I have been really thinking about running scum when it comes out but I haven't got much of an idea on how to loadout my favorite ship...the StarViper.

Xizors ability seems pretty mediocre in my style of play as I like to field less ships that do more, so passing damage off doesn't appeal to me in a 3 ship build.

Xizor does have the advantage of reaching PS 9 which of course currently means a lot.

The Star Viper is an interceptor on steroids with one drawback, the lack of green moves. I don't think PTL is a great idea for the viper as the 3S loop will be used more than not. That leads me to put ADV sensors or FCS to help maximize the action economy of the ship. Auto thrusters seems like an auto include at the moment due to turrets and just needing that defensive boost.

Unlike whisper, Xizor suffers more from VI because he doesn't have the mobility of a phantom and lack of a crew. Predator/Adv sensor combo works pretty well for that Reroll/focus combo and can really make havoc with the phantom in particular because of an ADV sensors boost to put you in position for decloak blocking.

Guri seems to fare better than xizor due to her ability of getting a free focus from any enemy ship at range 1. Meaning pairing hotshot blaster isn't out of the question when being flanked. The options for pilot abilities open up more for Guri since you aren't bidding for initiative, including Expert handling to get rid of that pesky target lock that always seems to be floating around. FCS seems to work better with her since she will likely receive a focus, you can take other actions or even double focus up like fel.

the generic versions of this ship really suffer from their point cost to pilot skill. Sitting at 1 and 3 limits your options for loading it with upgrades since it will be a harder ship to keep alive. You also have a lack of Elite Pilot Talent, leaving you to either burn the title on a generic ship or leave it with just autothrusters (if that).

The generics feel the same way the defenders do, lackluster.

The next stage is what to pair with a ship like the StarViper. Boba and Kath have made great strides in becoming much more deadly than their imperial counterparts. Allowing for crew (tactician) helps with stress and that dual fire arc gives the ship the best thing next to a ywing with a blaster turret. Both ships can do the PS bid for 10/9 leaving you high in the ranks as well. However a Starviper KSE pair don't quite add up to the damage of a Turret Ship with good support.

A single binarye pirate can be really helpful in taking down a low hull ship due to Feedback Array, likely to be ignored you will probably get this ability off once before it becomes focus fired or at least draw fire for a round.

Guri — StarViper 30 Decoy 2 Fire-Control System 2 "Hot Shot" Blaster 3 Autothrusters 2 Virago 1

Boba Fett (Scum) — Firespray-31 39 Veteran Instincts 1 Tactician 2 "Hot Shot" Blaster 3

Binayre Pirate — Z-95 Headhunter 12 Feedback Array 2

The first issue addressed is Decoy. This allows you to take the best shot at a phantom (echo or whisper) with whoever you have. Hot Shot blaster on both ships allows you to ignore the firing arc if you need to. Both main ships benefit from being at range 1. Tactician is of course a little control which you might need against some builds but you won't be doing a mass stress any time soon.

You could also switch out Bobas loadout for k3 Security Droid for better action economy and countermeasures, again helping with negating target locks and can be used in a tight situation where there are a lot of ships with guns pointed at boba.

Want thoughts and input!

I gave the StarViper a few tries on vassal, so far I like it. It feels a bit like an odd mixture of Interceptor and B-wing, at least the way I used it. so far I've used the following lists:

Guri (Virago, Autothrusters, PTL, Advanced Sensors)

Kavil (Blaster Turret, R4)

Dace (Ion cannon turret, K4)

- Guri was the star here, but partly because I'm not use to the Y-wing and HWK's more restrictive dials.

Guri (Virago, Autothrusters, PTL or Pred, Advanced Sensors, Inertial Dampeners)

4x Black Sun Soldier (Feedback Array)

- I tried this a few times and it's my favorite S&V squad so far. I haven't settled on PTL or Pred yet.

4x Black Sun Enforcer

- I didn't like this one very much, but I only tried it once.

I have been really thinking about running scum when it comes out but I haven't got much of an idea on how to loadout my favorite ship...the StarViper.

I have nothing useful to say, but you get kudos for confessing your love of the StarViper. It's really not as ugly as a lot of people seem to think it is. I'm glad it has its followers.

Just tried the list using hot shot blasters and the security droid against Super Chewie and Corran, had both Guri (untouched) and Boba (one hull) at the end. Hot shot was really nice considering I got to shoot chewie out of arc with boba. Guri forgot hers but evaded and took advantage of her focus ability quite a lot early game, took a sengors loop and hunted down corran to the end.

Fun match and was happy with the overall result against a powerful two ship build.

