The intro…
Hello and welcome to this week’s blog!
First off, an apology! I had this blog about 90% written for Tuesday and then….forgot! It’s now Sunday and I was starting to write the next week’s post when I noticed I still had this in draft! What an idiot! Please accept my sincerest apologies! I have caught edits where I think they’re needed but if anything fails to make sense, that’s why!
There’s not too much to say in terms of miscellaneous bits this week so I’m going to dive straight in to…
Patreon Update…
Q4 for 2025 is now closed so I’m going to start packing things up for people! One small snag, I’m still missing one component (although I should be getting them this week) so posting is going to be slightly delayed. I’ll give an update on that via the Patreon page once I have more info!
For now though I will say a HUGE thank you to my Patrons for your support. You are absolute legends!
XTC Update…
Well, when I was planning to publish things were pretty tense! France had dispatched the USA and were gearing up to face off against the US Islands in the final.
Since I’m posting 5 WHOLE DAYS LATE(!), the tournament is now over!
Huge congratulations to France on retaining the XTC!
A full breakdown of the event can be found here – https://challonge.com/vyjtr9ol
The main bit…
Last week was a massive week for news with XWA announcing that the points system had been updated from 20 points to 50 points.
With a little more time for this to have been fully absorbed by players it does feel as though this change has been positively received which, given that it’s what a lot of players have been crying out for since AMG changed to 20 from 200, maybe isn’t all that surprising.
That said, it’s always hard to gauge how people (and people on the internet in particular) are going to respond to something so nothing was guaranteed and I think this can be seen as a win.
But as for me personally, it’s left me a little bit adrift.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a fantastic change for the game. I’ve mentioned several times over the past couple of years that points balancing things at 20 points is pretty much impossible. Well, maybe not impossible but very very difficult, for sure.
Something too good at 4 points? Bump it to 5. Oh, nobody uses it any more? Because there’s SO many other options at 4 points which, while maybe not so good, are better than reshuffling the entire list? Obviously.
Every single ship in the game had to be classified into a point range between 2 and 10 (though mostly between 2 and 8). That’s pretty much 700 pilots crammed into 7 point categories. Clearly it’s not possible to make EVERY pilot a decent playable option when it’s competing against so many other options at the same cost.
So yes, I am definitely FOR the change.
So what’s the problem? Well, you see, I’m not much of a list builder.
I grasp synergies and that lists need some sort of overall strategy, that’s fine. I understand what happens if I lean too hard into one style or another without having the skill/knowledge/experience to make best use of it.
But actually going through a list of pilots and upgrades and picking out things that work together well and fit nicely? I find it tough. Not only that but I don’t especially enjoy that side of the game. In fact, I’d almost rather be given a list and then work out how to fly it and how to tweak it for my style than come up with something totally fresh because spending hours pouring over which ship goes well with which pilot and upgrade doesn’t do anything for me.
And so my dilemma is this – what do I fly now?
On one hand, there is no wrong answer. We are all in the same boat, looking at new points that don’t entirely equate to old ones. My previous list doesn’t just not quite fit, it’s 8 points over and is nowhere near playable.
The overall power level has been brought down (which, again, I agree with) but that means that every list I try and cobble together feels like it isn’t enough, even before I put it ont he table.
And maybe that’s the issue. I don’t get many games. Most weeks it’s one, very occasionally it’s two. Sometimes it’s none.
This means that because my time on the table is restricted, it’s going to take me much longer to iterate my own lists, leaving me lagging behind. Now outside of a tournament there’s really nothing wrong with this. The purpose of games is to be played for fun (right?). But while playing the game at all is better than not, getting absolutely battered by an opponent because your list is trash and doesn’t work can take the edge off that fun.
Having said all that, I’ve got to start somewhere.
So, let me show you my efforts, what my thinking was behind them and how I think they’ll do on the table.
Before I get started, let me outline my parameters. I’m starting with Rebels because it’s the faction I know the best and have played all of the ships. With a 50 point limit I have some choices to make over ship cost. It was mentioned in the Stage recording that 4 ships is seen as the ‘standard’ (not their words but how I’ve interpreted it) at a cost of 12 points each.
What could I do with 5 x 10 point ships?
List 1 – Generic Trash
Netrem Pollard – A/SF-01 B-wing (10)
Fire-Control System (2)
Synced Laser Cannons (8)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 10 Loadout: (10/10) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 4
Blue Squadron Pilot – A/SF-01 B-wing (10)
Fire-Control System (2)
Ion Cannon (6)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 10 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 4
Blue Squadron Pilot – A/SF-01 B-wing (10)
Fire-Control System (2)
Ion Cannon (6)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 10 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 4
Blue Squadron Pilot – A/SF-01 B-wing (10)
Fire-Control System (2)
Ion Cannon (6)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 10 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 4
Blue Squadron Pilot – A/SF-01 B-wing (10)
Fire-Control System (2)
Ion Cannon (6)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 10 Loadout: (8/8) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 50
Well, 10 points doesn’t get you much but it can get you 5 B-Wings, each with 8 health, a 3 dice gun and (situationally) double taps. It’s only 1 agility across the board and, on the occasions that you do get to double tap, the limited mods aren’t going to do very much for you as you need to spend your (hard to get) lock to take the second shot. Still, anything that’s stupid enough to drift into 30 red dice (unmoddod or not), probably deserves what it gets.
