Guri - More Than Meets The Eye

                I am not against good looking female characters in stories. Beauty is a part of life. But what I am not a fan of is sexy female characters that are solely contrived to appeal to the sex drive of male geeks. (Yes, Kerrigan and Cortana, I am talking to you.) So if you are reading this article in hopes of me talking about how hot Guri is, I am sorry to disappoint.

                Similar to the shock one feels to learn that Samus Aran is a girl, it is quite mind-bending to learn that Guri is actually an android. She was the product of the best minds in both cloning and robotics. And her creation was commissioned and paid for by Prince Xizor. The leader of the Black Sun wanted a figurehead to run the Syndicate while he quietly watched from the shadows and a bodyguard whose loyalty was completely unquestionable. However, the physical attractiveness of Guri hints at another motive. It is this author's opinion that Xizor, the lonely and single Dark Prince, actually had a Pygmalion complex. After all, in a society where Gods or Technology can create the perfect woman, why would you go out dating?

                As part of her bodyguard protocol, Guri was an expert assassin. She killed many of the Prince's enemies and rivals and even gave Luke Skywalker a run for his money. FFG did an amazing job translating this over into the X-wing Miniatures world. Since her primary function is assassination rather than piloting, she only has a PS of 5. But she can fulfill her role of bodyguard by equipping the Bodyguard EPT included in the Star Viper expansion. Moreover, whether in person or separated by the vacuum of space, she is still in her element. By getting close to a target she wishes to take down, Guri is in the zone and as such is always focused. Let's take a look at each of these points in detail and see how Guri can benefit your Scum fleet.

Bodyguard

Anyone else dig that eyebrow raise? lol

                Guri with the Bodyguard talent can be powerful but you have to use it right. First off she needs to be protecting a high priority target. I know that that is a no-brainer but you really need to take that into consideration. She needs to be escorting an ally that your opponent REALLY wants to kill. Make the desired target so juicy that it hurts your opponent to not shoot at it. And on the flip side, make is so juicy that it hurts as well to have to eat through an extra agility. For example Serissu with an HLC and Stealth Device is a Fat Scyk that deserves to be blown up. But why would you shoot at Serissu when she is turtled up and Guri is sitting there quite vulnerable?

                That is the second point. You need to make sure you don't leave your bodyguard defenseless. Guri needs some sort of backup plan in case the enemy shoots her instead of her escortee. She is a waste of points if she dies during the alpha strike. If she is escorting Serissu then she can receive a free defense reroll from the Bothan. Or perhaps you fly aggressively so that Guri is at range 1 of the enemy while your Scum Ace is behind her at the safer distance of Range 2. That way Guri receives her free focus token and both ships can absorb a lot of damage.

                What I am getting at is this: the Bodyguard isn't about sacrificing one ship to keep another one safe. (That is what an 18 point Leatin is for.) The Bodyguard EPT is about creating a synergetic combo that gives exceptional strength when the two ships are together at Range 1. Since Scum ships are inherently stronger by themselves in X-wing Miniatures, you are going to have to work a little harder to find a combo that work.

Pilot Skill

                Taking a step away from Bodyguard, Guri can fill quite a few other roles. At PS5 she is very good at hunting generic pilots as well as low PS Swarms. In the game of boosts and barrel rolls you will find that she will excel at outmaneuvering anyone below her. Stay On Target was an EPT designed to punish generic squads and so we get a very strong combo when we attach it to Guri. She can chose a new maneuver to stay in Range 1 of the ships she is hunting and then doesn't care about the stress she receives because she still gets her free focus from her ability.

                Another thing to consider is Veteran Instincts. I don't like to use this EPT much because I don't want it to become a crutch for flying skill. But on Guri it feels like a must since PS 7 gives her much more power on the board. If you aren't taking any other EPT on her then I would greatly recommend this one. However, even at 7 she is still vulnerable to enemy aces. If you want to chase these ships, you either need to read your opponent very well or take an Intelligence Agent in your squad. I did the latter and saw great success with it. Guri paired with the IA allowed me to effectively hunt and kill a PS 9 Dash Outrider.

Focus

                I've already made a few remarks about using Guri's pilot ability for free focus but I want to delve a little more into it. The first thing to note is the wording on the card. It specifically states that she gets a focus token rather than getting a free focus action. This is important because it doesn't limit her actions. During the Utah Cup Prelims I was able to still get the focus even after Guri received a Damaged Sensor array. It also means that she can turtle up with a focus action as well as a free ability focus, thus allowing her to have one for both offense or defense.

                The second thing that is amazing about Guri's focus ability is the fact that she has both the barrel roll and the boost. There are three kinds of players in X-wing: those who always rely on dice modifying actions, those who always take movement actions, and those who know which is strongest in each situation. Of course the last one is best but I am not that good of a plyaer yet. I am so reluctant to boost or roll because it leaves my ships action-less on dice. While usually a safe choice, sometimes positioning comes back to bite me. But I love to fly Guri's Viper because she can boost or roll and can still get a focus if I make good maneuvers. This is a powerful combo and is the main reason, in my opinion, why an Advanced Proton Torpedo is included in the Star Viper expansion. Guri can take a target lock out at Range 3 then boost into Range 1 with a free focus for a potent APT shot.

                Finally, it is worth mentioning that Guri is a great blocker. If she hunts higher PS Aces then she can boost or roll into blocking positions with less risk. If she does get the block then great! Perhaps consider giving her Intimidation, just like with Arvel Crynyd. But if you mis-guess your opponent's move then there is a good chance you will still be in Range 1 and can use the free focus.

Autothrusters & Other Combos

                I could talk about Guri with Sensor Jammers or even the Hot Shot Blaster. Given the number of EPTs, Systems, and Illicits in the game, there are many great combinations out there for her. Find one that fits the needs of your Scum squad and see how it does.
                But before I end this article I want to talk about Autothrusters. While the AT upgrade is great on any Interceptor-type ship, it is extra special on Guri. The modification allows Guri to have even more strength in hunting ships, especially turrets. If you fly right and can hound an enemy turret for several turns then you don't need to worry about defense. Here's why. Three evade dice give an average roll of Evade, Focus, Miss. Then you turn the miss to a hit with ATs and the focus to a hit with your free token. That is an average of 3 evades when facing a turret at Range 1. Mind you, the dice can still fail you but that is going to be less often than not. It is a combo worth trying out.

                The bottom line is this: Guri's Viper wants to fly in fast and close and punish the enemy for getting there. The ship is a blast to fly, so try it out and have fun! Thanks for reading and, of course, comments are encouraged. PGP out.

