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.

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This month we’re taking a trip to the black market for a look at the illicit slot. Until recently this was an upgrade exclusive to the Scum faction but with the recent inclusion of upgrades such as Smuggling Compartment and Sabine’s Masterpiece, Rebels have gained access to them as well. Additionally, Scum will soon be gaining Jabba the Hutt as a squad based “Extra Munitions for illicit” which will be something to factor into your choice. If you’re taking Jabba, the expensive upgrades gain the most value.

Ships with an Illicit Slot

Rebels

Sabine’s Masterpiece TIE Fighter

Smuggling Compartment YT-1300

Smuggling Compartment YT-2400

Scum

Aggressor

Firespray-31

G-1A

HWK-290

Jumpmaster 5000

Kihraxz

Lancer

M-12L Kimogila

Quadjumper

Virago Starviper

YV-666

Z-95 Headhunter

Ranked List

Glitterstim Scavenger Crane Contraband Cybernetics Inertial Dampeners Burnout SLAM Feedback Array Black Market Slicer Tools Ion Discharger EMP Device Cloaking Device Rigged Cargo Chute Dead Man’s Switch “Hot Shot” Blaster

Black Market Slicer Tools (Shadow Caster Expansion)

Cost: 1 point

Action: Choose a stressed enemy ship at Range 1-2 and roll 1 attack die. On a Hit or Crit result, remove 1 stress token and deal it 1 facedown Damage card.

Ranking – 7 This is a card best used as insurance rather than one you intend to use regularly. You want to scare people out of intentionally stressing themselves, therefore depriving them of an ideal maneuver or use of some upgrades or abilities. That it costs you an action for a 50/50 chance of doing anything really limits its appeal though.

– 7 Combos Binayre Pirate (Z-95 Pilot) At PS 1, these ships can move first before your opponent has a chance to clear any stress they acquired the previous round. Experimental Interface (Modification)/Push the Limits (EPT) As an action, this card is questionable since there is a 50% it will do nothing. But if you can still get at least one regular action it doesn’t hurt as much if it fails. Tactician(Crew)/Flechette(Cannon/Torpedo)/R3-A2(Astromech)/Chopper(Pilot)/Asajj Ventress (Pilot)/ETC Anything that helps you dish out stress can help this card. Most stress dealers trigger during the combat phase (or end of maneuver phase), so you won’t be able to stress them and then immediately use BMST.



Burnout SLAM (Heroes of the Rebellion Expansion)

Cost: 1 point

Large Ship Only

Your action bar gains the SLAM action icon.

After you perform a SLAM action, discard this card.

Ranking – 5 If you’re not throwing bombs, gaining a one-time use of SLAM is a pretty good deal as you probably won’t need to use it more than once per game. It’s basically an escape from a crappy position card.

– 5 Combos Dash Rendar (YT-2400 Pilot) Dash with an HLC has a giant vulnerability at range one. Throwing a Burnout SLAM on him can give a one-time get out of jail free card to escape that pesky ace. Han Solo (HOR YT-1300 Pilot) Throw Sabine with a bomb on nuHan, and you can drop a bomb on enemies round one and then SLAM away to join the rest of your squadron. YV-666 (any) Without an ability to turn around a Burnout SLAM can give this ship a chance to get a 180 degree turn in a round.



Cloaking Device (Shadow Caster Expansion)

Small Ship Only

Cost: 2 point

Perform a free cloak action.

At the end of each round, if you are cloaked, roll 1 attack die. On a Focus result, discard this card, then decloak or discard your cloak token.

Ranking – 8 The Cloaking Device is well costed. Two points for an added cloak action. It might break but since you don’t have access to Advanced Cloaking like Phantom’s do you’re not going to be doing it all the time. The main downside is it is unique so cloaked Z-95 swarms. Well, maybe that’s not a downside.

– 8 Combos Virago (Crew) You can cloak, use Virago to switch your cloak to something else and remain cloaked forever. StarViper (Any) With three base agility, the extra two from cloaking makes a StarViper quite hard to hit. Palob (HWK-290) Palob is a great annoyance to your opponent. But HWKs die so quickly. With cloaking, you can keep him around longer.



Contraband Cybernetics (Kimogila Expansion)

Cost: 1 point

When you become the active ship during the Activation phase, you may discard this card and receive 1 stress token. If you do, until the end of the round, you may perform actions and red maneuvers even while you are stressed.

Ranking – 3 This card is a good way to get yourself double stressed. But it’s also a good way to do some unexpected things and to force your opponent to stay alert. As long as you have it, she has to assume you can take any maneuver each round, which is more calculations to make.

