability, though reliant on greens), Maul (rerolls without needing to pull greens), or Ketsu Onyo (to lock down those Tractor Beam tokens from Sabine)

Leaves you room for Hound's Tooth if you like, or Countermeasures/Gyroscope on Sabine or a Canon on Latts.

So, basic rundown: Sabine has 4 uses of Glitter what with Jabba, which translates to autohits and autofocuses on all focus results for 4 turns, including her pilot ability. Dengar gives her free rerolls, leaving her free to rotate arc or evade. Shadowcaster drops the target's agility for Latts' attack. Latts has HSB in case she gets outmaneuvered. EU also helps with that. Crew all have varying functionality.

7 hours ago, Greebwahn said:

So I saw this basic list a while ago in the forums. It is what I can only describe as a complete riot to fly:

Sabine

Dengar

Glitterstim x2

Shadowcaster

Latts Razzi

Jabba the Hutt

Hot Shot Blaster

Engine Upgrade

K4 Security Droid (to capitalize on her ability, though reliant on greens), Maul (rerolls without needing to pull greens), or Ketsu Onyo (to lock down those Tractor Beam tokens from Sabine)

Leaves you room for Hound's Tooth if you like, or Countermeasures/Gyroscope on Sabine or a Canon on Latts.

So, basic rundown: Sabine has 4 uses of Glitter what with Jabba, which translates to autohits and autofocuses on all focus results for 4 turns, including her pilot ability. Dengar gives her free rerolls, leaving her free to rotate arc or evade. Shadowcaster drops the target's agility for Latts' attack. Latts has HSB in case she gets outmaneuvered. EU also helps with that. Crew all have varying functionality.

That list looks fun, but is also illegal - Jabba is a double-crew upgrade, so the only scum ship capable of carrying him is a YV-666 (Bossk or equivalent)

Sabine on lots of drugs is one of the best uses of Jabba's ability, though. combine with an evade action and she's nigh untouchable against attacks in her mobile arc.

Edited by Magnus Grendel
49 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

That list looks fun, but is also illegal - Jabba is a double-crew upgrade, so the only scum ship capable of carrying him is a YV-666 (Bossk or equivalent)

Latts is the YV-66 pilot in the list

Sabine Wren (Scum) (35)
Dengar (3)
Glitterstim (2)
Glitterstim (2)
Countermeasures (3)
Shadow Caster (3)

Latts Razzi (33)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Jabba the Hutt (5)
Ketsu Onyo (1)
"Hot Shot" Blaster (3)
Hull Upgrade (3)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

That is my spin on it. Ketsu to lock down the tokens as you said. Countermeasures on Sabine for extra defense when really needed. May be overkill but helps with that 48 point fortress. Hull Upgrade for survivability on the Slaver, prob could do better there.

Edit:

Switched to Moralo to make better use of the cannon. No re-rolls, but more arc for the HLC. It all seems to be chasing Jabba, could even go down to the generic. The slaver will prob be #1 target and die every game, but you still have nearly 48 points of shadowcaster to save you.

Sabine Wren (Scum) (35)
Dengar (3)
Glitterstim (2)
Glitterstim (2)
Countermeasures (3)
Shadow Caster (3)

Moralo Eval (34)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Jabba the Hutt (5)
Ketsu Onyo (1)
"Hot Shot" Blaster (3)

Total: 98

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Edited by Rolotamasi
Changed the list up a bit.

Ah. My apologies. So used to seeing her as lancer crew, I got my wires crossed, I guess!

  • Countermeasures are good for Sabine, but it does cost you Gyro targeting - that basically boils down to how confident you are that you can just leave your mobile arc locked on one side.
  • Hull upgrade - yeah definitely. It is an extra hit, but an extra hit on an agility 1 target isn't worth very much. You already have a heavy laser cannon, otherwise I'd consider cruise missiles and guidance chips.
  • Sabine is incredibly tough. That means she's playing the part of "Assaj Ventress" in a classic Assaj/Ketsu pairing, which means the YV-666 is cast as Ketsu.
  • What that means is that Sabine is tough, but to win she needs the other ship to 'exchange itself' for enough of the enemy squad for her survival to win you the game.
    • This goes double for Sabine, because whilst she's beyond ridiculously hard to hit whilst the drugs last, she can't cope with crossfire, and she only has four turns worth of space-cocaine at her disposal.
  • Ketsu does this with her patented tractor-token-battering-ram approach.
  • A YV-666 isn't tough - I mean, it is, but with only agility 1 it'll die fairly fast to concentrated fire, and once someone gets behind it it's screwed. It is tough enough that it can all but guarantee getting to shoot at least a couple of times, though, and it's hard to dodge its shots on the approach, even if you get behind it afterwards.
  • I would suggest getting the big slug to tie on a kamikaze headband and plow into the enemy ahead of Sabine.
  • Latts may not be the best pilot in this case - she's a great support unit, but Moralo Eval would have an easier time getting shots with that cannon, or Bossk could pack missiles for a more brutal punch.
    • K4 Security Droid, Fearlessness, Cluster Missiles, Guidance Chips, Glitterstim is probably the most extreme 'kamikaze bossk' I can think of, with an average yield of something like 8 damage on a VCX-100 or VT-49 in a single combat phase.