As referenced in my Battle Reports forum post (http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/135098-the-byz-list-that-came-thaaaat-close-to-knocking-off-a-phantom-mini-swarm/)...

Here is a list I flew against a Phantom list this weekend (actually anticipating dual Phantoms, but in the end, it was against Phantom + 3x TIE):

[PS6] Lieutenant Blount (17)
- Ion Pulse Missiles (3)
- Wingman (2)

[PS6] Dutch Vander (23)
- Ion Cannon Turret (5)
- R5-K6 (2)
- Flechette Torpedoes (2)

[PS8] Ten Numb (31)
- Ion Cannon (3)
- Advanced Sensors (3)
- Engine Upgrade (4)
- Predator (3)
- Flechette Torpedoes (2)

Total = 100

I came within a single hull point of winning, but now I want to improve the list. The aim here is to have some "guaranteed" ion or stress control of the Phantom(s).

First thoughts are to ditch the Flechette Torps in favor of a a hull or shield upgrade, then replace R5-K6 with something that will get more use, like R3-A2 (same cost at 2) to deal out stress.

Maybe use Ion Torpedoes somewhere, with the thought that they get fired at any nearby wingman to the Phantom, for guaranteed splash ionization of the Phantom. These are pricey at 5, and so would have to take the place of the Flechettes, as well as requiring shaving another point off the list.

I would appreciate suggestions.

(Incidentally, I flew this list against a chubby Han and Ten Numb list an hour later, and got slaughtered quick. Most of that was due to bad flying, lots of bumping, and the inability to aim my Ten Numb at the enemy ... but it makes me think there's not much firepower here against big ships.)

Blount becomes many times easier to facilitate with Deadeye

R5-K6 is a literal roll of the dice and, imo, would indeed be better off as something else regardless of (possible) synergy with Dutch

Ten Nub is just way too expensive for having B-wing durability, especially with that mountain of upgrades (he costs as much as naked Han solo!)

Note that you don't have to chose between stress and ion for a phantom. Either you peg the phantom with stress before it fires to stock ACD's free action, or you just ionize it and it loses the ability to de-cloak (you need to de-cloak immediately before revealing your dial, which you cannot do if you don't set a dial because something like ion prevented you from doing so).

Between flechettes and ion, the ion is far easier to facilitate because you have zero guarantee that the phantom you target-lock will be in your arc afterwards while the ions do not need locks to fire (and the turret does not need arcs).

The ion theme is plenty strong, I just think you're leaning a bit too heavily on characters that don't do much for it. For example, Ion Blount becomes slightly redundant when you're already packing two ion sources.

Where you want to take the list from there is going to depend mostly on taste.

If you want to keep using characters, strip Nub down to Ion and ept (marksmanship is actually a solid choice for an auto-ionizing crit), toss in flechette Nera (deadeye, double flechettes, munitions fail-safe), and ion Dutch with 3 points to spare (could be advanced sensors for the Nubs). Nera's not great vs phantoms because they've de-cloaked before she can shoot, but she is a nearly guaranteed stress on ships with 4 or less hull which combos brutally with ion and against PTL.

If you want to be even more anti-phantom, replace Dutch with Ion Roark. PS 12 Nera is hilarity incarnate.

I personally prefer using more plentiful generics with ions with maybe 1 named pilot, using you get more firepower, more arcs, and more potential blocks, but each to his own.

Great feedback and more options to play with. Lots of good ideas I hadn't considered. Thanks!

best of luck!

Another word on stress Nera, though. As of now (Wave 5 meta), her only real targets are phantoms (eh, because they'll generally cloak before she fires) and the odd soontir fell. Dash would be an ideal target, but he's outside Flechette range. She'll be useful against basically every generic small ship you can find, but you gotta find a player who still uses them

Wave 6, though, is coming in strong with tons of flechettable targets (auto-thruster interceptors, star vipers, the new and improved Darth freaking Vader, and even the Aggressor)