Rouge Squadron

By direweasel, in X-Wing Squad Lists

No, it's not a typo - it's "Rouge", not "Rogue". The theme is the ladies of the rebellion.

Tell me what you think. I'm not really on here enough to know what's "hot" these days. I know Miranda is always awsome, but I'd like general input on this specific build. The idea is to use the TLT most of the time, but I have the missiles in case I find myself in range 1 (and to maybe dissuade people from going there as much) Ashoka is the EMP queen that breaks up tight formations (hopefully). Norra with Expertise is just off the charts awesome in my experience.

============== Rouge Squadron ============== 100 points Pilots ------
Ahsoka Tano (23) Sabine's TIE Fighter (17), Veteran Instincts (1), Sabine's Masterpiece (1), Captured TIE (1), EMP Device (2), Hera Syndulla (1)
Miranda Doni (41) K-Wing (29), Twin Laser Turret (6), Cluster Missiles (4), Captain Rex (2), Guidance Chips (0)
Norra Wexley (36) ARC-170 (29), Flight-Assist Astromech (1), Expertise (4), Tail Gunner (2), Alliance Overhaul (0)
------

Norra? Great. Though you could certainly use another crew if you wanted.

Miranda? Okay. Rex doesn't work with TLT as I assume you hope (you only get the focus after both shots if you missed both), so I would definitely search for a better crew there - Sabine, Rey, etc etc. I would also rather have bomblets than Cluster Missiles every day. Remember, at range one, she can just use her PWT for a 3 dice attack anyway.

Ahsoka is thoroughly okay. She has never been a stellar pilot, but I wouldn't call her a waste. However, for that many points, I'd instead use SuperRex (Title, Chewie, Shield Upgrade) to take some heat off the others, or an M9/WE Sheathipede to boost offense.

15 hours ago, Greebwahn said:

Miranda? Okay. Rex doesn't work with TLT as I assume you hope (you only get the focus after both shots if you missed both), so I would definitely search for a better crew there - Sabine, Rey, etc etc. I would also rather have bomblets than Cluster Missiles every day. Remember, at range one, she can just use her PWT for a 3 dice attack anyway.

Oh, I was mis-using Captain Rex then. The point was to shoot the first TLT shot with 2 dice to get the shield token back, and then miss, get the focus, and then shoot again with 3 and the focus (and often the target lock I got as my action) to more or less guarantee that success. I take it the cluster missiles can't be used that way either? The point with them was the same, and for use if they got within range 1 where I couldn't use the TLT. The double shot was the reason I was using the cluster missiles, so they would work with Rex too. So that's a no go?

15 hours ago, Greebwahn said:

Ahsoka is thoroughly okay. She has never been a stellar pilot, but I wouldn't call her a waste. However, for that many points, I'd instead use SuperRex (Title, Chewie, Shield Upgrade) to take some heat off the others, or an M9/WE Sheathipede to boost offense.

The fun with her the the fact that she can't be shot by anybody with SP8 or less, then she gets between them and EMP's them into asteroids or some such.

Any other way to spend her points better, while still using a female pilot? That's the theme of the list, after all. Apparently Rex's points can be used on that one too, if I can't use him as intended with Miranda. And Hera's points if those help, too - I find I don't use her ability as much as I thought I would either.

Thanks for the reply!

Edited by direweasel

Rex is like Fire Control System and all these "perform this attack twice" abilities. You don't get the trigger until after both attacks (and per @Greebwahn , only if both miss). Such a useless upgrade, considering that Operations Specialist does kinda the same thing, but on like any ship in a giant bubble, and the focus tokens can go on any ship. Rex should have been 1 point as-is, or have granted the focus token on either hit or miss.

Anyhow, while Expertise/Tailgunner is not really the way I'd build Norra (I like PTL for the versatility of actual focus tokens, or the cheapness of VI/Rey), it's probably fine.

Ahsoka needs Rey crew, IMHO. I didn't play too much Heragator back in the day, but I felt Rey was essential. Stacking Focus was really strong early, and it'd allow you to do things like perform K-Turns or do a barrel roll to get into the R1 you need to use Ahsoka's ability.

I'll also agree that a more "normal" Miranda might be better. Harpoon + Bomblets + no crew is only 1 point more. Swapping EMP/Hera for Rey crew would get that point and you'd have a reasonable theme list. I guess you could swap the Tail Gunner crew for Jan Ors, too (on either Norra or Miranda). That'd be kinda neat.

//

For other 3-ship lists in the theme, here are the other directions I'd consider.

