The Space Bone-Arm crew is back with a Hot or Not: Republic Edition article highlighting the May 2023 points change! Today we will be highlighting the Republic faction! They’ve been seeing a bit of a surge in play lately with a new 3-Arc archetype emerging, so I’m excited to share our feelings on the overall changes that the faction received.
As with all the “Hot or Not” articles, I like to start with brief recap about the format; I polled the Space Bone-Arm crew and asked them to judge a selection of pilots in a segment titled “Hot (
) or Not (
)”, where we judge X-wing pilot (not people!) strength post May points changes. Members of the Bone-Arm crew were presented with a single pilot and their respective changes, asked to declare “Hot” or “Not”, and then given an opportunity to provide a short explanation for their vote. I then source a longer format “overall” opinion from a squadmate that has experience flying the selected faction in a competitive environment.
As with all previous faction reviews, the majority of included pilots saw their loadout/squad values changed, but a couple of pilots remained at their previous values (points are relative, so it’s good to include some of the static pilots). We’ve previously covered the three original factions (the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance, and Scum and Villainy) and both sequel faction (the First Order and the Resistance). This means that it’s time to tackle one of the prequel factions, the Galactic Republic.
If you’re interested in just a few of our opinions, feel free to scroll down or use the Table of Contents to find the pilots you care the most about! I hope it’s a fun read!
Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
“Wolffe”: ARC-170 Starfighter
Old: 5 points and 12 loadout.
New: 4 points and 9 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Torpedo, Astromech, Gunner, Gunner, Modification
Steve: Hot! All that health, three red dice, and free mods? Yeah, I take that for four points every time.
Kevin: Hot! Competes with Siege of Coruscant (SoC) Wolffe now. Can fit R4-P and Veteran Tail Gunner on him still, which feels solid. You probably take this version if SoC Jag isn’t in your list.
Sean: Hot! I’ve always been a big fan of Wolffe and it’s great to see him at a cheaper prices, but the increase in Veteran Tail Gunner and increase in ship counts may cause him to struggle in the new meta.
Ted: Hot! This guy always felt like a boss. Cheaper? He’s a hawty.
Jon: Not! Not enough loadout to be taken over Siege of Coruscant Wolffe.
Final Verdict: Hot ! Near unanimous! Custom “Wolffe” is a very good ship that now competes with his SoC version. You probably want to take SoC if he’s paired with “Jag” due to the ability synergy, but if you’re looking at double Arc list? Custom “Wolffe” is one of your guys (see below for the other).
“Odd Ball”: Siege of Coruscant
Old: 5 points.
New: 4 points.
Steve: Hot! Again, super great value. He’s i5, gets selfless, an extra shield, and a droid to help with that tough dial.
Kevin: Hot! Probably the go-to solo Arc now.
Sean: Hot! He gets some good support abilities but can still do some damage. Will need to put him on the table.
Ted: Hot! Steal bby.
Jon: Hot! Extra shield, four points, i5. More upgrades than you can shake a stick at.
Verdict: Hot ! I’m surprised AMG was so aggressive with SoC “Odd Ball’s” pricing this points change. Four points is super value for a 10 health ship that has a decent ability, double arcs, and 11 points of upgrades (not including Born For This). This will be a Republic staple.
“Sinker”: ARC-170 Starfighter
Old: 6 points and 18 loadout.
New: 5 points and 15 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Torpedo, Astromech, Crew, Gunner, Gunner, Modification
Steve: Not! Good ability, but he’s never going to see play when LAATs and four point Arcs exist.
Kevin: Not! I’d still rather take a LAAT for five points.
Sean: Not! The Republic has a lot of strong options for five points. He’s not a bad choice and may work for your list, but in my opinion, take something else.
Ted: Not! Take a four cost, nerd.
Jon: Not! For the five points, you’re not going to take him over a four point Arc or Sicko anyways.
Verdict: Not ! Despite dropping a point, and retaining his crew slot, “Sinker” is still deemed “Not hot” by the Space Bone-Arm crew. As mentioned, five points is a very competitive spot and it doesnt help that LAAT “Sicko” can give more versatile rerolls while still carrying ordinance (Barrage Rockets) to retain three dice attacks and that many of the SoC four point Arcs can easily acquire their own double mods through their abilities.
