Now that everyone has their eight vulture droids, what kind of lists are we thinking of using?

I'll start by proposing the following:

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - •DFS-081 - 27
•DFS-081 - Preservation Programming (27)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Separatist Drone - 22
Separatist Drone - (22)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Separatist Drone - 22
Separatist Drone - (22)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Separatist Drone - 22
Separatist Drone - (22)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 23
Trade Federation Drone - (20)
Grappling Struts (Closed) (3)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 23
Trade Federation Drone - (20)
Grappling Struts (Closed) (3)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - ••Haor Chall Prototype - 30
••Haor Chall Prototype - Xi Char Offering (23)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)
Grappling Struts (Closed) (3)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - ••Haor Chall Prototype - 30
••Haor Chall Prototype - Xi Char Offering (23)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)
Grappling Struts (Closed) (3)

Total: 199/200

View in the X-Wing Squad Builder

The four with grappling struts split into two groups of two and quickly set up camp on one of your obstacles each, while DFS-081 and the three Separatist Drones form a little kill team to patrol around them. Hopefully, your opponent can't easily engage one with setting up shots from the others.

I have 6 now!

Gonna try flying my first 8-ship list with my pair of Bellabubs, but I also hope to get two Adepticon Vultures and I'll certainly try something out with Vultures-only at that point. Can't wait to try them out more!

Tbh, I think ESC is where its at if you want 8 Vultures

Given the range restriction of the struts, you can't rely on setting up more than a couple a game I feel. Also, it's going to be hard to use the HC prototype's ability while grappling, imo - they need to be able to roll and **** to line stuff up.

...Come to think of it, do the rules prevent you from rolling off an asteroid while struts are open? You still get your normal action...

15 minutes ago, Polaritie said:

Given the range restriction of the struts, you can't rely on setting up more than a couple a game I feel. Also, it's going to be hard to use the HC prototype's ability while grappling, imo - they need to be able to roll and **** to line stuff up.

...Come to think of it, do the rules prevent you from rolling off an asteroid while struts are open? You still get your normal action...

Good points, but I reckon landing on the rocks you placed near your own side should be easy after a quick test run. Also, the way I read it, barrel rolling off your rock with open struts is fine, you will just fly away next round because you aren't at range 0 anymore.

5 hours ago, HealOverTime said:

Good points, but I reckon landing on the rocks you placed near your own side should be easy after a quick test run. Also, the way I read it, barrel rolling off your rock with open struts is fine, you will just fly away next round because you aren't at range 0 anymore.

That's what we assumed tonight as well while we were playing. I landed on a rock and opened my struts and was like "wait, can I just barrel roll off then?" You aren't limited to actions so I would say yes you can, then as the card says at the bottom when you perform a maneuver you flip the card back to closed. Kind of odd but that sounds like the correct way to interpret it

So, after a fair bit of experimentation including a hyperspace practice event, I've discovered that you do really just need a ton of droids and the difference between I1 and I3 is relevant given the current meta. That being said, this is what I'm trying out next:

Separatist Drone (22)
Ship total: 22 Half Points: 11 Threshold: 2

Separatist Drone (22)
Ship total: 22 Half Points: 11 Threshold: 2

Separatist Drone (22)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Ship total: 26 Half Points: 13 Threshold: 2

Separatist Drone (22)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Ship total: 26 Half Points: 13 Threshold: 2

Separatist Drone (22)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Ship total: 26 Half Points: 13 Threshold: 2

Separatist Drone (22)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Ship total: 26 Half Points: 13 Threshold: 2

Separatist Drone (22)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Ship total: 26 Half Points: 13 Threshold: 2

Separatist Drone (22)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Ship total: 26 Half Points: 13 Threshold: 2


Total: 200

Yes, it does seem like separatist drones and ESCs are our most efficient buys.

That said, grappling struts are basically like being Qi'ra, meaning you get a green dice for defending through the obstacle but your target does not. There's no real need to be initiative 3 while perched either, unless you want to shoot before some generics or perform an emergency barrel roll.

I hope to make this work:

DFS-311 (grappling struts) 27pts

3x trade federation drone (grappling struts) 69pts

4x separatist drone (energy shell charges) 104pts

200pts total

I haven't gone full swarm yet, mostly because I like having a flanker in my lists, but also the Tac Relays are pretty interesting. I started with Maul and Wat with three Vultures, then I trimmed out Wat for another Vulture and bumped all four of them up to I3. For my next game I've tweaked it further:

Maul: Scimitar, Hate, Greivous, K2-B4

5x Trade Fed Drone: Energy Shell Charges

200 Pts

I haven't tried TV-94, but Kraken and K2-B4 are both very useful, so much so that I want to at least have a B22 in any Vulture list to give them a Tac Relay buff.

0-66 (55)
Proton Torpedoes (12)
General Grievous (3)
Kraken (10)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)
Total: 200

This seems pretty good on paper. Yeah, you are probably better off with Maul, but I like the potential alpha strike here. Kraken lets you get a nice calculate stack going and will allow for retaliatory 4 dice attacks from O-66.

2 hours ago, Jo Jo said:

0-66 (55)
Proton Torpedoes (12)
General Grievous (3)
Kraken (10)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)

Trade Federation Drone (20)
Energy-Shell Charges (4)
Total: 200

This seems pretty good on paper. Yeah, you are probably better off with Maul, but I like the potential alpha strike here. Kraken lets you get a nice calculate stack going and will allow for retaliatory 4 dice attacks from O-66.

