One mean freighter. (FFG Image)
So, continuing my dive into everything Wave 7 has to offer, I have been playing around with the new YV-666 Houndstooth and the Kihraxz Fighter. The new models are again beautifully designed, and work to get the Scum faction up to speed with the Rebels and Empire. The YV-666 also brings one of the more notorious bounty hunters into the game with the elite pilot, Bossk. The YV-666 is a powerhouse sporting a cannon, missile, illicit and elite talent slot, along with 3 crew
upgrades; couple this along with the ships 12 hit points (6 hull, 6 shield) and you have a powerful threat against just about anything your enemy can throw at you. The YV-666 also comes with the new (awesome) title Hound’s Tooth – which allows you to deploy a new version of the Z-95 called the Nashtah Pup upon the YV-666’s destruction at the expense of 6 squad points. While this upgrade is expensive, it adds a new way to stay in the game and possibly secure your victory. The YV-666 is also a nice addition because it is the cheapest large base ship for the Scum faction currently, allowing you to potentially field 3 of them with Trandoshan Slaver pilot.
Another ship down… (FFG Image)
The Kihraxz Fighter is also a superb addition to any Scum fleet. Besides being a lot of fun to try and say the name, it is a fast little ship that has comparable stats to an X-Wing with 4 hull and 1 shield hit point. Add in a missile upgrade slot, along with a modification and illicit slot, you have a robust and flexible platform to support your Scum squads. The most exciting addition with this ship for me is going to be the elite pilot Talonbane Cobra – who allows you to double the effect of your range bonus on both offense and defense – which equates to a primary attack of 5 dice at range 1 with this guy. Add the new Glitterstim illicit upgrade to this ship, and you now have 1 turn of modifying all your focus results into hits, practically ensuring a hit or a kill on whatever is unlucky enough to be in front of this guy.
All in all, these wave does not disappoint when it comes to the Scum and Villainy faction. Everything included in these two expansion packs feels very scummy – and sticks with the flavor of the previous installments. Following suit of my last post, below are a couple builds using the new ships. Hopefully they see some playtime soon and I will update everyone on how they perform!
FFG Image
Bossk (35) (YV-666)
Predator (3)
“Mangler” Cannon (4)
Assault Missiles (5)
Recon Specialist (3)
Tactician (2)
Gunner (5)
Glitterstim (2)
Cartel Marauder (20) (Kihraxz)
Cartel Marauder (20) (Kihraxz)
Total: 99 points
This first build is built around Bossk (obviously), and didn’t have enough points left over to try out the Hound’s Tooth title, but you could always change one of the Kihraxz Fighters to an Interceptor and use those points, or modify your load out on the YV-666. There are a lot of points tied up in the freighter, however with the armament he has with the Mangler Cannon and Assault Missiles, coupled with his crew upgrades, he is rather versatile. The biggest threat against this list will be a small agile ship getting in being the YV-666 and getting uncontested shots off against him. This is where the fighter escorts should shine and be able to keep his back clear while he dishes out damage with the Mangler.
FFG Image
Talonbane Cobra (28) (Kihraxz)
Calculation (1)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Glitterstim (2)
Munitions Failsafe (1)
Cartel Marauder (20) (Kihraxz)
Glitterstim (2)
Cartel Spacer (14) (M3-A)
Cartel Spacer (14) (M3-A)
Cartel Spacer (14) (M3-A)
Total: 100 points
This is basically a small swarm list, utilizing the cheap M3-A Interceptors to support Talonbane Cobra and his Cartel Marauder wingman. I see Talonbane being a big threat in this list, and likely your opponent will too. I plan on using the Cartel Spacers to run interference, while Talonbane moves up and flanks any big juicy targets he can. With the combination of his pilot ability to throw A LOT of dice, and using Glitterstim to secure a devastating hit, he should be able to get a few kills before going down, allowing your other ships to mop up whatever’s left.
So there you have it – Wave 7 has added a lot of new fun ways to change your squads around, and should definitely liven up the tournament scene. Once I play test these lists, along with the Punisher and K-Wing lists from the last Stay on Target, I will throw up the results here. If anyone has any lists they have had success with, post them below and let me know!