“Broadside”: BTL-B Y-wing
Old: 4 points and 13 loadout.
New: 3 points and 10 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Turret, Astromech, Payload, Modification (Lost Torpedo and Gunner slots)
Steve: Hot! Another beefy ship with free mods. If he can hold his focus, that’s good value for three points.
Kevin: Hot! Cheap, solid ability while being beefy. Checks the hot boxes.
Sean: Not! “Matchstick” is just better.
Ted: Hot! I do love me a three point Y-wing, but this faction might not need it.
Jon: Hot! Always a staple and, for three points, a great filler piece.
Verdict: Hot ! A three point Y-wing with a solid ability (and loadout to use it) feels pretty good. Slap an Ion Cannot Turret on him, with either bombs or R4-P, and you have yourself a really solid filler ship that doesn’t need friends around to be effective. Only issue is getting that side arc off consistently against higher initiative ships.
“Matchstick”: BTL-B Y-wing
Old: 5 points and 18 loadout.
New: 3 points and 9 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Turret, Astromech, Payload, Modification (Lost Torpedo and Gunner slots)
Steve: Not! He feels pretty good, but I don’t think you want to use up friendly locks on this ship or get it stressed.
Kevin: Not! So many of the Republic ships get free locks or want to lock enemy ships. I think he’s good, but you need the right list to not force things to your detriment.
Sean: Hot! His ability synergizes with the chassis. Oftentimes, a red action or maneuver (which Y-wings have a decent amount) will leave the ship unmodified. Matchstick’s ability mitigates that.
Ted: Hot! I think I’d take all these Y-wings in any other faction. Stupid purple.
Jon: Hot! I’m enjoying the consistent re-rolls while flying him for three points.
Verdict: Hot ! While Steve and I aren’t sold (I don’t think he’s “insert into list and forget” good), “Matchstick” is looking pretty hot to the crew! For three points, you can have a double-modded ion turret Y-wing causing chaos. He’s not going to pump out damage, but Aces have to respect the ion.
R2-D2: BTL-B Y-wing
Old: 4 points and 14 loadout.
New: 3 points and 9 loadout.
Slots: Sensor, Turret, Torpedo, Crew, Payload, Payload, Modification (Lost Gunner slot)
Steve: Not! Unless there is some crew you can sneak in there, I don’t see the value.
Kevin: Not! I guess he can take Hondo or a support oriented Force crew. Too bad they removed the Gunner slot as “Wolfpack” would’ve been fun on him.
Sean: Not! His ability is hard to set up for a mediocre award. Plus, “Matchstick” is the same cost.
Ted: Hot! Got a crew. He’s ready for Creepio time.
Jon: Not! “Matchstick” or “Broadside” seem to be a bit better, but also if you have SoC Anakin, you can’t take him.
Verdict: Not ! Poor R2-D2. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him on the board. If you put a decent crew on him, you can’t fit Ion Cannon Turret or a Torpedo, which doesn’t feel great. Maybe someone can find a use for him, but there are plenty of other three point options in the faction.
Plo Koon: Delta-7 Aethersprite
Old: 5 points and 8 loadout.
New: 5 points and 14 loadout.
Slots: Force, Talent, Astromech, Configuration, Modification
Steve: Not! Is five points just too much to invest for a non-i6? Outmaneuver Plo could be rude.
Kevin: Not! He can take Outmaneuver now, but I don’t think you’re spending five points on him still.
Sean: Hot! He’s right on the cusp between Hot or Not. I personally would take Kenobi or Gallia in the same ship for the same cost, but if Koon works in your list, this is a great buff for him.
Ted: Not! I don’t like this ship.
Jon: Not! I don’t think I’ve seen Plo flown since 2.0 and this isn’t helping him get any more table time. Gotta drop him to four to see him flown.
Verdict: Not ! Poor Plo. The five cost i5 with an unreliable “third” red dice doesn’t sell super well at the moment. They keep throwing loadout at him, but it’s not sticking. Adi Gallia (comparable two Force +i5) might have a bit lower loadout, but her ability feels far more impactful. No one wants their i5, five point ace to be purposefully depleted when games only last 6ish round.
Anakin Skywalker: Delta-7B Aethersprite
Old: 7 points and 15 loadout.
New: Unchanged.
Slots: Force, Force, Talent, Astromech, Modification
Steve: Hot! He remains one of the strongest ships in the game.
