Building a list: A ship is an extension of the pilot
Welcome back to the third instalment of my articles on tournament prep. Even though this is the third I’ve written, it’s probably the first in the series. So here they are in order:
Episode 1: Building a list
Episode 2: Obstacles
Episode 3: Deployment
Right. Now that’s out of the way… here we go!
Where to start?
When starting a completely new list for X-Wing you always need a starting point. This could be one of a few things but normally it’s either:
- Pick a ship that you really like (Did someone say A-Wings?!)
- Pick a combo that you really like (Getting Swarm leader to work)
In my recent mission to build a list I decided that I was going to fly Super Corran Horn. All 48 points of him. He looks like this:
Most of my lists start like this, picking a ship that I like and building it exactly how I want it. This allows me to work everything else around that core concept.
What is the aim of the list?
Now you have a starting point you can begin to fill in the rest of the list. When you do this, it’s a good idea to think about how you want the ships to operate. Is your aim to wipe out your opponent as fast as possible?
Do you want to carefully circle your enemy waiting for an opening, then rush in to do some spike damage?
Maybe attrition is more your game, slowly chewing down the opponent until he can’t throw any more at you.
Or possibly the best offense is a good defence, allowing you to slowly grind down your opponent.
How you like to fly and what strategy you use should tell you what kind of thing you want your list to do.
Scott Reed rarely has a game that lasts over half an hour because he favors an aggressive type of flying, the lists he uses reflect that.
So how do we use this knowledge?
Going back to Corran, I wanted him to survive to the end of the game. I also wanted him to be able to outmanoeuver those pesky fang fighters that have proven to be very popular recently. With this in mind, I paired him with Ahsoka Tano.
Ahsoka is a great little buy at 19 points with these two upgrades. Not only can she not be shot by anything PS8 or below, but she also provides constant action support to Corran. Acting as his permanent wingwoman, she gives him up to two actions in the combat phase. Boosting out of trouble or barrel rolling onto target to turn the tables on any opponent. This is key as it allows my 48 point monster to survive much longer than he normally would. This and the Captured Tie card fits in nicely with the survival theme I am trying to achieve.
Rounding off the list
Now we have the bare bones of the list. Two ships that come to a total of 67 points. The final step is to work out what to put with them. The icing on the cake if you will.
This is my favorite stage of list building and also the most challenging. I tend to sit down at a squad builder such as GeordanR or Squadron Builder and try and find a few different ships that I think fill the hole.
Here are some examples of ships around 33 points.
It’s very important to give yourself more than one option. Sometimes the second or third option down the line ends up being the best and this can give you lots of different variations to play with.
Finally, make sure you test out each version of the list. Does it fit with the theme you are trying to build? Do the ships work together? Do you enjoy flying them? All important questions and only you can find the answer.
Have some fun, pick your practice partner (victim) and see what they think. Don’t be afraid to try the splatter paint approach and see what sticks to the wall.
Our journey is complete…
So we now have a fully functioning list. After testing, I decided on everybody’s favorite A-Wing Jake Farrel (of course I did…). He was the only ship that was able to keep up with Corran as well as surviving for as long as the E-Wing. He is also another prime target for Ahsoka’s action passing shenanigans.
All three ships suit my flying style and pack enough punch to take out most things I will see.
At the very least they are capable of running away to victory once the Proton Rockets have annihilated their chosen target and I’m ahead on points.
Now you try!
Have a go at making your own list and see how it does. Have you included the relevant tools to kill the meta? What is constantly killing you? All of these questions and more await as you try to build that all powerful list that is capable of taking on all comers.
I’ll leave that part to you.
Fly casual!
Oli