Verdict – lives and dies by the dice. Probably dies.
List 2 – More Gauntlet?
Ezra Bridger – Gauntlet Fighter (16)
Leia Organa (7)
Swivel Wing (0)
Nightbrother (0)
K-2SO (8)
Ship Cost: 16 Loadout: (15/15) Half Points: 8 Damage Threshold: 5
Gina Moonsong – A/SF-01 B-wing (11)
Fire-Control System (2)
Synced Laser Cannons (8)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 11 Loadout: (10/10) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 4
Ten Numb – A/SF-01 B-wing (11)
Elusive (4)
Fire-Control System (2)
Jamming Beam (1)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 11 Loadout: (7/8) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 4
Braylen Stramm – A/SF-01 B-wing (12)
Elusive (4)
Ion Cannon (6)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 12 Loadout: (10/10) Half Points: 6 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 50
This is a slightly non-serious option as well, taking that last list and upgrading to fancier pilots by way of trading out two B-Wings for Ezra in the Gauntlet. This gives access to Leia to help with all that stress that’s going to be out there while also adding an extra token to the mix with K-2SO.
These B-Wings are powered up by having self-modding abilities while still being able to double tap.
Verdict – better than the last. Needs to be tested.
List 3 – Herratani, is that you?
Kyle Katarn – HWK-290 Light Freighter (11)
Hopeful (1)
Jyn Erso (6)
Engine Upgrade (3)
Moldy Crow (0)
Ship Cost: 11 Loadout: (10/10) Half Points: 5 Damage Threshold: 2
Hera Syndulla – A/SF-01 B-wing (15)
Marksmanship (2)
Fire-Control System (2)
Proton Cannons (5)
Plasma Torpedoes (7)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
B6 Blade Wing Prototype (0)
Weapons Systems Officer (5)
Ship Cost: 15 Loadout: (21/21) Half Points: 7 Damage Threshold: 4
Garven Dreis – ARC-170 Starfighter (12)
R3 Astromech (3)
Plasma Torpedoes (7)
Veteran Tail Gunner (5)
Ship Cost: 12 Loadout: (15/15) Half Points: 6 Damage Threshold: 4
Benthic Two Tubes – UT-60D U-wing (12)
Perceptive Copilot (8)
Magva Yarro (5)
Hotshot Tail Blaster (1)
Pivot Wing (0)
Ship Cost: 12 Loadout: (14/14) Half Points: 6 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 50
A f ew years back I jumped on the bandwagon of a list where tokens were shared around like sweets at a party. I liked it and it worked well (before the inevitable nerf). The lower power levels mean it doesn’t all fit these days BUT since that’s the case for everyone maybe that doesn’t matter?
The principle here is: everyone take focuses and pass them to Hera. She can then pass them out as and when needed. Jyn crew means they can be evades if you want them to be. The original list used A-Wing Hera and an extra ship. The points limitation here means you can’t afford another ship BUT you get to make Hera a more meaningful gun in the B-Wing. All ships have 3 guns but also have some support ship qualities. It’s a bit fragile though with just 6 green dice between them.
Verdict – possibly has some potential?
List 4 – Toolbox?
Esege Tuketu – BTL-S8 K-wing (12)
Perceptive Copilot (8)
Advanced SLAM (3)
Ship Cost: 12 Loadout: (11/11) Half Points: 6 Damage Threshold: 4
Bodica Venj – Fang Fighter (12)
Elusive (4)
Beskar Reinforced Plating (6)
Mandalorian Optics (3)
Ship Cost: 12 Loadout: (13/13) Half Points: 6 Damage Threshold: 2
Luke Skywalker – T-65 X-wing (14)
Plasma Torpedoes (7)
R3 Astromech (3)
Servomotor S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 14 Loadout: (10/10) Half Points: 7 Damage Threshold: 3
Braylen Stramm – A/SF-01 B-wing (12)
Enduring (3)
Fire-Control System (2)
Proton Cannons (5)
Stabilized S-Foils (0)
Ship Cost: 12 Loadout: (10/10) Half Points: 6 Damage Threshold: 4
Total: 50
View in YASB: https://yasb.app/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v10ZsZ50Z18XWWWW54WWW104Y499X119WWW445W446Y4XWW234W4WW142Y73X456W113W470WWWWW313&sn=Unnamed%20Squadron&obs=
I’ve already started that my list building skills aren’t great but I’ve pushed myself here to find something a bit ‘traditional’. There’s a support ship, a (potential) flanker who can (potentially) double tap and then two ‘real’ guns.
Verdict – really hard to say. Could be ok but there’s a few fragile ships here.
The conclusion…
So yeah, as you can tell, my X-Wing head is all over the place!
In some ways it’s a bit intimidating and overwhelming. So many options to try and no real existing data to go by. It’s trial and error (mostly error I expect!) for the next few weeks.
In other ways it’s exciting.
Everyone is in the same boat of trying to find out what works, what doesn’t, what will fit and what won’t. Patterns and prominent lists will emerge as events happen but for many, it’s like painting on a blank canvas (or fresh snow…). Find something you like and see if it’s any good!
Welcome to the wild west meta!
As I already mentioned, this post is VERY late so I’ll end it here because I’m about to start writing the next one! See you in a couple of days! Probably!
The outro…
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