I’m playing in a competitive aces high game soon and have a few ideas. The rules are that initiative doesn’t matter (probably going to rotate who goes first or go in bid order, etc.) There are no ship size or upgrade card restrictions, beyond simply obeying the normal rules of x-wing. Here are the top three possible builds I came up with. What have you found successful, or are there any builds that are simply wacky and fun?

1. "Super-Soka", my try-hard build

(44) Ahsoka Tano [Delta-7 Aethersprite]
(5) R2-C4
(15) Delta-7B
(3) Brilliant Evasion
(8) Stealth Device
Points: 75

She is defensible: 6 health, 3 evade dice, if she only takes an evade action, she can still convert 1 blank and up to 2 focus results On green dice. If no one shoots at her, she can spend that evade on 1 focus result (essentially still has two force). She can perform an action after a red maneuver, if she needs, and still basically be double-modded (1 force + lock).

2. “Solo Solo”

(48) Han Solo [Customized YT-1300 Light Freighter]
(2) Qi'ra
(2) Tobias Beckett
(5) Agile Gunner
(4) Rigged Cargo Chute
(7) Engine Upgrade
(4) Trick Shot
(3) Lando's Millennium Falcon
Points: 75

This is more for fun to see what a large base would be like. For sure, a big target, but potentially more chance of obstructed shots. If everyone is coming at him from different angles, more chance of stuff getting in the way. Low on multiple mods in a turn though.

Edit: Not sure if, after being destroyed, the judge would rule that the dropped cargo debris would be removed (I have three tokens). If they are allowed to stay on the board... this could be such a crazy build!

3. “Because Phantom”

(51) "Echo" [TIE/ph Phantom]
(12) Fifth Brother
(6) Stealth Device
(2) Passive Sensors
(4) Trick Shot
Points: 75

Echo would just be fun to dance around the board with and is a member of my favorite faction. I’m familiar with decloaking and it can be a pretty dodgy ship when it needs to be. Since it basically carries double mods anyway, I would use the bendy rolls to position for best obstructions.

So, what do you think? 1, 2, or 3? Are there better upgrades for any of them? (To my knowledge, Lone Wolf is allowed, but I didn’t see it fitting the best on any of these.)

Given the initiative rules you're going to play, I'm trying to think through which ships I always wished activated at a higher initiative. Sabine might be one. How about:

Sabine Wren (41)
Lone Wolf (5)
Kanan Jarrus (12)
Afterburners (6)
Ion Cannon Turret (5)

Ship total: 69 Half Points: 35 Threshold: 2


Total: 69

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Rebel Alliance&d=v8ZsZ200Z66X124W41W105W138W&sn=Unnamed Squadron&obs=

Barrel roll into an evade, clear stress with white maneuver with Kanan, take focus and have Lone Wolf for re-rolls. That's got to be fun

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I've also been thinking about a cloaking Graz recently - he could also be a hoot moving last:

Graz (46)
Lone Wolf (5)
Ion Missiles (3)
Contraband Cybernetics (2)
Cloaking Device (4)
Afterburners (6)
Stealth Device (6)

Ship total: 72 Half Points: 36 Threshold: 3


Total: 72

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Scum and Villainy&d=v8ZsZ200Z120X124W101W92W91W105W166&sn=Unnamed Squadron&obs=

@eljms , I like Graz! Stealth device AND cloaking device at the same time is nice. And kihrax fighters are already kind of hard to destroy. Help me understand the point of the second half of cloaking device, please (I’ve never used it or encountered it). Is rolling a Focus just a potential way to lose a cloak token you might have wanted to keep?

I’m playing this today lol 😁 😁

Aces High

(56) Latts Razzi [YV-666 Light Freighter]
(6) Jabba the Hutt
(10) Han Solo
(2) Contraband Cybernetics
(1) Marksmanship
Points: 75

Total points: 75

Any time "initiative doesn't matter" the incredible flexibility of Echo's positioning is really tempting. Stealth Device, or Afterburners? Getting a Boost onto a bendy-decloaking Phantom is probably going to be really sweet.

//

That said... Koshka Frost with 0-0-0 or a generic Bounty Hunter with Maul both would fit. BH with Maul is something I was already thinking about for 75 point Aces High. Add "initiative doesn't matter" and it'd probably be really sweet. You've got a strong attack, a tonne of health, and are surprisingly maneuverable, with passive mods.

@synel - yes, if you roll a focus at the start of the planning phase you're forced to decloak. Graz is obviously looking to get behind something. I'd be looking to use the decloak to help him do that. Not sure how easy it would be to pull off in practice, but if there are multiple ships in the board might not be too bad. Decloak + afterburners would let him close ground *very* quickly. He still gets his bonus die with the ion missiles I believe. My thought was that could help you stay behind a ship once in good position.

Anakin Skywalker (Y-Wing) (55)
Adv. Proton Torpedoes (5)
R2 Astromech (5)
Afterburners (6)

Ship total: 71 Half Points: 36 Threshold: 4


Total: 71

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Galactic Republic&d=v8ZsZ200Z359XWW134WW2WW105&sn=Unnamed Squadron&obs=

This is my go-to; sprinkle to taste with a turret or bomb and use those burners to get in, drop 5 hits on some poor sod, run away to reload and regen at the same time, then come back in and do it again.

I have never played Aces high, is something like Scum Fenn or Sun Fac too fragile to play this style?

@Archangelspiv - I've only played a handful of times, but my take on it would be 'no - fragile doesn't really matter'. When you're destroyed you just respawn and come right back in the next round. I've had moments, especially when I've run out of charges, where I've wanted to be destroyed. Respawning can help positionally as well. The only downsides are if you're destroyed before you get to shoot, and the fact that someone else is scoring points by destroying you.

I ended up trying my Ashoka build in game 1 and Han for fun in game 2. Definitely learned the lesson that aces high is a different kind of x-wing: it’s not about conserving points, it’s about throwing all you have into offense/bonus attacks. My Ahsoka did well in causing damage and staying alive, but taking two-three turns to run away for a better approach was wasteful in a 7 person game. I should have turned in, done as much as I could, been destroyed, and respawned earlier so I had a better chance of scooping up more bounty points.

Han was quite a bit of fun. But I was stuck with native rolls most of the one. And those usually ended up with just one hit and then a bunch of focus or blanks. I didn’t hit the good side of the 50% of red dice at all, haha!

i think that Miranda would be quite useful-you can really lock off some space and project a lot of threat with this build.

Miranda Doni (40)
Adv. Proton Torpedoes (5)
Homing Missiles (5)
Veteran Turret Gunner (9)
Sabine Wren (3)
Proton Bombs (5)
Cluster Mines (8)

Given that the clusters can stick around, you can project some "set and forget" danger. Plus, if someone hits a single cluster mine, you can pick them up with a Sabine tractor and move them into the others IIRC.

12 hours ago, Npmartian said:

Plus, if someone hits a single cluster mine, you can pick them up with a Sabine tractor and move them into the others IIRC.

Except Sabine only works with bombs, not mines, which is a pity...

4 hours ago, xanatos135 said:

Except Sabine only works with bombs, not mines, which is a pity...

Oh, bother. Well, protons with sabine is still mighty punishing.