I’ll start this by saying that I never planned to get into Resistance.

Back in 1E, I bought into some T-70s and a Resistance Falcon mostly because they were new, had good cards in the packs, and let me fly a 2 Falcon list, which was fun. Fast forward to 2E, and I’ve been paring down most of my Rebel stuff because I’m ready to move on. I managed to offload my Resistance Falcon, but I’ve held onto my Rebel one for nostalgia reasons.

All was going well until I got stuck with these two lousy T-70s. Try as I might, no one has wanted to take them. And as I just kept looking at them, something terrible happened. Really the worst possible thing:

I fell back in love with the models.

I finally broke down and sprang for a deal on the conversion kit. So now I’ve got two T-70s and two Falcons (Rebel and Scum—FIGHT ME), plus a cheap used Starfortress on the way. But I’ll be honest, as I’m looking to start playing games with them, I don’t know what to run for these guys. They look beefy and “heroic,” but I’m much more from the school of spam and jank—my wheelhouse is more like taking an underdog Scum ship and tinkering around until it’s playable. My instincts don’t really map to these straight-laced good guys very well.

Here’s a pseudorandom stab at an initial list, but I’m way off the map here—about the only thing I’m going on is that mono-initiative can be helpful when you’re starting something new. But any suggestions would be great.

Black Squadron Ace (50)
Heroic (1)
BB Astromech (4)
Integrated S-Foils (0)

Black Squadron Ace (50)
Heroic (1)
BB Astromech (4)
Integrated S-Foils (0)

Chewbacca (72)
Heroic (1)
Rey (14)
Total: 197

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

The RZ-2 A-Wing is the powerhouse of the faction but I would recommend holding back on a big purchase until the new points are released. You will want at least one though!

If you like Jank, look at Vennie for the bomber with veteran turret gunner and either Paige or Rey gunner. You also have access to one of the jankiest ships in the game - pattern analyser Nien numb. Add black one title and afterburners for maximum Jank.

Unfortunately the resistance falcon isn’t in a great spot. But you can run Han with navigator and Rey gunner for some i6 movement games.

44 minutes ago, Dreadai said:

The RZ-2 A-Wing is the powerhouse of the faction but I would recommend holding back on a big purchase until the new points are released. You will want at least one though! 

If you like Jank, look at Vennie for the bomber with veteran turret gunner and either Paige or Rey gunner. You also have access to one of the jankiest ships in the game - pattern analyser Nien numb. Add black one title and afterburners for maximum Jank.

Unfortunately the resistance falcon isn’t in a great spot. But you can run Han with navigator and Rey gunner for some i6 movement games.

Thanks for the quick advice! The jank ideas you threw out there sound fun, and I’ve gone ahead and ordered an RZ-2 to complement this madness. How would something like this look?

Vennie (62)
Trajectory Simulator (10)
Rey (14)
Veteran Turret Gunner (6)
Proximity Mines (6)
Seismic Charges (3)

Nien Nunb (55)
Heroic (1)
Afterburners (6)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Pattern Analyzer (5)

Blue Squadron Recruit (32)
Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

I’m leery about several things here, but it could just be that my instincts aren’t attuned to this faction. For instance, the Starfortress at 101 points seems like a super obvious priority #1 for my opponent; can it pull enough weight to be worthwhile? With Nien, I had to drop Black One to fit in the A-Wing; is it okay to go with Heroic instead? And as for the A-wing... well, it’s naked. But it’s literally the only other ship/pilot that I could shoehorn into 200.

My favourite Vennie list pairs him with Bastian and lulo.

Nien syncs with Black One perfectly - I’d drop prox mines from Vennie before dropping black one.

As to the first list, Heroic is going to be pretty hard to get use out of on a Falcon without Finn, since it requires at least two blanks. I'd just run Trick Shot. Otherwise, seems mostly fine.

//

I had a friend running a lot of Vennie for a while (Tallie + M9-G8 Bastian as the extras). Didn't really find TrajSim super worth-it, but didn't hate bombs. I think he was planning to switch to Pattern Analyzer; Starfortresses have some pretty high-value red moves, and Vennie does love double-token crew, like Perceptive Copilot or C-3PO.

