Out To Lunch – Be back shortly

                Hello readers. I am actually writing today from Nevada. My wife, extended family, and I are on a road trip to southern California and Disneyland! As you might understand, there is a time and a place for everything. There is a time to write X-wing strategy articles and there is a time to ride Star Tours forty times in a row. So I will be taking a break from posting for a couple weeks as I celebrate the last bit of summer with my family. As an added bonus to the already sweet treat of Disneyland, we will be at the park on Force Friday. It should be pretty fun! Anyways, I definitely plan to continue posting when I get back. Until then just be patient, try out a few PGP strategies with your squadmates, and fly causal.

Afterwards:
Also, I have a great X-wing project in the works and Disneyland is a key part. Can't wait to show you.

We Buy Kevlar, They Buy Armor-Piercing Rounds - An Escalation Tournament Battle Report

                Hello! Today I am breaking the normal weekly posting cycle to bring you a battle report. This may come as a surprise to some since I gave forewarning of the last tournament and talked strategy beforehand. This time however, I wanted to keep secret the strategies I was going to run. A blog is a dangerous tool, we do not know who else may be watching. But in the end it doesn't matter because I don't play this game to just win. And I don't go to tournaments to win prizes. The main reason I play competitively is so I can put my money where my mouth is. It is easy for me to get online and start preaching about how things work in the X-wing Miniatures world. But until I get out there and play other people, my words are not yet proved. So prepare to receive proof! I didn't win this Escalation tournament, but I was able to successfully run some of the strategies that I write about. And most importantly, I had fun. Final score for me was 2/2. Let's get into the details.

Round 1 - Win
Squad - 60 Points
X-wing w/ Luke - 28 Points
YT-2400 w/ Eaden - 32 Points

                I finally got around to getting myself an Outrider and I've been having a great time learning to fly it. It is my typical nature to not go with the most popular right off the bat and so the first pilot I tested was Eaden. I really loved what he could do so I decided to fly him in my list. Because I am working on an article dedicated just to him I will only say here that I picked him in order to punish self-stressing ship builds. I also wanted Luke in my squad and picking him left me at a tidy 60 points. I would be a bit naked on upgrades but I wasn't too worried about the first round.
                Opponent 1 flew Darth Vader, Dark Curse, and Night Beast. And as you would expect he put the two Ties up front and flew with Vader behind. I knew that if I tried to break Dark Curse first I would be wasting a lot of shots and actions. So in a risky move I flew right to point blank range and gunned for Vader. My thought process was to get rid of the double action and higher pilot skill ship and then I should be fine. My opponent went full offensive with Vader and shot at Luke with a Target Lock and an focus. Thankfully he didn't have the new Advanced Targeting Computer and Luke survived. I had taken a risk and it had paid off and my two ships were able to eat through most of Vader's no-mod defense.
                The next turn Vader tried to escape but I was able to guess where he would move. Once he was destroyed it was a simple matter to chase and clean up the Tie Fighters. Even though Eaden didn't get to use his ability, he was crucial to the fight. Never underestimate the power of 2 attack dice, especially a turret. If you play your choices right and ride the variance of the dice, you can easily have 2 dice break better defenses. (One reason I am excited for the K-wing) I love this game because it is more about skill than it is luck. A good player can diminish how much the luck of dice will affect the game. I was more skilled than my opponent and had control of the match. From asteroid placement to the alpha strike to the end game I felt like I knew what was going on and how to react. And when a player is in that type of flow they are more relaxed and less likely to make mistakes.

Round 2 - Loss
Squad - 90 Points
X-wing w/ Luke -32 Points
                Veteran Instincts
                R7-T1
YT-2400 w/ Eaden - 35 Points
                Recon Specialist
B-wing w/ Blue - 22 Points

                However, round 2 was the opposite story. I knew I was facing a better player right from the start. I couldn't guess why he placed obstacles the way he did or how he would fly his ships based off his formation. Therefore I wasn't in control of the game. My choices were accompanied by a hint of doubt and I couldn't plan counters to his moves in advance. It is interesting to compare the feeling right then to the feeling I had the first round. My opponent was flying Dark Curse with a Stealth Device, Vader with Swarm Tactics, and Whisper with an Advanced Cloaking Device. We set up for our alpha strike and that is where I made my first mistake. I had set my B-wing on the far end of my formation and I bumped him in the second turn of flying. If he had been on the inside of the formation, the side facing the enemy, he could've recovered. But because he was so far out he couldn't get back into position with his bad dial and missed the alpha strike.
                Just as I described in my Droid analysis, R7-T1's power grows exponentially based on the Pilot Skill you use him with. So I placed him on a PS 10 Luke and the combo worked perfectly. My opponent realized this and knew he had no option but to take the hit in the alpha strike. Whisper flew in from the side and didn't even try to move away from Luke. This was the first of three crucial moments where Luke's performance determined the tide of the game. I easily nestled right into range 1 of the Phantom and dealt two damage. It would've been nice if he had one-shot Whisper but no worries. My opponent tried to focus down Eaden but I had designed him to be a tank and tank he did. The Recon Specialist made sure that the enemy didn't break through his shields. And of course my B-wing had a crappy shot out at range 3.
                The next turn I flew Eaden on a fast 4 forward to shoot past the enemy ships and make use of his turret. With that my opponent opted to go for my stranded B-wing. Let me just say that I really dislike bare B-wings. Everyone says they are the best for their price but most players knows how they fly. So they can easily be countered if the enemy has control of the board. What good is the ship when you can't evade a Phantom no matter where you barrel roll and lose all your shields in one broadsided outmaneuver? However, points dictated that I had to take a naked B-wing now so that I could have it upgraded in the next round. Then came the second game-changing use of Luke. I had to take a turn move to stay in the battle but I deliberated what speed to pick. I played too greedy and took the turn at a sharp 2 to try and stay in range 1. And I ended up bumping into Dark Curse, losing both my action and my chance to shoot at him. If I had done the 3 turn it would have put me in a much better position.
                I tried to have the B-wing flee to save it but it still got shot down. And I am still getting used to how the Outrider flies and so I ended up running it through a debris cloud and stressing it out. And lastly, Luke had a great shot on an injured Vader that had K-turned but the dice didn't go in my favor. I ended up forfeiting the game because I knew I had been bested and there was no chance of me catching up. My opponent pinned my loss on bad dice rolls. But that is an easy excuse. Despite the dice, I still had been out-flown and had made too many errors.

