After playing the game for a bit I decided to rank the unique pilots, partly to give my incite to others and also to see other's opinions. Pilots will be graded on Maneuverability, Stats/Abilities, Upgrades, and Squad cohesion. I will be ranking both the rebels and the imperials side by side.

UPDATE: Fixed TIE-Advanced/TIE maneuverability. Fixed a miscalculation with Garven Dreis's overall. Reviewed my rating on Luke Skywalker.

UPDATE 2.0: Reviewed my rating on Howlrunner.

(M) Maneuverability:

This is my way of gauging how effective the movement dial will be for this unit. Of course there will be overlap here as there is several unique pilots for a single type of ship. This is also graded on a scale, meaning this is sure to change once the A-Wing and Interceptor come out, and there will be much more variance here once there are more model types to choose from.

(S/A) Stats/Abilities:

Self explanatory, when combining the inherent stats of the vehicle and the unique pilot ability how effective is the pilot?

(U) Upgrades:

The Upgrades available to this pilot, and more importantly how well this pilot can use the upgrades available to it.

(SC) Squad Cohesion:

A combination of all the prior grades. How does everything this pilot has to offer effect squad building positively? Does this pilot help out his fleet, does he make it better? This is also weighted heavily by the pilot's point cost, and how well of a squad you can build including this pilot.

1. Darth Vader

Highly maneuverable with the Tie-Advanced, Darth Vader is a must for most Imperial builds. His special ability of two actions a turn is devastating, and with missiles he has the best combination of upgrade options in the game. His high pilot talent paired with Swarm tactics makes some of his TIE-fighters outright dangerous. The only gripe with him is beyond that he doesn't do much else to make the other TIEs better (They're great already) and has low attack value (Offset by Cluster Missiles).

M: 4.5
S/A: 4.5
U: 5
SC: 4

Overall: 4.5

2. Wedge Antillies

Wedge is the best Rebel pilot, and rightfully so. He packs firepower where it's greatly needed against high agility imperials. He has the great astromechs as upgrades too, and is probably one of two rebel pilots who are worth using proton torpedoes. Wedge’s biggest problem is his survivability for his points, he can go down quickly against an Imperial swarm. Also he doesn’t necessarily do much for the other ships in his fleet, but regardless is much needed as in this game he is the designated TIE killer.

M: 4.0
S/A: 5.0
U: 5.0
SC: 4.0

Overall: 4.5

3. Dutch Vander

Dutch in my opinion has some of the best cohesion among any of the unique pilots in the game. His ability to share his target lock in the activation phase makes the undermanned rebel fleet very efficient in action usage. The Ion cannon is the best upgrade in the game thus far. His biggest issue is his maneuverability, which once you get into position for an initial shot is offset by the Ion cannon’s 360 firing arc.

M: 3.0
S/A: 4.5
U: 5.0
SC: 5.0

Overall: 4.4

4. Biggs Darklighter

Biggs is the tank of the rebel force, making the opponents focus fire on him. With careful positioning he could really allow the rebels to last which seems to be their problem when going against swarms. His downfall is that his ability makes him a quick kill if not played correctly. Keeping him at long range with an R2-F2 astromech is sometimes a must, where the only alternative is an R2-D2 to help him recover his shields.

M: 4.0
S/A: 4.5
U: 3.5
SC: 5.0

Overall: 4.3

5. Backstabber

The unique Imperial pilots just aren’t as good as the Rebels, but with due cause. They’re all about efficient swarms, and Backstabber may be one of the few unique TIEs that can make it into one of the bigger swarms. He is 4 pts more than an academy pilot, and is one of the few TIE fighters that can do consistent damage to X-Wings with some smart maneuvering. He has no upgrades, but you can’t hold that against the TIE fighters as that’s not what they’re about and has not been factored into the grading process because of it.

