I am not exceptionally deep into the game. I bought the core set and Falcon (YT1300 or whatever it is). First week I ran naked Han/Falcon, naked Wedge and Luke. Second week I made hyperspace legal list with Han and Luke. Ran it back week three. Flipped over to Empire to run Vader (with Cluster Missiles, Target Lock), Fel (with Afterburners...insert facepalm here) and Valen Rudor. Next week ran Vader, Fel (without the afterburners), rudor and Night Beast.

What I have been finding is I am running into lists that essentially just out-action me. Guys are putting 2,3 tokens out every turn and I cannot keep up as I don't have enough firepower without using my actions and even with my tokens not enough defense.

What is available to Empire that grants other ships actions? Is it more or less just the Decimator guy who can stress to grant one?

My current thought is run the two ties up middle, Vader down one flank, Fel down the other, flip the ties toward whichever one needs help and try to arc dodge with the other to keep opponent occupied. Backup plan would be maybe take out the Rudor/Nigh Beast for a decimator (although they can pop a couple extra actions if attacked and using blue so maybe take out Fel instead)

Mostly I am just trying to find out what Empire has available for adding actions. There may be a list somewhere I just don't know where to look but you could point me towards?

Vader and Soontir Fel are probably two of the most action efficient pilots in the game. Vader can take up to four actions in a single turn (assuming he has all his force charges available) and Soontir can double reposition (boost and barrel roll) with an action and ship ability, and then still get a focus token from his pilot ability. If you equip him with the predator talent he can do all that and still have an offensive dice reroll if he gets someone in his bullseye.

Well running vader and fell you should have no problem with actions as they can both perform 2 or 3 a turn, however as far as everyone else in the faction, arc dodging will be your best friend.

12 minutes ago, missileaway said:

...Vader can take up to four actions in a single turn (assuming he has all his force charges available)...

Wait, wait. Vader can use his ship’s game text multiple times in one turn?? I thought there was some once-per-opportunity rule. Wow, he’s insane, isn’t he?

11 minutes ago, Cpt ObVus said:

Vader can use his ship’s game text multiple times in one turn?? I thought there was some once-per-opportunity rule.

The once per opportunity is still in effect. Vader takes an action -> ability triggers off of that opportunity -> takes another action setting up a new instance of "perform an action" -> ability triggers off of that opportunity -> repeat until no force left.

Bad ***!

@darthweasel2

Fly Lt Sai with title. Redline and Whisper. Enjoy.

(47) Lieutenant Sai [Lambda-class T-4a Shuttle]
(4) ST-321
Points: 51

(52) "Redline" [TIE/ca Punisher]
(3) Hull Upgrade
(3) Passive Sensors
(13) Proton Torpedoes
Points: 71

(57) "Whisper" [TIE/ph Phantom]
(11) Fifth Brother
(7) Juke
Points: 75

Total points: 197

1 hour ago, JBFancourt said:

Fly Lt Sai with title. Redline and Whisper. Enjoy.

Lt. Sai takes practice to get the rhythm down, but once you make any list with him sing it's a good feeling! Talk about action economy!

I flew a list with Sai, Fel, Vader for a while, I think it averaged over 10 actions per turn across the three ships.

3 hours ago, 5050Saint said:

The once per opportunity is still in effect. Vader takes an action -> ability triggers off of that opportunity -> takes another action setting up a new instance of "perform an action" -> ability triggers off of that opportunity -> repeat until no force left.

that I did not know...that will help, thank you

2 hours ago, JBFancourt said:

@darthweasel2

Fly Lt Sai with title. Redline and Whisper. Enjoy.

(47) Lieutenant Sai [Lambda-class T-4a Shuttle]
(4) ST-321
Points: 51

(52) "Redline" [TIE/ca Punisher]
(3) Hull Upgrade
(3) Passive Sensors
(13) Proton Torpedoes
Points: 71

(57) "Whisper" [TIE/ph Phantom]
(11) Fifth Brother
(7) Juke
Points: 75

Total points: 197

this is where I run into trouble, and my ignorance comes through...I don't have a Lambda but I DO have a wife with whom the following conversation took place:

"So you are going to spend 20 bucks a week buying a new ship?"

"no, some weeks it might be 30 or 40."

"Oh, okay, don't go too crazy thgouh."

So I may have a Lambda...Punisher...and Phantom soon :-)

Meanwhile, I do not have the card for ST-321 or Passive Sensors, I presume they would be found in the respective ships?

I will likely stick with Vader cause...well...he's Vader...and Fel but on the edges I am tweaking. And to clarify...I am far more on the casual side (I offered to preemptively forfeit every league game just so I can fly what I like even if they are format practicing or something) but at the same time, the watching Luke get one turn blasted off the board by 3 ships all with 2-3 tokens, that wasn't as fun as it could have been. Part of it was my ignorance...I now would not put Luke in that position but the other part is I need to be slightly better at list building and part of that is definitely knowing what cards are available and what they do. So it is 100% on me. Seeing stuff like this helps as it lets me know to go look for these things.

1 minute ago, darthweasel2 said:

this is where I run into trouble, and my ignorance comes through...I don't have a Lambda but I DO have a wife with whom the following conversation took place:

"So you are going to spend 20 bucks a week buying a new ship?"

"no, some weeks it might be 30 or 40."

"Oh, okay, don't go too crazy thgouh."

You sound like you have a really understanding significant other. That's always good in this game I think :P.

