Hello everyone!

I am really having trouble with list-building in XWing 2.0.

I hope you can help me out, by giving some information about your own list-building, which has brought the most success for your personally.

First question: How many ships do you usually play? Are two or three ship lists still viable to you?

Second question: What about aces? Do you play them a lot? At which point does an Ace get too expensive to you? Example: Is 80 points for Luke (XWing) okay?

Third question: What about addon-cards? There used to be some GREAT & CHEAP addons in XWing first edition, just like PTL or VI. But XWing 2.0 feels depowered somehow.

Does it make sense to play a lot of addon cards, or do you usually take more ships instead? Which 2.0 upgrade card is really viable to you?

10 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

First question: How many ships do you usually play? Are two or three ship lists still viable to you?

Usually I shoot for 3-4 ships. 3 Lambdas may not be the most viable list, but it sure was fun!

11 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

Second question: What about aces? Do you play them a lot? At which point does an Ace get too expensive to you? Example: Is 80 points for Luke (XWing) okay?

I haven't used aces much, but I'm starting to try them out more. 80 points might be ok, but he'll be a really big target at that point. I'd recommend checking each upgrade for exactly what benefit it gives that particular ship. E.g. Luke has regenerating Force, so a die modding upgrade that's great on another X-Wing may not do quite as much for Luke.

17 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

Third question: What about addon-cards? There used to be some GREAT & CHEAP addons in XWing first edition, just like PTL or VI. But XWing 2.0 feels depowered somehow.

Does it make sense to play a lot of addon cards, or do you usually take more ships instead? Which 2.0 upgrade card is really viable to you?

The depowered feeling is intentional. In First Edition, there were some upgrades that provided far too much bang for the buck. By backing off on some of the effects, and increasing the cost of others, the theory is that the ships become more important than the upgrades.

Personally, I prefer small, constant ability upgrades over the larger, one-time ones (besides ordnance), but I know others have had great success with the latter, and it really comes down to whether you can get the timing right to make the most of them.

Thanks for your response!

Hoping for some more people to join in and give their opinion, too

39 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

First question: How many ships do you usually play? Are two or three ship lists still viable to you?

I have been playing 3, 4 & 5 ship lists, and felt comfortable with them. Played against 2 to 7 ships.

Haven't tried 2 ships since this feels strange, although I have played a lot of 2 ship lists in first edition.

Haven't tried 6 or 7 ships since I fear my brain will melt.

43 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

Second question: What about aces? Do you play them a lot? At which point does an Ace get too expensive to you? Example: Is 80 points for Luke (XWing) okay?

I only played Guri and Fenn as aces, just above 70 points.

For just above 90 points you get a solid Boba, I would feel more comfortable with that than with 80pts of Luke. Luke should be fine with protorps and the ini 7 force thingy I think, don't know how many points.

48 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

Third question: What about addon-cards? There used to be some GREAT & CHEAP addons in XWing first edition, just like PTL or VI. But XWing 2.0 feels depowered somehow.

Does it make sense to play a lot of addon cards, or do you usually take more ships instead? Which 2.0 upgrade card is really viable to you?

I try not to put too many points in upgrades, but some are really helpful. In the end it d epends on the ship.

A few examples:

HWK needs his moldy crow, scum Han gunner is great, protorps are the Harpoons of 2nd edition...

Some pilots need upgrades, depending on what fits their style- nym will pack a lot for example. I wouldn't put too many on generics however and prefer a cheap ship, for example a cheap coordinator or blocker.

Apart from list building, if you find a list here that appeals to you, just give it a fly

Don't ever fill like you need to fill all the slots. More ships may be (generally speaking) stronger than single heavily-upgraded ships. There are some caveats to that like Boba Fett, which can make good use of quite a few of his slots.

First question: How many ships do you usually play? Are two or three ship lists still viable to you?

I usually play 2, 4 or 5 ships. I don't play 3 ships because as a scum player, I have yet to find a 3 ship combo where the destruction of one early on is not catastrophic. My 2 ship build is a dual IG-88 (naturally), 4 ships can have all 4 named and 5 ships usually has 3 generic, Palob an an ace.

Second question: What about aces? Do you play them a lot? At which point does an Ace get too expensive to you? Example: Is 80 points for Luke (XWing) okay?

Since again, I play mostly scum, I do play lists with unique pilots. Palob is a real pain if properly supported by generics (2x quad jumpers and a Z-95). IG-88 A and B combined are surprisingly durable. It takes some creative flying to get the best out of them, but most of the time, I only lose half an IG-88 in tournaments for some nice MOV.

Third question: What about addon-cards? There used to be some GREAT & CHEAP addons in XWing first edition, just like PTL or VI. But XWing 2.0 feels depowered somehow. Does it make sense to play a lot of addon cards, or do you usually take more ships instead? Which 2.0 upgrade card is really viable to you?