Kyle Katarn - A Versatile and Highly Customizable Pilot

                I made a startling, yet wonderful, surprise a couple of weeks ago: I found the Star Wars Dark Forces video game on Steam. I know this doesn't sound like much but what must be understood is that I grew up playing Dark Forces 2 and it NEVER occurred to me to go search for a Dark Forces 1! It seriously felt like a missing piece of my life had been filled, almost like I had discovered a secret Episode that had never been released. Although the gameplay was the old-fashioned FPS style and had terrible graphics, I absolutely loved going through a brand new campaign and once again taking up the role of the infamous Kyle Katarn.

                Kyle's story is deep with many different character arcs. He started off as an Imperial Stormtrooper. However, like many people including Han and Biggs, he saw the truth behind the Empire's facade and defected. He became a freelance mercenary, making good use of his Imperial training. It was at this time that he was contacted by Mon Mothma and was offered a continued contract in the Rebel Alliance. Throwing his side in with the Rebellion, Kyle asked for only one thing: that he get to work with the pilot Jan Ors, a Imperial prisoner that he saved while escaping from the Academy. He worked with the Rebellion for a long time and fulfilled many missions. In fact, he was one of the dozens of Rebel Operatives sent out to try and steal the plans for the Death Star. For awhile though, he went off the grid when he learned that his father had been murdered. On his quest for vengeance he discovered the Valley of the Jedi and the latent force-sensitivity in his blood. Taking up the mantle of Jedi, he was able to defeat the Sith that had killed his father. But in the process he almost fell to the dark side and fearfully discontinued his training, returning to his life as a Rebel mercenary. However, he was forced to reevaluate his Jedi ways when another Sith Lord rose and kidnapped Jan. Thankfully this time he was able to discipline himself and defeated the Sith without temptation. He then continued his training, became a Master in the New Jedi Order, and married Jan Ors (since the New Order allowed Jedi to love).

                Whew! Kyle Katarn is such a dynamic character and has so many fun stories. But the question is this: Of all of these versions, which Kyle do we have in X-wing Miniatures? The artwork on his crew upgrade shows him with no gray hair and a full beard. And the original picture from the Star Wars Card Game has him holding a green lightsaber. This places him in the middle of the Dark Forces 2 game when he uses the lightsaber from his father. This is quite interesting to me since at this time in the story Kyle is far from wanting to help the Rebels win space dogfights. But just like with Biggs and Nera, we get a slice of this universe captured and kept forever in a single moment. That adds a great deal of fun in the game for me. As a Jedi, his ability focuses on actions and is similar to Luke getting a free defensive focus and Vader getting a free action. Kyle can use his ability to give one of his focus tokens to an ally at Range 1-3. He can use the force and his trusty ship to better predict battle situations and help allies stay focused. And when he is the crew to a ship, he can rid the ship of stress in sticky situations and keep everyone calm. Both abilities are themed very well and are quite powerful.

                So how do we best use Kyle Katarn? Let's start with the basics. The first thing any player should do when they open up their Hawk expansion pack is fly the Focus Battery build.

 Focus Battery - 31 points

                Hawk w/ Kyle   

                Blaster Turret

                Recon Specialist

                Moldy Crow Title

                It will teach you the mechanics of the ship and how it is supposed to fly. You want to keep the ship in the back, piling on tons of focus tokens with the Recon Specialist and Title. Then during combat you give out focus to help your allies hit hard. It is especially strong when paired with allied ordnance shots, making sure that your squad points are well spent and make effective hits. Then when the fight comes to Kyle make sure you fly evasively. The Hawk's movement dial is rather slow but it is still fast enough for the ship to be able to fly past enemies and engage with your turret. And his 2 evade dice will rarely go to waste since they will always have a focus token to use. The build is rather expensive in squad points but it is nice on your budget since everything you need is all in one box. However, if we look at all upgrades out there, we see that the Hawk is highly customizable.

                Lets start that customization. Maybe you don't want more focus but stronger defense. You can replace the RS with the Jan Ors crew (but remember they aren't married at this time so keep things decent in the Hawk, you hear me!? lol).

Evade Battery - 31 points

                Hawk w/ Kyle

                Ion Cannon Turret

                Jan Ors

                Moldy Crow Title

                With her as copilot, Kyle can hand out an evade token to an ally instead of a focus. This can be crucial to keeping an important ally alive. You can give an free evade to Biggs after he has turtled up with R2-F2. Or perhaps one of your precious jousters got outmaneuvered and broadsided by an enemy arc-dodger. Since Kyle uses his ability right before combat he can always know who needs his help the most. And Jan doesn't lock the focus always into an evade. Kyle can still give out a focus when its needed and Jan Ors ability can help an ally all on its own. The only downside is that you no longer have the RS to quickly charge the battery. So learn to slow play at the beginning to get your focus bank filled.

                But how about a different direction? Let's just ignore his ability and look at what else Kyle has: Pilot Skill 6 with an Elite Pilot Talent. This means he can be a well rounded, mid-range hitter.

Heavy Kyle - 30 points

                Hawk w/ Kyle

                Lone Wolf

                Twin Laser Turret

                Nien Numb

               

                This build capitalizes off of Range 3. The introduction of the Twin Laser Turret really brought life back to the Hawk meta and it adds a lot of strength to this build. Normally Kyle would have a Range 2 turret and have to get closer to the fight to give necessary cover fire. But with the TLT you can keep Kyle way back out of danger. When at Range 3 of his allies he can use Lone Wolf, his turret, AND his ability. This makes for a very strong combo that rests at a safe distance. And Nien Numb acts as a cheap engine upgrade, allowing the Hawk to have a green 3 and 4 straight move. With him as crew the ship is much faster and has more options when clearing stress. The negative part of this build is the Range 1 gap. To overcome this be sure to practice so you know which choices to make in certain scenarios. And make use of your primary weapon. You heard me right! While 1 attack die is normally useless, remember that it is still an attack. I once lost a precious B-wing ace to a one die attack from a Hawk. And at Range 1 it becomes 2 dice! 2 attack dice are still somewhat weak but it is enough to do necessary damage at a crucial time. So if your opponent is coming after Kyle and you aren't sure you can keep them at Range 2, try pointing the nose of your ship at them and hope they fly ignorantly into a trap.

                I want to look at one last build but this is actually one you've already seen from my Eaden article. This is my favorite Hawk Ace build.

