When list building one of the most common decisions a person has to consider is to increase PS or use an alternative EPT. Sometime people will pick the more expensive ship just to get a higher PS. Didn't Paul Heaver run Dagger Squadron B-Wings for the PS4? There are certain PS levels that are significantly better than others, and I was hoping the community might help to shed light on that. Here's my limited thoughts on them:

PS 1 - At this level you are the same level with the most basic Wookie Gunship. Also, the greatest pilot in X-Wing history, Sunny Bounder.

PS 2 - Here's your NU GUNBOAT.

PS 3 - This level is significant because maybe you can PS Kill a NU Squadron GUNBOAT - but you are also at the same level as a Lothal Rebel and one PS level lower than the other generic GUNBOAT.

PS 4 - RHO Squadron GUNBOATS packing HLCs abound here.

PS 5 - I think this is the first really highly critical level. There are a lot of generics that pack some heat below this level. Lothal, Chopper, and 90% of all Gunboats will be under PS 5. I think one of the biggest reasons that the Black Sun Ace can have a place in this meta is because it is PS5.

PS 6 - Asajj and the BroBots. Brobots have boost built in, so having them move before you is a big deal. From time to time Asajj will have Engine Upgrade. Also, with the StressBug out there, if you are at PS 6 you can shoot before he shoots at you and stresses you out.

PS 7 - There are a ton of really good pilots at this level. Dash, Jake, Norra, Whisper, Wulfarro, Crimson Leader, Bossk, Hera, and Blackout to name a few. Dash, obviously, is the scariest at this level with his repositioning. The #1 reason Blackout is better than the other generic Silencer is because of Dash Rendar.

PS 8 - Miranda is at this level. Also you have Rey and Jan Ors, Omega Leader, Poe, Boba Fett, RAC, Tycho (it would be fun to see him back), and this stranger named Horton Salm.

PS 9 - Quickdraw, Kylo, and of course the Ricky Bobby of X-Wing: TalonBane Cobra. There's both Fenn Raus. Poe Dameron shows up again at this level.

PS 10 - I think this is the second highly critical level of PS. If you make it to PS 10, then all those awesome pilots at PS 7 are guaranteed to be lower than you. The biggest reason we don't see Whisper very much is because of this. I think that if you DO NOT have a bid, that you should go for PS 10.

PS 11 - This is the third critical level, and in the eyes of many the most critical. The last level and should only be attained with a bid. If you are at PS 11, you are willing to pay a very high tax to do so. Rebel Fenn Rau at PS 11 is what makes Ghost/Fenn so deadly.

There are certain ships that Adaptability or Veteran Instincts seems to be glued to. Whisper, Quickdraw, either Poe Dameron, Rebel Rau are a few and those ships are usually PS 7 or higher. Does that mean that anything PS 6 shouldn't bother? The new Asajj/Boba list requires Asajj to have Veteran Instincts - but that is rare.

Lastly, something to consider when it comes to PS is having matching PS on your squad. This can be very helpful for movement, such as the Jan Ors and Rey list, as well as utilizing different pilot abilities at different times. For example, a squad I am messing around with has a GUNBOAT with Concussion Missile and Vessery. The wingman is Quickdraw with Fire Control System and Targeting Synchronizer - so in that case I want Vessery to shoot at QD's lock before the GUNBOAT does, because the GUNBOAT is going to spend QD's lock.

So what do you think? What is your decision making process when it comes to PS? I am really struggling with this one so any advice would be great.

Putting VI on a PS6 pilot like Pure Sabacc can be a solid choice with so many strong PS7-8 pilots out there who have no EPT or are almost guaranteed to take something besides VI.

What is better for Vessery? Veteran Instincts or Juke?

6 minutes ago, Boba Rick said:

What is better for Vessery? Veteran Instincts or Juke?

Ruthlessess :]

5 minutes ago, Boba Rick said:

What is better for Vessery? Veteran Instincts or Juke?

Expertise

7 minutes ago, Boba Rick said:

What is better for Vessery? Veteran Instincts or Juke?

I use expertise if I can find the points. Otherwise, VI. But I only fly TIE/D Vess, so IDK about juke.

Didn't Swarm Leader Vessery just win a regional?

It’s one of those things that depends entirely on what you come up against.

I once took Dengar and Guri to a tournament. Guri needed a 1 point EPT and I chose VI.

