I've been running a PS 1 Defender + HLC + SD, with support from Darth Vader with Swarm Tactics, and Captain Jonus with Swarm Tactics and Proximity mines to pretty good affect lately.

http://xwing-builder.co.uk/view/211608/the-dark-defender

You can keep all three in range one or at least keep Darth and Jonus within range one of each other so you can daisy chain the Swarm Tactics. The Defender then has to at least be within Range 1 of one of them to get a boost to PS 9. I plan on boosting this build by Adding a Mangler cannon to the Defender and proton rockets to both the Defender and Vader.

The Defender is not a bad ship, you just can't run it like an Interceptor which is what most people that complain about it seem to want to do. With the right support ships, the Defender can be a good ship to use, and being able to boost the entire squad to PS 9 is nice as I can take down shields with Jonus and Darth, and then unload with the HLC if at 2-3 or 4 regular dice at range 1. If adding a Mangler cannon to the Defender then I can leverage Captain's Jonus reroll ability even at range 1 for a pseudo target lock at all ranges, and also pretty much guarantee at least one crit in the mix.

The Defender point wise is not an easy ship to get into a really competitive build, and it has taken me a while to come up with a combination that seems to work for my style of play. It still needs some more games to see how it works out, but it did well recently against the build that usually eats me up (4 Y-Wings all with Ion Cannon Turretts).

what i think should have been.... this is more lore based than anything.

2.The PS1 and PS3 should instead be PS2 and PS4

Based on what we've seen so far, I think generic PS4-6s with elite pilot talents are becoming more common, if not the norm. If they re-released the Defender I'm sure we'd see something like that.

Honestly I think they are a good ship to over buff. They are simply not as dumbly annoying as large ship turrets. They have the ability to carry a game and hence justify their cost. Any silly fix would be wonderful. Heck coaxial ions would be awesome.... If I alittle broken with that fancy shmancy white k

Honestly I think they are a good ship to over buff. They are simply not as dumbly annoying as large ship turrets. They have the ability to carry a game and hence justify their cost. Any silly fix would be wonderful. Heck coaxial ions would be awesome.... If I alittle broken with that fancy shmancy white k

Yeah, that's a great point. Coaxial Ions are an awesome idea, but can you imagine that on Vessery coupled with an ST-321 OGP? You could continuously K-turn and fire at a ship with Focus + Target Lock, almost always guaranteeing damage and an Ion. Defenders would be stupid good... which is all the more reason why they need it!

The one thing I've learned from playing with Defenders is that we can't be afraid to use the stress-turns with them, it's just figuring out the timing on them that's difficult. If it'll lead to a good block or put me out of arc, I'll take a stress-turn any day of the week. If it gives me a Range 1 shot with Vessery on a Target Locked ship, then I'll usually consider it unless it puts Vessery at risk of getting fried himself.

Honestly I think they are a good ship to over buff. They are simply not as dumbly annoying as large ship turrets. They have the ability to carry a game and hence justify their cost. Any silly fix would be wonderful. Heck coaxial ions would be awesome.... If I alittle broken with that fancy shmancy white k

Yeah, that's a great point. Coaxial Ions are an awesome idea, but can you imagine that on Vessery coupled with an ST-321 OGP? You could continuously K-turn and fire at a ship with Focus + Target Lock, almost always guaranteeing damage and an Ion. Defenders would be stupid good... which is all the more reason why they need it!

The one thing I've learned from playing with Defenders is that we can't be afraid to use the stress-turns with them, it's just figuring out the timing on them that's difficult. If it'll lead to a good block or put me out of arc, I'll take a stress-turn any day of the week. If it gives me a Range 1 shot with Vessery on a Target Locked ship, then I'll usually consider it unless it puts Vessery at risk of getting fried himself.

Well sure, those are good times to use the stress turns. The annoying thing is though, most of the time you might see the potential to make a 1 hard turn, and maybe it will be out of arc, but maybe not. You really want to throw in a Barrel Roll for good measure, but alas, not possible

When it works, its great, but lets be real here; it only 'works' once in every what? 4 or 5 games? (or whatever....some people may use it more than others). End of the day though, its very rare that red move is actually a 'game-changer'.

A white 3 turn and a possibility of a barrel roll is almost always better than a 1 or 2 turn with stress.

Again... the poor Defender's dial was too harshly constructed. Stress hurts this ship more than many others.

what i think should have been.... this is more lore based than anything.

2.The PS1 and PS3 should instead be PS2 and PS4

Oh please no!!! The Delta is an amazing blocker.

what i think should have been.... this is more lore based than anything.

