Synergy and Advantages.

In this post we are going to discuss Synergy as an essential part of your strategy and tactics during the game.
So what is Synergy? The word means "an interaction of two or more actors which results in combined effect greater than sum of its separate parts".  What it means in the world of x-wing miniatures game? Simply put, by creating right synergy with correct build and play style you gain a significant advantage over your opponent. 

focusing your attention is a
good example of Synergy

What advantages can you get in the game, in a first place? Lets me list some of the most common and important. 

1) Weight of fire: if you roll more attack dice than defender gets green dice, you have a clear advantage. 

2) Higher Initiative: if you shoot first, or at least on the same initiative as defender, you gain a chance to deal damage without taking damage yourself.    

3) Defencive bonus: with fragile or heavier ship taking less or avoiding damage altogether is a question of victory.  

4) Improved Damage per round: essential to any ship, as shown by double tap trick, or simple re-roll makes a difference in any game. 

5) Extra actions: a very broad term for getting two or more actions per tern.

Those are advantages you get when you build your list and provided you play for your advantages you get during the game. Now lets have a look at synergies which provide us with this goodness. 

Synergy 1: Focus your attacks

It really as simple as it reads, if your concentrate fire of two ships against one, then you are more likely to destroy that ship in one salvo of your guns. Though, there are some limitations, it still is a simplest way to take down one ship of similar size per turn. Two TIE Fighters firing at x-wing from Range 1, on  average will produce 3-4 hits, while x-wings will evade only 2 hits from two attackers.Thought it is not a guaranteed one shot kill, it is still a damage and potential critical. Easiest way to maintain that synergy is to keep your ships in formation, or in scissors position, where two or more ships are firing at one target from different angles.  Your main advantage here is Weight of Fire and Improved damage per round. 

• Some aspects of this synergy are tricky. Namely: controlled bump. If your manoeuvre dial does not allow you get into most favourable position, to place Target lock and Focus, place your ship in position where at least it will bump friendly ship, at this way puts opponent into your firing ark. Advanced sensors are the best cure for this difficulty, as it allows you to take your action before you reveal your dial.    

Synergy 2: Shield and bait 

While you playing the game it is useful to try to understand opponents strategy. To do so look at how he is distributing his attacks and actions. If he shoots at anything coming close to him, does not flank or denies your actions, there is a good chance that does not have a battle plan. In this case, you can place a heavy shielded ship with Tactical Jammer to provide an extra defence die for any of your ships behind. Combined with range bonuses and natural agility, you will increase chances of your survival. 

The aspect of the bait has got a name, of Biggs Darklighter. Not surprisingly one of the most used cards in Rebel lists, ties up entire opposing force to a one target leaving them exposed and vulnerable to flanking. He however is not alone, Empire has its version, named Captain Kagi. His ability reads: "When enemy ship acquires a Target Lock it must lock onto your ship if able". Though not as powerful as Biggs it still allows some distraction and  robs significant advantage from opponent.   

Closest is not the most dangerous one

The bait, may be executed by ordinary ships. The main objective of bait is to distract opponents fire from other ships  or place opponent into a position where the rest of your force can have a significant advantage. Also, bait could be played by weak ship with powerful weapon or ability, for example Doom Shuttle (Lambda shuttle + Darth Vader), which will attract attention as it is an easy target, thus allowing rest of your fleet a flanking bonus or free roam for as long as shuttle lives. 

• For example, attacker has two ships covering one area of the board. In Range 1 of attacker, they got a Decimator with no shields and Ysanne Isard on board, and in Range 2 cloaked Phantom with evade token. Phantom is a main threat for attacker's fleet, who has less than manoeuvrable ships, but Decimator have put himself into their gun sights, and has TL on one of the ships. Attacker calculates his options, 3 dice vs 4 evade dice + evade token twice, or same 3 attack dice vs one evade token. Then attacker chooses to shoot at Decimator and takes down only  4 hull points, loses one of his ships in return fire, and loses the game, as Phantom keeps outmanoeuvring and damaging his ships.    