I have no experience yet as I don't Vassal, but I'm excited about the Starviper, too. I understand your liking a few elites, but I happen to like one or two elites with filler ships. It gives greater redundancy for errors and bad dice, in my opinion. So, I'm loving Xizor. The list I want to try:

Xizor w/ Virago, Adv. Sensors, Autothrusters, and either Predator or Outmaneuver

Syndicate Thug w/ Ion Turret and Unhinged Astromech

3 x Z-95

I figure I try to get into a furball and have the cheap ships scatter while you don't know where Xizor is going to go. Maybe try to bump the enemy. Use the Ion Turret to zap someone and maybe even the Z-95's can swarm them.

I agree that PTL is not the best option. You just don't get the green on the dial.

I too have yet to fly one of these, but I am very taken with it on paper. It's dial looks a lot like a B Wing to me. swap the 2k for the 3sloops and make the other reds white and you're pretty much there. 5hp plus Ag3 strikes me as being similarly durable to a B-Wing too. So I'm looking at the 25pt ones and thinking that if there was a card for the bwing that gave you boost and turned all your non-k turn reds into whites for 3pts, wouldn't you be interested?

Aside from that, I'm just looking at it and thinking "Star Fury" and then I'm pretty much sold.

Unlike b-wings though you can't run this in a swarm to great effect (well at least it doesn't seem like you could) Since you can't stack SV/SV/SV/SV/z95

So you have to try and figure out what the comfort zone is for the elites....that's the fun pull your hair out part.

You can however run 3 black sun Vigos with auto thrusters and a black sun pirate...

Or...

3 Black Sun Enforcers + Autothrusters, and N'Dru + Lone Wolf.

What about this:

46 Prince Xizor (Autothrusters, Pred, AdvSen, Inertial Dampeners, Ion Torpedoes, Virago)

27 Black Sun Enforcer (Autothrusters)

27 Black Sun Enforcer (Autothrusters)

The mook SV's are a bit costly for damage sinks, but they can avoid getting hit pretty well, and hit back fairly hard, as well as us PS 1 to block, and it makes formatin flying with Xizor easy. Xizor's AdvS help keep his actions if he has to collide in to the Enforcers, and ID can help him out once his henchmen are down.

Will get to try them on friday can't get together with my group any sooner, going to try a four ship list focused around xizor.

my results so far have been "processing pre-order"

I'll be sure to report once I get some table time

Two more runs on vassal has proven Grui to be quite a beast, along with hot shot blaster.

I really need to run StarVipers some more, lately I've been flying high-count stuff like HWK or Scyk swarms and mostly ignoring the higher-cost stuff.

Thinking about pairs of BSE+AT, running with a [46] Firespray or Aggressor of some sort.

That or go all the way back to this sucker since I never got to properly test it:

[37] Xizor, VI, AT, FCS, Virago

[21] Thug, ABT, Unhinged

[21] Thug, ABT, Unhinged

[21] Thug, ABT, Unhinged

I faced a Guri tonight with my dual Aggressors. She was running Sensor Jammer and it actually made it quite difficult to take her out. And her focus ability is every bit as good as I imagined it would be.

Guri was also running Body Guard and boosting the Stealth-Deviced Laetin when she was afraid Laetin would get shot. I gotta say, I wasn't too keen on attacking into 5 dice, especially when Laetin got an evade token if my attack didn't hit. It pretty much nullified IG-88B's ability.

Is one Starviper enough to own?

Yeah, unless you want more Autothrusters or Accuracy Correctors.

I'm going to a SC on Saturday and bringing a simple, bimbo-safe 2 ship Scum List.

I forgot my phone at home so I can't copy/paste the list here but it is basically:

Kath Scarlet w/ VI, HLC, Proton Bomb, Engine Upgrade, and K4 Security Droid

Guri w/PtL, Adv. Sensors, AutoThrusters, and Hot Shot Blaster

I know, I know - HLC and Proton Bomb aren't ideal picks. I know I could get a Binayre in there instead. I don't care. I want a simple 2 ship list. I came in top 4 with a Deci/Defender list so I already have Soontir and Focus tokens. Who needs a plaque?

So with Kath you're throwing at least 4 dice from both arcs, potentially 6 with a R1 from behind. K4 means you're getting TL for free and can pick up a focus so those reds should be strong in result. Proton doesn't seem to absorb the action and will help make trouble for people. Engine upgrade means you can chase green for k4 and still get places. VI means you know where the Phantom do.

Guri I'm a little more torn on, Adv. Sensors mean you can take 2 action and still clear the stress. Rebel Captive will be going to Kath first anyway so Guri might keep the stress off in this meta. The trick is whether FCS is a better choice and dropping PtL for something else. She moves early enough that Boost/Barrel might not always be your choice, so maybe one plus TL. I dunno.

