Sometimes I have an idea that I can't make work, no matter how much I want it too. I'm trying to turn the YT-1300 into a Dodge Tank -- make it not only frustrating because of its directional flexibility (and possibly the inclusion of Marksmanship, but more likely PTL) but then augment its absurd durability by ratcheting up its maneuverability. I've gone over the cards and I keep coming back to the same rough concept:

* Nien Nunb, to help remove Stress

* Millenium Falcon, to grant the Dodge Action

* Push the Limit, to guarantee Dodge + Focus as needed to convert rolls

* Stealth Device, if I'm feeling really ballsy and think it'll last more than 2 rounds (otherwise is it worth the 4 points?)

I want to then pair my Falcon with what I'm certain is a stock combination at this point, but it just occured to me today: Dutch Vander & Weapons Engineer would grant 3 target locks with no expenditure from the YT-1300, as long as Dutch acquires a lock. Given that my opponent consistently runs a TIE Swarm, having only those two ships isn't entirely unreasonable. I'll then outfit the Y-Wing with the required Ion Turret and the rest is comparatively simple but the main question is:

Will it work? Is a YT-1300 Dodge Tank viable?

Sounds great in theory. I'd like to see a little practice, though. I might try it out this week if I get in a game and let you know what I think. I assume the Weapons Engineer is on the Falcon and you didn't forget that Y-wings can't have crew, right? Also, which YT-1300 pilot are you using?

Another thought is giving it an Engine Upgrade. Boosting the large ship can really help escape fire arcs.

I have also been wondering if there is a good, viable way to run the YT-1300 with Upgrades without losing a battle almost immediately due to the points my opponent would get from destroying the YT. To clarify things a bit more, would you only be running those two ships in your build? Who would be Piloting the YT-1300, the Outer Rim Smuggler or one of the named Pilots? Would your YT-1300 survive long enough to destroy a swarm of TIE Fighters? How good are you at rolling the dice?

Team,

Thanks for the initial replies. In answer to the questions at hand:

The YT-1300 will be piloted by none other than Han Solo himself; this will give me the re-roll ability I'd normally rely on a Gunner for; that, coupled with the Target Lock function of Dutch nearly guarantees two hits per round from the Falcon's 3 guns; it also raises the question around swapping out PTL for Marksmanship, as being able to convert Focus is strong, but, having the Focus & Dodge is equally solid, so I see a lot of synergy there.

Dutch will run a full load of torpedoes, R5-D8, a Shield Booster (5 Hull, 4 Shield) and of course, an Ion Cannon. While there is no special effect for smacking TIEs with an Ion Cannon, the truth is the point of damage is worthwhile as well as denying them their maneuverability while they get tatooed with the main guns. I know that it sounds insane to only field two craft, but the combination of tactical denial, the constant target lock threat, and a 2 die, auto-dodging YT-1300 make me think that I can over power most Imperial Squadrons with sheer force.

Awaiting your further thoughts on the matter.

The Falcon takes a very large beating, but there's no good way to get its Agility up.

I think the most effective defensive gimmick list would include Biggs.

Biggs with a Stealth Device and R2-F2 has 4 Agility and your opponent is forced to attack him.

There also ways to get him Focus tokens, or give him an extra action to Focus via Squad Leader, Lando, etc.

Forcing your opponent to attack a ship with 4 Agility (5 at Range 3) with 2 Focus tokens every turn is amusing. You can do a Shield Upgrade and R2-D2 instead for more consistency, but you'd be more vulnerable to incoming damage per turn.

If you use the remaining points to put defensive capabilities on the Falcon, it will take a very long time to defeat, especially if they need to take Biggs out first.

This tactic might be more effective when including cheaper ships with low Agility to get more activations and attack dice on the table (like B-Wings).

I haven't tried it in actual play yet as I usually play Imperials, but Biggs might be effective at absorbing attacks from TIE swarms.

@Toggle; that's... absurd. That would have never occured to me. So you're adventing side-stepping the dodge-tank on the Falcon per se, but setting up a similar trap that forces the bad guys to spray aimlessly at a constantly weaving X-Wing with 3 guns just in case someone is dumb enough to get into his 90o firing arc. Let me go assemble that and let you know what it looks like.

Thanks! I'll make this "V 2.01."

I know we're getting away from the Falcon, but I like Biggs. It's a lot of point investment on pure defense, but it's worth looking into.

I just went over Wave 3 ships and Kyle Katarn with Squad Leader can also grant Biggs two Focus Tokens. If you include Garven Dreis, you can get a third after Garven activates.

I might have to test the following list once my Wave 3 arrives:

Biggs + Stealth Device + R2-F2

Kyle Katarn + Squad Leader

Garven Dreis

20 additional points

So this particular combination works like this:

As long as they're within Range 1, it just gets insane. First, the setup:

Lando Calrissian

Squad Leader

Nien Numb, Luke Skywalker

Assault Missiles

Stealth Device

Biggs Darklighter

R2-F2

Proton Torpedoes

Stealth Device

Watch this, it'll be funny.

