Hey everybody!

So, my first X-Wing tournament is this Saturday, and I'm still trying to nail down a list. The two I'm kicking around are as follows:

Krassis and the Captive
------------------------------
Krassis Trelix (Firespray) + Autoblaster + Rebel Captive
Avenger Squadron Pilot (TIE Int)

Alpha Squadron Pilot (TIE Int)
Alpha Squadron Pilot (TIE Int)

My thinking here is the Firespray will be able to tank a bit for me, re-rolling a die on the autoblaster, and I won't have to worry about pesky evade die. The Rebel Captive will, of course, make him a slightly less appealing target (or at least a punishing one)

I opted to go with Interceptors instead of TIE Fighters for the added punch-per-attack, but I'm a little concerned with the low pilot skill across the board...

or

Wedge of Cheese
----------------------
Wedge Antilles (X-Wing) + Swarm Tactics + R2-D2

Rookie Pilot (X-Wing)
Rookie Pilot (X-Wing)
Rebel Operative (Hawk) + Blaster Turret + Recon Specialist

Wedge + Swarm Tactics to make sure two of the X-Wings are shooting early and concentrating their fire on targets that need to die sooner rather than later.

I decided against a 4th X-Wing in favor of a Hawk. With the Blaster Turret and Recon Specialist, my intent here is to put flexible, accurate wherever it needs to be without worrying quite as much about positioning.

Anyway, that's my rationale. I'm sure some of it is boneheaded and/or the result of inexperience in competitive play, so please, tear me a new one! Thoughts? Suggestions? Modifications?

i honestly would replace the blaster turret with an ion turret, that way you are setting up a kill for the three xwings. Just my two cents though.

I had one similar to the Rebel one you have listed, but he ran Gavin instead and most of his guys had focus all the time. Pretty much tore me apart.

i agree hwk with ion cannon is pretty good. that 360 firing arc id very good against enemy B-Wings which have a nasty habbit of barrel rolling out of firing arcs at close range.

For reference also try:

Wedge + R2 + PtL

Rookie x2

Rebel Operative + Ion Turret + Chewie

the Imperial squadron is a little harder to tweak. The INTs are glass cannons and are probably going to get targeted first, so I don't know that you need recon specialist on Krassis as a deterrent. I tried to fit in 2x Saber w/ PtL, + Krassis w/ autoblaster, but then that leaves you at 89 points.

Here is a wonky variant with two Firesprays (100 points)

Krassis + Autoblaster + Seismic charge

Bounty Hunter

Saber Squadron + PtL

A more conventional list could be (100 points)

:

Krassis + Autoblaster

Howlrunner + Stealth device + Swarm Tactics

Academy Pilot x3

This second list comes in at 100 points, so you will probably lose initiative for your PS1 ships, and Howlrunner doesn't help Krassis when he is firing his HLC.

Here's a more aggressive version, which I think I like most (99 points):

Krassis + Autoblaster

Howlrunner

Backstabber

Academy x2

... and here is an even stranger version (100 points).

Krassis + Autoblaster + Rebel Captive

Saber Squadron + PtL + Stealth Device

Omicron Group Pilot + Gunner + Vader

It's wonky enough that I made a name to go with it, henceforth it shall be called,* "Kamakazie Space Bus, Ninja, and Hammer", or perhaps simply "Smasher, Slasher, and Crasher".

* At least until someone comes up with a better name, which should be much easier than flying this monstrosity.

why pair krassis with autoblaster when you can pair him with HLC?

why pair krassis with autoblaster when you can pair him with HLC?

His ability works with both, since they are both secondary weapons.

Edit: Tweaking the build somewhat, we could get "Smasher, Slasher, and Crasher" v2.0.

Krassis + HLC + Intelligence Agent

Saber Squadron + PtL + Stealth

Omicron + Gunner + Vader

Aside from list building advice

Make sure everything you need is organized the night before

Play whatever list you feel more confident flying. I went from my tried and true wedge/biggs/luke build to a 2x2b build for a tournament the night before, and while the 2x2b is probably more powerful, i had about 30 games with the other list practiced, and none with the 2x2b. I think this cost me a win in my 2nd match up and probably the tournament.

