Is a 3 ship imperial build still viable in a meta filled with TLTs and heavy rebel regen?

Yes - Palpatine has made it more viable than ever. Palpmobile & two Aces (Soontir/Vader) laugh at TLT's

Can you build a 3 ship list with the empire like you can with the rebels?

Looking at the following:

Onyx Squadron Pilot + HLC + Engine Upgrade (43)

Onyx Squadron Pilot + HLC + Engine Upgrade (43)

Obsidian Squadron Pilot (13)

99 points.

Yeah the Obsidian is just there for the extra ship. Is it crazy to spend 86 points on two ships?

I think yes, but Love HLC on the B-wing so I figured it'd work well on its imperial counterpart.

The Engine Upgrade adds a little more short-range maneuverability to the Defender, but again... 8 points?

Here's an even crazier one:

Colonel Vessery + HLC + Outmaneuver + Engine Upgrade (49 Ouch!)

Echo + Predator + Advanced Cloaking Device (37)

Obsidian Squadron Pilot (13)

99 Points.

Again, It seems crazy to have almost half your points wrapped up in one ship.

Colonel Vessery (35)

Push the Limit (3)

Ion Cannon (3)

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)

Fire-Control System (2)

Ion Cannon (3)

Weapons Engineer (3)

Tactician (2)

Engine Upgrade (4)

ST-321 (3)

Omega Squadron Pilot (17)

Predator (3)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

a year and a half old, thats some good necro posting

a year and a half old, thats some good necro posting

Heh. Didn't notice the date. Looks like only two posts are recent. Oh well, still a fun squad.

Ran this a few months ago and went 2 and 2 with it.

Too many TLTs around to run it again.

Vader Whisper Backstabber

98 Points

35 points
• Darth Vader TIE Advanced
TIE/x1
Veteran Instincts
Engine Upgrade
Advanced Targeting Computer

44 points
• Whisper TIE Phantom
Rebel Captive
Sensor Jammer
Veteran Instincts
Advanced Cloaking Device

19 points
• Backstabber TIE Fighter
Stealth Device

Looking at tournament results from the past month or two, most top imperial lists are 3 ship builds. But they all seem to have Palpatine, often together with aces like Vader, Fel, Jax or Whisper (pick any two).

I don't get why people try to make lists with TIE Defenders in them and labeling it viable. They are (as far as I can tell) nonexistant at the top in tournaments. Hopefully Imperial Veterans will change that, but at the moment they are pure ****.

Looking at tournament results from the past month or two, most top imperial lists are 3 ship builds. But they all seem to have Palpatine, often together with aces like Vader, Fel, Jax or Whisper (pick any two).

I don't get why people try to make lists with TIE Defenders in them and labeling it viable. They are (as far as I can tell) nonexistant at the top in tournaments. Hopefully Imperial Veterans will change that, but at the moment they are pure ****.

Because we are all nostalgic old people that played TIE fighter.

And because we wanted Predator.

I'm running 3 animos at the weekend so I bloody hope it's viable!!

I know, I like the Defender as much as anyone. But getting stomped time and again gets boring. I have given up on trying to make them work and switched to flying ships that suck a little bit less, or not at all.

I am naturally quite excited about Imperial Veterans and really hope it can make the Defender viable.

Edit:

As for a viable three ship build, I flew this today and won my first store championship.

Darth Vader (35)

VI, EU, title, ATC

Echo (35)

VI, ACD

Omicron Group Pilot (29)

Palpatine

I know, Soontir is better than Echo. But Echo is just so much fun to fly.

3 ship Imps is certainly viable. Palp/Aces and trip aces (Soontir/Whisper/Omega Leader is my current list, though I will be replacing whisper with Vader if I can ebay the Advanced fixes) can work out well.

THOSE three ships, however, are probably not going to work out well. Defenders are just too expensive at present, especially HLC defenders. Once Imperial Vets drops they will come back with a vengeance, but even then the HLC variants will remain way too expensive because neither fix will apply to them.

I'd expect to start seeing Rexler and maybe Maarek in trip aces/palp aces lists when Imperial Vets drops, not least because I'm going to be trying it!

3 ship Imps is certainly viable. Palp/Aces and trip aces (Soontir/Whisper/Omega Leader is my current list, though I will be replacing whisper with Vader if I can ebay the Advanced fixes) can work out well.

