Looking over the Upsilon pilot abilities, this massive behemoth has a single arc and only gets a couple decent shots per game so you want to make them count. While it is getting obliterated, you need to take advantage as well. This makes Tavson THE BEST Upsilon pilot, imo. Getting essentially 3 actions in a single turn. She doesnt need adv sensors, doesnt care about bumping. Her ability procs off what this ship is best at, super aggro and getting attacked first.

LIST 1: Midnight, Recoil, Tavson

"Midnight" (44)
Marksmanship (1)
Advanced Optics (4)

"Recoil" (63)
Predator (2)
Proton Torpedoes (9)

Lieutenant Tavson (62)
Biohexacrypt Codes (1)
Advanced Optics (4)
Perceptive Copilot (10)

Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

Here we have good ole efficient Midnight aka Omega Leader. Never a bad choice, and makes the best 1v1 ship in the game. With adv optics on a two dice ship, its basically like a focus+lock. Marksmanship can force nasty crits on those medium and large base ships with 1 or 2 agility while Midnight shutsdown their defense mods. Recoil has predator that works perfect with his ability and some nasty torps he can fire thanks to....Tavson, who gets an action when suffering damage. This means with bio codes and a lock on round 1 to Recoil, the first time Tavson suffers damage, use that lock to coordinate a lock + boost/barrel roll to recoil. Now recoil can fire those torps, even at I6 Poe with a 25pt bid. Anytime someone is lined up in Tavson's 4 dice arc, it only takes 1 damage to get her basically a full mod shot with perceptive copilot + adv optics (3.68 expected hits). Tavson could reinforce to live longer, get attacked, and still get 3.68 expected hits after the first damage. Your opponent will have to be careful attacking this ship.

List 2: Midnight,Blackout,Tavson

"Midnight" (44)
Fanatical (2)

"Blackout" (70)
Fanatical (2)
Primed Thrusters (8)

Lieutenant Tavson (62)
Biohexacrypt Codes (1)
Captain Phasma (5)

Total: 194

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

This is all about cheap Tavson coordinating to Blackout and Midnight. 6pt bid good for most games, plus extra actions after being attacked will help ensure arc on supernatty Kylos with 18pt bids, or Poes, etc. Blackout with primed thrusters ensures boosts or barrel rolls are always available for a coordinating Tavson. If enemy doesnt attack Tavson, that just means you have a 4 gun ship that stresses everyone around it, so ram it down their throats to protect the aces while jamming the enemies.

These are the two lists I will probably be trying with the Ups. I dont expect much from this ship, but Tavson could surprise me.

The other Upsilon Pilots:

Starkiller - Decently cheap 4 dice attack with coordinate, jam, and reinforce. I can see just tossing Phasma and bio codes on 1 for some decent beef in a list. Even just naked, 4 dice creates a biggs effect. Keep it cheap, and you may get good value out of it.

Dormitz - a gimmick that finds his way into casual. Maybe wins a store/wave kit with a funky list. Nothing exciting and less useful than 1.0 without good missile

Thanisson - Because it requires in arc and only at range 0-2, his ability is once a game, twice if your lucky. Not worth the points.

Stridan - range 3 coordinate. Not much else going on at the moment. He will get better with new crew, but still relies on getting actions, so adv sensors, collision detector, or pattern analyzer will be crucial. Could be a decent kylo buddy to ensure more actions.

Cpt. Cardinal - Sounds like a cereal. He is DOA as far as Im concerned. Why the **** did they limit him to ships with lower initiative? He is 64pts naked! Now you are limited to mostly generics. So rolling at least one focus on two red dice is 43.75, but Tie FOs with adv optics only want a single focus on their results (cause if they roll 2 eyeballs, they spend the focus token), so its actually only 37.5% chance to roll exactly 1 focus with two red dice. So Cpt. Overcost only works on offense about 1 in 3 attacks. So flying 3 FO's with adv optics, only 1 FO will benefit from his ability on average. And when Cpt Overcost dies, you are left with three or four generics.