M: 5.0
S/A: 4.0
U: N/A
SC: 4

Overall: 4.3

6. Night Beast

Another low cost Imperial Pilot. In my opinion when using the unique imperial pilots those who cost the least and still have unique abilities are by far the most effective. Night Beast with proper maneuvering can be as hard to take down as Lord Vader. He fits the TIE style in being hard to hit. To put Night Beast into perspective, for 3 points more than an academy pilot you gain 4 levels in pilot skill, and the ability to focus and evade in the same activation phase. The only reason Backstabber is graded higher than Night Beast is because damage is at a higher premium for the imperials.

M: 5.0
S/A: 4.0
U: N/A
SC: 4

Overall: 4.3

7. Dark Curse

Another one of my favorite TIE pilots. Efficiency!!! For 4 points more than an Academy Pilot you get 5 levels of pilot skill, and the ability to prevent an opponent from using focus or target locks to reroll dice on you! It’s hard to hate on this pilot for 16 points, and it’s really difficult to choose Night Beast over him. Very close.

M: 5.0
S/A: 4
U: N/A
SC : 4

Overall: 4.3

8. Howlrunner

Howlrunner isn’t a bad pilot, but she is getting to be a little pricey for a regular TIE pilot. It’s difficult to grade her because on one aspect her ability is all about squad cohesion, but her point value for TIE swarms indicates otherwise.

M: 5.0
S/A: 4.0
U: N/A
SC: 4.0

Overall: 4.3

9. Garven Dreis

Garven is one of the more underrated rebel pilots in my honest opinion. He finds his way onto most of my builds, as I believe he has great squad cohesion. The ability to give a focus token is great, but is only hampered by his lower pilot skill that won’t allow friendly higher skilled characters to both target lock AND focus in the same turn. Because of this I almost always play an elite pilot with swarm tactics.

M: 4.0
S/A: 4.0
U: 3.5
SC: 4.5

Overall: 4.0

10. Mauler Mithel

Mauler is terrifying to go against in the hands of a good pilot. He’s pricey for TIE teams though, and chances are in “range 1” even if he gets off the first shot, the Rebel shields will help them survive and retaliate which is never good in close range for a TIE fighter. His biggest downfall is that he is too expensive, and you can save 6 pts (Half of an Academy Pilot) and possibly get an extra ship by not using him.

M: 5.0
S/A: 3.5
U: N/A
SC: 3.5

Overall: 3.9

11. Luke Skywalker

It pains me to do this to Luke, but he suffers from a humongous issue for the Rebels…he costs too much. For 1 point more you can get Wedge Antillies, the best Rebel pilot in the game. Granted paired with R2-D2 or R2-F2 he is harder to take down, but now you’re talking about a ship that is costing you 31-32 pts. He has little cohesion with his other rebel pilots as his ability helps only himself. I’d love to see a more advanced Luke in later sets, because as a fan this Luke is pretty disappointing to me.

M: 4.
S/A: 4 .0
U: 4
SC: 3.0

Overall: 3.8

12. Winged Gundark

This pilot’s ability just isn’t that good. With 2 attack dice it won’t trigger often, and at 15 points you could get Night Beast instead. Pass.

M: 5.0
S/A: 3.0
U: N/A
SC: 3.0

Overall: 3.6

13. Horton Salm

Similar to Skywalker, Horton is just too expensive for what he does. With the ion cannon (Auto include) he is 30 pts. The issue with this is the ion cannon alone can not do enough damage to win you a game, so you almost have to throw on a torpedo or two to make him be able to damage, and you better hope he hits with them as it’s another 4-8 points down the drain. Luckily his unique ability is great, but otherwise I’d go with Dutch or a generic Y-Wing as they are far more efficient options.

M: 3.0
S/A: 4.0
U: 5.0
SC: 2.0

Overall : 3.5

14. Maarek Steele

For 2 points more you can get the best pilot in the game, so please just pick Vader instead. He has an ability that triggers off of the attack dice rolling a crit. Unlike say Backstabber who bumps up your attack pool. You’re paying A LOT of points for this guy, no squad cohesion. My least favorite pilot in the game.

M: 4.5
S/A: 2
U: 4
SC: 1

Overall: 2.9

Howlrunner is female.

