Rogue Review – BTA-NR2 Y-Wing

Welcome to Rogue Squadron, pilot! In this series, we will be looking at the ships you can fly in Fantasy Flight Games X-Wing miniatures game. We’ll take a look at a chassis and what makes it unique along with some upgrades and squadron combos. Strap in and get ready to fly.

Lock S-Foils in Attack Position

Yet another Y-Wing. Also, more copy/paste of Rebel ships directly into Resistance paint. Sigh.

But moving on, these feel different from the previous versions, which fit their nature as an updated design. The standard chassis ability, Intuitive Interface, makes all your Y-Wings able to link into a white calculate action. Depending on the upgrades they take, they can do this after Boosting (Engine Upgrade), Barrel Rolling (Expert Handling), Locking (Targeting Computer), Reinforce (Angled Deflectors) or Evade (Debris Gambit). You can tailor your build to suit your needs, or take a couple, as most of these cost only a few points. Many of the pilots come with double modification slots if you want to load up.

It’s a shame the ability doesn’t trigger off abilities added from Turrets as being able to rotate and then get a calculate would be excellent. It is also interesting that Illicit upgrades are included, yet there are not currently any Illicits that add actions to your action bar. The downside to this flexibility is that, of your standard actions, all but Focus are red. This allows you to take most of those other upgrades, but leaves you in a bad spot if you don’t.

Beyond the standard ability, these Y-Wings also come with a configuration that lets them play more akin to their original version. Wartime Loadout gives them more shields, white lock, reload, a torpedo and missile slots. They also gain uncancellable crits for munitions fired in bullseye arc. This makes advanced and standard proton torpedoes appealing. Get that bullseye shot and you’re getting a free crit through. Unfortunately, it is standardized and takes up the modification slot as well.

One interesting thing about the BTA-NR2 Y-Wing is that it comes in a set of two. While this doubles the price, it somehow feels better to pay that price for two ships rather than half the price for one. I also like to at least get two of every new small, so with this I wasn’t tempted to cheap out and just get one. If this is a good practice or a scummy move is hard to say.

Red Five Standing By

The BTA-NR2 Y-Wing comes out of the box with eight unique pilots and two generics across. That’s double the standard fare which fits that you get two of them in the box. 