That really depends on your meta. The Hawk title is a no brainer on Palob. Tobias on a Quad jumper (for a mere 2 points) really helps to replace those asteroids on course that will hurt enemies. 0-0-0 is also a solid upgrade on a Quadjumper. Proximity mines almost adds another firing arc on IG-88 and outmanoeuver/advanced sensors is a natural fit for them.

The basic rule is that on a 2 ship build, I load them up, but on a 4 + ship build, I try to keep every ship around 50 points tops. That way if I lose one, it's not game ending.

I think 3+ ships per list is the way to go these days, which for me, anyway, has largely excluded large ships from my lists at least at their current price point.

I think across the board, less is more. For instance, I think there are some cool Wedge, Thane, Luke lists, but increasingly, I find myself preferring to fit 4 lightly adorned ships over 3 fully loaded ones. Where this has been tough is again large base ships which, in 1.0, conventional wisdom dictated you loaded out with upgrades. Can Han function with just the title and Trickshot? Or does he need to be loaded out to 130ish points to function?

to you second point, I’m loving Aces, but I keep them cheap. Whisper is great with Vader and collision detector and a shield and juke, but she’s also great with just juke at 56 points.

1 hour ago, Schu81 said:

First question: How many ships do you usually play? Are two or three ship lists still viable to you?

I don't think that 2 ship lists can hold their ground these days, with the possible (and VERY RISKY) exception of Supernatural FCS Vader and Rex or RAC. They just get outpaced. 3 ship lists can definitely have what it takes, and can take all sorts of forms. More than 3 is certainly viable- I roll with 3 functional ships and 1 support ship.

Second question: What about aces? Do you play them a lot? At which point does an Ace get too expensive to you? Example: Is 80 points for Luke (XWing) okay?

Aces can be golden. That being said, they require proportionally more skill and judgement about positioning and when to engage than in 1.0 - what with a lack of endless green dice mods. As for price? It depends on the ace. I would want them to still fit in a functional 3 ships minimum squad. Generally I'd like to have them optimized, but not loaded up. Whatever that actually is/means to you will be revealed in practice.

Third question: What about addon-cards? There used to be some GREAT & CHEAP addons in XWing first edition, just like PTL or VI. But XWing 2.0 feels depowered somehow.

Does it make sense to play a lot of addon cards, or do you usually take more ships instead? Which 2.0 upgrade card is really viable to you?

Go with as few upgrades and as many ships as you can while keeping them most effective. Most ships will have 1 or 2 upgrades that are just too good to pass on. Pass on the rest.

If you're looking for more ideas of what works or what people are trying, I'd recommend browsing the Battle Reports and Squad Lists subforums.

@Shu81 Why not try "net-listing"?

The thing is, what works for others (number of ships, type of ships/pilots, etc.) might not suit your play style.

You have to have table-time in order to sort things out. We all want to be successful as soon and as quick as we can, but despite the shortcut of net-listing you won't have immediate success without having numerous games under your belt.

If net-listing isn't something that interests you, I say run naked ships to start. Now in second edition, even naked ships have a lot of potential and can be a lot of fun. Fly what you think is cool, then build off of that.

Cheers, and good luck!

Two questions for you:

1. What ships look fun?

2. Casual or Tournament Prep or Both?

As a Rebel player, I'm usually flying lists with 3 to 4 ships and at least one of them is an ace. A lot of ships are perfectly fine being flown naked, but I totally understand the urge to fill out every slot. Heck, I'm JUST starting to fly X-Wings without Astromechs

5 minutes ago, Boom Owl said:

Two questions for you:

1. What ships look fun?

2. Casual or Tournament Prep or Both?

I love X-Wings actually.

I am going to participate in an event, which I'd call a casual tournament.

12 minutes ago, Boom Owl said:

Two questions for you:

1. What ships look fun?

2. Casual or Tournament Prep or Both?

If you do not mind me joining in. I fly more for fun. I really like Emon for some reason.

9 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

I love X-Wings actually.

I am going to participate in an event, which I'd call a casual tournament.

RZ-1 A-wing - Green Squadron Pilot - 40
Green Squadron Pilot - (34)
Daredevil (3)
Homing Missiles (3)

RZ-1 A-wing - Green Squadron  Pilot - 40
Green Squadron Pilot - (34)
Daredevil (3)
Homing Missiles (3)

T-65 X-wing - •Wedge Antilles - 56
•Wedge Antilles - Red Two (52)
Predator (2)
R4 Astromech (2)
Servomotor S-foils (Open) (0)

T-65 X-wing - •Luke Skywalker - 64
•Luke Skywalker - Red Five (62)
R4 Astromech (2)
Servomotor S-foils (Open) (0)

Total: 200/200

I flew this list last week, and it was quite fun. I made it more for thematic reasons, so the A-Wings could probably be swapped for something else, but maybe this could give you a starting point.