I also wonder if Nien Nunb, as great as he is, is the right pick for a Vennie list. Nien can be pretty expensive, since Pattern Analyzer is a must-include, but Ello Asty is 4 points cheaper with a "similar" ability.

My best jank Vennie has Rey and Veteran Turret Gunner, and Rose in the crew slot with FCS. Add a Pattern Analyzer if you have points, and a Shield Upgrade if you really want to go all in on the fortress concept. When someone shoots at you and you blank out on defense, spend a blank with Rose to get the lock on the attacker. Now you've got dice mods for days for your double tap. Run alongside any old thing you like, but know that most people will focus this down as fast as they can so fly accordingly.

Or pair her with Bastian with M9-G8 for additional jank, and then you can afford to drop Rose and maybe Rey for C-3P0 and and maybe Paige. Lock Vennie with Bastian first round to get those rerolls for the double tap, then maybe be able to shift that lock for Bastian's attack. Third ship, due to costing, is usually an RZ2.

I don't tend to run any bombs on Vennie as I tend to not have the points, and she tends to blow up before I'm in a good spot to drop them. Still, good times.

3 hours ago, theBitterFig said:

I had a friend running a lot of Vennie for a while (Tallie + M9-G8 Bastian as the extras). Didn't really find TrajSim super worth-it, but didn't hate bombs. I think he was planning to switch to Pattern Analyzer; Starfortresses have some pretty high-value red moves, and Vennie does love double-token crew, like Perceptive Copilot or C-3PO.

Interesting, interesting... so TrajSim and bombs aren’t auto-include on the big ol’ bomber, and you just fly it like a tank? Seems legit. That’d definitely keep the cost down.

4 hours ago, Kleeg005 said:

Or pair her with Bastian with M9-G8 for additional jank, and then you can afford to drop Rose and maybe Rey for C-3P0 and and maybe Paige. Lock Vennie with Bastian first round to get those rerolls for the double tap, then maybe be able to shift that lock for Bastian's attack. Third ship, due to costing, is usually an RZ2.

Yeah, I can see how Bastian, M9-G8, and C-3P0 would go down smooth here. I think there’s also maybe a chance to take advantage of M9 reroll with Finn. As for ship #3, do you want to push for higher initiative, or maybe just go with stress relief? I spotted this possibility:

Vennie (62)
Pattern Analyzer (5)
C-3PO (6)
Finn (10)
Veteran Turret Gunner (6)
Hull Upgrade (3)

Jaycris Tubbs (50)
BB-8 (3)
Integrated S-Foils (0)

Lieutenant Bastian (48)
M9-G8 (7)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

Vennie ability triggers from the a-wing arc so having one in there is a good bet. Usually lulo but Tallie can be strong.

Also don’t overlook stealth device on Vennie. It’s bonkers but it works.

9 minutes ago, Dreadai said:

Vennie ability triggers from the a-wing arc so having one in there is a good bet. Usually lulo but Tallie can be strong.

Also don’t overlook stealth device on Vennie. It’s bonkers but it works.

That’s beautifully jank-tastic. I wasn’t even thinking about the A’s arc being mobile. That’s gotta be it!

Obviously Lulo gets lots of good press, but what’s the best way to manage his stress situation? Try to get stressed right away and just fly around as 3-2-2-2? Seems hard to keep him stressed with all those blues... or is he more of a flanker who always wants to swoop in for the K/sloop? Seems like that could get predictable...

Though this is looking pretty interesting:

Vennie (62)
Pattern Analyzer (5)
C-3PO (6)
Finn (10)
Veteran Turret Gunner (6)
Stealth Device (4)

Lieutenant Bastian (48)
M9-G8 (7)
Integrated S-Foils (0)

L’ulo L’ampar (38)
Heroic (1)
Predator (2)
Primed Thrusters (9)
Total: 198

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

It's not that hard to keep L'ulo stressed. More often than not he either wants to boost or flip his guns, but even when he doesn't, there is often a boost you can intentionally fail to get the stress token. Sometimes it's better to leave him unstressed to open up your options on the following turn, but the dial is so blue, and it's pretty easy to keep stressing him.