Eat a good breakfast and sleep well.

Stay calm and dont rush your games, and dont get rattled. Ive lost a few otherwise easy wins because I was either playing too fast or got scared.

With that said, I think the xwing build is definitely more strong, but could be better, depending on what ships you have.

Aside from list building advice

Make sure everything you need is organized the night before

Play whatever list you feel more confident flying. I went from my tried and true wedge/biggs/luke build to a 2x2b build for a tournament the night before, and while the 2x2b is probably more powerful, i had about 30 games with the other list practiced, and none with the 2x2b. I think this cost me a win in my 2nd match up and probably the tournament.

Eat a good breakfast and sleep well.

Stay calm and dont rush your games, and dont get rattled. Ive lost a few otherwise easy wins because I was either playing too fast or got scared.

With that said, I think the xwing build is definitely more strong, but could be better, depending on what ships you have.

This is great advice. I would also go with keep your squad simple. I like the x-wing build best. I think it will work well for you.

Thanks for the advice everybody!

I played the Rebel list against someone fielding a modified version of my Krassis and the Captive list... I did *reasonably* well, though honestly, I should have lost. My opponent wasn't particularly experienced, and made a LOT of mistakes. Things I noticed:

- Wedge w/ Swarm tactics was A+. I was able to keep my three x-wings in a close-knit, strike formation with each other up until the last few turns, so handing off his pilot skill to get the first strike on a target marked "J00 MUST DIE" was really, really handy.

- The Hawk did not fare well. It managed to fire once (finishing off a TIE/I) before being overwhelmed and killed almost immediately. I've decided not to go with the Ion Cannon here because the Hawk has a hard time keeping up with the X-Wings. On that crucial first pass, by the time he's had time to bring the Ion Cannon to bear, the X-Wings have already hit and are putting distance between themselves and the enemy pack.

- The Krassis' Firespray w/ Autoblaster proved quite strong. The Range 1 limitation kinda sucked... But rolling four attack die that cannot being dodged with dice (re-rolling a missed die) was just crippling. The ship can be deceptively fast and up in your business if you aren't careful, too, making that Range 1 limitation not as big a deal as I thought it would be. Plus, being able to pass through a formation and continue firing to the rear with the perfectly respectable primary weapon is really nice, too.

- I think Howlrunner with some vanilla TIEs might be a more effective escort solution. However, I kinda wanted to avoid that route because

1.) Truckloads of TIEs are so common, and I want to do something a little different

2.) Interceptors look awesome

#2 being the most important reason, really...

But I will say, while the extra die on attack rolls is handy, they still die as easily as TIE Fighters. I'm not sure the extra cost quite justifies the extra attack die. Putting an extra pilot on the playing field seems like a more sound investment.

Of course, all of these are just conclusions drawn from a single game. I'll need to play against a wider variety of lists and opponents before things really solidify for me.

Thanks for the input and food for thought, everyone!

- The Krassis' Firespray w/ Autoblaster proved quite strong. The Range 1 limitation kinda sucked... But rolling four attack die that cannot being dodged with dice (re-rolling a missed die) was just crippling.

You should only be rolling three dice with Autoblaster.

- The Krassis' Firespray w/ Autoblaster proved quite strong. The Range 1 limitation kinda sucked... But rolling four attack die that cannot being dodged with dice (re-rolling a missed die) was just crippling.

You should only be rolling three dice with Autoblaster.

Secondary weapons do not give range adjustments. There is no +1 attack for range 1 or +1 evade for range 3.

ORLY? Hmmm... That does change things, then. I mean, it still hurts, but the difference between 4 dice and 3 isn't trivial. Thanks for the heads up. That would have been an unpleasant thing to find out find AT the tournament.