Some might question that, but there were an awful lot of PS5 and 6s that day and I think at least part of the reason I won the thing was because she was moving after and shooting before them.

It's an x7 Vessery, and I only have 1-2 points. Juke or VI?

23 minutes ago, Boba Rick said:

It's an x7 Vessery, and I only have 1-2 points. Juke or VI?

Depends on the rest of your list. What PS are the other ships?

You want Vessery firing before other ships have spent their TLs.

11 minutes ago, Stevey86 said:

Depends on the rest of your list. What PS are the other ships?

You want Vessery firing before other ships have spent their TLs.

This would put Vessery and Karsabi at the same PS level.

With this setup Karsabi rarely ever has to take a Target Lock action.

He uses QD's Targeting Synchronizer for his Target Locks. He can Reload, discard the Weapons Disabled token and take a stress, and then use QD's Target Lock (FCS) to fire another missile. With Concussion Missiles he doesn't have to worry about Fenn Rau, and he gets double mods when you add in Guidance Chips (not to mention Harpoons ALWAYS go off in my face).

I’d go with Juke in that case ?

Good topic. This is something that's been on my mind lately too.

I have a list with a tie/d Vessery(fragile, I know.) that I'd been running with Marksmanship for full mods on both shots. But with the rest of my list sitting at ps8, I decided to change it to VI. The increase in flexibility is remarkable, but I still sometimes wonder if it's the right move. OL isn't using his TL anyway, so it's not a huge deal if Vessery goes last, and the lack of oomph to Vessery's attacks make him less of a glass cannon, more just glass.

Interesting take, certainly much truth in there.

I am reminded of that "Capping PS at 9" topic that cropped up a couple weeks ago. The idea that talented pilots can catch up to the legends and veterans through "Veteran Instincts" is a good one, as is PS8's being "Adaptable"- but I think a good sign that something is a bit off about that comparison is when the Veterans counter that by being MORE veteran and breaking the scale.

Maybe the PS-war is not as bad as it sounds (though it sounds quite dreadful at the moment), but I can't help but feel that a) capping at 9 doesn't invalidate VI and b) increases the usefulness of other EPTs with pilots that should by right be, well, elite.

With so many great options out there, it's also just a bit dull to default to increasing PS, especially on the likes of Vader just to get/ avoid being PS-killed. Of course you can still bid to get the first shot off, but bringing less points is a disadvantage for everyone. The likes of Miranda don't need their EPT to be effective, just to be first- whereas other aces take VI because they have to , not because it fits them best.

Here's a question I have for you.

For Z-95s packing missiles, how big of a difference is PS2 or PS4? Would it be worth giving up Vectored Thrusters on Norra to put both my Zs at PS 4?

Don't forget GUNBOATS, Lothals, and Chopper are all at PS4 and lower.

20 hours ago, Boba Rick said:

Here's a question I have for you.

For Z-95s packing missiles, how big of a difference is PS2 or PS4? Would it be worth giving up Vectored Thrusters on Norra to put both my Zs at PS 4?

Don't forget GUNBOATS, Lothals, and Chopper are all at PS4 and lower.

Definitely not worth it, no. Not to me anyway. Something like Vectored Thrusters can make absolutely all the difference in how your list plays on the table.

I ain't ever used it, but even I know that.

Another thing to consider is that for the most part, lower PS also means you can block an enemy ship and deny it position and actions. For example, if you manage to block Fenn at PS11 you just denied the PS11 Boost as well as the ability to reposition and get fen's arc where they want it.

The OP is a good guide, but in the weird weekly-shifting meta we're in right now it's tough to capture any snapshot of key PS levels, because if there's anything in X-Wing that's meta-dependent it's pilot skill.

The other thing I would add is that I see PS7 and PS8 as also critical points. Dash is still popular (or at least was very recently - again, weekly-shifting meta) and is notable as a pilot held back only by his PS7 - he can be an absolute terror if he moves last. In PS8, Miranda is still one of the very best pilots in the game, and with SLAM and regen-by-attack is much better if she can move last and shoot first. The OP's list also missed Inquisitor from the PS8 list, and he's made a comeback with major tournament wins in the past few weeks.

One more subtle point about weighing the value of PS is that some ships need it more than others. That's why triple and quad wookiees are good squads when most low-PS generics aren't - they're tough enough to be at low risk of being PS-killed (one of the key disadvantages of shooting last) and their wide arc makes them harder to arc-dodge (one of the key disadvantages of moving first).