Making Upsilon Work

By wurms, in X-Wing Squad Lists

On 12/14/2018 at 12:06 AM, wurms said:

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

Got a third game in with this list vs Poe, 2 I5 Awings, and Tubbs T70. I got two shots with Tavson but rolled horribly, even with mods. blackout was having trouble putting any damage through. My opponent outflew me though, blocking Quickdraw (**** blue 5 straights with boost go far!) and eliminating two shields without me getting a revenge shot. I think I got Poe and Lulo to half, before it was just Quickdraw left. Oh, also note, I didnt use Bio codes in this game cause I wanted Hyperspace legal. Made a BIG difference cause Blackout was outside range 2 and could have got a coordinated lock onto an Awing to fire the torps.

Im thinking I want a four ship list with naked Tavson:

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

Lieutenant Tavson (62)

"Null" (31)
Squad Leader (4)

"Midnight" (44)
Fanatical (2)

Total: 200

Midnight can be substituted for fanatical backdraft, leaving 3 pts for FCS on Quickdraw. I like the idea of Tavson focusing, and Null coordinating a lock for a big punch early on. After that, I got two coordinating ships for my aces.

On 12/12/2018 at 4:53 PM, 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)

Have you tested this out much recently? I really want to fly it at a small tourney at the weekends (though I swap some stuff for biohex /squad leader on Null) but I've not had a chance to try it yet. It looks really fun and potentially really strong.

Edit: I've also asked ffg if Thanissons ability works with target locks XD

Edited by Goseki1

I’ve been running Kylo/PO Thanisson and Kylo/Lt Tavson for a couple of weeks. My current build being:

- Kylo (Supernatural Reflexes, Primed Thrusters, Homing M, Proton Torps)

- Lt Tavson (Snoke, Seasoned Nav, Pattern Analyser)

Tavson is a hammer and Snoke allows Kylo to keep one step ahead of aces with higher initiative.

On 1/8/2019 at 8:30 AM, Goseki1 said:

Edit: I've also asked ffg if Thanissons ability works with target locks XD

It does, they're a red token.

Stress, Ion, Jam, TL all qualify.

but what TL token does it give? I would assume the default answer would be another TL for the ship that took the initial TL, which is kinda pointless, as you can't maintain 2.

Here is what I ran last night. It has some legs, and it pretty strong. I am on the fence about Collision Detector vs Advanced Sensors, but otherwise it is super solid. Muse with Squad Leader is being overlooked by a lot of people. It's a great combo, and it adds a lot of flexibility to the other FO's.

Petty Officer Thanisson — Upsilon-Class Shuttle 60
Captain Phasma 5
Collision Detector 5
Ship Total: 70
"Midnight" — TIE/FO Fighter 44
Fanatical 2
Advanced Optics 4
Ship Total: 50
"Scorch" — TIE/FO Fighter 35
Fanatical 2
Advanced Optics 4
Ship Total: 41
"Muse" — TIE/FO Fighter 32
Squad Leader 4
Ship Total: 36

How often does Thanisson's ability actually proc? Whenever I grab an Upilson I just have a hard time justifying any named one beside Tavson.

I imagine if you include Phasma crew with Thanisson it highly discourages charging at the shuttle, which is the fastest way to get behind it. I find most of the time it's hard for a ship to both execute a blue maneuver and clear Phasma's range one bubble again, but it would be useful against ships with blue 4/5 straight, or 3 bank + boost, keeping them stressed an additional turn.

18 hours ago, RunnerAZ said:

Here is what I ran last night. It has some legs, and it pretty strong. I am on the fence about Collision Detector vs Advanced Sensors, but otherwise it is super solid. Muse with Squad Leader is being overlooked by a lot of people. It's a great combo, and it adds a lot of flexibility to the other FO's.

Petty Officer Thanisson — Upsilon-Class Shuttle 60
Captain Phasma 5
Collision Detector 5
Ship Total: 70
"Midnight" — TIE/FO Fighter 44
Fanatical 2
Advanced Optics 4
Ship Total: 50
"Scorch" — TIE/FO Fighter 35
Fanatical 2
Advanced Optics 4
Ship Total: 41
"Muse" — TIE/FO Fighter 32
Squad Leader 4
Ship Total: 36

Hadn't thought of Squad Leader Muse but makes sense!

Im similar, fewer upgrades so I'm Thanisson/QD/Null/Muse.

So I had a friend flying something kinda like this, and I think it looks interesting:

  • Quickdraw (Fanatical, SF Gunner, Advanced Sensors) 65
  • Lieutenant Dormitz (Hyperspace Tracking Data) 62
  • Starkiller Base Pilot (Hyperspace Tracking Data, Captain Phasma, Tactical Scrambler) 65

SBP can get into the opponent's face pretty easily, QD can probably get some good position. The list has the goal of big, aggressive damage out the gate, either to win or lose quickly.

Yep, think I saw that on a stream? Got annihilated by a bunch of A-Wings, which makes sense.

I think the 2x/3x Upsilon lists are probably janky fun but will be unable to deal with a bunch of things that just run rings round them. The A-Wings are probably it's nightmare match, though.

2 hours ago, SOTL said:

Yep, think I saw that on a stream? Got annihilated by a bunch of A-Wings, which makes sense.

I think the 2x/3x Upsilon lists are probably janky fun but will be unable to deal with a bunch of things that just run rings round them. The A-Wings are probably it's nightmare match, though.

