Aces High Discussion

By FatherTurin, in X-Wing

So Aces High looks amazing, and I can’t wait to bring it to my local group as a nice break from the standard. So I figured I would start a topic about what ships people like flying in the format.

80 points seems to be the sweet spot from comments I’ve seen, allowing most ships and pilots but slamming the door hard on Supernatural R2 7B Anakin (really any 7B Anakin at all).

So, what are folks flying in Aces High and/or what do you want to try out?

For me, I’m interested in trying out First Order as a faction, so I’m torn between Kylo (either hate or optics) or some variety of loaded Quickdraw or Tavson.

I have the two following ships that I do like. I dont know of when else I would get to use a fully loaded K-fighter. So, here are the two I would look at using. I do prefer Graz over Talonbane.

(50) Talonbane Cobra [Kihraxz Fighter]
(3) Contraband Cybernetics
(5) Cloaking Device
(7) Proton Rockets
(6) Afterburners
(6) Shield Upgrade
(3) Fearless
Points: 80

OR

(46) Graz [Kihraxz Fighter]
(3) Contraband Cybernetics
(5) Cloaking Device
(7) Proton Rockets
(6) Shield Upgrade
(6) Afterburners
(6) Outmaneuver
Points: 79

Yesterday I was toying with the same idea, Aces High around 80pts. and came always hitting the 82-85pts. resulting in high tech aces... Thinl Im going to give it a try round 85 for super zooming aces!

But meanwhile i would like to fly this guy:

Corran Horn|Daredevil|Afterburners|FCS|R3 = 80pts

Edited by Mpori

People are flying anything and everything. It's wide open and you'll see a ton of pilots and upgrades you never see in regular play. A guy was using ferrosphere paint on his transport the other day and it made everyone not want to target him. Using an upgrade I think I tried once in regular play? Experiment and have fun! There are no right or wrong answers!

My favorites:

• Vermeil with Juke, Vader, Sloane

• Intimidation Rhymer with Proton Torpedoes, Cluster Missiles, Proton Bombs, Fifth Brother, and Afterburners

• Wulffwarro with Juke, Jyn, PerCop, Hull

• Precog Luke with R2-D2

• Precog 7B Obi-Wan

• Maul, Hate, Scimitar

Edited by ClassicalMoser
1 hour ago, Dr Moneypants said:

People are flying anything and everything. It's wide open and you'll see a ton of pilots and upgrades you never see in regular play. A guy was using ferrosphere paint on his transport the other day and it made everyone not want to target him. Using an upgrade I think I tried once in regular play? Experiment and have fun! There are no right or wrong answers!

Pretty much the only ships and upgrades not worth using are those which require other friendly ships. Beyond that, it's a very wide-open field.

Wedge with Snap Shot is quite good at scoring first hit

Kare Kun with Black 1 Burners and BB-8 is pretty fun to fly too

Snap is good

I've seen a slaver with Lando / Maul / Dengar do work too

Also, Lone Wolf is overrated.

1 minute ago, Do I need a Username said:

I've seen a slaver with Lando / Maul / Dengar do work too

Nice to see someone using the Reinforce + Scum Lando = pseudo lock trick. :)

There are some simple lists like Frost with 0-0-0 and Lone Wolf that seem fun. Plus, with munition charges coming back with respawn, flying something like Hatchman, or some Procket shenanigans has an appeal as well.

7 minutes ago, SabineKey said:

There are some simple lists like Frost with 0-0-0 and Lone Wolf that seem fun. Plus, with munition charges coming back with respawn, flying something like Hatchman, or some Procket shenanigans has an appeal as well.

Charges coming back is very dank and give a lot of cool options.

Just now, Do I need a Username said:

Charges coming back is very dank and give a lot of cool options.

Heh, though it does make mines all the more of a headache.

10 minutes ago, SabineKey said:

Heh, though it does make mines all the more of a headache.

Not to mention the Jabba Rigged chute nightmare ship blanketing the map in debris - take Trickshot and BT-1 on bossk for extra fun.

There is thread like this in Squad Lists section.

Best I have used so far is Luke + Heightened Perception, Adv Proton Torps, R3, Afterburners. He steals kills from i6's, and wrecks stuff with burners and APT. And if he dies, he gets burners and APT back.

Tried corran with APTs, predator, burners. Got to thrown 9 dice in a single round with Corran. But weapons disabled sucks in this game.

Went up against a Nien Nunb that was a badass. Lots of tricks. Probably try something like this next:

Nien Nunb (55)
Lone Wolf (5)
R5-X3 (5)
Static Discharge Vanes (8)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Pattern Analyzer (5)
Black One (2)
Total: 80

2 hours ago, martini74 said:

(50) Talonbane Cobra [Kihraxz Fighter]
(3) Contraband Cybernetics
(5) Cloaking Device
(7) Proton Rockets
(6) Afterburners
(6) Shield Upgrade
(3) Fearless
Points: 80

TBane is pretty good. Just get in peoples faces and unleash. I tried cloaking device as well but it wasnt all that great in this format. Its constant attack attack attack. In one game I used on first turn cause people started far away from me so I got into the action quicker. That was only time I used it. Other game I didnt use it at all. Action started instantly. I think a Dampners + Contraband combo would be sweet. Someone lands in front of you range 1, pop contra, pop dampners, get an action, unleash pain. If you die, get to do it all again.

55 minutes ago, wurms said:

There is thread like this in Squad Lists section.

Best I have used so far is Luke + Heightened Perception, Adv Proton Torps, R3, Afterburners. He steals kills from i6's, and wrecks stuff with burners and APT. And if he dies, he gets burners and APT back.