Ace Jan - 39 points

                Hawk w/ Jan

                Veteran Instincts

                Twin Laser Turret

                Kyle Katarn

                Engine Upgrade

                This Hawk comes in at 39 points but it is well worth it. Jan has a Pilot Skill of 10 and an engine upgrade to outmaneuver enemy aces, keeping them out of her Range 1 blindspot. And since her combo relies on self-stress, just like with Fast Han, we can use the Kyle crew here for similar results. The round after she uses her ability she can do a green move, get a free focus, and still use the engine upgrade to not be a sitting duck. And finally, there is one last mechanic that I found this build excels at: Range 3 flying. You want to be sure that Jan is out at Range 3 for protection but it is a small window. If you fly too close you risk entering Range 2 and if you fly too far out then you risk not getting a shot. But a Hawk with a TLT and EU can ride this window with ease. Keep Jan out at extreme Range 3. When you chose your action, start with a Target Lock. Here's why: if you are in range to get the TL then you are in range to also shoot. If you aren't in range then the TL fails and you must pick another action. So do a Boost towards your opponent and then you WILL be in range. I have found this build to be both powerful and a lot of fun.

                In conclusion, Kyle Katarn is an amazing character in Star Wars and a versatile Pilot in X-wing Miniatures. He has several standard builds that are very solid and many new ones thanks to the Twin Laser Turret meta. Which Hawk builds have you had success with? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and have a great week of flying!

Fast Han - A Economic Alternative For Players On A Budget

                Ever since large base ships entered the X-wing Miniatures World they have been highly favored in the meta. In some ways FFG was too good at capturing the spirit of these ships from the movies. For example, Han has an innate ability in the movies to outmaneuver huge ships as well as outgun small ships and this can be yours to command on the table top. In fact, large base ships are so good that they are actually backwards when it comes to upgrades: instead of becoming overcosted when fully loaded with upgrades, they get more powerful. This has led to an age of "Fat" large ship builds. The most well known Fat builds are the Fat Hans. And the most famous Fat Han is the one made by Paul Heaver that took him to victory in the 2014 Worlds Finals. The design is as such:

Fat Han - 61 points

                Predator

                C-3P0

                R2-D2

                Engine Upgrade

                Millennium Falcon Title

                The ship is quite ingenious: it can get 2 extra evades on a large ship, outmaneuver opponents with an engine upgrade, recharge its shields, and/or reroll between 1 to 4 attack dice depending on the situation. The final's game between Paul Heaver and Morgan Reid was truly amazing and left the viewers nostalgic for Empire Strikes Back as Han outflew a TIE Swarm in an asteroid field. However, it isn't all fun and parties with this build because there is one big disadvantage: it is very expensive. If you want to have this Fat Han build for your squad then you are going to have to pay a pretty penny since both of the crew cards come from the Tantive expansion. And on top of that you need either a Defender or a Kihraxz expansion to get Predator. Now if budget isn't a problem or if you were planning on already buying these ships then you are fine. Have fun flying Fat Han to your heart's content! However, some players might find themselves in a sticky money situation...

                But remember that this is the Poor Grey Pilot: a place where we find creative, alternative solutions to tough problems. My philosophy is that a game with only one way of doing things is a boring game. So after much searching and building I created my very own Fat Han that I find can be almost as powerful when used right. Moreover, this Falcon build requires the Rebel Aces pack which is far cheaper than the Tantive, as well as more likely to already be found in a Rebel player's fleet. So without further ado I proudly present to you the Fast Han build:

Fast Han - 57 points

                Elusiveness

                Nien Nunb

                Kyle Katarn

                Engine Upgrade

                Millennium Falcon Title

                The two function very similar to each other. While Fat Han relies on C-3P0 for an extra evade, the Fast version has the Elusiveness EPT to help prevent a hit from coming in. Next, Fat Han utilizes the boost for movement and the Predator EPT for attacks while Fast Han can both boost and have a free focus token for offense. And though it is true that Fast Han has to rely on self-stressing for his combo to work, the trade-off is still in your favor: Fast Han is much easier on your wallet and he is actually 4 Squad Points cheaper than his counterpart. The only true downside is not being able to recharge your shields. But that can easily be overcome by flying right and not getting shot at! lol. So practice, practice, practice!

                 The name is really reflective of how this ship should be flown. You want to fly Han hard and boost him past the enemy. Ideally you want to outmaneuver enemy ships, engage with your turret, and not receive return fire. But if you do have to exchange fire try to fly so that you are fighting the enemy one ship to one. When the enemy shoots you use Elusiveness to make them reroll a dice. Now normally that isn't that great of a power since you MUST take a stress and there is only a 50% chance the die will be a miss (25% if the enemy ship has a focus token). But it is wonderful in this build because you use the stress to fuel your own action economy. The next turn you do a green maneuver to clear your stress and Kyle Katarn gives you a free focus token. This allows you to use the boost as your main action and still have good dice modification for your attack. And finally we have Nien Nunb. Not only does he raise the number of green maneuvers on the Falcon from 4 to 6, he turns the straight 3 and 4 into green maneuvers as well! This is truly what makes it a FAST build. We have a Falcon that can move up to 9 small-ship bases every turn, even when it is stressed.

                However, maybe Elusiveness isn't really your style. Perhaps consider using Stay on Target instead. This elite talent allows Han to profit from his pilot skill of 9 and escape from a lot of sticky situations. This EPT self-stresses as well and so you can use it with the same crew members. Sadly, because of the timing of when the stress comes into play you have to skip the "Perform an Action" phase and so can't make use of the Engine Upgrade. That is just two ideas of an EPT and there are many more combinations out there!

                The central point I am getting at is this: there are so many ways to create the same type of squad mechanics and it is up to you as the player to find and build the one that fulfills your needs. Please don't get caught in the trap that there is only one way to do a certain thing. If you want a specific mechanic for your squad you don't need to follow someone else's exact build or pay lots of money just to get all the "right" pieces. There is only one thing I want to happen from these articles and that is for you, the readers, to be inspired to create amazing things. What are some of the unique, substitution builds that you have created? Let me know in the comments below! And as always, thank you so much for reading.

Afterwards:

Fast Han & Blues - 100 points

YT-1300 w/ Han - 56 points

                Elusiveness

                Nien Nunb

                Kyle Katarn

                Engine Upgrade

B-wing w/ Blue - 22 points

B-wing w/ Blue - 22 points

                I have flown this build with great results. By dropping the Falcon's title there is enough points to fit in 2 B-wings. The squad flies as such: Han is the bait and flies out on his own. If the enemy aims for Han then the B-wings sweep in for the flank and Han uses his Engine Upgrade and green moves to outmaneuver the enemy. If your opponent decides to instead swarm your B-wings then you slow play your two fighters while Han swings around and blasts at the enemy from behind. Either way you want to cause havoc in the early game. Whether your B-wings die or not doesn't really matter because this squad's strength in the late game is Han's mobility. So you want to keep Han safe so that he can then easily mop up broken formations and fleeing ships. Try it out!

