T-65 X-Wing: Luke Skywalker

Luke is fun to and deserves his own thread.

• Pilot Ability
  • Seems to always have Force charges thanks to his ridiculously useful pilot ability.
  • These charges consistently make up for mistakes.
  • Kylo's 2 force charges can be incredibly forgiving...Luke though is on another level in terms of Casual Resource Management
• Durability
  • For a small base 2 agility ship, he feels capable of playing directly even though he doesn't have to.
  • I think of Luke as a 9 HP Firespray.
• S-Foil Config
  • This is actually surprisingly interesting, incredibly cheap at 0 pts, and a mechanic that I think adds alot to gameplay/theme overall.
• Regen
  • Primarily an Imperial, First Order, and occasional Fang Fighter player Regen is not a mechanic I am used to working with in X-Wing.
  • When I run highly mobile Aces of any kind I tend to spend a few turns per game disengaging from combat.
  • Regen is a really significant bonus during these moments and a luxury im still getting used to.
  • I like the fact that shield regen requires a disarm token and that hull regen spends an action ( less of an issue for Luke ).
• Han vs Luke
  • R2D2/Trickshot/Leia/Engine Han = 101 pts
  • Supernatural/Regen/Torp or Burner Luke = 96-102 pts
  • I don't say this with confidence...but I think there are some lists where I actually prefer 100 pt Luke to 100 pt Han.
  • Han is cheaper without Engine upgrade, more durable by a couple turns, higher initiative, and able to boost and fire from out of arc while regenerating a shield.
  • Don't get me wrong Han is ridiculously strong, possibly the best ship in Hyperspace.
  • Luke though is considerably more mobile and as a small base is able to avoid arcs in ways Han simply cant.
  • I find that Super Regen Luke can serve a similar end game role in a list, fits in many of the same lists, and is more interesting turn to turn.

Dial:

Force Upgrade:

• Supernatural Reflexes
  • Unlike Kylo, I have never run Luke without Supernatural, primarily because he is 14 pts cheaper and less mobile to begin with.
  • Clear Favorite, the combination of Closed Wings to pre movement boost or roll makes Luke incredibly mobile.
  • As dumb and easy as Supernatural is in general, it feels genuinely fun to finally have a mobile T65 Ace X-Wing in this game and in this faction.
• Instinctive Aim
  • Helpful in that it allows you to more reliably fire against I5+ moving after you
  • Also useful when K-Turning or Talon Rolling but Leia Crew makes this much less relevant
  • Not an upgrade that I have tested with Luke yet.

Torpedo Upgrade:

• Proton Torpedo
  • Lock + 2 Force Charges that recharge when Defending is a great combination.
  • Combining Supernatural with Proton torps gets full value as it allows you to close foils boost move and lock, without sacrificing any dice
  • With 3 banks and 4 forwards this becomes a really effective way to get a solid early game 4 dice shot engaging with only part of your opponents list.

Astromech Upgrade:

• R2D2 & R2
  • I find both of these to be effective.
  • It frees you up to be aggressive early to find a spot on the board that creates mismatches in the mid game for your opponent.
  • Dramatically improves Luke's ability to close out games.
  • Luke is unique among the X-Wings in his ability to play like a "real" ace, approaching from safe angles or ranges.
  • With Supernatural he is capable of dis-engaging for a turn or two when needed so the opportunity to Regen some shields becomes natural.
  • It doesn't necessarily mean you are sacrificing a turn of damage output either.
• R5-D8 & R5
  • These might be under used on Luke, and possibly underused by Rebel Players in general.
  • R2/R2D2 are "better" regen for players who understand that disengaging from combat is a fundamental and interesting part of the game.
  • The rules and the ship do not require you to 1 forward 1 forward K Turn every game.
  • With regenerating Force Charges, 4 Hull, and "free" Boosts/Rolls from Supernatural...spending an action to Repair a Face Down damage card twice per game seems ok.
  • All that said I haven't tried this much and cant tell if opportunities to Regen are more frequent than 1 Hull.
• R4
  • I don't see much use for this on Luke other than the potential threat of Death Troopers or Phasma.
  • Either way with Leia around it seems unnecessary to use instead of a Bid.
• R3
  • This seems like 3 pts better saved for a bid.
  • Might be useful against higher ship count easily Init killed lists though.

