Lock S-Foils In Attack Position – Discussing Implications of the Pivot Wing

Intro
              Greeting pilots, and Happy 100,000 Views! I am amazed at the response this blog has received and am grateful for every reader. Thank you for making the Poor Grey Pilot great!

              I am excited to talk about the announcement of U-wing starship. I was curious how this ship would be represented in X-wing Miniatures, but when I read about the Pivot Wing upgrade my mind was blown! In today’s article, I want to explore the implications of the Pivot Wing and discuss the possibility of the s-foil.

The S-Foil

              While cleverly titled, the heart of the “pivot wing” ties back to s-foils. Star Wars ships are so dynamic because they transform. Movable wings seem humdrum to veteran Star Wars fans, but we shouldn’t forget the first time we saw an X-wing transform in A New Hope! (A similar moment is when Darth Maul pulled out the first-ever bow lightsaber, another aspect Star Wars fans take for granted nowadays.)

              It makes sense why s-foils weren’t included at the beginning of X-wing; it helps keep an already complicated game simple. But we are witnesses to a great move in X-wing Miniature mechanics, one that started back in Wave 8. The G-1A Starfighter introduced the first Dual Card, and Wave 10 is bringing another. Like connecting three dots to make a straight line, I predict the next major move for X-wing Miniatures is to create an s-foil mechanic. The Dual Card provides the perfect platform for dictating the mechanic and the Pivot Wing pioneers the effect.

              The benefits I see for an S-Foil Dual Card are twofold: First, it would provide a much-needed fix to the T-65 X-wing, making it more viable and fun to fly. It would be amazing to open and close s-foils, giving you utility to switch between firepower and mobility. Secondly, an S-Foil Dual Card would provide strength to faction identity. Most X-wing Miniature ships with s-foils are Rebel. This means that s-foil mechanics would make factions more distinct, providing necessary individually in the game. Furthermore, it would give a lift to Rebel metagame, which has had to overly rely on expensive aces and clunky ships.

Widespread S-Foil Application

              However, the T-65 isn’t the only ship that both needs an upgrade and can make use of s-foils. Let’s take a look at each one.

T-70 X-wing

              While this ship is already well priced, I want to address a concern some players have expressed in comparing the T-70 to the TIE/sf. For one point cheaper, the TIE/sf features far more bells and whistles. Providing the T-70 with dynamic s-foils would allow it to continue to remain viable in the metagame.

B-wing

              When talking about s-foils for the X-wing, I favor an attack/maneuverability mechanic. For the B-wing, however, I feel that it could benefit more if treated like the U-wing. An agility/maneuverability dual card would help make sure B-wings aren’t just sitting ducks waiting to be blown up. Plus, it would give me an excuse to further mod my B-wing miniatures.

Attack Shuttle

              As I see it, the Attack Shuttle has two roles. It either stays docked in the Ghost as long as possible, thus giving you combined firepower and protection for your fragile fighter. The second role I’ve seen is taking Zeb with Chewbacca as crew to create a powerful pseudo-X-wing. (For those of you wondering why there isn’t a generic Attack Shuttle, this is why.) A dual card would allow the Attack Shuttle freedom to fulfill more roles, such as a more viable arc-dodging Hera.

ARC-170

              This situation is a lot like the T-70’s. Both the ARC-170 and TIE/sf introduced new types of auxiliary firing arcs, but the abilities of the TIE/sf appear to outstrip that of the ARC’s. Perhaps when designing Wave 9, FFG purposefully left some room for a future dual card.

Lambda Shuttle

              These shuttles aren’t small and maneuverable like U-wings, but imagine a space-cow that can perform a stop maneuver to spin 180 degrees! This would keep the Lambda viable, even with the Upsilon on the way.

TIE Advanced Prototype

              Although only shown using s-foils during landing, the Advanced Prototype could benefit from a dual card. It would give the TAP a more distinct feel from its brother, the TIE/x1. It would also provide a healthy cross-faction exception, like Sabine’s TIE.

Star Viper

              Finally, the last ship that could benefit from an s-foil dual card is the Star Viper. While I would still prefer a Viper/Scyk Scum Ace fix, I’d love an s-foil fix. Dynamic wings would pay tribute to the mobility of the space-butterfly as players switch between speed and maneuverability. This would help fix the Viper’s bad pricing and make it even more of a blast to fly on the tabletop.

Further Possibilities

              The U-wing and the TIE Striker are just two concrete examples of the many possibilities of ships we could get in Rogue One. I personally hope we get a few T-65s. That would be a great throwback to the Original Trilogy as well as the comics, like with Nera Dantels and Red Squadron.

I don’t know how a s-foil card would be limited to specific ships, but FFG could find a way. Perhaps, if the movie has X-wings, FFG would have reason to release one final X-wing expansion, with title-specific dual cards for all ships. A crazy rumor going around is whether we could get a Rogue One Starter Set. My fellow-writer Mike Sweetman discusses the possibility over at Be A Healthy Geek, so be sure to check it out!

Thanks for joining me in this fun discussion of what-ifs. Let me know in the comments how you think X-wing Miniatures will be affected by Pivot Wings. I hope you have a great week of gaming, and remember to fly casual!

Horseshoes in Space - The Physics Behind the Jumpmaster 5000

                Good day, PGP readers. I must apologize for my recent hiatus. My lack of writing is a culmination of contracting a nasty cold bug, having a minor case of writer's block, and also a large part due to the reopening of the Overwatch Beta, of which I was fortunate to be invited to. I hope to now get back into my normal rhythm of things.

                In today's article I want take a look at the release of the Punishing One Expansion Pack, but not in the way you think. Although I am thoroughly intrigued with the inclusion of Guidance Chips, Rage, Mindlink, and the Gonk Droid (especially after my Shield Recharge analysis), what really draws my fascination for this new ship is the unique dial mechanic.