I'd say you probably don't need Primed Thrusters on L'ulo; the dial is just so darn blue. My go-to loadout right now is Heroic/Trick Shot/Advanced Optics, but just leaving him skinny with Heroic and maybe another talent also works.

Rose Tico also pairs really well with Finn, letting you spend his free blank on defense to acquire a lock for your return fire. Which you can then spend to reroll the free blank from Finn. And if you still have a blank after the reroll you can spend a blank to reacquire the lock. (EDIT - you can't actually do that last bit, since you can only use Rose once per attack. But still. Works pretty good.)

If you're looking for a less janky, I've put a lot of time into this list and am reasonably confident to do well at an upcoming hyperspace tournament:

(38) L'ulo L'ampar [RZ-2 A-wing]

(2) Trick Shot

(2) Predator

Points: 42

(68) Poe Dameron [T-70 X-wing]

(3) Debris Gambit

(0) Integrated S-foils

(2) Black One

(2) R4 Astromech

(4) Heavy Laser Cannon

(4) Advanced Optics

Points: 83

(56) Ello Asty [T-70 X-wing]

(0) Integrated S-foils

(1) Crack Shot

(4) Heavy Laser Cannon

(4) Advanced Optics

Points: 65

Total points: 190

Probably my favorite list I've made in 2.0. Its got some jank, and isn't 100% meta (I refuse to play the quad resistance meta combo that everyone's using). Ello is an absolute legend with HLC. One of my favorite pilots: on paper the white T-roll seems not overly good, and certainly seems predictable. And while there are certainly those moments, a lot of times people won't expect it, or even better, can't stop it. And almost nothing feels better than tucking in behind someone with an HLC and actions (being able to linked barrel roll/focus after a T-Roll means that anything in the lane where you've turned is basically toast). He's truly a joy to fly: not super complex but enables the absolute adrenaline rush that is good maneuvering that we all love.

Luulo just adds to this. He has way more tactical depth than you'd expect. Learning to manage the stress is a really rewarding experience. When you first look at him, you kinda just see "regular A-Wing with the capability to shoot backwards and/or get four dice range one attacks". In reality, the options you have are absolutely insane. Deciding whether you're going to be taking shots, so whether it's worth taking the stress over having three evade dice. Using this info to examine what your best move is: do you run the risk and go in for the kill? Do you move past them and then rotate your arc backwards? maybe that would get you out of someone else's arc? Or do you just run away and set up for better options later? I've seen him carry some games for sure, but also doesn't feel completely abusive. It is certainly easy to do a dumb move and just get blown up, stress or not. But when you do make those risky plays and come out on top, Luulo is a great ship to do it with.

Poe, is of course, Poe. Absolute maniac in the right hands. But he has a lot more high tensity moments than oen would think. In a game last night, he got dunked in one round by Luke/Wedge/Cassian. Albeit due to some lucky dice rolls, but the other two almost carried me to victory. It came down to a one health wedge killing Ello. Poe is just crazy fun: Black One opens up some amazing movement options (I can either one straight, or do a three/three talon. Or three/three hard and run away.) You can tank your way through the asteroids, or play TL/Focus flanker with your HLC on the side. The amount of options he gives is fantastic.

Essentially, the resistance is about flashy, powerful, but also risky flying. They are super dependable, but also can thrive off of high octane play. The triple aces is, admittably, more circumspect in the current meta. And you don't have to go for these three ships. But before they outlawed it, Ello with Black One/Discharge Vanes was my favorite combo: the resistance to me is like a janky, flashy version of the rebellion. You can take some inventive builds and flight plans (I mean, they have the Bomber. Thats just about the craziest thing in the game, and I still have no idea what to do with it.) And they're getting the transport, which seems to be able to enable even more shenaniganary. They're just a blast, and I think have a lot of potential that's unexplored: they got bypassed because of Kylo and the FO, and then the Republic/Seperatists: I'm looking forward to more craziness with the shuttle coming out. Good choice!

