This article explores various ways to set up small forces of one or more ships, with or without starfighters, to accomplish various tasks in-game. Like most of the squad setups in the Unit Composition guide, the strategies discussed here are untested. If you try any of them out, be sure to post on the forum, or update this article, to share your experience and give constructive feedback.
Gallofree-Based X-Wing FG[]
While starfighters are good at attacking capital ships, they often find themselves far from friendly ships for protection, repairs and rearming, limiting their efficiency. Having a Gallofree transport on station near the enemy fleet, akin to a real-life refueling aircraft or aircraft carrier, might just alleviate this disadvantage.
- Team: Rebellion only
- Map: Battle of Taloraan
- Composition: A Gallofree Medium Transport and a Flight Group each of X-Wings and A-Wings
A lone Gallofree transport is ordered to leave the Rebel staging area and make for the enemy fleet with a flight group each of A-Wings, for escort, and X-Wings, to carry out the strike mission itself. The transport and her A-Wing escort do their best to stay out of range of the enemy fleet's weapons, while the X-Wings make swift torpedo attack runs on the enemy ships (see also this article for more info on cap ship attack tactics), firing their torpedoes for then to turn tail, rearm at their freighter, and attack again. Any TIE threats on the way in and out should ideally be dealt with by the X-Wings themselves - the A-Wings should stick close to their freighter as much as they can.
The X-Wing is probably the best choice for this kind of hit-and-fade warfare. It's fast enough to get in and out quickly, agile enough to deal with TIEs on its own and dodge defensive fire, and able to fire its torpedoes very rapidly, unlike the Y-Wing and B-Wing.
The freighter, being a high-priority target, will inevitably find herself under TIE attack, so the A-Wings should stick close and use their concussion missiles to deal with incoming fighters. Coupled with the Gallofree's quad lasers and shields, they should be able to hold off enemy TIEs. A bigger threat is enemy cap ships - if the enemy freighter is outmaneuvered by one or more Lancer Frigate or Carrack Cruiser, she risks being destroyed fast. If testing of this strategy proves that the Gallofree is too easily destroyed, consider giving her a Correllian Corvette as additional escort.