I had something similar in mind, but trading the Torps for one Discord Missile, DRK-1s and Scimitar. I haven't tried the DRK droids yet and while the Target Locks are obviously nice, the ability to Jam with the Scimtar title gives O-66 another way to support the fight when he is in an awkward spot and needs to extend.

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - •DFS-311 - 24
•DFS-311 - Scouting Drone (24)

Belbullab-22 Starfighter - •Captain Sear - 50
•Captain Sear - Kage Infiltrator (39)
Shield Upgrade (6)
•TV-94 (5)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - ••Haor Chall Prototype - 23
••Haor Chall Prototype - Xi Char Offering (23)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - ••Haor Chall Prototype - 23
••Haor Chall Prototype - Xi Char Offering (23)

Total: 200/200

View in the X-Wing Squad Builder

The idea is to have eight, calculate powered, bullseye damage abilities on the table, with DFS-311 to token whoever wants it, even Sear. Just have to keep the bluebottle alive is all.

15 hours ago, HealOverTime said:

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - •DFS-311 - 24
•DFS-311 - Scouting Drone (24)

Belbullab-22 Starfighter - •Captain Sear - 50
•Captain Sear - Kage Infiltrator (39)
Shield Upgrade (6)
•TV-94 (5)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - Trade Federation Drone - 20
Trade Federation Drone - (20)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - ••Haor Chall Prototype - 23
••Haor Chall Prototype - Xi Char Offering (23)

Vulture -class Droid Fighter - ••Haor Chall Prototype - 23
••Haor Chall Prototype - Xi Char Offering (23)

Total: 200/200

View in the X-Wing Squad Builder

The idea is to have eight, calculate powered, bullseye damage abilities on the table, with DFS-311 to token whoever wants it, even Sear. Just have to keep the bluebottle alive is all.

Yep, that looks solid. I would consider dropping a Vulture to get 5 Energy Shell Charges in there, the alpha strike with those is pretty gross. You go from 17 dice on the first firing round to 20 which may be the difference in taking a tough ship off the board in the first firing round.

32 minutes ago, Burius1981 said:

Yep, that looks solid. I would consider dropping a Vulture to get 5 Energy Shell Charges in there, the alpha strike with those is pretty gross. You go from 17 dice on the first firing round to 20 which may be the difference in taking a tough ship off the board in the first firing round.

Massed energy shells do look tasty. I'm half tempted by eight trade federation drones with charges and munitions failsafe, but I suspect that the difference between I1 and I3 may result in unacceptable losses before they can fire.

47 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Massed energy shells do look tasty. I'm half tempted by eight trade federation drones with charges and munitions failsafe, but I suspect that the difference between I1 and I3 may result in unacceptable losses before they can fire.

Yeah, I think that 7 Vultures + a B22 with Kraken or K4-B2 or a Scim with 5 or 6 Vultures and as many ESCs as you can fit(on either set up) looks like good ways to go. Maul or Dooku are serious threats that are dangerous to ignore, but taking a B22 should leave enough points to squeeze in one more Vulture. I plan to try both styles.

these 8 ship list are hilarious! I can't wait to bomb them!

16 hours ago, nj3478 said:

these 8 ship list are hilarious! I can't wait to bomb them!

What do we do about bombs though? Because I love my vultures, but I don't "shield upgrade" love them, and I refuse to fly fewer ships!

1 hour ago, HealOverTime said:

What do we do about bombs though? Because I love my vultures, but I don't "shield upgrade" love them, and I refuse to fly fewer ships!

Spread the heck out and accept 1-2 of them will eat bombs to the face. Yes, a proton bomb will hurt but the odds of it killing a Vulture is low, and frankly the odds of one-shotting a vulture, especially at range 1, are high enough that going into the engagement phase damaged isn't actually that big a deal; if your opponent wants that ship dead, it will be.

You need to be in 'clusters' of 2-3 ships to leverage Networked Calculation, but nothing forces you to fly in a howlrunner-esque 'Blob' and I suspect doing so is a mistake. Vultures want to be flying in a few small groups coming in from diverging directions where it has space to use its green turns and talon rolls. In a tight 'blob', you're more stuck with a head-on pass and wanting banks which a vulture can't do so well or segnors which it doesn't have at all.

I suspect discord missiles are a nice answer to trajectory simulator bombs, because they let the drone stuck facing the enemy squad head-on spend its calculate and achieve something at the start of the engagement phase, before the inevitable hailstorm of I4-6 laser fire turns them into scrap metal. Plus, Resistance Bombers lack barrel roll, so scraping off Buzz droids may prove difficult.

My list:

Maul, 4x separatist

(65) Darth Maul [Sith Infiltrator]
(4) Scimitar
(3) Hate
(3) General Grievous
(6) DRK-1 Probe Droids
(6) Ion Torpedoes
Points: 87

(22) Separatist Drone [Vulture-class Droid Fighter]
(4) Energy-Shell Charges
Points: 26

(22) Separatist Drone [Vulture-class Droid Fighter]
(4) Energy-Shell Charges
Points: 26

(22) Separatist Drone [Vulture-class Droid Fighter]
(6) Discord Missiles
Points: 28

(22) Separatist Drone [Vulture-class Droid Fighter]
(6) Discord Missiles
Points: 28

Total points: 195