WAVE VII - NEWS !!! ONLY !!!

Tja
Was wird es wohl werden????

Und nun wissen wir es:

K-Wing


TIE Punisher (war mal TIE Interdictor bzw. Advanced TIE Bomber):


Hound's Tooth


Kihraxz assault fighter

Infos von User Chak:

Neue Bilder:





Quelle: https://www.facebook.com/TalesoaTS die es von https://www.facebook.com/mywargame haben.


Noch mehr Bilder

20 April 2015 | X-Wing
Hit Them Hard and Fast
Announcing the Seventh Wave of X-Wing™ Starship Expansions


SLAM into the middle of your enemy’s starfighters. Pummel your foes with plasma torpedoes and ion bombs. Eliminate everyone who would come between you and your bounty!
Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of four new starship expansions for X-Wing™!
The game’s explosive seventh wave introduces new starships to each of the game’s three factions, including two for the Scum and Villainy faction and one each for the Rebels and Imperials.

• Hound’s Tooth Expansion Pack
  
• Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack
  
• K-wing Expansion Pack
  
• TIE Punisher Expansion Pack
  

The four new starship expansions in X-Wing Wave VII give the Scum and Villainy faction another powerful large-base ship, the YV-666 light freighter, as well as the versatile Kihraxz assault fighter. Meanwhile, the Rebel Alliance and Imperial Navy both gain powerful new bombers and munitions, as well as upgrades that enhance the lethality of their existing arsenals.

Hound’s Tooth Expansion Pack

A modified YV-666 light freighter, Hound’s Tooth was the signature vessel of one of the galaxy’s most notorious bounty hunters and slavers, the fearsome Trandoshan Bossk.
The Hound’s Tooth Expansion Pack brings this infamous freighter to life as a towering, large-base miniature starship for the Scum and Villainy faction, rendered at the game’s standard 1/270 scale.


Naturally, as a skilled bounty hunter, Bossk ensured that there was plenty more to the Hound’s Tooth than first met the eye, and the Hound’s Tooth Expansion Pack also comes with four YV-666 ship cards and thirteen upgrades, including the Hound’s Tooth Title, which allows your YV-666 pilot to survive imminent destruction by escaping aboard the Nashtah Pup, a unique Z-95 Headhunter. The Hound’s Tooth Expansion Pack also comes with a ship card for the Nashtah Pup, though to fly it, you’ll need the miniature starship from the Most Wanted Expansion Pack or Z-95 Headhunter Expansion Pack.
The rules for deploying the Nashtah Pup are covered in the expansion’s rulesheet, which also introduces a new mission, Hunting the Hunter.

Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack

The Kihraxz assault fighter was developed specifically for the Black Sun crime syndicate, whose highly paid ace pilots demanded a nimble, powerful ship to match their skills.
Modeled after Incom’s popular X-wing starfighter, the versatile Kihraxz arrives to X-Wing as a well-rounded, small-base, Scum and Villainy starship with three attack, two agility, four hull, and one shield. You gain one of these miniature starfighters in the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack, carefully pre-painted and sculpted at the game’s standard 1/270 scale.
Additionally, the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack comes with four ship cards, five upgrades, a maneuver dial, and all the tokens you need to fly this fighter into any battle in which the galaxy’s Scum have a vested interest.

K-wing Expansion Pack

A heavily armed bomber that could double as an escort or reconnaissance vessel, the Rebellion’s K-wing was frequently flown on strafing runs against planetary targets and slow-moving capital ships.
In X-Wing, as in Star Wars lore, the K-wing’s surprising acceleration, heavy armor plating, and devastating ordnance make it an outstanding ship for hit-and-run operations. One of the game’s most durable small-base fighters, the K-wing features four shields and five hull, along with a primary turret weapon with an attack value of “2.” On top of this, the ship comes with the new SLAM action, which allows it to race across the battlefield and deploy its bombs at an unprecedented speed.
In addition to its pre-painted K-wing miniature, sculpted at 1/270 scale, the K-wing Expansion Pack comes with four ship cards and nine upgrades that feature a massive armament of new missiles, bombs, and torpedoes, as well the Extra Munitions upgrade, which dramatically improves the efficiency of your ordnance.

TIE Punisher Expansion Pack

A beefier version of the TIE bomber, the TIE punisher built upon that starfighter’s success by adding shielding, a second bomb chute, and three additional ordnance pods, each equipped with a twin ion engine.
In addition to its miniature TIE punisher, the TIE Punisher Expansion Pack provides Imperial players with four ship cards and a punishing array of nine explosive upgrades, with which you can obliterate your enemies.
Like the K-wing Expansion Pack, the TIE Punisher Expansion Pack comes with the Extra Munitions upgrade, allowing you to make the most of your TIE punisher’s two torpedo slots, two missile slots, and two bomb slots. Even though you’re not likely to utilize all these slots, they offer you a tremendous measure of flexibility as you look for the ordnance that’s likely to best suit your squad.
Not only can it carry a slightly larger payload than the TIE bomber, the TIE punisher invites Imperial players to perfect their bombing skills by taking advantage of both its innate boost action and its ability to equip a system upgrade like Advanced Sensors. With Advanced Sensors, the TIE punisher can boost into position to drop a bomb right in front of an enemy fighter, and then it can immediately perform its maneuver to fly away.

Explosive Possibilities

Whether you hope to bolster your Scum fleet with the best talent that credits can buy, or you seek an advantage in the Galactic Civil War, the seventh wave of X-Wing starship expansions promises to give you plenty of new ways to hunt down your rivals, litter the battlefield with bombs, and race to victory past the detritus of exploded enemy starfighters.
These four Wave VII expansion packs are scheduled to arrive at retailers in the second quarter of 2015. Until then, keep your eyes on our website for more previews and other X-Wing News!

