Thomas Mooney - 2016 X-wing Top 4
With the evade action, combined with C-3PO, the damage that this 1-agility based ship takes is severely mitigated. This is made obvious by how well Thomas placed at Worlds. Of course, large base ships need some sort of wingman and the man for the job comes down to Jake Farrell.
With Veteran Instincts pushing Jake to pilot skill 9, there is a greater degree of flexibility to the squad in terms of who moves first to capitalise on any given situation. Both ships also have options to boost, furthering this flexibility.
What this A-wing lacks in sheer firepower it truly makes up for in finesse and action economy. Combined with Push the Limit, Jake Farrell can get away with 3 actions per turn, providing the first is a focus. This triggers a free boost or barrel roll, allowing him to get into a superior position attacking, or out of arc altogether. Then Push the Limit can be triggered allowing for a third action. Initially, I think an evade token would be the go-to, however once that initial joust is over with, a focus, boost and target lock at range 1 of an enemy is sure to wipe the smile off their face when those proton rockets come screaming in.
I do enjoy this squad because it goes back to the basics of X-wing. When you combine a classic arc dodger with a 360-degree firing arc ship, you have the basics of a successful list.
Whether it's Fat Han or RAC/Whisper, the key roles remain the same, and regardless of wargame genre, the hammer-and-anvil tactic is alive and kicking in X-wing.
So what are the keys to victory against a squad like this? Do you focus on the large based ship whilst Jake continually digs deeper? Perhaps dropping the arc dodger first is the way to go?
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- James