Decoy Shuttle Builds

By DB Draft, in X-Wing

Just tinkering with a thematic idea for an Imperial Shuttle escorted by Royal Guard used as a Decoy while the real VIP gets away. So the basic theme is one shuttle and 2 Royal Guard Interceptors.

Captain Yorr (Lambda Shuttle) 43 pts

Sensor Jammer

HLC

APL

Recon Specialist

Rebel Captive

Carnor Jax (TIE Interceptor) 32 pts

PtL

Stealth Device

Royal Guard (TIE Interceptor) 25 pts

PtL

What other "Decoy" builds would you try? I would assume a "Doom Shuttle" would constitute carrying a VIP! ;)

Hmmm, this might be nicely used as the setup for a custom mission. Two or three shuttles, one carrying the rebel captive but which is uknown to the rebel player until they've inspected the ship by touching bases, after which they need to dock using the falcon or a hwk for a turn to transfer the rebel captive.

First response, cool. I inherently approve of any list which has the Royal Guard actually guarding things, and flying top cover for a shuttle is the most fluff-appropriate use for them.

Is Yorr really going to get the mileage out of a recon specialist? Yes, you can get two focus tokens, but you can only spend 1 attacking, and with 1 agiity I'm distinctly unimpressed with the chance the second one will do anything. It's not like a HWK which can pass them round to other ships, or which needs them to feed into its weapons. By comparison, those points could buy you a stealth device for your other escort fighter.

Equally, HLC isn't bad, exactly, but you're going to be advancing the ship towards the centre of the board (because you need to stay within Range 1 of the Royal Guard or you might as well be an omicron pilot) and pulling mostly green manouvres to shed stress. If you get many heavy laser shots before the fight is to your side or rear I'd be surprised. Anti-pursuit lasers, by comparison, are gold in such a situation, turning the shuttle's base into a movable obstacle that only affects the enemy.

How is this a "decoy" theme? There is only one shuttle. This seems to be a standard escort theme. IMHO, to properly do a decoy theme, you need two shuttles (or two identical ships the aces are escorting).

This does seem like a good start to a scenario, with two shuttles, but I'll bet the point cap needs to be more like 120 to be truly fun.

Edited by Lappenlocker

Yea I was going to say if your going to do a shuttle build with three ships your going to get destroyed!!!! Try these for size,

First

4 OGP (84) with shield upgrade (16)

(44 hps is a long game)

Second

1 OGP (21) Darth Vader (3)

1 OGP (21) Ad Sen (3) Engi (4)

4 AP (48)

(Ties as flankers from right and left sides)

Third

2 Royal Guards (44) Royal title (0) Sheild (4) Hull (3)

1 Col Jendon (26)

1 Black Sq Pilot (14) Vet Inst (1)

(All Pilot Skill 6)

Fourth

1 Cap Yorr (24) Hull (3) St-321 Title (3)

2 Saber Squad (42)

2 Black squad (28)

The point to the list is to generate hate towards the shuttle (look I can target look everyone and I have 11 hps people will focus on it and leave your other 4 ships alone) and punish with the good movement of the Intercepters and higher ps of the ties. Have 0 upgrades on the lower ships and stick the shuttle in the center as a come get me. Move it straight as fast as possible and let it take damage, fly over astriod like you don't care and get in the face of the emenys.

Fifth

1- OGP (21) Intel agent (1)

6- Ob Sq Pilot (78)

(The ties will get to go before 1/2 the enemy ships with the ps 3. Stack three on the left three on the right the shuttle in the center. This will force a player to split his forces. If not it's easy to have the ties and the shuttle flank)

The main thing is the shuttle for all my lists only uses Pilot Skill the ablities are only there to get the other players focused on the shuttle. Last thought shuttles without any upgrades generate hate as they have 10 hps and do 4 damage at range 1. They can stop movement for a turn and if done at the correct time stop an enemy ship from getting a movement and a firing turn at your shuttle. Having 1 shuttle and 6 ties is a strong list without upgrades and people always focus on the shuttle.

Last thought if you take a ship that has more points then the shuttle people will go for something else unless you cheese the shuttle out but don't turn it into a point hole. It is a fine balance.

Edited by Cubanboy

Also a 43 point doom shuttle by nature is handing the game over effectively. Unless I could get shield and hull upgrades on my shuttle I would never put Darth Vader on a shuttle costing more then 21 points.

Edited by Cubanboy

How about this.

The list has no named pilots so as to be a true "decoy". It also has real punch for that nasty surprise when the "Rebel Scum" fall for the trick :lol:

31 points
Royal Guard Pilot #1
Push the Limit, Royal Guard TIE, Hull Upgrade, Stealth Device
31 points
Royal Guard Pilot #2
Push the Limit, Royal Guard TIE, Hull Upgrade, Stealth Device
36 points
Omicron Group Pilot
Advanced Sensors, Rebel Captive, Gunner, Engine Upgrade
Edited by Englishpete

How about this.

The list has no named pilots so as to be a true "decoy". It also has real punch for that nasty surprise when the "Rebel Scum" fall for the trick :lol:

How about this.

The list has no named pilots so as to be a true "decoy". It also has real punch for that nasty surprise when the "Rebel Scum" fall for the trick :lol:

31 points

Royal Guard Pilot #1

Push the Limit, Royal Guard TIE, Hull Upgrade, Stealth Device

31 points

Royal Guard Pilot #2

Push the Limit, Royal Guard TIE, Hull Upgrade, Stealth Device

36 points

Omicron Group Pilot

Advanced Sensors, Rebel Captive, Gunner, Engine Upgrade

I would try a beefy shuttle drop the gunner with 1-Ap, 2-OP, 2- BSP with vet ins

Edited by Cubanboy

Yorr + Vader

OGP + Rebel Captive + EU

Royal Guard+PTL+ Sheild
Black Squad + Wingman

Works great for an actual squad, works very well for a scenario squad. You'll be surprised how useful the shuttle becomes with someone pulling stress for you. I would probably make it a 125pt scenario and add another Blacksquad with wingman and 2shield/3 hull upgrades.

Just run 2 firesprays, a shuttle and an ap

I think, to the OP's original post, he was looking for a build that could be considered a "decoy" on the whole. That is to say, the whole build was sent out to draw off the Rebel flight whilst an entirely different, not on the board shuttle gets away.

The Rebels fall for the bait, but are then met with a well armed shuttle and escorts that can fight as well.

He also wanted Royal Guard Tie's.

He wasn't looking for the "win all build" he wanted a thematic build with a shuttle and Royal Guard that didn't have a VIP on it.....

Just my rebuttal :-)

Edited by Englishpete

Ok fair enough, Try this then ,

2 Royal Guards (44) Royal title (0) hull (6) vet inst (2) target computer (4)

1 Cap kagi (27) sen jammer (4) Reb cap (3) weapons engi (3) anti pursuit (2) auto blaster (5)

I think running everything at ps8 would be nice for this list.

Edited by Cubanboy

That is a nice themed list to :-)

I was thinking of doing similar with this list:

CN0EtlW.png

If you change 1 shield on each Intercepter to hull you can as a hull upgrade to the shuttle but looks solid.

I was thinking of doing similar with this list:

CN0EtlW.png

The interceptor title allows for two different upgrades, not the same upgrade twice.

I don't see where it says that. There's no rule about not being able to have 2 of the same mod because you've never been allowed to take 2 mods.

royal-guard-tie.png

It's right there on the card.