Modification Upgrade:

• Afterburners
  • This is useful for sure, boost is the best action in the game and this is my favorite upgrade in the game.
  • That said the boost action is available just by closing foils.
  • I still see this as a valuable upgrade for Luke and seem to regularly end games having spent both charges.
  • I think you get the most value from Afterburners on Luke by combining it with a Regen Astromech.
  • Regen & Afterburners mechanically fit together well and investing pts in one without the other feels incomplete to me.
  • This and Proton Torps is also worth mentioning as it allows a cheaper way to boost lock without necessarily investing in Supernatural and keeps full force charges.
• Hull/Shield Upgrade
  • Poe is 68 pts base, Luke with a Shield is also 68 pts.
  • Its nice but I am much more inclined to take a 6 pt bid or a card like Afterburners that keeps me out of arcs entirely.
  • I haven't run Luke enough to know whether or not regen opportunities are common enough to make a raw HP increase more useful or not.
  • From the games I have played so far I think Hull/Shield are better suited for other less mobile T-65 pilots.
• Spare Parts Canisters
  • 1 Charge to Break Locks and Drop an Obstacle, along with Force Charges to make up for the lost action seems ok.
  • Looking forward to testing this when its released but the cost might make for some difficult choices.

Builds:

• Offense Focused Luke: Supernatural + Proton Torps = 98 pts
  • This is aggressive, but still very dodgey Luke.
  • Find a weakness in your opponents approach early, carve out some damage in a good trade and figure it out from there with Supernatural.
  • Capable of a huge amount of damage in a short period of time, and an absolute menace in the end game with Torp charges remaining.
• Defense Focused Luke: Supernatural + Regen Astromech + Afterburners = 96-98 pts
  • Trading Torps to get the most out of Regen mechanics this is Full Arc Dodge Regen Luke.
  • Offense is still solid as Burners allow for slightly more flexibility to Flank or close to R1 from out of Arc and Lock.
  • Added mobility improves chances to get more than 1 Hull or 1 Shield from the Regen mechs.
  • I often regret not having the white K-Turn torp Leia turns or the Super Boost 4 forward throw 4 dice anyway option.
  • Able to recover from early game trades more reliably.
• Overall I enjoy both of these builds and play them both.
  • The first is very flexible, slightly more aggressive, and gives you the spike offense that you want from an expensive ship.
  • It protects those points through mobility and by removing your opponents ships from the table a little faster.
  • The other protects its points, is more mobile and more durable from start to finish while still presenting an offensive threat.
  • There other variations on builds here but I think both Luke "archetypes" have merit and have a place within Hyperspace.
  • Its really cool that Supernatural and Proton Torps are just expensive enough that its difficult to maximize both Defense & Offense. Thats how pt costs should feel.
• Without Supernatural
  • Recent pt reductions to Rebel Upgrades and YT1300s lots of reasonable/interesting list options open up without Supernatural.
  • 24 pt Supernatural is still cheap enough though that I have not personally tested many superless builds. Doesnt mean Luke needs Super to be solid, might need an extra ship to get past Tripsilon and 5 ship rebels.

Run him cheap and cheerful -- just S-foils -- and he's a beast.

2 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

T-65 X-Wing: Luke Skywalker

Luke is fun to and deserves his own thread.

• Pilot Ability
  • Seems to always have Force charges thanks to his ridiculously useful pilot ability.
  • These charges consistently make up for mistakes.
  • Kylo's 2 force charges can be incredibly forgiving...Luke though is on another level in terms of Casual Resource Management
• Durability
  • For a small base 2 agility ship, he feels capable of playing directly even though he doesn't have to.
  • I think of Luke as a 9 HP Firespray.
• S-Foil Config
  • This is actually surprisingly interesting, incredibly cheap at 0 pts, and a mechanic that I think adds alot to gameplay/theme overall.
• Regen
  • Primarily an Imperial, First Order, and occasional Fang Fighter player Regen is not a mechanic I am used to working with in X-Wing.
  • When I run highly mobile Aces of any kind I tend to spend a few turns per game disengaging from combat.
  • Regen is a really significant bonus during these moments and a luxury im still getting used to.
  • I like the fact that shield regen requires a disarm token and that hull regen spends an action ( less of an issue for Luke ).
• Han vs Luke
  • R2D2/Trickshot/Leia/Engine Han = 101 pts
  • Supernatural/Regen/Torp or Burner Luke = 96-102 pts
  • I don't say this with confidence...but I think there are some lists where I actually prefer 100 pt Luke to 100 pt Han.
  • Han is cheaper without Engine upgrade, more durable by a couple turns, higher initiative, and able to boost and fire from out of arc while regenerating a shield.
  • Don't get me wrong Han is ridiculously strong, possibly the best ship in Hyperspace.
  • Luke though is considerably more mobile and as a small base is able to avoid arcs in ways Han simply cant.
  • I find that Super Regen Luke can serve a similar end game role in a list, fits in many of the same lists, and is more interesting turn to turn.

