So, what effect does the Bare Bones format have on tactics and squad building in 1e X Wing?
Squads tend to be bigger and simpler.
Many people play high quantity, low complication lists competitively in X Wing, but in BB, that is the norm. Overall, attacks are less lethal, defences are equally less multi dimensional and manoeuvres are less tweak-able. The player has less fear of the brutal, lopsided match up, which is balanced by the limits/frustration of only one or two layer modifier options. The removal of Titles has also made some ships naturally less expensive and reduced the number of super ships. The house rule of sticking to squadrons also tends to employ more low level pilots.
Squads tend to be tactically more defined and inter-dependant.
Ships with limited upgrades are, by definition less inclined to be dependent on 4-5 layers of synergy deep. Their tactics will rely more on player skill and ship to ship rather than internal synergies. Isn’t this more like Star Wars?
Fleets and squads can be larger.
Simpler squads, made up of an Ace or two, then filled up with basic pilots can be bigger or more numerous as the complicating factors of EPT(s)+Mod(s)+Title+Pilot+Crew etc is avoided. Using the core mechanics of the 2e Epic rules works well for BB. The squad of 5-6 ships will often have 1 or 2 Ace Pilots than need to be watched, the rest are straight forward BB ships.
Pilots are much more important, as their innate abilities are the EPT slot (we read the medal icon as meaning they have a built-in ability). This means that action economy, attack and defence mods and special manoeuvres, more often than not, come down to the pilot. Ships in BB are equalised through simplification, their pilots ability, the ship and player skill are the key (much like the 2e philosophy). Without EPT’s Pilot abilities literally become twice as powerful.
Crew are equally, much more important in BB. Crew open up layers of synergy for the BB player especially in the support role or as attack enhancers. Crewed ships tend to be bigger, slower and more expensive, but Crew (in BB) have much higher stock, often making their inclusion super-additive to their squad.
Systems, often seen as one of the weaker upgrades, they are are now the only “High Tech” edge that a few ships can access (8 in total), replacing both Tech and Mods. The advantage of a System slot cannot be overestimated. With a couple of layers of synergy gone, the System mod can often make a ship’s combat mods 30-50% more powerful. Systems are often aligned with ships that can have their special effect boosted (Advanced Cloaking, Gyro Stabilisers), but this can be a trap, blinding the squad builder to other options.
Ships with Systems + Ordnance are particularly strong as there are several upgrades that make them (Bombs especially), more viable. A stand out upgrade, Advanced Sensors sort of becomes the “Push the Limit” of BB, imparting a rare and powerful action economy.
Droids/Salvaged Droids. Action economy, which is one of the key things to master in the game, combat mods, recoveries and manoeuvres are the realm of the Iconic Droid. Having a Droid is a little like having a double Pilot ability. Some ships (Y Wing) are set up to need a Droid to avoid their obvious short comings, but the ships with more freedom can use Droids to create attack, defence or manoeuvre strong squads.
Illicit upgrades are the Scum edge, like a black market Systems slot. Some Scum ships have both, making them doubly powerful. Upgrades like Cloaking Device, EMP emitter, Deadman’s Switch are iconic and powerful, making the Scum squad a prickly nest of surprises.
Ordnance. Missiles, Torpedoes, Turrets, Bombs, are all part of Star Wars legend. In BB they are a strength or a liability in equal measure, but feel ever so slightly better than in regular X Wing, where the ships that carry them are often a liability. Spend the points and obsess over that miss that could have turned the game, or save the points, possibly to buy another whole ship, but forego have that brutal, ship killing attack?
Without EPT’s especially, Ordnance is the best way to hammer an opponent who, again without access to EPT’s, Titles and Mods, has fewer ways of dodging the attack. Losing Extra Ammunition and Failsafe, makes Ordnance a more hit-or-lose proposition, but again, bigger squads equal more chances to land that killer blow. Turrets are probably the most over powered upgrade in BB, making the ships that can mount them disproportionately powerful, but they are few and often have problems of their own.
Huge Ship Only
Team. Teams are a Crew-like upgrade that in BB only the C-Roc cruiser can take (but there are two of them).
Cargo. Another Huge ship only option, the Cargo slot is the most utilitarian and generic upgrade for a Huge ship, adding power, resilience, defensive, occasionally offensive and general enhancements. The GR-75 in particular can reduce it’s passiveness with cargo load-outs or become even harder to kill.
Hard Point. The Hard Point is the primary weapon option for the C-Roc. Each is oly allowed one, but again there are two. The energy mechanic makes the Hard Point even more dangerous, allowing the cruiser to fire more than once with powerful weapons that even sport a Range 5 option (House rule that the Gozanti weapon can be fitted to the Gozanti C-Roc).
Again, without Titles or Mods, the builds are simpler and more generic, but there are plenty of ways to customise the two classes of ship included.
For the beginner or the jaded long term player, the limit on upgrades is a take it or leave it proposition. The tactical clarity of the game is intact, if a little less nuanced, which does not make it less of a game. 2e provides a much smoother “advanced” version of the game, integrating most of the omitted elements seamlessly into the game or dropping them all together.