                The Jumpmaster 5000 is somewhat of a quirky ship and to help portray this, the game developers over at FFG decided to give the ship an asymmetrical dial. But why would they choose to do this? Is it the non-aerodynamic design of the vessel? That's not the case since X-wing Miniatures is portrayed as space combat and air resistance is non-applicable. And it is definitely not just because FFG wanted a new mechanic for the sake of a new mechanic. Their way of game design is so intricately laced with lore that they wouldn't do that. No, the reason for the choice of an asymmetrical dial is actual drawn from mass distribution.

                My collegiate career has allowed me to study a large portion of physics and it has been a enjoyable topic for me to learn. Matter acts quite strange sometimes when you really take a look at it. And there is a specific property of mass interaction that is called the Center of Mass, which we will use to look at Dengar's prized ship.

                Center of mass is the name describing the balance point of a quantified body of mass. This balance point is important because it is what dictates how outside forces will affect the body. Let's start by looking at the center of mass of a model cube. This shape is symmetrical and its mass is at a uniform distance from itself. The center of mass for a symmetrical object like this is - quite conveniently - in the center. If we wanted to move this cube we would have to take the center of mass into consideration. If a force is in the middle of one of the square faces then the cube will move directly in the direction you are pushing. But stray away from the center and then we start having problems. The further away you are from the center of the face, the more your forward movement is converted into rotation movement. In a frictionless environment, like the vacuum of space, this means that your cube will start to spin rather than move forward like you wanted.

                This takes us to our second model, a horseshoe. This shape is also symmetrical, but not on all of its 6 axes. As such the center of mass moves away from the exact center and towards a new location. The balance point of said shoe is moved closer to the connected top and further away from the open bottom. And even though it is in a different spot, this point still dictates force interaction. But now we have a problem, we can no longer apply a force directly to the center of mass because it is now just in empty space. We can overcome this problem by applying force from different points that are the same distance from the center of gravity. To illustrate, if you push on one leg of a horseshoe in space then it will mostly spin around the center of mass. But if you apply equal pressure to both legs then the opposing rotational forces will be cancelled out. If we wanted to make a horseshoe-shaped rocket ship then it would need to have engines on both legs.

                And thus we have the Jumpmaster 5000. This ship is a horseshoe with more mass located in one leg. And then the main engines are only placed in that leg. What does this mean? It means the Jumpmaster's center of mass is closer to the cockpit side of the ship rather than the turret side of the ship. And since the engines are only on the cockpit side as well, all of that mass is going to want to rotate around that center of mass when Dengar fires up his ionic boosters. That is why FFG designed the Jumpmaster with a dial where left maneuvers are easier than right ones. It has so many left green moves because the ship naturally wants to turn left when it flies. In fact, to even go straight, the Jumpmaster would rely on lateral thrusters on the turret wing to offset the rotational force. And it would need to use these thrusters even more heavily when attempting to turn right.

                In real life this ship would be more trouble than its worth and would never pass as a viable design for a spacecraft. However it isn't as bad, in my opinion, as the design of the U.S.S. Kelvin from Star Trek. Having the main nacelle engine below the disk of the ship means that the poor thing really only wants to spin heels over head. But the Punishing One's movment problem could have easily been avoided. If the ship designers had placed a second engine on the turret wing then the ship wouldn't have any rotation tendencies. Or perhaps a neater solution would be to place the cockpit and engines of the ship in the middle of the wedge, rather than off to one side, thus creating an umbrella shape.

                But let's be honest. The Punishing One wasn't created to as a prototype for real spaceships. It was made as part of a fantastical universe that is meant to be played in and be enjoyed. So I won't be fretting much once I get the chance to fly my own Jumpmaster in X-wing Miniatures. I will instead be enjoying a unique mechanic and a wonderfully built strategy game.

                I hope you enjoyed this small foray into the physical sciences. Please feel free to leave comments, as well as ideas for anything you would like me to analyse in the X-wing world. I hope you have a great week of flying and I will see you later. Poor Grey Pilot out.

Angle Rear Deflectors - Rethinking the Mechanics of Recharging Shields

                It has been awhile since I have written a Rethinking article. Since these posts usually deal with more controversial game aspects, I will start off today with a small disclaimer. I am not looking to prove that other viewpoints are wrong, or show that my thoughts are facts and therefore the best. I only write Rethinking articles to give alternate perspectives. Perhaps by thinking of things in a different light, players can find new ways of game application. With that being said, let's talk about a different way to look at the shield recharge mechanic.

                You've probably had the thought, I know I have. Why do Rebels have all the Shield Recharge ability? After sitting down and perusing through pilots and cards in the X-wing Miniatures universe, I have come to a conclusion: Rebel's don't. There are two parts to my reasoning, a short answer and a long one.

                The short answer is that Scum has access to shield recharge as well. IG88-A has the powerful ability to turn his kills into shield tokens. This means he can take a few hits in the early game and then recharge for the late game. Scum also has access to the Salvaged Astromech. While you do not actually place a shield token back on your ship card, it still "recharges" your health by stopping a Ship-based Critical. Coming in at 2 points, the Salvaged Astromech ability is only beaten in strength by the Integrated Astromech of the X-wing. Finally, there is some mystery surrounding the new Punishing One. The display picture of the expansion pack shows too many shield tokens needed for the ship. Players have theorized that the Gonk Droid, or possibly an "Overcharged Agromech", could bring more shield recharge. We'll just have to wait and see.

   

                 That's good and all. But Rebel shield recharge is still more powerful than Scum recharge, and the Imperial faction doesn't have any! Here is the where the long answer comes in. To understand Shield Recharge better, I looked at the game mechanics behind the ability. In essence, a shield recharge mechanic has you fulfill a certain parameter and, in return, you  attach another hit point to your ship. This is where I made a startling discovery: there is another mechanic in X-wing Miniatures that acts in almost the same way.

