" This shuttle should be equipped with an access code that allows us through. " - Bodhi

Welcome to card of the day!
Today's card is the U-Wing pilot Bodhi Rook.
The Rogue One pilot reads:
- When a friendly ship acquires a target lock, that ship can lock onto an enemy ship at Range 1-3 of any friendly ship.

What do you think of him? Is he weak or strong in this meta? How would you build him? What squads would you use him in? Any neat interactions to note? What strategies should you use in a game? Any rules questions you have? How did you like his character in the film? Anything at all you want to say about Bodhi, or the U-Wing in general, this is the place!

Congratulations, you picked the absolute rock bottom ranked pilot in Meta-Wing.

Bodhispotting.

Bodhi Rook - Pivot Wing, Chopper, Proton Torpedoes, Collision Detector, Guidance Chips
Gold Squadron Pilot - Ion Cannon Turret, Proton Torpedoes, R2 Astromech, Guidance Chips
Gold Squadron Pilot - Ion Cannon Turret, Proton Torpedoes, R2 Astromech, Guidance Chips
Prototype Pilot - Chaardan Refit

Or swap R2 out for FAA and BTL-A4 if you prefer mobility and a double tap.

He can be good in Epic play. You have a couple fast ships like A-Wings blast into the enemy formation while your slower ordnance carriers can pick up locks from long range. Then when they get in range, they can be ready with Lock and Focus.

Since you usually need him AND a spotter ship give any support to the rest of your squad, that does not leave many of your 100 points left in standard play to build much of an assault force.

It's a pretty decent support ability shackled to a godawful platform.

Man I wish the U Wing had had the Auzituck's mechanics.

It has an interesting synergy with Shara Bey

I think the best part about Bodhi's ability is that it's almost completely passive. You don't need to dedicate squad points to it or look for further synergies - if you have multiple ships on the board, they can all potentially benefit from an increased Target Lock range. Obviously this can help ships looking for alpha strikes, but also ships that look to hit and run.

The most obvious thing about his ability is that it's a more-is-better situation - the more ships you have on the board, the more opportunities the ability will have to proc, and the more use you'll potentially get out of it. Also worth noting that there's no range limit on Bodhi's ability - he can happily skirt the battlefield and any ship on the board can still benefit, regardless of their position and their range from Bodhi as well. So yeah, fantastic pilot for Epic, particularly to help set up alpha strike or ordnance barrages.

Probably the biggest list you could spam his ability on in 100 points would be something like:

Bodhi Rook - Pivot Wing, Collision Detector, Courier Droid, Chopper
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips

...which, is not a bad starting point for an Epic list either. Just paint over those Black Sun symbols on the Scum Z95's and you have Partisan Bandits ready to go.

Really not a fan of bodhi

If bodhi or another friendly is in range but its mates aren't around to help out, then you're in a suboptimal situation

The ability is slow and bleh imo. If he'd just give out LRS, even at a once per round and range restricted bubble around his ship, then we'd be in business

I saw a Bodhi list doing moderately well a few weeks ago.

Bodhi Rook (no upgrades with cost)

AP-5 (M9-G8, Weapons Engineer)

Jake Farrell (VI, Chardaan Refit, Intensity, Autothrusters)

Kashyyyk Defender (Courier Droid, C-3PO)

//

Bodhi was a 3-dice gun which mostly got ignored in favor of higher-value targets, but also allowed AP-5 to grab TLs at long range once Jake and the other ships got into range earlier. The list weakened your attack dice just enough to stay ahead, and won on points at time. It wasn't racking up the MOV, but was doing OK over a few weeks of small tourneys. Personally, I might swap Jake out for something that would hit harder like an ARC (Braylen or Thane with R5 Astromech and C-3PO?), put Wookiee Commandos on the Auzituck, and squeeze Zeb onto Bodhi.

The real strength of it, IMHO, was M9-G8 and Weapons Engineer. I stole the concept, and have been having a lot of fun and doing well with standard Fenn, an M9/WE Braylen, and standard Poe. It works a lot like a Sensor Jammer Ghost, but firing arcs actually matter.