Here's my list suggestion with only one upgrade (if you don't count the S-foils).

Wedge Antilles (52)
Servomotor S-foils (0)

Thane Kyrell (48)
Servomotor S-foils (0)

Jek Porkins (46)
R5-D8 (7)
Servomotor S-foils (0)

Garven Dreis (47)
Servomotor S-foils (0)

Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

19 minutes ago, Schu81 said:

I love X-Wings actually.

I am going to participate in an event, which I'd call a casual tournament.

Nice.

Start with Luke. Can drop the torps to make room for other ships.

Add 2-3 ships that look like fun and keep the upgrades light, lean towards stuff that modifies dice.

Consider Sabine, Jan Ors/Kyle, Blount, Norra Y-Wing/Arc, Biggs, Wedge, Warden K-Wings, Braylen B-Wing, U-Wings of all kinds.

The choice is yours.

I play with anywhere from 2-5 ships. I've been having a lot of fun with Imperials, but I want to give Rebs a try (maybe tonight!).

Aces are all about having fun with an ability. If you think it looks cool, FLY IT! You can also choose aces for their Initiative and/or for their perceived threat factor (a primary reason for fielding Soontir Fel - he draws fire like crazy).

Add-ons? Depends on what you're trying to achieve. 2.0 is even enough to permit lists with few or no upgrades to do well (I've been flying a list with 5 ships and only 2 upgrades and have done VERY well with them). I have another list that capitalizes on In6, so every bird gets Swarm Tactics to daisy chain that In6. I have another list that maximizes ship flexibility with upgrades. So, it depends on your goals.

X-wings are a great start for you. They're great! (My In6 gunline is Wedge and friends).

I have been getting most of my wins from 3-4 Rebel ships, 4-5 for Imps and Scum. With 2 ship or 6+ ship lists I am losing more than winning. I have been making much more use of repositioning actions in 2.0 than I was in 1.0. Any ship with a linked reposition action tends to work really well with bullseye upgrades.

I'm playing mostly Rebels at the moment, before I move on to Imps and Scum. I like to squeeze at least 4 ships into a list when I can. In general I find that fewer upgrades and more ships is better. That's just my style in general, though... I rarely have the highest pilot initiative aces at the table, though I do have a cool 4-ship list where Wedge uses Swarm Tactics to give other ships a second init-6 shot.

To really embrace my style of more ships, try this list:

1 U-Wing w/ Tactician & Pivot Wing
2 X-Wings w/S-foils
2 Y-Wings with Dorsal Turrets
199 points

All ships use the lowest level generic pilots. You've got loads of hit points, surprisingly good firepower, and it's easy to fly in formation with everybody at the same pilot initiative. It'll be hard for aces to completely dodge that many arcs if you're smart about how you fly and have your ships back up each other. There are virtually no upgrades to remember aside from your s-foils, but the variety of ship types and abilities and Y-wing turret arcs is enough to keep things interesting. It's really about going back to basics and just flying well, but the U-Wing with the tactician's white coordinate lets you pull a clutch move once in a while. The stop/rotate maneuver on the U-Wing is super fun and very useful, too.

Shenanigans you can do with the U-Wing coordinate:
-Barrel roll another ship out of the way of an asteroid before it moves (and clear the stress if it's a Y doing a blue maneuver)
-Have an X-Wing boost+focus before it activates, then do a blue to clear stress and target lock for full mods. Good for surprise maneuver directions too.
-Allow a Y to change its turret arc and still focus/TL, while flying in a direction your opponent doesn't expect

Good times.

7 hours ago, Schu81 said:

Hello everyone!

I am really having trouble with list-building in XWing 2.0.

I hope you can help me out, by giving some information about your own list-building, which has brought the most success for your personally.

First question: How many ships do you usually play? Are two or three ship lists still viable to you?

Second question: What about aces? Do you play them a lot? At which point does an Ace get too expensive to you? Example: Is 80 points for Luke (XWing) okay?

Third question: What about addon-cards? There used to be some GREAT & CHEAP addons in XWing first edition, just like PTL or VI. But XWing 2.0 feels depowered somehow.

Does it make sense to play a lot of addon cards, or do you usually take more ships instead? Which 2.0 upgrade card is really viable to you?

First question: 3 ships list are definitely viable, 2 ship lists not so much. Most stuff that has done well at large tournaments has been 3-4bship lists.

Second question: Depends on ace. I play Scum and the closest thing I've ran to an expensive ace has been Boba Fett, and the stuff I tried has ranged in the 95-105 point area.