15 June 2015 | X-Wing
Any Means Necessary

A Preview of the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack for X-Wing™



"You are free to use any means necessary."
    –Darth Vader

The seventh wave of X-Wing™ expansions is full of heavily armored ships that can wield devastating armaments, and the biggest of them is the YV-666 light freighter from the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack.

Designed by the Corellian Engineering Corporation, the YV-666 light freighter was a long, narrow, and highly customizable starship that boasted three decks, with its command bridge situated at the fore of the top level. Its bottom levels were dedicated primarily to its engines, power core, and weapons systems. Side-mounted maneuvering fins provided the ship a surprising degree of maneuverability, despite its bulk and simple propulsion system.

While the YV-666 was originally designed for cargo transport, it is likely best known as the signature vessel of the relentless Trandoshan bounty hunter Bossk. Like many of the best bounty hunters, smugglers, and scoundrels, however, Bossk heavily modified his Hound's Tooth, outfitting it to better serve his needs with an enhanced armament, reinforced hull plating, and a prison. Additionally, the Hound's Tooth featured a small hangar that housed a scout ship, the Nashtah Pup, that Bossk could utilize in emergency situations.

Today, we begin our series of Wave VII previews with a look at how Bossk and his YV-666 fit into X-Wing and its high-speed dogfights.



The YV-666 Light Freighter

With its two Scum ships, Wave VII goes a long way toward getting the Scum and Villainy faction up to speed with the Rebel Alliance and Imperial Navy. For starters, it introduces the YV-666 light freighter as a third option for the faction's large-base ships to go along with the Firespray-31 from the Most Wanted Expansion Pack and the Aggressor from the IG-2000 Expansion Pack.

One of the reasons this addition is so important is that the YV-666 light freighter costs fewer squad points than either the Firespray-31 or Aggressor. You can recruit a Trandoshan Slaver to your fleet for just twenty-nine squad points. This is compared to the thirty-five points you'd need to spend on a Mandalorian Mercenary or the thirty-six you'd need to spend for any model of IG-88. You can't fit more than two of the Scum's other large ships into a fleet, but you can – if you wish – fly a squad of three YV-666 light freighters.



Given the limitations of the YV-666 light freighter's maneuver dial , that particular squad might not the best to bring to battle, but it does start to raise a number of interesting questions: What are the best ships to partner with a single YV-666? What options are available to a squad with two YV-666 light freighters? Would you fly your YV-666 light freighters in formation in the center of the battlefield, relying upon their six shields and six hull points to withstand enemy fire as you close in for the kill? Or would you start them along opposite sides of the battlefield – to close upon your foes in a pincer move?

Of course, the best part of such a line of questioning may be that all those options are viable. With all of its possible upgrades, the YV-666 is a highly versatile starship that can easily be adapted to a range of roles within your fleet. You can outfit it with a Heavy Laser Cannon to fire at range, supporting the rest of your ships as they race ahead into close range combat. You can load it with Assault Missiles to break up enemy formations. And you can keep your opponent guessing by taking advantage of the Scum faction's illicit tech and substances, like Glitterstim.



Additionally, your YV-666 pilot can recruit as many as three crew members, allowing you to experiment with a wide range of possible combinations. You can take advantage of such Scum only abilities as those provided by the K4 Security Droid and Outlaw Tech . One particularly interesting combination made possible by the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack may be the addition of the Bossk crew upgrade to a YV-666 light freighter that's also carrying a Gunner . Here, if your attack fails to do damage, you not only get a second attack, but you get it fully boosted by both a focus token and target lock. It's a potent combination that might play well on Latts Razzi , especially if you pair both Bossk and your Gunner with a Weapons Engineer to set up one of your wingmates with an increased chance to hit another enemy ship.

Bossk and the Hound's Tooth


There is, however, one problem with using Bossk as a crew member aboard another one of your Scum ships; it means you can't have him piloting the Hound's Tooth.

As a pilot, Bossk is completely unrelenting in his pursuit of his foes. He wants to see them destroyed, and he won't be deterred for long by any ship's shielding. Most pilots can merely curse when they fire shots that would result in critical hits, only to see them absorbed by enemy shields, but Bossk can convert those early critical hit results into two standard hits before the damage is dealt.

Naturally, this ability pairs well with Marksmanship to generate critical hit results, but it also works surprisingly well with a number of other upgrades. While you're attacking at Range "3," it effectively transforms a Mercenary Copilot into an extra attack die for the cost of an elite pilot talent, a crew upgrade, and five squad points. Alternatively, you can forego Marksmanship and equip Calculation for two fewer squad points. Finally, Bossk can bet that his six shields are going to hold up longer than your opponent's, and he can recruit Greedo from the Most Wanted Expansion Pack for just one squad point. Together, Bossk and Greedo can convert critical hits to extra hits and then, effectively, convert those hits back to crits.

Still, when you play with Greedo, you're always assuming a measure of inherent risk, and that may be where the Hound's Tooth Title comes in handy. For six squad points, the Hound's Tooth provides your YV-666 pilot a means of escape in the heat of battle. When the Hound's Tooth is destroyed, your pilot can fly out of its wreckage in the Nashtah Pup , a unique Z-95 Headhunter that doesn't cost any squad points and can't deploy until the Hound's Tooth is destroyed. Moreover, your pilot retains his or her pilot skill and unique pilot ability while flying the Nashtah Pup, meaning there's always a chance for Bossk to rip through enemy shields with his Z-95 or for Latts Razzi to continue coordinating your assault.


Claim your Bounty

As one of the game's biggest and most resilient starships, the YV-666 light freighter offers Scum and Villainy players a whole host of new squad building options, and no one less than the Dark Lord of the Sith himself has given you full permission to explore all the ways you can use it to claim your bounty.