Serissu & Laetin - Veterans of the Battle of Tansarii Point Station

                To say that the Scum and Villainy of the galaxy is a faction in the Civil War is somewhat of a misnomer. "Scum" in Star Wars can range from mercenaries to smugglers to crime bosses. With such a diverse range of people - and potitical motives - it can be hard to believe that any of them could be considered in the same category. However, all underworld syndcates share two things: a sense of amorality and a desire for power and money. When looking at the situation from that angle, we can understand why the Empire is correct in lumping the Hutts in with the Black Sun but is wrong in assuming that the Alliance to Restore the Republic is simply more "rebel scum". It also makes sense to us gamers why FFG is justified in making Scum and Villiany its own faction in X-wing Miniatures. Its not rather difficult to believe that any greedy pirate can be put in your fleet for the right number of credits.
                However, today's pilot highlight is actually drawn from a moment where this "faction" was actually divided. The Battle of Tansarii Point is part of the Star Wars Galaxies MMORPG. The young Car'das Smuggler Cartel owned the Tansarii Point Station in the Bright Jewel star system. This station oversaw mining operations and was also the biggest trading post in the sector. And as such the Black Sun Syndicate saw it and wanted it for themselves. After many covert attempts to take the station failed the Black Sun discarded all attempts at stealth and launched a full assault on the facility. In the end the Car'das smugglers were able to hold off the attack (in large part to the playable character of the video game) and were then able to make several key counter strikes against Black Sun facilities. Needless to say it was one of the biggest upsets in the history of scum inter-rivalry. For this reason the title of Tansarii Point Veteran was a big deal and as notable as the Greek's title of Veteran of Marathon.
                These Car'das veterans flew M3-A "Scyk" Interceptors during the battle. The Scyk was created by MadalMotors to be an starfighter that filled a niche. It was to be much more versatile in combat than a Tie Fighter as well as be much more customizable. And on the opposite side it was to be cheaper than other interceptor-class ships. It is the same inside X-wing Miniatures and we benefit the most when we learn this ship's niches. As I talked about in my Scum article, one of them is in being the cheapest cannon ship in the game. Another niche is that it is the only Interceptor in the game with the 1 bank maneuver, thus allowing the ship to slow play. And finally this ship gives us two named pilots with amazing defensive abilities. Let's take a look at these Tansarii Point Veterans.

Laetin A'Shera
                Many people disregard Laetin, claiming that he isn't worth the points. Even Major Juggler stated in his Math Wing analysis that his pilot ability is "easily bypassed". True, if you just throw Laetin into the fray for no reason, he will easily be killed without fulfilling a purpose. But what interceptor wouldn't? In this writers opinion, his pilot ability is actually what gives him so much strength. The easiest way to counter Laetin's ability is to never shoot at him, and that is the best thing you want in an Interceptor.
                In my experience there are two proper ways to fly Laetin. The first is in escort mode. Suppose you fly Laetin on point in a joust and have Boba Fett further back at range 3 of the enemy. If the enemy squad shoots at Laetin then Fett is protected this round and can move unscathed into range 1 next round. And Laetin has a good chance of shirking off the damage with his ability. But if he dies, at least your high priority ship was protected. If the opponent opts to shoot at Fett instead then Laetin is free to blast away at close range. For only 18 points he is a good investment to make sure another ship lives.
                The second way to fly Laetin is in counter mode. Place him in your squad and you can have strong power against certain builds. Give him a stealth device and he is a shield against Twin Laser Turrets, especially since the turret is counted as two attacks. And since the turrets are found on low agility ships, your Scyk's two red dice won't go to waste. Or you can consider picking him to punish 2 Ship builds. When a squad only gets 1-2 shots a round, it isn't efficient to waste one on a cheap, low attack ship that might get stronger from being shot at. That means that Laetin will have more freedom to hunt these ships from the flanks, like an interceptor should. Finally, Laetin punishes the Gunner crew. I know for me that that crew card is really annoying, moreso when it wastes your actions. But Laetin isn't bothered by it: either he gets an extra evade or else the gunner isn't even used.
                Whether its to protect a bigger ally or to counter certain abilities, Laein A'Shera can be just the right fit. Try him out and see if he fits into your squad's needs.

Serissu
                Serissu is a really fun character. She is a Bothan pilot that is your first quest-giver in the Galaxies game. She shares the same Scyk survivablity as Laetin but rather than keeping it for herself she passes it onto others. And what is most interesting about this is that she is a rare exception in Scum philosophy. Instead of benefiting from flying solo, Serissu wants to be in range 1 of allies and adds great squad strength when in formation.
                Just like with Laetin, Serissu is strong at escorting allies. You can add her to a Xizor Headhunter swarm to make it even more tanky. Or perhaps you want to make a stationary turret as suggested in Alex Davy's Scum article. Take Moralo Eval with a Heavy Laser Cannon and an Outlaw Tech and have Serissu accompany him with Wingman and a Steath Device. Our Bothan can use her green 1 bank to make slow circles around your immobile battle station. With her there, Moralo has great chance to get 1 evade on every defense. And if your opponent choose to shoot the supporting Scyk instead then that gives your Hounds Tooth that much more time to blast things out of the sky. A third idea is to run Serissu alongside the Andrasta with Proximity Mines. Attach the Juke card to her and she can mess with enemy's' defenses while giving defensive rerolls to your action-less bomber.
                Of course, you aren't limited to just squad flying. Serissu also makes a wonderful arc-dodger. Give her Veteran Instincts and you have a 21 point ship that can hunt enemy aces for a fraction of the price. With PS 10, as well as the barrel roll action, she can outmaneuver pilots like Fel Turtles or Super Corrans. And after she comes in on a flanking vector she can swoop into the fray at range 1 to provide help to allies in traffic jams. The build possibilities for her are vast and all you need to do is work to find the one that is right for you.

                In closing, these pilots can be just as good in X-wing Miniatures as they were in the Battle of Tansarii Point. Their low attacks and fragile hulls just mean that they need extra care to find the right squad niche and be effective. But that shouldn't be new to us in the X-wing world. So here's to hard work and efficient squad building: may you find the joy of the game therein. And who knows, maybe we'll see a future release of a Scyk/Viper Scum Aces pack. Poor Grey Pilot out.


Afterwards:             
                This squad offers a powerful ace as well as a strong escort force. Kath is the heavy hitter, being able to shoot with 4 attack dice in either the forward or auxiliary arc. Serissu wants to stick close to Kath to keep her alive. She can use her Juke to have an evade for both offense and defense. And finally the 2 Headhunters can be versatile support. You can put them in front for cover, have them sweep on a flank from the side or even slow play behind your aces to catch enemy arc-dodgers.