Round 3 - Win
Squad - 120 Points
X-wing w/ Luke -32 Points
                Veteran Instincts
                R7-T1
YT-2400 w/ Eaden - 35 Points
                Recon Specialist
B-wing w/ Blue - 28 Points
                Advanced Sensors
                Ion Cannon            
Y-wing w/ Gold - 25 Points
                Ion Turret
                R7 Astromech

                That's right, PGP fans. The B-wing came back with the Advanced Ion Strafe! Though I have tested the AIS in many causal games this is the first time I have taken it in competition. And boy did it shine! Also note that I included an Ion Y-wing with the R7 astromech. I was contemplating taking a Warthog with the R2 astromech but I decided to stick to the ships I solidly know. Opponent 3 was flying an AABB list. He had two aces: Keyan with PtL and Tycho with Swarm Tactics. They both had other upgrades as well but these didn't help much during the match and ended up making his ships far too expensive. The other ships were generics, a Blue B-wing with an Ion Cannon (note no Advanced Sensors) and a Prototype A-wing with a Stealth Device. We had the same squad points so we rolled for initiative. I won and this helped me gain victory.
                The map was created with the giant asteroid right in the middle. The rest were off to the sides and so there were two lanes created, one on either side of the big rock. He placed his squad in the left lane (from my perspective) while I split my forces up. My Y-wing and Eaden took the left lane with the Gold pilot flying point. My B-wing took the right lane and Luke took a wide sweeping flanking vector on the right. I could tell my opponent was somewhat confused by my split but didn't think much of it and barreled down on my Y-wing. With only Eaden to protect him, the Gold pilot should go down pretty quick, right? My trap was set.
                I moved my Gold up and took a target lock on the enemy Blue since he was the only one in range. And then I performed my Blue's advanced strafe. I barrel rolled away from the big asteroid and then did a 1 turn right towards it, angling my firing arc right on top of the left lane. My previously unthreatening B-wing now had a shot as Keyan moved right into range.
                Keyan and Tycho put 5 damage on my Y and I was able to shoot back with my Ion turret and ionize his Blue. Then his B-wing shot back with a primary attack of 2 hits and a miss. This is where it got interesting. He was going to reroll the blank but I legally interrupted him with R7 and spent my target lock. I asked him to reroll all his dice and the result was 3 misses that couldn't be rerolled. Haha, it felt so deliciously great that it somewhat felt like I was cheating. My Y-wing survived! I love this droid. If you've never used him you really need to! Field a whole stinking squad of them.
                My plan also worked with my AIS and Keyan got ionized. Now was the time to capitalize on the upperhand I recieved. Eaden flew in to block Keyan and prevented his crazy 3 action combo. I launched my Y-wing up to block his ionized Blue and took a target lock on Keyan, thus giving me protection from 6 of the enemy attack dice. My AIS calmly barrel rolled away and moved back forward, putting me in almost an identical position. And not wanting to miss this round, Luke finished his flank for a clean shot on the side of the blocked, action-less Keyan. Tycho did two more damage to my Y-wing which left it with 1 hull. Keyan then shot at range 1 and got two hits. But I again used R7! Keyan rerolled his two hits and got a blank and focus. Oh man, I was freaking out but strived keep a calm and professional composure. My Y-wing shot back at Keyan and dished out 3 primary hits to Keyan's hull and killed him. And that is why I love Y-wings. My AIS then ionized his Blue and we went to the next turn.
                It was a quick game after that. Tycho tried to flee by K-turning through a Debris field. But Eaden blocked him so the poor A-wing couldn't finish its turn. Normally that isn't bad for Tycho but things went downhill for him. He rolled a Critical while passing through the debris and lost use of his action bar. That's what I call juxtaposition, lol. But it was worse because Tycho was now a prime target for Eaden. I was able to keep my Outrider close to him and rolled 4 attack dice on my pathetically cheap, large-base turret. His Prototype chased my Gold but I was able to dodge well and I used R7 once again to great effect. And his Blue? It was ionized the rest of the game as my AIS B-wing danced around its blind spots. I did fly Luke a little too aggressively and he ended up dying. But at that point I was so far ahead that I could absorb the loss. Overall, it was another game where I felt in control and knew what was going on. And most importantly I was able to use my outside-the-box Poor Grey Pilot strategies to pull a fast one against another player in a tournament! That made my whole day.

