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http://fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4886

I'm really liking it what I see. I haven't really thought much about the application of the 2nd unique pilot's ability yet, but I can putting the Refit on him to bring him to 20 points and working him in as a 4th ship, maybe to replace the generic X in XXBB?. The Proton Rockets seem cool, but I've not really been a fan of the discard weapons, maybe it is still being new but even then I don't see them showing up that often from either lists posted, or what I see people playing locally. All in all, I'm really looking forward to Rebel Aces. The A-Wing is my favorite fighter from the movies, and I can see myself picking up quite a few of these to get that paint scheme and a flight of them on the table.

It looks like Proton Rockets really a gift to TIE Advanced. They're tough enough to get close, and get 5 dice. The Rockets don't require any tokens to be spent, so the optimal shot is 5 dice, hitting 75% of the time using a Focus token, with a re-roll from a Target Lock. That's pretty much 5 hits if you can pull it off. Using just a Target Lock and holding the Focus token is a pretty decent way to fish for a Critical Hit. You have 5/8ths of a chance to get one on the first hit, and probably 2/8ths or 3/8ths to get one on on re-rolls.

Man, those Proton Rockets look tasty on Advanced and A-Wings. Green Squadron w/ Predator and Rockets for 25 points.

Edit: I just realized that it has a built-in Deadeye, wow.

IMO:

The rockets are great. On an a-wing it's a tough call between them and the refit, since they're effectively five points instead of three. But on other ships it's a pretty appealing choice. And don't let the awesome results on the a-wing and TIE advanced make you overlook their usefulness on two-agility ships. Four dice with focus is still a pretty good shot on a z-95 or TIE bomber and worth considering.

The new pilot is amazing. Cheap point cost, and now every a-wing gets at least one EPT thanks to the title card. At 23 points with PTL this is going to be an interesting substitute for an x-wing in XXBB and similar lists. You're effectively negating the bonus die your opponent gets at range 1, so feel free to be aggressive and boost in close to hit them harder. I'm not sure I'd want to invest too many points in upgrades when there are probably better options in the 25-30 point range, but as a fairly cheap ship I'm definitely interested.

 Chumbalaya wrote:
Edit: I just realized that it has a built-in Deadeye, wow.

Yeah, this is a really underrated part. No target lock = no having to pick your target in advance. It's going to be a huge help for low-PS ships that often have trouble setting up target locks.

I can't wait to try this out on my A wings. They are my favorite ships to fly (E Wing may take their place though), so I am very happy about this release.