• Zorii Bliss (I5) – After a ship at range 1 performs an action during its Perform Action step, if that action is on your action bar, you may spend 1 Charge to perform that action, treating it as red.
  • Even more free actions for Zorii.
  • Important to note, her ability triggers off any ship, no restrictions for friendly for enemy.
  • R4 Astromech is going to be popular for her, allowing her to clear that stress from the red action she took. At I5, she will likely be stressed before she maneuvers after getting the free action, allowing her to take two actions but not end the round stressed.
  • She is a good candidate for Wartime Loadout, as it gives her white Lock and allows her to get full double mods anytime a ship near her takes one of those first.
  • She trades her second modification slot for an illicit slot.
• Teza Nasz (I4) – While a friendly ship at range 0-2 performs an attack, if the defender has a ship friendly to the attacker in each of its side arcs, the attacker may reroll 1 attack die.
  • Bah. Another word salad ability that grants rerolls to allies.
  • The precondition isn’t as bad as it first seems. First, it works out to range 2, which is necessary to ever trigger given the two ships need to be on opposite sides of a target.
  • Second, it does work on herself. If she has a buddy flanking her target, she gets a free reroll.
  • The ship on the opposite side, doesn’t need to be within range two for Teza to give herself a reroll. In fact, they could both be at range 3 to the target, effectively range 6 to each other.
  • She pairs well with a flanking ace to help trigger her ability, which she can pass to the main group that flies with her.
• Wilsa Teshlo (I4) – After you perform an attack, if the defender was dealt a faceup damage card, the defender gains 1 strain token unless it chooses 1 non-recurring Charge from 1 of its equipped upgrades and loses that Charge.
  • This is an interesting ability. Giving out strain, after landing a crit, adds insult to injury. The fact the target can choose to lose a Charge gives them a choice to make. Lose a Charge, which you can’t get back, but might be worthless if you get shot at again while strained.
  • She is a good candidate for Wartime Loadout as she can use the uncancelable crit from bullseye to trigger her ability.
  • Her ability does not need to be built around, but it is a nice bonus.
• Shasa Zaro (I3) – After you defend, you may choose a friendly ship in your Aft side at range 0-2 and 1 of your green tokens. If you do, that ship gains a matching token.
  • Shasa will want to tempt your opponent to shoot her. If they do, she hands out free tokens to her allies.
  • She has to still have a token after defending, encouraging her not to use it, but she doesn’t lose the token. If she’s the subject of focus fire, her allies could get loaded up with tokens.
  • Reinforce is a green token that doesn’t get spent on defense. Angled Deflectors has a lot of potential for her.
• Lega Fossang (I3) – While you perform a primary or Turret attack, you may reroll 1 attack die for each friendly device or calculating friendly ship in the attack arc.
  • The device component to her ability won’t come up very often but calculating friendly ships are becoming common place for the Resistance.
  • Doesn’t work on ordnance attacks, encouraging her to stick with the standard loadout. Her ability also necessitates her fellow Y-Wings being able to calculate.
• New Republic Patrol (I3) – None
  • This generic comes with a talent slot and at only one point more than Spice Runner.
• C’ai Threnali (I2) – After you fully execute a maneuver, if you moved through a friendly ship, you may perform an Evade action.
  • The same ability as in the X-Wing.
  • Works well as a leap frog ability. Hop ahead to be the primary target with the evade as an extra bonus.
  • Could end up taking three actions in a round.
• Aftab Ackbar (I2) – After you execute a red basic maneuver or perform a red action, if you have exactly 1 stress token, you may gain 1 strain token to remove that stress token.
  • Trading stress for strain isn’t a bad deal for a Y-Wing. With only one defense die, it is probably not avoiding much damage.
  • He could pile on the strain indefinitely if he takes red maneuvers, then takes a red action, avoiding any stress with defense die.
  • Another good candidate for Wartime Loadout as he doesn’t need to take upgrades to cancel out his red actions.
  • Pattern Analyzer is a great upgrade for him. Take a red maneuver, get a free action from Pattern, clear the stress and get a regular action.
• Kijimi Spice Runner (I2) – None
  • Your cheapest generic.
  • Unlike many ships, the difference between them and the NR Patrol isn’t just a Talent slot and initiative. These come with illicit slots if you want to engage in more seedy builds.
• Corus Kapellim (I1) – Before you engage, you may choose 1 ship in your firing arc at range 0-1. If you do, transfer 1 green token from that ship to yourself.
  • Thief! If Corus can get into range one of his target, he can steal any defense tokens they have left. Even better if it’s a focus token he can then use on the offense.
  • At I1, his ability will have limited utility, as most ships will have already used their tokens.
  • He can use the ability on any ship, it doesn’t need to be his target. This can be handy when he bumps, and needs to steal a focus from an ally.
  • The only other named pilot with an illicit slot.

All Wings Report In

How many BTA-NR2 Y-Wings do you need? One box of two is probably all you need, though they are priced so you could take a list of up to six, and decent lists of five.

Anti-Stress Squad

• Aftab Ackbar (Y-Wing)
  • Daredevil
  • Watchful Astromech
  • Dorsal Turret
  • Pattern Analyzer
  • Engine Upgrade
• Cova Nell (Resistance Transport)
  • Heroic
  • Leia Organa
• Jarek Yaeger (Fireball)
  • Heroic
  • Kaz’s Fireball
  • Coaxium Hyperfuel
• Nien Nunb (X-Wing)
  • Heroic
  • Pattern Analyzer
  • Integrated S-foils

This list doesn’t care about stress. Baby Ackbar turns all the stress he earns from actions and basic maneuvers to strain. With his upgrades, after taking a red maneuver he gets an action from pattern analyzer, then turns his stress to strain so he still gets his regular action. If he decides to rotate, he’ll also get a calculate action on top of it. With all that strain, he will get shot a lot. But they aren’t shooting at anyone else.

Cova wants to take red maneuvers, of which she has plenty, for her bonus die. With Leia she won’t stress herself doing so. Jarek won’t be taking many actions, but if he picks Damaged Engine with Kaz’s Fireball, he can SLAM behind his target in the first engagement, still get to fire and have full access to all his maneuvers even when stressed. Nien Nunb can pull off similar shenanigans as Ackbar, using Pattern Analyzer and ditching his stress as long as he remains close to his target.