Round 4 - Loss
Squad - 150
X-wing w/ Luke -32 Points
                Veteran Instincts
                R7-T1
YT-2400 w/ Eaden - 35 Points
                Recon Specialist
B-wing w/ Blue - 28 Points
                 Advanced Sensors
                Ion Cannon
Y-wing w/ Gold - 25 Points
                Ion Turret
                R7 Astromech
A-wing w/ Prototype - 15 Points
A-wing w/ Prototype - 15 Points

                So you would expect the last round to be the most epic of the whole tournament. But that's not how it turned out for me. According to the Tournament Officiator, the randomized opponent-selecting program gave a repeat pairing. The TO tried to fix it but found out there was a problem. If he manually changed it then the two players would be facing lower tier opponents and have an unfair advantage. So the TO left it alone and it turned out that those two players were me and Opponent 2. Sigh. It was in that moment that yours-truly literally became the Poor Grey Pilot. Instead of being given a slight advantage, I was put up against someone I'd already lost to and had a slightly bigger disadvantage. The TO told me that I had a chance because both of our squads had progressed and it was therefore not a repeat match. But then I found out that I was up against a list with the brand new Advanced Targeting Computers and the Emperor himself. I had absolutely no idea how to counter that. And honestly, I knew from our first match that he was much better player and that I really needed to turn the tides to win.
                The first ray of hope was my new and improved B-wing. It was sweet revenge when my opponent tried to sucker punch it again. Instead of my B-wing being broadsided, it lithely danced circles around his Phantom. Sadly, Whisper was always able to shoot at my other ships and so had the ACD. Because of this my B's ion cannon wasn't able to hit hard to ever get through. Yet all that mattered to me was that I was on the same playing field and was able to put up a good fight. And my B-wing wasn't even scratched the whole game. The Gold Y-wing also did a pretty good job. He again survived the alpha strike and actually held his own against Darth Vader. Neither ship was able to get the upper hand over the other. I used R7 twice; the first time didn't change the dice results and the other turned all the hits to focuses which forced Vader to waste his focus token. So the results were not as good as last round but still not bad at all. Such a great droid.
                For this squad's escalation I opted to add 2 prototype A-wings. I did this because I suspected that people would use their 150 points to build massive swarms. Not only would 2 A-wings protect me from this, they are hardy and fast enough to be versatile. And they did a good job against my opponent. But I wasn't used to flying them with the Outrider and I ended up blocking Eaden's path. He got stuck in the open with no actions and so fell pretty fast.
                At this point I noticed we were actually the only players who had not yet finished their match. So I guess I'm not as under-skilled as I thought. I went head-to-head with this guy and didn't get wasted horribly. In order to not prolong the inevitable, and to save everyone time, I forfeited the game. But I was happy with it and how I did.

                All in all, I had a good experience and reached my goals. I proved the worth of a several of my PGP builds and now you got no excuse to not try them! lol. I had lots of fun and got some sweet participation prizes. It is also impressive to me that I didn't suffer from any battle fatigue or beginner mistakes in this tournament. That means I am learning and progressing. As a side bonus I received several gasps, curses, and "What!?"s from my opponents because of my squad composition, how I played the risk on the dice, and how I flew. If nothing else I know how to shake things up. I hope you enjoyed reading and learned something new. Feel free to leave comments and questions, I would love to hear your input. PGP out.

Use Bombs Wisely! - Discussing Advanced Bomber Techniques

                In last week's article we talked about how Wave 7 mixed with bombing mechanics will create numerous new bombing techniques. This week I wanted to dive a bit deeper into viable applications of the new advanced bombers: the Punisher and the K-wing. When it comes to X-wing Miniatures, factions and ships have always had their own strengths and weaknesses as well as unique upgrade capabilities. So it is no surprise to us that these two ships act completely different while doing the same job. Although there are multiple upgrades slots on each ship I want to focus on the things that make each one unique and how we can best apply them.
                Before we dive in, I do want to share one thing that has been on my mind. Ever since Wave 7 was announced I have heard many people ask: why do these bombers have small bases? Well, all we had to do was trust FFG and wait for the announcement of Wave 8. When we see that the monstrous Ghost is considered a large-base ship it is easy to imagine the Punisher or K-wing as small. But there is more to it than that. FFG really takes all things into consideration when balancing their game. A small base bomber receives a benefit when it comes to traveling through asteroids. And that is right where these bombers belong. You want to have then weave through obstacles, block lanes, and trap enemy ships with their ordnance. On the flip side though, a small base means these ships are vulnerable to ionization, especially with their low agility. The power of these bombers come from their amazing speed and it makes sense that there is a way to counter this. So if you are planning on facing one, consider taking an Ion Y-wing, AIS B-wing, or Ion Headhunter in your squad compositions. Just something to think about.