Lando; executes a Green Maneuver (any straight line and others) and gives a Focus Token to Biggs. Squad Leader; another Focus Token given to Biggs. Biggs uses R2-F2 to gain agility. Now in fact, Biggs gets 2 Focus Tokens as Toggle suggests, 4 Dodge Dice, and 3 guns. As long as he remains in Range 1, he draws all fire, and Lando uses the main guns & Luke Skywalker to rip everyone else apart.

I wouldn't want to make the tactical error that separates them since Biggs would be comparatively defenseless. This is a much more distance reliant setup, but it will very effectively protect the YT-1300. There's also 2 points left over, which I'll likely make Advanced Torpedoes when they're available.

What other thoughts do you have team? I like both builds -- my original and Toggle's. What other ways can we amplify the survivability of the Falcon?

I think Biggs is getting focused down in a single round against a TIE swarm, and then you only have one ship.

@WonderWAAAGH -- Biggs does get two tokens at Range 1 from Lando; one from Lando himself, one from Squad Leader. That's the high comedy.

I edited my post several times, after I saw Squad Leader. Unless I'm mistaken, however, a single ship cannot take the same action more than once in a single turn.

I never had to think about this before now, but what happens when a TIE is at range 3, and Biggs is behind (out of range)? Disregard, re-read after eating.

I'm going to actually run this list for testing once I get an HWK:

Biggs + Stealth + R2-F2

Kyle + Squad Leader + Moldy Crow + Recon Specialist

Wedge + Proton Torpedoes + Push the Limit + Engine Upgrade

Move in formation. Kyle feeds Biggs a Focus every turn to absorb hits. Every other turn, Kyle can make Biggs perform an additional Focus action. Wedge starts picking off ships with the ability to use Focus and Target Lock with -1 Agility on the target. Once Biggs drops, Kyle starts feeding Wedge Focus tokens.

Biggs is one good path to protecting the Falcon, but if you want to make the Falcon a "Dodge Tank", then here's another option. Go with Expert Handling so you can roll, and this will also help against all the wave 3 heavy weapons, by getting rid of a target lock. You may also want to take the engine upgrade. Repositioning will be more valuable to you then a high agility. With 360 firing arc and going on PS 9 you will be able to see the field and find a good spot. Not getting shot is way better then trying to dodge the hits.

I never had to think about this before now, but what happens when a TIE is at range 3, and Biggs is behind (out of range)? Does the shot fail? Does the range extend?

I edited my last post, again. See page 9 of the rulebook: "A ship cannot perform the same action more than once during a single game round (not even when the action is a 'free action')."

Let's max this out and see what we have:

Han Solo (46) + PTL (3) + Stealth (3) + MF (1) + Nien Numb (1) = 54 points

Dutch Vander (23) + Ion Turret (5) + two Proton Torpedoes (8) + Shield Upgrade (4) + R5-D8 (3) = 43 points

Here how I would fly against this squad:

Typical TIE Swarm

• Howlrunner w/PTL + Stealth (24 pts)
• Obsidian Squadron Pilot x 4 (52 pts)
• Academy Pilot x 2 (24 pts)

I would fly in a formation that brings maximum guns to bear on Dutch first and Howlrunner in the back, within range 1 of around 3-5 other TIEs (while keeping her out of range or at worst range 3 in the first attack round). Han takes Focus + Evade and has the stealth device, but is not my first target - Dutch, by taking the Target Lock I KNOW he will take, is left with an Agility of 1 against my swarm.

Han shoots with 3 dice, has a TL and a focus (but doesn't want to use the focus in case I attack him). His odds of getting three hits through on a TIE that has either evade or focus (and thus killing the TIE) are 4.3% and 0.0% respectively (since an evade token automatically cancels one even if I roll blanks). So your best chance of killing a TIE outright is to get crits through and hope one of them is a double damage - not great odds (7 of the 33 cards are double damage, and you have to hit me with a crit first). If Dutch took his TL on the same TIE, he could shoot his first Proton Torpedo at it, which has a decent chance of finishing off the TIE - and finishes your attacking for that round.

(You could also take both of your shots on Howlrunner, of course - but with as much protection as she'd have with focus, evade, range 3, and stealth device, she'll almost surely live through the experience but decent odds she'd lose her stealth device.)

On the flip side, I likely have six ships left, at least 2-4 within range of Howlrunner's ability, and likely 4-6 that have a shot on the Y-Wing. I would take a focus on all of my TIEs that round, and have Howlrunner re-rolling dice on several ships. Statistically I am getting two hits on you from two of my ships and a hit on you from most of the others since you have no defense other than one green die. So Dutch is either dead or close to it.

