^Nien is the most underrated rebel pilot. If you are concerned about higher PS you can take snap shot and r3-a2 and ace-hunt with the best of them for 33 points. If you already have a means of managing aces, you can bb-8, stay on target, pattern analyzer and be a nightmare for lower ps ships.

Thank you.

So I play stress control Vrill a lot. I've played Nien, Jess, and Vrill for multiple store champs and one regionals (4-2 placing 16th of 64) so far. The ion cannon will do well against Nym and Miranda but both of those ships already hate stress and it does nothing to large ships. I don't think it helps you against jousters as most jousting lists should out-damage you and raze the arc or YT on the first pass. I've taken to using cruise missile + chips on Vrill. He's got 3 turns, 4 straight, and a 4k - all of which support cruise. It's not too hard to line up a shot on a large ship - which tends to be the target. Vrill usually wants to play at range one of an enemy so the cruise also helps late game against fleeing enemies. Personally I think you want ships that can reposition supporting Vrill. He is one of the best blockers in the game and repositioning to take advantage of those blocks can be huge.

I've been wondering about F/Os with this. It seems like a really good boost to them. T-70s too but the costing of the ties allows more freedom in list building. I don't think you'll break anything in a casual setting.

40pt Quickdraw - swarm leader, fcs, targeting synch, cruise missile, chips 3x 20pt sienar test pilot (ps 2 advanced prototype) - cruise missiles, chips, title

Harpoons are certainly good enough to be the de facto ordnance but if anything they seem to be pushing the game in a better direction. As a single upgrade, it has revitalized the build options of every ship that can carry it. It took fair ship rebels off the top of the meta and helps check the high health, low agility ships that have pervaded the meta. We are seeing list building expand in variance. As these missiles now threaten spike damage from a wide variety of platforms, the game has turned towards killing or arc-dodging their carriers.... Large ships that want to live the length of the game are pushed towards countermeasures - a defensive measure - rather than some other upgrade to make them more oppressive.

"Quickdraw" — TIE/sf Fighter 29 Veteran Instincts 1 Fire-Control System 2 Harpoon Missiles 4 Targeting Synchronizer 3 Lightweight Frame 2 Special Ops Training 0 Ship Total: 41 Lieutenant Karsabi — Alpha-class Star Wing 24 Lightning Reflexes 1 Harpoon Missiles 4 Long-Range Scanners 0 Ship Total: 29 Rho Squadron Veteran — Alpha-class Star Wing 21 Lightning Reflexes 1 Harpoon Missiles 4 Long-Range Scanners 0 Os-1 Arsenal Loadout 2 Ship Total: 28 98pts On a slow approach, after shooting his first missile Karasabi can move, reload and stress to fire a second with the support of Quick's lock. I think that could be a feature in various matchups. Lightning Reflexes provides real chase ability and can be activated after slam. The Rho brings the same ability to slow approach with mods or jump forward with a slam and missile - though this ship uses the Arsenal Loadout to shoot at a ship it has locked. I'm aware that the Targeting Synchronizer doesn't work for the Rho' Arsenal Loadout upgrade but I still think it will provide a lot of utility.... I still have some points to play with and would like opinions: Should I put a different ept on Quickdraw? Should I hold a 2 point bid at ps 11? Is VI Backdraft worth consideration in place of Quick? Should I use guidance chips or is LRS plain better on the boats? I like the ability to move and focus on the initial engagement for full mods using LRS. On the other hand, if I'm shooting multiple missiles off of Targeting Synch or range 3 locks, then guidance chips are mods I'm missing out on. Should advanced slam be anywhere?

A couple things... Ezra will not be shooting before the enemy so r3-a2 isn't going to help you activate his ability. Expertise could be replaced with Rey to free up a couple points.

VI affects who is an ace. Changing/eliminating VI will simply bunch ace choices into a smaller group - the ships with naturally high PS. That will provide a different set of aces people will become unhappy with. The ace archetype is predicated on performing as your opponents can't - by its nature people find this oppressive. VI does nothing but expand that group of aces and create some squabbling over PS. The real costing imbalances exist with low to mid PS ships. As another poster said, the game needs the bottom dropped out more than the top pruned. The manner in which point scoring has nearly negated multiple ship low PS lists is regrettable. 2 ship lists are typically simpler and less engaging than 3+ ship lists but the game has catered to them - focusing on high costed aces and upgrade combos. I will say, the idea of capping at 9 is intriguing because bid amounts would truly reflect the value of being an ace.... But I think that would ultimately trim the number of ships capable of performing as aces.

I like the idea and I think the first list is decent if flown well. I have a list that gives them deadeye, cruise missile, chips and snap shot. I've yet to try it but Cruise missiles have shown well for me in other lists. Another list type I have uses a T-70 of choice with targeting synchronizer, Jake Farrell with VI + Intensity + chips + cruise, two z-95s with chips and cruise. Jake is fantastic here, routinely hitting his cruise for 5 while double repositioning and token stacking. The rest of the list is pretty basic but it threatens with firepower. That list was the rebel variant of a Quickdraw swarm leader build that used targeting synchronizer, guidance chips, cruise missile, fcs, and swarm leader. Quick was complemented by 3 20pt PS 2 Tie Prototypes with chips, cruise missiles and titles. I think targeting synchronizer definitely holds a lot of potential for the meta right now - particularly in these sorts of 3-4 ship missile lists. The imperial SFs with FCS and rear arcs are fantastic for shooting your target to provide the lock for your missile carriers.