Dial:

Force Upgrade:

• Supernatural Reflexes
  • Unlike Kylo, I have never run Luke without Supernatural, primarily because he is 14 pts cheaper and less mobile to begin with.
  • Clear Favorite, the combination of Closed Wings to pre movement boost or roll makes Luke incredibly mobile.
  • As dumb as Supernatural is in general, it feels genuinely fun to finally have a mobile Ace X-Wing in this game and in this faction.
• Instinctive Aim
  • Helpful in that it allows you to more reliably fire against I5+ moving after you
  • Also useful when K-Turning or Talon Rolling but Leia Crew makes this much less relevant
  • Not an upgrade that I have tested yet.

Torpedo Upgrade:

• Proton Torpedo
  • Lock + 2 Force Charges that recharge when Defending is a great combination.
  • Combining Supernatural with Proton torps gets full value as it allows you to close foils boost move and lock, without sacrificing any dice
  • With 3 banks and 4 forwards this becomes a really effective way to get a solid early game 4 dice shot engaging with only part of your opponents list.

Astromech Upgrade:

• R2D2 & R2
  • I find both of these to be effective.
  • It frees you up to be aggressive early to find a spot on the board that creates mismatches in the mid game for your opponent.
  • Dramatically improves Luke's ability to close out games.
  • Luke is unique among the X-Wings in his ability to play like a "real" ace, approaching from safe angles or ranges.
  • With Supernatural he is capable of dis-engaging for a turn or two when needed so the opportunity to Regen some shields becomes natural.
  • It doesn't necessarily mean you are sacrificing a turn of damage output either.
• R5-D8 & R5
  • These might be under used on Luke, and possibly underused by Rebel Players in general.
  • R2/R2D2 are "better" regen for players who understand that disengaging from combat is a fundamental and interesting part of the game.
  • The rules and the ship do not require you to 1 forward 1 forward K Turn every game.
  • With regenerating Force Charges, 4 Hull, and "free" Boosts/Rolls from Supernatural...spending an action to Repair a Face Down damage card twice per game seems ok.
  • All that said I haven't tried this much and cant tell if opportunities to Regen are more frequent than 1 Hull.
• R4
  • I don't see much use for this on Luke other than the potential threat of Death Troopers or Phasma.
  • Either way with Leia around it seems unnecessary to use instead of a Bid.
• R3
  • This seems like 3 pts better saved for a bid.
  • Might be useful against higher ship count easily Init killed lists though.

Modification Upgrade:

• Afterburners
  • This is useful for sure, boost is the best action in the game and this is my favorite upgrade in the game.
  • That said the boost action is available just by closing foils.
  • I still see this as a valuable upgrade for Luke and seem to regularly end games having spent both charges.
  • I think you get the most value from Afterburners on Luke by combining it with a Regen Astromech.
  • Regen & Afterburners mechanically fit together well and investing pts in one without the other feels incomplete to me.
  • This and Proton Torps is also worth mentioning as it allows a cheaper way to boost lock without necessarily investing in Supernatural and keeps full force charges.
• Hull/Shield Upgrade
  • Poe is 68 pts base, Luke with a Shield is also 68 pts.
  • Its nice but I am much more inclined to take a 6 pt bid or a card like Afterburners that keeps me out of arcs entirely.
  • I haven't run Luke enough to know whether or not regen opportunities are common enough to make a raw HP increase more useful or not.
  • From the games I have played so far I think Hull/Shield are better suited for other less mobile T-65 pilots.
• Spare Parts Canisters
  • 1 Charge to Break Locks and Drop an Obstacle, along with Force Charges to make up for the lost action seems ok.
  • Looking forward to testing this when its released but the cost might make for some difficult choices.

Builds:

• Offense Focused Luke: Supernatural + Proton Torps = 98 pts
  • This is aggressive, but still very dodgey Luke.
  • Find a weakness in your opponents approach early, carve out some damage in a good trade and figure it out from there with Supernatural.
  • Capable of a huge amount of damage in a short period of time, and an absolute menace in the end game with Torp charges remaining.
• Defense Focused Luke: Supernatural + Regen Astromech + Afterburners = 96-98 pts
  • Trading Torps to get the most out of Regen mechanics this is Full Arc Dodge Regen Luke.
  • Offense is still solid as Burners allow for slightly more flexibility to Flank or close to R1 from out of Arc and Lock.
  • Added mobility improves chances to get more than 1 Hull or 1 Shield from the Regen mechs.
  • I often regret not having the white K-Turn torp Leia turns or the Super Boost 4 forward throw 4 dice anyway option.
  • Able to recover from early game trades more reliably.
• Overall I enjoy both of these builds and play them both regularly.
  • The first is very flexible, slightly more aggressive, and gives you the spike offense that you want from an expensive ship.
  • It protects those points through mobility and by removing your opponents ships from the table a little faster.
  • The other protects its points, is more mobile and more durable from start to finish while still presenting an offensive threat.
  • There other variations on builds here but I think both Luke "archetypes" have merit and have a place within Hyperspace.
  • Its really cool that Supernatural and Proton Torps are just expensive enough that its difficult to maximize both Defense & Offense. Thats how pt costs should feel.
• Without Supernatural
  • Recent pt reductions to Rebel Upgrades and YT1300s lots of reasonable/interesting list options open up without Supernatural.
  • 24 pt Supernatural is still cheap enough though that I have not personally tested many superless builds.

