[background=Hello, and welcome to Brent Rambles about X-wing, the blog where I share my deep enthusiasm for all things about that game made by Fantasy Flight. Due to RL problems and work (more work than time, and less energy than anything), I have really been derived of the things that make me love life, including Role play and X-wing. I was really glad when I got a few minutes to take some time to do a great X-wing round. I was so happy I decided to write about one of my favorites, The JumpMaster 5000.[/size]
[background=It would be pretty hard to find a cornier name for a ship than “the JumpMaster 5000â€, it honestly sounds like a dated piece of workout gear from the 80’s but don’t let that throw you off. If you can swallow your pride and the name, you can join the ranks of the dozens like me that have fallen in love with this amazing Crescent. For reference, the JumpMaster’s claim to fame was Dengar, that ugly cyborg boi who is one of the big bounty hunters from Episode 5. From this point forward, we will call the JumpMaster by Dengar’s ship, [/size][background=The Punishing One[/i][background=, mainly because I don’t have the self respect to keep calling it that. [/size]
[background=First, let’s look at the numbers. At first glance, these are a little disappointing. With an attack value of 2 and a defense value of 2, you might take a second to sigh in shame. Most big ships run a defense of 1-2, but they also typically have attack values of at least 3, some have a 4. With a hull of 5 and a shield of 4, the Punishing One is very “middle class.†[/size]
[background=You might, at this point be reaching for the door, but let me give you a few reasons to not. The pilots on the Punishing one are frankly awesome. Think what you want about Dengar in the books and movies, in X-wing he kicks butt. As a crew he gives you the ability to re-roll 1-2 dice, depending on if the pilot is unique or generic. As the pilot of the Punishing One he gets to shoot back at someone who shoots at him--for free. Most shoot back or reactions like that come at a high cost. For the Punishing One, its a free second attack. There are other pilots too: Tel Trevura gives you the ability to come back from the brink of death; Manaroo lets you give away stress, focus and other doo-dads to a friendly ship; and the generic Contracted Scout is ridiculously cheap for this kind of ship.[/size]
[background=If you are willing to spend another 12 points, you can equip a title card that would let you upgrade the primary weapon value of the Punishing One from 2 to 3. That is the priciest one I have ever seen, but honestly, I have never once regretted it. It’s the only card I have never regretted equipping, especially with the 360 firing arc that always lets you get a shot in. Most ships with 360 firing arcs are at least 10 more points than the Punishing One, like the [/size][background=Falcon,[/i][background= the [/size][background=Outrider,[/i][background= and the Decimator. In essence, upgrading the primary attack value brings the Punishing One up to your standard cost for a ship of its caliber.[/size]
[background=Now, if that wasn’t enough to make you feel good, then we can talk about the Punishing One’s maneuver dial. Most ships that are large, even the Slave One, are not too maneuverable. The Punishing One’s unique design makes it favor the left. A left reverse on the Punishing One is a white maneuver, something that most ships don’t get. The only other ship I have ever seen do a white reverse is a TIE Defender, and it is even more expensive than the Punishing One. Wild, right? I was afraid that this off-set dial would really get in the way of me being able to fly her, but honestly it makes for some fun. Sure, if you place yourself in a bad spot you can be too predictable and your foe could easily tell you’d take a left. But the best way to fix that is to get gud skrub.[/size]