Truant Squad - 100 Points
Firespray w/ Kath Scarlet - 51 Points
                Predator
                HLC
                Recon Specialist
Scyk w/ Serissu - 25 Points
                Juke
                Stealth Device
Headhunter w/ Binayre Pirate - 12 Points
Headhunter w/ Binayre Pirate - 12 Points

Eaden Vrill - The Big Game Hunter

         With delight I present to you the next pilot in my series of pilot spotlights. It has been far too long. Today's limelight will be literally green as we discuss the Nautolan Eaden Vrill. When I highlighted Eaden in my last Battle Report I promised that I would have an article dedicated just to him. So without the delay of a more glittery introduction, lets get right in to learning about this pilot.

                Eaden lived and loved the life as a smuggler. He was partner and best friend to Dash Rendar and as such was a native to the Outrider. However, what really sets Eaden apart from the rest of the 'respectable merchants' was his non-occupational hobbies. He was part of a hidden organization that trained heavily in hand-to-hand combat, specially to be used in close-quarter combat against force users. Eaden became an expert and was even slightly force-sensitive himself. 

                For those who played the Shadow of the Empire game you may be wondering why Dash appears alone with Leebo aboard the Outrider. Sadly, Eaden died before Episode 4 even began. He and Dash were hired to protect and escort a client who had gotten herself on the wrong end of several underworld syndicates. Things went well until an assassin was sent to kill the client and Eaden went head to head with him. Even though he was killed, Eaden's fight allowed the others to escape and the mission was successful.

                But there is no need to despair because there is a silver lining. Just like with Biggs and Nera, when you are put into the X-wing Miniatures World you get to live again. Its time for Eaden's legacy to be celebrated and we will start by learning how to use him in the X-wing game.
                The first and biggest difference between Eaden and the other Outrider pilots is that he can't use the Title card effectively. His pilot ability uses the primary attack and so is lost if you use the Title. And if you do equip it then you have just paid 2 points to gain 1 PS above the Wild Space Fringer, which is a terrible purchase. I think most people see this and are turned off from using him. But Eaden is not a useless pilot! Else he would not have made it into the Outrider expansion nor into my pilot spotlight.

                The point of the Outrider was to have a ship that had a low attack value but could have unique builds in order to make it a heavy hitter. Eaden's purpose is exactly the same but he goes about it in a much different fashion. While the other pilots use the Outrider Title to terrorize all enemy ships, Eaden specifically terrorizes stressed ships. This can be a bit tricky, needing enemies to be stressed in order to gain attack power. But while Eaden's ability is harder to pull off, it is much more rewarding. Here's why.
                The main, major cost of any ship in X-wing Miniatures comes in the form of its attack value. To illustrate this I give you the cross examination of the X-wing vs Y-wing. You could say that the Y-wing is cheaper than the X because it has lower agility. But this is not true because the lower agility is balanced out by the increased HP, just like the B-wing. And it is definitely not the upgrades because the Y has better upgrade slots than the X! The reason why the Y-wing has better upgrade slots and is still 3 points cheaper is because it is has one less attack dice. Red dice are very powerful and grow exponentially in power when you add more to your attack pool. To put the statistics in colloquial terms: 1 attack die is pathetic, 2 is great, 3 is amazing, and 4 is ridiculously insane! As such, attack dice are very cost heavy when determining the point cost of a ship.
                And the cost is even more expensive when it comes to upgrade cards! The Opportunist talent costs a heavy 4 points, gives yourself a stress, and even then still requires that the enemy doesn't have an action token. Another clear example is the new Mangler Cannon. You can get criticals in much cheaper ways, like with the Marksmanship upgrade. But the Mangler Cannon is more expensive because it adds an extra attack dice to the Outrider, coming in at a total of 9 points. And finally, I refer to the new Punishing One in Wave 8. If Dengar wants to raise the attack value of his ship with his Title card he has to pay a whopping 12 points!
                So the question is this: how much does Eaden have to pay to get his extra attack dice? The answer is zero points. Do I have your attention? Eaden is the exception to Outrider builds and powerful attack builds because all he needs to get that extra, expensive die is for the enemy to be stressed. Now it is going to require a lot of work to make sure those stress tokens are there, much more work than just slapping on an HLC. But if a player can create a good, stressful environment then they can capitalize off of a ridiculously cheap and powerful 3 attack turret. Moreover, Eaden's stress shots are much more powerful than a Mangler or HLC turret because they receives yet another attack dice at range 1!
                Let's start applying how to have good stress. First off, you want squad synergy. It is inefficient to put a Flechette Cannon on Eaden and have him go solo. He will stress the enemy but then he has already attacked that round. So you wait till next round but the enemy does a green move and clears the stress. So you shoot again and the dance goes on and on. However, the FC only shoots forward and that leaves Eaden wide opened to get outmaneuvered. It is the same with low PS support ships. 1 and 2 skill pilots that give stress will not help because they fire last and the enemy now has a whole other turn before worrying about Eaden's ability. The exception to this, of course, is if your whole squad gives stress and you can overwhelm an enemy ship. So consider pairing Eaden with Tactician B-wings and/or R3-A2.
                Next, we need to utilize Eaden's pilot skill. A PS of 3 may look like a disadvantage but it really is a better fit. It means that there are far more pilots who can be used as stress support in your squad. It also means that the high and mighty ships that Eaden hunts will have more likely used their action tokens. And most importantly, a PS 3 is not threatening to the enemy. You can play great mind games with your opponent by using Eaden as bait while the rest of your squad hits hard. If the enemy ignores Eaden then you can start utilizing his ability and hit hard as well with him. Now your opponent has a hard choice and is torn in what to do.
                The third and final thing that one needs to learn about Eaden is his ability to crowd control. This one is, in my opinion, the most important. By just being on the board Eaden restricts your enemy. You can do lots of things for your squad to have synergy but it is so much easier and more fun when you let your enemy do the work for you! Any time an enemy ship uses a self-stressing ability they become a target. Any time the enemy K-turns, S-loops, or T-rolls they then become a target. And since debris is now legal to bring to tournaments, all you need to do is place 3 debris field and force your opponent to ride the lanes or take a stress and become a target. The possibilities are only limited by the number of ways a ship can get stress in the game!
                So get going. There's tons to explore with Eaden and I can say that he is one of the most gratifying pilots I have utilized in a squad. If used right he can hit as hard as a Falcon, even without any upgrades attached to him. And he doesn't have the same weaknesses as other Outrider builds in the meta. Though he does require more work, he gives far more reward. Get to know Eaden and add him to your list of under-estimated pilots. Have fun! Let me know in the comments how things goes for you.


