X-Wing Upgrade Guide- Elite Pilot Talent (0, 3 and 4 points)

X-wing is a game that has been around for a few years now. The number of ships, pilots and upgrades can become a little overwhelming for those that are new or infrequent players. So today we’re going to continue going through all the different upgrade types and giving some quick points on how best to use them. For each we’re going to give the following information:

Ranking– We’re going to rank each card within an upgrade slot. This is an imperfect ranking as the usefulness of any card is mostly determined by how and where you use it. But it’s an easy number to grasp and can serve as a starting point when trying to pick your upgrades.
Combos– What are the best pilots, ships or upgrades to pair with this card. When we look at upgrades that can only be equipped to with a limited number of ships, we may skip this section.
Notes- A few comments on the effectiveness and ways to get the most out of this upgrade.

Other Guides

Crew and Droids
- Astromechs
- Salvaged Astromech
- Generic Crew
- Rebel Alliance
- Empire
- Scum
Elite Pilot Talent
- 1 Point
- 2 Point
- 0, 3, & 4 Point
Ship Upgrades
- Illicit
- Modification
- System
- Tech
Weapon Upgrades
- Bombs
- Cannons
- Missiles
- Torpedoes
- Turrets

We’re coming to the end of our journey through the upgrades in X-wing. But this week we wrap up our look at Elite Pilot Talents by looking at 0, 3 and 4 point cards.

Zero Point

Adaptability
Trick Shot
A Score to Settle

Adaptability (Mist Hunter Expansion)

Cost: 0 points

Side A: Increase your pilot skill value by 1.

Side B: Decrease your pilot skill value by 1

Ranking– 1
Combos
- Poe Dameron PS8 (T-70 Pilot)
  - If you want to fly Poe at PS 9, don’t need your EPT and need to save some points, PS8 Poe with Adaptability is exactly what you want
- Pilot Skill 3
  - PS3 ships with an EPT are a great one to make good use out of Adaptability. You can drop them to PS2 if you want a blocker or bump up to PS4 to be a little higher against generics.
Notes
- The first dual function card, Adaptability is mostly used as a free extra pilot skill. There are not many times you want to lower your pilot skill unless you’re trying to get all your ships moving at the same time. In both of those cases it’s rare you would actually change your mind at the start of a round.

A Score to Settle (Quad Jumper Expansion)

Cost: 0 points

During setup, before the “Place Forces” step, choose 1 enemy ship and deal the “A Debt to Pay” Condition card to it.

When attacking a ship that has the “A Debt to Pay” Condition card, you may change 1 Focus result to a Crit result.

Ranking– 3
Combos
- Agent Kallus (Crew)
  - Both of these cards give you free modification to focus results against one particular ship. If you are facing a lot of two ship builds, not uncommon, you can combine these to get modifications against both.
- Bossk (YV-666 Pilot)/Ten Nunb (B-Wing pilot)
  - Both of these pilots like to see crit results. ASTS is a cheap way to help them get some against your biggest threat.
Notes
- Unlike the other two, this one is more dependent on what list you’re facing. Against 3+ ship builds it’s hard to know who to apply the effect against.

Trickshot (Heroes of the Resistance Expansion)

Cost: 0 points

When attacking, if the attack is obstructed, you may roll 1 additional attack die.

Ranking– 2
Combos
- Dash Rendar (YT-2400 Pilot)
  - Dash already loves living in the asteroid field. With Trick Shot he can crank his HLC turret to five dice and gain some defense for himself.
- Advanced Sensors (System)/Sabine Wren (TIE or Attack Shuttle Pilot)/BB-8 (Astromech)
  - With any of these pilots or upgrades, you can take a barrel roll before moving. That allows you to turn right into an obstacle, fire through it for the extra attack die and then barrel roll so you don’t have to fly over the obstacle next turn.
Notes
- Of the zero point EPT’s this one is both always useful and seldom useful. There are always obstacles on the board and everyone loves extra attack dice. If you don’t care about modifying your pilot skill or want to have to pick a ship for ASTS you’ll find some use out of Trickshot. But then, how often do you really shoot through a rock?

Three-Point

Push the Limits
Predator
Swarm Leader
Outmaneuver
Ruthlessness
Daredevil
Marksmanship

Daredevil (TIE Interceptor Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

Action: Execute a white hard one maneuver. Then, receive 1 stress token.