                I am speaking of the Evade action. When looking at the fluff of the game, there is no comparison. Flying evasive patterns with your agile ships is in not related to expending energy to revamp deflectors. But, on the mechanics level, the two are not that different. An Evade token, by definition, adds one extra evade die to your defense pool. Said die has an Evade symbol on each of its 8 sides, meaning that it always rolls an Evade result. That way, you always dodge an extra hit during the Compare Results phase of combat.

                However, we can stick a different fluffy definition onto this mechanic and we find that the same thing happens. Just imagine for a second that the Evade action was named the "Angle Deflectors" action. When performing an Angle Deflectors action, you place an extra shield token onto your ship. That way, when you Compare Results, you know you always dodge an extra hit. At the end of the round, if you didn't use your angled shield token, it is removed from your ship. Imperial TIE Fighters, lore-wise, don't have deflection screens, which is likely the reason why this game mechanic was named the Evade Action.

                When we look at it that way, Shield Recharge and Evade tokens are just two sides of the same coin. Both mechanics are used to prevent enemy shots from breaking through to your fragile hull points. They just do it in different ways.

                While it is correct that the Rebel faction has access to the most powerful recharge abilities, it is also correct that the Imperial faction has access to the most powerful evade abilities. When looking at all ships available to each faction (as of Quarter 1 of 2016) we see this stark contrast. For the Scum faction, only 36% of their ships have access to the Evade action. The Rebel faction only has 38%. But, Imperial players have the strongest access to the Evade action with 67%. If a player wants a ship with the Evade action, the Imperial faction has approximately twice as many ships to choose from. Moreover, since some Imperial ships come so cheap, an Imperial player could field two in the place of one.

Imperials	Rebels	Scum
TIE Fighter	A-wing	Aggressor
TIE/fo	Attach Shuttle	Firespray
TIE Interceptor	Ghost	G-1A
TIE Advanced	Millennium Falcon	Scyk Interceptor
TIE Advanced Prototype/v1	E-wing
TIE Defender/x7
TIE Phantom
Firespray

                All of this can be summarized as such: Rebel players can field only a couple of expensive abilities that each recharge a lot. Imperial players can field many cheap ships, each one with its own ability to "recharge" a little bit. Both mechanics work differently and have their benefits and drawbacks. First, Rebel shield recharge is permanent. If you don't spend the replaced shield token during combat, then you don't have to remove it at the end of the round. However, permanence can now be given to First Order TIEs with the Comms Relay. Second, Evade tokens are strong because they aren't predictable. They aren't limited by restricting circumstances, unlike specific recharge ability. While powerful, R2-D2 and R5-P9 can leave you vulnerable because your enemy has a better chance of correctly guessing your choices. Evade tokens paired with high agility and strong action economy give you ships that can be just as durable but are far more evasive. Third and final, shield recharge is an easier mechanic to apply. Like the Twin Laser Turret, it is straight forward and easy to learn, which explains why both are a big part of the meta. Evade tokens, on the other hand, are a little harder to apply because you have to know when the best time to use them, especially if your action economy is limited.

                And there you have it. While housing different fluff, the Shield Recharge and Evade mechanics are quite similar at their core. For Rebel and Scum players, this means you can use recharging abilities to overcome the slow and clunky ships you field. And for Imperial players, this means that your ships have their own unique advantage that you can learn and master.

                I hope you enjoyed this small session of rethinking. Perhaps this small glimpse of things in a different light can help you apply your X-wing skills in a new way to overcome the challenges that face you. Thank you for reading and have a great week of flying! PGP out.

Wired - An Action Economy Niche

          One of the most exciting aspects of the X-wing Miniatures game is knowing the right choices to make. No matter the luck of the dice or which ships you fly, if you don't make good choices in movement and actions then you won't be having much success. There are many upgrades that can help remove some of the hurt of wrong choices. And probably the most powerful of these are the ones that give you better action economy. From the R4 Agromech to the Experimental Interface, there are tons of upgrades that can help make it easier to choose an action. The best Action Economy Upgrades are the Elite Pilot Talents, hence the name. So when I opened The Force Awakens Core Set I was excited to see the Wired upgrade included. I am always on the lookout for good upgrades that are low cost and a 1 point Action Economy EPT really intrigued me.

          Here's the big question: Does Wired's low cost make it a steal-of-a-deal or just another underwhelming card? Since I learn well by comparison I took a look at Wired and three other action-giving EPTs.

Action Economy EPTs

          Push the Limit is the first EPT I looked at. It is the most popular talent and for a good reason. The upgrade is powerful, versatile, and well-costed for what it can do. In-game you only need to take a stress token and you can double up on actions. And having the freedom to chose which actions means that you can get the upgrades you need the most in the moment. You can take an evade and focus to turtle up on defense. Or you could take a target lock and a focus for a powerful attack. You can even take movement actions and still take a focus for dice modification. The only thing you need to worry about is taking care of your own stress and watching out for stress-control enemies.

          Predator was the next one. This upgrade is strong because it is a passive ability and you don't have to fulfill special circumstances to activate it. However, its passiveness also means it is not versatile. It is essentially a Push the Limit where you don't get a stress token but you always have to take a partial target lock for your second action. Normally this is fine since the name of the game is destroying your enemy! But the effectiveness of the upgrade drops to half power when firing at Pilot Skill 3 or higher. And when the tide of a match changes and you need to go on the defensive, the upgrade can't switch with you to help your defense dice.

          Number three is Lone Wolf. This upgrade is cheaper than Push the Limit but it still has the same flexibility to help both offense and defense. The downside, though, is that it has a very hard set of parameters to fill. If you aren't at Range 3+ of your allies then you can't get the bonus. However, from practicing strict flying - or by being your last ship on the board - you can get strong action economy. You reroll a blank on your attack as well as a blank on each defense.

          And finally we come to Wired. After my comparing and playtesting I realized why this EPT only costs 1 point. It requires a parameter to be fulfilled, that you be stressed, but afterwards it only lets you reroll your focus results. While Push the Limit gives the strongest action economy, Wired's reroll ability is actually the weakest.