Here's hoping that wave 14 makes the U-Wing at least viable. It's my favourite looking ship in all of Star Wars.

3 hours ago, FTS Gecko said:

I think the best part about Bodhi's ability is that it's almost completely passive. You don't need to dedicate squad points to it or look for further synergies - if you have multiple ships on the board, they can all potentially benefit from an increased Target Lock range. Obviously this can help ships looking for alpha strikes, but also ships that look to hit and run.

The most obvious thing about his ability is that it's a more-is-better situation - the more ships you have on the board, the more opportunities the ability will have to proc, and the more use you'll potentially get out of it. Also worth noting that there's no range limit on Bodhi's ability - he can happily skirt the battlefield and any ship on the board can still benefit, regardless of their position and their range from Bodhi as well. So yeah, fantastic pilot for Epic, particularly to help set up alpha strike or ordnance barrages.

Probably the biggest list you could spam his ability on in 100 points would be something like:

Bodhi Rook - Pivot Wing, Collision Detector, Courier Droid, Chopper
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips
Bandit Squadron Pilot - Cruise Missiles, Guidance Chips

...which, is not a bad starting point for an Epic list either. Just paint over those Black Sun symbols on the Scum Z95's and you have Partisan Bandits ready to go.

I did 3 Bandits with Harpoons, VI Ashoka, and Bohdi with FCS/Recon Spec/Chopper for 100. Not as much spam, but you can use Ashoka to set up the TL and Bohdi becomes a bit punchier.

36 minutes ago, Scott Pilgrim2 said:

I did 3 Bandits with Harpoons, VI Ashoka, and Bohdi with FCS/Recon Spec/Chopper for 100. Not as much spam, but you can use Ashoka to set up the TL and Bohdi becomes a bit punchier.

Good work! Harpoons are more reliable than Cruise Missiles anyway, sounds like a great combo!

Bohdi crew has a good place on Shara Bey, but the pilot just seems like you don't have enough points left to do his thing.

As noted, Bodhi pilot takes up too many points to be worthwhile in a 100pt match (especially when there are other ways to set up a low-PS alpha strike, such as long range scanners, deadeye, or thread tracers.

Another point of note is that a spotter ship often wants to be lower PS or same PS as the ship they are spotting for. This way the spotter moves into range and then the ship being spotted for moves and can take a lock. If the spotter ship has a higher PS, they have to move into range the turn before the ship being spotted for can take a lock. Remember that Bodhi himself can be a spotter ship - he's fast enough with the big base and sturdy enough to take a round of shooting on his own. Otherwise a green squadron A-wing flanking (perhaps with a cruise missile) isn't a bad option for a spotter.

This brings us to the main problem with Bodhi's ability - you have to split your forces. Sure, most of your squad can rock up to combat with TL+focus, but one of your ships has to brave the danger zone on its own to spot the locks for them. In the ideal scenario, your opponent gives you plenty of time to engage and your spotter ship flanks (or else your opponent chases the spotter ship and the rest of your force can flank them). Turrets (and bombs, to an extent) are a bit of a risk for a flanking spotter, but the real problem is that the spotter strategy relies on your opponent giving you time. In the normal case, the spotter is probably lower PS than the enemy, so they will be in range for spotting on turn 2 at the earliest. That means you want to engage with your other ship(s) on turn 3, which is plenty of time for your opponent to rock up and kick your butt.

That said, I like Bodhi and enjoy trying to make his ability work for things like ion torps. Plus, you get to say "I'm the pilot" every activation phase

Just use your U-wing model as a proxy for the utterly fugly Auzituck. You'll have to magnetise your ship so it can use a small base, but it's the best way to get a U-wing on the board without giving your opponent an easy win. It also reduces the number of auzituck models people have to look at, so it's win-win.

In HOTAC, this guy kills it. someone ran it on a support HWK, and it let everybody lock whatever they want, whenever. Especially good in conjunction with an M9-G8+Weapons Engineer ARC (Or Phantom 2, I guess) to provide offensive/defensive buffs for everyone.

Edit: Also, I did love his film character. So cool, and (IMO) incredibly heroic. Love this guy overall.