Which Hyperspace Faction Is The Best/Worst?

By Boom Owl, in X-Wing

23 minutes ago, Deffly said:

TripUps is like a Gatekeeping list. It's strong against the uninitiated, but anyone who knows about it still have a chance against it. Otherwise every competitive player would be using it and there is zero evidence of that.


This may come as a shock, but not every competitive player owns and plays First Order, and even of those that do fly First Order and want to fly Triple Upsilons, not all of them want to buy three $40 Upsilons and two First Order conversion kits... especially when it's highly likely that the list will be nerfed in some way by FFG, much like Roarke+Han was. Also, like some people don't want to be seen as "dirty net-deckers" or are trying to fly the hard-counter to the Trip-UP, because the Trip-UP mirror match is pretty much a coin toss...

4 minutes ago, ThinkingB said:

Maybe I'm just the odd one out here, but why are people afraid of tripsilons? I legitimately thought people were joking with that list. Just trade your non-aces with them and then just use your ace/s to finish off what remains. All you have to do is kill one immediately, which should be easy in two turns with focus fire. From there, all you have to do is get behind the others (disengage if you have to) and ... that's it.

Bring big rocks as well if you do actually fear Upsilons and set up a tight asteroid field. I mean, I'm not trying to be patronizing at all, but it honestly feels absurd that people fear this list; even in hyperspace.



Well, first of all "big rocks" are meaningless because all three Upsilons have Collision Detector, so they ignore asteroids entirely for most of the game. Second of all, your ace can't play clean-up behind the Upsilons, because with 36HP behind triple-reinforce ships that start the game with multiple evade tokens... the 75 Minute clock is the Trip-Up player's best friend. If games were without a timer, a lot more lists could eventually subdue the Trip-Ups, but with only 75 Minutes and so much bulk and defensive mods on the board, a savvy Trip-Up player will never lose more than one ship, at most. Finally, very few lists can "quickly" kill an UP in two rounds, seeing as they have 12 HP, Reinforce, and 2x Evade tokens in the first round of combat. After that, they still have Reinforce and can use blocking/collisions to deprive shots.



Given your "solutions," I assume you're entirely unfamiliar with the list and it's on-table capabilities. Which is understandable, not every meta is going to have players who are willing to run the list and willing to track down all the components necessary to do so. For better or worse, my local scene has multiple guys who have all been flying Trip-UP or 2xUP+QD for the past month or so. So I'll try to shed some light on the list's capabilities: thanks to Dormitz and Hperspace Tracking Data, all three of the Upsilons deploy at I6 after everything is already on the board, except bigger bid I6s and Boba+Beckett tricks. Not only do they deploy at I6, but two of the Upsilons deploy in the middle of the map (basically Range 3.5 from their edge), right across from their preferred target, then they each get Evade + Evade + Focus from HTD... that's 9 free green tokens on Turn 1, and because of Dormitz's trick, Turn 1 combat is happening. It is technically impossible for the vast majority of ships to avoid Round 1 combat with the Upsilons, and often the best case scenario means you're eating a Range 1 TL+E shot from one of the Upsilons, and some lists will also be eating a Range 2 TL+F shot from the second Upsilon... that's 9 fully modded dice coming your way on the first turn...good luck. Meanwhile, thanks to Reiforce + Evade + Evade, the Upsilons can tank a lot of damage on that first round of combat, and most lists don't want to just joust right into the Upsilons, because that means the second or third Upsilon can more easily get in on the combat.



--They break deployment by deploying at I6 right in the middle of the map.
--They break action economy by starting the game with 3 Green tokens each, and having triple Coordinate on the board to ensure the Upsilons can most effectively concentrate their actions throughout the game.
--They break positioning by having all three ships ignore obstacles, at least for the early rounds.
--They strain the 75 Minute time limit, since they've got 36 HP on triple-reinforce ships (with double Evades on Turn 1, to boot), meaning that while many aces can eventually solo all three Upsilons with infinite time, in 75 minutes most lists are lucky to kill a single Upsilon, at best, especially if the UP player is savvy about running away with their damaged ship(s).



