Last Updated: 4/12/2018 through Wave 13

X-wing is a game that has been around for a few years now. The number of ships, pilots and upgrades can become a little overwhelming for those that are new or infrequent players. So today we’re going to continue going through all the different upgrade types and giving some quick points on how best to use them. For each we’re going to give the following information:

Ranking – We’re going to rank each card within an upgrade slot. This is an imperfect ranking as the usefulness of any card is mostly determined by how and where you use it. But it’s an easy number to grasp and can serve as a starting point when trying to pick your upgrades.

– We’re going to rank each card within an upgrade slot. This is an imperfect ranking as the usefulness of any card is mostly determined by how and where you use it. But it’s an easy number to grasp and can serve as a starting point when trying to pick your upgrades. Combos– What are the best pilots, ships or upgrades to pair with this card. When we look at upgrades that can only be equipped to with a limited number of ships, we may skip this section.

Other Guides

Filling a very similar niche as the System slot we examined last time, the Tech slot can significantly impact how you fly a particular ship based on what’s equipped. Only available to those ships that originate in the new movies (Episodes 7-9) this means only a minority of total ships will be able to bring one of these upgrades. But that also means there are a smaller set of ships the developers have to consider when designing these which gives them more freedom.

*Note- As this article was being written the Episode VIII ships were announced but little detail has been revealed about them.

Ships with a Tech Slot

Rebel B/SF-17 T-70 X-wing

Imperial TIE/fo TIE/sf TIE Silencer Upsilon Shuttle

Scum Quadjumper



Ranked List

Pattern Analyzer Primed Thrusters Advanced Optics Comm Relay Threat Tracker Sensor Cluster Targeting Synchronizer Hyperwave Comm Scanner Weapons Guidance

Advanced Optics (TIE Silencer/Resistance Bomber Expansions)

Cost: 2 points

You cannot have more than 1 focus token.

During the End phase, do not remove an unused focus token from your ship.

Ranking – 3 Cheaper than Comm Relay and useful to every ship (since every ship can focus) this upgrade has much more value. Though, you’re far more likely to use your focus token than your evade token.

– 3 Combos Poe Dameron (T-70 Pilot) Poe’s ability jives perfectly with this upgrade. He doesn’t need to spend his focus to use it and with advanced optics gets to keep it round to round. Ordnance If you focus early, when you make your move into target lock range you can then fire off your ordnance with focus and target lock.



Comm Relay (TIE/fo Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

You cannot have more than 1 evade token.

During the End phase, do not remove an unused evade token from your ship.

Ranking – 4 This one is hard to rate. For Omega Leader, this is a tier 1 upgrade. For everyone else with the evade action, it’s not bad, just pretty expensive.

– 4 Combos Omega Leader (TIE/fo Pilot) + Juke (EPT) These all come in the same box and are almost never flown without each other. Omega Leader is a solid ship in almost any list. Red Ace (T-70 X-wing pilot) + R2-D2 (Astromech) Able to get an evade after losing a shield, Comm Relay allows Red Ace to keep that evade until he needs it. R2 lets him keep regenerating shields to keep getting the evade token. Functions like two shields recovered each round. Jan Ors (Crew) Jan Ors allows you to change a Focus into an Evade. With her on a nearby ship, your T-70’s equipped with Comm relay charge up an Evade early in the game to use when shot at. Essentially turns your tech slot into a bonus shield.



Hyperwave Comm Scanner (Quadjumper/Upsilon Shuttle Expansions)

Cost: 1 points

At the start of the “Place Forces” step, you may choose to treat your pilot skill value as “0,” “6,” or “12” until the end of the step.

During setup, after another friendly ship is placed at Range 1-2, you may assign 1 focus or evade token to it.

Ranking – 8 This upgrade is only useful during deployment so it’s fittingly costed at one point. This makes it mostly a gimmick but could be used effectively just to help you deploy last.

– 8 Combos Comm Relay (Tech) With the HCS on one ship and Comm Relay on another (or yourself if you’re an Upsilon), you can give out Evade tokens round one without needing to take that action. Lieutenant Dormitz (Upsilon Shuttle Pilot) With HCS, Dormitz can allow you to forward place your other ships and give each of them a token to start the game with, which is very handy as you probably can engage round one. Hyperwave Comm Scanner (Tech) Interestingly, multiple ships with HCS pair very nicely together. You can place all your ships at PS 12 and all but the first gains tokens. In fact, the final ship gains a lot of tokens. Moldy Crow (Title) If you place a Moldy Crow HWK near several ships with HCS, you can start out with a large pool of focus you get to keep.



Pattern Analyzer (Heroes of the Resistance Expansion)

Cost: 2 points

When executing a maneuver, you may resolve the “Check Pilot Stress” step after the “Perform Action” step (instead of before that step).

Ranking – 1 This is a great action economy upgrade. Almost every ship has red maneuvers (and all that can take a tech do) and still getting to take an action after a red is very powerful in and of itself.