THOSE three ships, however, are probably not going to work out well. Defenders are just too expensive at present, especially HLC defenders. Once Imperial Vets drops they will come back with a vengeance, but even then the HLC variants will remain way too expensive because neither fix will apply to them.

I'd expect to start seeing Rexler and maybe Maarek in trip aces/palp aces lists when Imperial Vets drops, not least because I'm going to be trying it!

Reckon the inquisitor will pop up in triple aces lists?

3 ship Imps is certainly viable. Palp/Aces and trip aces (Soontir/Whisper/Omega Leader is my current list, though I will be replacing whisper with Vader if I can ebay the Advanced fixes) can work out well.

THOSE three ships, however, are probably not going to work out well. Defenders are just too expensive at present, especially HLC defenders. Once Imperial Vets drops they will come back with a vengeance, but even then the HLC variants will remain way too expensive because neither fix will apply to them.

I'd expect to start seeing Rexler and maybe Maarek in trip aces/palp aces lists when Imperial Vets drops, not least because I'm going to be trying it!

Reckon the inquisitor will pop up in triple aces lists?

Eeeehhhh I don't know. He's... OK. Certainly cheap, but even with his ability, a little lacking in offensive power for my taste.

But dat green hard 1 tho.

I could see maybe doing VI Vader/VI Inq/Soontir or VI Vader/VI Inq/OLeader maybe, but I've not really spent a lot of time fiddling with the TAP other than its possibilities for Vessery/Swarm lists once TIE/D is out.

Eeeehhhh I don't know. He's... OK. Certainly cheap, but even with his ability, a little lacking in offensive power for my taste.

3 attack dice with a Target Lock and Evade Token (and Juke) is lacking in offensive power?

What do you usually run, 5 attack-dice ships?

3 dice is solid, but I don't like him at PS8, I'd much prefer 10, so Juke is out the window. Still, he fits neatly into a very similar slot to Omega Leader in terms of points (but he lacks the massive troll value of OL), so I might well wind up trying him out depending on the cost and slots of the unspoiled generic - I probably won't bother with the pack if it's the wrong cost or lack EPT, but if I'm buying it, I'll certainly try him in my trip aces list.

Being able to run an 11/10/9 list effectively would be fun though. All arcdodging all the time, but actually effective with it. Who needs HP?

3 dice is solid, but I don't like him at PS8, I'd much prefer 10, so Juke is out the window. Still, he fits neatly into a very similar slot to Omega Leader in terms of points (but he lacks the massive troll value of OL), so I might well wind up trying him out depending on the cost and slots of the unspoiled generic - I probably won't bother with the pack if it's the wrong cost or lack EPT, but if I'm buying it, I'll certainly try him in my trip aces list.

Being able to run an 11/10/9 list effectively would be fun though. All arcdodging all the time, but actually effective with it. Who needs HP?

yep -i'm totally on this! all PS9+, all the time...

3 dice is solid, but I don't like him at PS8, I'd much prefer 10, so Juke is out the window. Still, he fits neatly into a very similar slot to Omega Leader in terms of points (but he lacks the massive troll value of OL), so I might well wind up trying him out depending on the cost and slots of the unspoiled generic - I probably won't bother with the pack if it's the wrong cost or lack EPT, but if I'm buying it, I'll certainly try him in my trip aces list.

Being able to run an 11/10/9 list effectively would be fun though. All arcdodging all the time, but actually effective with it. Who needs HP?

yep -i'm totally on this! all PS9+, all the time...

You're giving up a lot of potential to go from PS 8 to PS 9 or 10. Juke, PTL, and other EPTs really change the nature of the PAT. Because his dial favors in-fighting (with all those green 1 banks and turns) I don't think he'll need to be higher than PS 8. Juke adds to his offense. PTL adds to his maneuverability. VI is just going to help ensure he moves last and fires first. With his pilot ability, Autothrusters, shields, and evade, he should do just fine for a round or two while chasing down the opponents 9/10 PS ace.

Oh, I'm aware of the options - there's a local-meta thing to my insistence on high PS. Plus a cost thing, Juke gets me to 100 even with Vader and Soontir, and I'd like the point of bid.

Defender (title, stealth device), whisper, vader is solid. Or something similar.