I think its funny that this fits perfectly for Cpt. Cardinal:

Captain Cardinal (64)

Zeta Squadron Survivor (34)

Zeta Squadron Survivor (34)

Zeta Squadron Survivor (34)

Zeta Squadron Survivor (34)

Total: 200

Dormitz List

Lieutenant Dormitz (60)
Hyperspace Tracking Data (2)

"Quickdraw" (45)
Fanatical (2)
Advanced Optics (4)
Special Forces Gunner (10)
Fire-Control System (3)

Lieutenant Tavson (62)
Hyperspace Tracking Data (2)
Advanced Optics (4)
Captain Phasma (5)

Total: 199

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

Quickdraw Double Ups list. All ships can place at I6. Tavson and Quickdraw lead out front with Dormitz ability. Both Ups have Hyperspace to give Quickdraw a focus/evade round one so she can get a lock. Tavson can move and focus and with two focuses (one from Dormitz hyperspace) and adv optics its as good as a focus + lock round 1. Could catch Whispers off guard. After that Tavson creates havoc with Phasma, while Domitz moves into firing range and Tavons can coordinate locks to Dormitz while she gets pummeled. Quickdraw does Quickdraw things

20 hours ago, wurms said:

Cpt. Cardinal - Sounds like a cereal. He is DOA as far as Im concerned. Why the **** did they limit him to ships with lower initiative? He is 64pts naked! Now you are limited to mostly generics. So rolling at least one focus on two red dice is 43.75, but Tie FOs with adv optics only want a single focus on their results (cause if they roll 2 eyeballs, they spend the focus token), so its actually only 37.5% chance to roll exactly 1 focus with two red dice. So Cpt. Overcost only works on offense about 1 in 3 attacks. So flying 3 FO's with adv optics, only 1 FO will benefit from his ability on average. And when Cpt Overcost dies, you are left with three or four generics.

He works on lower initiative because he's an instructor, I guess. "Longshot", "Muse" and TN-3465 are legal options for wingmen (technically so is Lt. Rivas but his ability generates rerolls out the wazoo for him, so why bother?)

Note that whilst I broadly agree with the sentiment that's not quite true - he also works on defence and works if your low initiative generic has spent its focus defensively (or never had it due to pulling a red move). Plus, as noted, you can give him 4 wingmen if really pushing the boat out (I think 4 cadets with optics and some wargear for the shuttle might work better than the Spec Ops fighters)

He does cost 8 points more than a starkiller base pilot, for which you're getting initiative 4 and a pretty forgiving range 2 ability. I suspect he'll draw a lot of aggro, but taking down an upsilon shuttle should take most opponents at least a couple of turns, especially if he concentrates on reinforcing whilst his wingmen lay into the enemy.

Let me be clear - I agree that Tavson is probably the best pilot. If you can make the upsilon a threat and use it aggressively, then generating free actions every time you take damage lets you throw out Jam tokens, and co-ordinated free actions without messing up spending your main action on whatever you've configured the upsilon to do as it's 'day job'. Again, losing it in a single turn of fire takes some doing, so you can bank on 3+ free actions over the course of the game, and mid-combat-phase actions are often the most powerful.

I agree Tavson might be the best pilot.

I paired him with Kylo and will test the list tomorrow. Don’t know if the shuttle can deal damage.

(82) Kylo Ren
(12) Supernatural Reflexes
(8) Primed Thrusters
Points 102

(62) Lieutenant Tavson
(13) Supreme Leader Snoke
(5) Captain Phasma
(1) Biohexacrypt Codes
(5) Pattern Analyzer
Points 86

Total points: 188

I like the 1st list, but would strongly advise Fanatical on Midnight, which you can afford if you give Recoil Primed Thrusters instead of the torps, which I also stronly advise to help you hold on to the stress

I love the idea of sticking shield upgrade and Gonk onto Tavson, so for those moments when your opponent knocks off a shield or two. Being able to put them right back would help keep him tanking longer while his supports try to gun down their targets.

Tavson may be best but Thanisson isn't far behind. You're wrong about him.

And do you know the Tavson/Baffle nonsense?

17 hours ago, SOTL said:

Tavson may be best but Thanisson isn't far behind. You're wrong about him.

And do you know the Tavson/Baffle nonsense?

Ya, the permanent stop? Gonk and baffle then gonk.

I like thannison ability, but the range ruins it for me. At range 0-2, in arc, you probably wont get it on ships like ptl proton torp Poe, then next round the ship is dodging your arc or flying by, and any arc dodger like soonts or kylo isnt gonna stress themselves with a boost or barrel roll unless its to get out of arc or range 3. If you only get 2 shots in a game with this thing, then thanison ability only procs once, maybe twice if you are lucky, since it also relies on arc. Maybe Im missing something? Other than phasma crew, you are relying on the enemy to stress themselves to proc thanison?