How will you make use the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack and its YV-666 light freighter? Its primary and auxiliary firing arcs span a full, forward-facing 180 degree arc. Its upgrade bar begs for exploration and experimentation. And Bossk and Latts Razzi arrive to the game as two relentless pilots. Either one can make an excellent squad leader as your Scum squadron heads to battle, or you can field them both in the same squadron and pincer your foes between them.

Share your thoughts on the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack, its ship, its pilots, and its upgrades with other members of the X-Wing community on our community forums. Then, keep your eyes peeled for more Wave VII previews, including a look at the Kihraxz Figher Expansion Pack!

22 June 2015 | X-Wing
Lightning Reflexes

A Preview of the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack for X-Wing™



When the Black Sun decided to invest in a starfighter for its ace pilots that could rival Incom's X-wing, it turned to TransGalMeg Industries Incorporated, for a custom design. The result was the fast, sleek, and powerful Kihraxz assault fighter.

Today, we continue our series of X-Wing™ Wave VII previews with a look at how this deadly fighter is presented in the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack and how the galaxy's Scum and Villainy might use it in battle.

The Kihraxz Assault Fighter

Modeled after Incom’s popular X-wing starfighter, the versatile Kihraxz provides the galaxy's Scum access to many of the X-wing's strengths, though there exist a number of key distinctions between the two starfighters.

For starters, both the Kihraxz and the X-wing boast similar squad point costs, primary weapons with attack values of "3," agility values of "2," and the ability to withstand five hits, divided between shield and hull values. However, those shield and hull values aren't assigned in the same way; whereas the X-wing features two shields and three hull, the Kihraxz features four hull and just one shield, making it slightly more vulnerable to critical hits.

Furthermore, both ships share an identical action bar, with the focus and target lock actions. Their upgrade bars, though, are signifcantly different. Instead of the X-wing's torpedo and Astromech upgrade slots, the Kihraxz features the missile and illicit upgrades.



These changes can lead to serious distinctions on the battlefield. While the Kihraxz can't benefit from the resilience the X-wing gains through Astromechs like R2-D2 and R5-P9 , it can sucker punch enemy ships with a "Hot Shot" Blaster , or its pilots might use Glitterstim for an instant of profound clarity, both while attacking and defending, before the rush wears off and leaves them stressed.

Of course, there are also notable differences between torpedoes and missiles. Currently, all four types of torpedoes in X-Wing require you to acquire and spend a target lock, as well as discard the torpedo upgrade, in order to take your shot. While these shots can be as devastating as a five-hit blast from an advanced torpedo or kick your opponents when they're down by assigning stress or ion tokens to them, they all require you to spend that target lock. On the other hand, there are three types of missiles that you can fire without spending the tokens you'd like to use to modify their attacks: Ion Pulse Missiles , Proton Rockets , and Homing Missiles . Equipping any of these aboard your Kihraxz fighter makes it a bit more of a quick-trigger gunship than the X-wing.

Still, the most important distinction between these two versatile starfighters is revealed through a comparison of their maneuver dials.



Both ships share the same total of fifteen maneuvers, but the Kihraxz trades away its speed "3" turns for a pair of speed "1" turns, then gains an extra speed "5" Koiogran turn, as well as two green speed "2" bank maneuvers. Without a straight speed "1" maneuver, the Kihraxz appears to be designed for pilots who are happy to abandon head-to-head, squad-based approaches in favor of more self-serving and predatory maneuvers. The Kihraxz isn't built like the game's traditional "arc dodgers," but it's great for ace pilots who can anticipate their opponents and turn sharply in tight quarters to lay pursuit.

This means that the Kihraxz isn't meant to be flown in tight formation like the X-wing, a ship whose pilots benefit from their ability to close in upon their targets slowly and deliberately while concentrating their firepower. Instead, its pilots are better served by utilizing flanking maneuvers and pincer tactics, dividing their opponents' attentions between two or more significant targets.

The Kihraxz in Action

In the end, though some fighters may be faster, tougher, or harder-hitting than others, every ship is limited or pushed to its limits by the pilot who flies it. In X-Wing, the Kihraxz benefits from some of the best and most aggressive pilots the Black Sun and the galaxy's other criminal organizations can hire.


The first of these are your Cartel Marauders , who cost you a mere twenty squad points each, meaning that you can build a squad of five. Though it may not benefit from the synergies provided by a talented leader like "Howlrunner" or Biggs Darklighter , such a squad would still boast an impressive total of fifteen attack dice and twenty-five points divided between hull and shields. Those are the sort of numbers that should give pause to any opponent.


Going to battle with five Cartel Marauders may be a good option for any Scum squad leader who's willing to abandon all the tricks that become available with higher pilot skill, elite pilot talents, illicit upgrades, and other upgrade options. Still, the Scum and Villainy faction is so full of tricks to employ that sending unmodified ships almost feels criminal, especially when you can field a Black Sun Ace , boost your pilot skill value to "5" and gain an elite pilot talent upgrade slot for just three squad points more. This is particularly handy when you consider that the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack comes with a copy of the powerful Predator upgrade, as well as Glitterstim. Outfitted with the two upgrades, your Black Sun Ace gains all sorts of tricks, including the ability to K-turn into a fully modified shot with a reroll and built-in focus token on both attack and defense.


Meanwhile, the first of the expansion's two unique aces, Graz the Hunter , highlight's the ship's aggressive maneuver dial with an ability that gives him an edge in the all-important opening volley. As he races at your foes, so long as he keeps his enemies within sight, Graz the Hunter gains an extra defense die. At Range "3," it's relatively easy to keep most enemy ships within arc, and that allows him to roll four defense dice. Then, as he flies into Range "1," he'll want to isolate his target, lock on, and take his Glitterstim, making sure he doesn't leave himself exposed to anyone outside of his firing arc. So long as he's not under fire from other sources, Graz can reliably count on getting the better of his foe, relying upon his four modified attack dice and three modified defense dice.


