As long as you keep him out of a second shot, he should be able to troll your opponent just fine How are you coping with keeping him unstressed?

I've become quite fond of TB craziness with Ketsu. I can see what you try to do with Bossk there, as he's certainly a beast and able to take a beating before going down. Have been having some fun with this: Ketsu Onyo - Veteran Instincts, Dengar, Shadowcaster Title and Engine Upgrade Fenn Rau - Push the Limit, Concord Dawn Protector and Autothrusters Binayre Pirate - Concussion Missiles and Guidance Chips The idea, essentially, is for Ketsu to set up some great shots for Fenn to take advantage. And, of course, if she can occasionally make ships land on rocks or help with some handy repositioning so much the better. I've also had a go with Gyroscoping Targeting, but I really missed that boost action. I really try to keep the mobile arc facing forward as a rule, although you're bound to have to shuffle it around for some pot shots. The Pirate is a great blocker with a one off heavy punch for those that tend to forget him... This gave me the best result in a tournament recently and I also enjoy flying it a lot (which helps).

Unfortunately, have had some crazy busy weeks and haven't had the chance to continue to try out the Striker. I was hoping to also give a go at coming up with a couple of Strikers alongside a TIE/D. I really want to have a go at Expertise and TIE/D (probably on Rexler) and see what I can fit with the remaining points.

That brings me to an unanswered question about asteroids and debris. Does each player choose any three obstacles he wants to use and he will then get to place those three per the obstacle placement rules? Maybe obstacles have been FAQed but the rule book is seems pretty fuzzy on which obstacles are used and who can place them. Can you suggest a good 3 Defender build for me? Can you give me an example of how you would place your obstacles given what I've been dealing with? Just to address your first question about asteroids, each player brings three obstacles (asteroids or debris or both) so there's a total of six obstacles. The player who has initiative will get to place the first one, then the opposing player and so on. You can pick whichever obstacle you like, so you can pick and place one of your opponent's obstacles (and vice-versa). On the Triple D query, although I'm not really used to going for three defenders, you might want to give a go for 3 Crackshot Glaives, ie, Glaive Squadron Pilot with Crackshot and TIE x/7 title x 3.

I've ran Vessery and Rexler with Expertise, /D title w/ Ion Cannon, plus an Academy to block. They put up quite a fight against a Warden+Fat Han list, but Han came out on top in the end. I only had the one game, so would love to keep at it and see if I can make it work better. Would also consider trying out x7, and maybe upgrading the Academy to a Striker.

I have been fiddling with a couple of lists in anticipation of the Striker hitting the UK (very) soon. At the moment, have already tested these two: Downton Abbey (99) "Duchess" - Lone Wolf, Lightweight Frame and Adaptive Ailerons Countess Ryad - Push the Limit, Twin Ion Engine Mk II, TIE/x7 Soontir Fel - Push the Limit, Autothrusters, Stealth Device and Royal Guard TIE Dead Man's Hand (99) "Pure Sabacc" - Swarm Leader, Adaptive Ailerons, Lightweight Frame Colonel Vessery - Juke, TIE/x7, Twin Ion Engine MkII Countess Ryad - Push the Limit, TIE/x7, Twin Ion Engine MkII The first one was mainly for fun (seeing as we have three "royals" now, in the Empire), but I had a game yesterday and it's actually pretty cool to fly. I need to get used to those movement shenanigans. Maybe not as crazy as the Phantom, but it'll take some time get the hang of it. The second one (which I also was able to test-run yesterday) was hilarious. Sabacc, with Squad Leader was doing Fenn Rau levels of red dice insanity. The pre-boost allowed him to get some great repositioning against my opponent (he was flying a mini-Scyk swarm) and both Vessery and Ryad were very capable wingmen. I'm definitely hoping to keep at it with both of these.

Good report. I was thinking of trying out my first proper battle report on Corsec as well, but it's all getting a bit blurry. Went 3-2 with Ketsu, Fenn and a Black Sun Pirate and was pretty happy with that. My tournament performances have, so far, been pretty dismal.

Yeah, I see your point. I'm taking the extra EM and going for the Rage+Baffle combo and see what I can do with it.

Certain ships can definitely shrug off that stress relatively easy, on account of their "green-heavy" dials. In that sense, Ptl on TIE Adv. Prototypes or TIE Interceptors is (not only) pretty effective but (almost) mandatory to really help with your boost/barrel roll or token stacking. The new Protectorate Starfighters can also benefit from it substantially. Having said that, the new Black Market Slicer Tools seems to have been tailor made to act as a deterrent in an over-reliance on PTL and other stress-inducing mechanics. Granted it's still a 50-50 chance of it not doing anything, but on ships like Soontir or Fenn, even those odds can be a bit too risky.