No, that you can Baffle and take an action after tokens get cleaned up in End Phase, thus carry the token forward into next round. So you can end phase Reinforce and be Reinforced next turn, or end phase Jam and the opponent has a Jam token next turn, or end phase coordinate an Evade onto Quickdraw for next turn... etc.

I think you get to fire with the Upsilon more than twice a game, I think you get to fire with it pretty much every turn if you're doing it right. And the opponent has to worry a lot about where your arc will be when they dial in a k-turn!

1 minute ago, SOTL said:

So you can end phase Reinforce and be Reinforced next turn,

So possible to reinforce front and back arcs for an engagement every couple of turns? Interesting.

46 minutes ago, Hiemfire said:

So possible to reinforce front and back arcs for an engagement every couple of turns? Interesting.

"A ship can have more than one reinforce token. If a ship has multiple of the same type of reinforce token, their effects are applied one at a time. Thus, for two reinforce tokens to both apply their effect, there would need to be at least three / results remaining."

Trying to kill an upsilon shuttle past a double-reinforce-token could be a real pain in the neck (or yes, you can reinforce front and back if in a crossfire).

2 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

"A ship can have more than one reinforce token. If a ship has multiple of the same type of reinforce token, their effects are applied one at a time. Thus, for two reinforce tokens to both apply their effect, there would need to be at least three / results remaining."

Trying to kill an upsilon shuttle past a double-reinforce-token could be a real pain in the neck (or yes, you can reinforce front and back if in a crossfire).

Right now it only looks like Tavson can pull it off. Still potent and gives new meaning to "Shields double front".

2 minutes ago, Hiemfire said:

Right now it only looks like Tavson can pull it off. Still potent and gives new meaning to "Shields double front".

It'd certainly cut a massed torpedo or barrage missile spread down to size. 5 bombers including jonus can realistically blow an unreinforced upsilon to shreds in one combat phase but will only just manage to drop the shields of a double-reinforced one. Blocking an average of 7 damage in one turn can be game-winning.

Of course, your opponent's probably not going to fire at a double-reinforced target. But getting reinforce and something offensive is still good, or setting up a lock in time to biohexacrypt a long range jam the next turn.

2 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

It'd certainly cut a massed torpedo or barrage missile spread down to size. 5 bombers including jonus can realistically blow an unreinforced upsilon to shreds in one combat phase but will only just manage to drop the shields of a double-reinforced one. Blocking an average of 7 damage in one turn can be game-winning.

Of course, your opponent's probably not going to fire at a double-reinforced target. But getting reinforce and something offensive is still good, or setting up a lock in time to biohexacrypt a long range jam the next turn.

Yep, allot of utility in Tavson's ability.

Anyway... I fully expect the Tavson nonsense to get FAQed to not work, so I'm running...

• Petty Officer Thanisson - Pattern Analyser, Kylo Ren (76)
• Quickdraw - Elusive, Fire Control System, Special Forces Gunner (61)
• Muse (32)
• Null (31)
  (200)

I'm actually really excited for Thannisson. I think thats actually going to be pretty good: even if it only procs once or twice per game no matter how well you fly, that can be huge. Parking an enemy where they don't want to be for free (and stapling Phasma to her for rediculous control) and only costing 65 is pretty darn good. You don't have to deck her out to be good and you can drop her into almost anything for automatic effect. You can always coordinate to give big effects to friendlies, and with Phasma you shut down the enemies ability to get behind you. They don't want to approach you on fear of stress/tractor, which means they aren't going to be doing as much damage.

I'm not saying its the best option, but as far as getting free control economy it's insane. Free stress/tractor combinations on a hearty four dice gun is pretty good, especially because with how the FO is right now they can actually take some pretty solid other options alongside her, not just sacrificing all the points of your list into the upsilon and praying that your generic wingmen can roll well (my life with Stridan in 1.0).

Best,

5 hours ago, SOTL said:

Anyway... I fully expect the Tavson nonsense to get FAQed to not work, so I'm running...

• Petty Officer Thanisson - Pattern Analyser, Kylo Ren (76)
• Quickdraw - Elusive, Fire Control System, Special Forces Gunner (61)
• Muse (32)
• Null (31)
  (200)

Holy gosh that's nice. *Yoink *

Played a couple Ups games today.