Afterwards:
Here is a squad that offers amazing synergy and allows you to be very flexible.

Sword & Dagger Squad - 100 Points
Hawk w/ Jan - 36 Points
                Veteran Instincts
                Twin Laser Turret
                Engine Upgrade
B-wing w/ Dagger - 29 Points
                Flechette Cannon
                Advanced Sensors
Outrider w/ Eaden - 35 Points
                Recon Specialist

                The build is centered around creating powerful combos. Jan can give an extra attack die to either Eaden or the Dagger, depending on who is receiving the aggro from the enemy. Jan's build uses her high PS and EU to prevent other aces from hitting her blindspot. She also can use a target lock to measure to see if an enemy is at range 3. If they aren't in range then the target lock fails and she can then boost into range. The Dagger is the wild card here. For just one point more I've turned my AIS B-wing into a stressing ship with 2 more PS. I call this version the RAS - Red Advanced Strafe - for the red of the stress token. (As you can guess, I couldn't call it the Advanced Stress Strafe! lol.) The RAS Dagger can switch between stressing targets for Eaden and hitting hard with its own 3 attack dice. Either way, if you set things up correctly you can hit with a hard 5 dice attack from the Dagger or Eaden at range 1. Hence the name of the squad. It's a great combo and is just right on points. If you want you can take out the RS and put Kyle Katarn on the Hawk. That allows Jan to have a focus for defense even if she boosts or locks.

Masters Rhymer and Jonus - Imperial Aces of Ordnance

                Ever since I started playing X-wing Miniatures I have loved the play style of Ordnance. As exciting as dogfights are, they get somewhat old for me. I also really enjoy flying patterns that involve strafing runs and weaving chases. I was attracted to the idea of extended use of ordnance and so the Tie Bomber was the first expansion I bought for my Imperial set. However after several failed attempts on my part - and some research online - I learned that if I wanted to use missiles I would need to make it cost effective. So began my journey of finding effective ordnance builds. And I must apologize somewhat for my previous posts because of my heavy use of the Extra Munitions card. Wave 7 has not yet come out so it's not doing us a whole lot of good right now. I do hope that you can see my excitement for the Extra Munitions upgrade and can see how it will really make torpedoes and missiles cost effective. But until it arrives we need to work with what we have now. And with genuine excitement I wish to present to you the Tie Bomber. People generally think of the Tie Bomber as only bulky and difficult to maneuver. It is my desire to cast the Bomber in a new light, specifically the light of being the only ship that doesn't need the extra munitions card in order to be cost effective.

                The first reason why the Bomber itself is effective with ordnance is because it has the Elite Pilot Talent slot. To create a strong missile platform we must overcome the lack of dice modification. One way to do this is to equip a dice-modifying talent and the naturally occurring EPT on a relatively low cost ship is the specialty of the Tie Bomber. So let's look at some talents we could equip to boost our ordnance game.

                I will start off by eliminating both Veteran Instincts and Push the Limit. Not only are they overused and expected by opponents, they just don't complement the Bomber's style. Also on my list of no-go's is Opportunist and Lone Wolf. So which EPTs will work? Here are some that perhaps you overlooked for your bombers:

                The first one I wish to talk about is Predator. It's reroll ability is traditionally thought of as used for primary attacks but nowhere on the card does it exclude secondary rolls. A Bomber with Predator gets to reroll one attack dice on its ordnance and gets a whopping two rerolls against pilot skills 1 and 2. This makes those low pilots not just vulnerable but squishy, especially if your ordnance shot is followed with concentrated swarm fire.

Predator Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 33 Points

                Predator

                2 Concussion Missiles

                Another great talent we can look at is the Outmaneuver card. Yeah, yeah, I know, when the crap is a Bomber going to outmaneuver an enemy? The answer is around turn 3-4. Most bombing builds involve strafing in, firing a missile during the alpha strike, dropping a bomb and then veering off or K-turning. But Tie Bombers have the wonderful 1 forward maneuver which is allows you to arrive late for the party. What if instead of sending in your whole force, you have your bomber and an escort lag behind and give covering fire from afar? This means after the initial engagement your opponent is in a pincer and has a really tough choice. They can fly forward to go after your bomber and thus expose their backs to your swarm which just K-turned. Or the enemy can K-turn himself wishing to dogfight your swarm and now your bomber is behind them. In the first situation, the bomber can drop a bomb and zoom off to meet up with its allies. But in the event of the second situation, you have successfully gotten your bomber behind enemy lines without any effort on your part. Then to top it off, why not shoot them from behind with a Flechette Torpedo or Ion Missile, locking in the choice they made to stress their own ship? Since this EPT is not a one-use item you can enjoy playing non-stop mind games with the enemy fighters. All it will take is one good pot-shot in the backside and they will be hesitant to K-turn the rest of the game.

Covering Fire Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 35 Points

                Outmaneuver

                2 Flechette Torpedoes

                Ion Missiles

                Seismic Charges

                Munitions Failsafe

                A card that is frequently overlooked because of potential friendly fire is Ruthlessness. Yes, having it is a lot like playing with fire but if you learn to control it you can greatly benefit. A Bomber with Ruthlessness essentially turns any ordnance into a mini Assault Missile. Heck, if you use Assault Missiles themselves they will give range 1 splash damage plus one more hit. The enemy will be scared to keep close ranks and will give up the advantage of formation flying. You, however, will make sure to stay in formation thus protecting yourself from friendly fire and gaining the upper hand. For only three more points a bomber carrying low-damage ordnance now becomes scary with the threat of splash damage.

Assault Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 35 Points

                Ruthlessness

                Flechette Torpedoes

                Cluster Missiles

                Ion Missiles

                Munitions Failsafe

                The Adrenaline Rush upgrade is somewhat looked down upon because it is only a one time use. But there is a specific reason that this upgrade card is included in the Tie Bomber expansion. Ordnance users are more reliant on actions than other ships so it is crucial you get them. The Tie Punisher coming out in Wave 7 will have a Systems slot and so can take the Advanced Sensors card to ensure actions. But Adrenaline Rush works just as great during that one time you really need it. You can bait ships into chasing you, then K-turn, get an action from AR, and fire ordnance back at them. Or if you are good at planning a few turns ahead you can get a target lock on a ship, do a red maneuver and still take a focus to fire an Advanced Proton Torpedo. Better yet, the enemy does not know when you will use it and that gives you even more power from the card. A bomber with AR can make a surprise move at any moment so the very threat of it can make an opponent play far more defensively than they would want to. So, again, mind games are a good strategy with bombers.

