Star Wars X-Wing: Scum & Villainy Comes of Age
In just under two short years Scum & Villainy has gone from a neat idea into a full-fledged faction – Let’s take a look at just how they stack up!
Hey BoLS Readers and Star Wars X-Wing Aces – Can you believe it’s been less than two years since Scum & Villainy hit the Star Wars X-Wing scene? With the upcoming Wave 8 Ships, what started out as a third off-shoot faction has finally matured into a force to be reckoned with. Dengar and the Jumpmaster 5000 are the 4th Large Ship for the faction and all the extras he’s bringing really open up a ton of options. Scum now has a large ship pool, lots of upgrade options and some unique play-style options that set it apart from Rebels or Imperials. Lets run some numbers:
Based on the upcoming wave 8 – not counting Huge ships.
Rebel ship Breakdown:
Small Ships: 10
Large Ships: 3
Total: 13
Imperial Ship Breakdown:
Small Ships: 9
Large Ships: 3
Total: 12
Scum & Villainy Breakdown:
Small Ships: 7
Large Ships: 4
Total: 11
Scum is only 1 ship behind Imperials – but unlike the Imperials there are LOTS of other ships that could fit very smoothly into the Scum lineup. Now – the Rebels and Imperials do have a TON of Aces and unique pilots, but that’s just a “Scum Aces” Pack away from being fixed.
Upgrades
One of the best things about the Scum faction is that they have two unique upgrade slots that the two other factions don’t have access to: Salvaged Astromechs and Illicit upgrades. We’ve already seen what the Astromechs can do to a list. The Ion Thug list was really powerful until the TLT showed up on the scene as well. A lot of players felt that the Scum & Villainy faction was really just a one-trick pony thanks to the Y-Wing+ TLT + Unhinged combo (with or without the title). And while that is still an incredibly strong/annoying list to face, Scum now has lots of ways to be played. I think the illicit slot gets overlooked quite a bit. Look at Glitterstim for example.
I really like the Glitterstim card and some of the whacky combos you can do with it. If you pair that with Cluster Missiles and Guidance Chips (also from the upcoming wave) you’ve got a really potent combo! But there are BUNCH of other options. Cloaking Device, Inertial Dampeners, the feedback array – there are some really great options in there that can cater to your play style. With wave 8 on the horizon, I think Scum will be a major player at events in the future and not just a “one-list” faction.
Playstyles
Let’s talk about play styles for a moment. Now I’m being very general here and there ARE outliers for both factions but the Rebels are mostly considered tough/regen/sustain fight ships. The Imperials are more glass cannon/arc dodger/swarm types. What about Scum? Well they can really play both sides. They Scyk is basically a TIE Fighter with different options. The Kihraxz Fighter is basically a different X-Wing. If you wanted to go super swarmy you could run a bunch of z95’s – and while you might not have as much synergy as a TIE swarm, you can do it. They also have some really solid jousting ships/pilots like Graz or Talonbane. If you want to go more of the Regen route “Gonk” fulfills the same role as R2-D2.
But what really makes Scum different is it’s ability to take those play styles (tough & elite vs soft & swarmy) and add their own nasty tricks in the mix. They may not be as tough as the Rebel ships or as dodgy as the Imperials but they can do both well enough to make you sweat. AND they can do stuff like give you their stress (4-LOM G-1A Straighter) or steal your Focus/Evade token (Palob Godalhi HWK-290). They can stack pilot abilities (IG-88 & the Aggressors) or they can shoot you back after you attack them (Dengar Jumpmaster 5000). I wouldn’t say they are better than either faction but they can really surprise you with the amount of dirty tricks they have in their arsenal. Plus they have Boba Fett. And you never bet the Fett.
They may have started as a “hodgepodge” of left over Rebel ships and a few “Scum Only” ships, but they have really become a distinct faction capable of holding their own. Wave 8 is only going to make them more viable in the tourney scene. So all you Scum & Villainy pilots out there: Keep your head up and wave your Mandalorian flags proudly. Your time is coming sooner than you think…
Has Scum & Villainy made an impact on your local meta? Do you see them becoming more or less viable in your area? What has your experience been with playing with or against the Scum ships? Let us know in the comments below!