Finally, you have Talonbane Cobra , the first Scum and Villainy pilot with a pilot skill value of "9." His ability reads:
"When attacking or defending, double the effect of your range combat bonuses."
This means that Talonbane Cobra rolls four defense dice during any opening volley at Range "3," and then continues to benefit as he closes on his prey. When Talonbane Cobra races into Range "1," he shifts his priority from defense to offense, firing as many as five attack dice, which he can modify with a target lock and Glitterstim.
Moreover, even after the initial pass, Talonbane Cobra can joust with the best of them, gaining another edge from his Lightning Reflexes . If his Glitterstim leaves him stressed, Talonbane can simply execute a green, speed "1" bank maneuver, discard his Lightning Reflexes to rotate his ship 180 degrees, as with a Koiogran turn, and then, finally, take a stress token. All that stress may eventually catch up with him, but not before he gets in two or more punishing shots at close range.

Divide and Conquer
With its pilots so capable of dealing foes one-on-one, the Kihraxz fighter may inspire the creation of Scum squads that present their foes with multiple threats from three or more directions, simultaneously. The sample squad below is just one of the many possible ways the Kihraxz may factor into these strategies.


-Talonbane Cobra with Lightning Reflexes and Glitterstim (31)
-Graz the Hunter with Ion Pulse Missiles and Glitterstim (30)
-Bossk with Greedo , Outlaw Tech , and Calculation (39)
Total Squad Points: 100

While flying this squad, you'll want to set Bossk directly opposite the bulk of your opponent's squadron. While Bossk flies slowly toward your foes, your Kihraxz fighter pilots will race into flanking positions to establish a pincer formation. At Range "3," in that all-important opening volley, this squad excels. Talonbane Cobra and Graz the Hunter both roll four defense dice while Bossk can use Calculation to convert a focus result into a critical hit, which he can then use to blast through his opponent's shields as though it were two hits instead. Moreover, the Outlaw Tech aboard Bossk's ship ensures that you'll get the focus token you need to activate Calculation, even when you perform a red maneuver.

Meanwhile, you don't really have a weak spot to exploit, though Bossk is likely to be the early target because of his ship's lower agility value and because he threatens to cripple your opponent's fleet in short order. That means your opponent will likely allow your Kihraxz fighters to continue their approach into close range in order to focus on taking out Bossk as quickly as possible. Accordingly, you'll want to make aggressive passes with both Talonbane Cobra and Graz the Hunter, racing in from the flanks to attack the most threatening enemy ships with target lock and Glitterstim. Graz the Hunter can use his Ion Pulse Missiles to leave a foe vulnerable for your next pass, and Talonbane Cobra can rip into an enemy ship before flying away with a green maneuver then using Lightning Reflexes to turn and catch his opponent within his firing arc once again.

Blast Your Way to Profit
Some days, it's just good to be a part of the Black Sun criminal enterprise. There's always a market for illicit substances like Glitterstim, and many of the galaxy's most talented pilots are happy to help you protect your margins, at a reasonable rate, of course. Who will you hire to lead your Scum squadron?
Head to your local retailer and pre-order your copy of the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack today!

Slam and bomb

There are three factions in X-Wing™: Imperial Navy, Rebel Alliance, and Scum and Villainy.
All three factions are represented in the game's seventh wave of expansion packs, although the galaxy's Scum and Villainy receive half of its ships. Accordingly, we focused on the Scum faction with our first two Wave VII previews, looking at what it gains from the Hound's Tooth Expansion Pack and the Kihraxz Fighter Expansion Pack. Nonethless, while those two expansion packs may represent half of the ships introduced to the game in Wave VII, they represent only one-third of the wave's total impact. All three factions are impacted, and the new expansions for the Rebels and Imperials are arguably more likely to push the ever-evolving metagame in new directions.
The Imperial Navy's TIE punisher and the Rebellion's K-wing are both heavy bombers, able to carry tremendous arsenals of bombs, missiles, and torpedoes. They also give the game's ordnance a healthy boost, as both the TIE Punisher Expansion Pack and K-wing Expansion Pack come with the Extra Munitions upgrade, which makes it significantly easier and more efficient to plan your strategy around the well-timed use of explosives.
Still, both the TIE Punisher Expansion Pack and K-wing Expansion Pack offer much more to their respective factions than Extra Munitions, and today we turn our attention to the K-wing Expansion Pack, taking a closer look at its SLAM action, its new upgrades, and what it can add to your Rebel squadron.
The K-wing and Its SubLight Acceleration Motor
Koensayr Manufacturing’s K-wing boasted an advanced SubLight Acceleration Motor (SLAM) and an unprecedented eighteen hard points, granting it unrivaled speed and firepower.
In X-Wing, this Sublight Acceleration Motor is represented by the K-wing's SLAM action , which allows you to perform a second maneuver immediately after you complete your first. This new maneuver must use the same speed as your first maneuver, although you may change your bearing. Then, until the end of the round, your ship gains a Weapons Disabled token and cannot perform attacks.
Given how much of X-Wing is about successfully maneuvering to line up your shots and avoid enemy fire, this is an incredibly potent action, even if it means you have to give up your attack to use it.

• It allows you to maneuver out of unfavorable positioning with unparalleled speed.
  
• It gives you the ability race right past your enemy's squadron to fly into flanking position, no matter whether you start on the sides of the battlefield or gun straight at your foes, and when you SLAM, you may even be able to move into flanking position without ever coming into range of a forward firing arc.
  
• It allows your K-wings with low pilot skill values to block enemy ships that your other ships couldn't reach for at least one more turn, and it doesn't matter much if you cannot shoot at an enemy ship because you have a Weapons Disable token if you wouldn't be able to shoot at it anyway because your ship is base-to-base with it.
  