Then, if you do not have the Boost action icon, roll 2 attack dice. Suffer any damage and any critical damage rolled.

Ranking– 6
Combos
- Captain Oicunn (Decimator Pilot)
  - Oicunn does damage when he rams into someone. Outside of SLAM, which Decimators can’t do, ships can’t perform two maneuvers a turn except with Daredevil.
- Nien Nunb (T-70 Pilot)
  - Nien can avoid taking stress if he has someone in his arc at range 1. Daredeviling into that position is a good way to perform unexpected maneuvers.
- Tycho Celchu (A-Wing Pilot)
  - Tycho doesn’t care about stress and has Boost so he can make good use of this skill.
Notes
- This is a clear example of either the cautious nature of early game design or the power creep of late-game design. If the card were made now it would simply require you to have the Boost action, not give you a stress and might only be two points. Look at Blue Ace, whose pilot ability is essentially that. He’s not overpowered. Very fun to fly but hardly ever seen.

Marksmanship (Original Core/X-Wing/Imperial Assault Carrier Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

Action: When attacking this round, you may change 1 of your Focus results to a Crit result and all of your other Focus results to Hit results.

Ranking– 7
Combos
- Ten Numb (B-Wing pilot)
  - Ten gets to bypass defense with a crit. So he could use this, I guess?
- Youngster (TIE Fighter pilot) + TIE/sf
  - Since TIE/sf count as TIE fighters for Youngster ability and they have the potential to get multiple attacks per round, getting focus mods on both attacks might be good.
Notes
- Actually, this is a clearer example of the changing nature of the game design. Expertise is one point more, does not require an action and does essentially the same thing. No crits but who ever really uses it for that anyway?

Outmaneuver (E-Wing/TIE Defender Expansions)

Cost: 3 points

When attacking a ship inside your firing arc, if you are not inside that ship’s firing arc, reduce its agility value by 1 (to a minimum of 0).

Ranking– 4
Combos
- Wedge Antilles (X-Wing Pilot)
  - If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.
- Ion Cannon (Cannon)
  - If you can ion someone from behind, you can continue to ion them until they die and Outmaneuver makes your hits from behind more likely to land.
- ARC-170/Firespray/Sheathipede/Auzituck/YV-666/VCX-100/Lancer/TIE/sf
  - All of these ships have multiple arcs increasing the opportunity for you to have someone in arc but being out of their arc.
Notes
- I really want to like this card. I really want to make this card work. Unfortunately, all too often you are using your EPT to help you avoid arcs or get good dice modifications. Modifying red dice is usually more powerful than facing less green dice.

Predator (Ghost/Kihraxz/TIE Defender Expansions)

Cost: 3 points

When attacking, you may reroll 1 attack die. If the defender’s pilot skill value is “2” or lower, you may instead reroll up to 2 attack dice.

Ranking– 2
Combos
- Twin-Laser Turret/Cluster Missiles/TIE D/Phantom I
  - All of these upgrades give you the opportunity to make multiple attacks getting more utility out of Predator.
Notes
- One of the two EPTs against which all others are judged.
- This is a great way to spend three points. Guaranteed reroll every attack. No preconditions, no limitations. And if you shoot a low PS you get a bonus reroll.

Push the Limits (A-Wing/Imperial Aces Expansions)

Cost: 3 points

Once per round, after you perform an action, you may perform 1 free action shown in your action bar.

Then receive 1 stress token.

Ranking– 1
Combos
- TIE Interceptor/TIE Silencer/TIE Advanced Prototype/TIE f/o/A-Wing/Protectorate
  - All of these ships have a great spread of green maneuvers, especially a hard turn, making them the easiest to deal with stress.
- Advanced Sensors (System)/Pattern Analyzer (Tech)
  - Either of these upgrades allows you to use PTL and clear the stress you receive on the same turn.
Notes
- The other EPT against which all others are judged.
- A stress token is a reasonable trade-off for getting to take two actions.

Ruthlessness (Decimator Expansions)

Cost: 3 points

Imperial only.

After you perform an attack that hits, you must choose 1 other ship at Range 1 of the defender (other than yourself). That ship suffers 1 damage.