So, after reading some posts on Quickdraw and having only flown Backdraft as of yet, I will be bringing this over to a local tournament (around 60 people competing) tomorrow: Quickdraw w/ Rage+Electronic Baffle+Sensor Cluster+SpecOps Training+Twin Ion MkII Gamma Sqd Vet w/ Crackshot+Plasma Torpedoes+Guidance Chips Gamma Sqd Vet w/ Crackshot+Homing Missiles+Long-Range Scanners+Extra Munitions "Backstabber I would be trying to neutralize priority threats via the Long Range Scanners, with Quickdraw looking to run cover on both bombers. Between the bombers and raging Quickdraw, there's potential for some heavy red dice coming out of those three. Backstabber would fly around running interference and trying to push some extra damage. I'm currently debating pulling Sensor Cluster off, to get a 2pt bit (list stands at 100pts), to possibly fight for initiative against a predictably high number of Fenn Raus flying around tomorrow...

That X-wing whine... So many feels...

I've been meaning to try out Quickdraw, as I've only given Backdraft a couple of runs (pairing him off with Omega Leader, and TIE/D Vessery). That seemed to work pretty well, and I liked the way they flew together. Went against a mini-swarm of Protectorates and against Lt Blout+Jan+Corran. This was the list: Backdraft - Outmaneuver, Fire-Control System, Twin Ion Engine MkII and SpecOps Training Omega Leader - Juke, Comm Relay Col. Vessery - Adaptability, Tractor Beam, TIE/D title and Engine Upgrade I liked the idea mentioned earlier of Quickdraw providing bomber escort support and came up with this: Escort Service Quickdraw - Draw their Fire, Electronic Baffle, Sensor Cluster, Twin Ion Engine MkII and SpecOps Training Gamma Sqd Veteran - Crackshot, Extra Munitions, Homing Missiles, Conner Net, Guidance Chips (x2) I'm not that used to Bombers and ordnance. I quite like Tomax and have mostly flown him, alongside a couple of strong wingmen that allowed him to dump his load (sorry...) and then wander around until getting killed.

Curious about your Imperial list. Does seem an interesting set of options. Are you going for the standard builds on all three (apart from Juke on Valen, that is)?

Yeah, our local gaming store here in UK (London) is putting everything up on the 22nd, so... Don't really think Europe is being too left behind, especially considering some of the other places people have mentioned

Great report. I was interested to see how they would fare against something like Dengaroo and Triple Jumps, after those promising showings against Rebel scum. Another list that's becoming increasingly prevalent around these parts is Double Ghosts w/ autoblasters (or other VCX shenanigans)...Where it's just a pain to push through that much damage... I'm not going to play anytime soon, but in a couple of week's time, I'll finally be taking some leave time and am really keen on trying out what I've affectionately dubbed The Royal Tenenbaums.

No shame in that! Interceptors are hard ships to fly well! Except for the ridiculous super-jousting Soontir Fel (w/ stealth, autothrusters + palpatine to save his ass from bad flying). The thing is, taking generic interceptors into any kind of match, at any level of play will give you a chance to learn some interesting nuances of the game. Like how to think carefully about out-positioning your opponent and knowing when it is a good time to joust and not joust an enemy fleet. And when you do make a mistake with a list like this, you can't help but think, 'is there something I could've done differently?' And its that thought process that makes you a better player because 9/10 times, there IS something you could've done better! Cheers, mate! To be honest, I've been obsessing over this a little bit. I can understand the reasoning for Predator, but I've become so used to the Ptl interceptor that I went back to see how this could potentially be done. Came up with the following two which I would like to get feedback on. More generally, how would you deem Ptl on the squints, as opposed to other epts? It's become such a staple (sure they're not soontir, but they can still shed the stress relatively easy and that action economy does come in handy...) that going through it again, I kinda felt really anxious not having that double-action going on. Anyway...: Royal Guard Pilot w/ Ptl, Autothrusters, Royal Guard Title and Target cpu (x2) Alpha Sqd Pilot w/ Autothrusters (x2) Total: 98 pts OR Royal Guard Pilot w/ Ptl and Autothrusters (x3) Alpha Sqd Pilot Total: 99 pts

I think this will now be my favourite thread, for the time being. I have a thing for the squints. It was with them I actually started playing more regularly, after getting Imp Aces and the expansion pack. I went with triple aces (Soontir+Turr+Carnor) to a UK regionals a while ago and, since it was my first tournament and I as a relatively new player, I go thoroughly mauled. I tweaked this, after hearing from some of the guys I played against, brining in a couple of naked TIEs standing in for Turr, which is useful, but it just isn't 4 interceptors Have to admit I kinda stepped back (chickened out actually) from interceptors since then, but after flying against a crack a-swarm recently, I had started thinking if something similar could be tried with Interceptors. I'm really keen in trying those Royals+Alpha on upcoming casual games. Might even bring it to a small tournament (pretty casual as well) and see how it plays out. What the heck... "No shields all guts", right?

The fact that I was given a Core Set this past Christmas. It then snowballed into this thing that I can't actually get enough of... Who'd a thunk it...