          Here is my final ranking:

Offense - 1) Push the Limit, 2) Predator, 3) Lone Wolf, 4) Wired.

Defense - 1) Push the Limit, 2) Lone Wolf, 3) Wired, 4) Predator.

          My ranking was based on the assumption that you can fulfill all parameters. And while it is true that a strong offense is a good defense, my defensive ranking is based off giving power to defensive dice.

          In most situations Push the Limit or Predator is going to be your best choice. However, that doesn't mean that there is never a time to take Wired. Even if the ability is the weakest niche of Action Economy EPTs, it is still a niche. Before Wired was introduced, you had to either pick an expensive one or not pick one at all. Furthermore, there are certain select builds out there that are already planning on being stressed. So Wired is an upgrade you can take to complement the build and bring more power for a cheap cost. Finally, Wired is an ability that gives incentive to make red moves. Let's delve into each of these points in more detail.

Squad Points & Budget Players

                Wired brings the option of a cheap action economy EPT. This means that when you are working on the last ship of your squad and you are low on squad points you don't have to take away from your other ships. It also means that you can take a cheaper EPT to make sure an Ace build doesn't become overcosted. And in that same style it is a good EPT for middle PS generics with talents because it keeps them cheap.

          But more importantly, Wired is the cheapest of these four EPTs when it comes to your wallet. It comes in one of the two Core Sets which means it will be a part of most players' collections. To get the others you have to buy the specific expansions and that is no fun for players on a budget. I love the Predator upgrade but I have never had a strong enough desire to get a TIE Defender or a Kihraxz Fighter. My budget was always going towards other ships I wanted more. The Ghost set is the first one that I want to buy that has Predator in it. So if you are a budget player, try out Wired and be patient for the others as you build your collection.

Complementing Self-stress Builds

          The dichotomy of the Wired talent is that it requires you to be stressed but it takes up your EPT slot, the upgrade slot with some of the best self-stressing abilities. Of course this isn't a problem for A-wing Test Pilots and that means they really love Wired. Since Tycho is already going to be stressed, Wired will help him focus and keep his cost low. Or perhaps you don't like the A-wing's low attack. Running Green Squad Pilots with Opportunist and higher PS allies can give you a very strong offensive. And with Wired they can get more action economy to go with their extra die. This makes a 22 point ship that can be as powerful as a B-wing but trades high shields for high agility and a good dial.

A-wing w/ Green Pilot - 22 points

                Chardaan Refit

                A-wing Test Pilot

                Wired

                Opportunist

                But apart from EPTs, the next best way to self-stress is pilot abilities. Wired is very powerful when paired with Jan Ors or Dace Bonearm. Their pilot abilities will make sure that Wired will be activated. And the Hawk is a ship you really want to keep cheap on squad points. Wired gives constant focus modification for offense and defense and that makes it a weaker, but cheaper, Moldy Crow title.


Hawk w/ Dace - 30 points
                Wired
                Ion Cannon Turret
                Inertial Dampeners

          Another pilot that I love pairing with Wired is Zeta Leader. By self-stressing, this First Order pilot can attack as hard as an Interceptor for a much cheaper cost. And Wired means you can take a barrel roll or evade and still have dice modification.

TIE/fo w/ Zeta Leader - 22 points

                Wired

                TIE Mk. II

          Next is Hera Syndulla in the Attack Shuttle. This Twi'lek Ace has a built-in Stay On Target ability when performing red moves, yet there is a catch. Getting into the right position won't help if you don't have dice modification and your dice fail. But Hera's ability doesn't synergize with Push the Limit. Predator, on the other hand, is a great choice and comes in the same expansion as the Attack Shuttle. However, you have to be very careful with a Predator build because you can easily make the little ship cost too much. The Attack Shuttle is only a bit more durable than a Z-95 Headhunter. Since Hera wants to use her ability on red moves, Wired can give her action economy as well as low squad cost.

Attack Shuttle w/ Hera - 24 points

                Wired

                Intelligence Agent

          Wired also benefits players that love Stress Control Lists. In the past, Luke with Veteran Instincts, R3-A2, and an Engine Upgrade made a strong ship that could hunt and stress enemy Aces. While expensive, he has high PS and a strong pilot ability to make him very powerful. With Wired we have another option. Luke himself doesn't pair well with Wired but we don't need him anymore. Consider taking a Red Squadron Veteran with Wired and R3-A2. Not only is this pilot build much cheaper, he already has the boost action and so can replace an Engine Upgrade with an Integrated Astromech. And T-70s have a green 3 forward which will make clearing the stress much easier. The only problem is the pilot skill. So in the rest of your squad building you need a crew slot filled by an Intelligence Agent. That way your Red Veteran can lock down on the right lanes with his boost action. Finally, Wired tops of this combo by giving your X-wing attack modification and similar defense modification to Luke.

T-70 w/ Red Veteran - 29 points

                Wired

                R3-A2

                Integrated Astromech

          The last stress combo I want to talk about is the Fleet Officer. Normally this card is placed on a Decimator or Shuttle to be a large-based support ship. And Wired would benefit the former since the ship has pilots with the EPT slot. But now we have a new option with the announcement of Imperial Veterans. The TIE Bomber can be turned into a TIE Shuttle. This made me take a look back at the supportive Bomber pilot, Jonus. I love flying Captain Jonus as support to my other ordnance ships but I never liked putting missiles on him. He doesn't get help from his own ability. But now we can make Jonus a TIE Shuttle and he can better fulfill the supportive role. Give him a Fleet Officer and he can give out focus tokens as well as rerolls for friendly secondary attacks. Since he will already be stressed, Wired can make sure he gets dice modification for himself. And then we finish off the combo with the new Twin Ion Engine Mk II to help him clear the stress. I don't fly many Imperial lists but I love the TIE Bomber and can't wait for the new Imperial Veterans pack.

