Hey everyone. I put this list together and in one game it tabled an opponent with 4 ships, but got whooped in a second game against only 3 ships. I think the list is ok, but what the heck do I know...I just started playing a week ago. Here it is.

Slave 1 with Krassis + Heavy Laser

2X Royal Guard + PTL + Stealth Device

So is this list missing something vital? Is it a competitive list? How would you improve it?

Thanks

I suggest you drop the Stealth Devices and put a Rebel Captive or Recon Specialist on Krassis as well as Targeting Computers on the Royal Guards.

Assuming you're working with Core, Imperial Aces and Slave I only, and don't want to vary too much from your initial idea:

Bounty Hunter
Ion Cannon + Seismic Charges

2X Royal Guard Pilot with Royal Guard TIE, PTL and Hull Upgrade

Hull Upgrade adds some extra durability to the Interceptors, you could also drop the Seismic Charges and swap Stealth Device for Shield Upgrade if you're finding your Stealth Devices aren't doing much for you. You could also drop the Stealth Devices if you want to bid for initiative (or rather, lack of initiative)

Cannons only work in the forward arc, so Krassis HLC (who weighs in at 43 points) is going to be hanging back from the fight to pound from long range rather than getting in close. This means that the TIE interceptors are going to be taking most of the fire, and being fragile things they can't handle that so well. Next thing you know they're down and Krassis is alone against most of the enemy squadron who aren't going to hang back and let him HLC them.

Apart from saving you a full seven points, Bounty Hunter Ion Cannon has other advantages. Without Heavy Laser Cannon he's got to get in closer to bring his full firepower to bear, but this has two advantages: the durable Firespray will be drawing fire off of your TIE interceptors, letting them do their work, and the Firespray will get maximum use out of its other arc. The Ion Cannon does a maximum of one damage but ionises your opponent, meaning you know exactly where they'll go and can position your interceptors to shred them at Range 1. This can be very useful against high pilot skill pilots who move after your interceptors.

If you have other expansions, Soontir Fel (TIE interceptor expansion) is an excellent replacement for a Royal Guard Pilot if you can afford him (dropping the Hull Upgrades easily does this), combining his ability with Push the Limit gives you effectively three actions a turn, plus pilot skill 9 is very hard to beat. Targeting Computer goes very nicely on Fel because you often find yourself with a spare action, and Focus + TL are the best two tokens to have in the game going into an attack. Tactician (TIE phantom expansion) is a very nice pair with Ion Cannon (ion and stress means they don't get an action and can't clear that stress that turn). Recon Specialist (HWK-290 expansion, TIE phantom expansion) is a good pairing with a Firespray as it improves its already impressive durability by allowing it to focus on both defence and offence (or on defence twice). Rebel Captive (Lambda Shuttle Expansion) is a great card generally as it stresses those who attack the ship it's on. However, this could deter the opponent from attacking the Firespray, and if they aren't attacking the Firespray they're attacking the interceptors.

Recon specialist makes a firespray about the most durable ship so far. If it were me I would run Soontir with ptl and a couple academies for blocking or a saber with Ptl.

Should work. Lagomorphia's suggestions are good using things you'll have.

If you're using interceptors, then the firespray is your 'anvil' by default, so making it extra durable is a good idea - a shield upgrade on the firespray isn't a bad plan. Recon specialist is good but depends on a set (HWK-260) that you may not have.

Ok...wow I guess I didn't put enough thought into that list.

So interceptors are better off with target locks over stealth devices? Hmmm...I'll try it, but they did save my butt a few times.

Ok...so drop Krassis for a bounty hunter with an Ion Cannon. Would you take a shield upgrade over a hull upgrade?

Also, should I keep the Royal Guards or drop down to the PS 4 interceptors?

Edit....nope, don't have the Hawk...yet.

Ok...wow I guess I didn't put enough thought into that list.

So interceptors are better off with target locks over stealth devices? Hmmm...I'll try it, but they did save my butt a few times.

Ok...so drop Krassis for a bounty hunter with an Ion Cannon. Would you take a shield upgrade over a hull upgrade?

Also, should I keep the Royal Guards or drop down to the PS 4 interceptors?

Edit....nope, don't have the Hawk...yet.

Like Knucklesamwich said, i would use Super Soontir and a couple TIEs.

Thanks everyone.

Making a few different lists with your suggestions. I'll try them at the club tonight.

Cheers.

