Wouldn't that be a cheap way of having 8-9 ps Phantoms that can use the advanced cloaking device?

Sure but remember you have a range 1 leash for swarm tactics, and you are moving first which means it is harder to avoid arcs etc.

Decoy is a little more forgiving as it is range 2, but still lacks the movement advantage you get from the higher PS pilots.

Define cheap. 2 Sigma's with ACD are 58 points, so it doesn't leave much in terms of points left for the high PS pilots. In fact, the ONLY option you have to get both sigma's to shoot at high PS are Mauler Mithel and Howlrunner.

Sigma Squadron Pilot (25)
Advanced Cloaking Device (4)

Sigma Squadron Pilot (25)
Advanced Cloaking Device (4)

"Mauler Mithel" (17)
Swarm Tactics (2)

"Howlrunner" (18)
Swarm Tactics (2)

Total: 97

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

How would you fly this? I have no idea. Contrary to popular belief, you have Howlrunner only for high PS, so it might make sense to split up, 2 by 2. It's also quite difficult to keep up with a phantom with just a TIE Fighter, you might be too predictable. If you switch out Swarm with Decoy, I suppose it could be a bit better, but you're still betting everything on a PS7 and a PS8 phantom, which suddenly become PS3 the moment their respective fighters die.

Maybe it would be better to just use the points to upgrade the Sigmas to the named pilots and get a filler that makes sense for the rest of the points.

Having to stay in range 1 of a ship with a Phantom will really limit it's mobility and make it easy to predict. Like the other poster wrote Decoy gives you some extra flexibility as it works at up to range two. The issue you run into is that you are putting an EPT on a high PS pilot that doesn't add anything to that pilot and causes them to shoot later in the round. Decoy might work in Rexlar Brath's favor by increasing his chances of shooting at a shieldless target.

You are giving up knowing where your opponent is going to end up by moving with a low PS and being able to react to that. It does put you in a situation that it becomes very difficult to block your decloak. On a Sigma it might be worth taking Intelligence Agent so to give you a little bit of an edge in picking your decloak.

Relying on either swarm tactics or decoy for a PS boost also means that if your opponent can get the ship with the EPT off of the board they are back to dealing with Phantom shooting with low PS. Since this ship is going to be a likely target it should probably be something kind of tough. Ultimately, you are looking for durability, high PS, and maneuverability enough to keep within 2 of a Phantom. I think that the best candidates for Decoy are:

Vader with Engine Upgrade - PS 9 and with two actions and boost and barrel roll has a decent chance of keeping himself inside of range two from your Phantom.

Rexlar Brath with Engine Upgrade - PS 8 and has a pilot ability that could actually benefit from shooting last.

Fett with Navigator and Engine Upgrade - PS 8, the Fettigator will probably be able to keep up with your Phantom and has enough movement flexibility that it will be harder to block him than it will your other options.

Captian Kagi with Rebel Captive, Enhanced Sensors, and Engine Upgrade - PS 8, this is the least maneuverable option but will be hard to block and gives opponents a dilemma, do they take a stress to get rid of your PS boost or do they try to pick off your Phantom first.

Captian Kagi with Rebel Captive, Enhanced Sensors, and Engine Upgrade - PS 8, this is the least maneuverable option but will be hard to block and gives opponents a dilemma, do they take a stress to get rid of your PS boost or do they try to pick off your Phantom first.

Kagi doesn't have an EPT slot, unfortunately. You could run Captain Oicunn with Decoy, Isard, Gunner, and EU, though. He'd be too expensive for two ACD Sigmas, but with one (and a couple of Academy Pilots?) it puts your opponent in a pickle: kill the Phantom, or kill the ship granting the Phantom PS8?

You'd have to be EXTREMELY careful with your Phantom movement, as you'd have to account for not only the dial but decloaking as well.

25 points for a naked sigma that gets boosted to a high ps from howl plus get howl reroll is well worth the points. Yea the opponent will be gunning for the sigma hard, but then it's just like an imperial biggs for the exact same cost.

Wouldn't that be a cheap way of having 8-9 ps Phantoms that can use the advanced cloaking device?

As some have said, the Range 1 restriction is a horrendous limitation for the Phantom. Phantoms that cannot be mobile are sitting ducks. You will certainly get occasional use out of it, but to make sure that you get consistent usage of Swarm Tactics, that Phantom will be far too predictable. Phantoms are slippery, but if they have Range restrictions, they melt like butter.

Limits the Phantom's mobility, people might move after you limiting the effects of your decloaking and flanking, and destroying the other ship destroys the benefit

25 points for a naked sigma that gets boosted to a high ps from howl plus get howl reroll is well worth the points. Yea the opponent will be gunning for the sigma hard, but then it's just like an imperial biggs for the exact same cost.

...or they could do what people usually do in those circumstances, and gun for Howl. Once she goes down, the Sigma's at it's native PS and much easier to deal with.

60 points

Vader + Swarm Tactics (31)

Sigma + ACD (29)

Maybe after the TIE Advanced buff this will be more viable.

Kagi doesn't have an EPT slot, unfortunately.

Nice catch, I keep forgetting that Shuttles are kind of the Imperial Y-Wing like that.