Bomber w/ Jonus - 27 points

                Wired

                TIE Shuttle Title

                Fleet Officer

                TIE Mk II

Making Use of Red Moves

                The Wired talent fills a niche in Action Economy EPTs but it also fills another niche: upgrades that give incentive to pick red maneuvers. Keyan Farlander makes such a great B-wing Ace because he isn't limited by his ship's slow dial. He can make a red move and still get an offensive "focus". Ibtisam has a similar ability by using stress to get offensive and defensive rerolls. This style of game mechanic has been expanded with the introduction of the Targeting Astromech and the Wired EPT. The former gives incentive to make red moves because you still get to target lock an enemy. This means that you can K-turn or T-roll and still be able to have a modified attack. And it is the same with Wired. You can take the EPT and not be pressured by bad dials. It can make your ships faster and less predictable, as well as give dice modification while stressed. While Wired is redundant on Keyan or Ibti, it is great on Ten Numb and Nera Dantels.

          I really like Wired on Poe Dameron. True, this means he can't take Veteran Instincts but that is a trade I'm ok with. First, I only have one copy of VI and so I like using it on middle PS pilots in my squad, for example Jake Farrell. Second, Wired relieves some of the pressure of making a wrong move with my Ace. If I do a red move at a bad time then I can mitigate some of the damage. And when flying Poe, movement is even more important. Like R2-D2, Poe wants to fly a certain way to get his bonus. So of course your opponent will think you are going for a focus token. Poe with Wired is much less predictable. He isn't as worried about a lack of focus because he still gets focus rerolls when he performs hard maneuvers. And that will make you less predictable as you switch between your red, green, and white moves.

          Let's return again to Koiogran Turns. This move is normally good because most ships need it to get back into better positioning. However, the maneuver has always been near-useless on Interceptor class ships since they are fast enough to turn around without it. And while I wouldn't put Wired on just any Interceptor, I really like it on a few. For example, Tetran Cowall or Serissu. These ships now K-turn with less risk and can take unsuspecting opponents by surprise.

Interceptor w/ Tetran - 27 points

                Wired
                Autothrusters

Scyk w/ Serissu - 24 points

                Wired

                Stealth Device

          My final thought on red moves is the Y-wing. Rebel Y-wings now have the option of taking a Targeting Astromech or R2-D6 + Wired (both options costing 2 points) in order to get some good use out of their red moves. A Grey Squadron Pilot with Wired and a Twin Laser Turret is unpredictable and fast. And since Wired's reroll is constant you can use it with both shots of the TLT and on defense, unlike a focus token. Horton Salm also is great with this combo. When stressed, he will be able to reroll both blank and focus results, meaning that he gets a constant target lock whenever he shoots. This ability is stronger and more reliable than Predator.

Y-wing w/ Horton - 33 points

                Twin Laser Turret

                R2-D6

                Wired

Conclusion

                Whether you are a budget player just jury-rigging action economy until you get new expansions or someone who loves self-stressing synergy, Wired can be the perfect fit for your squad's needs. It is the cheapest and most accessible of the four main Action Economy EPTs. And it pairs well with so many combos. So give Wired a try and let me know in the comments what kind of crazy things you've done! Have a great day and fly casual!

Continuously Progressing - A Poor Grey Pilot Strategy Update

                The strategies that I create and discuss here on this blog are subject to a present and ever-changing game. Because of this it is only natural that ideas can get outdated as things progress. However it is human nature to not enjoy change and so it can be easy to not agree with updates to a diverse game like X-wing. On online forums I have seen many instances of players learning about a change and then taking the easy way out by no longer using what they think is now unviable. But I believe a better course is to take a step back and actually try to understand why Fantasy Flight made the changes in the first place. FFG is a master at making games and so I believe them when they say that this is how they want X-wing Miniatures to run. With that being said, let's jump into this strat update.

The K-wing

                When I say that ideas get outdated I usually mean that they slowly creep out of existence as the game moves along. But sometimes things can change, or even flip, in an instant and that was the case of the K-wing. Barely a week had gone by with my Bomber article up when the SLAM got nerfed on bombs. (Sorry Leebo, I'll try again with you...) Now whether this was a production mistake on FFG's part or a ploy to sell more K-wings, it doesn't matter. Players need to stop worrying about the loss of SLAM-bombs. What is ironic is that the number of people claiming the K-wing is no longer viable and therefore won't fly it only serve to prove the fact of how overpowered SLAM-bombs were. Everyone apparently was going to fly that build and only because it was easy.

                The bottom line is that FFG rewards hard work in the game. An HLC Outrider may seem easy but it is a very expensive ship and requires a lot of practice to be flown correctly. Torpedoes and ordnance are some of the hardest game-mechanics to pull off properly but they are also some of the most rewarding. There is a reason why the game makers haven't yet given a "quick hot-fix" to ordnance despite years of players begging for one. That reason is that we, the majority of the X-wing gaming community, have yet to actually put forth the effort to learn and master the use of ordnance.

                It is the exact same way with the K-wing. FFG wants us to develop powerful and creative builds for this ship rather than just play a "must-do" easy build. So get to work! The K-wing is the only ship still with the SLAM action. It is the only heavy-ordnance platform with both a turret and crew slot. And that is just the beginning. Let me know in the comments how you plan to fly the K-wing.

The X-wing

                 Now I could look at the new changes to the X-wing and say that it makes my Barrel Roll Refit article old and worthless. But if you actually believe I feel that way then you still haven't learned much about me. I am actually super thrilled about the new advances of the X-wing. The point of why I wrote that article was that there did need to be a fix and one option that I really liked was the BR action. Sure, the new T-70s don't have the barrel roll but they did get the boost! Moreover any X-wing (and E or Y for that matter) can now have the barrel roll action with the nifty combo of the BB-8 Astromech! No, there's no emotion for me but sheer excitement.