K-wing
                Ok, the first and biggest new thing we get with this wave of bombers is the SLAM action. In the lore the Sub-Light Acceleration Motor made the K-wing the fastest ship in real-space. Thusly it was perfect for strafing runs on capital ships. However, it wasn't as good at turning and this is reflected in the K-wing's dial. When you take this action it does prevent you from shooting but, honesty, we don't care. A normal bomber on a strafing run would flee and therefore not shoot anyways. And the SLAM gives us so much versatility. Since the action is considered a maneuver it means you can choose to drop your bomb before you SLAM instead of before you activate. You can also equip the Advanced SLAM upgrade which gives you a second action, as long as you didn't overlap anything. This means you can move, SLAM, and then drop a mine. Just like in the extended universe you can have your K-wing cross ridiculous amounts of space in order to get your bombs in the right places.
                The second unique thing about the K-wing is that it has the crew upgrade. Here's a few crew members that I found to be intriguing. First off is the Bombardier. It's cheap and simple. And not only does it double bombing distance, it doubles the options you have to pick when choosing to drop. Not everyone can be as good as Emon, but Emon also can't appear more than once in your squad. Just saying.
                The next crew member that I really like is the Intelligence Agent. A K-wing with an IA can make sure you get the most effectiveness out of your SLAM action. Even better, it can help you lay bombs with more precision. Normally it is impossible to hit high PS ships with bombs but with an IA you actually have a chance, especially if the enemy has few options for movement actions.  So try taking one and see how fun the synergy can be.
                The other two crew members I want you to consider are ones that don't really see much love. The first is the Saboteur. People don't normally picking him because he takes up your crew slot, costs 2 points, and only works 50% of the time. However, here is a combination where he is quite viable. Instead of taking Proton Bombs and Extra Munitions for 7 points, consider taking Seismic Charges, Extra Munitions, and a Saboteur for 6 points. You save yourself a point plus the crew is technically free with your savings from extra munitions. Even after you have spent all of your ordnance, your Saboteur can continue to work throughout the rest of the game. This means that your K-wing won't drop from super deadly to boring when your run out of bombs. You can give facedown damage cards to enemy ships then spend the new few turns dogging, shooting, and sabotaging them. And this build terrorizes unshielded, low skill pilots. Namely Tie Swarms. Why not try it out?
                The final crew I want to talk about is Leebo. I know, you're shaking your head at this one but hear me out. This crew was originally made to be a cheap engine upgrade: you save 2 points but you have to pay the price in ionization. Who wants to waste their crew slot to ionize themselves? He works OK on Large base ships but he is useless if the enemy has ion attacks. But here is a crafty application. The SLAM action requires you to keep the same speed number on your movement. So if you pick the wrong movement, a SLAM could actually make you overshoot your target. Leebo will allow you do to a 2 or 3 speed move and then do a 1 speed boost, giving you better precision in your movement. You then get ionized but this is where the trap has been set! Enemy ships will see you in your plight and unmercifully swarm in for the kill. And they don't need to worry about you dropping a bomb on them because ionized ships don't get to pick a move, right? Well, after you perform an ionized move you still get to take an action. And the SLAM action is considered a maneuver. This allows the K-wing to make an ionized move, drop a bomb, and SLAM away at speed 1! And just like with Daredevil, you can still do your SLAM action even if you bump. So if your K-wing gets surrounded on all sides you can still drop a bomb and bump with your SLAM. You might take a hit yourself but you'll get everyone else too! All it takes is for you to sucker your enemy once and then he'll be wary to come into range 1 again. This gives you the freedom to boost whenever you want and a K-wing that boosts can still shoot with its turret.

The Tie Punisher
                Now onto the second half of our spotlight. The first thing the Punisher brings to the table is the boost action. Just like with the SLAM, this action is crucial in the early game to get into needed bombing positions. And when it comes to ionization the boost can also be used to prevent the Punisher from becoming trapped. Probably the most interesting fact of the boost here is that it allows you to take the Autothrusters upgrade.
                But is this the modification you should take? If you want to get the most out of your one evade dice then I would say go for it. You're going to be out of arcs a lot of the time on your bombing runs so having autothrusters will make sure that any attack is reduced by one. And with it you can save your actions for boosts or mines. But let's not discount other mods. The Punisher really benefits from the upgrade included in its expansion: the Mark 2 engine. This raises the ship's green moves from 4 to 8. This really helps you get to the right places on the map, especially when that 2 turn is very red.
                The second unique thing about the Punisher is that it has the System upgrade. This is where the fun begins. Ever since Wave 3, the System slot has always set apart the humdrum ships from the sophisticated ones. So naturally the new, advanced Imperial Bomber has been given this luxurious upgrade slot. The Punisher expansion itself brings no new systems to the table. But that is ok because there are still lots of others to choose from.
                Let's first look at the Fire-Control System and the Accuracy Corrector. Take one of these if you are looking for a bomber that can drop lots of ordnance but also hit hard with its main guns. The AC guarantees that you will never miss with your 2 attack dice but it is expensive. The FCS is cheaper yet is limited because you have to keep shooting at the same ship. And this can be hard to do when you are flying random strafing vectors around enemy squads. However, it is very strong when facing a 2-ship build. And it is a must-have if you are going to pack torpedoes, as well as bombs, on your generic pilot.
                Another fun system is the Enhanced scopes. In my bomb strategy update I talked about how an advanced bomber needs to have a mid-range pilot skill in order to target both low and high pilot skill ships. But when you equip your Punisher with ES then we have a whole different story. This means that your bomber will move before every other ship and therefore you can land mines on any pilot. Not only is this super fun, it actually saves you a couple squad points. So try it out!
                The one system that I wouldn't take is the Sensor Jammer. Don't get me wrong, it is a good upgrade and is downright nasty in the right setup. But in this case I would take Autothrusters over the Sensor Jammer.
                And this leaves us the best for last, the Advanced Sensors. This card really puts the shine on the Punisher's bombing ability. If you are unsure of which system to take, start out with this one. You can boost before you reveal a maneuver and thus have better accuracy when laying bombs on low PS ships. Or you could drop a mine before you move and really surprise an opponent. Advanced sensors also allows you to bump on purpose. Consider picking a move that will launch you directly at a higher PS ship. Then lay a mine, reveal your move, and bump the enemy. Not only do you still get your ordnance out, you are now in a spot where the enemy ship will not be able to hit you. Either the ship moves 1 forward and can't attack you, moves to the side and doesn't get a shot, or else K-turns and lands right on top of your mine. And there are countless other applications. Because it lets you be unpredictable you are free to do what you want and your opponent will have a difficult time trying to counter your moves.

                And there you have it. We've looked at several possible combinations for these bombers, some viable and some just really fun. Be sure to try out the ones that intrigue you when you are able to get your hands on Wave 7. Practice hard on those strafing runs and fly casual!


Afterwards:
5 points to Gryffindor for any player that uses an Advanced SLAM to place a Conner Net in front of a large base ship and yells: "Grand SLAM, you pancake!" Then be a good sport and treat them to Denny's after the game. lol

A Look At The Next Generation of Bombing - A Poor Grey Pilot Strategy Update

                In light of Wave 7's arrival, here is my next strategy update: bombs. There is a reason why Wave 7 is called the Bombs and Ordnance Wave and there a lot of changes coming our way.