[background=The Upgrades Bar on the Punishing One is awesome. If you want, you can take Dengar out of the Pilot’s seat into the crew. Either way, he is boss. However, as a unique Pilot, he gains the Droid slot and 2 torpedoes that no other pilot for the Punishing One gets. While I do typically hate ordnance, the Guidance Chip card has really converted me. Again; upgrading the primary really pays off in this case. The astromech options on the Punishing one are near limitless; however I have seen amazing success with the Unhinged Astromech and the Argomech. The crew are great, and the K4 Security droid plus Unhinged astromech make a great crew, or there is always good ol’ fashioned IG-88 or Zuccuss. If you have first shot, Bossk is also a phenomenal combo with Dengar’s ability to shoot back. If you can’t, that free target lock comes in handy anyway if you miss. [/size]
[background=Tragically, with the way that the crowd I run with plays, the card I am going to mention gets its own paragraph. The Gonk Droid gives you the brilliant ability to regenerate shields. However, if I strap it on anything, that thing then gets a massive target on its head. Understandably so--this card is [/size][background=very[/i][background= powerful. However, the droid puts a bigger target on the Punishing One than I care to deal with. Your mileage may vary. [/size]
[background=Let’s talk tactics. It is tempting to push the Punishing One right into the fray, which I did at first too. Ironically, it survived and even won (usually a maiden voyage for a ship ends in defeat for me, since I am getting the hang of it). This ship pairs beautifully with a classic Party Bus (I will write on this later), and I found letting Bossk go straight into the center with that, and then having the Punishing one sweep up along its flank anything that remains is… well… its just [/size]
[background=I recommend using the most of the Punishing One’s 360 arc. I have used this many times to sweep up [/size][background=right behind[/i][background= a ship that offers particular trouble in range one and get a really gorgeous pot shot off without letting them shoot back at me. Its hull, shields, and 360 makes the Punishing One a great fighter killer since Arc Dodgers can’t dodge it. The efficiency Dengar sweeps TIE’s of [/size][background=any[/size][background= [/i][background=variety is a sight to behold. Its no wonder in the most recent global Finals, The Punishing one was in like every build that made it past round 1.[/size]
[background=In addition, I recommend using Fearless as a card, it’s a great way to deal out even more damage. Again, paired with Dengar as pilot, I have watched it chew through the competition like gum.[/size]
I flew a variation of this fleet, minus 2 Headhunters and plus a StarViper. It was incredibly fun!
[background=The end result? I literally have nothing bad to say about the Punishing One. If you are going to fly Scum, I cannot express how badly you need this ship. I wish I would have gotten it sooner. Its more than just a winner, its strait fun to fly. You feel like your right in the seat of something fantastic. Its dial is quirky and I love it. Its modularity is a perfect mix. Its stats are everything I could want and more. If I could ask for something, I would ask for a second crew card on deck, but that is honestly Minor. Even with the Scurrg bomber, I wanted a higher defense value, and I love that smexy rectangle. [/size]
[background=Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed![/size]
[background=It would be pretty hard to find a cornier name for a ship than “the JumpMaster 5000â€, it honestly sounds like a dated piece of workout gear from the 80’s but don’t let that throw you off. If you can swallow your pride and the name, you can join the ranks of the dozens like me that have fallen in love with this amazing Crescent. For reference, the JumpMaster’s claim to fame was Dengar, that ugly cyborg boi who is one of the big bounty hunters from Episode 5. From this point forward, we will call the JumpMaster by Dengar’s ship, [/size][background=The Punishing One[/i][background=, mainly because I don’t have the self respect to keep calling it that. [/size]
[background=First, let’s look at the numbers. At first glance, these are a little disappointing. With an attack value of 2 and a defense value of 2, you might take a second to sigh in shame. Most big ships run a defense of 1-2, but they also typically have attack values of at least 3, some have a 4. With a hull of 5 and a shield of 4, the Punishing One is very “middle class.†[/size]
[background=[img]http://www.ilnanonefasto.it/gpb/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/MG_2359.jpg[/img]
Some people fly builds of just Punishing Ones. Crazy man.