                But it gets even better with the Integrated Astromech modification. It is such a perfect and creative fit that it really is mind-boggling for me. FFG, you've done it again! This upgrade ties together two truths about the X-wing miniature: it almost always needs an Astromech to be viable and it is often too fragile with only 5 HP and 2 Agility. For the great price of 0 points you can turn your droid into a reserve shield. If your X-wing is about to die then you can sacrifice your droid in order to discard a damage card, even a face-up one! Now Rebel players have a reason to shout "I've lost R2!" lol. And the final reason why I love this upgrade is because it fits so well with the Lore. The X-wing in the Extended Universe was known to require an Astromech to be at full capacity. More than that, Astromechs were known to grow accustomed to the X-wing they rode in and would integrate themselves with it. The most notable example of this is R2-D2. So here's to Wave 8 that is coming out at Christmastime! I know I can't wait.

Lore

                Talking about the lore of the X-wing/Astromech relationship actually brings me to my last topic of this strat update. I recently received feedback (and in some cases open ridicule) from people telling me that the heavy use of Lore in my analyses was irrelevant and did not add to the arguments I make. To those people who may feel this way I wish to say that you are missing something quite obvious. Claiming that me using the Lore is irrelevant is just as fallible as claiming that FFG doesn't use the Lore as reference points for their game. It is from the movies and extended universe that all of these ships and properties come and so it is actually smart to look at the source material to try to understand what it was that FFG meant to create. In this context the Lore is actually Propaganda War Videos that we can study to learn, just as Ender studied the Human/Formic Wars to attempt to understand the Buggers. Continuing this analogy, all the other Battle School commanders watched the videos too but they couldn't figure out why it was important. It was only Ender who learned anything because he knew what to look for.

                Sure you can call me a geek but I would take it as a compliment. I love getting lost in the alternate universes of stories but my love of it goes deeper than just being entertained. Stories are meant to be learned from and I believe this life is about learning and progressing into something better. And therefore I apply lessons from stories to my life to make me a better gamer as well as a better person. So why do you play X-wing miniatures? Pure entertainment? A need to win and build your ego? Or something more? The choice is up to you. PGP out.

The Sub-Light Acceleration Motor - A Truly Unique In-Game X-wing Miniatures Mechanic

                One of the greatest things I enjoy about Fantasy Flight Games is their ability to accurately capture attributes in game mechanics. The Y-wing has always been my favorite ship and that didn't change an ounce when I started playing X-wing Miniatures. 

                Now when they announced the K-wing I was quite curious to see how they would pull off the SLAM. In the Extended Universe the SLAM is a non-hyperdrive engine that greatly increased the speed of ships in normal space. While the Hyperdrive is a delicate and genius piece of engineering, the SLAM is nothing more than just a really, really big engine. It is similar to comparing Warp and Impulse drives in Star Trek. Installing a SLAM on the K-wing made it one of the fastest ships for its size in normal space.

                So when I first got my K-wing I started experimenting. I wanted to see if FFG held up to their standard of capturing the essence of ships in the game. And the results are quite impressive. For my comparison I took ships right out of the box without any upgrades. Measurements were taken in units of small ship bases.

                The first thing I did was compare a straight forward race. In this context the SLAM beat out most competitors. But in the end there wasn't a clear winner. The SLAM tied with the A-wing, Tie Interceptor, and the Outrider. (The Falcon wasn't a contender because it gets most of its movement speed by applying its large base to the Engine Upgrade). All 4 contending ships came in at 9 base units when they moved forward and utilized their maneuver action. Yes, you could argue that an Interceptor with Push the Limit would beat the SLAM and you would be correct. But the K-wing can just as easily take the Advanced SLAM with Leebo and still match pace. (Although I would not recommend this, haha).

                However, I didn't put much merit into this part of the test because, honestly, there are very few applications of the straight forward speed in actual X-wing matches. What is more applicable is turning power. This is especially true when the K-wing relies so much on position for ordnance and A-wings and Interceptors must be pointed the right direction to shoot out of their forward firing arcs. In this category there really was no contest. The A-wing and Tie Interceptor get most of their speed from forward movements and have the small boost action to help with turning. But this isn't enough when compared to the turning power of the SLAM. The K-wing can take sweeping, evasive maneuvers and still match the forward speed of an Interceptor. Next, the SLAM always beats the boost when it comes to banking. And finally, the K-wing wins in a full out U-turn. The A-wing and Interceptor need the Daredevil upgrade to squeak out that last part of the turn. In fact, the only ship that can match a 2 speed U-turn is the Blue Ace T-70 X-wing.

                 My conclusion from these results is this: The K-wing is the fastest ship in the game when it comes to maneuverability power on the playing mat. But what does that mean for us, the players? It means that the K-wing's SLAM provides a unique in-game mechanic that we can learn, master, and utilize when we fly. However, that is easier said than done. I know for me, I seriously stunk at flying the K-wing when I first cracked it open from its box. I felt like I was a beginner again and my ship maneuvers were completely uncoordinated. And in several of my first games my K-wing didn't quite make it to the right place during bombing runs and was easily blown up. But just like with any new part of a game or new skill, it just takes practice. I got some good play time under my belt and I feel now that I have enough of a grasp on the SLAM to have it help me in games. It can really be a game changer if you can utilize this brand new game mechanic and your opponent can't. So get out there and SLAM away!


Afterwards:
Pardon my photography skills. I'm a analyzer and writer, not a snap-shooter. lol

Also, did you know that the the Imperial Missile Boat also had the SLAM? So keep your fingers crossed!

Learning to Fight Dirty - A Guide to Illicit Scum & Villainy Combat Strategy

                I joined the ranks of the X-wing miniatures world around the same time that underworld syndicates of the Galaxy decided to join in the Civil War. Even though I've never been much of a pirate guy myself, I welcomed the new faction with much anticipation. It showed me just how amazing Fantasy Flight Games really is. It is one thing to create a game with two opposing sides that are evenly matched. It is quite another to have three sides and all of them completely different, yet equal. It requires a much higher skill level to create but in return it makes a game more diverse, deep, and memorable. That is the reason I still play the classic Starcraft but not Warcraft 2.