• It makes your opponent second-guess his maneuvers, even when you don't intend to SLAM.
  
• Perhaps most importantly for the K-wing, it gives you an all-new dimension as a bomber.
  

It's true that you can't perform attacks on a turn that you SLAM, but if you're equipped with the Advanced SLAM modification, you can take an action to drop your Proximity Mines. Also, because your SLAM counts as a full maneuver, it allows you to drop your Proton Bombs in the middle of your activation, right before you execute your SLAM. Moreover, since the K-wing features a crew upgrade slot, you could add a Navigator or Bombardier to gain even finer control over your bombs, making your K-wing the high-speed precision bomber in the game that it is in the Star Wars universe.
The Right Bombs for the Job
With its nine upgrades, including two new types of bombs, the K-wing Expansion Pack not only allows you to bomb bigger and harder, it allows you to bomb smarter. Increasingly, ordnance in X-Wing are becoming tools not just for adding extra damage, but for adding extra effects that might complement your overall squad design.

For example, your K-wing's Ion Bombs don't even do damage. Instead, these bombs detonate at the end of the activation phase and deal two ion tokens to all ships within Range "1." This is the sort of effect that can cripple a TIE swarm, leaving it vulnerable to your other ships. Imagine a trio of X-wings that race past the TIEs with Koiogran-turns on the round that the K-wing ionizes all of them, then get to take pot shots at close range after your opponent's entire squad performs its series of white speed "1" straight maneuvers.
The twenty-five squad points that you need to spend for a Warden Squadron Pilot with Ion Bombs are well worth the potential to set up turns like this, especially since they can even work against ships like IG-88's slippery IG-2000. Two ion tokens are enough to ionize any ship in Standard Play.

The Conner Net that comes in the K-wing Expansion Pack is another utilitarian piece of ordnance that can easily shape your squadron design. Like Proximity Mines , a Conner Net takes an action to deploy and then remains on the battlefield until a ship or its maneuver template overlaps it. Then, it cripples the ship it hits, dealing one damage and two ion tokens, plus stripping the ship of its ability to perform an action.
At four squad points, this ordnance may be too expensive to use against a small fighter, but it's a great tool to have in your toolbox while the X-Wing metagame is loaded with two-ship squads, just as Proton Bombs and the K-wing's new Plasma Torpedoes are great against shielded ships and Assault Missiles are great against swarms of TIEs or other similar fighters.
The fact is that the K-wing can carry any or all of these munitions, and it boasts enough resilience between its shields and hull to deploy all the new ordnance it squeezes into its massive carrying capacity. That means it's a ship perfectly suited to the Extra Munitions upgrade that comes with it, allowing you to take advantage of significant discounts on ordnance such as Proton Bombs and Conner Nets, and its ability to take full advantage of the game's wide and expanding array of ordnance makes it a ship that you can easily build into your squad to provide it maximum flexibility.
If you fit one K-wing into your squad and leave a few squad points for ordnance, you can practice your maneuvers and refine your strategy, knowing that your squad composition is going to remain more or less constant. Then, you can adapt to shifts in the metagame with limited trouble; just swap out one sort of ordnance for another.
Who Should Pilot Your K-wing?
Of course, if you plan to add a K-wing to your Rebel squad, you'll need someone to pilot it, but who?
The Warden Squadron Pilot costs you the fewest squad points, leaving plenty of room for ordnance. Moreover, at a pilot skill value of "2," your Warden Squadron Pilot will often go early enough in the activation phase to maneuver into the flight paths of onrushing enemy fighters, allowing him to discharge ordnance like the Proximity Mines or Conner Net and, also, to serve as a "blocker" that can break up enemy formations.
On the other hand, the expansion's ace pilots offer both higher pilot skill values and unique abilities. Their higher pilot skill values allow you to better adapt to your opponent's maneuvers in the heat of combat. This can mean the difference between hitting an enemy ship with your Seismic Charges or guessing at the ship's final position, only to watch it select a maneuver other than what you expected, then boost or barrel roll even further away from your bomb to get safely outside of its blast radius.
Simultaneously, the two unique K-wing aces, Esege Tuketu and Miranda Doni , come with unique pilot abilities that allow you to take your squad designs in wildly different directions.
If you're planning to use your K-wing primarily to deliver ordnance, you might want to a closer look at Esege Tuketu and his unique pilot ability as it greatly mitigates the SLAM action's opportuity cost. Equipped with the Advanced SLAM modification, Esege Tuketu can execute his maneuver, SLAM to execute another maneuver, dropping a bomb as he reveals his dial, and then use his action to focus. Since he can't attack, he doesn't need the focus token to modify his attack. Neither can he make very good use of it on defense since he has just one defense die. However, that focus token may make a world of difference for one of Esege Tuketu's wingmates. Perhaps Arvel Crynyd can make use of it after crashing into an enemy ship. Perhaps Garven Dreis can use it and pass it along after performing a Koiogran-turn. Either way, it's worth noting that Esege Tuketu doesn't need to transfer his token to anyone; you just decide to have a friendly ship within range make use of it when the need arises.
Miranda Doni, on the other hand, with her unique pilot ability can transform her K-wing into a formidable dogfighter.
"Once per round when attacking, you may either spend 1 shield to roll 1 additional attack die or roll 1 fewer attack die to recover 1 shield."
Although she still needs to compensate for the K-wing's limited maneuverability, Miranda Doni adds a tremendous measure of versatility to the ship's combat potential. For starters, her ability to spend a shield to boost her attack isn't limited to her primary weapon. She can also boost any secondary weapon she equips, missile, torpedo, or turret. If you really need to ionize an enemy ship, Miranda Doni can boost her Ion Cannon Turret to four dice. Conversely, if she finds herself in a prolonged slugfest with a low-agility enemy ship like the VT-49 Decimator, she could recover a shield each round by sacrificing a die from one of the two attacks she makes with her Twin Laser Turret , and since the Twin Laser Turret can't deal more than a single point of damage per shot, she wouldn't notice any reduction in her total damage output.
Alternatively, since the K-wing can carry a crew member, Miranda Doni could sacrifice a point of attack to recover a point of shield, hoping to trigger the effect of her Gunner to gain an additional primary weapon attack with her full compliment of attack dice. Or since her attack potential relies so heavily upon trading shields, she could equip the R2-D2 crew upgrade to ensure she never begins a round of combat without at least one shield.