Strafing Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus - 34 Points

                Adrenaline Rush

                2 Flechette Torpedoes

                Homing Missiles

                Seismic Charges

                The last card that I feel is overlooked is Determination. But it is a wonderful choice for your named bomber. With 6 hull and no shields Tie Bombers are deathly allergic to critical hits, especially early ones. They are beefy enough that things like Direct Hits don't phase them. Instead what really hurts is to get a pilot critical, namely the evil Injured Pilot card. If you are going to invest the points into getting a named bomber then it is wise to include Determination to protect your PS and pilot ability.This upgrades make for great defense and lets your bomber keep flying past the early game.

                The second way that Bombers make naturally effective ordnance users is in their Pilot Abilities. Let's take a look at the two named pilots we have for our Bombers and see if we can't learn something new.

                Major Rhymer is the head of Scimitar Squadron and was code-named Scimitar 1 during the Battle of Endor. He never appeared on screen during Episode 6 but he faithfully defended the Empire and the second Death Star. His pilot ability implies that there is a reason he is the best in the Bomber fleet. He is so good with ordnance that he can successfully fire missiles in ranges where they should be ineffective. With Rhymer, Proton Torpedoes can be shot at point blank range and APTs can be lobbed out at range 2. This greatly increases his attack effectiveness as well as decreases his blind spots. Picking him makes for a fun and flexible play style, though he is a bit more expensive. But his biggest strength, in this writer's opinion, is in his ability to shoot Proton Rockets at mid range. In the lore, Proton Rockets are actually capital ship shells but some crazy, unknown pilot once decided to strap one on to his fighter. They found that if you got to point blank range and fired them straight on course then they could catch fast moving snub-fighters. Of course, the more agile your own ship was the better the shot you had. This lore is reflected in the Proton Rockets card in that in requires a focus rather than a target lock to shoot. And because X-wing players want the highest attack value possible for the rockets the meta has tied them in our minds with A-wings and Advanced Ties. But though Rhymer won't get as much damage out of a rocket, he is the only pilot that can shoot them at range 2. This makes it a very excellent dog fighting tactic and is one of my favorites to fly.

Dogfight Bomber:

Bomber w/ Rhymer - 35 Points

                Determination

                2 Proton Rockets

                Seismic Charges

                Our other star of the day is Captain Jonus. He was also a part of Scimitar Squadron and was Rhymer's second in command as Scimitar 2. Although he was also in the Battle of Endor, Jonus's real claim to fame is when his ship was almost eaten by a giant space slug. Tasked as one of the bombers to find the Millennium Falcon in the asteroid field of Episode 5, Captain Jonus must have dropped one too many bombs and made the natives unhappy. Thankfully he escaped the jaws of death and made it into our X-wing miniatures game. Jonus was known in the Extended Universe to prefer to take point on bombing runs thus providing cover for his squad mates. This makes his pilot ability of giving rerolls to allies with secondary weapons very iconic. A bomber squad with Jonus can be both very deadly with ordnance and tanky enough to outlast the enemy. One way you can consider flying him is with the Squad Leader upgrade and Ion Missiles. That way he can set up shots for his allies next round and then give them both an action and rerolls for their attacks.

Tag-N-Bag Bomber:

Bomber w/ Jonus -30 Points

                Squad Leader

                2 Ion Missiles

                Before I finish I want to also make a plug for the generic bomber pilot. They have a lot to offer as well. A Scimitar Squadron Pilot with just a Seismic charge makes a cheap tank to fly point and protect your swarm. Or the same pilot with 2 homing missiles makes for a low cost, high damage missile platform. And there are plenty of others good combinations.

Tank Bomber:

Bomber w/ Scimitar Pilot - 18 Points

                Seismic Charges

Assassin Bomber:

Bomber w/ Scimitar Pilot - 26 Points

                2 Homing Missiles

               This combination of the cheap EPT slot and pilot abilities allows the Tie Bomber to not need Wave 7's fix to be cost efficient when using ordnance. So give the Tie Bomber a run. Try out some of these builds and see if they appeal to you.  It make take a little more work on your part to create the right build but it is definitely worth it. Have fun building and flying!

Afterwards:
As promised, all the Bomber builds I have presented here are cost effective with ordnance points. But that doesn't mean Bombers won't benefit from the Extra Munitions upgrade. In fact, every build I have described here will become even more cost effective and a bit cheaper. So keep practicing flying great bombers now and when Wave 7 comes out they will become even more amazing.

Nera Dantels - The Quite Content Damsel

                Mon Mothma and the Rebellion had a distinct charismatic charm that was able to draw in good people from every nook and cranny of the galaxy. And just like with Han Solo, Nera Dantels was an independent smuggler who decided to stick around after her path crossed with the Rebel Alliance.

                The extended universe tells us that Nera's first dealings with the Rebellion where shortly before Episode 4. They contacted her with a need for astromech droids and she decided to help. With that choice, though, she was no longer a neutral smuggler and so traveled with her shipment to Yavin for safety. It was during the course of these events that she met and fell in love with Biggs Darklighter, the rugged farm pilot from the Outer Rim. Sadly, their courtship was drawn to a close when Biggs was killed in action flying against the Death Star.

                When it comes to the X-wing game however, it is pilots - not smugglers or star-crossed lovers - that make it in as characters. Nera became a rebel pilot when she volunteered to join Dagger Squadron: the first squad formed of the new B-wing Starfighters. So it should be no surprise when we find Nera in the Rebel Aces expansion pack. Not only does she get her red-painted B-wing, she also gets a wonderful pilot ability: her torpedoes can be fired in a 360 degree arc. And why not because what intellegent smuggler wouldn't modify their starship?

                While on my hunt for good ordnance fixes, this one screamed at me to be used. Since Horton Salm was my ordnance knight, this made Nera my Lady Damsel. I started flying her with the Deadeye upgrade and paired her with Garvin Dreis or Dutch Vander to give her action economy. And it did a very good job of overcoming the pitfalls of torpedoes. I can say, however, that I conceived of a better use for Nera and then had my thoughts confirmed online. Included in the same Rebel Aces pack as Nera is the E2 B-wing Modification which allows the ship to equip a crew member.

                I am going to go out on a limb here and proclaim to the world that the only man Nera wanted was Biggs. And since this damsel can't have him she doesn't need any man. So forget the action-giving escort ships, Nera's got something better planned. Have her call up her bff, the recon specialist, and she'll fill the crew slot on the B-wing. This may take up more points for one ship but it gives Nera a far greater freedom in the game. It also relieves the player from the risk of a synergy-based build failing. And even after she has shot her ordnance, she can still use the recon specialist for both an offensive and defense focus. A B-wing only gets one defensive die but every evade matters in the game.