Five Fives

• Zorii Bliss (Y-Wing)
  • R4 Astromech
  • Dorsal Turret
  • Engine Upgrade
• Jarek Yaeger (Fireball)
  • Kaz’s Fireball
• Zizi Tlo (A-Wing)
  • Starbird Slash
• Tallissan Lintra (A-Wing)
  • Starbird Slash
• L’ulo L’ampar (A-Wing)
  • Starbird Slash

The Resistance has a multitude of cheap I5 pilots, allowing them to field five of them at once. All the ships are only two die attacks but three are A-Wings, which are always a pain to kill. Zorii can also prove amazingly frustrating despite being in a Y-Wing. With her ability, if an A-Wing takes an action nearby she can get a pre-move action, stressing herself. With R4 astromech she has a lot of maneuvers available to clear that stress. Then she gets her regular action. If she boosts, she can then get a Calculate. This makes her effective in arc dodging in a Y-Wing. Her turret opens up even more doors for her as she can end up to the side of a target and still shoot.

Resistance Swarm

• Teza Nasz (Y-Wing)
  • Dorsal Turret
  • Watchful Astromech
  • Engine Upgrade
• 6x Colossus Station Mechanic (Fireball)

Teza is the Resistance’s version of Howlrunner, but better. Her free rerolls work out to range two, making it much easier to grant. It does have a precondition of needing to bracket your target. This makes a swarm of Fireballs the perfect group to fly with her. They are cheap, meaning you can get six of them. Plus, their ability to SLAM allows any of them to flit about to get a ship on the opposite side of your target.

Y-Wings: The Next Generation

• Lega Fossang (Y-Wing)
  • Expert Handling
  • Ion Turret
  • Ferrosphere Paint
  • Watchful Astromech
  • Engine Upgrade
  • Angled Deflectors
• Shasa Zaro (Y-Wing)
  • Ion Turret
  • Ferrosphere Paint
  • Watchful Astromech
  • Engine Upgrade
  • Angled Deflectors
• 2x New Republic Patrol (Y-Wing)
  • Expert Handling
  • Ion Turret
  • Ferrosphere Paint
  • Watchful Astromech
  • Engine Upgrade
  • Angled Deflectors

Normally, loading your ships up with a bunch of upgrades is a good way to waste a bunch of points. Due to Intuitive Controls, Y-Wings just might be greater than the sum of their parts. With this squad, you have ships that can Boost, Barrel Roll, or Reinforce and then also Calculate, all while remaining stress free. They can also rotate and end up with a token if they don’t mind a stress. With Ferrosphere Paint, they also either mess with your opponents plans to get Locks or pass our stress tokens. Ion turrets are typical fair for Y-Wings but gain a bit more value with these ships.

Lega can really shine with so many of his squadmates able to gain calculate tokens. Shasa can mess with targeting priority. If she can position herself in the sights of a high initiative ship, she can pass her reinforce token to another friendly ship that might be the more tempting target for other ships.

Corus Swarm

• Corus Kapellim (Y-Wing)
  • Dorsal Turret
  • Automated Targeting Priority
  • Watchful Astromech
  • Engine Upgrade
  • Deadman’s Switch
• Zizi Tlo (A-Wing)
  • Swarm Tactics
  • Juke
  • Ferrosphere Paint
• Tallissan Lintra (A-Wing)
  • Swarm Tactics
  • Juke
  • Ferrosphere Paint
• L’ulo L’ampar (A-Wing)
  • Swarm Tactics
  • Juke
  • Ferrosphere Paint

This list aims to capitalize on Corus’ ability to steal green tokens. At I1, it’s a so-so ability. At I5, with the rest of the squad fielding Juke, it has some power. All the A-Wings have Swarm Tactics so any of them can remain near Corus to pass I5. Then he shoots first, stealing your target’s token. This lets the A-Wings hit harder with their Juke attack.

There are a lot of unnecessary upgrades, particularly Ferrosphere Paint, which were thrown in to fill out the points.

Love Triangle

• Zorii Bliss (Y-Wing)
  • Expert Handling
  • Dorsal Turret
  • Primed Thrusters
  • R4 Astromech
  • Wartime Loadout
  • Proton Torpedo
• Poe Dameron (X-Wing)
  • Backwards Tailslide
  • R4 Astromech
  • Primed Thrusters
  • Overdrive Thrusters
  • Integrated S-Foils
  • Black One
  • Underslung Blaster
• Finn
  • Heroic
  • C-3P0
  • Automated Targeting Priority

This isn’t a great list. Let’s acknowledge that. There are too many upgrades and too few ships. But it’s fun. Finn moves first, coordinates Poe, who uses his ability for double actions, also giving Zori the same action with her ability. Then they both take blue maneuvers and clear their stress, allowing them to take a new action during their regular action phase. Once the group spreads out to engage, they lose some of the cohesion but each can still operate alone.

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