Transforming the Battlefield, One Massive Explosion at a Time

While the K-wing excels as a bomber, it was also designed to function in a number of secondary roles. As X-Wing continues to grow and evolve, it's this sort of versatility, more than anything, that makes this heavy starfighter a force with which to be reckoned. Furthermore, since it can equip and deliver any of the game's ordnance, its utility will only continue to grow as the selection of available ordnance grows and more specialized weapons are added to the mix.
In the end, the K-wing almost begs experimentation. Its massive ugprade bar permits endless customization. Its unique aces present vastly different roles within your squad. Its SLAM action introduces an all-new dimension to your maneuvers. The possibilities are almost staggering; there are so many different ways to incorporate the K-wing into your Rebel squad.
What upgrades would you give your K-wing? How would you fly it? Head to our community forums to share your thoughts and squad builds!

Obliterate your enemies


X-Wing™ Wave VII is on its way, and today we continue our previews with a look at the Imperial Navy's TIE Punisher Expansion Pack!
One of several advanced TIE-series variants developed in the wake of the Rebellion's stunning victory at Yavin, the TIE punisher was designed for use as a heavy bomber during missions in which the Empire needed to deliver massive payloads to places that Star Destroyers could not venture.
Based on the spaceframe of the standard TIE/sa bomber, the TIE punisher can carry almost four times as much ordnance. Advanced weapons and shield systems add accuracy and resilience, ensuring that the Empire's investment in the TIE punisher's munitions aren't squandered, and the bomber more than proved its worth during the Galactic Civil War by enduring withering enemy fire to deliver their huge payloads on target.
Similarly, in X-Wing, the TIE punisher boasts the shields, hull, and upgrade slots it needs to arm and deliver the sort of payloads that may soon make the ship an integral part of many Imperial strategies.
Getting More from Your Munitions
In last week's preview of the Rebellion's K-wing Expansion Pack, we discussed how the game's different ordnance are increasingly becoming powerful wild cards in the ever-evolving X-Wing metagame, and if there are any Imperial squad leaders looking to take advantage of the rising value of munitions, they'll do well to consider incorporating the TIE punisher into their squads. After all, it can carry a wider array of ordnance than any other ship currently in the game.
Of course, as already noted, if you decide to invest significantly in your TIE punisher's munitions, you need it to deliver. Fortunately, the ship also excels in this regard, featuring a sturdy measure of three shields and six hull. It also comes with an inherent boost action, meaning that you could equip it with Autothrusters , offering it another measure of defense against the tough turret ships you'd likely want it to obliterate. Still, unless you're playing with one of the expansion's two ace pilots and their higher pilot skill values, it's not as likely you'd equip Autothrusters as the Twin Ion Engine Mk. II modification, which would convert the ship's two- and three-speed bank maneuvers from white to green, adding valuable options to its admittedly limited maneuver dial.
Meanwhile, the TIE punisher's focus on delivering ordnance extends well beyond its carrying capacity and defenses. It also comes with the valuable systems upgrade slot, which you can use to further customize your punisher to excel at its designated role. For example, if you're planning to focus on dropping Proximity Mines or the TIE punisher's new Cluster Mines , you might equip Advanced Sensors to allow you to release your bombs before you fly away.
Alternatively, you might equip such a dedicated bomber with Enhanced Scopes . For two fewer squad points, Enhanced Scopes all but guarantees that your TIE punisher will be the first ship to execute its maneuver each round, meaning that you'll be able to plot its course across the battlefield and discharge its bombs without needing to anticipate your opponent's maneuvers.
As tempting as Enhanced Scopes may be for any TIE punisher pilot, it is a uniquely effective system upgrade for "Deathrain," who can choose to deploy bombs from his ship's front guides. Judge his maneuver correctly, and you can easily fly right up to a ship like the Millennium Falcon to deploy and immediately explode your Cluster Mines for six attack dice against zero defense dice.
You might instead choose to focus on battering your foes with seemingly endless barrages of missile or torpedo fire, in which case you'd do well to equip a Fire-Control System . So long as your TIE punisher continues to hunt and batter the same target, your Fire-Control System will grant you free target locks, allowing you to use your action to focus or boost into firing position.
Finally, the TIE Punisher Expansion Pack, like the K-wing Expansion Pack, comes with the Extra Munitions upgrade, which adds power and efficiency to any munitions-based strategy. For just two squad points, the Extra Munitions upgrade allows you an extra use of each of your missile, torpedo, and bomb upgrades, meaning that it's entirely possible that a TIE punisher pilot like "Redline" would be able to attack with his secondary weapons throughout a whole game.
Incorporating the TIE Punisher into Your Imperial Squad
Despite their tremendous potential, bombers are some of the most difficult ships to play well in X-Wing, and you'll want to think carefully about how you'll incorporate the TIE punisher into your squad and strategy.
Currently, most players divide the game's ships into three different categories: "jouster," "arc-dodger," and "turret."

• Jousters like the TIE fighter rely upon raw statistical efficiencies in attack dice, agility dice, shields, and hull to overwhelm their rivals.
  
• Arc-dodgers like the TIE interceptor rely upon their maneuverability and their higher pilot skill values to slip outside of other ships' firing arcs, exchanging raw stastical efficiency for the ability to get multiple shots against foes that can't claim any.
  
