Monday, January 23, 2017

How to make a unique Mindlink list that doesn't die and fall apart immediately Pt. 1

                                        

Like many of you that are rebelling against the defender meta, I have been playing a lot with Mindlink. These lists are an effort to bump up action efficiency for ships that generally suffer. The results are ships that have always costed just a bit too much suddenly can play ball against the strongest 2-3 ship lists out there right now.

This will be a simple two part post. Part 1 is just an introduction for newer players to the card and how to start the combos. Part 2 is an examination of what makes strong mindlink lists strong and some home-brewed lists I have made. A lot of this information will be very basic to veteran players, but it is hard to dive into content without setting a strong foundation.


Two copies of Attanni Mindlink come in the Jumpmaster5000 expansion for X-wing. So, buy two, crush your opponents at a Saturday tournament with Dengaroo, and fly casual with some Mindlink on X-wing night!

The card is simple enough. Basically, it is a binary:

  1. A ship with Attanni Mindlink gets a focus (from any source) 
  2. Every other ship with Attanni Mindlink checks to see if they also have a focus 
  3. If they do have a focus, the card does not trigger 
  4. If they do not have a focus, assign one to them


The same flowchart works for stress as well.
  1. A ship with Attanni Mindlink gets a stress (from any source) 
  2. Every other ship with Attanni Mindlink checks to see if they also have a stress 
  3. If they do have a stress, the card does not trigger 
  4. If they do not have a stress, assign one to them

The beauty of this card is that, theoretically, every ship in your list beside one gets two actions without having to stress. The downside of this card is stress management extends beyond the single ship gaining the stress.



buuuuuttttttt... Do I have to put Mindlink on every ship?

I have play-tested a fair amount with two mindlinks and a party bus or two mindlinks + other. The problem you run into is that with only two mindlink ships, your combo shuts off completely when either ship carrying mindlink is taken off. For me, I like to have at least 3 mindlinks in a list. That way the list will still operate after the first ship goes down.

The only exception I see for this would be something involving Brobots. The IG pilots and crew spend all of their points on just helping the other bro bot (because they are generally too expensive to get 3 out there), so two is all they need.

Because Mindlink is Scum only and requires an EPT slot, there are only so many ships that can take it. Before we list build, it is best to lay out exactly who can participate. Let's just start looking at the numbers:


  • Pilots that can take mindlink
    • Aggressor 
      • IG-88A (36) Unique
      • IG-88B (36) Unique
      • IG-88C (36) Unique
      • IG-88D (36) Unique
    • Firespray
      • Mandalorian Mercenary (35)
      • Kath Scarlet (38) Unique
      • Boba Fett (39) Unique
    • G-1A Starfighter
      • Gand Findsman (25)
      • 4-Lom (27) Unique
      • Zuckuss (28) Unique
    • HWK-290
      • Palob Godalhi (20) Unique
      • Dace Bonearm (23) Unique
    • JumpMaster 5000
      • Contracted Scout (25)
      • Manaroo (27) Unique
      • Tel Trevura (30) Unique
      • Dengar (33) Unique
    • Kihrax Fighter
      • Black Sun Ace (23)
      • Talonbane Cobra Unique
    • Lancer-class Pursuit Craft
      • Asajj Ventress (37) Unique
      • Ketsu Onyo (38) Unique
    • M3-A Interceptor
      • Tansarii Point Veteran (17) 
      • Serisu (20) Unique
    • Protectorate Starfighter
      • Concord Dawn Veteran (22)
      • Concord Dawn Ace (23)
      • Kad Solus (25) Unique
      • Old Teroch (26) Unique
      • Fenn Rau (28) Unique
    • StarViper
      • Guri (30) Unique
      • Prince Xizor (31) Unique
    • YV-666
      • Bossk (35) Unique
    • Y-Wing
      • Kavil (24) Unique
    • Z-95
      • Kaa-To Leeachos (15) Unique
      • N'Dru Suhlak Unique
So, there are 33 ships that can hold MindLink. There are 7 generics and 26 unique pilots. But, to make the most of the card, we want ships that can mess with focuses. That means we need to find ships that naturally pair with Mindlink.



Step 1: know your mindlink's link




Now, what actually makes these abilities so good is that they happen at the start of combat. That means that they each have a way of re-triggering Mindlink after the movement phase. 



How does this work?

An opponent gets a series of bumps and/or control to stop Palob, Fenn, and Old Teroch from getting a focus during the movement phase. At the start of combat phase, Palob grabs a focus from an opponent. This triggers Mindlink, and Fenn + Old Teroch also get their focus. 

Manaroo activates Mindlink and Fenn gets a focus. At the start of combat, Manaroo passes her focus to him, giving him two, and activates Mindlink, giving her one!



That is great! How do I choose which one?

Well, I think before we can decide that we have to understand what our four friends are bringing to the table

  1. Manaroo (27): By far the strongest Mindlink support ship. Slap K4 and Mindlink for 31 points of target lock + focus passing awesome-ness. I have run her at 31-37 points, and she is always pulling her weight. Be warned, all opponents know Manaroo is the source of your power, sinking too many points into her will only result in unused points when she gets focused down and killed
  2. Palob (20): Palob is a low cost control ship that wants to steal tokens/make your opponent not take them. Palob can be run at 21-23 points (cloaking device helps his staying power) for a cheap control ship whose only job is generating focus tokens for your aces. Or, you can slap a TLT for a anti-dive mechanic to your turret list. 
  3. Guri (30): Guri is a low Pilot Skill, high cost Ace. By herself, she has proven to not be able to perform well against more efficient aces. Guri isn't someone you will usually take as your main support ship, but rather to beef up a list that wants to joust. To me, Guri would fit in well with some Protectorate Mindlinks for some fun jousting shenanigans. 
  4. Kaa'to (15): Kaa'to is the cheap Mindlink support for a 4-5 Mindlink list. he gives the ever important option of being able to replace any lost focuses in your list by taking a friendly one. By doing that, he gets at least 2 focuses and everyone in the list replenishes theirs. Slap guidance chips and munitions of choice for more opponent priority. 




Do I have to put one in my list?

I would actually say it is not necessary that every list have one of these 4 ships in it. That being said, I think each of these ships offers security to the mindlink cause. And, with their varying roles/points, you can usually find a place for one in your list. 




Step 2: Pick your list type

Let's revisit our four support ships, but make them simpler.

  1. Manaroo: 2 Ace + Support (think Palp Aces)
  2. Palob: Control lists / TLT lists
  3. Guri: Triple Aces or Guri + Support + budget ace 
  4. Kaa'to: Swarm


So, you now have a general idea of how the four different Mindlink link ships work. What are you going to fly with them? For 2 Ace + Support lists, I like to choose a pilot I have always liked, but that I felt cost too much/just didn't have the ability to compete.

For example, I think Kath Scarlet has a great ability and a ton of health, but 38 points base is expensive. I could put just Kath + Mindlink + Tail Gunner with Manaroo + Mindlink + K4 and still have 28 points to play with. Kath could have 2-3 focuses and a target lock per round, and still have the control of keeping things out of her rear arc. 


Thanks for reading Part 1! In Part 2, I will be going over different successful Mindlink lists, what makes them successful, and I'll share some fun home-brewed lists to get you going. 

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