I don't think Dark Curse should be rated higher than Howlrunner and Mauler Mithel. Dark curse can be hard to kill, but he doesn't do any extra killing himself and doesn't help out the rest of the team.

I think I like Mauler Mithel better than Howrunner too just because Howlrunner's ability doesn't seem to come up as often as I'd like. That might just be me though.

The most important factor that you did not consider is the cost of the pilot.

I actually did consider cost of pilot. In the individual writeups I speak of cost directly correlating to squad cohesion, which is why in response to the first Shadowjak Dark Curse is rated higher than Howlrunner. Also I'm away Howlrunner is a female, but in the constant stream of writing this I made a slip up.

ShadowJak said:

And as a more direct response to you…the most effective tournament builds for Imperials thus for in my eyes is as many ships as possible. Dark Curse is cheaper, and could fit in a 6 ship build at 100 pts with a beefed up Vader. So if Dark Curse can survive, that's one more out of 6 ships streaming constant fire on the rebels. The Imperials really aren't about getting more firepower, they are about overwhelming in numbers. Dark Curse's lower point value allows that.

I'll also do a more in depth comparison between Mauler and Howlrunner. In my experiences Howlrunner with a Vader/cluster missiles/marksmanship is straight up lethal.

a tie fighter can manuver better then a tie advance…. I also think your not looking at all the possibilities with the xwing pilots. Horton isnt designed for Ion cannon, hes designed to one hit a tie and severly damage it or destroy it. Twice. I aggree Ywings arent very good and usuaully requite ion cannons…

I actually didnt see this thread before making my thread lol. Ive killed vader sooooo many times with a 1v1 with Wedge and vader, then again Vader has crippled Wedge a few times using missles and marksmenship. however he usually jut takes down the sheilds which get reenergized from r2d2 a 33-33 point game and my money is on Wedge.

I'll adjust the maneuverability. And I know what Horton is used for. I have used him and had fun with him. He's just way too expensive and there are better options than him. I'd rather have another unique pilot than him and possibly field another ship.

Youve also got to remember Luke is one of the best pilots aswell (my top three are Wedge Vader and luke) I mean he can get a free focus every time he defends (you can defend more then once per round) This guy is hard to kill and doesnt have to sacrifice an action to get the ability, AND gets taht free focus ability thing when he red moves…. you can also outfit Luke with a little more then your average rebel (r2 astromech for more diverse manuvers and expert handling without the worry of losing your defense)

Interesting idea SuperSoldier, and you've clearly put quite a bit of time and effort into this write-up.

If I can offer just a couple of (hopefully constructive) criticisms… (and I'll preface my comments by pointing out that my play experience is almost exclusively as Rebels against Imperials, as my bastard housemate will only play if I let him have Vader and his homies. I really want to play Imps )

First off, I'd like to see your S/C or S/A rating take better account of synergies within the game engine. I've found through playing this game that synergies and unit buffs/debuffs are one of the best ways to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of a squadron. I think you used the word "cohesion" to describe what I'm calling synergy - are we talking about the same thing? Anyway, I've recently been playing Warmahordes, and synergy is absolutely critical in that game so it's habit for me to build armies (whatever system I'm playing) with synergies in mind. This game really rewards clever list-building in this regard…

Secondly, I don't quite understand why you've ranked the TIE Advanced as having a higher Maneuverability score than the standard TIE fighter. The standard TIE has 2 K-turn options, and can turn more sharply at speed 1, it has the same total number of green maneuvers and one more option available over the Advanced. Could you explain your reasoning regarding this?

In fact, closer inspection of the move charts reveals that if you don't count the "Barrel Roll" action, the X-Wing is slightly more maneuverable than the TIE Advanced (x-wing can do green 1 straight), though the TIE Ad. can go a bit quicker due to it's white 5 straight.

Finally, there are a couple of Imperial pilots with access to Elite Skills upgrade cards - Howlrunner and Mauler can both use these - and this opens up a large number of tricks, combos and synergies. Mauler with Marksmanship is f*cking brutal (especially when other TIEs have softened up his targets first) - I hate facing him . And Howlrunner can use Swarm Tactics to make better use of her ability to beef up attacks nearby thanks to her unique skill. If you update this ranking at any point, I'd recommend taking this type of thing into account.