Kevin: Hot! He’s always hot.
Sean: Hot! Is he extremely expensive? Yes, but he is just that good. Arguably the biggest aces to ever ace.
Ted: Hot! He rood.
Jon: Not! He’s good, but you can get another ship in with SoC ETA Ani.
Verdict: Hot ! Delta-7B Anakin has been a staple of the faction when priced low enough to play. Seven points might still be a lot, but he’s a terror on the table. A well flown Anakin can bring games back from the brink. The better question is usually “can you use the other 13 squad points to make a good list around him?”
Plo Koon: Delta-7B Aethersprite
Old: 7 points and 17 loadout.
New: 7 points and 19 loadout.
Slots: Force, Talent, Astromech, Modification
Steve: Not!
Kevin: Not! Why take this for seven when Anakin exists?
Sean: Not! The extra firepower and shields are not worth the two squad points.
Ted: Not! Big orange. Just take Anakin.
Jon: Not! Not going to take Plo at seven.
Verdict: Not ! Hard to justify taking Plo when Delta-7B Anakin exists at the same price point. You can probably figure out a way to run two Delta-7Bs, but Obi provides more force and Adi provides a better ability. Pumping Plo up with more loadout doesn’t look like it will work for his Delta-7 version. Not surprised that its not working here either.
“Boost” and “Slider”: Clone Z-95 Headhunter
Old: 3 points and 8 loadout.
New: 2 points and 3 loadout.
“Boost” slots: Talent, Talent, Sensor, Modification, Versatile Frame
“Slider” slots: Talent, Talent, Sensor, Modification, Modification, Versatile Frame
Steve: Only “Slider” is Hot! “Slider” has a much more reliable ability for two points.
Kevin: Only “Slider” is Hot! “Slider” has a better ability for their initiatives (and a higher initiative himself). I don’t think you typically want to take both given the strength of the faction’s four point ships.
Sean: Only “Slider” is Hot! Both are fine filler ships, but “Slider” is stronger due to his unpredictability during the Activation Phase. Could be helpful for snatching objectives too.
Ted: Both are Hot! Why do they get two of them?
Jon: Both are Hot! Squirrely two pointers are great for objective running or just getting in the way. I almost put them in my list as soon as I got them.
Verdict: Just “Slider” is ! Two two point ships in Republic?! These at least seem a lot more fair than two point Contrail way back when. While both ships seem pretty solid for two points, the majority of the crew is only onboard with “Slider”. I don’t think any of us think “Boost” is bad, but if choosing between the two of them, “Slider” is the probable play. You can also probably play both…but the four pointers in the faction are pretty great.
Mace Windu: Delta-7B Aethersprite
Old: 6 points and 8 loadout.
New: 5 points and 7 loadout.
Slots: Force, Force, Astromech, Modification
Steve: Not! Five points is solid for this platform, but I think that there is better stuff to take.
Kevin: Hot! Five points for a Delta-7B with three Force is pretty good.
Sean: Hot! The Delta-7B is such a strong ship. To get it with three Force for five points is too good an opportunity.
Ted: Not! Arcs are way more economical.
Jon: Hot! Feels about right for where the Delta-7B is. Good choice for five points, but just hope he doesn’t blank out.
Verdict: Hot ! Close vote for the crew. Steve and Ted might be correct that, when it comes to list building, there just isn’t room for Delta-7B Mace. That said, five points for such a great chassis with three Force is a pretty good deal when middle-initiative Delta-7s cost four points. I don’t envy AMG’s next large scale points decisions if this can’t see play for five points.
Anakin Skywalker: ETA-2 Actis
Old: 6 points and 20 loadout.
New: 5 points and 15 loadout.
Slots: Force, Force, Talent, Cannon, Astromech, Modification
Steve: Not! Never going to take him when the four point Siege of Coruscant version exists.
Kevin: Not! He’d probably be hot if the next ship didn’t exist.
Sean: Not! Unban autoblasters.
Ted: Not! I hate this ship.
Jon: Not! I think for how quickly it can die, the Siege of Coruscant cost is much more effective.
Verdict: Not ! ETAs have struggled to see the table in X-wing 2.5 and I doubt a cheaper custom version of ETA Anakin will make a difference. He’s going to need more than 15 loadout points for any of us to really consider him and even then…the Siege of Coruscant version looks far more appealing.
