Star Wars: X Wing: Z-95 Headhunter Review

Z-95 Headhunter

The Z-95 headhunter is one of the new Wave 4 Releases for Star Wars: X Wing and  finally offers Rebel players a low cost fighter on par with the Empire's TIE Fighter.



Points wise the Z-95 is the low end of the new release, with the other three, E-Wing, TIE Defender and TIE Phantom, all representing high end, top tier fighters.






A little history

The Z-95 Headhunter is an Expanded Universe creation that has been folded into cannon Star Wars. The Headhunter is first mentioned in a 1979 novella and is described as a bubble canopy and swing wings. Later the Joe Johnson concept art for the X Wing was "co-opted" for the Z-95, sans the split wings.

 The design was refined more by the LucasArts X Wing series of games, West End Game's Star Wars Roleplaying game and more.

An early version of the Z-95 even appears in the Star Wars:Clone Wars series.

The Model:

The Z-95 Headhunter model is, for me, the standout model for this wave. The sculpt is excellent and the detail is very fine. I didn't find any flash. The paint and weathering is spot on. I love the blue markings.  compared to a Wave 1 X-Wing the improvements in FFGs manufacturing are evident.

This version of the Z-95 included under-slung missile mounts. I'm not sure the origin of this design feature or if it's an FFG addition.

Stats:

Attack: 2
Evade: 2
Hull: 2
Shields: 2

Action bar:  Focus, Target lock
Upgrade Slots: Missile

The Z-95 is the design predecessor of the X Wing and this shows in the stats. 1 shy of an X Wing in Hull and Firepower. Upgrade wise the Z-95 is missing the handy Astromech slot as well. The Z-95 has a missile slot rather than a torpedo slot which does open up a lot of options.

Maneuver wise the Z-95 is about what you'd expect with a dial very similar to the X Wing.

Pilots:  

Bandit Squadron Pilot - Pilot Skill 2 - 12 points: The cheapest Rebel ship in the game and a direct competitor to the Academy TIE Pilot. Want to spam missiles in your list? These guys should be your first stop.

Tala Squadron Pilot - Pilot Skill 4 - 13 points: got an extra point? Upgrade your Bandit pilot to a Tala Squadron Pilot for a 2 bump in skill.


Lt. Blount - Pilot Skill 6 - 17 points    “When attacking, the defender is hit by your attack, even if he does not suffer any damage.”  
Ah, Blount, where have you been all my life? No other pilot in the game currently represents the biggest threat to TIE Swarm dominance as this fellow. for 22 points Blount can take an assault missile and just rain on a TIE Swarm's day.

Airen Cracken - Pilot Skill 8 - 19 points  “After you perform an attack, you may choose another friendly ship at Range 1. That ship may perform 1 free action.”  Why the Head of New Republic Intelligence is tooling around in a Z-95 I don't know. He was a gunner on the Falcon in RoTJ (though his part was cut)  so I guess that's close, right? 
      Beyond that he is an excellent addition to almost any list. Giving out a free action is huge and he's still dirt cheap at under 20 points.


Equipment 


Ion Pulse Missile(3)

Attack [Target Lock]: Discard this card to perform this attack. If the attack hits, the defender suffers 1 damage and receives 2 ion tokens. Then cancel all dice results.

This is a new card to this wave and opens up some really interesting options. Large ships with low agility (YT-1300, Imp Shuttle) should be wary as a single hit will successfully ionize them. Give one of these to Blount for the Can't Miss option, even slippery TIE Phantoms need to be worried.

Assault Missile(5)

Attack [Target Lock]: Spend your target lock and discard this card to perform this attack. If this attack hits, each other ship at range 1 of the defender suffers 1 damage. Attack: 4. Range 2-3.

Old standby from wave 2 that may get some new life on the Z-95. consider a Bandit Pilot with Assault Missile is only 17 points! TIE Swarms need to be careful when you are totting a couple of these missiles around.

Munitions Failsafe(1)

When attacking with a secondary weapon that instructs you to discard it to perform the attack, do not discard it unless the attack hits.

While I can't confirm it I think this is FFGs way to address that Torpedoes and Missiles are to expensive for what they do. Basically you get a second chance with your Ordinance if you miss, you don't lose the card until you actually hit something. (Useless on Blount!)

Wingman(2)

At the start of the Combat phase, remove 1 stress token from another friendly ship at Range 1.

Wingman is a neat power in that it lets you remove stress, always a good thing. It's a shame it's competing with other cards like Push the Limit and Predator for the same slot.


Overall I am very excited with the Z-95 Headhunter release. It's lets Rebel players play in a totally new way and it gives Imperials new challenges to deal with. The model itself is excellent and with great detail and weathering. 

While an Expanded Universe design, the legacy of the Z-95 can be traced all the way  back to good old Episode 4 and as a result fits well within the cannon ships we already have.