I'm the most experienced Luke player I know (but I want to meet better ones) and he's my favorite pilot in the entire game, so I approve of this thread. Might as well spitball some thoughts back.

- Luke is absolutely more durable than Han is. He's essentially the most survivable ship in the entire game when you factor in the rebel x-wing tricks like Jyn Erso, Biggs Darklighter, R2/R2-D2, Evaan Verlaine, Selfless, and AP-5. Nothing can come close to Luke's tankiness if you purpose-build a list to protect him.

- Heightened Perception is your friend. A lot of scary things shoot at Initiative 5 or 6 (like other Lukes), so being able to force them to spend their green tokens or even just kill their ship outright before they get to shoot is super worth the 3 points.

Builds:

The Lightweight:

-Luke w/ Heightened Perception - 65 pts

The lowest form of Luke. Cheap and a very efficient ship for the points cost. To be played exclusively in four ship, Biggs + Selfless blocks. Luke is too fragile in any other list when he's not flying with an R2 Astro.

The Knight:

Luke w/ Heightened Perc., Proton Torps, R2 Astromech - 81 pts

The midrange Luke that does a number of things well. It throws double modded torps, it can run and regen after the joust, it can points fortress; a very flexible and proactive build. As is the trend with Luke, run him next to Biggs at the start and then transform into a predatory ace after the initial joust. The most definitive and thematic of Luke builds.

The Madman:

Luke w/ Supernatural Reflexes, Proton Torps, R2-D2, Stealth Device - A lot

This the expert tier Luke build in my opinion, only to be attempted by the most dedicated and courageous of Luke pilots. You basically play this build as if he's a rebel Kylo: trade with his wingmen and then win on points. Put Biggs and Evaan (with selfless of course) next to him and then go out and have fun. It's a different way to play him, but it does actually work. With practice, it can be a nightmare for an opponent and is the definitive, Rebel "Super Ace"

So in conclusion, Luke is awesome and everyone loves him. He's the best pilot in the faction and possibly the game.

Super Luke + Falcon has seemed like a strong combination the whole time, and the additional 12 point Super tax is offset by the Falcon price cuts even before accounting for all the crew / regen astromech drops.

Trench Run-y lists were the victims of the Super and Proton tax hikes, on the other hand. I can't tell how much that matters for hyperspace, they might still be fine. Super Luke / Wedge / VTG Norra fits, with comfortable but not luxurious room for upgrades.

There might be a place for Sense Luke, with the option to U-Wing or Lando coordinate off it. Spending the force to peak range three is probably not that big a cost in a decent number of situations.

I personally like this Luke quite a lot:

Luke Skywalker (62)
R5 Astromech (4)
Afterburners (6)
Servomotor S-foils (0)

Total: 72

Why?

Well, I think a single ship should not be too expensive. More than 80 points is too much for an X-Wing, I think.

Luke needs some maneuverability, so the Afterburners are a great modification for his ship.

The R5 Astromech helps him to survive even longer. He can easily take the R5 action and still attack (with soft focus due to his force abilities) in one round.

12 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

I think of Luke as a 9 HP Firespray.

Why 9 HP?

12 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

I think of Luke as a 9 HP Firespray.

Why 9 HP?

3 hours ago, JJ48 said:

Why 9 HP?

I imagine it has something to do with how Luke will never throw naked dice when being shot at; he will always, at minimum, have one 5/8 chance to evade on his dice. I'm not caffeinated enough to figure the exact math out right now, but that's how I interpret this statement. More evade results is basically more health.

7 hours ago, Flybywiresystem said:

I personally like this Luke quite a lot:

Luke Skywalker (62)
R5 Astromech (4)
Afterburners (6)
Servomotor S-foils (0)

Total: 72

Why?

Well, I think a single ship should not be too expensive. More than 80 points is too much for an X-Wing, I think.

Luke needs some maneuverability, so the Afterburners are a great modification for his ship.

The R5 Astromech helps him to survive even longer. He can easily take the R5 action and still attack (with soft focus due to his force abilities) in one round.

I agree; unless you take Biggs and then he becomes 129 point large base, with 6 attack dice and 12 health. What is your reasoning for taking R5 over R2?

4 hours ago, JJ48 said:

Why 9 HP?

Most likely the 6 base hp’s for Luke then 3 regen from R2-D2 6+3=9.

Do I equip SNR or a freaking Z-95?

7 hours ago, Jo Jo said:

Do I equip SNR or a freaking Z-95?

You equip two more proton Torpedoes and just eat whatever ends up in front of you.