12 hours ago, theBitterFig said:

As to the first list, Heroic is going to be pretty hard to get use out of on a Falcon without Finn, since it requires at least two blanks. I'd just run Trick Shot. Otherwise, seems mostly fine.

//

I had a friend running a lot of Vennie for a while (Tallie + M9-G8 Bastian as the extras). Didn't really find TrajSim super worth-it, but didn't hate bombs. I think he was planning to switch to Pattern Analyzer; Starfortresses have some pretty high-value red moves, and Vennie does love double-token crew, like Perceptive Copilot or C-3PO.

I also wonder if Nien Nunb, as great as he is, is the right pick for a Vennie list. Nien can be pretty expensive, since Pattern Analyzer is a must-include, but Ello Asty is 4 points cheaper with a "similar" ability.

Hey, that's me!

I ran Bastian (M9-G8), Tallie (Heroic, Crackshot) and Vennie (Traj Sim, Seismics, Protons, Prerceptive Copilot, Rey, Veteran Turret Gunner).

Biggest issues: self bombing with Traj Sim, lack of actions on red maneuvers, and over reliance on Vennie in general.

I modified the list since, but have yet to run it. Dropped Traj Sim and the mines. Added Pattern Analyzer in. Swapped Bastian for Nien.

New concerns: weakness to swarms without bombs, still weak against aces, losing Bastian's ability (it works so well with M9!).

My suggestions: try something with the bomber; it's a tank. Try some "Resistance 5" lists. Put Poe out there with a couple of friends. Experiment with different ships to figure out what you like.

Oh, and never, ever, replace Heroic with a different talent. The day you do is the day you roll nothing but blanks.

16 hours ago, Cow-of-Doom said:

Essentially, the resistance is about flashy, powerful, but also risky flying. They are super dependable, but also can thrive off of high octane play. The triple aces is, admittably, more circumspect in the current meta. And you don't have to go for these three ships. But before they outlawed it, Ello with Black One/Discharge Vanes was my favorite combo: the resistance to me is like a janky, flashy version of the rebellion. You can take some inventive builds and flight plans (I mean, they have the Bomber. Thats just about the craziest thing in the game, and I still have no idea what to do with it.) And they're getting the transport, which seems to be able to enable even more shenaniganary. They're just a blast, and I think have a lot of potential that's unexplored: they got bypassed because of Kylo and the FO, and then the Republic/Seperatists: I'm looking forward to more craziness with the shuttle coming out. Good choice!

Thanks for the summary of what the faction is about! Maybe that’s part of what I’ve been trying to figure out; who the heck are these guys? What’s their schtick? Etc.

Gotta say, I like the sound of “Rebels dialed up to eleven.” 😊

4 hours ago, CoffeeMinion said:

Gotta say, I like the sound of “Rebels dialed up to eleven.”

Right? Did you ever want Rebel ships but with Imp Ace level abilities? Well try the resistance today!

Of course, this is all just my opinion and how I like to fly them. You can certainly go for some beef/tank builds with the bomber, and I think as the meta opens up a bit it's going to be a really cool ship to try to work with. As soon as I get my hands on Electro Proton my dual Starfortresses are going on the table. But I think overall, all of their ships are useful, and all of them are useful for different roles through their pilots. Luulo can be super aggressive, but Tallie can hang back and be more defensive, and surgical, dashing in at the right time and staying alive, rather than going in screaming drinking hot sauce with the trigger superglued to the floor. (Luulo is good at this.) So mess around and hopefully you can find something to your playstyle. If the Falcon is more your style, I highly reccomend Han pilot with Rey Gunner and 3PO crew. His ability is significantly more useful in 2.0 than 1.0, and can really make your opponent think before placing. Usually you can fit that, some other upgrades, and 1-2 other ships depending on how you massage the points (Han with Rey gunner I think costs 80 on the nose, so actually three points less than Poe here. Hmm..)