2.The PS1 and PS3 should instead be PS2 and PS4

Oh please no!!! The Delta is an amazing blocker.

30 is a lot of points to be wasing on a blocker.

You're not taking it 'because' its a blocker. The PS1 blocking is a really nice perk though. Increasing to PS2 would reduce its blockiness, so it does more harm than good.

Who's taking defenders to block academys and alphas?

Look at all of this new ground being covered. LOOK AT IT.

4,000+ posts of All New, All American content right here folks.

I like the PS1 Defender less for it's blocking ability but more for it's ability to get your maneuver off without fear of being blocked. You really have to misjudge distances to be denied actions.

what i think should have been.... this is more lore based than anything.

2.The PS1 and PS3 should instead be PS2 and PS4

Oh please no!!! The Delta is an amazing blocker.

30 is a lot of points to be wasing on a blocker.

You're not taking it 'because' its a blocker. The PS1 blocking is a really nice perk though. Increasing to PS2 would reduce its blockiness, so it does more harm than good.

Exactly. It's primary job is not to be a blocker, but it CAN take on that roll. The PS1 Defender creates firing lanes and kill-zones. Your opponent knows this, and a PS1 Defender will limit where an opponent will consider moving because of this. This means you're putting him where you want him! Or, at the very least, in a more predictable and less adventitious position.

Do I use Defenders to block? Heck yea! Nothing screws up Vader, Fel, or a swarm of Ties more than action denial. (And better yet, starting a train of action denial!)

Wow, those are some nice ships that would be blocked just as well by a PS 2 ship. Or you could save 12 points on an alpha squadron pilot, and run three for every two and save six points.

Obviously what we need is a defender sub fourum.

Wow, those are some nice ships that would be blocked just as well by a PS 2 ship. Or you could save 12 points on an alpha squadron pilot, and run three for every two and save six points.

I'd love to see anyone 3/5king an alpha squadron and surviving shoots on an actionless, 18 point tie fighter

I took a defender list to a 28 person store championship and came out number 8. I primarily faced varied fat falcon lists but did face a BBBBZ and completely annihilated it with ease.

My list:

Soontir Fel

Push the Limit

Royal Guard Title

Autothrusters

Targeting Computer

Delta Squadron Pilot

Ion Cannon

Delta Squadron Pilot

Ion Cannon

100 Points

3 wins, 1 modified, 2 losses for the swiss round. Both losses were due to the green dice crapping out on both defenders. Ion cannons with the white K ate the B-Wings for dinner!

Wow, those are some nice ships that would be blocked just as well by a PS 2 ship. Or you could save 12 points on an alpha squadron pilot, and run three for every two and save six points.

I'd love to see anyone 3/5king an alpha squadron and surviving shoots on an actionless, 18 point tie fighter

Wow, those are some nice ships that would be blocked just as well by a PS 2 ship. Or you could save 12 points on an alpha squadron pilot, and run three for every two and save six points.

I tried to make a 2 Defender list as close as I could to a 2 Aggressor list.
I spent 98 points on each. The Aggressors had more tricks- and stuff.

So, are the Defenders over-priced (like most of us agree) or are the Aggressors under-costed?

Or both?

I tried to make a 2 Defender list as close as I could to a 2 Aggressor list.

I spent 98 points on each. The Aggressors had more tricks- and stuff.

So, are the Defenders over-priced (like most of us agree) or are the Aggressors under-costed?

Or both?

Large ships all get a discount, aggressors have large bases making the easier to hit and giving them fewer movement options despite a good dial.

They are also a bit predictable because in order to shoot they are going to loop and k turn alot after they do that it's fairly easy to predict their green move.

They are good ships but a pair of deltas can outfly them because of k turns and blocking.

Obviously what we need is a defender sub fourum.

It's the only ship awesomesauce enough to deserve one!!

Obviously what we need is a defender sub fourum.

It's the only ship awesomesauce enough to deserve one!!

Or at least a club. We could have badges.

In defense of the Defender, Orks would love it. All that red on the dial...

4,000+ posts of All New, All American content right here folks.

Hey man, it's hard to maintain this level of awesomeness and keep it fresh.

"All the way, airborne!"

In defense of the Defender, Orks would love it. All that red on the dial...

4,000+ posts of All New, All American content right here folks.

Hey man, it's hard to maintain this level of awesomeness and keep it fresh.

"All the way, airborne!"

Disagree w you on the defender sir...but **** you're still funny :-)