Lieutenant Tavson (62)
Biohexacrypt Codes (1)

"Blackout" (70)
Trick Shot (1)
Proton Torpedoes (9)

"Quickdraw" (45)
Fanatical (2)
Special Forces Gunner (10)

Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

Won both. Tavson is legit. Its either shoot him and let quickdraw and blackout get actions, or let him run around coordinating and jamming and clogging lanes.

Opponent flew blackout/kylo list and went for my blackout, but i kept tavson guns covering my blackout and his kylo had to get outta dodge.

Next round tavson flies over a rock, dmg himself, gives blackout a lock and barrel roll onto kylo, then turns in front of a rock. FIVE DICE PROTON TORP!

Next round she just turns and coordinates a lock and barrel roll to blackout, who then moves and focus for another torp on kylo. Kylo couldnt run away cuz he woulda been behind a rock, so he just had to eat it.

His blackout was going for tavson who was turning around and out of range of my blackout and QD so would reinforce, get hit, take a lock on blackout, next round jam him. Ha. Killed his two ships, he got half tavson only.

Other game was similar, but had avenger instead of blackout, which was nice since he is PS3 with tavson, quickdraw was same bit had homing missiles. Played against poe and two ps5 awing aces and only loss tavson on last shot, after QD killed Poe.

I really struggle with any FO list that doesn't have an Upsilon. It just becomes dudes flying about with no plan.

I’m inclined to agree with SOTL at this point, it does seem like all the squads I produce are somewhat random in nature. I’ve never flown an Upsilon though - does anyone have any practical advice for how to keep it in the fight?

I’m most drawn to Thanisson pilot with Phasma crew... undecided on what to fly alongside him.

Thanisson looks really fun. The ability to basically double coordinate if a friendly gets stressed seems pretty handy. Tavson otoh seems to be less useful once I started considering he will will be stressed pretty often so unable to use his pilot ability during these times.

5 hours ago, Carnor Rex said:

Thanisson looks really fun. The ability to basically double coordinate if a friendly gets stressed seems pretty handy. Tavson otoh seems to be less useful once I started considering he will will be stressed pretty often so unable to use his pilot ability during these times.

Huh? Double coordinate? You mean tractor beam your own ship? Very very limited case in that regards.

Ya exactly. I haven't flown the ship but why not? There's plenty of opportunities. Scorches ability or just a k turn or hitting debris to trigger it. Seems pretty easy to take advantage of no?

Hmm scorch in particular would be fantastic. Boost or BR during engagement phase. Just a thought..

I like Cardinal’s ability a lot. I put HLC and Phasma on him and still fit Muse, TN-3465, Lieutenant Rivas (who works well with Phasma) and a Zeta sf. (I just got an additional Tie/fo today so I’ll probably try Longshot instead of the sf.)

Remeber that flying with low Init ships gives you lots of opportunity to bump the shuttle, which paired with its stop (plus Muse’s stress removal) and that big arc gives him shots at a snail’s pace if you want them.

One unfortunate consequence of the Upsilon’s existence is that I think it will make large ships like the Resistance Bomber even more scarce. They’re just going to get hammered by this thing.

Just tried playing Upsilon, the model is so huge wingspan-wise lol.

I've been mostly playing mini-swarms with the BatWing.

Tavson or Thanos pilot, crew to flavor if I have the points but it hasn't been uncommon to just run her empty. Paired with QD/Scorch/Longshot, Scorch/Longshot/Muse/Null on the swarm-y side. And QD/Silencer on the Ace-y side. I really like using Muse and basically just abusing the red stop pointing toward the center of the board from a corner, because it's 4 dice at a MASSIVE section of the board. I've even found myself using the Starkiller Base Pilot with AdvS and doing the same, because a pre-red focus or TL just turns this thing into a nasty, nasty platform.

I'm having a really hard time settling on a list, but it's definitely better than I expected it to be.

My FO archetypes are:

BatWing crew -- Ace vs. Swarm

4Ship -- QD + Silencer + FO's, 3 Generic Silencers + Crack Null (this is SUPER fun, fly it if you haven't), 2 I4 Silencers + Scorch/Longshot

5Ship -- QD + the normal FO crew (Longshot, Scorch, Muse, Null)

I've been running everything pretty light on upgrades, almost exclusively Fanatical