There really is nothing stopping you from using Adv. Sensors to pick up a single action, then Segnor's Loop. Could be quite interesting.

Yeah, unless you want more Autothrusters or Accuracy Correctors.

Remember that Accuracy Correctors come with the IG-2000 as well if you are trying to figure out how many of which expansions you need to buy to get the cards you want.

I'm going to a SC on Saturday and bringing a simple, bimbo-safe 2 ship Scum List.

I forgot my phone at home so I can't copy/paste the list here but it is basically:

Kath Scarlet w/ VI, HLC, Proton Bomb, Engine Upgrade, and K4 Security Droid

Guri w/PtL, Adv. Sensors, AutoThrusters, and Hot Shot Blaster

I know, I know - HLC and Proton Bomb aren't ideal picks. I know I could get a Binayre in there instead. I don't care. I want a simple 2 ship list. I came in top 4 with a Deci/Defender list so I already have Soontir and Focus tokens. Who needs a plaque?

So with Kath you're throwing at least 4 dice from both arcs, potentially 6 with a R1 from behind. K4 means you're getting TL for free and can pick up a focus so those reds should be strong in result. Proton doesn't seem to absorb the action and will help make trouble for people. Engine upgrade means you can chase green for k4 and still get places. VI means you know where the Phantom do.

Guri I'm a little more torn on, Adv. Sensors mean you can take 2 action and still clear the stress. Rebel Captive will be going to Kath first anyway so Guri might keep the stress off in this meta. The trick is whether FCS is a better choice and dropping PtL for something else. She moves early enough that Boost/Barrel might not always be your choice, so maybe one plus TL. I dunno.

There really is nothing stopping you from using Adv. Sensors to pick up a single action, then Segnor's Loop. Could be quite interesting.

I've been using Guri + Advs, Predator, Inertial Dampeners, Autothrusters. AdvS is great for pre-maneuver move actions, and for getting an action before a Segnors or ID, and ID can make her a bit more unpredictable. PTL seemed to limit her too much for my liking, but it can be amazing with AdvS and Boost/Barrel roll. Also AdvS can allow her to focus or target lock, bump an enemy to stay at range 1 for her focus ability.

I came up with similar lists and ideas for using the Starviper. Decoy seems a nice addition, though. Guri just made me feel un easy at that low PS.

I think my preference is a Binarye Pirate + Deadmans Switch, just for the feelings of frustration it can cause my opponent when he's range 1 of the ship.

Also, Outlaw Tech is a good crew on Boba, since you'll want to K turn sooner with him than usual Firesprays tactics, to maintain range 1 and what not. Though I've been running Stay on Target + Outlaw Tech, which is a different animal.

my results are now "shipped"

I'm going to be focusing on Xizor (Ptl/predator, sensors, thrusters) for a while. Currently anxious to try him with either 4 feedback Zs or 2 unhinged title ion Ys and a pirate.

I like that Stay on Target + Outlaw Tech combo, I'll have to try that. I've been looking at Blaster Turret + Outlaw Tech for Palob, but I haven't tried it yet.

I came up with similar lists and ideas for using the Starviper. Decoy seems a nice addition, though. Guri just made me feel un easy at that low PS.

I think my preference is a Binarye Pirate + Deadmans Switch, just for the feelings of frustration it can cause my opponent when he's range 1 of the ship.

Also, Outlaw Tech is a good crew on Boba, since you'll want to K turn sooner with him than usual Firesprays tactics, to maintain range 1 and what not. Though I've been running Stay on Target + Outlaw Tech, which is a different animal.

I think some match crunching will have to determine how good outlaw tech is, since it will only trigger on the BH Kturns (and turn crit)

pretty skippy that outlaw was designed to be a HWK card (SoT does help diversify it to Firesprays, though). My problem with it and SoT is that it takes a crew slot, so you need some other poor soul to ferry around the int agent for you

makes me sad, because Guri was made for int agent abuse (most lower PS, high cost, advanced sensor ships are, but not all of them have the 1 point option to just not move nor do they get focus from behind close enough--even after bumping!) but scum lacks a good platform for it (rebels got B-wings and Yt-2400s, empire has phantoms and shuttles, scum has HWKs and Firesprays)

Neither ship type can abuse their own upgrade (no barrel-roll nor de-cloak) without sinking an extra 4 points and they have access to far more tantalizing choices

On the other hand, it makes complete thematic sense. Why would you ever go out of your way to scout for some bub when you could be improving your own ship instead? Screw Guri, you're out for your own skin!