I have a new favorite card thanks to wave IV, predator. Anytime I get to take an action that displaces my ship I roll blanks on my reds. With predator, my dice are more double falconey. Vassery with engine upgrade and barrel roll gets the best of both worlds.

Vessery outmanuever engine upgrade

Mauler hull upgrade predator

Scimitar ion missile

Scimatar

100 points

I had my first test game against a 3 ship squad with 2 sigmas and a bounty Hunter. My opponent had to deal with a very mobile vessery dodging arcs and doing stress free K turns, while bombers slow rolled in. I wiffed all my big rolls and still had the hull and power to sweep up phantoms with evades and double focus. I have noticed with four small ships, using asteroids as blockers is very important!

Bombers are the Defenders best friend. Whether it be Jonus buffing HLC toting Deltas or Vessery getting aided with TLs. It also helps that they have pretty similar dials.

I'm still not convinced EU is worth it on a Defender. I think the barrel roll can help you enough. Four points can be better spent on your list in my opinion. Like two fletchette torps on the naked bomber.

Mauler looks scary, but I don't know if I would spend 23 points on a Tie that has to get into range 1 to be effective. He would be my number one priority target. I can kill him a lot quicker than Vessery.

But I like the bones of your list. I might do:

Vessery - Outmaneuver.

Jonus - Determination

Scimitar - Ion Pulse (Maybe even drop Determination on Jonus and up this to a concussion or proton)

Scimitar - Fletchette, Fletchette

I wiff so many rolls as well. Vessery is great I'm going to be going to my first tournament and I'm trying to decide between Vessery and a target lock focused list or a Bounty Hunter to keep me in the game longer. Vessery is so fun.

Be careful with defenders, they fly like econo vans,

One of my new favorite lists is:

[insert cool name here]

Vessary + HLC + outmaneuver

NB+TC

Gamma+ flechette

Scimitar+ seismic

TL+F vessary with HLC and outmaneuver is crazy. 3-4 damage pretty much garunteed and you can often find a target that doesn't have you in arc to punish. NB plays mini Fel and the bombers mop up anything left.

Superbad squad Rakky. Bight beast dodges and runs around mostly? How early in the match are you getting vessery to go off with outmaneuver?

Here's my Vessery Build

Vessary + HLC + outmaneuver

OGP + FCS + Weapon Engineer + Tactican + ST-321 title

Scimitar + x2 Flechette + Ion Pulse + failsafe.

With Ion Pulse you don't have to spend the lock. The Stress from Tactician helps Vessery get behind his target. ST-321 and Weapon Engineer is just a lot of fun.

HLC seems like so many points to me. How long into a round is it before Vessery is making use out of outmanuever for you? I feel like boost action really pushed up outmaneuvers usage.

Superbad? I question your experience if that is your response. With a white K you should be getting outmaneuver at least every other round If you are ONLY jousting and more if you're working the angles. With free TL's you can use BR to boot for arc dodge and outmaneuver activation.

HLC is the least important part of the build but it's a 2 dice offensive advantage at range 3 (and 1 more dice defensively). If you're not feeling it upgrade your scimitar to a shuttle+ upgrades or load out the bombers differently. Remember: TL rerollled crits count.

I'm very keen on the vessery target lock play.

I'm going to be taking a variant on the idea to my next local tourney-

either:
Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title + weapons engineer

scimitar bomber, fleshettes

black squadron tie, predator

OR

Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title

scimitar bomber, fleshettes, proximity mine

alpha squadron interceptor.


Leaning towards the first so far as even the second is more fun, it hasn't got as solid a core and this is my first tourney so want something a bit more straight forward.

Lot of rebel b wing heavy lists being there so hoping to try and see what I can manage against them

The plans to form a solid front with a secondary oblique flanking element hopefully splitting there forces and getting right up amongst them and bagging my some trophys.

I'm very keen on the vessery target lock play.

I'm going to be taking a variant on the idea to my next local tourney-

either:

Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title + weapons engineer

scimitar bomber, fleshettes

black squadron tie, predator

OR

Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title

scimitar bomber, fleshettes, proximity mine

alpha squadron interceptor.

Leaning towards the first so far as even the second is more fun, it hasn't got as solid a core and this is my first tourney so want something a bit more straight forward.

Lot of rebel b wing heavy lists being there so hoping to try and see what I can manage against them

The plans to form a solid front with a secondary oblique flanking element hopefully splitting there forces and getting right up amongst them and bagging my some trophys.

I ran something very similar to the first list, but I had a BH instead of the Scimitar and Alpha. It was ok. The problem is trying to keep Vessery alive to do real damage. If you can get him to key in on the BH or Shuttle and can get Vessery into a good position, if can be very bad news for your opponent. Vessery can put out a lot of hate quickly.

I'm very keen on the vessery target lock play.

I'm going to be taking a variant on the idea to my next local tourney-

either:

Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title + weapons engineer

scimitar bomber, fleshettes

black squadron tie, predator

OR

Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title

scimitar bomber, fleshettes, proximity mine

alpha squadron interceptor.

Leaning towards the first so far as even the second is more fun, it hasn't got as solid a core and this is my first tourney so want something a bit more straight forward.

Lot of rebel b wing heavy lists being there so hoping to try and see what I can manage against them

The plans to form a solid front with a secondary oblique flanking element hopefully splitting there forces and getting right up amongst them and bagging my some trophys.

I ran something very similar to the first list, but I had a BH instead of the Scimitar and Alpha. It was ok. The problem is trying to keep Vessery alive to do real damage. If you can get him to key in on the BH or Shuttle and can get Vessery into a good position, if can be very bad news for your opponent. Vessery can put out a lot of hate quickly.