There are still good&cheap cards in the game. Take a look at stuff like Han gunner or 0-0-0. What has changed is that naked ships can now pull their weight way more than in 1.0, and initiative bids don't give away half points, so now it's a meaningful choice of upgrades vs. more ships vs. bids.

3 hours ago, MikeEvans said:

I'm playing mostly Rebels at the moment, before I move on to Imps and Scum. I like to squeeze at least 4 ships into a list when I can. In general I find that fewer upgrades and more ships is better. That's just my style in general, though... I rarely have the highest pilot initiative aces at the table, though I do have a cool 4-ship list where Wedge uses Swarm Tactics to give other ships a second init-6 shot.

To really embrace my style of more ships, try this list:

1 U-Wing w/ Tactician & Pivot Wing
2 X-Wings w/S-foils
2 Y-Wings with Dorsal Turrets
199 points

All ships use the lowest level generic pilots. You've got loads of hit points, surprisingly good firepower, and it's easy to fly in formation with everybody at the same pilot initiative. It'll be hard for aces to completely dodge that many arcs if you're smart about how you fly and have your ships back up each other. There are virtually no upgrades to remember aside from your s-foils, but the variety of ship types and abilities and Y-wing turret arcs is enough to keep things interesting. It's really about going back to basics and just flying well, but the U-Wing with the tactician's white coordinate lets you pull a clutch move once in a while. The stop/rotate maneuver on the U-Wing is super fun and very useful, too.

Shenanigans you can do with the U-Wing coordinate:
-Barrel roll another ship out of the way of an asteroid before it moves (and clear the stress if it's a Y doing a blue maneuver)
-Have an X-Wing boost+focus before it activates, then do a blue to clear stress and target lock for full mods. Good for surprise maneuver directions too.
-Allow a Y to change its turret arc and still focus/TL, while flying in a direction your opponent doesn't expect

Good times.

You are full of informative posts my friend. Particularly when it comes to those awesome UT god-wings. Thank you.

OP- I skipped out on this game somewhere after TLTs proliferated but before nym. Now I'm back and I feel ya. While I haven't played a ton of games yet in 2.0, as a veteran gamer of 20 ish years I can literally taste the superior balance and its yummy. Sooo many more builds are viable then when last I played.. my mind is blown and its refreshing.

Anyway I like to get reacquainted with a game by researching and then brewing with every single faction and ship (in any game system too). And also I tend to build backwards.. that is I try for what is most powerful (usually minimally equipped and spammy) and then I end up changing the concept more for fun and to suite my personal preferences as I dislike power gaming typically. To me xwing is 2-8 ships but in reality the strongest builds land around 3-4. Again my impression so far.

In general I feel 2.0 has solidified each faction's specializations, whereas before it was more of a free for all. So now if you want a particular style you don't shop internally you look into another faction. The beauty and price of balance.

Example- *my impression* is that imps do swarm and large bases, scums do aces and medium, rebels more jack of all leaning on synergy builds. And then each can delve into other styles- but only to a lesser degree, by comparison. This has put some of my group off initially but now we are getting to grips with the new game.

Abstract but maybe it helps?

18 minutes ago, Carnor Rex said:

You are full of informative posts my friend. Particularly when it comes to those awesome UT god-wings. Thank you.

Cheers, my friend! It's always nice to be appreciated. I'm in agreement that it feels like the doors are wide open for diverse, fun-yet-viable builds in 2.0. I had drifted away from X-Wing near the end of 1.0, but now I'm back with a vengeance.

Sadly, dramatic family events have gotten me out of the game for a bit (and may continue to do so for some time) but I've been trying to keep up

Generally, I play "counter-meta" (it's how I win a store championship with Conner net Deathrain in the era of bribots and Palp aces) because I DESPISE mirror matches

The fresh big bid + I 5 "meta" (?) is a bit intimating to me, ESPECIALLY if it's packing torps, so I personally choose to try and go around it

For this reason, I try to get something that can go fast and block, and then try for at least three 3-die ships (since that's what across players tend to work with)

So, currently looking towards lists that include a cloaked-quad or some manner of boost with preferably 3 dice

For rebels, that's an easy attack shuttle Sabine. For empire...well you got a LOT but me-no-likie green dice so I've invented this nonsense:

Double Ds

(72) Delta Squadron Pilot
(3) Fire-Control System
Points 75

(46) Colonel Jendon
(5) Director Krennic
Points 51

(72) Delta Squadron Pilot
Points 72

Total points: 198

I hope it works out. I really dont enjoy having to worry about giant bids putting emphasis on matchup luck rather than actually playing the game

Another way to get around it is I 6, since there are simply far less pilots to worry about. Wedge seems exceptionally solid for how cheap he is.

Rule #1, play what you like.

2.0 is giving us the chance to make the majority of ships and pilots playable again, I don't want the game to turn into a boring meta again where only certain pilots and ships are being taken competitively.