• Turret ships, finally, threaten every ship within range, even those outside of their primary firing arcs. They tend to feature high shield and hull values, though they also tend toward lower agility values.
  

Each of these three types of ships plays as differently in practice as they do in theory, and the prevailing wisdom holds that jousters beat turrets, which beat arc-dodgers, and arc-dodgers, in turn, beat jousters. Thus, many competitive players will pair elements of the different archetypes together in order to shore up their weaknesses. Examples include the popular partnership between Soontir Fel and Rear Admiral Chiraneau, as well as those squads that feature a mini-swarm of Z-95 Headhunters to support a fully-loaded Millennium Falcon.
Bombers, meanwhile, don't really fit into any of the above archetypes, but the tremendous flexibility their munitions afford them allow them to partner well with any of the aforementioned archetypes.
If you're flying arc-dodgers like Soontir Fel and Darth Vader , you might add a Cutlass Squadron Pilot to your squadron and outfit it with an extra helping of Cluster Mines as an efficient counter to the big turret ships that are most likely to give you trouble.

• Soontir Fel with Royal Guard TIE , Push the Limit , Autothrusters, and Stealth Device (36)
  
• Darth Vader with Lone Wolf , TIE/x1 , and Advanced Targeting Computer (32)
  
• Cutlass Squadron Pilot with Advanced Sensors, Extra Munitions, Cluster Mines, and Ion Bombs (32)
  

Total Squad Points: 100
Conversely, if you ran a TIE punisher with your turret ship, you'd be able to make quick work of the swarms of jousters that would otherwise present the greatest threat.

• Rear Admiral Chiraneau with Predator , Ysanne Isard , and Engine Upgrade (57)
  
• "Redline" with Advanced Sensors, Extra Munitions, Assault Missiles , Cluster Mines, and Ion Bombs (43)
  

Total Squad Points: 100
Finally, you can run a TIE punisher alongside a swarm of TIE fighters to add control of the battlefield to your raw attack power, bolstering your chances against arc-dodgers.

• "Howlrunner" with Swarm Tactics and Hull Upgrade (23)
  
• Black Squadron Pilot with Draw Their Fire (15)
  
• Academy Pilot (12)
  
• Academy Pilot (12)
  
• "Deathrain" with Advanced Sensors, Extra Munitions, Proximity Mines, and Conner Net (38)
  

Total Squad Points: 100
Of course, the truth is that the number of ways that you can incorporate the TIE punisher into your squadrons is limited only by your imagination, and its utility is only bound to increase as the game's arsenal of ordnance increases and the metagame continues to evolve.
Expand Your Blast Radius
As a squad leader in the Imperial Navy, you have vast resources at your disposal, but it's your job to ensure they're all put to good use. Squad building in X-Wing amid the game's constantly evolving metagame is akin to piecing together a puzzle as the target picture continues to change. Will the TIE punisher be a part of your solution? Head to our community forums now to share your thoughts on the TIE punisher, its new munitions, and its role in your future Imperial squadrons!

The release of X-Wing™  Wave VII is fast approaching, and its hard-hitting starships and ordnance are destined to make a massive impact. Over the course of our previews, we've taken a closer look at each of the different starship expansions, and two of the game's greatest players – World Champions Paul Heaver and Doug Kinney – have ventured to guess at how they may shape the ever-changing metagame.
Today, we continue to explore the ways that Wave VII is likely to steer the larger metagame, as developer Alex Davy hazards a guess at the future of the galaxy's Scum and Villainy.

Developer Alex Davy on the Wave VII Scum Metagame

Even though the Scum and Villainy faction debuted with a bang in Wave VI, it still started five waves behind the Rebel and Imperial factions. Nonetheless, it has since made a big impact on the game at both the casual and competitive levels. In particular, Autothrusters have been popping up everywhere, renewing interest in arc-dodgers like the TIE interceptor and A-wing, as well as spurring the use of IG-88's Aggressor, the IG-2000 . We've also seen a lot of Y-wings with the BTL-A4 Y-wing Title, although a good number of those have been among the game's Rebels, who have paired the Ion Cannon Turret with the unique Astromech R3-A2 to both stress and ionize enemy ships, setting them up for the kill.
Wave VII continues to push the Scum faction forward, adding more for the Scum than for either of the other factions, and with its release, the Scum and Villainy are going to be on nearly equal footing with the Rebels and Imperials when it comes to the number of ships they have in their arsenal. The YV-666 and Kihraxz fighter add a good dose of resilience and punch to the faction's existing forces, taking some of the burden off arc-dodging and the need to force synergies through the IG-2000 Title. Part of what that means is that we should see a lot more squad diversity, and we should see a more clearly established Scum identity, one that's really centered around the illicit upgrade slot and the faction's other dirty tricks.

Glitterstim

A lot of this starts with Glitterstim . I don't think it's overstating the case to say that Glitterstim is a game-changing upgrade. It's an action-free boost to both offense and defense for a full round, and if you time it correctly, it can swing an entire game in your favor. While it's a solid choice on just about any ship that can equip an illicit upgrade, it makes the faction's power players even stronger.
For example, consider what Glitterstim could add to a Boba Fett equipped with Lone Wolf , Tactician , and Engine Upgrade .
This version of Boba Fett is almost half your squad points, but can charge into the very teeth of an enemy squad and emerge relatively unscathed. Even a full TIE swarm will have trouble doing more than chip the paint on his Firespray-31 on the turn he pops Glitterstim since he'll enjoy the effects of focus and will likely be rerolling one or more dice against every single incoming attack. Additionally, the use of Glitterstim allows Boba Fett to drop the common Recon Specialist in favor of a Tactician to add an element of control to your list and set up for the rounds after the Glitterstim wears off.
You're also likely to see Glitterstim make a big impact in squads, even when it's not added to the list's most expensive ship. This is especially true when you consider how it can boost the efficiency of the overwhelming firepower that Talonbane Cobra brings to the table.