In the hands of good players, it's a hopeless match-up for a heck of a lot of lists, and plays an insidious form of gatekeeper by basically forcing people to bring only lists that can handle it (which isn't a lot, especially in Hyperspace Format).

51 minutes ago, ThinkingB said:

Maybe I'm just the odd one out here, but why are people afraid of tripsilons? I legitimately thought people were joking with that list. Just trade your non-aces with them and then just use your ace/s to finish off what remains. All you have to do is kill one immediately, which should be easy in two turns with focus fire. From there, all you have to do is get behind the others (disengage if you have to) and ... that's it.

Bring big rocks as well if you do actually fear Upsilons and set up a tight asteroid field. I mean, I'm not trying to be patronizing at all, but it honestly feels absurd that people fear this list; even in hyperspace. It absolutely is a skill check; no doubt. However, it's a skill check on fundamentals like disengaging, target priority, rock selection, range control, and so on.

As such, I don't think they're going to do too well at OP going forward. It's the temporary boogeyman and eventually everyone will figure out the above; the shock factor will dissipate.

I gather you never gave the list a second thought... This is one variant, has a 4 pt bid. First round, full token stack including reinforce, possibly Lock if one of the front two are unlikely to be shot (if you're running aces expect reinforce).

Lieutenant Dormitz — Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle60

Hyperspace Tracking Data2

Collision Detector6

Ship Total: 68

Half Points: 34 Threshold: 6

Starkiller Base Pilot — Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle56

Hyperspace Tracking Data2

Collision Detector6

Ship Total: 64

Half Points: 32 Threshold: 6

Starkiller Base Pilot — Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle56

Hyperspace Tracking Data2

Collision Detector6

Ship Total: 64

Half Points: 32 Threshold: 6

•Lieutenant Dormitz Hyperspace Tracking Data

Edited by Hiemfire
53 minutes ago, AllWingsStandyingBy said:


This may come as a shock, but not every competitive player owns and plays First Order, and even of those that do fly First Order and want to fly Triple Upsilons, not all of them want to buy three $40 Upsilons and two First Order conversion kits... especially when it's highly likely that the list will be nerfed in some way by FFG, much like Roarke+Han was. Also, like some people don't want to be seen as "dirty net-deckers" or are trying to fly the hard-counter to the Trip-UP, because the Trip-UP mirror match is pretty much a coin toss...

I guess it could come down to a matter of subjective preference. Would you rather have a bunch of lists that lose or a single list that wins? From a purely competitive perspective (and that's what the OP is getting at with "best" faction, since he didn't ask for the "most fun" or the "most exciting" faction), boring winning still beats losing, in my opinion. It takes a special kind of mentality to say "you know, this list I'm gonna fly cannot win, but I like it and it's fun to fly, so I'm gonna take a whole day off work and away from my family to drive two hours and spend 12 hours playing 6 rounds of X-Wing that I know I cannot win, so that I can drive two hours back home."cannot win, but I like it and it's fun to fly, so I'm gonna take a whole day off work and away from my family to drive two hours and spend 12 hours playing 6 rounds of X-Wing that I know I cannot win, so that I can drive two hours back home."

Your two statements seem to contradict each other. What's it going to be, competitive FO players don't want to buy trip UPS even though it's THE best hyperspace list (in your opinion) or competitive players want to fly the best list because boring winning is better?

And also ignoring the rest of my post and questions seems very trollish.

Hyperspace Tracker needs to be changed and when it does FO will be in a poor position.

39 minutes ago, Hiemfire said:

I gather you never gave the list a second thought... This is one variant, has a 4 pt bid. First round, full token stack including reinforce, possibly Lock if one of the front two are unlikely to be shot (if you're running aces expect reinforce).

Lieutenant Dormitz — Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle60

Hyperspace Tracking Data2

Collision Detector6

Ship Total: 68

Half Points: 34 Threshold: 6

Starkiller Base Pilot — Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle56

Hyperspace Tracking Data2

Collision Detector6

Ship Total: 64

Half Points: 32 Threshold: 6

Starkiller Base Pilot — Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle56

Hyperspace Tracking Data2

Collision Detector6

Ship Total: 64

Half Points: 32 Threshold: 6

Yup, the big baddie! HTD needs to be made unique and then this list will be neutered without effecting the rest of the faction.