On 6/15/2019 at 5:27 AM, CoffeeMinion said:

I’m leery about several things here, but it could just be that my instincts aren’t attuned to this faction. For instance, the Starfortress at 101 points seems like a super obvious priority #1 for my opponent; can it pull enough weight to be worthwhile? With Nien, I had to drop Black One to fit in the A-Wing; is it okay to go with Heroic instead? And as for the A-wing... well, it’s naked. But it’s literally the only other ship/pilot that I could shoehorn into 200.

A few people have commented on the StarFortress' power in the game, and I'd have to agree. You're asking if Vennie's worth it at 101 points. Absolutely. Generally, your opponent will actually be doing much less damage to it than you think, because of Vennie's defensive eyeball in a friendly ship's arc. She herself has two arcs that will trigger the ability. Each A-wing has an arc that will trigger the ability. Flying one of them with Vennie will almost guarantee that you'll be able to make use of the ability every round.

Resistance is neither spam nor jank heavy, but this is pretty close imo:

2x Red Squad Experts with Heroic and PA

Res Sympathizer with 3PO, TacOff, and Rey.

The Ts are just efficient, but with a coordinate, they get super potent. Then the YT still has force/Rey's ability and calc for its own shot

Another list that buddy and I fly a fair amount is three T-70 plus Lulo.

The core of the list is Lulo, Bastian, Jess then you can pick either Temmin wexley, or a Red Sq Expert to fill it out.

Temmin 'Snap' Wexley with composure has access to double mods at i4 (Fail the free boost, take focus with composure, action to target lock), and Bastian and Jess get easy access to free modifications.

Red Squad Expert allows you to keep a bid, and put BB units on all of the T-70s which makes them an absolute menace in the knife fight. You lose Snap though, and he is a whole lot of fun to fly as you boost happily around the board.

Jessika Pava (52)
Integrated S-Foils (0)

Lieutenant Bastian (48)
BB Astromech (2)
Integrated S-Foils (0)

Temmin Wexley (54)
Composure (1)
Integrated S-Foils (0)

L’ulo L’ampar (38)
Heroic (1)
Total: 196

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

On 6/15/2019 at 11:36 PM, SwampyCr said:

Oh, and never, ever, replace Heroic with a different talent. The day you do is the day you roll nothing but blanks.

In all of the games I've played, on all of the ships that I've equipped Heroic to, I have, maybe, triggered it once. I find it a waste of a point.

On 6/15/2019 at 4:43 PM, Maui. said:

It's not that hard to keep L'ulo stressed. More often than not he either wants to boost or flip his guns, but even when he doesn't, there is often a boost you can intentionally fail to get the stress token. Sometimes it's better to leave him unstressed to open up your options on the following turn, but the dial is so blue, and it's pretty easy to keep stressing him.

I'd say you probably don't need Primed Thrusters on L'ulo; the dial is just so darn blue. My go-to loadout right now is Heroic/Trick Shot/Advanced Optics, but just leaving him skinny with Heroic and maybe another talent also works.

Rose Tico also pairs really well with Finn, letting you spend his free blank on defense to acquire a lock for your return fire. Which you can then spend to reroll the free blank from Finn. And if you still have a blank after the reroll you can spend a blank to reacquire the lock.

There's also Daredevil for stressing L'ulo - with the added bonus that all of a sudden you've got a 4-dice primary that you can point at somebody you've just blown past in a feint. For additional fun - put Squad Leader on her so that she buffs herself and someone else.

Thought I’d revisit this since new stuff is coming out, and new points have been revealed. I’ve been in a scheduling pinch & X-Wing dry spell for the last few weeks, so my Resistance still hasn’t seen table time. But this might be a fun way to hit the table hard. The idea is to let Leia Rey soften whatever red maneuver needs it most in a given turn, while letting Tank Vennie do as much tanking as possible courtesy of everyone having a mobile arc. The A-Wing is basically just filler/fodder, but I’d be tempted to see if I could get some longevity out of it by rolling the big dogs right up the middle & letting them tank fire instead of just sending the A out to die.