                In my opinion, the introduction of the third faction brought the X-wing Miniatures game up to that same great level. The Scum faction looks, flies, and acts completely different from the other two but it is balanced and locks perfectly into its place in the miniatures world. And because of my desire to learn I dived right in; it was time to learn to fight dirty.

                To start out I want to briefly talk about the other two factions. Don't get me wrong, the Imperial and Rebel factions were perfectly balanced and autonomous before the introduction of Scum. Rebel ships are inherently more powerful, usually sporting high attack dice while Imperials hold the advantage in number of ships. Imperial starfighers are fast, nimble, and evasive but the Rebel ships always have shields for protection. And to complement gameplay both sides have ample access to synergy-based abilities to make their squads stronger when working together. Either style has strengths and weaknesses and when mastered can be deadly. However, the whole system was thrown when the Pirates came to play. They don't go by the rules and always carry a few tricks up their sleeves. Let's take a closer look at what the Scum & Villainy Faction has to offer us for the X-wing game and find out if it's your style of flying.

Anti-Synergy

                First off, Pirates toss the concept of squad flying out the window. These pilots are bloodthirsty and cutthroat. Though they are looking for the win as a whole, that is only their secondary objective. The number one priority is that they make it out alive and they don't care how many of their squad mates die in the process. (Yeah, Kaa'to and Xizor, I'm talking to you). Because of the type of ships and abilities available to Scum they are much more efficient at solo flying and swarming. If you group in a formation you may find that the extra protection your squad gets isn't worth the restricted efficiency it enforces. FFG wrote about this in their article on the new Kihraxz fighter. They said that these fighters would suffer if forced to fly in formation. Instead they are much better at facing opponents one on one. When flying your scum squad, consider breaking them off into different vectors at the beginning thus forcing your opponent to split or get surrounded.

                Another strong strategy of the Scum faction is to destroy the synergy of the opposing team. Scum Hawks are not just annoying but downright nasty. Palob Godalhi strips an enemy ship of its focus or evade token and takes it for himself. Or you can pick Trokil Mux, who can force an enemy down to Pilot Skill 0 during the combat phase. Both of these support abilities are quite strong and can allow the rest of your pirate ships to overpower a flat-footed opponent. 

               The M3-A Interceptor also does a good job of breaking the enemy's synergy. The ship hasn't received much use because players see them as expensive, inefficient Tie Fighters. But that is not their strength at all. The M3's niche is in being the cheapest cannon ship in the game. Apply the title card to the M3 and you have a Heavy Scyk which can equip a torpedo, missile, or cannon. Torpedoes are expensive and the Heavy Scyk doesn't have the second slot needed for Extra Munitions. And Headhunters, with their low cost and natural missile upgrade, make far cheaper Missile Boats. So let's instead focus on the cannon. A Heavy Scyk with an Ion or Flechette cannon can only do one max damage a turn. But in exchange it can use the cannon the whole game and give an ion or stress token every round. With just one of these you can seriously mess up an enemy formation or synergy-type build. As I said before, they are cheapest of their kind to make, coming it at a lower cost than even the Ion Y-wing. As for the other types of cannons, feel free to experiment with them but be careful, they are pretty expensive.

Illicit Weaponry

                When I first read the title of these of upgrades I laughed. All is fair in love and war, right? If there was some new type of black market weaponry I'm pretty sure the Empire or Rebels wouldn't hesitate to get their hands on it. But I thought about the word illicit some more and what I realized made me cringe. These upgrades aren't called illicit because they are illegal but instead because they are inhumane. Even though the Empire was founded on the Dark Side of the force, and therefore evil, at least they still had some honor about life. These illicits aren't what any sane Imperial or Rebel General would choose to subject their soldiers too. Its only the Scum of the galaxy that are willing to use them to gain the victory.

                Inertial Dampeners: If you have ever read the Honor Harrington series by David Weber you'll have experinced firsthand what happens to a human being in a space ship that accelerates with broken Inertial Compensators. Ugh... Even though some of the Physics are different between the Honor and Star Wars universes, inertia plays a role in both. That is why it stresses a Shuttle to do a 0 move and stay still. Up until this last year, the Shuttle was only ship that could do that maneuver. But this changed when Pirate fleets started rigging their ships with Inertial Dampeners. Now, once a game, a ship with an Inertial Dampener can pull a stressful 0 move. This can get your ship away from a chaser and also get you into better position to shoot. However, take note that the upgrade says "dampen" and not "eliminate". I don't even want to think about what kind of g-forces those pilots are experiencing but I think it is safe to bet that it lowers their already short life expectancy.

                Glitterstim: Now this is an upgrade. Glitterstim was a spice produced as a recreational drug but users found that it also provided temporary psychic abilities. So of course, it found its way onto the battlefield. For only two points, a pilot gets a one-shot item that changes all focuses that round into hits and evades. And it doesn't even cost them their action! This can change an initial jousting Scum swarm from becoming the victims to being the killers. And it provides necessary survivability to Lone Wolf ships, adding strength to the already power strategy of creating a pincer from all sides. But glitterstim is dangerous. Sustained use of it atrophies the brain and people almost always overdose on it. So be careful out there, spice users, there's a reason FFG only lets you stim once a game!

                Dead Man's Switch: If you've played any Star Wars FPS video game then you have been lied to. Whether its Jedi Outcast, Battlefront, or Republic Commando, the game makers give a wrong interpretation of the Thermal Detonator. They present the weapon like a normal grenade that you toss at group of enemies for a little bit of splash damage. But that is not the case! Thermal detonators are actually the Holy Hand Grenade of the Star Wars universe. When Princess Leia, disguised as a bounty hunter, threatened Jabba the Hutt with one it was a real and legitimate threat. That one detonator would have vaporized EVERYONE in the room if she had set it off.