Three Variants of Bombers

                The old meta really only had one type of bomber: if your ship had a bomb slot then it drop a bomb. Wave 7 is going to revolutionize the strategy of bombing with ship that have 2 bomb slots, as well as the Extra Munitions upgrade. These changes will expand the Bomber role from one variant to three.

                The first of these is the Basic Bomber. This variant essentially has one bomb slot and so can only do basic bombing techniques. The two ships here are: the Aggressor and the un-titled Firespray. If you see either of these with a bomb, you can rest assured that it can do no more than a one-and-done drop.

                The second variant is the Standard bomber. These ships have one bomb slot as well as a torpedo for extra munitions. This means that most bombers on the table will be threatening for more than one round. This kind of bomber includes: the Y-wing, Tie Bomber, Slave 1, and Decimator. While these ships have access to multiple bombs, they are only allowed to have one type. So if you are going to field one make sure that you adequately pick the right bomb for your squad's needs. If you are facing one ingame, then you only have to worry about one type of bomb. Try to find out your enemy's bombing strategy and proceed with the correct counter.

                The third and final variant is the Advanced Bomber. These ships can equip more than one type of bomb and have access to multiple bombing techniques. This variant includes: the Andrasta, K-wing, and Tie Punisher. The latter two have two bomb slots and a torpedo slot, and therefore can take two different types of bombs and a total of 4. As for the Andrasta, it can't take extra munitions but it can give you up to three different types of bombs.

Bombs vs Mines

                The upgrade from basic to standard is an obvious advantage: getting more bombs at a discount is awesome. However, transitioning from one type of bomb to multiple is a more suble advantage. Yes, you have more options for strategy, but the main advantage comes from the diffrences between the two categories of bombs, bombs and mines.

                Bombs in X-wing are characterized as such: they don't require an action to use, are released from your ship before you reveal a maneuver, and always explode at the end of the activation phase. A mine's defining characteristics are the exact opposite of bombs: they require an action to drop, are used after you make your maneuver, and don't explode until a ship moves over them.

                The mechanics of bombs and mines are different, and so it makes sense that their applications are different as well. Bombs explode during the same turn you drop them, so you want them to do damage right then. They are most effective when placed next to ships that have already activated, and therefore are most easily used against lower pilot skills. Mines, on the other hand, have two applicable uses. The first is to place them to lock down a lane or block an escape route, thus giving you more control over the board. The second strategy is placing mines ontop of ships unmoved ships. Since mines explode when a ship touches it, it doesn't matter whether or not the enemy has moved. Because of this, mines are more easily used against high pilot ships.

                                               

Application of the Advanced Bomber

                If you want your bomber to target high pilot skill ships, then you should pick low skill pilots and arm them with mines. To target low skill pilots, you should take an ace bomber and load him with bombs. Both of these builds are strong against the ships they hunt. But it also creates a weakness in squad building. If you have a low PS bomber with conner nets, it won't do so well against an enemy swarm. Conversely, if you have an ace bomber with proton bombs, he is not going to do much against a 2-ship large-base build. We don't want to leave a gap like that in squad strategy. One answer is to fly multiple bombers, one with bombs and the other with mines.

                However another option has been presented with the new Advanced Bomber role. This type of bomber can to save you squad points because it can equip both a bomb and a mine. That way you are able to easily switch your bombing strategies based off of the different squads you meet in tournaments.

Choosing Your Pilot Skill

                First off, don't pick low skill pilots. They will be great against aces but will be vulnerable to other generics. On the other hand, most ace bomber pilots are a good choice because they generally have lower pilot skills than other named pilots. However, if you are going to spend the points for an ace make sure you are getting a good bomber ability, such as Emon or Deathrain.

                If you want to keep your advanced bomber on the cheaper side, then you can consider the option of taking a middle-skilled generic pilot. Normally these pilots are overcosted but, in this situation, their skill level is a perfect fit. They are high enough to take on generic swarms but also low enough to terrorize aces. A Guardian K-wing, Black Eight Punisher, or Mandalorian Firespray can be devastating to every enemy ship on the table.

                I hope you are as excited as I am for the new wave of bombers to come out. Keep practicing and fly casual.

Punisher w/ Black Eight - 35 Points

                Seismic Charges

                Cluster Mines

                Extra Munitions

                Twin Ion Engine Mk II

                Advanced Sensors

K-wing w/ Guardian - 36 Points

                Seismic Charges

                Conner Net

                Extra Munitions

                Bombardier

                Advanced Slam

Firespray w/ Mandalorian - 44 Points

                Andrasta Title

                2 Proximity Mines

                Seismic Charges

                Inertial Dampeners

I've Got A Problem Here...Deciding Which Astromech Your Rebel Pilot Should Take, Part 2

                As promised, here is the second half of the Astromechs in the X-wing Miniatures game. So let's jump right in and discuss the R5 and R7 series.

R5 Astromech - 1 Point

                The R5 is our second generic droid in the game and a great one at that. His ability of turning ship-based criticals facedown can be a real game changer. An R5 unit may be the difference between dying right then or staying around just a little longer to dish some back at the enemy. There are 33 cards in the damage deck and 25 of them have the Ship title. Of those only 6 aren't fixable by R5 because they take immediate effect. This means that equipping an R5 unit gives you a 58% chance of not suffering the effects of a critical damage.