My own thoughts…

The TIE Advanced suffers from a high cost and no additional offensive value (beyond your one-shot missile upgrade). So Vader with missiles is 33 points, and once he's blown his load, his offensive output is only a little better than an Academy Pilot TIE Fighter (he can lock-on for rerolls, and focus for focus - still a maximum of 3 damage per turn at Range 1 though). Compare that with Wedge with Artoo for the same points, and I'm not sure who comes out on top…

With regard to Wedge vs. Luke, I'm not sure there's that much difference between them. They both cost a freaking fortune, and are only 1 Pilot Skill difference, while they both have access to all the same upgrades and Elite Skills. Basically the main difference is that Luke lasts longer and Wedge hits harder - they can both buff their squadron with Swarm Tactics (or maybe Squad Leader). The only enemy pilot where their pilot skill will count is Vader.

I'd actually argue that Luke (with R2D2) is often a better choice than Wedge, as his extra resilience counts for more when outnumbered (which we righteous Rebs usually are!). That said, Wedge can use his greater hitting power to even the odds early in the game, so maybe it's moot.

Anyway, I'm curious to see what others have to say regarding their experience, so I'll be following this thread

T = Target Lock
F = Focus
Attack vs. Defense

Vader vs. Wedge
2TF vs. 2 is 1.144 damage a turn

Wedge vs. Vader
3F vs. 2 is 1.531 damage a turn

Wedge Wins when it comes to a shoot out at range 2 with no evading from Vader.

With evades it looks like:

Vader vs. Wedge
2F vs. 2 is 0.850 damage a turn

Wedge vs. Vader
3F vs. 2E is 0.692 damage a turn

Vader wins if he Evades and Focuses every turn at range 2.

just_chris said:

Awesome reply thanks. First of the cohesion I speak of is more along the lines of squad building. For instance I know like others noted that Luke for instance can use the game engine and different upgrades to make him an effective unit, though in the aspect of building a complete squad I feel that Luke doesn't offer much to make the /other/ rebel pilots better. While I noted Wedge doesn't really do it either, I could really throw Wedge out there with no upgrades and he'll more than make up his points. The Squad cohesion also takes the point cost/point return into account, which maybe for others I haven't made too clear. For instance I rated Horton relatively low because well even with proton torpedoes that's a 34 point unit that at best will be able to shoot down a 12 point academy pilot in several shots. The cohesion is really how effective the rest of your squad can be in a 100 pt. setting with them part of it.

Luke's focus light isn't too useful in my opinion as it only changes one die. I've seen him used well with R2-D2. But Wedge with just swarm tactics, and say Dutch and Garven at his side is so much more effective and less points. Just my viewpoint on it.

The TIE advanced/TIE fighter maneuverability was a mess up as I'm sure there is several (That's why I post, to help me refine everything). I have to fix it, and will most likely do so tomorrow and redo the calculations accordingly.

Lastly for Vader. The Cluster missiles are a one off, like the proton torpedoes, but the return you get on them is SO much better. Plus, once they're gone Vader is still super efficient. Giving him an evade and marksmanship action every turn makes him a terror. Here are some sample matches with Vader against a standard Rebel squad….

Imperial swarm flies up. Marksmanship, cluster missiles on the biggest X-Wing threat (Biggs or Wedge most likely). Imperial Swarm follows, you're down one X-wing.

ShadowJak said:

As Vader in a 1 on 1 fight against Wedge I'd surely spam Evades to neutralize his ability. I mean then again I feel like there are few circumstances where I've ever seen a 100 pt match come down to just Vader and Wedge at full shields and hull. I also feel I've made it apparent I've graded how well the pilots work in a squad not in a duel. I think it's better to look at the pilots that way with the game being based on squad based dogfights.

SuperSoldier said:

I totally agree. What I posted doesn't even take into account barrel roll which can be much more powerful than evade depending on who has initiative.