– 3 Combos Kihraxz (Any) + Vaksai (Title) + Cruise Missile A Vaksai equipped Kihraxz can use this card to take a 5 K-turn and then fire off a cruise missile a full power. Inspiring Recruit (Crew) If you have a recruit in your squad, clearing off that double stress isn’t so bad. YV-666 (Any) Stopping two rounds in a row with that massive 180 arc can help keep you from getting out flanked.



Dead Man’s Switch (IG-2000 Expansion)

Cost: 2 point

When you are destroyed, each ship at Range 1 suffers 1 damage.

Ranking – 12 These feel a little too expensive for what you get. You don’t see their effect unless you die so you don’t necessarily want them in a squad of just a few ships. But you also don’t want them in a swarm unless your goal is mass detonation (which, to be fair, is a worthy goal).

– 12 Combos Seismic Charge/Proton Bomb (Bomb Slot)) Deal damage to yourself to blow yourself up and deal two damage to your opponent. Dash Rendar (YT-2400 Pilot) / Twin Laser Turret (Turret) Since TLT’s and Dash usually have a range one donut hole, you might discourage your opponent from getting too close once you’re about to die. N’dru Suhlak (Z-95 Pilot) N’dru likes to get up close before the rest of the squad and unload some Cluster Missiles. If he has Dead Man’s Switch, he could potentially deter the killing shot at him. R5-TK (Salvaged Astromech) + Harpoon (Missile)/Assault(Missile)/Saturation Salvo (EPT) You can use the good old team killing astromech to ensure your deadman’s switch goes off the round you want it too. Especially great if you’re combining it with one of the area effect weapons mentioned.



EMP Device (Sabine’s TIE Expansion)

Cost: 2 point

During the Combat phase, instead of performing any attacks, you may discard this card to assign 2 ion tokens to each ship at Range 1.

Ranking – 9 There are a lot of downsides to this upgrade; the fact that you ion yourself being the biggest. It also costs you an attack, but that is in line with things like ion cannons/turrets and torpedoes. But that said, being able to guarantee to get an ion token on your opponent at the best possible time can prove devastating. They have to avoid range one and being anywhere facing the edge of the board.

– 9 Combos Captured TIE (Modification) With this mod you don’t want to shoot your opponent anyways so can get into the perfect position to really mess up your opponent when you trigger the EMP. Bombs (Any) If you, or another of your ships, has bombs you can take advantage of your opponent being ionned.



Feedback Array (Punishing One/IG-2000 Expansion)

Cost: 2 point

During the Combat phase, instead of performing any attacks, you may receive 1 ion token and suffer 1 damage to choose 1 enemy ship at Range 1. That ship suffers 1 damage.

Ranking – 6 Unlike many illicit upgrades, this is not one-time use. Of course, you damage yourself every time you use it, but that is often worth it. If your ship has a lot of health and you use it out of arc, against an ace you would never have hit anyways…

– 6 Combos Binayre Pirate (Z-95 Pilot) Often called Bug-zappers, a swarm of Z-95’s with Feedback Array can be pretty effective. Gonk Droid (Crew) / Pulse Ray Shield (Modification) You can lessen the sting of damaging yourself if you can recover that shield later.



Glitterstim (Hound’s Tooth/Kihraxz Expansion)

Cost: 2 point

At the start of the Combat phase, you may discard this card and receive 1 stress token. If you do, until the end of the round, when attacking or defending, you may change all of your Focus results to Hit or Evade results.

Ranking – 1 One of the best upgrades available, Glitterstim can free you up to make some bold moves. Running into the middle of a swarm would usually get yourself killed but now you’ve got a focus against every incoming shot as well as your attack.

– 1 Combos Countermeasures (Modification) Both upgrades are one-time use, but when combined they can really make you incredibly hard to hit for that one round. This combo is used to great effect on YT’s and Lancers. Twin Laser Turret (Turret)/Dengar (Pilot)/Cluster Missile (Missile)/Gunner (Crew) Any ability that gives you multiple attacks will get extra benefit. Boba Fett (Scum Pilot) Boba gets rerolls at range one. Combine that with Glitterstim, and he has one round of real strength.



Hot-Shot Blaster (Most Wanted/IG-2000 Expansions)

Cost: 3 point

Attack (Range 1-2, 3 dice): Discard this card to attack 1 ship (even a ship outside your firing arc).

Ranking – 13 Hot-Shot is a bit overpriced for all the downsides it has; one-time use, no range 3. It’s a good insurance card against not getting to shoot one round, but three points feels a little pricey for that.