Must have been someone else, but I can imagine A-Wings would shred it.

I really struggled with Thannison and didn't get to trigger his ability or capitalise on it that much. I wonder if Tavson with an ion cannon is a decent threat? I imagine you'd set him on his own with your other ships to one side. If they go for your ties you can shoot them from behind with Tavson, if they go for Tavson, he gets a bunch of actions and your other ships shoot, bonus if you can ion a ship to bump Tavson?

(45) "Quickdraw"
(10) Special Forces Gunner
(8) Advanced Sensors
Points 63

(62) Lieutenant Tavson
(5) Ion Cannon
Points 67

(33) "Longshot"
(1) Crack Shot
Points 34

(35) "Scorch"
(1) Crack Shot
Points 36

Total points: 200

Edited by Goseki1
On 12/12/2018 at 3:36 PM, SOTL said:

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!

I know this was posted a while back but I am confused about this point. Would the token still not get removed as it is placed in the end phase?

7 hours ago, GeneralZod217 said:

I know this was posted a while back but I am confused about this point. Would the token still not get removed as it is placed in the end phase?

I think the argument is that baffle says "during the end phase". So you can clean up tokens during the end phase, and then baffle to damage yourself and take an action. Because there isn't a second clean up stage any tokens carry forward.

It'll get FAQ'd out I imagine.

When Tavson loses a shield, is that "damage" that he can turn into an action or does it have to be hull damage?

14 minutes ago, Force Majeure said:

When Tavson loses a shield, is that "damage" that he can turn into an action or does it have to be hull damage?

Suffer 1 damage is any damage.

1 hour ago, Force Majeure said:

When Tavson loses a shield, is that "damage" that he can turn into an action or does it have to be hull damage?

1 hour ago, wurms said:

Suffer 1 damage is any damage.

Yes as per page 8 of the rules reference “For each damage a ship suffers, it loses a shield by flipping the shield to its inactive side.” and then of course further damage suffered starts on the hull.

I remember this by contrasting with Null’s ability which is switched off when he is “damaged” not when he suffers damage which is absorbed by shields (“A ship is damaged while it has at least one damage card.”).

Still tinkering, but I had some good interactions in this list:

Starkiller Base Pilot - Captain Phasma, Pattern Analyser (66)

Quickdraw - Elusive, SF Gunner, Fire Control System, Shield Upgrade (67)

Muse - Squad Leader (36)

Null (31)

(200)

I still like Tavson/Thanisson but the Muse SL play works best if you're the same Initiative so you can choose move order. What this list is good at is pushing action economy where you need it most - one turn I'll send QD into engage with Focus/Evade/TL, the next turn he'll get a Fovus before slooping to recharge Elusive, the next I'm Focus/Reinforcing the shuttle. And if they want to break that up they need to start killing Muse first, who is otherwise the target they probably would pick last.

Edited by SOTL

Ive been enjoying QD with elusiveness, pattern analyser, fcs, sf gunner and shield.

Null with squad leader

Muse

And an upsilon. Have tried naked Tavson (as running it as a HS list) and the ps2 with and without pattern analyser.

Will try Thanisson out, as the potential to give QD a tractor token to barrel roll twice is surely worth the -1 agility (if you can arc dodge).

SOTL said at some point in this thread that the Upsilon stops the FO just being dudes flying around. Tried it today for the first time and that really clicked into place for me.

It provides an anchor the rest of the list can work around and for the first time my FO list felt well constructed.

List was kylo w/ hate + optics, Scorch w/ fanatical + optics, thanisson w/ phasma + pattern analyser.

Thoughts;

1: optics makes Kylo hit hard. Consistently three/four hits a round with judicious use of force tokens.

2: Phasma provides excellent control and synergises well with Thanisson’s ability. Never used it but it clearly effected my opponents decisions.

3: Scorch hits hard and provides a more aggressive list than one with Null.

4: Reinforce means the Upsilon can joust rebel torp lists or swarms without paying as much of a price as you might think.

5: No bid here but make your opponent come through the Upsilon to get to Kylo/Scorch. If you get blocks or phasma stress into their ships in the process, the Upsilon is doing it’s job. Even better if that big gun is firing

Edited by Smudger13

Hate Optics Kylo sounds pretty reliable to me!

On 1/2/2019 at 10:55 AM, kempokid said:

It dropped to $14 (around $16 with tax and all that) today so I scooped up a second one as well so I can run two generics from time to time. If I don't care for it at least it makes an awesome desk accessory for work!

Picked up my third at this price. I think I have a problem 🤕 . Used 3 Ups against a 4 U-wing build to great effect, but don't see it doing well against too much else.

4 hours ago, TychoCelchu505 said:

Picked up my third at this price. I think I have a problem 🤕 . Used 3 Ups against a 4 U-wing build to great effect, but don't see it doing well against too much else.

I bought a 2nd. Im gonna be running double starkillers with PA on each, and blackput with trickshot and PA. Gives me a 2pt bid. PA on the killers are nice, able to stop and coordinate or jam. Tried today and played against it yesterday. Two of them is tough, coordinating each for actuons and staying out of arcs while an ace is flanking and staying on your ***. Like the mix. I played against a supernatty kylo though and he just decimates the list. So its almost an instant loss against kylo.

Thannison (pilot) ability procs more than you think. You can use it on your own ships as well for a little extra re positioning. shuts down linked actions and overall just makes your opponent play differently. I have been using him for a while and couldn't be happier