Vennie (60)
C-3PO (6)
Veteran Turret Gunner (8)

Rey (73)
Leia Organa (19)

Blue Squadron Recruit (33)
Heroic (1)
Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

Convienent timing: I was just about to post some stuff too XD

I did end up taking the list I posted above to the tournament with some modifications:

(38) L'ulo L'ampar [RZ-2 A-wing]

(2) Predator

(1) Heroic

Points: 41

 (68) Poe Dameron [T-70 X-wing]

(2) Predator

(0) Integrated S-foils

(2) Black One

(2) R4 Astromech

(12) Proton Torpedoes

Points: 86

(56) Ello Asty [T-70 X-wing]

(0) Integrated S-foils

(1) Crack Shot

(4) Heavy Laser Cannon

Points: 61

Total points: 188

Important notes: If you can afford them, torpedoes are way better on Poe than HLC (for me at least, and with how I like to fly him). Being able to reposition freely and then target lock, I think, is much better for him than having to try to actively get bullseye. Poe does better with freedom rather than constraint. Thus why I also flipped to predator (aside from the fact that Debris isn't hyperspace). With predator, on the rounds when you end up close and engaged, poe can pretty reliably take either a roll/focus linked or a focus boost, or even two repositions, and at least have one mod. This allows for much more consistent damage, and also allows you to generally have at least one mod, and being able to reposition, focus and have a re-roll was way better than a straight reposition focus. Crack/HLC is a dream on Ello (he did MAJOR work in getting me MOV at the tournament, in one case one-shotting an unlucky striker). Luulo is just Luulo.

With the points change, this ends up being 194, which is perfectly viable, but being able to decide initiative was super influential. Depending on how hard initiative bids get hit by the points change, this might be perfect, or not enough. However, with the advent of the transport, this issue might be moot, due to coordinate. I put together this, swapping out Luulo for a transport:

(68) Poe Dameron [T-70 X-wing]

(0) Integrated S-foils

(2) Black One

(2) R4 Astromech

(9) Plasma Torpedoes

(2) Predator

Points: 83

(56) Ello Asty [T-70 X-wing]

(0) Integrated S-foils

(1) Crack Shot

(4) Heavy Laser Cannon

Points: 61

(36) Nodin Chavdri [Resistance Transport]

(2) R4 Astromech

(6) C-3PO

(6) Tactical Officer

Points: 50

Total 194

I think this could be an exciting twist. It ends up at the same price, so that doesen't effect the iniatiative bid. Some points to consider:

Negatives: Luulo's initiative, maneuverability, and firepower are lost. If needed, this can somewhat be made up for by swapping to Cova Nell so you get that third/fourth dice back, putting it at 196 (again, it depends on how much the bid war will be effected. If bids are suddenly 4/5/6 points this could be a viable option.

Positives: it adds four extra health into the list, which can go a long ways towards preserving mov. (one bad shot means luulo takes half health and your opponent has an extra 20 points). I gain a (potential) blocker, with a reasonable amount of maneuverability (with r4 astromech). And at the cost of one stress token (which again, can be removed pretty easily because of the astro), it can coordinate at PS2, gain a calculate for itself, and then perform a red focus, lock, jam, or calculate action (which would give the transport three calculates I believe). It seems to me that being able to coordinate, jam an enemy, AND have at least one modification for yourself doesen't seem like a horrible trade. If anything it might help take some heat off of Poe, and certainly might take an extra two/three shots to die compared to Luulo. However the firepower deficit could be a problem. This could be helped by slapping an autoblaster or torpedo on the transport, (if bid isn't going to work, then might as well use the points), and can hopefully be balanced out by the extra damage from plasma torpedoes (which, in case you didn't know, work infinitely better than in 1.0. When you land the shot now, they automatically remove one shield before dealing any dice damage, so you always strip a shield if they have one remaining).

Playtesting will tell, and its always possible to swap out the coordinate shenanigans for other crew and move up to Cova to gain back the firepower and defensibility. Just thought I'd toss it into this thread, might as well keep talking Resistance with the transport coming out! Any thoughts?