– 13 Combos Dash Rendar (YT-2400 Pilot)/Twin Laser Turret (Turret) Again, Dash and TLT can use this to protect their donut hole. Aggressors (Any) Relying on maneuvering to keep a target in their front arc can be hard at PS 6 sometimes. Hot-shot can give you a little insurance. Munitions Failsafe (Modification) Since this qualifies as a secondary weapon, you can use munitions failsafe to ensure you don’t waste it on a miss. Jabba the Hutt (Crew) Jabba helps all illicits you have to discard but since this is the most expensive you get the most value.



Ion Discharger (Guns for Hire Expansion)

Cost: 2 point

After you receive an ion token, you may choose an enemy ship at Range 1. If you do, remove that ion token. Then that ship may choose to receive 1 ion token. If it does, discard this card.

Ranking – 8 This is a good card for insurance against ion attacks or as a counter to cards that deal yourself ion tokens. The range one limitation is the biggest drawback. Ironically, its a great defense against itself. If your opponent gets ioned, uses Ion Dicharger to prevent the ion, you’re free to take that ion, forcing them to discard theirs. If they force you to discard yours, they end up right where they started, ioned.

– 8 Combos 4-LOM (Crew) With 4-LOM you’re taking an ion for yourself to interfere with your opponent’s ability to spend tokens. You can negate that downside completely, at least until they choose to ion themselves. Feedback Array (Illicit) + Gonk (Crew) If you use feedback to damage a ship, you can use ion discharger to ignored the ion effect and Gonk to recover the damage you do to yourself. Only a Lancer could equip these.



Inertial Dampeners (StarViper/IG-2000 Expansions)

Cost: 1 point

When you reveal your maneuver, you may discard this card to instead perform a white (0 ) maneuver. Then receive 1 stress token

Ranking – 4 Inertial Dampeners are good value on any ship. Gaining a stop maneuver adds a lot of tactical choices. You would think a Quadjumper with Pattern Analyzer and Space Tug Tractor Array would pair well with this card but the timing of the stress makes that a nonoption.

– 4 Combos Aggressors (Any) Having the ability to stop can help these ships keep their targets in arc. And mess with your opponent’s planning as they are never sure when you might suddenly stop. Anti-Pursuit Lasers (Modification)/Ion Projector (Modification) Stopping can be a good way to force a bump and trigger one of these mods. Ketsu Onyo (Lancer Pilot) With Ketsu’s ability to dish out tractor beam tokens you want to keep targets in your front arc, and you don’t mind if they bump into you. Stopping can help make that happen.



Rigged Cargo Chute (Shadow Caster Expansion)

Large Ship Only

Cost: 1 point

Action: Discard this card to drop one cargo token.

Ranking – 11 Some board control for a limited cost. The main downside is that debris fields aren’t that scary for most ships (unless they have one health remaining in which case they definitely will roll a crit). Unless you buy two Lancers, this upgrade does not pair well with Jabba since you won’t have multiple tokens to drop.

– 11 Combos Cluster Mines(Bomb)/Proximity Mines (Bomb) Pairing this with either of the deployable mines gives you a lot of board control. Advanced Sensors (System) Being able to drop a debris field onto someone before you move can help ensure you get it to land where you want. Doubly useful if that target is stressed and you now know they will have to perform a two straight maneuver.



Scavenger Crane (Quadjumper Expansion)

Cost: 2 point

After a ship at Range 1-2 is destroyed, you may choose a discarded Torped0, Missile, Bomb, Cannon, Turret, or Modification Upgrade card that was equipped to your ship and flip it faceup. Then roll 1 attack die. On a blank result, discard Scavenger Crane.

Ranking – 2 Good value for any ordnance carrier and helps makes ordnance more useful. The best benefit is that it triggers when any ship is destroyed, not just enemy ships. So when a ship from your own swarm blows, the rest of the swarm gets their weapon back.

– 2 Combos Any Torpedo, Missile, Bomb It’s like extra munitions for ships that don’t have a spare torpedo slot. Countermeasures (Modification) The main downside of Countermeasures is it’s a one-time use. For two more points, Scavenger Crane can give you more uses. And it’s value goes up the more ships you are facing as there are more chances to trigger Scavenger Crane and you get more value out of the extra defense dice the more times you get shot at. Z-95 (Any) At twelve points starting, Z-95’s can add this plus a missile for under twenty allowing an excellent missile swarm. Captured TIE (Modification) With Scavenger Crane it’s possible to have your Captured TIE fire in the first engagement and then regain its ability not to get shot at if it finishes off its target.



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