Double Firesprays with Recon Spec and Turr Phennir+PtL.

Also, Double Firesprays+HLCs with Mauler Mithel+Predator or Backstabber+Engine Upgrade are popular and potent lists.

Ok...wow I guess I didn't put enough thought into that list.

So interceptors are better off with target locks over stealth devices? Hmmm...I'll try it, but they did save my butt a few times.

Ok...so drop Krassis for a bounty hunter with an Ion Cannon. Would you take a shield upgrade over a hull upgrade?

Also, should I keep the Royal Guards or drop down to the PS 4 interceptors?

Edit....nope, don't have the Hawk...yet.

You're new, completely understandable. Took me a very long time to start looking at stuff in this depth.

• Soontir Fel is better with Targeting Computer, definitely. While being able to spend your PTL actions to focus and target lock is great, your Royal Guard TIEs are probably going to boost or barrel roll out of arc or to closer range if they're out of arc, meaning you won't get as much use out of it. Plus, thanks to Royal Guard TIE, you can take two mods if you want (and have the points), meaning you don't necessarily have to choose.

• I'd take Hull over Shield. The only difference for a Firespray is that you can't critical hit a shield hitpoint, and that's not going to come up much. Question is whether that's worth an extra point to you. The only times I tend to take Shield Upgrade are when I've got spare points and nothing to spend them on, I'm using one of the two shield regenerating astromechs (R2-D2 and R5-P9), or I'm using Royal Guard TIE and already have Hull Upgrade.

• Interceptors thrive off of pilot skill. If you drop to PS4 then you won't pilot skill advantage over the very popular Biggs Darklighter and risk losing it against PS4 generics depending on initiative. For saving a grand total of two points, it's not worth it. You also can't use Royal Guard TIE title on them.

• If you're going Imperial only rather than getting both sides, you can get Recon Specialist from the excellent TIE phantom. That also gets you Tactician.

So interceptors are better off with target locks over stealth devices? Hmmm...I'll try it, but they did save my butt a few times.

Not necessarily. I'm not a massive fan of the targeting computer because Target Lock is an action you'll only use if you're in a sweet spot where no-one can shoot back, and/or you've no shot yourself - a focused attack is about as good as a rerolled one on average; the only massive advantage is that a target lock persists if you don't need to spend it.

I think hull upgrades>stealth devices most of the time. It makes the fighter less likely to be one-shotted on those turns that the dice desert you.

In order to get an evade on your 'extra dice', you'll need to roll it at least twice, three times if you get caught without focus tokens. That means, to absorb the same damage as a hull upgrade, you need to be confident that you won't get touched by at least the first shot into the ship, ideally the first two.

Whether you think you can do that....I believe that's between you and your green dice. I've not been on speaking terms with mine for some time...

Double Firesprays with Recon Spec and Turr Phennir+PtL.

You're playing at 102pts?

Double Firesprays with Recon Spec and Turr Phennir+PtL.

You're playing at 102pts?

Negative.

Bounty Hunter 33

++Recon Specialist 3

=36

x2=72

Turr Phennir 25

++Push the Limit 3

=28

72+28=100

My go-to list is a Firespray and a pair of Ints. The last time I ran it it was:

Krassis + HLC + Recon

Jax + PTL

Phennir

Oops, read it as Soontir!

A list that I have had decent tourney success with (although not as good as I'd like) is:

Bounty Hunter w/ Recon Spec.

Soontir Fel w/ PtL, RG title, Stealth Dev. & Target Comp.

Royal Guard w/ PtL & Hull Upgrade

Its a fun list (as I think all 2 interceptors + firespray) that requires careful thought and positioning that really punishes you for your own mistakes, but also lets you really punish your opponent for their mistakes

Having said that, it has a major weakness: Falcons. Interceptors really struggle against a well played Falcon build, and ultimately, I think its too fragile to consistently win highly competitive events. For that reason, I have decided to change it by dropping Recon Spec (unfortunately, its nice but I can't afford it) and the Royal Guard so that I can add a Delta Squadron Defender. This also gives my a nice initiative bid vs. other PS 9 (more popular than you might think - especially post Wave 4). The Delta loses a lot in Pilot Skill, but is really much more effective than an Interceptor vs. Falcons because you can be firing at the falcon every single turn thanks to the white K-turn (the interceptor is forced to break off to turn around) and constant firing pressure is what you need to effectively deal with a C3P0 enhanced Falcon these days...