Anakin Skywalker: Siege of Coruscant
Old: 5 points.
New: 4 points.
Steve: Hot! Very good ship, but has to be flown well.
Kevin: Hot! Four points is cheap for a little ace. Low floor and ceiling on this, but at least you don’t feel awful when your four point ship explodes.
Sean: Hot! A strong choice for four points.
Ted: Not! Still hate this ship.
Jon: Hot! Four point i6 is king.
Verdict: Hot ! Complete vote reversal once we lower the cost of an i6 ETA to four points! He won’t punch as hard as the kitted out i5 version, but you’re getting way more value per squad point. SoC Ani will probably see the table quite a bit because who doesn’t love an i6 ship at a near filler points cost?
“Axe”: Siege of Coruscant
Old: 4 points.
New: 3 points.
Steve: Hot! Three points for Born For This and Barrage Rockets is very nice.
Kevin: Hot! Barrage Rockets and Born For This are great. Unfortunately, those two things don’t really play nice with one another (you want the evade to support your aces or you/your friends get shot before i3 and you spent the focus before attacking).
Sean: Not! Never in good conscience will I play a V-19 unless I absolutely have to (or memes).
Ted: Not! I mean, you can take an i5 for the same price.
Jon: Hot! Is this a TIE Bomber? (insert meme here)
Verdict: Hot ! “Axe” barely squeezes into hot territory! He’s not going to be your first three point choice, but his ability, Born For This, and Barrage Rockets makes for a nice little package. I doubt he sees the table a ton due to competition, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it into a successful list or two.
Shaak Ti: ETA-2 Actis
Old: 5 points and 18 loadout.
New: 4 points and 10 loadout.
Slots: Force, Force, Talent, Cannon, Astromech, Modification
Steve: Not! I don’t think you want more than one ETA in a list and that one will always be SoC Anakin.
Kevin: Not! You probably take Anakin first unless you have the perfect list for her ability.
Sean: Hot! Extremely useful ability that opens up many options for your next turn.
Ted: Hot! I hate this ship, but I don’t hate holding tokens.
Jon: Not! She’s almost a coordinator, great for second turn, probably less useful for other turns.
Verdict: Not ! The points changes feel like a shift in the right direction to get pilots like Shaak Ti on the table, but it just falls short for the crew. Her ability is great, but feels very niche. I bet there is an incredibly defensive Born For This token stacking list that she could enable. Outside of that, its hard to justify taking her over SoC Ani (or Obi).
“Odd Ball”: Nimbus-class V-wing
Old: 4 points and 12 loadout.
New: 3 points and 9 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Torpedo, Astromech, Modification, Configuration
Steve: Not! Not the strongest iteration of “Odd Ball”.
Kevin: Not! He really should be hot, but four point SoC Arc “Odd Ball” exists…
Sean: Not! As much as I hate that little bugger, Klick is a better use of three points.
Ted: Not! Pay one more for an Arc breh.
Jon: Not! Just spend the extra point for the Arc.
Verdict: Not ! I’ll give it to AMG, they’re trying to get us to fly “Odd Ball” in the V-wing. Unfortunately, their aggressive SoC Arc pricing has pretty much pushed out every other version of “Odd Ball”. If SoC Arc “Odd Ball” goes back up to five squad points, you might finally see this iteration on the table as a cheap i5 Plasma Torpedo carrier.
Yoda: ETA-2 Actis
Old: 5 points and 16 loadout.
New: 4 points and 12 loadout.
Slots: Force, Force, Cannon, Astromech, Modification
Steve: Not! I do love that ship art tho.
Kevin: Not! Jedi costs are a hot mess and I don’t envy AMG trying to make these things playable.
Sean: Not! He has a great ability for the Republic, but is in a flimsy chassis. As such, I feel like I would need to play him off to the side so that I can keep his ability active. To me, just an ability isn’t worth four points. However, he might work better in objective play, which can reward ships away from the action.
Ted: Hot! Green boi so hawt.
Jon: Not! If you’re going to spend four points on an ETA, just bring SoC Anakin. Flying a support ship that can die so quickly is scary.