Tried corran with APTs, predator, burners. Got to thrown 9 dice in a single round with Corran. But weapons disabled sucks in this game.

Went up against a Nien Nunb that was a badass. Lots of tricks. Probably try something like this next:

Nien Nunb (55)
Lone Wolf (5)
R5-X3 (5)
Static Discharge Vanes (8)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Pattern Analyzer (5)
Black One (2)
Total: 80

TBane is pretty good. Just get in peoples faces and unleash. I tried cloaking device as well but it wasnt all that great in this format. Its constant attack attack attack. In one game I used on first turn cause people started far away from me so I got into the action quicker. That was only time I used it. Other game I didnt use it at all. Action started instantly. I think a Dampners + Contraband combo would be sweet. Someone lands in front of you range 1, pop contra, pop dampners, get an action, unleash pain. If you die, get to do it all again.

That is the exact reason for the cloak device. It basicly works as another afterburner.

Where are the rules for this again?

Main page?

You can fit Fenn Rau with APT and outmaneuver.

I think the real oddball builds seem more fun though.

Trandoshan Slaver (54)
Autoblasters (2)
Lando Calrissian (Scum) (8)
Unkar Plutt (2)
Han Solo (Scum) (12)
Deadman's Switch (2)

Ship total: 80 Half Points: 40 Threshold: 6

23 minutes ago, Blail Blerg said:

Where are the rules for this again?

Main page?

zM2blcr.jpg

Hmm. No stated size limitation and "standard ships" only isn't stated. With that maybe someone would like to do this for the suggested 125 Heavy Weight category (opponents' permission I strongly advise, this is basically throwing a strip-mine bulldozer into a pen with a bunch of pickup trucks):

Syndicate Smugglers — C-ROC Cruiser 58
Point-Defense Battery 10
Lando Calrissian 8
Qi’ra 2
Damage Control Team 3
Boosted Scanners 8
Merchant One 8
Corsair Refit 15
Dorsal Turret 3
Sensor Experts 10
Ship Total: 125
Half Points: 63 Threshold: 8
53 minutes ago, Blail Blerg said:

Where are the rules for this again?

Main page?

1) Ships can be any build size you determine. 80pts is what they used at the Worlds event. Paper has different recommendations from 50pt - 125pt.

2) Recommend 4-6 players. If its 3, it feels like 1 person just gets ganged up on, and when a ship has to turn around and not in the fight, then its just a 1v1. 4 is perfect. 6 was fun, but I wouldnt go above that as it just gets crowded.

3) First Blood: 1pt for first damage to a full health ship. So if a ship regens one shield and goes back to full then you could plink another point from it.

4) Kills & Bounties: Earn 2 points per kill + 1 point for each bounty the destroyed ship had with it. Your ship then gains one bounty (use a non xwing token, like Destiny shields, pennies, etc.). Bounties become points for any players that kill your ship. Any bounties left on your ship at the end of game count as points for you.

5) Destruction: No lost points for being destroyed. But you lose all bounties on your ship, and they become points for the player that destroyed you.

6) Fleeing/Self Destruction: If you flee the battle field, or self destruct by flying over rock, mine, etc. it is like fleeing and follows the same rule as fleeing. Lose 1 point, plus 1 pointt for each bounty on your ship. So, if you had 2 bounties, and fly over a rock and kill yourself, you would lose 3 total points (1pt for self kill + 2pts for bounties). This prevents a ship with like 3 or 4 bounties about to die, just fly over a rock and have no consequences.

7) Some rules are still unclear/don't make much sense. During the aces high event, judge says bombs and mines will not count as damage from the player who dropped them cause points can only be scored "during an attack". They basically just become neutral gamemat obstacles. Our playgroup in our own games afterwards changed it to reward the ship that drops devices. Made sense to us.

8 ) Play to a time limit, 45min-1hr recommended. Setting a point limit to 6 points can happen real quick depending on ships. Time limit works better. In 1hr 15min I got to 16pts in one match.

Edited by wurms
33 minutes ago, Hiemfire said:

Hmm. No stated size limitation and "standard ships" only isn't stated.

Pending titles and other stuff, the GR-75 could fit in at the 75pt bracket. For 65pts you have the ship and Point Defence Battery, everything else is icing on the cake.

9 minutes ago, AceDogbert said:

Pending titles and other stuff, the GR-75 could fit in at the 75pt bracket. For 65pts you have the ship and Point Defence Battery, everything else is icing on the cake.

Yep. Might make for an interesting "Sumo" variant. :D

5 hours ago, martini74 said:

I have the two following ships that I do like. I dont know of when else I would get to use a fully loaded K-fighter. So, here are the two I would look at using. I do prefer Graz over Talonbane.

(50) Talonbane Cobra [Kihraxz Fighter]
(3) Contraband Cybernetics
(5) Cloaking Device
(7) Proton Rockets
(6) Afterburners
(6) Shield Upgrade
(3) Fearless
Points: 80

OR

(46) Graz [Kihraxz Fighter]
(3) Contraband Cybernetics
(5) Cloaking Device
(7) Proton Rockets
(6) Shield Upgrade
(6) Afterburners
(6) Outmaneuver
Points: 79

I have not had the opportunity yet to test the format. But i had an almost identical build as paper idea. However, i was thinking about clusters on Outmaneuver Gtaz, more shots, more chances to trigger his ability and outmaneuver.

This format sounds like it is a great deal of fun. All this talk about it has me thinking of a thunder dome style fight.

Is there a really recommended point value or is 80 fine?

8 minutes ago, Blail Blerg said:

Is there a really recommended point value or is 80 fine?

80 is fine for first games. Lots of fun builds. 75 works too if you want to keep ensnare sun fac out