After that, it becomes a game of action denial. Y-Wings and stressed YTs are pretty predictable, so the swarm gets in your way so you can't TL and PTL becomes useless. Han is certainly still quite a threat, but unless the dice are swingy in your direction he's not killing a TIE every turn. Dutch can't get his other Proton Torpedo off without taking a TL (which I'll make sure he can't) so he's stuck taking an Ion Turret shot in what will almost surely be his last round of combat assuming he is still alive.

So, all things considered you're probably facing a swarm with 5 healthy TIEs including Howlrunner or six TIEs with an injured Howlrunner against Han Solo who I'm going to make darn sure can't take advantage of PTL or the MF title card's powers. Stripping the stealth off of him will take a round, and his shields likely go down or close to it in the same combat round. By then my swarm is probably out of formation, but it's looking pretty bad for Han with his single agility.

Even if your dice get REALLY lucky and mine don't, I'll take a swarm against this squad any day of the week. In a tournament, killing that Y-Wing means I can lose three TIEs and still get a modified win, and I feel pretty good about my chances of finishing off Han pretty quick afterwards. Two ships, no matter how powerful or well built, are still only two ships - meaning only two shots max per turn. Even if you make those shots count EVERY TIME (which statistically you won't), you'll have a tough time against squads with a lot of ships and guns - especially when both of your ships have agility of 1.

Han is awesome, but I'd make sure to give him two wingmen every time. More targets, hopefully higher agility like X-Wings, and more high powered shots to help even the odds and take a few of the swarm out before they overwhelm.

Hmm. Since that would be a rules exploitation, it is not viable. I may stick with Build 1 (Dodge Tank YT-1300, Dutch Vander), but I will have plenty of opportunity to test both. I like the combination of Dodge/Aggression from the Dutch/Solo combination. Also, the reason I don't use Assault Missiles is because his Swarm is divided into three Wings -- it hasn't proven worthwhile yet.

@ManOnAWire -- a comprehensive and compelling post. If I could +1 it, I would.

I think it's less of an exploitation than it is outright illegal.

Even with 3 smaller swarms, I would still consider some Assault Missiles. Tycho with PtL is never a bad thing, and with a second missile carrier you could do some real damage to one or more of the mini-swarms. I know you're keen on the idea of a tank build, but red dice remain objectively better than green dice in this game. "You're not playing the odds, friend."

Hmm. I will investigate an A-Wing Assault build. That could be interesting. But I hate the 2 guns the A-Wing carries, it always seems to get beaten out (consistently) by the dodge dice of the TIEs.

Tycho with PtL is [almost] like a Rebel version of Vader, and I love me some Vader with missiles.

If Biggs is out of range, they can target the Falcon as normal.

I edited my last post, again. See page 9 of the rulebook: "A ship cannot perform the same action more than once during a single game round (not even when the action is a 'free action')."

Perform an action and spend a token are two different things and occur at different times. Performing an action occurs during the action phase while spending the token (focus token) would occur during the combat phase. Thus you can have two focus tokens given you did not perform two actions to get them (Dreis passes a token while Lando allows for a free action) and spend them both at your choosing during the combat phase.

Sometimes I have an idea that I can't make work, no matter how much I want it too. I'm trying to turn the YT-1300 into a Dodge Tank -- make it not only frustrating because of its directional flexibility (and possibly the inclusion of Marksmanship, but more likely PTL) but then augment its absurd durability by ratcheting up its maneuverability. I've gone over the cards and I keep coming back to the same rough concept:

* Nien Nunb, to help remove Stress

* Millenium Falcon, to grant the Dodge Action

* Push the Limit, to guarantee Dodge + Focus as needed to convert rolls

* Stealth Device, if I'm feeling really ballsy and think it'll last more than 2 rounds (otherwise is it worth the 4 points?)

I want to then pair my Falcon with what I'm certain is a stock combination at this point, but it just occured to me today: Dutch Vander & Weapons Engineer would grant 3 target locks with no expenditure from the YT-1300, as long as Dutch acquires a lock. Given that my opponent consistently runs a TIE Swarm, having only those two ships isn't entirely unreasonable. I'll then outfit the Y-Wing with the required Ion Turret and the rest is comparatively simple but the main question is:

Will it work? Is a YT-1300 Dodge Tank viable?

Haven't read the whole thread yet, so apologies if this was a typo or pointed out, but Stealth Device is THREE points.

I'm going to actually run this list once I get an HWK:

Biggs + Stealth + R2-F2

Kyle + Squad Leader + Shield

Wedge + R5-K6 + Proton Torpedoes + Push the Limit + Engine Upgrade

Move in formation. Kyle feeds Biggs 2 Focus every turn to absorb hits. Wedge starts picking off ships with the ability to use Focus and Target Lock with -1 Agility on the target. Once Biggs drops, Kyle starts feeding Wedge Focus tokens.

How is Kyle giving Biggs two Focus tokens here? Squad leader is an action, so Kyle doesn't get to Focus. If he does Focus and passes it to Biggs, and Biggs also Focuses, then R2-F2 is wasted points since he is also an Action.