1 minute ago, Deffly said:

Yup, the big baddie! HTD needs to be made unique and then this list will be neutered without effecting the rest of the faction.

As much push back as I've received for suggesting it, simply enforcing the technical application of the term "between" and upping HTD by 2-4 points would break it without having to errata HTD to be limited.

3 minutes ago, Hiemfire said:

As much push back as I've received for suggesting it, simply enforcing the technical application of the term "between" and upping HTD by 2-4 points would break it without having to errata HTD to be limited.

My worry about that is it'll still be a gatekeeper list for any list with only I1-4 or I5's moving first. The trips will just deploy @ I5 and still smash a ship to bits.

If it's unique then only one ship can place at I6 and the other two will place at I2 and I3 giving many more ships the chance to counter deploy.

3 minutes ago, Deffly said:

My worry about that is it'll still be a gatekeeper list for any list with only I1-4 or I5's moving first. The trips will just deploy @ I5 and still smash a ship to bits.

If it's unique then only one ship can place at I6 and the other two will place at I2 and I3 giving many more ships the chance to counter deploy.

They'd have to drop at least two of their collision detectors if they hope to deploy after the run of the mill Init 5 list. 1 to compensate for the increase in the cost of HTD (even a 2 point increase in the cost of HTD would render the list I laid out illegal by 2 points), the other to have a hope of securing second player. They loose those and the list looses the bulk of its tankiness making obstacles useful against the list again.

Also, if all I6 and I5 (with a bid) can deploy after the TripUps, the list gets much less appealing to the kind of player who loves that unavoidable alpha strike. I'm not even sure you'd need to raise the cost of HTD.

I'm not 100% convinced that it's worth locking the game language of "between," and I'm hesitant to endorse yet another reason to push low- and mid-Init ships further into obscurity, but I definitely don't think it's a ridiculous idea, and I think people scoffing at it aren't thinking about it very clearly.

Edited by Jeff Wilder

Do you really need two first order conversion kits for the Triple Ups? The bottle-neck is the models and the three Hyperspace Tracking Data upgrade cards isn't it? And really the HTD. You can get all the dials, and ship tokens you need from just one kit but just two HTD. Collision detector is also only two in the FO Conversion kit but is in every conversion kit.

With shops discounting their 1st Ed. stock is getting the models that pricey? There are a couple of models up on eBay at the moment under $20 US.

Is FFG the first ones to actually be right with a "This list won't be a problem because folks won't buy the stuff for it?"

28 minutes ago, Frimmel said:

Do you really need two first order conversion kits for the Triple Ups? The bottle-neck is the models and the three Hyperspace Tracking Data upgrade cards isn't it? And really the HTD. You can get all the dials, and ship tokens you need from just one kit but just two HTD. Collision detector is also only two in the FO Conversion kit but is in every conversion kit.

With shops discounting their 1st Ed. stock is getting the models that pricey? There are a couple of models up on eBay at the moment under $20 US.

Is FFG the first ones to actually be right with a "This list won't be a problem because folks won't buy the stuff for it?"

You just need to have access to a third set of cards (a friend or LGS acquaintance who bought FO conversion kit and isn't playing TripleUps in your tourney) and you are fine. I imagine most people who want to play it won't buy a second conversion kit and they will be fine.

12 hours ago, AllWingsStandyingBy said:

not all of them want to buy three $40 Upsilons and two First Order conversion kits.

Since you gave the number in USD, may I present, Amazon's months-long attempt at clearing stock. Furthermore, the kit supports triple Upsilons. Double-whammy, on that account at least, as you are correct in a lot of what you said concerning the perception of UUU. MAfter all, the competitive FO users appreciate the value of Scorch, Quickdraw, Midnight, Backdraft, Longshot, Blackout, and Kylo, as well as the combo of Fanatical Optics. The question is if they fly them or just go to factions that are easier to fly (if a faction identity is centered around elite aces that are pricey and powerful yet still fragile or gathering a motley crew of budget aces and making them sing together--I.E., the entirety of FO lists that have proven themselves or show immense potential given further experimentation--the skill ceiling may be high, but that just seems to be a bit much for 6 games + elimination bracket).

