Messin around with this build

4 Royal TIE Interceptors

Royal Guard Pilot - TIE Interceptor (22)

Push the Limit (3)

Royal Guard Pilot - TIE Interceptor (22)

Push the Limit (3)

Royal Guard Pilot - TIE Interceptor (22)

Push the Limit (3)

Royal Guard Pilot - TIE Interceptor (22)

Push the Limit (3)

Tell me what you think.

It's been around since Imperial Aces. It's pretty fun to fly. The push for super-high PS during the Phantom's reign has made it less-than-competitive in tournaments, though. Still, great casual build if you can fly PtL Interceptors. My best advice for flying squints is "Figure out where your opponent wants you to go and don't go there."

Yeah not a bad list.

The only thing that really hurts these lists is being blocked as you get completely shut down if you lose your actions, more so when over ten per cent of your squad points are sunk into being able to do two actions (PTL x4)

I personally prefer three named pilots in royal ties with autothrusters and stealthdevice.

Using PTL to make 'evade' a constant choice you actually stay alive longer than you do with 4 unadjusted ships.

Royal Guard Pilot is great for their points cost but i'd personally sacrifice three 'hit points' and 3 die damage output to have named pilots with greater defence.

I run

Soontir fell (you can stress to get a free focus with PTL)

Turr phenir (you can take your shot then dodge out)

and

Tetran Cowel (because i find his K turn flexibility very useful to stick at close range behind someone)

Sure my max damage out put is 12/9 depending on range as opposed to your 16/12 but i'm far more likely to be able to get them all in that place where all three are intact and putting that damage out.

I think the four royal tie thing isnt bad but i know i'd miss that 5 evade dice at range 3 with two guaranteed saves on the first shots as i used my ints speed to get past the enemys line and then stay behind them. Usually if i can survive getting behind them and im not facing turrets im sorted.

4 Royal Guards was my go-to list when Imperial Aces first came out. A lot of fun. Unfortunately, it struggles against higher PS interceptors, but at the time, the big killer to this list was Wave 4. Named Phantoms burned through your focus/evade easily and the over-abundance of 'fat' turrets really hard countered the list. It only got worse in Wave 5 (I never bothered bringing it back out, tbh). Now with Autothrusters, its probably better to run them with those.

Actually, 1 or 2 Royal Guards w/ PTL, title, autothrusters and shield upgrade for 31 apiece is a solid addition to a centrepiece model. Such as a fairly cheap phantom or expensive elite interceptor like Fel or Jax.

I plan on running 2 of those with Fel equipped identically, but I can't yet because I only have 2 copies of autothrusters...

I used to run a list to good effect that was this, but with one squint traded for OGP shuttle + Vader (aka Doomshuttle). The list was entitled "Royal Escort", and comes from the picture on the RGP pilot card.

This is exactly the same as one of my favorite lists to fly (same name too).

The other option (now) for a Royal Flush is Royal Guard Pilot x 4 with Veteran Instincts and Autothrusters. You get the benefit of flying with a squint's full dial, and doing so at Pilot Skill 8, but you lose the near-automatic choice crutch of Push The Limit.

And by losing PTL i think you lose the almost guaranteed evade each turn in exchange for a very situational defence bonus.

I think i'd rather *know* im not taking the hit than hope i can stay at range 3.

To me a successful interceptor list minimises the chance of being hit at all *or* enables you to take one or two hits and still be in the fight.

Hence previously i always like PTL ints with shield and hull upgrades on a royal title, decent AG, a mandatory evade action and if somthing did get through you coudl shrug it off it was quite tanky.

Now i think Autothrusts and stealth are the way forwards as you do take far fewer hits in the opening moves (which is usually when my ints get shot up).

I love the idea of flying four royal guard but i just think its massively fragile.

I think i'll give both the PTL and VI incarnations a go but i'm not convinced on paper.