  • Attack Shuttle Sabine with PTL and Kanan crew is wicked cool, although kinda squishy and pricey. Do a pre-move barrel roll or boost, Push the Limit into another action, take a white to clear your stress, and then you'll have another action. It'd be 30 points with Dorsal Turret, 29 with Autoblaster.
  • TIE Fighter Sabine is wicked cheap and kinda fun. I like running her with just Trick Shot (since she can easily dodge out from around an Asteroid) for 15 points of fun, even if it's not super strong. She'd be a great swap for Ahsoka if you wanted to add stuff to Miranda and Norra.
  • Jan Ors is often quite good. Adding red dice is really strong. She's kind of expensive baseline, but she doesn't really "need" more upgrades than just a turret.
  • Shara Bey would work great along side a Jan Ors. Shara/Jan/Norra can be a beast. Shara's TL, plus Jan's extra die, plus Finn on Norra is a monster. 6 dice at Range 2-3, wicked easy. VI on Shara, Adaptabilty on Norra, Wired on Jan and it's all PS 8. Perhaps Rey on Shara so she can have some mods on her own if she's using her TL for Norra's attack.
1 hour ago, theBitterFig said:

Rex is like Fire Control System and all these "perform this attack twice" abilities. You don't get the trigger until after both attacks (and per @Greebwahn , only if both miss). Such a useless upgrade, considering that Operations Specialist does kinda the same thing, but on like any ship in a giant bubble, and the focus tokens can go on any ship. Rex should have been 1 point as-is, or have granted the focus token on either hit or miss.

Sadness. It was fairly effective the way I was using it...but apparently because I was cheating =\

1 hour ago, theBitterFig said:

I'll also agree that a more "normal" Miranda might be better. Harpoon + Bomblets + no crew is only 1 point more. Swapping EMP/Hera for Rey crew would get that point and you'd have a reasonable theme list. I guess you could swap the Tail Gunner crew for Jan Ors, too (on either Norra or Miranda). That'd be kinda neat.

I don't own any Harpoons, and don't fly Scum, and don't use proxies. And DEFINITELY not buying a Scum box just for some missiles, especially with 2nd Ed coming soon. So that's out. But I suppose if I just ran her with TLT, dumped the missiles and Rex, I could free up points to use on the 3rd ship.

1 hour ago, theBitterFig said:

For other 3-ship lists in the theme, here are the other di  recti  ons I'd consider.

  • Attack Shuttle Sabine with PTL and Kanan crew is wicked cool, although kinda squishy and pricey. Do a pre-move barrel roll or boost, Push the Limit into another action, take a white to clear your stress, and then you'll have another action. It'd be 30 points with Dorsal Turret, 29 with Autoblaster.
  • TIE Fighter Sabine is wicked cheap and kinda fun. I like running her with just Trick Shot (since she can easily dodge out from around an Asteroid) for 15 points of fun, even if it's not super strong. She'd be a great swap for Ahsoka if you wanted to add stuff to Miranda and Norra.
  • Jan Ors is often quite good. Adding red dice is really strong. She's kind of expensive baseline, but she doesn't really "need" more upgrades than just a turret.
  • Shara Bey would work great along side a Jan Ors. Shara/Jan/Norra can be a beast. Shara's TL, plus Jan's extra die, plus Finn on Norra is a monster. 6 dice at Range 2-3, wicked easy. VI on Shara, Adaptabilty on Norra, Wired on Jan and it's all PS 8. Perhaps Rey on Shara so she can have some mods on her own if she's using her TL for Norra's attack.

I'd have to buy an HWK, but I do like the Jan Ors idea. The 1 attack die on such an expensive ship is kind of a major drawback though, which is why I haven't bought one in the past - that and I just don't care for the ship aesthetically. I could also get a second ARC and fit Shara in as well. I would think her ability would work well with Norra too, making sure she always had her lock ready to use for her ability.

I do own both kinds of shuttles though, so I could switch out Sabine's TIE for one of them with no trouble.

Kind of scared of running Sabine's TIE without the protection of "Captured TIE" and High PS. That's really the only way she stays alive.

Thanks - you've given me a lot to chew on!

3 hours ago, direweasel said:

Sadness. It was fairly effective the way I was using it...but apparently because I was cheating =\

Cheating is perhaps an excessive description. That was kinda how triggers worked before the timing chart FAQ which allowed only one "after attacking" trigger after a double-attack. I strongly feel it was for the best, but it can be a headache sometimes.

3 hours ago, direweasel said:

I don't own any Harpoons, and don't fly Scum, and don't use proxies. And DEFINITELY not buying a Scum box just for some missiles, especially with 2nd Ed coming soon. So that's out. But I suppose if I just ran her with TLT, dumped the missiles and Rex, I could free up points to use on the 3rd ship.

Homing Missile is about as good (and arguably better against a very narrow range of ships), but 1 point more expensive. Concussion Missile is also about as good, if you go with Long Range Scanners instead of Guidance Chips.

3 hours ago, direweasel said:

Kind of scared of running Sabine's TIE without the protection of "Captured TIE" and High PS. That's really the only way she stays alive.

Yeah, a Trick Shot Sabine is pretty crunch-able. But that's why I try to keep it so cheap. 15 points is almost as cheap as any ship gets. And while Ahsoka is a bit more protected, there's a lot of PS 9-10-11 out there.