All in all, yeah even if some ship have really good combo or stuff they can do, in 2.0 the game is more and more about how you play your list more than a combo-card-mechanic.

For soontir, yeah he can do a lot of action in a single turn, but the most action economy is usually one that's done over a long time, not a single turn. Targeting computer is the key here. Move super dodgy and safe at all time, and when you see an opportunity, take a lock when no one is looking at you. Next turn, hard turn into combat, focus and reposition to get bulleyes, and enjoy the benefit of your Focus + Focus + lock

Also with aces always try to engage with more ship than the opponent. If the opponent has a ship like poe or lando with lots of action, try to move out of the range of everyone else and focus fire that ship. Let him see how quickly 1 focus and 1 evade turns to nothing after a lot of shooting.

25 minutes ago, darthweasel2 said:

So I may have a Lambda...Punisher...and Phantom soon :-)

Just an FYI...the lambda, punisher, and phantom have not been re-released for Second edition yet, they are only available in second edition via the first edition expansion (about $5-$40, depending where you get them) and the conversion kit ($50).

While I stand by the belief that the best way to get in the game is to buy someone's collection and a conversion kit, it is pretty expensive up front.

If you're casual, and don't want to invest a couple hundred for a massive collection up front I'd probably stick to the already re-released ships (decimator pairs nicely with Soontir or Vader, and striker and defender are great fun that fly in unique ways!)

40 minutes ago, pyoinator said:

Just an FYI...the lambda, punisher, and phantom have not been re-released for Second edition yet, they are only available in second edition via the first edition expansion (about $5-$40, depending where you get them) and the conversion kit ($50).

While I stand by the belief that the best way to get in the game is to buy someone's collection and a conversion kit, it is pretty expensive up front.

If you're casual, and don't want to invest a couple hundred for a massive collection up front I'd probably stick to the already re-released ships (decimator pairs nicely with Soontir or Vader, and striker and defender are great fun that fly in unique ways!)

I am loving the game, the casual is more about my personality...I plan to play on league nights and at home, not tournaments. I tell horrible jokes, spout often irrelevant movie lines (run into an asteroid is followed by "it's a bold strategy cotton, we'll see how it plays out" type nonsense), etc.

I find when I play any game in a tournament setting the younger me comes out...I play to win, not to have fun. I had those days, I had games I was a top shelf player. It was all about the W or L and woe is me should there be an L. There weren't a lot back then. These days I have matured enough I can laugh if I misjudge and run over an asteroid as long as I keep it just for fun but I am afraid if say...I went to the Las Vegas Open, I would be min-maxing the list, spend hours with a template and a dense asteroid field, etc. And on a completely unrelated note, I am 1-4 so far in my young X wing career...and enjoying it more than when I was winning tournaments in the old Raw Deal days.

The money part I am pretty blessed on. I am on IR so all the money I normally would spend on golf and racquetball can easily go to X wing, plus...I have a ridiculous collection of both Warhammer and 40k and know how expensive that money-suck was...this one is so comparatively cheap ...I might look up a Lambda in particular, that looked fantastic. And a conversion kit. Plus I like to buy something every league night to support the store that is hosting us. Great venue, really cool group of people and I want to do my part to keep it live. I think they have a little bit of 1.0 stock, might help them move it. :-)

Get a conversion kit and ask the FLGS if they can get you the out of print ships. Win-win.

Miniature Market still has several 1.0 ships on sale. Most around 40-50% off list.

You can also join the swap-and-sell community on fb, there's many people selling their collection of ships, best way to get into the game!

played last night with Vader, Fel, Night Beast and Rudor. My intent was to run Vader up one wing, Fel up the other, and keep the Ties in the middle to swing whichever side needed. Instead I swung the ties far right (1), Vader and Fel essentially where I planned to start the ties (2,3). Then I had to alter the speed to keep from self-bumping (4). I moved the ties too slow on the outside (5), letting him keep his 2 b-wings and his...ghost maybe? more or less left center. I did a good job of staying out of arcs for a while until he ionized me with a shot that should not have gotten through which trapped Fel between all three of his ships. (6)

Another shot caused a crit which meant NEXT turn I would be ionized with Night Beast. I misread it, (7) thought he was ionized this turn and played it that way, not putting down a dial. He would have let me make any move but I thought it better to learn from my mistake and did the closest legal move to an ion which I believe was a 2 straight which ended up forcing him onto an asteroid and in turn blocked anything useful from Rudor.

Knowing I was outgunned I took a chance with Vader which did not pay off...I saved a focus and 2 force for defense but those don't help when you blank out...twice. Vader might be good but he cannot take 7 shots to the face with no evades, no eyeballs...and when my Tie flew off the asteroid I rolled a hit and blew him up. Rudor against 3 ships is...not a high percentage situation.

It was fun and great learning experience. I made a minimum of 7 mistakes. I also had a really solid play where I analyzed the shots his ships could guess, correctly guessed what I thought he thought I would do, did the opposite and had Vader clear of all his firing arcs. Had I made my initial move he would have had me in all 3. With Fel I just got hit by Ion at a bad time which, with any other result, I would have been fine but that led to a double stress and I could not do Fel things.

Nor do I mean to minimize what my opponent did. He set up better than I did, flew better, and made better shot choices than I did. He outplayed me beginning to end and the dominating win was not a fluke. Even if Vader only took a couple shields, I was in deep trouble.

The point for purposes of this thead is flying correctly will help regardless of what ship and with info you all have shared here I better understand the action economy Vader and Fel offer. Fantastically fun list I plan to keep tweaking.