IG-88A is the best IG to use in a double-aggressor list. Here's why.

Double-Aggressor lists are surprisingly fragile. Yes, in a vacuum the Aggressor has the most survivable stat-line in the game, but they're still fairly easy to overpower when you've made them 50 points a piece with a damage concentration. Thus the struggle.

88A translates your single-target damage into extended survival.

As each shield is behind 3 dice of mitigation, you're gaining substantially more from a regeneration than you'd expect.

Moreover, it means that the extensive number of damage boosts available to your ship now also boost your defense as well.

The increase of likelihood of destroying an enemy ship turns even a Target-Lock into a percentage of a retroactive Evade token (blocking 1 damage after its been dealt vs blocking 1 damage while it is being dealt), subtly increasing your action economy.

What then to pair with 88A?

• If you're going for 50 point birds, 88B is probably the best match, as it will let you try again if your regenerative death-blow did not hit the enemy.
• If you're going for a cannonless build to afford Serriseu, further bolstering your survivability, 88C will capitalize on the disengage/re-engage cycle that suits the ship best. Your speed is enormous, yet you are easily blocked and taken down in an extended engagement. Strafing runs use the former to avoid the latter. You're best on the approach and escape.
• 88D, despite being powerful on an empty field, encourages playing where the Aggressor is weakest: the extended engagement/scrim/furball.

are we talking naked or with advanced sensors?

With sensors, there's no reason to use A over C. Every evade token that cancels damage essentially translates into an additional shield, and because pre-manuever boost is so essential to not getting your Aggressors constantly blocked you're bound to trigger it often every game in a manner that is not limited by the number of ships my opponent brings

I'll take guaranteed evades over potential shields any day of the week

Or play 200 point games and use all four.

The problem with A (in a 100 point list) is that his value is determined by your opponent. Best case scenario is n-1 shields back where n is the number of ships your opponent brings.

While 2 ship builds are the thing, I think A is a little lackluster. When 4 and 5 ship builds become more popular, I think A will be worth more consideration.

The problem with A (in a 100 point list) is that his value is determined by your opponent. Best case scenario is n-1 shields back where n is the number of ships your opponent brings.

While 2 ship builds are the thing, I think A is a little lackluster. When 4 and 5 ship builds become more popular, I think A will be worth more consideration.

are we talking naked or with advanced sensors?

With sensors, there's no reason to use A over C. Every evade token that cancels damage essentially translates into an additional shield, and because pre-manuever boost is so essential to not getting your Aggressors constantly blocked you're bound to trigger it often every game in a manner that is not limited by the number of ships my opponent brings

I'll take guaranteed evades over potential shields any day of the week

It is quite easy to block an Advanced Sensor Boost, mate.

For that matter, it isn't as though A can't evade or boost as well, and the times in which you need to do both are few and far between.

The problem with A (in a 100 point list) is that his value is determined by your opponent. Best case scenario is n-1 shields back where n is the number of ships your opponent brings.

While 2 ship builds are the thing, I think A is a little lackluster. When 4 and 5 ship builds become more popular, I think A will be worth more consideration.

2-ship builds aren't exactly a bad match-up for IG-88.

You have this backwards. A is the worst IG. For starters you're letting your opponent dictate when the ability comes useful and how useful it will be is never good.

With BC and D *I* get to decide when the abilities go off, and I don't have to hope my opponents make mistakes.

You have this backwards. A is the worst IG. For starters you're letting your opponent dictate when the ability comes useful and how useful it will be is never good.

With BC and D *I* get to decide when the abilities go off, and I don't have to hope my opponents make mistakes.

I did say "Controversial".

Besides, if your opponent is dictating when you get to kill something, you are not the best player in the world.

are we talking naked or with advanced sensors?

With sensors, there's no reason to use A over C. Every evade token that cancels damage essentially translates into an additional shield, and because pre-manuever boost is so essential to not getting your Aggressors constantly blocked you're bound to trigger it often every game in a manner that is not limited by the number of ships my opponent brings

I'll take guaranteed evades over potential shields any day of the week

It is quite easy to block an Advanced Sensor Boost, mate.

For that matter, it isn't as though A can't evade or boost as well, and the times in which you need to do both are few and far between.

Well, no. You can't block an Advanced Sensor Aggressor from performing its action.

You can block it from moving or from boosting, but it's far easier said than done relative to just blocking its initial maneuver. The ability for the Aggressor to orientate itself and benefit from a free evade makes it so much harder to pin down and makes it so the one or two arcs you manage to clip it with fart out much less damage in comparison.

Now true, IG-88C won't be boosting --> evading every turn. I'm just saying you should be be boosting --> evading more on a turn by turn basis throughout all your games more than you will be gaining shields through Ig-88A

If you're getting to kill who and when you want then your opponent isn't the best either and it doesn't matter. It's a win-more situation. The only time A is good is when you can take something out, all the others allow you to even get in that situation.

Nah A is not the best option by a long shot it can very easily end up doing literally nothing for you if the dice go cold, where B is always there for that quasi gunner.

What is the biggest weakness most 2-ship builds using large ships face? Arguably that is going to be the swarm which is also what A should shine the brightest against. As mentioned the maximum benefit maybe (n-1) which then begs the question what value does n need to be?

What is the biggest weakness most 2-ship builds using large ships face? Arguably that is going to be the swarm which is also what A should shine the brightest against. As mentioned the maximum benefit maybe (n-1) which then begs the question what value does n need to be?

The Aggressor isn't "most two ship builds"

the 3 agility already give it a significant advantage over 2 dice attacks, it can carry advanced sensors to minimize the impact of being blocked, and its incredible speed/accuracy at range 3 do the rest

they aren't fattie turrets (thank god), they're a completely different beast

Until the meta settles down and 2 ship builds die down a bit, A isn't the best option for survivability. C is.