Verdict: Not ! Poor Yoda. As with many of the non-Ani Jedi that we’ve seen, I’m not exactly sure how AMG gets these odd pilots on the table. Yoda’s ability, on paper, feels really strong in a Jedi-based squad. Unfortunately, his low initiative is coupled to a super fragile chassis that doesn’t want to sit more than one enemy arc at a time. He probably can’t be three points…but I doubt tossing more loadout at Yoda ever fixes his chassis+initiative issue.
Bo-Katan Kryze: Gauntlet Fighter
Old: 7 points and 20 loadout.
New: 6 points and 12 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Crew, Torpedo, Gunner, Payload, Illicit, Modification, Modification, Configuration, Title (Gained Illicit slot. Lost two Missile slots.)
Steve: Not! Gauntlets just aren’t good. That dial and lack of shields is crippling.
Kevin: Hot! She’s actually not hot, but I want the Republic’s singular large base ship to be hot. I tried to make her work, but its even more difficult now with the loadout cut.
Sean: Not! The gauntlet doesn’t mesh well with the Republics playstyle. Her low loadout doesn’t help either.
Ted: Not! Oh, I was thinking about her CIS version. This is a pass.
Jon: Hot! Bae-Katan, gotta love her. I just wish there was another option for a named Gauntlet in the Republic.
Verdict: Not ! Poor Bo-Katan. She’s a fairly cool character (or at least “interesting”) that has such an awful ability for Republic. She can be reasonably tanky with C-3PO crew, but flying a Gauntlet as a points fortress isn’t exactly a good time. I’m not sure they can ever make her good…so just please give us another Republic pilot!
“Hawk”: LAAT/i Gunship
Old: 5 points and 12 loadout.
New: 6 points and 25 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Missile, Missile, Crew, Crew, Gunner, Gunner, Modification
Steve: Hot! I think he’s got enough LV to justify six points. Also, he can boost himself and I’ve been caught off-guard by that before.
Kevin: Hot! Six points is a lot, but he can take some nasty stuff with all that LV.
Sean: Hot! He is expensive, but his ability and high loadout make him arguably the best support piece in the faction.
Ted: Not! Get out non-Sicko.
Jon: Not! For six points, there are much better selections. Sicko is probably the only LAAT getting play time for that reason.
Verdict: Hot ! Six point LAATs haven’t seen much play lately, but several of the Boney Boys think that there is some juice left in the tank for them. I’m not exactly sure what the correct list for Hawk is (maybe +3 aces?), but I have no doubt that it exists.
“Sicko”: LAAT/i Gunship
Old: 5 points and 12 loadout.
New: Unchanged.
Slots: Talent, Missile, Missile, Crew, Crew, Gunner, Gunner, Modification
Steve: Hot! Also probably worth the points efficiency.
Kevin: Not! Cool ability and can fit some offensive firepower, but I’m not sure he’s better than the four point Arcs are churning out damage. Maybe Fire Convergence is worth the extra point? I’d rather just fine a list that works with a true loaded up six point LAAT.
Sean: Not! Although a fun ability, it makes him very predictable if he assigns the condition. You know he’s either going to slideslip, K-turn, or stop. Also, given the fact that LAATs work best as support pieces, the fewer loadout points takes away from a lot of good support upgrades.
Ted: Hot! You can get Sickbro.
Jon: Hot! He’s SO SICK! The sideslip is fun and makes him less predictable.
Verdict: Hot ! Sean and I are outvoted! Sicko is a fun ship that everyone uses as a gun platform at the moment (Barrage Rockets + Sat Salvo or Multi-Missile Pods + C-3PO). I’m personally just on the side that you should take an Arc instead (they’re very self sufficient) and use that extra point somewhere else.
Padmé Amidala: Naboo Royal N-1 Starfighter
Old: 5 points and 22 loadout.
New: 4 points and 18 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Sensor, Torpedo, Astromech
Steve: Hot! Anything for four points with Passive Sensors and Torpedoes is good, plus she gets free defensive mods. That’s even before the ability, which can be great.
Kevin: Hot! Don’t get fancy. Just start with Passive Sensors and top it off with either Proton Torpedoes or Juke+Plasma Torpedoes. She slaps and can prevent the slap back.
Sean: Hot! Why does she have a higher loadout than a LAAT and a Gauntlet?
Ted: Not! Put Padmé in the Scum Hwk with this ability.