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-X-Wing-Upsilon-class-Shuttle/dp/B01L1DUAPE

As an aside: Wow, it's the cheapest it has ever been now. Did they just buy wayyyyyy too many back in the day? I'm almost tempted to fly 2U, Blackout, but since Tavson is unique and the other guys are niche in my lists, I think i'll hold off.

Will I ever have fun flying more than one Upsilon? No. Do I fly First Order? No. Am I going to buy a second Upsilon for $12? YUP!

But only because it's dirt cheap and I there's an add-on item I wanna get with this order and this'll put me over the minimum I need, so... yay?

Someone... help. SOMEONE SEND HELP!

Joking aside, I'll probably use this to practice painting these minis... I wanna get better at it.

It may not be the "worst" faction, but for me personally Scum is the worst faction to build a squad I enjoy in hyperspace format.

It has my favorite ship, the firespray. But the other options are not ships I particularly care for. Plus all the legal ships I only have one copy of with the exception of the firespray so list building is tricky.

At least z95s will be legal soon which will help.

1 hour ago, Frimmel said:

Do you really need two first order conversion kits for the Triple Ups? The bottle-neck is the models and the three Hyperspace Tracking Data upgrade cards isn't it? And really the HTD. You can get all the dials, and ship tokens you need from just one kit but just two HTD. Collision detector is also only two in the FO Conversion kit but is in every conversion kit.

With shops discounting their 1st Ed. stock is getting the models that pricey? There are a couple of models up on eBay at the moment under $20 US.

^this. ups are like $12 on amazon right now. you can get three for less than what one originally cost. One conversion kit is all you need to fly all three and you can pick up a third HTD on the secondary market pretty easily . Basically, if folks want to fly them, they can/ will fly them.

Yeah, chart's right. Resistance is where it's at.

On 2/20/2019 at 1:49 PM, Kaptin Krunch said:

I said *net* 3.

Slave one went down 3.

And less than 1% flew it with slave one, so... Net 9 points more expensive seems more accurate.

Edited by LegionThree
Spelling
On 2/21/2019 at 7:59 AM, player3010587 said:

Since you gave the number in USD, may I present, Amazon's months-long attempt at clearing stock. Furthermore, the kit supports triple Upsilons. Double-whammy, on that account at least, as you are correct in a lot of what you said concerning the perception of UUU. MAfter all, the competitive FO users appreciate the value of Scorch, Quickdraw, Midnight, Backdraft, Longshot, Blackout, and Kylo, as well as the combo of Fanatical Optics. The question is if they fly them or just go to factions that are easier to fly (if a faction identity is centered around elite aces that are pricey and powerful yet still fragile or gathering a motley crew of budget aces and making them sing together--I.E., the entirety of FO lists that have proven themselves or show immense potential given further experimentation--the skill ceiling may be high, but that just seems to be a bit much for 6 games + elimination bracket).

https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-X-Wing-Upsilon-class-Shuttle/dp/B01L1DUAPE

As an aside: Wow, it's the cheapest it has ever been now. Did they just buy wayyyyyy too many back in the day? I'm almost tempted to fly 2U, Blackout, but since Tavson is unique and the other guys are niche in my lists, I think i'll hold off.

Dunno why, but I found this image on Amazon amusing.

31uFCFkPKaL.jpg

2 minutes ago, Koing907 said:

Dunno why, but I found this image on Amazon amusing.

So how does THIS scare you?

31uFCFkPKaL.jpg 31uFCFkPKaL.jpg 31uFCFkPKaL.jpg

On 2/19/2019 at 11:27 PM, Okapi said:

But if they want to adapt to the larger meta, the options they actually end up using might be a little different.

Not really, what Resistance/1stOrder list that works well in extended tends to do well in Hyperspace.

As far as little difference you do get that even when the meta was clear cut. Take the 2015 nationals when turrets were the meta and half the lists were superdash. The person who won nationals did fly Dash but he equipped Anti-pursuit lasers an upgrade card that was considered dead. Well it work making that doughnut hole a lot more risky to head into. But when people complain about the same lists it is usually the same ships that they are complaining about. I don't know why but there has always been this focus on diversity in the macro sense while ignoring diversity in the micro sense in terms of the meta.