Or How to get Double Mods, with 5 easy T-70s

I got hit with the writing bug. Blog #2, only two days later.

A common theme I found analyzing the T-70 pilots, is how most of them have decent access to doubly modded attack dice. And double mods are pretty good, they turn your 3 dice gun, into a 2.8 HITS gun, getting 3 hits 82% of the time (Focus+Lock).

And being able to shoot like this with 2-3 ships over and over again the damage will push through (and any variance will even out). Solid dice mods lead to consistent hits, leads to damage, leads to victory.

Breaking down the best action efficient T-70 pilots:

Poe is a pretty obvious start here. Use his ability to take both a Focus and a Lock at the cost of a stress. Double mods, EZ. Unlike the other pilots, Poe’s double mods have consequences , rather than having to be carefully set up. The stress shuts down his dial significantly, but can be somewhat mitigated by equipping an R4 Astromech. Aside : There was a pretty good discussion about BB-8 vs. R4 Astromech on Poe by the Mynock Podcast a few weeks ago, I won’t rehash it here, but I recommend a listen if you’re considering flying Poe. But for maximizing Poe’s offense, Focus and Lock are the 2 actions you generally want to be taking.

Nien (the Sarcastic Survivor) has a more complicated way of getting double actions. He gets his bonus action from executing a red maneuver and using Pattern Analyser (While you fully execute a red maneuver, before the Check Difficulty step, you may perform 1 action.) That is, execute red manuever –> take action with Pattern Analyser –> receive stress token at Check Difficulty step –> remove stress token with Nien’s pilot ability –> take regular action at Perform Action step. 2 actions, Focus and Lock, done? Not quite. At least for the initial engagement, getting the double mods is difficult, as the red maneuvers turn you around, and lining up Nien’s ability doesn’t work well. But once the fight begins Nien can become a consistent attacking monster. Boosting may often be required to get Nien into position to clear the stress, and is likely better utilized as an ace (which isn’t really my style), rather than for efficiency. But then you can equip Black One ( and even Static Discharge Vanes Edit : actually don’t equip this, pretty sure it doesn’t work. He still gets silly movement choices though), and his movement options get RIDICULOUS!! Let’s save that for another time…. But remember, games are won by doing damage, and dice mods improve that more than funky maneuvering. Rules Note on Nien: He cannot clear 2 stress received at the same time (for example from Panicked Pilot or Admiral Sloane’s ability), following the “Once per opportunity” rule. Receiving 2 stress from for example, executing a red maneuver through a debris field, is not at the same trigger window, so Nien can remove both of them. EDIT: This follows the ruling used at System Opens, and if you have a close reading of the rules, makes perfect sense.

Snap also isn’t the simplest to get his repeatable double mods. His pilot ability grants him access to an extra action, but it isn’t a dice mod action. The trick with Snap, is to equip Composure (After you fail an action, if you have no green tokens, you may perform a focus action.) and force a fail of the free boost action. A boost fails if the ship moves through an obstacle or if the final position would overlap any ship, obstacle or outside the play area. Intentionally failing a boost isn’t especially hard, can formation fly behind something to easily do it every turn, or try boost onto obstacles. Bit of thought and practice, and you’ll be failing actions like a pro. Execute 2-4 speed maneuver, fail Boost action, take Focus action, take Lock action, double mods achieved .

First things first. How has nobody mentioned that subtitle yet!?! #thegreatdestroyer There’s an awful lot of text on this card. Definitely the long way around for one of the simpler ways of getting double mods. Short answer, Jess is amazing. So for Jess’ double mods: Take focus actions

Fly at range 0-1 of friendly ships (at least 1, 2-3 is better)

Profit. Can also throw on a cheap BB Astromech (only 3 points on Jess!) to feed some extra rerolls on turns you need to reroll on both attack and defense for even more efficiency.

Being an I2 Pilot, I’m sure most readers have no idea what this guy does. Lieutenant Bastian deserves a lot more respect than that. His I2 works to his advantage as his pilot ability suits shooting after friendly ships. As long as Bastian has friendly ships, doing their job and damaging enemy ships, Bastian can acquire a lock on the same ship and (with a regular Focus action) have a double modded follow up shot. And if he needs to spend his lock, and then deals damage, can acquire another lock for next turn. Free actions are good. However, similar to Jess above, Bastian becomes less effective with fewer friendly ships. Honorable mention to his First Order counterpart Lieutenant Rivas (After a ship at range 1-2 gains a red or orange token, if you do not have that ship locked, you may acquire a lock on that ship). Rivas has a similar ability at I1 to acquire locks on whatever he wants, whenever he wants. There are a lot of red and orange tokens (mostly locks and stress) getting thrown around, and he has a very consistent 2 dice attack every turn.

Might as well hit the other named pilots for completeness:

Ello Asty – fairly meh, still gets actions when he turns around, can do repeat Talon Rolls. Does what Nien does, with less restrictions and with way less upside. And Ello costs a point more base. Some people like the I5 and the no thought pilot ablity, but git gud and pick Nien first.

Kare Kun – don’t care (…)

Joph Seastriker – meh. For this pilot ability to really do anything, you have to get shot at twice in the same turn. Pass

Jaycris Tubbs – meh, might be able to make some sort of combo/synergy build with him, otherwise too situational/useless pilot ability.

Lieutenant Bastian T-70 X-Wing

Integrated S-Foils

Jessika Pava T-70 X-Wing

BB Astromech + Integrated S-Foils

Temmin Wexley T-70 X-Wing

Composure + Integrated S-Foils

L’ulo L’ampar RZ-2 A-Wing

That comes to 196 points. The last 4 points are whatever, do what you want, it doesn’t matter very much. I’d probably take Trick Shot on L’ulo.

The three T-70s can fly together in formation, with Jess and Bastian in front and Snap behind to get the most out of Jess and Snap’s abilities. L’ulo can flank a bit and is a cheap 3-die gun. Bastian gets to fire last with a lock on whatever is getting focus fired. Lots of attack dice, lots of dice mods, I like it.

The other trick to flying this efficiency style in general, is getting and maintaining firing arcs, without unnecessarily ‘wasting’ actions on repositioning. That requires good flying, and that isn’t as easily written down into a blog…. Practice makes perfect.

Please feel free to share with anyone or any groups who you think might be interested. I’m trying not to spam too many places. Also feedback is always appreciated.

And it wouldn’t be a T-70 article without mention Jamming Beams. Just don’t .

Found a use for the official squad builder, as a source for hi-res images of the game cards. I still use YASB 2.0 and LaunchBay Next for actual squad building.

Disclaimer: I’m yet to play a single second edition game flying Resistance. (drops mic)