                Now to talk about the ordnance itself: which torpedo type should Nera take? Our friend Horton is effective with proton torpedoes because of his re-roll ability. However, Nera's focus action is not as effective because the torpedoes' "smart-bomb" focus already modifies one focus roll. This makes her modification partially redundant, unless you really want that critical hit. Instead, I would choose Flechette Torpedoes which don't waste any of Nera's focus. Moreover, they are cheaper to equip which helps keep her build cost lower. On the other hand, if you do want to spend more points the best use of the focus modification would be on Advanced Proton Torpedoes. If a proton torpedo is a smart bomb then the APT is a prodigious genius. It automatically turns 3 blanks into focus and begs for you have an extra focus to spare. Statistically, this will reward you with 5 clean hit rolls almost every time.

                Which one to go with is up to your play style. Use Proton Torpedoes if you want the criticals or you don't mind the redundant focus. Flechette Torpedoes can be used from afar to give stress and set up shots for your other ships. Or they can be used as a limited semi-turret making her strong after the alpha strike. Finally, equipped with APTs, Nera will charge straight into the fight with a range 1 circle of death. With any of these choices, though, she will be the biggest target for enemy fire. So consider flying her with Biggs to provide cover and to add a spice of romance. They can't be together in the extended universe but they sure can be together in the game! (And you can make your opponent remorseful as you sob uncontrollably when one of the two dies in a match...)

                There are only 2 weaknesses to this Nera build, the first being that it is expensive. If you are going to spend the points make sure you know how to fly her well and that you allot the rest of your points effectively. The second weakness is the potential for blocking: if Nera can't take an action she can't get her 2 focus tokens and is a sitting duck. This can be avoided by taking a systems upgrade: an advanced sensor to take your action before bumping or enhanced scopes to always move first. But if you don't want to spend even more points, just learn to move her evasively. She has a 360 degree arc so practice flying past enemies and blasting them from an angle.  

                Nera Dantels is another pilot that successfully makes ordnance an effective part of the game. Even though she is expensive, she adds a new and fun twist. Try flying her and see what kind of crazy antics you can pull off.

Eternal Love -100 points

                B-wing/w Nera - 39

                                Deadeye 

                                Advanced Proton Torpedo

                                Extra Munitions

                                E2 Mod 

                                Recon Specialist 

                X-wing w/ Biggs - 25

                Headhunter w/ Bandit - 12
                Headhunter w/ Bandit - 12
                Headhunter w/ Bandit - 12

The Quite Content Damsel - 100 points

                B-wing /w Nera - 35

                                Deadeye

                                2 Flechette Torpedoes

                                E2 Mod

                                Recon Specialist

                B-wing w/ Blue Squadron - 22
                B-wing w/ Blue Squadron - 22

                X-wing w/ Rookie - 21

Afterwards:
I first heard the phase "Quite Content Damsel" from Bungie's Destiny. It was the christened title of a starfighter I earned in the game. My character was a Titan Knight class and I died of laughter for a good five minutes.

Link to Strat Update for this article.

Horton Salm - The Grey Knight

                Apparently, womp rats are pretty hard to hit. At least, that is the truth that I found when practicing a list of Rookies with Proton Torpedoes. We have known for awhile that ordnance is not cost effective. However, that doesn't mean it has no place in the game. This post will be the first of several on what I have found to make ordnance fun as well as worth the points.
                Horton Salm appears in the 6th episode of Star Wars as Grey Leader in the battle of Endor (where he doesn't have that ridiculous mustache as seen in the comics, haha). Grey 1 and several other fighters followed General Calrissian into the heart of darkness to destroy the second Death Star. But when threatened by pursuing Ties, Horton broke off and followed Jake Farrell to draw enemy fire. Sorry boys, you'll get the glory for the next large explosion, promise.

                Right out of the box, Horton was the first Y-wing pilot I played. Being able to reroll blanks freed up his action for focus making him an efficient long range dog-fighter. He only has 2 attack dice but he sure knows how to make them count every time. It wasn't till after I was thinking of the ordnance problem that it occurred to me to use him. But wow, how he fit the bill.

                After running a probability simulator, I found that the average result rolling 4 attack dice is 2 hits/crits, 1 focus, and 1 blank. Using protons torpedoes turns one 1 focus into a critical - probably "smart bomb" tech - bringing the total average hits to 3. But when you are flying a Rookie pilot, a 3 hit torpedo is not enough to consistently break the agility of Tie Fighters, even without the added range 3 defense die. In contrast, Horton's reroll ability makes up for any blank rolls, which effectively gives you a target lock after you already spent it. His only weakness is focus results, but again, this is mitigated by the proton torpedoes themselves. And with two torpedo slots on a Y-wing there is good potential for some heavy damage.

                But so what? Horton can successfully get 4 hits on a consistent basis at range 3. So can my Blue Squad B-Wing with a heavy laser cannon, plus it has more shields and it costs less. If those were the only factors, then yes, I would take the B-wing every time. But the added points of Horton give you something the HLC can't: criticals. Unless you are very unlucky, torpedoes will always have a critical hit. Couple this with Horton's high probability of getting 4 hits and we have a exceptional chance for the critical to push through and give early, nasty damage to unshielded targets. And after the alpha strike, honestly, both he and a B-wing would be high priority targets and get focused on. A range 1 Horton or HLC are quite useless to us, so why not get those early critical when you can?

                If that's not enough to sell you, there's the bonus of Wave 7 coming out. With it will be the chance for the Extra Munitions card. This upgrade fills a torpedo slot, so it won't be aiding our hapless Rookie X-wings but it is perfect for the Y-wing. You save 2 points putting double PT on Horton and then you can take those saving and get yourself a free autoblater turret to give him an advantage in the mid-game. I love coupon squad shopping!

                To summarize, Horton Salm does a magnificent job at overcoming most of the risk of using ordnance. He is a bit more expensive then some heavy-hitter ships but he is well worth the points for what he can do. This build works well with my play style and I have a lot of fun flying him. I hope that you will too.

B-wing w/ Blue Squadron Pilot & HLC...29 points

Y-wing w/ Horton & 2 Proton Torpedoes...33 points

Y-wing w/ Horton, Proton Torpedo, Extra Munitions, & Auto-Turret...33 points

Bargain coupon squad shopping...Priceless.

Afterward:

I call Horton the Grey Knight because I was testing out a build that ran him with as a Green Squad A-wing with Draw Their Fire. I called it the Knight Squad because it reminded me of a Knight and his trusty Squire. But I soon found that A-wings do not excel at soaking damage or at keeping pace with Y-wings. So I dropped the squire and kept the Knight.