X-Wing Upgrade Guide- Imperial Crew

Last Updated: 4/11/2018 through Wave 13

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 a limited number of ships we may skip this section.

Other Guides

Crew and Droids
Elite Pilot Talent
Ship Upgrades
- Illicit
- Modification
- System
- Tech
Weapon Upgrades
- Bombs
- Cannons
- Missiles
- Torpedoes
- Turrets

We’ve looked at generic crew and the filthy Rebels. Now we’ll take a look at the glorious Empire. At less than half the number of unique crew compared to the Rebels this is a much more manageable list.

Imperial Ships with a Crew Slot

Firespray-31
Lambda Shuttle
TIE Bomber/Shuttle
TIE Phantom
TIE Reaper
Upsilon Shuttle
VT-49 Decimator

Ranked List

Emperor Palpatine*
Kylo Ren
Rebel Captive
Darth Vader
Systems Officer
Fleet Officer
General Hux
Agent Kallus
Ysanne Isard
Mara Jade
Moff Jerjerrod

Agent Kallus (Imperial Assault Carrier Expansion)

Cost: 2 points

At the start of the first round, choose 1 enemy small or large ship. When attacking or defending against that ship, you may change 1 of your Focus results to a Hit or Evade result.

Ranking– 8
- In the small squadron meta, Kallus can be pretty effective.
Combos
- Whisper (TIE Phantom Pilot)
  - When you bring Whisper, everyone wants to kill her fast. Kallus gives you some defense against whichever ship you feel will be the biggest threat (most likely the ship with a turret). Plus you can potentially save your focus for defense rather than attack so you can use the tokens for when everyone else shoots you.
- Lone Wolf (EPT)
  - Lone Wolf works against blanks, Kallus against focus. Together they give you good offense and defense against one opponent.
- A Score to Settle (EPT)
  - Both of these cards allow you modify one focus result. Combined they give you an offense that can modify two or they let you pick two different ships to get free offensive focus modifications against.

Darth Vader (Lambda Shuttle Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

After you perform an attack against an enemy ship, you may suffer 2 damage to cause that ship to suffer 1 critical damage.

Ranking– 4
- Free damage is always valuable. The cost is pretty steep but it’s worth it when you have a ton of hitpoints and your opponent only has a few.
Combos
- Decimator (Any)
  - With 16 total health and a turret the Decimator is the perfect Vader platform. You have health to spare and can’t be arc dodged. This means you can give those slipper hard to hit ships a crit.
- Gunner (crew)
  - What’s better than Vadering a hard to hit opponent? Vadering them and getting to shoot again. And then Vadering them again!
- TIE Shuttle (Title)
  - Putting Vader on a low PS TIE Bomber might look like a good way to kill your bomber. But at only 19 points it can be a good back up. Either your opponent shoots it first so you can’t Vader or you get to use Vader after your higher PS ships have stripped your target of shields so the crit can go through.

Emperor Palpatine (Imperial Raider Expansion)

Cost: 8 points

Once per round, before a friendly ship rolls dice, you may name a die result. After rolling, you must change 1 of your dice results to the named result. That die result cannot be modified again.

Ranking– 1
- Up until the FAQ change, Palpatine was hands down the most valuable Imperial crew. But now that you have to decide to use him before you even roll your dice? That is hard to say. He has seen far less use. But, he still has a lot of versatility. Need to clear a crit effect? Need to avoid some damage from debris/asteroid? I’d still say he has worth, probably now balanced versus being overpowered.
Combos
- Omicron Group Pilot (Lambda Shuttle Pilot)
  - The classic Palpmobile. At 29 points this is the cheapest way to get Palpatine onto the board.
- Any high agility/low health ships
  - Palpatine is most effective when he can be used on defense to keep fragile ships alive beyond when they should be.

Fleet Officer (VT-49 Decimator Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

Action: Choose up to 2 friendly ships at Range 1-2 and assign 1 focus token to each of those ships. Then receive 1 stress token.

Ranking– 6
- General Hux and Fleet Officer are pretty close in functionality. Hux has more value, with affecting three ships and guaranteeing one damage to get through any defense, but sometimes you just can’t afford those two extra points, making Fleet Officer a good alternative.
Combos
- TIE Shuttle (Title)/Systems Officer (Crew)/TIE mk II (Modification)
  - Throwing a Fleet Officer onto a TIE Shuttle makes them a great support ship. With TIE Mk II equipped as well, your shuttle has nine maneuver choices to clear the stress it gets from using Fleet Officer. With Systems on there as well you’re also giving out a target lock.
- Major Stridan (Upsilon Shuttle Pilot)
  - Major Stridan boosts your support abilities out to range 3 increasing your benefit area.

General Hux (Upsilon Shuttle Expansion)

Cost: 5 points

Action: Choose up to 3 friendly ships at Range 1-2. Assign 1 focus token to each and assign the “Fanatical Devotion” Condition card to 1 of them. Then receive 1 stress token.