• Moralo Eval with Heavy Laser Cannon and Outlaw Tech (43)
  
• Palob Godalhi with Wingman and Ion Cannon Turret (27)
  
• Talonbane Cobra with Glitterstim (30)
  

     Total Squad Points: 100
In this squad, Moralo Eval is the closest thing to a stationary weapon platform as the game allows, attacking with his Heavy Laser Cannon for four dice in a full 180-degree arc while Palob Godalhi's Wingman allows him to clear the stress of his Speed "0" maneuver round after round. Meanwhile, an Outlaw Tech keeps Moralo Eval supplied with tokens, and Palob Godalhi helps Moralo Eval's shots hit home by stripping enemy ships of their focus and evade tokens, all while using his Ion Cannon Turret to keep them in the danger zone. Finally, Talonbane Cobra adds another threat that can't be ignored, flying across the battlefield at a pilot skill value of "9" and able to unleash attacks of five dice at Range "1."
This list presents a triple threat and forces you to make a difficult decision about how best to respond:

• Do you try to eliminate the lethal Talonbane Cobra first, allowing Moralo Eval to keep blasting away with his Heavy Laser Cannon even as Palob Godalhi uses your own tokens against you?
  
• Do you try to hunt down the HWK-290, leaving the heavy hitters free reign to take their shots?
  
• Do you try to chew through twelve hit points of YV-666 while Palob Godalhi steals your tokens and Talonbane Cobra is free to prey upon your ships?
  

There's no easy answer, and part of that owes to the added versatility that Wave VII brings to the faction, especially in head-on confrontations. With its 180-degree firing arc, the YV-666 is a powerful tool against the arc-dodgers equipped with Autothrusters, and the Kihraxz fighter – and Talonbane Cobra, particularly – gives the faction a lot more bite in jousts, especially when you can fire first with your high pilot skill, taking out your enemies before they can fire back.
Even more than the Firespray-31, the YV-666 thrives on cards like Tactician and Outmaneuver that require you to catch enemies in your firing arc. Its solid maneuverability, access to the "0" maneuver, and its glorious arc mean that the YV-666 offers the Scum access to a new set of tactical possibilities that are wholly their own.

The YV-666 and the Nashtah Pup

However, the YV-666 doesn't just stand out for its firing arc. It's also noteworthy for its resilience, and the Hound's Tooth Title adds a nice little wrinkle to this by allowing your pilot to "escape" the destroyed YV-666 aboard the unique Z-95 Headhunter, the Nashtah Pup . Although it can't attack the turn that it deploys and maneuvers away from the front or back of the Hound's Tooth, it still adds another four total health, between its shields and hull, that pilots such as Prince Xizor can then exploit to their benefit.

• Prince Xizor with Veteran Instincts , Virago, Fire-Control System, Inertial Dampeners, and Autothrusters (38)
  
• Trandoshan Slaver with K4 Security Droid and Hound's Tooth (38)
  
• Binayre Pirate (12)
  
• Binayre Pirate (12)
  

     Total Squad Points: 100
This list substitutes the Trandoshan Slaver and Hound's Tooth for three of the Z-95 Headhunters that would normally appear in a classic Prince Xizor swarm. You trade volume of fire for quality of fire, trading three Z-95 Headhunters for a much more powerful ship that can reliably stack focus and target lock and will often dish out four-die attacks at Range "1," thanks to its extra-wide primary firing arc. Moreover, as the second-most threatening ship in the list, it will likely draw a lot of fire, and when it's destroyed, the Nashtah Pup can deploy, meaning you have yet another vessel to which the Dark Prince can shunt his damage! And as far as Xizor's ability to shunt damage is concerned, the Trandoshan Slaver is a boon. Even though this ship trades three Binayre Pirates for one Trandoshan Slaver and the Nashtah Pup, you can absorb a total of four more damage than the classic Xizor swarm, thanks to the hefty six hull and six shields of the YV-666.
While we’re talking about raw jousting efficiency, it’s not just the YV-666 that stands out in this wave. The Kihraxz fighter is more than formidable en masse, and it's likely that five Cartel Marauder lists will join lists like eight TIE fighters, eight Z-95 Headhunters, and the fearsome BBBBZ – four Blue Squadron Pilots and one Bandit Squadron Pilot – at the top of the jousting heap.

Outfitting Your Bombers

While the YV-666 and the Kihraxz fighter are both excellent ships, it's not just the ships from each wave that shake up the game. Upgrades also make a big difference, and there are more upgrade cards in Wave VII than just Glitterstim that are bound to make a impact across the Scum faction. Several of these directly enhance my personal favorite new ship to fly: Emon Azzameen . Equipped with the Andrasta Title, Seismic Charges , Cluster Mines , a Conner Net , and Bombardier , Azzameen is a bomb-dropping wünderkind.
As fun as he is to fly, though, he’s not cheap, weighing in at a total of forty-seven squad points, but Wave VII provides tools for the penny-pincher as well. Adding the Slave I Title and Extra Munitions to your Firespray-31 means you can pack two deadly Proton Bombs aboard Azzameen's ship for seven points instead of ten.
All told, it’s a thrilling time for the newest faction in X-Wing, and I for one am excited to dive in!

Bombers, Bounty Hunters, and Black Sun Aces

The bombers, bounty hunters, and Black Sun aces of Wave VII are on their way, and before you know it, the metagame will be recoiling from their explosive entrance. How will you utilize the wave's new ordnance and the YT-666's 180-degree firing arc? How will you design your squads to counter the new ships? Which new pilots and upgrades have most caught your attention? Is Glitterstim enough to make you go Scum? Share your thoughts with the other members of the X-Wing community in our community forums. Then, be sure to keep your eyes open for more X-Wing news and announcements!