Fireball + MG-100

[eljms 243]

I like trying to fly all the ships I own at least once and my recent acquisitions have included a Fireball and a MG-100 Star Fortress.  I don't play a whole lot of resistance and I'm a bit unsure about what to try with them.  I have a few T70s, a couple of RZ-2s and a Falcon.  I was thinking something along these lines for a jousty sort of list but hoping someone can suggest something better:

Jarek Yeager (33)    
    Mag-Pulse Warheads (6)    
    
Ship total: 39  Half Points: 20  Threshold: 3    
    
Cat (54)    
    Trajectory Simulator (6)    
    Pattern Analyzer (5)    
    Proton Bombs (5)    
    
Ship total: 70  Half Points: 35  Threshold: 6    
    
Blue Squadron Rookie (42)    
    Integrated S-Foils (0)    
    
Ship total: 42  Half Points: 21  Threshold: 4    
    
Blue Squadron Rookie (42)    
    Integrated S-Foils (0)    
    
Ship total: 42  Half Points: 21  Threshold: 4    
    
    
Total: 193    
    
View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Resistance&d=v8ZsZ200Z377XW311WWWWWY291X114W206WWWW69WWY258XWW175WWWY258XWW175WWW&sn=Unsaved Squadron&obs=

[missileaway 165]

You’re going to need to add delayed fuses to Cat for those bombs in order to get any value out of her ability.

[theBitterFig 11,598]

One thing a missiles Fireball is going to have to worry about: they don't have a Lock action natively.  There's options: Targeting Computer, which adds 3 points and probably makes a missile Fireball a bad deal.  Proton Rockets should work fine, but they've got their own disadvantages of price and restrictions.  Someone in the list can carry Targeting Synchronizer, to share locks, but that's a really fragile synergy.

Overall, best Fireball is probably Kaz with R5, maybe also Heroic.

Say... the build comes out to 200 exactly.

• Kaz (Heroic, R5) 45
• Cat (TrajSim, Pattern Analyzer, Proton Bombs, Delayed Fuses) 71
  • If removing Pattern Analyszer or TrajSim (and maybe also fuses), this could be any of the other bombers.  Ben Teene, Finch, Edon, and Paige all have reasons why they'd be interesting, and probably of roughly similar power levels.  Whatever flavor seems best to you individually should be fine.
  • If all you're looking for from a bomber is PewPew, a generic with Pattern Analyzer and Veteran Turret Gunner is 67 points, enough to add Seismic Charges and Fuses.
• Blue T-70 (Foils) 42
• Blue T-70 (Foils) 42

[Rich P 907]

Kaz is the best fireball - hands down, but you can deploy some jank using R1-J pilot to get a crew slot. Both C3-PO and Holdo enable jank from the squad. 

You can fly Kaz as a budget T-70 / E-Wing hybrid with his 3/3 stat line while uninjured, put him in with a scattering of T-70s ... T70 generics are incredibly strong for their cost. 

On the starfortress, you can fly Vennie as the 'best' ship. His ability means he lives a lot longer than others.  Paired with a T-70 carrying M9-G8 and an A-Wing to support his ability you have a very strong list.  

My favourite starfortress list is this one:

Vennie (56)
Trajectory Simulator (6)
Pattern Analyzer (5)
Perceptive Copilot (8)
Veteran Turret Gunner (10)
Paige Tico (7)
Proton Bombs (5)
Seismic Charges (3)

Zizi Tlo (40)
Heroic (1)
Crack Shot (1)
Advanced Optics (4)

Lieutenant Bastian (47)
M9-G8 (7)
Integrated S-Foils (0)
Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0

[eljms 243]

What's the feeling on shield upgrade on Kaz?  I had a quick look on metawing and it looked like at least someone was doing that.  Seems like a smart upgrade on him, prolonging his ability and also good value paying for a two-dice costed upgrade when he's going to use  three dice for a good portion of the game.

If I go with Vennie should I be taking perceptive copilot?

So, something like:

Kazuda Xiono (40)    
    Heroic (1)    
    R5 Astromech (4)    
    Shield Upgrade (6)    
    
Ship total: 51  Half Points: 26  Threshold: 4    
    
Vennie (56)    
    Perceptive Copilot (8)    
    
Ship total: 64  Half Points: 32  Threshold: 6    
    
Blue Squadron Rookie (42)    
    Integrated S-Foils (0)    
    
Ship total: 42  Half Points: 21  Threshold: 4    
    
Blue Squadron Rookie (42)    
    Integrated S-Foils (0)    
    
Ship total: 42  Half Points: 21  Threshold: 4    
    
    
Total: 199    
    
View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Resistance&d=v8ZsZ200Z378X172WW6WWW165WY294XWW54WWWWWY258XWW175WWWY258XWW175WWW&sn=Unnamed Squadron&obs= 

 

I think I'd miss pattern analyzer on the bomber.  The ability to pull a stop and take an action is neat.  I'm also sacrificing bombs etc.  It might be a bit too easy for people to just outfly me.  I think I'm probably talking myself into flying the list @theBitterFig suggested above.  Feels like there are a few more tricks there to make life difficult for aces.