Jon: Hot! Big middle finger to Han and Force users. 10/10.
Verdict: Hot ! Padmé is the newest hotness to hit the meta! She has an uncharacteristically high amount of loadout for her cost (does any other four point pilot have more LV?) and has a good ability. She’s seeing play as a big Han counter (although her matchup win-rate isn’t positive yet), so prepare to see her across the table.
Ric Olié: Naboo Royal N-1 Starfighter
Old: 5 points and 15 loadout.
New: 4 points and 12 loadout.
Slots: Talent, Talent, Sensor, Torpedo, Astromech (Gained a Talent slot)
Steve: Not! Not as strong as Padmé and you don’t want two N-1s.
Kevin: Not! The price feels a lot more fair than before, but I just don’t think he does enough. I’ve seen him do work, but it takes him to get the flight pattern down to maximize his ability.
Sean: Hot! I could never get him to work, but I’m excited for those who play him well.
Ted: Hot! Ehhhhh let’s go Ric!
Jon: Hot! He wants to go so fast and with the ship counts being around give, it’s harder for him to skirt around without getting shot a bunch.
Verdict: Not ! Four points is probably where Ric should slot in, but he doesn’t quite feel up to the task compared to Padmé at the moment. Ric enthusiasts will likely do well with him, but he’s not going to be a ship that you can just set on the table to fly effectively.
“Klick” and “Contrail”: Siege of Coruscant
Old: 3 points.
New: 4 points.
Steve: Klick is hot! These guys were both oppressive at three points. I think Klick is still worth it because his ability is insane and Born For This is good. Contrail is also probably still good, but less so for these points.
Kevin: Not! RIP.
Sean: Not! You can get these guys for cheaper using their base version. Four points is a hard sell for V-wings.
Ted: Not! Good.
Jon: Not! Ehhhhh, for four points I can fly an Arc. They’re not really worth four.
Verdict: Both not ! The points change took both of these guys out of list contention. You can still take three point Klick with R3 and fit bombs on him, which feels a lot better. SoC Contrail has insane action efficiency with Precise Astromech, but its likely never worth a point more than custom. RIP SoC V-wing boys.
Honorable Mentions:
A couple of interesting omissions from the survey were:
Siege of Coruscant “Wolffe” and “Jag” (4 points -> unchanged): Hot ! Unchanged, but still really good!
Siege of Coruscant “Kickback” (4 points -> unchanged): Hot ! Same as “Wolffe” and “Jag”! He’s i5 and “Born for This” is an incredible ability. Packing a missile is a bonus.
Adi Gallia (Delta-7/CLT): Hot ! I think if you’re going to use a five point Delta-7, she’s your choice. The ability is better than Plo’s and you can still fit the relevant toys. That said, declaring her Hot and Plo Not doesn’t quite feel right…
Lower initiative Delta-7 Aethersprites: Not ! It’s hard to justify taking any of the four point Delta-7 Aethersprites when Anakin and Obi-win SoC ETA-2s are both four points. Luminara might have a place in a defensive list, but the competition is tough.
Non-Siege of Coruscant ETA-2s: Not ! Again, hard to justify taking any of them over SoC Anakin and Obi-wan. Most of the Jedi in the faction feel relegated to thematic game nights.
Hot or Not: Republic Summary
Our Republic recap rounded off with 12 “Hot” and 14 “Not” pilots (I picked way too many pilots for this recap…). When we first started these recaps, the Republic felt like it was having a little bit of an identity crisis. The old lists from Worlds 2023 weren’t doing super well, several of the Delta-7/7B pilots that were previous staples (I’m looking at you, Obi-Wan and Anakin) appeared to be struggling due to Talent/Force upgrade points changes, and the Siege of Coruscant V-wings received squad value nerfs. Then, suddenly, Paul Heaver designed a list designed to counter Han consisting of triple-Arc+SoC Ani+Padmé and won Lone Star Open. This seemed to instantly propel the Republic into relevance and brought forth a ton of meta relevant triple and double Arc lists. Check out Metawing if you don’t believe me! Prior to July 22, “Wolffe” was the top ranked Republic pilot at #23. From July 21st to now (Oct 9th), Republic now has five pilots in the top 25 (all in the 5-ship Heaver list) and is approaching Resistance as a top performing faction over the last month.