Ranking– 7
- General Hux gives you a lot more for your five points than Fleet Officer gives for your three points.
Combos
- Systems Officer (Crew)
  - Throwing Hux onto a TIE Shuttle would be nice but he’s to expensive. But he can still pair well with a system officer.
- Major Stridan (Upsilon Shuttle Pilot)
  - Major Stridan boosts your support abilities out to range 3 increasing your benefit area.

Kylo Ren (Upsilon Shuttle Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

Action: Assign the “I’ll Show You the Dark Side” Condition card to an enemy ship at Range 1-3.

Ranking– 2
- I originally thought Kylo would work better as a pilot. Turns out trading an action to be able to get damage through shields AND costing a ship a round of firing or losing their pilot skill advantage is well worth it.
Combos
- Advanced Targeting Computer
  - ATC’s help you ensure a crit on your attack. Kylo can’t be on the same ship but he can throw his condition on whatever target the ship with ATC has target locked.
- Mangler Cannon (Cannon)
  - Mangler’s help ensure you roll a crit on your attack so you can trigger the condition card.
- Experimental Interface (Modification)/Push the Limits (EPT)
  - Kylo is easier to justify burning an action for if you can get two of them.
- Rear Admiral Chiraneau (VT-49 Decimator)
  - Turning focus to Crits at range 1-2 is another great way to trigger Kylo.

Mara Jade (VT-49 Decimator Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

At the end of the Combat phase, each enemy ship at Range 1 that does not have a stress token receives 1 stress token.

Ranking– 10
- Mara would seem to be very useful, giving out stress to enemy ships for free. Unfortunately, she triggers after combat which reduces some of the value of dishing out a stress, especially when she can not be used to double stress someone. Though, in truth that might be far too powerful.
Combos
- Tractor Beam (Cannon)
  - With a tractor beam you can move a target ship into range 1 of whichever ship has Mara Jade.
- Tactician (Crew)
  - Between these two crew you can dish out stress at either range 1 or 2.

Moff Jerjerrod (VT-49 Decimator Expansion)

Cost: 2 points

When you are dealt a faceup Damage card, you may discard this Upgrade card or another Crew Upgrade card to flip that Damage card facedown (without resolving its effect).

Ranking– 11
- Jerjerrod costs too much for what he gives you. For two points you get to ignore one crit effect, but not the damage. That might come in handy occasionally but for the points and the crew slot it doesn’t feel worth it.
- He could work as a defense against the crit Kylo Ren gives you.
Combos
- Agent Kallus (Crew)
  - If you destroy the ship that Kallus tags early he becomes a useless upgrade later in the game. With Jerjerrod aboard, Kallus gains a second use.
- Inspiring Recruit/Bombardier/Intelligence Agent (Crew)
  - All of these crew are worth only 1 point so you are not sacrificing much to discard them.
- Emperor Palpatine (Crew)
  - Because it would be hilarious.

Rebel Captive (Lambda Shuttle Expansion)

Cost: 3 points

Once per round, the first ship that declares you as the target of an attack immediately receives 1 stress token.

Ranking– 3
- This card works great as a deterrent to anyone shooting you. Anything that messes with your opponents decision on who to shoot is useful.
Combos
- Kylo Ren (Pilot)
  - Kylo’s ability triggers when he gets shot at so adding a Rebel Captive really makes your opponent not want to shoot him.
- Tomax Bren (TIE Bomber pilot) + TIE Shuttle + Tactician
  - Tomax with TIE Shuttle and a tactican means you are dealing stress two different ways. You are also disincentivizing your fragile TIE Bomber from getting shot.

System Officer (Imperial Veterans Expansion)

Cost: 2 points

After you execute a green maneuver, choose another friendly ship at Range 1. That ship may acquire a target lock.

Ranking– 5
- This is a great support card for the cost. Its range is limited but it costs you nothing to trigger its effect.
Combos
- TIE Shuttle (Title)/Fleet Officer (Crew)/TIE mk II (Modification)
  - Throwing a System Officer with TIE mk II on a TIE Shuttle makes it a great support ship. You have nine potential green maneuvers to trigger the ability. Adding an action support crew, that gives you a stress, makes you the ultimate support ship.
- Major Stridan (Upsilon Shuttle Pilot)
  - Major Stridan boosts your support abilities out to range 3 increasing your benefit area. This is super effective for System Officer since it is normally limited to range 1.

Ysanne Isard (VT-49 Decimator Expansion)

Cost: 4 points

At the start of the Combat phase, if you have no shields and at least 1 Damage card assigned to your ship, you may perform a free evade action.

Ranking– 9
- Free evades are nice especially for ships that normally can’t get them.
- Ysanne is a little pricey
Combos
- Push the Limits (EPT) + Engine Upgrade (Mod)
  - Because Ysanne gives you an evade action you can trigger PTL off that action. This allows you to gain an action after every other ship has already moved allowing you to boost out of even the highest pilot skill aces arcs.