Oh I'm liking these pilots!

Gideon in a frick'n TIE Interceptor. Yes.

A cheaper support Kanan for scum, and B-Wing support Hera for rebels.

Very interesting indeed!

Thank you for the heads-up! I feel kinda disconnected from news with FFG closing down their xwing operations. I haven't kept up with the new team or looked into how to do so (busy with work, and lazy) but this is very encouraging!

Absolutely need the Rebel and Imperial squadron packs.

Damn it. So much stuff to get, not enough funds...

I don't play Scum in 2nd edition but that Scum squadron pack is really attractive as well. Scum is problematic for me, because i'd kinda prefer restarting collecting them as my existing collection contains mostly ships i don't care that much for but at the same time most haven't been re-released.

I like the idea of wedge in an a-wing just not that he's only an i4 lol. If sabine has the same ability as in the attack shuttle and tie it'll make her very slippery. I'm pumped for an i6 b-wing and the options hera gives for support. I get the feeling hask will be dangerous in the interceptor and a new i6 to fly with (or instead of) soontir will be nice. Defenders are always nasty so whatever skerris does he'll be good. I can't really be excited for leema kai, gamut key, or arliz hadrassian because i don't know anything about them but the new black paint jobs on the ships are great and i've had a special place in my heart for the hawk since my first regionals and it's looking good with the green accents. kanan will be a nice support to get on the table though.

Young Wedge in the A-Wing is a nice touch; kinda saw it coming considering Rebels; but it's good. He probably won't have an ability as powerful as his X-wing counterpart; my money would be on either a bullseye-focused version of his -1 evade dice; or some newer effect to go with his lower tier. Similarly; Sabine in the A-wing could be really cool, and having an i6 b-wing is crazy; especially with the power that Hera is packing there. While I might have preferred her versatility in flying ala her in the VCX; it's a very solid ability there.

Hask is automatically an absolute monstrosity for the Empire. An i4 arc dodger that gets to add a dice to his pool if the target is damaged? He's a keen blade to finish off wounded targets; especially if he's following up an i5/i6 pilot that couldn't quite kill a ship in a single shot. Similarly; having another i6 TIE Interceptor pilot, and a new pilot in the Defender, are both very good things. Some people are thinking Vader may come up as a Defender pilot; since he flew one in a Thrawn novel; but I'm leaning towards that not happening.

The new Scum stuff... I love the paint scheme. I absolutely adore it. But aside for Kanan having a really tasty support ability - and likely providing light side force powers to Scum; who don't have access to those yet - I don't know much about those other pilots. Not enough to go by.

Yea it's funny that rebel a-wings can't have 5 or 6 init pilots, but I guess that's a reflection of the ship itself. The a-wing was too new and unpolished (including having to just give up on the turret and lock it forward), and all the pilots were very new to the way it flew. Whatever their skill or talent, I4 is the most they can manifest under those circumstances (like Kylo Ren in the Upsilon). It took until the RZ-2 for pilots to really be able to shine in the I5 range.

Gideon Hask is the pilot that jumped to mind immediately for me, because I love shenanigans and I also love TIE Interceptors. He can roll 4 - 5 dice against damaged targets without any upgrades, and that's just fantastic, the sort of pilot the TIE Interceptor has been needing to round out its design space. Really happy the TIE Interceptors and scum HWKs are getting some cool new pilots.

And yea, an I6 B-Wing is interesting, and Gina + Hera might make some strong high-init artillery platforms. Rebels needed the I6 ace, but looks like the theme of rebels mostly having boxy aces will hold: their agile aces like Corran are often expensive (and not I6), and their I6s are all on frames like the b-wing, YT-1300, sheathipede, and T-65. I imagine that theme will hold, since their Empire opponent is so focused on light, agile ships and the rebel attempt to match them produced the flawed (but useful) A-Wing.

I was wondering if nobody has notice what has been left apart... Now the First Order is the only faction which doesn't have a pack of its own. That could be harmful for it, I think.