"Y Wing Expansion Review" Topic

Hi All… We are continuing to enjoy X Wing and the new expansions. Our next article is our review of the Y Wing expansion… link

Hope you enjoy it as much as we are enjoying this game.

You may be underestimating those proton torps. Expensive, but (especially with Horton using them) they've got a good shot at an instant kill on TIE, or a crippling hit even on an intact TIE Advanced. 4 points is a reasonable cost for the potential – and if you can spring for Horton, a dual loadout might even be worthwhile in larger point games. Even if the enemy rushes you so you only get one torp shot early, you can use your expensive missile boat as bait for setting up short range shots from a supporting X-Wing or two.

Maybe I've had bad luck with torpedoes.

4 AD dice even if they all hit (Which is not a given by any stretch) is not a sure kill. Most smart TIEs will have an evade out until you burn your torps. That cancels 1 hit, they have to whiff all three defense dice to auto kill a TIE.

Now I agree if you can peal an evade off of the TIE first then your chances go way up.

Agreed, you never waste torps on a TIE with an evade active – but even they don't always have one up, and your escorting X-Wings can burn one if they do. You don't always need 3 hits for an outright kill – torps get a crit more often than not, and there are enough 2-pt cards to be worrisome. Even if you "just" score a single 1-pt crit, you've probably handicapped your target badly.

I've seen torps underperform, but it's rare and most often happens in lower-point games. At 75 or 100 points or more, they're worth the gamble of trading 4 points for a TIE that cost 12 to 18+. When they do underperform, you've still got a Y-Wing for them to have to deal with – and most likely one with an Ion Cannon Turret, which are ubiquitous IME. Expensive package, but worth it.

Protons are a good deal against an "open tie"decent crit chance and more dice than a Y has . do not forget the ion turret . You get a shot amost always and the stun with a hull point is a good thing .

Does the ion cannon stun while shields are still up?

Does the ion cannon stun while shields are still up?

Sure. The single point of damage will drop a shield, and the ion marker is an independent effect.

I would almost always take the Ion cannon over a load of Proton Torpedoes. For that 1 extra point I can almost assure I'll be rolling 3 AD each turn as opposed to the 1 time only 4AD attack.

A nice blog you have :)

I will receive x-wing about mid october so your painting tutorials come handy. Thanks!

I would almost always take the Ion cannon over a load of Proton Torpedoes. For that 1 extra point I can almost assure I'll be rolling 3 AD each turn as opposed to the 1 time only 4AD attack.

It's not an either/or proposition, a Y-Wing can have both. The Ion Cannon's the first priority, but I'm not sold on the torps not being worth another 4 points on top. There's currently no tougher platform in the game than the Y-Wing, which makes it less risky to pile on expensive upgrades.

If you can fit him in the budget, Horton in a 34 or 38 point Y-Wing loadout is sheer murder. His torp(s) will score 3 hits and a crit with depressing relaibility, and he's no slouch with an Ion Cannon either. Pair him with the other Y-Wing pilot who hands out free target locks (perhaps also armed with a set of torps) and it's pure murder on standard TIEs and no joy for Advanced ones either.

After a crushing defeat using a Proton Torp force tonight, I'm revising my opinion somewhat. One Proton Torp is not a very good buy for 4 points – even at their best, they don't kill a TIE reliably enough to be a good gamble, and denting one just isn't quite enough unless you get a strong crit.

OTOH, two Proton Torps on different ships for 8 points is probably a bargain. Firing both of them, even at long range or versus a dodging target, is quite likely to kill a TIE – and you might get implausibly lucky and manage a one-shot kill so the second spread can hit something else later. Trading 8 points for a TIE that cost 12 or more is not a bad deal, and as a range 3 opening volley you're highly unlikely to take much if any effective counterfire while you're getting that early kill. Ideally you want to kill the most important TIE you can, most likely Howlrunner or Mauler or Gundark, but anything shot down before it can effectively reply is good.

Probably still best to buy another fighter (even an 18 point Y-Wing) if you can, but if you're making a budget choice between a pair of Proton Torps and 8 points of other upgrades, it's a question of whether you think a high-odds chance of an early kill is better than the more long-term benefits derived from droids, better pilot skill, etc.