I've always wanted to try Jabba on a slaver with 4 Z-95s and hot shot blaster. A Slaver with thread tracers, linked battery, Janna the hut, cikatro vizago, hotshot blaster is 40 points. 4 z95s with hotshot is 60 points.

Edit: A note on Miranda, you don't need to use the bombs or missiles necessarily. Having them on the ship will make opponents fearful of them and they will fly differently. Right now they don't want to be kited by your Miranda. With a full loadout they also won't want to joust at range 3 or approach from the front arc any closer than that.

Rex serves as 14 points of very easy momentum for your opponent. Rex cannot ace the field and arc dodge like the other two. He requires firepower support to punish any ship positioning to shoot him. Poe and Miranda both want the freedom to leave the battle of threatened. You should cut Red and play 2 ships for this list. I think BB-8 Poe is better in a two ship list. I think it's increasingly common for lists to have the firepower to eliminate Poe if they line up their shots. Good opponents will not shoot Poe and then allow him to green move away. Range and position control with bb-8 Poe can last longer than regen Poe. Personally, I like push the limit for the greater freedom in boosting before or after maneuver, but intensity is good as well since the evade can be invaluable if you range to range 3 consistently. Advanced optics would offer a more rounded Poe if you keep intensity - you can bank a focus, take a lock with action, and an evade off intensity to be a threat as a jouster. You also need to load Miranda to make her a spike damage threat. Sabine + experimental interface + cluster bombs gives you that in spades. Alternatively, you may be more comfortable with missiles. If that is the case, advanced slam lets you get target locks (to set up lock + focus missiles) while repositioning and 5 dice homing missiles or Harpoons are scary to many ships. You may be able to fit both on Miranda and if you can she is one of the strongest ships in the game.

A Palp shuttle. It supports the other two defensively, helps trigger harpoons, and presents a high health target with consistent 3 attack power. Between your options - gunboat. Slam is very relevant.

Z swarm Ghost Low - tlt Trip Auzi - expertise/tactician Palp, Quick, Vader All advance...

Started.... Z swarm vs Biggs, low, Miranda Inqy, Quickdraw, Marek Steele vs ghost, lowrick Trip auzitucks vs nym/ghost autoblaster accuracy corrector on both Palp aces vs nym, sixxa TLT kites

Lots of shadowcasters and lots of auzitucks. At least one top 8 Auzi list with 3x expertise tactician and one is lowrick. I believe there is a Palp aces 2nd after swiss and an imperial aces top 8 as well. Bunke won two games on final salvo. I believe there is a double scurgg list as well that made top 8. There was a game where two shadowcasters collided by the board edge and then could not complete any maneuver without bumping or flying off so they were stuck until something happened. One had gyroscopic targeting and could move his arc each turn giving him the edge in the end.

https://m.twitch.tv/crazysquirrelgamestore/profile This is the Fresno Regional. 1 round so far. Round 2 starting at 1:15 PST.

^IMO bb-8 Poe has been better for some time. Sure there's a higher skill threshold to meet (more maneuver possibilities) but you get the ability to do so much more, and effective arcdodging can keep him alive longer than R2.

Ezra Bridger (attack shuttle): - Debris Gambit - Experimental Interface - Chewbacca - TLT

Looks good. VI on Poe got so much better with advanced optics. Otherwise I would say he's too action-lite to pose a threat early-mid game. How do you tend to fly the two?

I want your jankiest, trolliest lists. Show me your castles, your feedback swarms, your tractor chain.... What are your goofiest lists?

This is really nice but it costs a lot. You can't fit it into a list that doesn't explicitly plan to use it either on ace-like ships or some fashion of lower Ps jouster. At the same time, I love the design standpoint this comes from regardless of costing. Maneuvering will matter more and this seems like a nice tool to address hlc Dash and TLT. I'm more juiced about that defensive ept.

Alpha strikes probably kill either but Fenn has a chance to scuttle a missile use if he can range control and only have to deal with one per turn. Tenn also seems good vs 2 ship lists. Ezra seems good against more persistent moderate damage like against wookies where he could potentially blank multiple shots at range 3.

^To add to the x-7 explanation, you do 3+ moves so often that you can easily recover the intensity in a turn or two if you use both tokens to protect yourself. I'd still prefer ptl on Ryad because of green 5s but intesity makes a lot of sense for Vessery. I think you're misrepresenting the utility of have two tokens through the combat phase. That influences who gets shot. People tend to look elsewhere if they see Jake with focus/evade or focus/focus. If you use PTL to focus/evade you don't get a reposition. Then if you spend both tokens you are focusing on the fact that you must recharge rather than the fact you got use out of an action that PTL couldnt provide. Furthermore, you aren't accounting for the times you use PTL and don't use the focus or evade. With intensity you're back where you started. With PTL you are now stressed and must do a green. Good opponents will pounce on that. I don't buy that PTL gives you less "recovery turns" where you have to disengage. Additionally, PTL cannot get you two focus tokens. That can be invaluable when focused or defending TLT.