                So when you see a Pirate who has upgraded his ship with the Dead Man's Switch, be very careful. The art on the card shows a Gran pilot with two Thermal Detonators. 2 detonators for 2 points. It turns a normal ship into a bomb that explodes when it dies and sprays the shrapnel of its own hull at a blast radius of Range 1. ANY ship within that radius receives a damage. Put this on an Aggressor and you have a large base ship ready to get up close and personal. Or if you're really feeling sadistic then rig exploseives to a pair of Binayre Pirate and force them to fly point during an initial joust. They cost the same amount as Biggs with a droid and, seriously, they'll be just as efficient at drawing fire.

                Feedback Array: At first glance this card looks pretty bad. No one wants to give up their attack and ionize themselves. But there are 2 amazing things about this upgrade that one must understand. The first is that it is a guaranteed hit, just like the Darth Vader upgrade. But the second thing makes it even better than Vader in my mind: it isn't limited to your firing arc. It may not be labeled as a turret upgrade but the card allows you to attack any enemy at Range 1. That means Aggressors, Headhunters, and other illicit ships can equip a guaranteed Range 1 turret for a price. If you are willing to pay the price then it can be a powerful tactic.

Teaching an Old Y New Tricks

                A fun thing that the Scum faction does is take previous ships in the X-wing game and put a whole new twist on them. The Most Wanted expansion pack is probably one of the best bank-for-your-buck purchases you can make. Not only does it add 1 Scum Y-wing and 2 Scum Headhunters to your fleet, it also provides the necessary cards and dials to turn 1 Imperial Firespray, 1 Rebel Hawk, and 1 Rebel Y-wing into scum ships as well. That's a max of 6 ships from one expansion! I've already mentioned some of the changes that Scum Hawks and Headhunters bring to the table. And there are plenty of good changes for the Firespray as well. But what I really want to focus on is the big changes in the Y-wing.

                The Bomber Y-wing: The first upgrade included is the bomb conversion slot. You place it as a torpedo upgrade and it converts it into a bomb slot. This brings a whole new role to the Y and can really catch people off guard if they are not used to it. It is important to note that the card says "Limited". This means that you cannot equip two bomb slots onto a Y-wing. However, don't be discouraged because this can easily be overcome with the Extra Munitions card. It doesn't allow you to have 2 different types of bombs, just double of the same. But the fun doesn't stop there. A Scum Y bomber can equip Genius, a named droid for a cheap 0 points. He allows your bomber to place a bomb after you move instead of before. And if you want to go really crazy then attach an engine upgrade so you can move, drop, and then boost away to not get hit by your own Proton Bomb. This makes for a fun and fast Y-wing experience.

                The Autoturret Y-wing: The Most Wanted pack also introduced the Autoblaster Turret. We have seen this ability before as the cannon upgrade from the B-wing. However when the Autocannon came out it was far too expensive and didn't hit very hard. The latter problem was fixed in a FAQ rules update: evade tokens are now considered a dice result and therefore cannot block an Autoblaster attack. The other problem was fixed when FFG made the Autoturret cost only 2 points. But wait a second, when you switch from an Autocannon to an Autoturret you lose 1 attack dice but gain 3 squad points? That seems too good to be true.

                And that is because it is. The main reason why the Autoturret is so cheap is because it forces you to give up your turret slot. Think about it. A Y-wing or Hawk's turret is its lifeblood. Without it, neither ship would be worth their points on the battlefield. So yes, an Autoturret is very cost efficient but its range serverly hinders its effectiveness. So you need to learn to fly an Autoturret Y-wing in the right way. Consider the Y-wing bomber I previously mentioned. You can use the engine upgrade to make sure you get into range 1 and always get a shot. Or perhaps you want to use the pilot Kavil. His ability gives him an extra dice outside his firing arc, giving him a deadly 3 dice Autoturret attack. Experiment with it and see what works for you.

                The Warthog Y-wing: The last Y upgrade you get is the Y-wing Title Card. A BTL-A4 Y-wing, nicknamed the Warthog, costs an additional 0 points to make. It turns your Y's turret upgrade into a double tap cannon. And although the Rebellion has access to this upgrade as well, the Scum faction still holds the monopoly on effective Warthogs because of their salvaged droids.

                The first is the Unhinged Astromech. Coming in at 1 point, it is the socially awkward cousin of the R2 Astromech. They both give more green maneuvers to a ship but they do it in different ways. The R2 makes all 1 and 2 speeds green. This gives the Y-wing 6 more green moves and greatly reduces its weakness to stress. The Unhinged on the other hand has a bit more of a punch to it. It changes all 3 speeds to green which only gives the Y 5 more green moves. But at the same time it changes the 3 speed turns from red to green. This frees up its movement dial and makes the Y-wing much faster.

                But what if you don't care about movement? Another really strong option for the Warthog is the R4 Agromech. I had no idea what that droid was and so I had to look it up. But just like the name suggests the Agromech is a stinkin' farming droid! The company that makes Astromechs for space travel also wanted to get in on the agricultural business. So they made a few modifications and started selling droids to farmers. Underground organizations caught onto this and made a startling discovery: it was quite simple to reverse engineer the changes to again make the droids space-ready. Furthermore, buying bulk Agromechs instead of Astromechs prevented the local authorities from being tipped off.

                Because of this we have one of the best combat droids in the X-wing game. When you spend an offensive focus token you can acquire a target lock on the defender which you can immediately use in your second attack.. This gives your Warthog the equivalent of a Fire Control system. The composion of this type of Y-wing actually paved way for a new viable build: 4 Warthogs with Ion turrets and R4 Agromechs. At range 1-2 this squad can dish out 8 modified attacks, giving between 12-16 damage as well as 4 ion tokens.

                In summary, Pirates don't fight in the traditional fashion and work hard to mess up their opponent's strategy. They like to operate solo and have their hands on a whole score of illicit upgrades to give them the advantage. And finally they take new and interesting twists on old ships to make them just as deadly as others on the battlefield. So try out the Scum & Villainy faction and get your hands dirty. You might even find yourself having some fun.