OK.
We have looked at the why, the how and the what of BB, now lets have a look at the end product, the squad build. Now with added Talents!
The builds below are the simplest of simple. They are faction and squadron consistent, adding to the players engagement with the Star Wars story, have limited upgrades, so are simple and fun to fly, but are still strong. They are only suggestions and some have only been used on paper, not the table, so please us them only as guides for BB squad ideas.
First a few Scum Lists.
Easy pickings or a wolf in wait?
Skull Squadron (100 points)
Fenn Rau (Fang Fighter) Advanced Proton Torps, Fearlessness
Old Teroch (Fang Fighter) Advanced Proton Torps. Fearlessness
Kad Solus (Fang Fighter) Advanced Proton Torps. Wired
This list has a strong tactical theme; get close. The advanced Proton torpedo is a range 1 5d devastating secondary attack, that tends to be hard to deliver. The Fang fighters are a good platform, offering Boost and Barrel Roll, a Talon Roll and speed 5 with some strong pilots, but the real strength of the squad is the pilot theme. All three have something to offer at close range. Rau gets bonus attack and defence dice, Teroch strips a target of tokens and Solus likes Talon Rolls and K Turns to trigger free Focus. If the squad has a weakness, it’s a reliance on predictable tactics, but even without the range 1 gambit, they are agile and slippery 3 attack ships. With possible points maxed out, you end up with a 3 point initiative bid.
Concord Dawn Protectorate (100 points)
Mandalorian Merc (Firespray-31)
Protectorate Ace (Fang Fighter)
Protectorate Veteran (Fang Fighter)
Zealous Recruit (Fang Fighter)
Much simpler even than the Skull Squadron build, this one is devoid of any upgrades, relying fully on inherent ship strength. The lower pilot skills of the Fang pilots force them to think ahead and use their actions wisely, The Firespray as rear support or as a vanguard, splitting/blocking enemy squads and providing rear arc support adds 10 health and 3 fire power with dual arcs. Optionally, one or two of the Fang pilots could be down graded, freeing up some points for upgrades.
Black Sun Enforcers (100)
Talonbane Cobra (Khiraxz) Harpoon Missiles Inertial Dampeners Predator
Black Sun Ace (Khiraxz) EMP Device Veteran Instincts
Black Sun Soldier (Z 95) Cruise Missiles Deadman’s Switch
Black Sun Soldier (Z 95) Cruise Missiles Deadman’s Switch
This list is a platform for Talonbane to operate. His ability (doubling range effects) makes him lethal close, but more defensive at range. The Harpoon missile is a nasty Ordnance, limited to Scum in BB, making the augmented Ace hard to ignore, allowing the squad to attack on multiple flanks. With Dampeners and EMP device the squad can be hard to pin down, so go for confusion, possibly taking a few hits, until the time is right for Talonbane to strike.
Black Sun Blockers (100 points)
7x Black Sun Soldiers (Z 95) with 9 points of Illicit or Missiles spread amongst them.
Could not be simpler, a Scum swarm. The Z 95 is slower than a Tie swarmer, but tougher and can pack some options. The strength of this squad is opponent confusion. Which one has the missiles, the Illicit upgrade or nothing at all? We keep upgrades a secret in our games, revealed as played, making the guessing game all the more fun.
Black Sun Royalty (100 points)
Xisor (Star Viper) Plasma Torpedo Veteran Instincts
Guri (Star Viper) Plasma Torpedo Bodyguard
Black Sun Vigo (Star Viper) Plasma Torpedo
A 3 Star Viper list is fragile and heavily reliant on close manoeuvres. Without the Virago title, Guri takes the knife fighter role, with the Vigo acting as blocker/wingman absorbing Xisor’s hits. Like a lot of 3 ship fighter lists, this one will have great success against some lists, but will fold quickly against others, but it will be fun to fly and gorgeous to look at.
Lok Revenants (100)
Captan Nym (Scurrg) Bomblet Generator Bombardier Autoblaster Turret
Sol Sixxa (Scurrg) Bomblet Generator Bombardier Autoblaster Turret
Lok Revenant (Scurrg) Bomblet Generator Autoblaster Turret Wingman
The Scurrg os a great ship. One of only a few with a Talon roll and packing plenty of upgrade options, there a many ways to fly it. Without Title, the Nym ship is not canon (pre Genius), but still tough. Unlimited bombs, a Turret if the enemy gets too close, Nyms immunity to friendly bomb effects and Sols extra move options after dropping bombs makes the squad close quarters “scrappy”, so fly boldly.
Binayre Pirates (100 Points)
Kath Scarlett (Firespray-31) Mangler Cannon Tail Gunner
4x Z 95 with 8 points of Cannon (not missile-look it up) or illicit upgrades.
A simple list with tricks, based in the actual Binayre fleet, the swapping out of Missiles for Cannons (easier to supply for a poor pirate faction), means more and unexpected options. Tractor Beams, or a single Heavy Cannon and the usual Illicit options make for plenty of tactical ploys, with Scarletts Firespray adding a spine (with a tail) for them to fly around.
Collateral Damage (100 points)
Captain Jospero (Khiraxz) Harpoon Missiles Calculation
Hired Gun (Y Wing) Unhinged Droid Flechette Torpedo Autoblaster Turret
(ex-Binayre) Pirate (Z 95) Deadman’s Switch
(ex-Karthakk) Pirate (Scurrg) Seismic Charge Assault Missile
Jospero likes to let the others to the heavy lifting and prey on the scraps, so this list is all about area effects and collateral damage. Hit hard and fast, but make sure each attack has Jospero lurking, to make the most of it.
Cartel Smugglers (100)
Moral Eval (YV-666) Tractor Beam Ketsu Onyo Intelligence Agent Maul
Cartel Executioner (Kimogila) 2xFlechette Torpedoes Unhinged Mech Inertial Dampeners Deadeye
Cartel Brute (Kimogila) Unhinged Mech Flechette Torpedoes Ion Pulse Missiles
The big YV tends to be a table hog and easy target. The extra wide frontal arc is great, except most ships can get behind it, so Moral’s rear arc Cannon option is golden. The choice of Tractor Beam with Onyo, makes the YV a fly-trap, the Kimogila’s the jaws.
These two have not been tried, but look like fun;
Kraits Claw #1 (100)
IG-88B (IG-2000) Heavy Laser Cannon Auto Blaster Advanced Sensors Ion Bombs Inertial Dampeners
Bossk (YT-666) IG-88D Heavy Laser Cannon Jaba The Hutt Hotshot Blaster Predator
Using it’s Crew edge the YV-666 has, IG-88D (allows shared Pilot ability with IG-88B), means either ship can use a Cannon attack if they miss with their first, or either can cancel rolled hits for 2 guaranteed. The IG has a close and ranged Cannon option, the YV a front and rear choice.
Kraits Claw #2 (100)
Dengar (Jump master) 2x Adv Photon Torps Burnout SLAM R4 Agro Mech Intelligence Agent.
Boba Fett (Firespray) Gunner Harpoon Missiles Mangler Cannon Ion Bombs
Boba and Dengar shared a mutual respect and membership in Krayts Claw. They compliment each other here with two strong ships, lacking any obvious synergies other than neither can be ignored for the sake of the other. Another awesome combo is Dengar and IG-88B.