Unfortunately, while I played a ton of Republic prior to and during Worlds, I haven’t dived deeply into the faction in terms of table play. That said, I’m more than willing to spout my opinions about the state of the faction!
“Due to my age during the release of Episodes 1-3, I’ve always been a sucker for the Republic prequel-era ships. A multi-generic Arc+Delta-7+Warthog list was the first thing I ever brought to an LGS X-wing night. While I don’t really miss 2.0 or those generic lists, I still have a strong affinity for the faction and running thematic prequel lists.
As such, I was excited to build and fly a pretty thematic list at the Worlds LCQ event (Ani 7B/SoC ETA Obi/Born for This clones). While my 3-2 showing wasn’t quite enough to propel me into the main Worlds event (kids, don’t lose your first two games at large tournaments!), I felt that Republic was in a pretty solid state in terms of competitive relevance and popularity. Once the new changes hit in May, I moved off the faction due to the Talent and Force upgrade increases that nixed several of my favorite Anakin and Obi-wan builds. I’ve dabbled with a faction a bit since then, but have mostly been an observer in terms of actual Republic play this season.
Despite my minor gripes about a couple of my favorite Jedi builds being removed, Republic received some significantly positive changes in May. Several three point Republic Y-wing pilots look completely viable and likely make an argument for being among the best Y-wings currently in the game. In addition to the three point Y-wings, Republic still has solid cheap options in their V-wing lineup. “Contrail” can still be a monster in the right hands and “Klick” has one of the most annoyingly impactful abilities in the game. While “Odd Ball” V-wing is overshadowed by his Arc counterpart, he’s likely a viable option in a list that cannot spare the extra point. The three point Z-95s don’t look super appealing, but the existence of the two point options can open up list building in a manner that doesn’t feel restrictive. Despite their past “meme-ability”, the Siege of Coruscant versions of the V-19 Torrents feel super viable with their ordinance and ability to toss defensive tokens.
The faction is also incredibly rich in four squad point pilot options. Siege of Coruscant “Odd Ball” is arguably one of the best four point ships in the game with his incredible standard upgrades and can be paired with his other Arc brothers. Padmé is an incredible ordinance carrier with Passive Sensors and her “anti-Bistan Han” ability. Siege of Coruscant Anakin is one of the cheapest Aces in the game. While he needs skill to fly in a manner that does damage, he’s incredibly squirrelly and can easily pivot to an objective role. Outside of those ships, the faction also has several intriguing options in Delta-7 CLT Jedi (Mace and Luminara), Siege of Coruscant Obi-wan, and the nifty Ric Olié.
While overshadowed by the faction’s efficient three and four point options, it’s lineup of high cost Jedi aces are still deadly in the correct hands. Obi-wan was hit by the Talent cost upgrades, but Plo Koon and Adi Galia both received nice loadout increases. Both pilots can now fit the silly combination of Debris Gamit and C1-10P, which helps them survive the initial engagement and start handing off action-less jam tokens. Delta-7B Mace Windu also feels like an efficient bruiser pick. Outside of that, Delta-7B Anakin still exists and will always be, arguably, one of the best aces in the game. He lost some of his previous builds due to upgrade increase (RIP Extreme Maneuvers), but can still equip plenty of tools that allow him to punish lower initiative pilots.
Overall, the Republic faction feels like its in a great place. They have viable pilots in nearly all of the faction’s different chassis and have been performing quite well at recent tournaments. That said, despite my original faction roots, my main gripe with it’s current state is the reliance on efficient Arcs. Most lists feel a bit inefficient if you’re not taking at least two different four point Arcs, which causes list diversity to suffer a bit. I’d also like the faction to gain some more relevant Gauntlet pilots and/or an additional unique large base ship. Of course, I’m a big proponent of people branching out a bit. So I should probably listen to myself and start flying some weird Republic lists!” -Kevin
I hope you enjoyed this version of “Hot or Not” for the Republic Faction! Next up is the final faction, the Separatist Alliance!
I’m certain that many of you (including other Space Bone-Arm crew members) disagree with any of our “Hot” or “Not” designations! If so, leave a comment below! If you enjoyed this article, please check out our Rebel Alliance, Galactic Empire, Scum and Villainy, First Order, and Resistance articles!
Posted on: October 9th, 2023
Written by: Kevin L.