A Preview of the TANTIVE IV Expansion Pack for X-Wing (TM)

“What of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near Sullust?”
    –Darth Vader

Gunners, take your stations! The Tantive IV Expansion Pack for X-Wing™ is nearly here!

The Tantive IV arrives at retailers next week, along with its new upgrades and a series of linked missions that highlight its tremendous combat potential. In addition to those new missions, the Tantive IV is also designed for use in the game’s two Epic Play formats, both of which are outlined in the official X-Wing Epic Play tournament rules (pdf, 2.6 MB), hosted on the game’s support page.

Earlier in the month, developers Frank Brooks and Alex Davy presented four squad lists, two Rebel and two Imperial, that gave us our first hint of the Tantive’s role in the battles of the Team Epic format. Today, we look at how the CR90 can dominate the game’s Epic Dogfight format, and Alex Davy presents a versatile, resilient, and hard-hitting squad list in which he illustrates how the Corellian CR90 Corvette can help the Rebellion win that format’s large-scale, head-to-head battles.

The Tantive IV towers over a B-wing and three Imperial fighters in Epic Play.

The Corellian CR90 Corvette in Combat

At ninety squad points, the Corellian CR90 Corvette eats up a massive chunk of your available resources, so how does it hold up in battle?

• For starters, the CR90 features a primary weapon with an attack value of “4” that can fire at enemy ships as far away as Range “5.” Accordingly, if you’re approaching your squad-building with an eye toward your economy of attack dice, shields, and hull points, the CR90 forces another wrinkle into the equations. By firing before other ships are even in range, the CR90 is effectively adding actions and attack dice to your squad.
• Then, how about those shields and hull points? Both the fore and aft sections of the CR90 feature their own shield and hull point values, and altogether, between the two, the ninety points you spend on the CR90 nets you eight shields and sixteen hull points. That makes the CR90 a rather difficult starship to destroy, especially when you factor in the ability to reinforce either the fore or aft section, adding an evade result to each attack against that section made during the round.
• Even after the CR90 takes a pounding, it can use the recover action to spend energy to recover shields. The result is that if your opponent doesn’t throw absolutely everything against your CR90, it has a good chance of surviving and recovering to turn the tide back in your favor. Of course, if your opponent does focus all of his guns against the CR90, that means your other ships are free to wreak havoc.
• Meanwhile, the CR90 can spend energy to fire powerful secondary weapons like Single Turbolasers and Quad Laser Cannons. Because you can equip up to two of these hardpoint weapons on the CR90’s fore section and another on the aft section, your CR90 may perform as many as four attacks each turn, all with attack values starting at three or four.
• The CR90 also has access to a number of upgrades that simply aren’t available to smaller ships. For example, the Rebel Transport Expansion Pack introduced several members of the Echo Base command, including Toryn Farr, Carlist Rieekan, and Jan Dodonna. It also introduced the WED-15 Repair Droid, which could partner with the R2-D2 from the Tantive IV Expansion Pack to work fast repairs on your ship every turn. Also in the Tantive IV Expansion Pack, Raymus Antilles works wonders when his CR90 is supported by starfighters with Ion Cannon Turrets or Ion Cannons.
• Finally, as a huge ship, the CR90 simply obliterates any small or large starships that get in its way. If a small or large starship gets caught in its path, that ship is destroyed… no attack rolls necessary. This means that the mere presence of a Corellian CR90 Corvette in your squad is likely to force your opponent to adjust his intended flight patterns.

All together, the CR90 can harness its raw bulk, its primary and secondary weapons, and its many possible crew options in order to punch gaping holes in enemy squadrons.

The CR90’s ability to attack enemy fighters as far away as Range “5” makes it a powerful threat nearly anywhere on the battlefield!

What, then, would an Epic Dogfight squad look like that features the CR90? Developer Alex Davy presents his list below:

This is a utilitarian list, with a tool for every occasion. The CR90 and Han Solo are both durable, powerful heavy-hitters capable of taking out enemy aces and providing fire support where necessary. Wedge Antilles can help the Green Squadron Pilot fire an alpha strike with its Assault Missiles at pilot skill “9,” and this attack should be backed up by a focus token, thanks to Push the Limit. Meanwhile, the Y-wing relies upon its durability and Ion Cannon Turret to take some of the pressure off of the elites in the list, and the B-wing with Advanced Sensors is simply a solid, flexible dogfighter well suited to supporting any strategy.

The Tantive IV shown in the heat of battle during an Epic Dogfight.

Decide the Fate of the Galaxy

With the release of the Rebel Transport Expansion Pack and the upcoming release of the Tantive IV Expansion Pack, more than ever, X-Wing allows you to decide the fate of the galaxy. In Epic Play, the game’s fast-paced dogfights are transformed into massive space battles, the outcomes of which will shape the course of history!

Prepare to take your stand for the Rebellion or the Galactic Empire. The Tantive IV Expansion Pack is coming.

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