                If you pair R5 with the Determination talent then that number jumps up to 82% and adds a 24% chance of not taking hull damage. I love running this combo with a Hull upgrade on Ace X-wings (there is a reason R5 comes in Wedge's expansion). It's worth it to put on generic X-wings as well. It can be a pressure-reliever on yourself to have your squad fitted with R5s and not have to worry about random criticals ruining your gameplay. R5 on an X-wing means you won't lose valuable attack dice, take damage from your own K-turn, or lose your precious focus token from a damaged console. And if a Direct Hit lands on your first hull then R5 can actually reduce it back to only one damage!
                Since R5's ability only affects hull points you don't want to take him on an E-wing. On the flip side, however, this doesn't make the Y-wing a great choice. The Y has such a low damage mitigation that the enemy can rip through your 5 hull before R5 even has a chance to take effect. It would benefit you more to give your Y-wing a boost in movement or agility.

R5-D8 - 3 Points
                D8 is the game's repair droid and works really well against two Ties in a Beginner game. However, once you move onto Standard games D8 becomes vastly underpowered. There are so many guns in a 100 point match that actions really become pivotal. So it is not cost effective to give up your action and roll a chance die to repair. If you want a repair ability then it is much more cost effective to pay for R2-D2. For just 1 more point you get a guaranteed shield recharge and it doesn't cost your action.
                Honestly, the only viable application I have seen of D8 in the Standard game is when you fly him with Jek Porkins. This pilot can remove stress automatically but there is a chance he will damage his own ship. If that happens then we have a unique opportunity: using D8 isn't really isn't a waste of an action because you normally wouldn't have that action in the first place! And if Jek doesn't damage his own ship he is free to use that action for a focus. The combo is powerful because the numbers are in your favor. Jek only has a 38% chance of hurting his X-wing but if he does then D8 has a 63% chance of repairing the damage. If you do repair then you don't get the free action but the stress is still gone and the X-wing isn't limited in its movement next turn. If Jek receives a damage and D8 fails then it kinda stinks but there is only a 14% chance of this happening. So if you love riding the edge of disaster to get better performance then this is the combo for you.
                Not only is this paring effective, it is also iconic. D8 is the droid that Porkins has in the movies and comics. In dogfights before Epsiode 4, Jek was an amazing pilot that pulled risky stunts to beat the enemy and had D8 to back him up. However his luck ran out during the Battle of the First Death Star. In a strafing run with Biggs, Jek's ship was pelted by shrapnel from the surface. Jek tried to keep control of his stressed-out ship but in the process he damaged his own engines. D8 wasn't able to fix the problem in time and the sluggish X-wing was caught by turbo laser fire. But even in death he still helped save the day. He protected Biggs who in turn protected Luke and the rest is history.
                As for the general game, I would love to see this repair droid have more possibilities for competitive use. The best fix for it, in my opinion, would be to eliminate the chance. In a reprint of D8 I would make him read "Your Action Bar receives the Repair Action" and include a new rule card. The action would simply be to discard one facedown damage card. This would put D8 on the same playing field as R2-D2: if you fulfill a parameter, you get the reward. And the comparative cost of the droids would match that of the Hull Upgrade to the Shield Upgrade. It would also be nice if the droid were generic, that way multiple ships in a squad could have repair abilities.

R5-K6 - 2 Points
                K6 is another droid that is currently underpowered in the meta game. At the time of Wave 1, K6 was a great droid and his ability made sense. If you wanted to fire your torpedoes effectively you had to get a target lock, not use it, then pair it next round with a focus for a great shot. However, if you took K6 then you had a 38% chance of using your target lock and still keeping it for next round. But this ability was overshadowed when the B-wing brought the Fire Control system, which provides a 100% chance of keeping your target lock. Since the FCS and K6 cost the same amount of points we know that the droid is now underpowered in the game.
                So what kind of fix does K6 need? We could just make it simple by eliminating the chance and making K6 have a guaranteed target lock. However, this just makes him the FCS for astromechs and creates a boring repeat ability. We need something to give K6 some individualism and make it tempting to pick an astromech slot over a system. My suggestion is to keep the chance the same but make the reward bigger. Have a reprint card read: "When you acquire a target lock on an enemy ship, roll 1 defense die. On an evade result acquire a second target lock. That target lock may be used this round." Essentially, K6 would now give a 38% chance of getting two target locks and thus allow you to fire a modified torpedo right then.
                Not only would this bring K6 back up to playing level, it would add some spice to the dull ordnance play in the meta. And it would provide some iconic application. In the Star Wars universe K6 is Garven Dreis's droid. You might know him as Red Leader from the Battle of the First Death Star. However K6's ability doesn't really make sense when applied to this battle. Garven locked onto the port vent of the Death Star but after he fired he didn't need to reacquire another target lock. If K6's ability were to provide a second, modifying target lock then it would add to the lore. Garven would've had the perfect shot and yet he still missed. While on the other hand a farm boy in tune with the force made the shot with a Deadeye focus. Moreover, Garven's ability in game means that you never want to take a target lock. With the help of a new K6, Garven could take 2 locks to use in the coming rounds then take focuses for his next actions to help his allies.

R5-P9 - 3 Points
                P9 is a decent droid and pretty straight forward. If you have a focus left over during the end phase he can turn it into a shield recharge. He works really well when paired with allies like Kyle or Garven who can help make sure he has that leftover focus. The only thing I will say about this droid is that I wish he was generic rather than unique. A squad of Rookies each with a P9 could help bring X-wings back to the competitive table.