[background=If you are willing to spend another 12 points, you can equip a title card that would let you upgrade the primary weapon value of the Punishing One from 2 to 3. That is the priciest one I have ever seen, but honestly, I have never once regretted it. It’s the only card I have never regretted equipping, especially with the 360 firing arc that always lets you get a shot in. Most ships with 360 firing arcs are at least 10 more points than the Punishing One, like the [/size][background=Falcon,[/i][background= the [/size][background=Outrider,[/i][background= and the Decimator. In essence, upgrading the primary attack value brings the Punishing One up to your standard cost for a ship of its caliber.[/size]
[background=Now, if that wasn’t enough to make you feel good, then we can talk about the Punishing One’s maneuver dial. Most ships that are large, even the Slave One, are not too maneuverable. The Punishing One’s unique design makes it favor the left. A left reverse on the Punishing One is a white maneuver, something that most ships don’t get. The only other ship I have ever seen do a white reverse is a TIE Defender, and it is even more expensive than the Punishing One. Wild, right? I was afraid that this off-set dial would really get in the way of me being able to fly her, but honestly it makes for some fun. Sure, if you place yourself in a bad spot you can be too predictable and your foe could easily tell you’d take a left. But the best way to fix that is to get gud skrub.[/size]
[background=[img]https://pp.userapi.com/c637417/v637417401/4f20f/9SK4q6GQ61U.jpg[/img]
[background=The Upgrades Bar on the Punishing One is awesome. If you want, you can take Dengar out of the Pilot’s seat into the crew. Either way, he is boss. However, as a unique Pilot, he gains the Droid slot and 2 torpedoes that no other pilot for the Punishing One gets. While I do typically hate ordnance, the Guidance Chip card has really converted me. Again; upgrading the primary really pays off in this case. The astromech options on the Punishing one are near limitless; however I have seen amazing success with the Unhinged Astromech and the Argomech. The crew are great, and the K4 Security droid plus Unhinged astromech make a great crew, or there is always good ol’ fashioned IG-88 or Zuccuss. If you have first shot, Bossk is also a phenomenal combo with Dengar’s ability to shoot back. If you can’t, that free target lock comes in handy anyway if you miss. [/size]
[background=[img]http://www.kwel.co.nz/assets/Model-Terrain/Xwing/Punishing-One-4.jpg[/img]
[background=[i]I like the little turret upgrade here, very classy.
[background=Tragically, with the way that the crowd I run with plays, the card I am going to mention gets its own paragraph. The Gonk Droid gives you the brilliant ability to regenerate shields. However, if I strap it on anything, that thing then gets a massive target on its head. Understandably so--this card is [/size][background=very[/i][background= powerful. However, the droid puts a bigger target on the Punishing One than I care to deal with. Your mileage may vary. [/size]
[background=Let’s talk tactics. It is tempting to push the Punishing One right into the fray, which I did at first too. Ironically, it survived and even won (usually a maiden voyage for a ship ends in defeat for me, since I am getting the hang of it). This ship pairs beautifully with a classic Party Bus (I will write on this later), and I found letting Bossk go straight into the center with that, and then having the Punishing one sweep up along its flank anything that remains is… well… its just [/size]
[background=[img]https://img.memecdn.com/Its-super-effective_o_118562.gif[/img]
[background=I recommend using the most of the Punishing One’s 360 arc. I have used this many times to sweep up [/size][background=right behind[/i][background= a ship that offers particular trouble in range one and get a really gorgeous pot shot off without letting them shoot back at me. Its hull, shields, and 360 makes the Punishing One a great fighter killer since Arc Dodgers can’t dodge it. The efficiency Dengar sweeps TIE’s of [/size][background=any[/size][background= [/i][background=variety is a sight to behold. Its no wonder in the most recent global Finals, The Punishing one was in like every build that made it past round 1.[/size]
[background=In addition, I recommend using Fearless as a card, it’s a great way to deal out even more damage. Again, paired with Dengar as pilot, I have watched it chew through the competition like gum.[/size]
I flew a variation of this fleet, minus 2 Headhunters and plus a StarViper. It was incredibly fun!
[background=The end result? I literally have nothing bad to say about the Punishing One. If you are going to fly Scum, I cannot express how badly you need this ship. I wish I would have gotten it sooner. Its more than just a winner, its strait fun to fly. You feel like your right in the seat of something fantastic. Its dial is quirky and I love it. Its modularity is a perfect mix. Its stats are everything I could want and more. If I could ask for something, I would ask for a second crew card on deck, but that is honestly Minor. Even with the Scurrg bomber, I wanted a higher defense value, and I love that smexy rectangle. [/size]
[background=Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed![/size]