Edited by theBitterFig

Excellent - thank you!

5 minutes ago, theBitterFig said:

Cheating is perhaps an excessive description. That was kinda how triggers worked before the timing chart FAQ which allowed only one "after attacking" trigger after a double-attack. I strongly feel it was for the best, but it can be a headache sometimes.

Yeah TLT's are awesome, so yes, it most definitely is for the best. I just wasn't aware.

5 minutes ago, theBitterFig said:

Homing Missile is about as good (and arguably better against a very narrow range of ships), but 1 point more expensive. Concussion Missile is also about as good, if you go with Long Range Scanners instead of Guidance Chips.

1

I have plenty of all of those, so that's something to look into . You think having that on Miranda would be better than having a better and beefier 3rd ship?

1 minute ago, direweasel said:

I have plenty of all of those, so that's something to look into . You think having that on Miranda would be better than having a better and beefier 3rd ship?

It depends. With Ahsoka/Norra/Miranda, I'd rather have more points in Miranda than in Ahsoka. If it was something like Miranda/Shara/Jan (that'd be solid, too... but no HWK... might be wise to hold off unless you see one on mega-deal), I'd rather have a lower-points Miranda, probably.

What about a Miranda/Norra/Shara?

6 hours ago, direweasel said:

Oh, I was mis-using Captain Rex then. The point was to shoot the first TLT shot with 2 dice to get the shield token back, and then miss, get the focus, and then shoot again with 3 and the focus (and often the target lock I got as my action) to more or less guarantee that success. I take it the cluster missiles can't be used that way either? The point with them was the same, and for use if they got within range 1 where I couldn't use the TLT. The double shot was the reason I was using the cluster missiles, so they would work with Rex too. So that's a no go?

The fun with her the the fact that she can't be shot by anybody with SP8 or less, then she gets between them and EMP's them into asteroids or some such.

Any other way to spend her points better, while still using a female pilot? That's the theme of the list, after all. Apparently Rex's points can be used on that one too, if I can't use him as intended with Miranda. And Hera's points if those help, too - I find I don't use her ability as much as I thought I would either.

Yeah, he looks better than he is after one of those old TLT nerfs. Yes, Cluster missiles are equally defunct in that regard.

The problem is that A LOT of squads have PS9 or higher these days, so she could just die anyway.

To stick with the femme theme, while I would second PTL Kanan Sabine (in the Attack Shuttle to hit harder or the TIE to live longer), Jess Pava could work well if you were to branch into the resistance!

Jess is solid - I've flown her in a squad I've run with her, Poe, and Snap with some success. The thing is, Jess's ability works better when the squad stays in formation. That's easier to do with 3 T-70s - not sure how well I'd do that flanked by slower ships.

Also, related rules Q with TLT/Miranda then, in light of my new discovery. To use her ability to regain a shield token, do I need to reduce BOTH TLT shots in a round to get the shield back? Because I haven't been doing that either.

10 minutes ago, direweasel said:

What about a Miranda/Norra/Shara?

Might get pricey. We're looking at 28, 29, and 29 as the base ship costs. If going fairly light on upgrades (VI/FAA/Rey Norra is 33, TLT Miranda is 35 before other stuff), there might be something to work with.

OH! Forgot Jess. Jess would be great along with VI/FAA/Rey Norra, and however much Miranda can afford in the rest of the list.

2 minutes ago, direweasel said:

Jess is solid - I've flown her in a squad I've run with her, Poe, and Snap with some success. The thing is, Jess's ability works better when the squad stays in formation. That's easier to do with 3 T-70s - not sure how well I'd do that flanked by slower ships.

Also, related rules Q with TLT/Miranda then, in light of my new discovery. To use her ability to regain a shield token, do I need to reduce BOTH TLT shots in a round to get the shield back? Because I haven't been doing that either. 

Nope. Just reduces (or increases) one. Same with Cluster Missiles. It's mostly only "after attacking" or "after defending" abilities which only trigger once.

I'll throw Jess in there next time and practice, and see how it goes. Thanks!

OH! I kinda forgot to specify - Jess with M9-G8 can lock either Miranda or Norra to MAJORLY boost their offense! She would kinda be the perfect fit here

1 minute ago, Greebwahn said:

OH! I kinda forgot to specify - Jess with M9-G8 can lock either Miranda or Norra  to MAJORLY boost their offense! She would kinda be the perfect fit here

And I don't even have to buy another ship to try it out :)

How about this?

Norra Wexley (29)
Expertise (4)
Jan Ors (2)
Alliance Overhaul (0)

Jess Pava (25)
M9-G8 (3)
Integrated Astromech (0)

Miranda Doni (29)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
Rey (2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Yeah that looks pretty swell! The only thing I'd say would be downgrade to PTL/Nien on Norra to fit Pattern Analyzer on Jess