R7 Astromech - 2 Points
                The R7 astromech is the last generic droid on our list. In the lore the R7 was actually designed by Alliance engineers specifically for the E-wings. And in the Miniatures world the droid does work well with the E-wing, especially when paired with a FCS. It is also a great combo when paired with Tarn Mison's ability, allowing him to use his free target lock for defense.
                But the main reason why I love the R7 unit is because it adds to the Target Lock Action. The reroll of a target lock gives you around the same benefit offensively as a focus. Because of this most people only take a lock when they need to fire ordnance or when they don't have a shot and want to save it for next round. But R7 adds a fun change. A defensive target lock can be use in 360 degrees, even if your ship can only fire forward. And a ship with R7 can take a target lock for offense, then switch it over for defense if they get outmaneuvered.
                Another great twist is the application of the rules on dice modification. They state that when a defender modifies the dice of the attacker it happens before the attacker's own modification. This means that you can use R7 to interrupt an attack and waste an opponent's attack modification points. Suppose you get shot by a HLC and the attacker gets 2 hits. If he has a target lock, Lone Wolf, or Predator reroll then he has a good chance of boosting that attack. But before he can modify you can spend your defense target lock and reroll all of his dice. On average your reroll will produce a dice result that is the same as, or worse, than the original. And dice can only be rerolled once so now the attacker has no way of improving his result. Just like with R4, you have wasted enemy upgrades dedicated to offense. And since R7 is generic that means you can take a whole squad of 'em.

R7-T1 - 3 Points
                His nickname is RT in the books yet most players refer to him as the Boost Droid. If used correctly he can provide you an engine boost and a target lock every turn. However, his ability does require a hard set of parameters to be filled.
                Here's the secret to using RT: he is a pilot skill grab. If you place him on a high PS ship and your enemy has lower pilots, he will terrorize them. But if you are against a higher pilot ship then RT won't help you. This is because the ability can only be activated after you move. If you are the highest skill pilot on the board then you can fly into enemy arcs and boost in for the kill or boost out of their shot. Either way you are safe because you know that the enemy ships have already moved. Logically, it is the exact opposite when your ship has the lower pilot skill. You can boost in for the kill but the enemy will move away and you can try to boost to safely but the enemy will follow right behind you.
                So if you take RT be sure to back him up with high pilot skill. He works really well on Luke, Wedge, or Corran with Veteran Instincts. Horton is another good pilot to pair with because the droid gives the slow Y-wing a big advancement in maneuverability. However, be extra careful with this combo because Horton can't take VI and will be vulnerable to enemy aces. If you do want to use Horton, or any lower pilot skill ship, then run RT alongside with Intelligence Agents. That way you can know enemy movements and can better judge when to use your boost action. With any of the aces you pick also consider giving them a torpedo. It is really easy to take a target lock, boost out from an enemy attack, and save the lock for another round. Have fun experimenting with this unique ability.

                And there you have it. 12 different droids but only 1 slot per ship. Which of these droids will you pick? Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments. I hope you enjoyed this analysis and learned something new. Have fun shopping for droids!

Well, C'mon Red, Let's Go! - Deciding Which Astromech Your Rebel Pilot Should Take, Part 1

                Some of the most memorable and fun moments of the Star Wars universe don't come from the main characters but rather from side-kick droids. The archetype of this is our best friend R2-D2. So you can imagine how exuberant I was when I learned that Astromechs were an integral part of the X-wing Miniature game. Right from the start you can open up your core set and fly Luke Skywalker with Artoo!

                But when it comes to choosing droids for squad lists in the game you must be very judicial. Most of them are unique and a few are actually underpowered in the current meta. Moreover, you are limited in squad points and only having one droid slot per ship. This article is the first in which I will give commentary on which droid a player should take as well as discuss ways that underpowered droids could possibly be fixed. Let's start with the R2, R3, and R4 Series.

R2 Astromech - 1 Point

                I would consider this little guy to be the staple droid of the Rebel fleet and not just because he comes first alphabetically. The R2 unit's ability to make all 1 and 2 speed moves green is a safe and reliable choice. And since it is a generic droid, you can equip as many of them as you like. It's a wonderful ability that gives you more freedom of movement and allows you to stay unpredictable when shedding stress. Honestly, if you don't know which droid to take you should fall back on this one.
                Each of the three ships with astromech slots receives a great benefit when paired with an R2 unit. Both the X and the E receive 4 new green moves and combine well with self-stress talents. While on the E it can also be paired with Advanced Sensors. For example, Corran Horn could take an action before moving, Push the Limit for a second action, then do 1 of 9 green moves to remove the stress. However, where it shines the most is on the Y-wing becuase it raises the number of green moves from 2 to 8! This allows the option of creating a jousting Y. Even though Rebel Warthogs can't gain action economy from the R4 Agro, they can recieve greater jousting power using the R2 Astromech.

R2-D2 - 4 Points
                Everybody knows R2-D2 so I'm not going to spend much time writing about him. To learn about how he works in-game just take him out for a test run and I can promise that you will fall in love with him. The only thing to keep in mind when using him is that you need to fly unpredictably. Since your opponent is going to expect you to do green moves you need to learn how to feign. Nothing is more exhilarating than when your opponent thinks you will do a green but you fly off on a wild white move. More often than not the enemy ships will be out of position which allows you to make an unpressured green move next turn while they recover. And also, don't put him on a Y-wing, trust me.

R2-D6 - 1 Point
                At first glance this droid looks like it gives your pilot an elite talent. However, we need to remember that the cost of an upgrade card must include the use of its slot. What R2-D6 truly does is replace your astromech slot with an elite talent slot, similar to how the E2 card replaces the B-wing's mod slot for a crew. The only reason to use this droid is if your squad requires a ship with the astromech slot that isn't using it and needs an EPT. One fun application of this is on middle pilot skill generics. Consider putting Deadeye on a Grey Squad pilot with torpedoes or possibly combine a Red Squad pilot with Lightning reflexes. One of the most famous combos is a PS 8 Garven with Veteran Instincts. Bottom line: remember that whichever EPT you choose is costing you one extra point.

