Trying (and failing) to put a good squadron around the main man. I would like to avoid interceptors as I've been running them a lot lately. However I am curious about running a bomber, maybe even 2 (not a must though).

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Ill trial a heap of different builds, I'm just looking for some help to cut down the learning curve!!!!

Darth Vader the pilot, or Darth Vader as crew?

Never flown a Bomber myself, but here's an idea.

100 pts

Darth Vader+Determination+Engine Upgrade

Howlrunner+Swarm Tactics

Academy Pilot x2

Scimitar Squadron Pilot+Concussion Missiles+Seismic Charges

Sorry, the pilot

Never flown a Bomber myself, but here's an idea.

100 pts

Darth Vader+Determination+Engine Upgrade

Howlrunner+Swarm Tactics

Academy Pilot x2

Scimitar Squadron Pilot+Concussion Missiles+Seismic Charges

I quite like this mate! What are your thoughts on downgrading Howlrunner to allow for concussion missiles on Vader? A little more hurt for the opening salvo? Maybe even cluster missiles?

Never flown a Bomber myself, but here's an idea.

100 pts

Darth Vader+Determination+Engine Upgrade

Howlrunner+Swarm Tactics

Academy Pilot x2

Scimitar Squadron Pilot+Concussion Missiles+Seismic Charges

I quite like this mate! What are your thoughts on downgrading Howlrunner to allow for concussion missiles on Vader? A little more hurt for the opening salvo? Maybe even cluster missiles?

Depends on how you expect things to play out. If you are a big fan of a lot of ordnance and you want the Concussions, you would have to downgrade Howlrunner to a Black Squadron Pilot at least. My reason for including Howlrunner was to have a bit more consistency of fire with your ships as well as 2 ships firing at PS8 once the ordnance had been exhausted.

Another thought I had was remove the Seismic Charges on the Scimitar and Swarm Tactics on Howlrunner and you can add the Concussions or Clusters on Darth Vader without losing Howlrunner.

I know people don't like Vader, but I regularly use him as an Imperial A-Wing of sorts, he can really cover space on the board and wreak havoc with your opponents strategy.

I usually use him to try to break up a rebel formation by sideskirting their squad and forcing them to deal with him flanking or get pounded from both sides.

I guess you could do the same with an Interceptor, but one unlucky roll can waylay a Squint. Vader seems to take a hit slightly better, and if you can break up their formation into two parts, it usually spells disaster in my experience.

I know people don't like Vader, but I regularly use him as an Imperial A-Wing of sorts, he can really cover space on the board and wreak havoc with your opponents strategy.

I usually use him to try to break up a rebel formation by sideskirting their squad and forcing them to deal with him flanking or get pounded from both sides.

I guess you could do the same with an Interceptor, but one unlucky roll can waylay a Squint. Vader seems to take a hit slightly better, and if you can break up their formation into two parts, it usually spells disaster in my experience.

Plus he can take 2 actions without receiving stress. I can see a Vader being run with Outmaneuver+Engine Upgrade a lot when Outmaneuver comes out. Free benefit of -1 to the opponent's agility dice just because you maneuvered outside his arc before combat.

I know people don't like Vader...

Who doesn't like Vader? It's the rest of the Advanced pilots that fail to measure up.

When I run him, I usually use Concussion Missiles for an offensive stance or Squad Leader to put him in a support role. He has a lot of strength in the latter context: if your opponent focuses on him, he can turtle up and turn very tough while the rest of your list goes to town. If your opponent ignores him, he improves your other ships' offense or defense and still contributes a bit of his own damage, and once your opponent's numbers are down he's a fairly potent finisher.

The list I ran Friday was

Vader. Squad leader, concussion missiles

Howlrunner

2x academy ties

Lt Lorrir.

It was a lot of fun and I probably would have won vs 3 Bs and garven except vader got hit with blinded pilot which stopped him getting his missile off and killing garven. You could pull the squad leader (which didn't get used) and Lorrir to make room for a bomber and be similar to what groggy golem had above.

I've run Vader (Squad Leader), Rhymer (APT, PB), Backstabber and Dark Curse with some success. Rhymer needs to unload everything, punching through and dropping the PB on the way. If you pull it off someone's dead, and others have a crit card to worry about.

Guy I play against has run the following list with some success:

Jonus w/ Squad Leader

Vader w/ Assault Missile & Swarm Tactics

Scimitar w/ Proton Torpedo x2

Both Scimitars take a Focus. Jonus spends his action on Squad Leader to allow a Scimitar to TL at PS6. Vader lets them shoot at PS9. This basically guarantees at least one focused Proton shot with Jonus to assist on the reroll.

Vader works well in a couple of ways (these aren't the only ways)

First Vader is a great commander. Give him squad leader and he can give that second action to who ever is close by. This Vader flys in the middle (or rear middle of the rest of the squad). He this works great in a Howelrunner TIE Swarm. Or if you want to put him with TIE Interceptors I would give him EU to keep up with them.

Or you can use Vader as a Flanker. Give him EU and boot+barrel roll him behind enemy forces. He is more of a distraction, and temptation to get your opponent to spit their force. Since he is a distraction he doesn't really need any upgrades. TL + Focus can make two attack dice pretty nasty.

A third option (I know I said I only had two, but I don't like this one as much)

Is to give Vader missiles. It is no secret that the way to get the most out of missiles is to get the TL and the Focus. Vader can do this when ever he wants. I would just go with Concision Missiles. However there is some argument to be made for cluster missiles and marksmanship, but I think it is too many points.

I agree that clusters and Marksmanship is really expensive. Whenever I have run Vader with Missiles, I have used Concussions, as the ability on them helps if you tend to roll blanks with 4 dice. XD

some more interesting Vader builds out there:

* I will simply assume Vader has engine upgrade, because it is a necessity on him*

Vader / Daredevil (gives you quite interesting maneuvering options, kinda like Lt L'Oreal

Vader / Expose (if you dont like missiles and prefer something more permanent. Expose turns Vader into an Xwing. Better than Opportunist because it triggers on demand, and doesnt give you a stress token)

Vader / Assault Missiles (PS9 means best choice of targets, 2nd action means your missile is more likely to hit)

Vader / Veteran Instincts (to help combat other high PS targets, eg. Wedge, Soontir, Veteran Instinct users, etcetc)

Wouldn't it be amazing if Vader had some TIE Advanced wingmen he could fly with?

Thanks all for the input. Over the next few days ill trial some different builds and let you know how I went.