Interesting topic. I don't agree with a lot of how you ranked them, but that's just personal feelings on how much I like particular fighters. I'm happy you ranked the underapprecciated Dark Curse well. You do have one major flaw in your system though, in my opinion. If you're going to compare Rebels and Imps in the same group, you can't really give Vader a 5 on upgrades, as he is clearly more limited than any of the Rebels in this regard. But that's just me.

ShadowJak said:

My opinion on Barrel Roll is that it's the most valuable action in the game. It has seemed to be the key element of most of my victories.

The upgrade rating isn't necessarily those available to you, but how well that pilot can utilize them. For instance Wedge and Luke have the same available upgrades, but Wedge gets a better score as he is one of the few pilots who can utilize proton torpedoes effectively. Vader's isn't just the cluster missiles (Second best secondary weapon in the game) but also his action economy in how he can fully utilize some upgrades that require extra actions like marksmanship.

And I'm glad you pointed out how there are those who have favorites, and it's all skewed based on taste. It's a testament to how deep this game is already (And the possibilities it has moving forward).

ShadowJak said:

Aaaand after fixing the screw up with TIE-Advanced being awarded the best mobility (Which I mixed up with TIE Fighter) Vader is actually graded the same overall as Wedge. I still gave Vader the 1 spot because more often than not he may have initiative due to the Empire being given it in a tie.

I guess it's time for a series of battles. 'Showdown at High Orbit' between Wedge and Vader.

There's a couple issues I have with these ratings. First off, if you're going to use this system going forward, y-wings would need a maneuverability rating lower than 3 considering they will be below average compared to future ships. Second, there is no way Howlrunner should be ranked lower than dark curse and night beast. You gave him a SC of 3.5 when he has one of the best squad based abilities in the game. Having all your ships within range 1 re-rolling an attack is huge. I would also put mauler Mithel above dark curse and night beast as well, I really don't think you've given enough weight to pilot skill and how important it is.

I have no problem taking constructive criticism if you don't misread my post. In the Maneuverability description I say it's graded on a scale and is pending future releases. Plus the rating is also how positively or negatively their maneuverability will impact them. I can't see Dutch losing out on too many points when the new ships come out because he'll never be using anything besides the ion cannon. Horton on the other hand will be vastly overcosted for just using the ion cannon, and will still need his firing arc for his torpedoes. It takes more than just plain old maneuverability into account.

And we can agree to disagree for now on the TIE pilots. I've already made adjustments to the list and see myself doing so going forward. But once again please read my entire post. lol. I specifically said Howlrunner's ability is all about Squad cohesion but her point value isn't. She really deters from having large TIE swarms out on the field because she is quite expensive, which is why Dark Curse and Night Beast are ranked higher. Maybe I can go back and see if I undergraded her S/A score, but the SC score of 3.5 fits because of his point cost.

Edit: Yea I honestly don't see the big issue with Howlrunner. I graded it one spot above Garven Dreis I believe, whom I said is one of my favorite Rebel pilots. Like one of the above posters said, there are going to be disagreements as people have favorite pilots. I'm objectively grading them which is a difficult task to do and please everyone as the game can be played with even the worst of pilots and still be won. It's not like a card or board game, it takes skill and experience with your particular pilot. I'm sure someone could make an effective squad with Maarek Steel, and I absolutely can't stand him.

I'm pretty sure in tournaments, faction doesn't matter.

ShadowJak said:

Care to elaborate Shadowjak as to what this is in response of? Not sure how to answer it but yes there is the possibility of rebels vs. rebels in tournaments.

SuperSoldier said:

I didn't want to create another wall of quotes for people to scroll though.

In a previous comment, you said that the Imps had initiative over the rebs. That isn't the case in tournaments when both teams are at 100pts. No matter what the factions, the players need to flip a coin to determine initiative.

ShadowJak said:

Oh true. I wish FFG released some official tournament rules though as at this point there's nothing else for players to go by but the core rulebook for competitive play.

SuperSoldier said:

Here we go with another wall.

There are tournament rules. They released them as a PDF somewhere on the site. I have them downloaded to my computer.