R2-F2 - 3 Points
                A lot of players incorrectly believe that this droid is underpowered but that is actually because they use it wrong. In theory it always sounds better to get an extra dice, right? This isn't always true because dice modification actions are very powerful. Let's use the example of an X-wing. Statistically, 3 unmodified defense dice give you less evade results than 2 defense dice with a focus token. The current meta states that if you want to take this droid then you also need to have good action economy to get a focus, such as Biggs with F2 and the Experimental Interface.
                However, when we look back at the statistics we find that there is another application. The dice comparison I just stated before only applies when you are facing an enemy ship one to one. What if your ship is being attacked by multiple enemies? Let's use the minimum example of two enemy ships. 6 unmodified defense dice (3 dice x 2 attacks) roll an average of 2.25 evades. On the other hand, 4 defense dice (2 dice x 2 attacks) with 2 having access to a focus only roll an average of 2 evades. This is because once the focus token is used it is gone and the rest of your rolls are unmodified.
                That is why F2 is included in the core set. The X-wing doesn't have a barrel roll and can't move away when it makes a bad maneuver. This can be really devastating in a Beginner game when both Ties outmaneuver the X and have clean shots. But if the X-wing has F2 then it can mitigate the damage by boosting both its average and extreme evade results. And this effect is even more powerful when playing a Standard game. For each additional attacker, the 3 unmodified dice get proportionally more powerful. If Biggs is facing a squad of 4 attackers, he will get an average of 4.5 evades with F2 and only 3.5 with a plain focus.
                What about the E-wing? The math shows that a boost from 3 to 4 defense dice doesn't justify the loss of the focus until you are being shot at by at least 3 attackers. And honestly, if your E-wing is getting shot at by 3 enemies in one turn, you're flying it wrong. So don't use F2 on the E-wing. As for the Y-wing, that is a complete opposite story. Using a focus token on 1 defense dice is actually a big waste and this is reflected in the numbers. When you boost from 1 to 2 defense dice, you always receive an increase in evade averages, despite the numbers of attackers. So if you want to fly a Y-wing geared for defense then this is the droid for you.

R3-A2 - 2 Points
                Nicknamed the Stress Bot, this courageous guy is probably one of the most popular droids. He works quite simply: if you can shoot an enemy in your forward arc then you can also stress him. The ability gives yourself a stress as well but it is worth it because it is a guaranteed result. If you take Flechette torpedoes then they are useless against large ships and if you take a Tactician then you have to fly in precision to get range 2. But A2 isn't limited by any of that and always stresses whichever ship you point him at. All you need to do is make sure that you properly deal with the stress you are receiving.
                I wouldn't put A2 on an E-wing since the ship is reliant on actions. But this is a good choice for X's and Y's. The X-wing has enough low green maneuvers that it can slow play an enemy, re-stressing it for multiple turns. Equip Luke with A2, Veteran Instincts, and an Engine Boost and he can stress and hunt most enemy Ace pilots. Or you can consider pairing this droid with Hobbie or Porkins. Both of them are efficient at removing stress from themselves and so excel at using A2. And he is also great when paired with a Y-wing: an Ion Warthog can lock down a lane, ionizing and stressing anything that gets in his path.

R4-D6 - 1 Point
                This droid is hilariously awesome but, sadly, he do not see much competitive use. This is because he is the "worst case scenario" droid. I know for me, I don't like to admit that I can get stuck in horrible situations. I mean, I'm too good of flyer, right? Alas, that is human nature and it isn't easy for people to say they make mistakes and that they could use a safety net. But when we realize this, we find that R4-D6 becomes one of the BEST droids in the game.
                Here's the break down. In X-wing Miniatures, the gameplay is favored towards offense. This promotes a game style that is always progressing towards the endgame and rarely gets stuck. When you look at the big picture, powerful attacks are far cheaper than powerful defenses. Think about it. The Predator upgrade costs 3 points and allows you to reroll up to two attack dice. Flight Instructor, its counterpart card, costs 4 points and only allows 1 defensive reroll. Another example is Plasma Torpedoes vs the Shield Upgrade, both of which are 4 points. The former can do up to 5 damage to shields while the latter only adds 1 shield for defense.
                But a bright, shining counterexample of this rule is R4-D6. He costs a mere 1 point, he doesn't take up your action, and there is no difficult circumstances to meet for his ability to work. Any hits you take over a base of 2 get converted into stress. Just take a moment to really apply this ability and you will see that R4 becomes the "Anti-HLC" droid. Consider an Outrider with Predator and an HLC. When it faces R4 it is literally wasting 15 points because no matter what it does it can't give more than 2 hits! Another application to think about is when R4 is facing Soontir or Whisper. No matter what these pilots do, and no matter what range, they can do no more than 2 damage to your ship each turn.
                A Y-wing with a Hull upgrade and R4 requires 5 enemy hits before it is finally killed. This probably isn't a viable strategy to counter swarms but it is amazing against 2 ship builds. Have your Y-wing fly point to protect the rest of your squad while you chase a running large ship. Or have him go up against the runner 1-to-1 while your other ships focus down the second ship hiding on the sidelines. If you equip the Y with a Twin Laser Turret he becomes a large ship hunter that can trade 2 damage for 2 every turn. R4 also works well with E-wings and X-wings. Suppose you have a squad where you want an arc dodging E or X but you just don't have enough points left over for R2-D2. Well now you can take R4 and he can be a big help. He won't recharge your shields but he can make sure an enemy doesn't damage your hull if you make a wrong move and your dice fail you. So don't be scared to take R4. It is wise, not foolish, to admit that you can't avoid all the nasty battle scenarios out there. He might just be the hinge on which you survive and win a match.

                That is the first half of the Astromechs. Stay tuned for the second half where I will cover the R5 and the R7 series. Thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated and encouraged.