The problem with these builds (shuttle with 321 and nothing else) is that you are spending 24 points to "upgrade" vessery

Thats my feeling too, hence why I thought going with a more solid center. Then It's either disengage to go for vessery and get hit by the shuttle, bomber and pred tie, or ignore him to try and whittle down the others and get vessery'd from the flanks.
My only regret is no room for some hlc loving on vessery and/or an ion cannon on the shuttle.

EDIT:

missed a post while typing.

I did have a three ship list with the shuttle and bomber being more upgraded but then I thought it would probably be best to go for a 4 ship build, as It is my first proper tourney and some redundancy and fallback will probably serve me better than bigger guns, or I will probably just get swamped.

Superbad was a compliment.

I would like to try an OGP squad but 3 ships scares me. I would trade mauler out if I went with the OGP. I don't like many sub 28 point shuttles, it's hard to get a 4 ship build that makes sense.

Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title + weapons engineer

scimitar bomber, fleshettes

black squadron tie, predator

You might want to consider swapping out the BSP for Night Beast with a targeting computer. Same point cost but it gives you another TL to throw around.

I've been toying around with this Vess list:

Colonel

NB + TC

BSP + Wingman

OGP + FCS + Gunner

96 Points

On Vess I've tried EU and I've tried adrenaline rush+stealth device. Neither really blew me away. I think the core idea is alright, I just gotta get better at flying it and find the best way to use those last 4 points.

Superbad was a compliment.

Sweet...

SupAbad next time...

Vessery, outmaneuver

OGP, st-321 title + weapons engineer

scimitar bomber, fleshettes

black squadron tie, predator

You might want to consider swapping out the BSP for Night Beast with a targeting computer. Same point cost but it gives you another TL to throw around.

I've been toying around with this Vess list:

Colonel

NB + TC

BSP + Wingman

OGP + FCS + Gunner

96 Points

On Vess I've tried EU and I've tried adrenaline rush+stealth device. Neither really blew me away. I think the core idea is alright, I just gotta get better at flying it and find the best way to use those last 4 points.

That was my intention, as in named tie (dark curse is the one I prefer) and TC but I don't have the TC card or anyway of getting it before the tourney, hence the pseudo self target lock of predator on a BS tie.

But yeah I like your more aggressive list, I still don't quite see the point of gunner personally though but I haven't really had time to play around with it, can't quite get as much use out of it that it has the potential too so end up taking a hlc somewhere else instead.

Question do people find Vessery enough of a threat to be a credible distraction flanker or is he best flown intialy with the other ships before zooming past with the white k?

Yeah, Vessery is a definite threat. Pair him with Outmaneuver and your opponent would be silly to ignore him on the flank.

I've had mixed luck with the Defender in general. If I can get it to survive into end game, it can "beast" and really kill a lot of ships. However, it does tend to draw a lot of fire and doesn't have the maneuverability of a Squint to arc dodge effectively. The white K-turn can get it out of arcs, but it can also get you into trouble. The opponent is expecting it. Unfortunately, the rest of the dial sucks enough that 80% of the time the white K-turn is the optimal move.

It does shine against less maneuverable lists. I've had Vessery chew through 20 hitpoints of a 26 hitpoint list of two shuttles and Jonus. He just got behind them and they couldn't shake him. He didn't have a scratch on him. That match I didn't use the white K but once.

Silly humanz running lamdas with out engine upgrads....should always be the first thing you do with a shuttle.

Well unless its a doom shuttle.

Eh with the title and wide-ish fire arc I like hanging back, hopefully then get your opponents to split up more, pick em off piecemeal.

Be careful with defenders, they fly like econo vans,

No they don't, they fly like American muscle cars = fast until they need to turn

I flew my OP at a small 8 person tourney on Sunday. Game one was vs Han and 3 bandits. I made a mistake in going for the bandits with Han out of range on the initial turn. I had 3 Z wings waste my time and count down my death clock. Mauler dodge Z arcs and whiffed, Ves was doing awesome, hitting for 1 with target locks etc.. Han is a complete game changer with 3PO, 4 ship imperials vs named YT is a bad match up. Without an HLC on Vessery I don't know what to do differently. Match one loss. Game two, 2 ORS 2 ion golds. Easy match I kept out of ion range for the first two rounds of dice and shredded smugglers then Ys. Win. Game 3 was against 2 rookies Wedge and Horton, R2d2 on wedge. Easy game, I flanked with Vessery and wedge turned to chase. Wedge had one R1 shot vs Mauler with no tokens, wiffed and I only lost one bomber all game. Win. I placed 3rd on strength of schedule, Han went 3-0.

List 1:

Vessery

Assault Missiles

Outmaneuver

Muni. Failsafe

Gamma x2

Assault Missile

Flechette Torpedo

Seismic Charge

Muni. Failsafe

List 2:

Vessery

Cluster Missiles

Outmaneuver

Obsidian x4

3 with Targeting Computer

List 3:

Vessery

Cluster Missiles

HLC

Outmaneuver

Black Squadron x3

Veteran Instincts

Targeting Computer

All kinds of weird shenanigans possible.

I think Obsidian Squadron Pilots with Targeting Computers hit a sweet spot - they ought to be able to engage Z-95 mini-swarms on very favorable terms. You get high quality action choices whether they move 2nd or shoot first.

The problem with Vessery is that his low PS makes him super weak to Phantoms and suchnot.