      

Synergy 3: Hit hard and fast.

There is no point arguing about the importance of hight Pilot Skill. However due to points restrictions you cannot field many ships with PS higher than 7. In most cases you will be stuck with duo or trident of elite pilots. The five ships or more builds, must rely on Swarm Tactics as well as pilots abilities to provide that much needed first knock-out strike, on most dangerous for you target.

When using swarm tactics, you main advantages are High Initiative and Defensive bonus. 

•  Now that Swarm tactics and Kyle Katarn, technically allow Rebels to fire at least two ships at PS 12, but somehow this combo is not often used in tournament play.  Phantoms, in their elite configuration must also rely on their high PS in order to deliver killing blow and cloak back to avoid incoming fire. Higher PS also allows you certain freedom from Initiative routine, even if you lost an Initiative you still firing first. 

Synergy 4: Mutual support 

This synergy could be expanded to cover many aspects including those described earlier. Some practical examples and notes on what advantages mutual support gives you are explained below. 

it helps to have friendly support

• Cover blind spots: Meaning areas where it most likely to be attacked from must be covered with at least one ship to provide return fire. For example, Firespray is moving into a position which leaves its flank exposed to an enemy attack from the left. To counter that, a TIE Fighter performs a K-turn, and positions between attacker and Firespray. When attacked, TIE either dodges shots aimed for Firespray, or returns fire to attacker, denying him an unpunished attack.   
• Stay in formation: many abilities specify their effective range, and leaving that range without significant reason is pointless. Formation allows you to Focus your attacks, gain Weight of fire and Improve your damage per round. For example, Captain Jonus flying in Range 1 of other TIE-Bombers and Firespray with heavy laser cannon allows a free re-roll when using secondary weapons. 
• Use pilots abilities and Elite talents: thought it seem obvious, over and over you will come across players who do not know or forget under stress of combat skills of their pilots. However your main synergy is born from combination of Abilities, Elite Talents and upgrade cards. Some examples of this synergy:

• Wedge Antilles with Outmanoeuvre. His ability allows him to decrease ships agility by -1. With Outmanoeuvre he decreases it by -2. 

• Darth Vader with Marksmanship and Cluster Missiles. Having an ability to perform two actions, he may opt to use Marksmanship and Focus or Target Lock. With 6 dice on cluster missiles it provides at least 2 Critical and 2 normal hits.  

• Bobba Fett + Navigator. Allows you to change your bank movement into any bank in any direction.

• Kyle Katarn (crew member) + Recon Specialist:+ Push the limit and Jan Ors (crew member) on another ship: Kyle's ability allow you to assign a focus token after you remove stress from the ship. Then, Recon specialist gives you two focus token. Then Jan Ors allows you to replace one focus with evade token. You still may take any action, and Push the limit for another stress token.

• Colonel Jendon + ST321+ Weapons Engineer+ Colones Vessery. ST321 title allows you to acquire Target Lock on ship anywhere on the board, Weapons Engineer gives you two TL, then Jendon:s ability allows him to pass one blue TL to a ship in Range 1. Vessery automatically gains TL if someone else has a TL on his target.  

• Marek Steele + Marksmanship. Steele's ability allows you to deal 3 face up damage cards and choose one, every time you cause a critical hit. So Marksmanship comes in handy with guaranteed one critical. 

List of possible combinations is very long and practically endless. None of the combination does not give an ultimate solution to all variants of opponent's lists, neither it gives guaranteed superiority. What is does, it gives player an edge, and if used correctly, and with a bit of luck it helps you win. Most of the synergies mentioned above had an effect only on one or two ships, with exception of Swarm Tactics. But best synergies  those which work for you during the game, which affect you fleet as whole and deny advantages to the opponent are those you have practised.  

Starwolf out.