I think A is going to shine in 3 or 4 ship squads in Epic play at 200pts+ when people are taking 8, 12, or even 16+ ships. At 100 points against the usual 3 ship squads I really don't want to bank on the shield regen mechanic.

If you could regenerate 2 shields against a 3 ship build there's potential that your coup-de-grace shooter already has full shields. It says you recover a shield, not gain a shield token.

What is the biggest weakness most 2-ship builds using large ships face? Arguably that is going to be the swarm which is also what A should shine the brightest against. As mentioned the maximum benefit maybe (n-1) which then begs the question what value does n need to be?

In this case the weakness is actually low PS ships that can k turn and therefore outmanoeuvre the s-loop of the aggressor, i've seen defenders fly circles around the aggressor easily killing two without scratching their paint jobs.

The problem with A (in a 100 point list) is that his value is determined by your opponent. Best case scenario is n-1 shields back where n is the number of ships your opponent brings.

While 2 ship builds are the thing, I think A is a little lackluster. When 4 and 5 ship builds become more popular, I think A will be worth more consideration.

2-ship builds aren't exactly a bad match-up for IG-88.

I'm not sure I agree with that. High PS turrets that can arc dodge would cause IG88 big problems.

But that aside, if the endorsement is "this is good because all the times it's useless you don't need it anyway", I personally find that a weak endorsement.

If I have to choose between something that's always useful and something that's sometimes useful I usually go for the reliable one.

Usable? Definitely, but too situational for me taste.

EDIT ---

they aren't fattie turrets (thank god), they're a completely different beast

This got me thinking. I think the Dual IG88 is a big ship list that actually prefers facing a swarm over anything else. Between 3 green dice, Auto-thrusters, cannons, manoeuvrability and a huge number of ways to ditch stress, it likes to sit at range 3 and plink away at the swarm.

Guaranteed evade from Auto thrusters at range 3 and the S-Loop, natural K Turn, 9 green moves and Advanced Sensors make it really difficult to block.

If you could regenerate 2 shields against a 3 ship build there's potential that your coup-de-grace shooter already has full shields. It says you recover a shield, not gain a shield token.

This.

Odds are that your opponent will be focusing down one Aggressor at a time. As a result, you'll likely have one limping along and the other at full health. There's nothing more embarassing than taking IG88A, getting an opposing ship down to one hull, and having to finish off the enemy ship with the wrong Aggressor.

I haven't run any math or anything, but it seems like B and C is one of the best combos, if you can give both ships cannons and good systems. I flew a B with Mangler and Accuracy Corrector, and basically gave myself a fail-safe damage system. If primary misses, fire the cannon. If you roll garbage again, take the 2 auto hits. If you're ensuring both ships throw at least 2 hits per turn, and they are both getting free evades, that's a powerhouse combo of attack and defense in my book.

This got me thinking. I think the Dual IG88 is a big ship list that actually prefers facing a swarm over anything else. Between 3 green dice, Auto-thrusters, cannons, manoeuvrability and a huge number of ways to ditch stress, it likes to sit at range 3 and plink away at the swarm.

Guaranteed evade from Auto thrusters at range 3 and the S-Loop, natural K Turn, 9 green moves and Advanced Sensors make it really difficult to block.

I'd disagree with that last sentence, somewhat. The Aggressor can make huge leaps across the board, but without a straight 4/5 it's dependent on Boost to do so. That means each leap has to have two safe landing zones where your opponent cannot be and twice as many places for him to get in your way.

And thanks to the large base, the Aggressor's minimum movement is still pretty far. Even if your first engagement occurs at the very edge of range 3, and you follow it up with a 1 maneuver, most ships in the game will be able to get in your face. I think anything with a 3+ straight could probably do it.

I have to join in with the chorus of A being the single worst IG-88 choice, unless playing Epic and taking all 4.

All the others are matchup independent. It doesn't matter what the opponent is playing, they're all great abilities to have, and will definitely be used during every single game you play. You therefore have no dead points, because you're paying for something that you're using. Which is 100% efficiency (I mean hell, a 1pt Gunner on a cannon enabled ship is ludicrously efficient).

IG-88A on the other hand, has the relatively high probability to *never* trigger. How common are 2 ship builds? How easy is it for one IG-88 to deal less damage than expected, or even whiff entirely, against one of those two ships, and for it to have to be finished off by the one that's already on full shields? No regen gained, and the next time the ability would trigger, you win the game anyway. Either that, or you lose, because you didn't have the movement options, free evades, or damage increase offered by the others.

I tried A, C and D to match with B. Guess what? A and D are useless (in my opinion). With A, i couldn't even regenerate a shield. And with D, i only used his ability once or twice but with no tactical advantage. Meanwhile, C let's me escape with an evade token plus keeping the distance with a boost!

My go to Iggies are B and D. I presume A will see more play in Epic, where games are longer and you have enough ships on the board for it to activate. C & D are at opposite spectrum of predictability. C needs a boost to get that evade, I've had opponents block that boost on purpose. D *can* boost, doesn't need to, and gets to choose the maneuver on the fly. Often the difference means that you're just out of arc, or you managed to be in range 1 of the other IG88 (hello my Wingman, hello my darling... )

The Decimator Fat Han and Super Dash say hi.

I guess you can focus on all the low hit point escorts like the Academy and the Chardan refit but if they choose say a 4 Bwing build you are in trouble with the A. Also I think they will have a hard time against a Phantom Decimator build as well.

Sure as of now it seems like every thing is B + C/D and that is starting to get monotonous and predictable, but it is dependable.