Bio and Brunas, you have just inspired me to do double D Defenders. Brunas and his three extra points made me think about prockets on that tap. An ion'd opponent is easy enough for a TAP to procket even with its low PS. VESS AND RYAD CO-STARRING SIENAR TAP 100 points PILOTS Colonel Vessery (39) TIE Defender (35), Ion Cannon (3), Veteran Instincts (1), TIE/D (0) Countess Ryad (41) TIE Defender (34), Ion Cannon (3), Push the Limit (3), TIE/D (0), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1) Sienar Test Pilot (20) TIE Advanced Prototype (16), Proton Rockets (3), TIE/v1 (1), Guidance Chips (0) Ryad with PTL can TL for Vess. TAP can also set a TL for Vess. TAP also doubles as a blocker. When an ion cannon hits, the TAP can then fly right up and procket the fool. Vessery is a dangerous opponent, so he will be priority one. Ryad is endgame ship. So, Im gonna give this list a whirl or two or five. Will see what happens. Up until now, had a very similar list, but with x/7 Ryad. I'm still on the fence about the whole x/7 vs TIE/D debate, as I kinda like both. With regards to the list, it's been really fun to fly (although haven't played as much as I'd like to recently). The Sienar Test Pilot is a surprisingly effective blocker and just overall "annoying bugger". To Biophysical: Thanks for the write up!

You are playing for ******* 8 months and still have no idea what palp aces, wolfpacks, Brobots or chihuahuas means? Yeah, you suck. And you should go back to your non-competitive "traditional" mini games which hand out tournament point and stars based on how pretty you painted your minis. X-Wing in a competitive environment is not for you and I actually understand everyone in your store who does not want to play with the middle aged "forever noob" guy. And I am saying this in your best interest, because your attitude is simply not fitting for a game which requires a significant amount of thought in the list building stage and on the table as well. It is just not for you. Bye. PS. You are not tilting a windmill, that would suggest efford. You are sitting on your thumbs for 8 months and are not really invested into anything Son, the adults are talking. I'm glad you've got nothing better to do for 8 months then to play a game. But some of us have lives, responsibilities, etc. When you grow up, you'll understand. I think I kinda understand where you're coming from. Not so much in terms of your local "community" (fortunately, the players at the local store are a great bunch of people and are in general keen to offer advice, play, point out what you're doing right, wrong, etc.), but in terms of finding the time to figure everything out or, just plain and simply, fitting a game one evening. I have the exact same problem, and I get lucky if I manage to squeeze the odd game once every other week. Having said that and considering that you don't have that large of a collection (as far as I could understand it), why not follow on with some of the advice from the other users, before giving up entirely? Maybe have a go with the benchmarking tool someone put up there, research some of the podcasts and hear what people have to say, familiarize with the various "meta" lists or just browse through what you might want to fly in the future, go on youtube and watch a couple of games, that sort of thing. At least for me that keeps my interest in the game and still makes me think about it, theorycraft squads and lists and then, eventually, get to try that out every now and then. Anyway, just my two cents. Take care, mate.

Yep...

Vessery with Tractor Beam is great fun, and probably worth the points save. I've been toying with the idea of pairing Omega Leader with Vessery and Tomax "Crackshot" Bren. Currently have the list with the Inquisitor, but I think Omega would go extremely well with the Colonel.

The Fang really caughy my eye, when they did the preview. It seems the kind of ship I'm used to playing with Imperials migrated over to Scum so, I'm right there with it. (Preordered 4, in order to an all fang list at some point) To be honest, both TIE s/f and the ARC seem pretty cool ships that I might consider buying at some point, with the Shadowcaster trailing behind. That mobile arc thing is still a bit blurry for me, and I wasn't too sold on it from the preview. I'm a fairly new player, so don't really know about the previous expansions and how they were more or less anticipated by the player base. I actually think this one has the potential to introduce some considerable change to the overall mechanics of the game and the way players look at the "board". Anyhoo, I'll be looking forward to the first matches, when these are actually out.

The Portuguese wording sounds weird, especially after all this time playing in English... Will be interesting to see what the local "slang" is for X-wing, when I manage to go back home this year.

I'm at a similar place right now, where I've been looking at two different lists that I think I'd like to get more used to. Firstly, there's my Vessery/Ryad/Test Pilot build: Vessery w/ VI, Tractor Beam, TIE/D, Engine Upgrade Sienar Test Pilot w/ Ion Pulse Missiles, TIE/v1 and Autothrusters Countess Ryad w/ Juke, TIE/x7 and Twin Ion Engine MkII Grand total of 98 pts Originally, I had Ryad with Predator, but I wanted to try out the Juke/x7 combo with this list. I've had moderate success with the "predator version", although I sometimes struglle with getting Vessery in good positions for that damage output to really pay off. The Test Pilot is a fairly reasonable good blocker/annoyance. On the other hand, because I love Interceptors, I saw a list (think it was around the forum somewhere) with Two Glaives w/ Juke and TIE x/7 + Carnor Jax with Ptl and Autothrusters. In this case, more than "just" a blocker, Carnor can be a serious threat on its own (albeit a squishy one) and would potentially make the opponent think twice about either focusing on the pair of Glaives or going for the royal guard. I was thinking about bringing this to a store tournament tomorrow but, honestly, I'm still a bit undecided and might go back to the first one at the very last minute...