Ranking– 5
Combos
- Assault Missile/Harpoon Missile
  - Maximize your area attack capabilities
- TIE/D (Title)
  - Dual Defenders with the title and Ruthlessness is vicious, if not very competitive. Catch two enemy ships together and you get four attacks on one and four unavoidable damage against the other.
Notes
- It’s probably a good thing this is Imperial only. Scum using Deadman Switch and R5-TK would be way too much fun.
- With the death of the swarm and so many other things pushing ships to avoid staying close together, this loses what usefulness it once had. If you do well, you risk killing your own ships in the late game.

Swarm Leader (TIE Striker Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

When performing a primary weapon attack, choose up to 2 other friendly ships that have the defender inside their firing arcs at Range 1-3. Remove 1 evade token from each chosen ship to roll 1 additional attack die for each token removed.

Ranking– 3
Combos
- A-Wings/TIE Fighter
  - Cheap ships that can take the evade action are useful squadmates to give your Swarm Leader carrier evade tokens to remove.
- Intensity (EPT)
  - Allies with Intensity can get evade tokens even if they normally could not. Though it will be hard to flip Intensity back without the token.
- Juke (EPT)
  - If your allies have Juke, and are the same or higher PS, they can get some good attacks and aid the Swarm Leader.
- Norra Wexley (ARC-170 Pilot) + Finn (Crew) + Jan Ors (HWK-290 Pilot)
  - Tricky to set up but could give Norra a nine dice attack. Just no dice mods.
Notes
- This EPT is a lot of fun to theorycraft and play in fun settings.

Four Point

Expertise
Opportunist
Expose

Expertise (U-wing Expansion)

Cost: 4 points

When attacking, if you are not stressed, you may change all of your Focus results to Hit results.

Ranking– 1
Combos
- Inspiring Recruit (Crew)
  - Stress shuts this card down so having a way to clear multiple stress away after you run into a stress bot is very handy.
- Norra Wexley (ARC-170 Pilot)
  - Norra’s ability allows her to add Focus results. With Expertise she is effectively adding Hit results.
- Auzituck Gunship (Any)
  - The Auzituck has very few red maneuvers. It also prefers to spend its actions on Reinforce.
Notes
- If you have the points, this EPT is great on anything.

Expose (Slave-1/Imperial Assault Carrier Expansion)

Cost: 4 points

Action: Until the end of the round, increase your primary weapon value by 1 and decrease your agility value by 1.

Ranking– 3
Combos
- Rear Admiral Chiraneau (Decimator Pilot)
  - Chirpy, as his friends call him, gets a dice modification from his ability if you can be at range 1-2. Combine that with the Decimator native zero agility, therefore negativing the agility reducing penalty of Expose, and its one potential platform to get some utility out of Expose.
- Experimental Interface (Modification)
  - EI works similarly to Push the Limits but requires you to have some card that has Action on it. Expose has such an action and suffers from it. With EI you can Expose and still take a regular action for some dice modifcation.
Notes
- One extra attack dice gives you worse odds of hitting than taking a Focus token or Target Lock.
- Expose without the action requirement would be an interesting option. Too powerful? Depends on when you had to use it. If it were at the start of the Activation Phase, giving your opponent a chance to try to line up their shots at your exposed ship it might be balanced. As a dual card that required an action to flip? One side increasing agility and decreasing attack and the doing the opposite?

Opportunist (Imperial Aces Expansion)

Cost: 4 points

When attacking, if the defender does not have any focus or evade tokens, you may receive 1 stress token to roll 1 additional attack die.

You cannot use this ability if you have any stress tokens.

Ranking– 2
Combos
- Wes Jansen (X-Wing Pilot)/Palob Godalhi (HWK-290 Pilot)/Carnor Jax (TIE Interceptor Pilot)/Torani Kulda (Kimogila Pilot)/Hot Shot Co-pilot (Crew)
  - All of these pilots/crew have ways of stripping or forcing your opponent to spend tokens. If you pair a ship with Opportunist with them you can gain some extra firepower.
- Green Squadron (A-Wing pilot)
  - You’ll get more mileage out of Opportunist on a low PS ship. They are likely to fire after your opponent has fired and spent their token.
Notes
- Opportunist just has too many preconditions to be useful at its price. No tokens on your target. That’s an ideal shot already and something your opponent actively tries to avoid giving you. It gives you a stress and you can’t use it when stressed.