I could ditch the T70s for A-wings (or Poe).  I dunno - overthinking it at this point   I'm just going to plop some stuff on the table and see how it goes ...

Edited July 21 by eljms

[gennataos 5,873]

Not including BB astros for 1pt on a rookie is a mistake. Find the point(s)!

[eljms 243]

2 hours ago, gennataos said:

Not including BB astros for 1pt on a rookie is a mistake. Find the point(s)!

Well - if I ditch the shield upgrade on Kaz, I can do BB astros on the two rookies and get pattern analyzer on Vennie.

Alternatively, I can go with Poe instead of two rookies and give Vennie bombs + ts as well.  And keep the shield upgrade on Kaz.  Choices, choices ...

[Rich P 907]

Pattern analyzer on Vennie (or any bomber) is really really strong as it triggers on 1 hards and 3 banks as well as stop moves. 

I think Vennie is best loaded for bear - 100-105 points, percop isn't really essential unless you have a way to shoot twice.  I have seen people flying him almost naked with just stealth device and pattern analyser, though often there is some other way to generate actions for him in there.

[theBitterFig 11,598]

On 7/18/2020 at 7:36 AM, theBitterFig said:

• Kaz (Heroic, R5) 45
• Cat (TrajSim, Pattern Analyzer, Proton Bombs, Delayed Fuses) 71
  • If removing Pattern Analyszer or TrajSim (and maybe also fuses), this could be any of the other bombers.  Ben Teene, Finch, Edon, and Paige all have reasons why they'd be interesting, and probably of roughly similar power levels.  Whatever flavor seems best to you individually should be fine.
  • If all you're looking for from a bomber is PewPew, a generic with Pattern Analyzer and Veteran Turret Gunner is 67 points, enough to add Seismic Charges and Fuses.
• Blue T-70 (Foils) 42
• Blue T-70 (Foils) 42

Per Gennatos, adding BB is a great plan.

With Cat, her costs have gone down enough that nothing has to be given up.  She's still about the same cost in relation to the other pilots that dropping an upgrade could grab a different bombing ability.

If willing to give up BB astros, you could go TrajSim, Proton, Fuses, and VTG (no longer taking Pattern Analyzer).

If going for a PewPew bomber, 71 points on a generic would be Pattern Analyzer, VTG, and Perceptive Copilot, which would cut off BB points...  C-3PO would be better than plain focus, and still allows BB Astro points.  Without C-3PO, it'd be easy to fit Proton Bombs and Delayed Fuses.

[eljms 243]

I tried a version of this last night.  I went with Cat + Vet Turret Gunner, Seismics, Traj Sim, Delayed Fuses / Kaz + R5, heroic / Rookie + BB, Foils x 2

My opponent flew O-66 and lots of Nantex - all I3.

Not sure I flew it at all well.  I got baited into the middle and he successfully got the nantex circling me so that I wasn't sure which way to turn, feeling like whichever one I went after would vanish like smoke.  I ended up going for O-66 since I had at least a good idea where it would be and would get shots.  That didn't work out badly, ended up trading Cat + half a Rookie for O-66 and half points on a couple of nantex.  The Rookie went on to live longer than it had a right to and I was able to take out a nantex plus half points on a couple more before the rookie died. All this meant I sneaked the game by two points.

I'm not sure that the list is 'good', but it was at least good enough for me to win while being out flown for the initial engagement.  And I did get a range one double tap into O-66 while he was at range 1 of a device (5 dice, then 4 dice - all un-modded sadly, but still fun - I'm a sucker for shock and awe possibilities)

Edited August 16 by eljms

[gennataos 5,873]

3 hours ago, eljms said:

I tried a version of this last night.  I went with Cat + Vet Turret Gunner, Seismics, Traj Sim, Delayed Fuses / Kaz + R5, heroic / Rookie + BB, Foils x 2

My opponent flew O-66 and lots of Nantex - all I3.

Not sure I flew it at all well.  I got baited into the middle and he successfully got the nantex circling me so that I wasn't sure which way to turn, feeling like whichever one I went after would vanish like smoke.  I ended up going for O-66 since I had at least a good idea where it would be and would get shots.  That didn't work out badly, ended up trading Cat + half a Rookie for O-66 and half points on a couple of nantex.  The Rookie went on to live longer than it had a right to and I was able to take out a nantex plus half points on a couple more before the rookie died. All this meant I sneaked the game by two points.

I'm not sure that the list is 'good', but it was at least good enough for me to win while being out flown for the initial engagement.  And I did get a range one double tap into O-66 while he was at range 1 of a device (5 dice, then 4 dice - all un-modded sadly, but still fun - I'm a sucker for shock and awe possibilities)

I just figured out who you are!  (I'm the other Mark)  Wish I could have made it out.