Delivering Hope

"What is it they've sent us?"
   –Raymus Antilles, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

In conflicts across the Star Wars™ galaxy, it’s not uncommon to see ships originally built for one purpose refitted as warships. This is certainly the case with the Corellian Engineering Corporation’s CR90 corvette. First designed as a diplomatic vessel, the CR90 was valued by both the Galactic Republic and the Rebel Alliance for its ability to rapidly respond to incidents across the galaxy.

With its powerful engines propelling it, the CR90 can enter combat with the fastest of starfighters, bringing an array of deadly weaponry that can turn the tides of battle. Soon, you can bolster your Star Wars™: X-Wing squadrons with one of these huge ships with the Tantive IV Expansion Pack!

Within this expansion, you’ll find one beautifully painted CR90 Corellian corvette miniature, along with all the cards and tokens you need to add it to your Rebel Alliance or Galactic Republic squadrons. In addition to outfitting your CR90 with deadly weaponry, you can place some of the Rebellion’s best tactical minds in command of the ship. Meanwhile, a variety of teams and cargo help give the ship an even more specialized role in your squadron. Finally, five title upgrade cards can turn your CR90 into one of the Rebellion’s most iconic ships and give it even more special abilities.

Players who already own a CR90 miniature from the first edition of X-Wing can also find the cards and tokens in this expansion pack in the Huge Ship Conversion Kit. Read on as we take a closer look at the Tantive IV Expansion Pack!

Fighting for Freedom

Even before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the CR90 corvette served many functions across the galaxy. The versatile craft can easily be converted from consular ship to troop transport to freight hauler. Continuing this tradition, the CR90 you find in this expansion can supplement starfighter squadrons in multiple ways, no matter if it’s flown by an Alderaanian Guard on a diplomatic mission or a Republic Judiciary fending off a Separatist attack.

Equipped with Broadside Batteries that allow it to acquire locks and perform primary attacks at range 1–4, the CR90 is a powerful attack platform that can take multiple approaches to combat. Installing a Targeting Battery in one its hardpoints, for example, helps your ship skirt the borders of an engagement and fire into it. Adding a team of Sensor Experts to your crew continues to enhance this strategy, both giving your ship the ability to maintain up to three locks on different objects and letting it acquire locks on small clumps of ships, such as those flying in formation, all at once.

The CR90 corvette uses its Bombardment Specialists to acquire a lock on the TIE Advanced x1 and a calculate token. The TIE Advanced x1 is at range 2, so the CR90 can spend the calculate token after another attack to perform a bonus attack against it with its turbolaser battery!

But the CR90 doesn’t just have to operate on the edges of battle. Sooner or later, an enemy starfighter is bound to make an attack run and a CR90 can keep all its weapons in play with a team of Bombardment Specialists on board. One of these teams can adjust the range a weapon can fire, while also locking a ship and generating the calculate token needed to make the range adjustment, keeping the CR90 as efficient as possible in the face of enemy fire.

No matter how helpful these teams can be, they’re no replacement for experience and leadership. Fortunately, some of the Rebellion’s most renowned leaders can take command of the CR90, offering a steady hand as it heads into battle. Taking evasive action with a ship as large as a CR90 corvette is a rare and risky strategy, but Carlist Rieekan makes it possible, helping his ship avoid a bit of enemy fire. Better yet, Rieekan rallies friendly ships after one of their allies is destroyed, helping them regroup without taking too much damage.

Being a Rebel requires a willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice, of course, and no one exemplifies this more than Raymus Antilles. Not only does he keep his crew fighting until they can unleash one final volley of fire, his sacrifice inspires any friendly ships at range 0–1 to keep fighting, granting them a focus token.

A leader like Jan Dodonna, meanwhile, excels at analyzing enemy weaknesses to help his entire squadron. Friendly ships at range 0–3 can spend the CR90’s focus and evade tokens while he’s at the helm, freeing the rest of the squadron to perform other actions. But one doesn’t have to be an exemplary leader to contribute to the Rebellion, though. A dedicated communications officer like Toryn Farr can help ships choose their targets, something made even easier if the CR90 is equipped with a set of Boosted Scanners.

No matter which Rebels you choose to join your crew, they don’t have to enter battle in any random CR90. Thanks to five title upgrade cards, some of the Rebellion’s most iconic CR90 Corellian corvettes can join your squadrons. For example, the courageous crew of the Tantive IV carried the Death Star plans on a desperate mission to Tatooine. As a result, this ship can add two additional crew members and rolls an additional defense die against pursuers in its rear arc.

Other ships, like Dodonna’s Pride, also add room for additional upgrades. In this case, the ship sacrifices two shields for another team and additional cargo, as well as the chance to link either the evade or focus action with the coordinate action. Similarly, the CR90 Liberator is never without an escort and has been outfitted with the means to dock two small ships. These ships deploy ready for action, either performing a focus or barrel roll action after launching from the Liberator.

If you’re looking to concentrate as much firepower as possible into a single vessel, however, the Thunderstrike can dole out damage with a gunner slot and the ability to reroll an attack die while performing a bonus attack. Alternatively, the CR90 Jaina’s Light offers a powerful defensive bonus to friendly ships taking cover behind obstacles.

Seek Justice

With the speed to outrun all but the fastest ships and the firepower to support any squadron, the CR90 corvette is an invaluable addition to any starfighter squadron. Add one to your Rebel Alliance or Galactic Republic squadron and seek out your own justice throughout the galaxy!

Look for the Tantive IV Expansion Pack (SWZ55) at your local retailer in the fourth quarter of 2019. Pre-order your copies at your local retailer or online through our website today!