– 1 Combos Push the Limits (EPT) If you dial in a green maneuver you can perform your action, Push for a second, get a stress and then trigger the effect that clears a stress from taking a green. Similar to Advanced Sensors put actions come after you move instead of before. Add an R2 Astromech if you’re in a T-70 for lots of green maneuver options. Nien Nunb (T-70 Pilot) Nien Nunb especially likes this upgrade due to his ability. If he performs a red maneuver he can boost after the maneuver and if he ends up with an enemy in range one and in arc he never has to take the stress. Space Tug Tractor Array (Modification) Quadjumpers are great for causing trouble with their tractor array. But because it’s an action, and they have a lot of red maneuvers, especially their fancy reverse, PA can allow them to get far more use out of the tractor array.



Primed Thrusters (Heroes of the Resistance/TIE Silencer Expansions)

Cost: 1 points

Stress tokens do not prevent you from performing boost or barrel roll actions unless you have 3 or more stress tokens.

Ranking – 2 Primed Thrusters is often overshadowed by the other tech upgrades. But at only one point, for a ship that wants to get a lot of use out of its repositioning abilities, it’s a worthwhile upgrade.

– 2 Combos BB-8 (Astromech) BB-8 gives you a free barrel roll if you take a green maneuver. You are often taking a green maneuver because you are stressed which prevents you from taking that free barrel roll. With Primed Thrusters you can still get your free barrel roll and then clear the stress for a regular action. TIE Silencer With native boost and barrel roll, you get the most mileage out of Primed Thrusters. If you have PTL and ever get double stressed, you can keep doing both as long as you don’t get a third. Engine Upgrade(Modification)/Vectored Thrusters (Modification) When you’re spending points to give your ship more repositioning abilities it wouldn’t hurt to ensure you can keep using them even when stressed. Black One (Title) With Black One you get to clear target locks from yourself of a nearby ally. Primed Thrusters ensures that stress doesn’t lock you out from getting that ability. Flight Assist Astromech (Astromech) It Primed Thrusters you can always get use out of your free boost/barrel roll from FAA.



Sensor Cluster (TIE/sf Expansion)

Cost: 2 points

When defending, you may spend a focus token to change 1 of your blank results to an Evade result.

Ranking – 6 This isn’t the greatest of upgrades but it does have its place as an insurance policy against blanking out on defense rolls.

– 6 Combos Poe Dameron (T-70 Pilot) With Poe you can get maximum utility out of your Focus token with Sensor Cluster. Change one focus result to an Evade with his ability and then spend the token to turn a blank into another evade. Quickdraw (TIE/sf Pilot) With Quickdraw you really want to try and ensure you only lose one shield at a time to get maximum use out of your ability. Sensor Cluster can help give you the most options for you getting the right number of evades on your defense dice. Sometimes that correct number is not zero. Roll two focus and a blank (thanks to Lightweight Frame) against two damage. Spending Focus normally would result in no damage and no ability trigger. Using Sensor Cluster gives you the desired one damage.



Targeting Synchronizer (Upsilon Shuttle/ B/SF-17 Expansions)

Cost: 3 points

When a friendly ship at Range 1-2 is attacking a ship you have locked, the friendly ship treats the “Attack (target lock): header as “Attack:.” If a game effect instructs that ship to spend a target lock, it may spend your target lock instead.

Ranking – 7 Three points is a hefty price to pay for this upgrade. But, if you are geared up for a missile swarm it can be a good way to ensure your low PS ships get a target lock on that first pass. If your Targeting Synchronizer ship can survive.

– 7 Combos Homing Missile/Advanced Homing Missile/Cruise Missile/Harpoon Missile/Ion Pulse Missile All of these missiles do not require you to spend your target lock to fire them. Combined with Targeting Synchronizer, this would allow you to gain a TL with only a single ship (of high PS) and allow the rest of the squadron to fire off their missiles. Norra Wexley (ARC-170 pilot) Norra needs to spend a lot of target locks for her ability. With friendly ships nearby equipped with Targeting Synchronizer she can get maximum utility out of her ability. Though, this hasn’t been officially ruled on and might not work. Fire Control System (System) If you put FCS on a high level ship with Targeting Synchronizer you can ensure a missile lock for your lower level pilots. Bonus in that the carrier ship can still use their TL and then get it back for the lower PS ship to use.



Threat Tracker (TIE Silencer Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

Small ship only.

When an enemy ship inside your firing arc at Range 1-2 becomes the active ship during the Combat phase, you may spend your target lock on that ship to perform a free boost or barrel roll action if that action is on your action bar.

Ranking – 5 This one has a lot of pre-conditions in order to trigger. It would be hard to use effectively but would have a lot of pay off when used well.

– 5 Combos Fire Control System If you are a higher pilot skill, you can fire and then acquire a target lock. When it’s your opponents turn to shoot, spend the target lock to escape their arc. Hyperwave Comm Scanner (Tech) Another ship using HCS can allow you to use their target lock to escape someone.



Weapons Guidance (TFA Core/T-70 Expansion)

Cost: 2 points

When attacking, you may spend a focus token to change 1 of your blank results to a Hit result.

Ranking – 9 At two points this is just a worthless upgrade. If it were zero points, then we might have something worth taking. You still have to spend your Focus token. The only time it’s useful is if you have zero focus results and no target lock.

– 9 Combos Low Pilot Skill Low PS ships have an advantage with their Focus tokens in that no one is likely to be shooting at them after their turn to shoot. So if they still have their Focus and Weapon Guidance they can spend it in whatever way gets the most hits.



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