Z-95 Headhunter
Light Multirole StarfighterGM · Enemy ShipThreat 3Pre-X-Wing Incom fighter. The ubiquitous cheap option for pirates, mercenaries, and irregular forces.
- Size
- Tiny
- Length
- 11.8 m
- Speed
- Average
- Reference price
- 75,000 cr
Lore
The Z-95 Headhunter is the long-serving Incom Corporation light starfighter that predates the X-wing by decades and outlasted the Empire. First flown in the late Old Republic, the Z-95 was Incom's mass-market multirole — modestly shielded, hyperspace-capable on a slow Class 4 drive, armed with triple wingtip blasters and a concussion missile rack. Republic forces used Z-95s as auxiliary fighters during the Clone Wars; partisan groups and Rebel cells flew them throughout the Civil War; pirate gangs and mercenary outfits operate them to this day.
Incom designers carried the Z-95's lessons forward into the T-65 X-wing — the family resemblance in cockpit canopy, wing geometry, and astromech socket on later Z-95 variants is deliberate. Many former Z-95 pilots in the Rebel Alliance transitioned smoothly to X-wings once the better fighter became available; the Z-95 itself remained in service as cheap second-line cover and as the entry fighter for groups that couldn't afford X-wings.
For GMs, the Z-95 is the "generic third-party fighter" — when you need an irregular adversary that isn't Imperial or Separatist, the Headhunter fits. Pirates, mercenaries, Rebel partisans, post-Imperial warlords, Hutt Cartel enforcement, even some Resistance auxiliary units fly Z-95s. They're tougher than TIEs (shields, hyperdrive) but not as fast, and their pilots are typically irregular volunteers rather than trained squadron aces.
Default Loadout
| Weapon | Mount | Attr | Range | Acc | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple Blaster Cannons (linked) | fixed | DEX | Close | +2 | 2d10 energy |
| Concussion Missile Rack | missile bay | INT | Medium | +1 | 3d10 explosive |
Reference loadout for a stock chassis. Players swap, add, or customize weapons in the Starship Builder, subject to hardpoint caps and GM approval.
GM · Tactical Notes
Z-95s have shields and hyperdrive — they can run if losing. Pirate Z-95 pilots typically engage in pairs or trios; mercenary outfits sometimes field squadrons of 6. Concussion missiles are the threat — at Medium range a Z-95 alpha-strike can crack a player ship's shields with one volley. Up close they're manageable. Players who damage a Z-95 should expect it to break off and jump to hyperspace rather than fight to the death.
GM · Adventure Hooks
- A Hutt Cartel debt-collector force of 4 Z-95s intercepts the players' ship at the edge of Hutt Space. They want a hostage, not a kill — but they'll start shooting if negotiations fail.
- A retired Rebel partisan flies a worn-out Z-95; the players need their help against an Imperial holdout cell. Will they fly one more mission?
- The players find a pristine Z-95 in a smuggler's hidden hangar. It's salvage-legal, but the original owner — a notorious bounty hunter — may want it back.
How to use this chassis
This is a GM-side stat block — an NPC ship for the GM to fly against the player crew. Use it as-is for a quick encounter, or fold it into a larger fleet engagement alongside other entries from the enemy ship catalog (filter to "Enemy / GM" on the catalog grid). For combat resolution, see the Starship Combat rules page. Enemy ships do not appear in the Starship Builder.
Similar Enemy Ships
More combat craft-category ships in the catalog.