I echo what has been stated here, the limited range of Swarm Tactics and the dodgy nature of the Phantom will eventually push it out of range to be useful.

For 2 points, you get a Stygium particle accelerator. I would urge anyone who would consider an advanced cloaking device skill pilot switching gamble to give that one a try instead. It saves a lot of squad points, not need to fly in formation and you are not as vulnerable if a pilot dies.

I've tried it and it's not easy.

I find the low end phantoms are best treated as a expensive squint

Have something else in your squad just as threatening and Flank with the Sigma

I came up with this build last night and it worked very well.

Echo

Veteran instincts

Advanced cloak

Shadow Squadron

Stygium Particle Accelerator

Omnicron pilot

Vader

Academy pilot.

Though it's not a Sigma. The shadow Squadron did a lot better than I expected.

I only really got use.out of the Stygium Particle Accelerator once per game, it does help for that initial round.do of combat.

Having echo in there along with the doom shuttle and tie to block and get in the way was very useful.

It's the first game I did well with a non named phantom

If my opponent went after the shadow, there was the doom shuttle and echo.

If he went for echo, again doom shuttle and shadow then.

The tie fighter I just used basically to block the pathway in the asteroids so it made it difficult for my opponent to get through. Plus the shuttle was right behind him.

And if my opponent split his force and tried to take on both phantoms on two fronts, I tried to engage his most important ship with echo, the tie, and shuttle.

As I said, it flew a lot better than I though. Plus the shadow is a ps5 which isn't bad. Not great, but Ok.

Plus if I really had to some rounds I'd cloak and not decloak, which really helped in tight situations.

Really helped when echo got ionized and stress. At least she was Cloaked, and survived

Id say, the better route would be to run Echo with Decoy alongside a high PS ship running VI.

Rexlar + VI + Upgrades

Echo + Decoy + ACD

+ Some Tie Fighter or upgrades on Echo

Rear Admiral Chair + VI + Gunner + Engine + Ysard + Intel Agent

Echo + Decoy + ACD + Rebel Captive

Boba Fett + VI + Gunner + Engine

Echo + Decoy + ACD

+ maybe pts for a Tie or more upgrades on Boba/Echo

Vader + VI + Engine + Proton Rocket

Echo + Decoy + ACD

+ anything

I might fly any of these list types myself, they don't seem too bad. I guessed at upgrades, didnt calculate exact pts.

Only problem then is your going to be limiting echo ability by trying to stay within range of the other ship.

Also Decoy doesn't take in effect till combat phase, so again your just limiting echo even more cause now she is moving on a ps6, so she may not move before some other ships, plus she is still trying to stay in range 2 of another ship. Not very effective imo.

Decoy is also 2 points and takes the EPT slot, where as veteran instincts is 1 point and takes the same spot.

So now your limiting echo moves in a sense and using up an extra point.

Veteran instincts is a much better choice over Decoy.

1 point less, she will move before more ships, and doesn't require her to stay in range of a target. Which in the case of a flanker will make her much more useful

Decoy is actually a terrible idea on echo when you can simply just give her veteran instincts

I'm thinking Vessery + Decoy with 2 Sigmas each having FCS could be a start to a fun list.

For those saying that Swarm Tactics would limit the Sigma's mobility: wouldn't the Sigma still be moving first? If anything, that's the real problem. The Sigma moves at its native PS, so it can't dodge firing arcs. It only limits the unpredictability of the higher-PS pilot.

For those saying that Swarm Tactics would limit the Sigma's mobility: wouldn't the Sigma still be moving first? If anything, that's the real problem. The Sigma moves at its native PS, so it can't dodge firing arcs. It only limits the unpredictability of the higher-PS pilot.

It limits the Phantom's decloak options. When a Phantom decloaks it covers a huge amount of ground. Each range increment is 2.5 move. The decloak alone can easily put you out of Swarm Tactics range. If your opponent knows that you are probably going to decloak forward or to the right because if you go left you'll break your swarm tactics leash, they can set their dials to capitalize on that. If I can pretty much predict where a Phantom is going to end up, his cloaked agility is more of an annoyance than anything.

Moving at low PS does have the advantage of making it so that your decloak and maneuvers isn't easily blockable. You can more easily set your dial based knowing that the best decloak available to you is also compatible with what you set yur dial to.

I had a developing list thread awhile ago: echoes of vader's past. Used decoy to turn the PS up to 11. With proton rockets and any other buff to Vader it might be fun.

For those saying that Swarm Tactics would limit the Sigma's mobility: wouldn't the Sigma still be moving first? If anything, that's the real problem. The Sigma moves at its native PS, so it can't dodge firing arcs. It only limits the unpredictability of the higher-PS pilot.

This highlights the bigger problem. High PS gives you more information to maximize your decloak options. That's the real danger of the Phantom. 2 defense dice is great and all, but not getting shot in the first place is infinitely better.

How come no one is considering Stygim Particle Accelerator for Phantom Juniors? It cost half the price as Adv Cloak, and gives you evade actions.

There's also the fairly wonky, but amusing...

Darth vader + decoy

Whisper + swarm tactics

Sigma.