I am throwing around this list in my head:

Patrol Leader (40)

Academy Pilot (12) X 5

just wondering if anyone has tried a similar list and how it worked for them.

Nope but theres no reason that won't work, 31 hit points to chew through and rolling 13 attacks seems like it can do some damage.

yeah, my guess is that there is no real obvious threat, the naked decimator can be torn through with focus fire, but that leaves the TIE's to dance around shooting at your flanks, while if you engage the fighters I will keep my decimator circling the dog fight like a C130, just blasting at any opportunity shot he can take, there should be a lot of bumping and action denial.

and if I face something like a fat Han, that's a lot of shooting, so hits are going to make it through

While you keep your Deci away from heavy focused fire, it will be ok.

that's what im thinking, use fighters as screen and blast away at range 3,

thinking of dropping 1 TIE to throw in Merc copilot, upgrade to Oicunn to take predator then throw Yssanne on there also

I will keep my decimator circling the dog fight like a C130

...that thing is so darned cool.

Don't screen with the TIEs! They are the real threat! If anything, get them to focus on the decimator, play it super aggressive, swing it around them, everything you can to get them to not shoot TIEs while the TIEs close in for the kill.

hmmm, sounds fun

You could try dropping one TIE, upgrading one TIE to Howlrunner, another to Dark Curse and give the Decimator a Tacical Jammer. Fly the TIEs behind the Decimator, giving them +1 green, and having all five ships re-rolling attack dice.

A naked Patrol Leader is 40 points well spent, but is highly dependant on what you spend the leftover 60 points on.

I've grown quite fond of a Shuttle and a Bounty Hunter, to fly alongside it.

A naked Patrol Leader is 40 points well spent, but is highly dependant on what you spend the leftover 60 points on.

I've grown quite fond of a Shuttle and a Bounty Hunter, to fly alongside it.

It's actually a tough squad to fly, as 3 large base ships can be quite unwieldy, especially if one is a space cow. However, its a ton of beef and can throw out some decent damage. I'd suggest Vader on the shuttle and Rec Spec. on the BH to make it fairly tanky.

I've wanted to fly this but haven't had the opportunity yet:

Patrol Leader (40)

Alpha Squadron Pilot (18) x 3

Autothrusters (2)

Total: 100

Seems a bit silly, but could be a lot of fun depending on what ship(s) the opponent prioritizes. Five Fighters is probably a safer bet, though.

To the guy who suggested Tactical Jammer: I think that's a great idea, but it'd be exceedingly difficult to fly PS1 ships whose slowest forward maneuver is a 2 behind a large-base ship that moves after them. After about two moves, Tactical Jammer would lose a lot of its effectiveness. But it'd be interesting if you could pull it off!!! You should give it a shot and post results.

I just won a Store Championship with:

Patrol Leader with Darth Vader crew (43)

3x Scimitar Squadron Pilot with Proximity Mines (19)

If you can keep the Decimator from being focused down by the enemy it can be very good.

In my three games (only 8 players) I never lost the Decimator and I still used Vader a few times.

Here is my recap: http://teamcovenant.com/veldrin/2015/04/09/crit-magnet-a-store-championship-tale/

Naked? No, but I have run some light Decimators (Oicunm+Determination)

I'd recommend something a little similar. Maybe drop one tie and go for oicunn and you get 10 points to throw around for each ship. (maybe go black sqadron for intitive? Perhaps a crew or two?)

I am throwing around this list in my head:

Patrol Leader (40)

Academy Pilot (12) X 5

just wondering if anyone has tried a similar list and how it worked for them.

I've run that exact list, although only once. (I've run a couple of other lists with naked Decimators too, including double Patrol Leaders with an Avenger Squadron Pilot.)

It's not a bad list, although it has the usual bad matchups for low-PS swarms. Its biggest problem is that the Decimator is horribly inefficient on offense, and not very efficient on defense. The Decimator is only a hair more durable than the pair of TIE fighters or TIE interceptors it's pushing out of your list, and its offense isn't even close to what Howlrunner would do for you.

So you need to do some arc-dodging to pick those points back up... but the Patrol Leader has PS3 and no ability to reposition. So you're relying on your flying and your opponent's target priority choices to put you in a winning position.

Basically, it's tough enough and has enough offensive output to win some games, but it has some bad matchups and its wins are going to be slow and costly.

Nope but theres no reason that won't work, 31 hit points to chew through and rolling 13 attacks seems like it can do some damage.

Pet peeve: counting up red dice as an indicator of offensive power. A Vader + Advanced Targeting Computer/Fel + Autothrusters/Echo list would have just 9 dice per round; do you suppose it has enough offense? Fat Han + 3Z has the same 9 dice, but it seems like people have been able to use it successfully. Two IG-88s with Heavy Laser Cannons top out at 8 dice, but people seem to like it.

It's not about how many attack dice you roll, because more dice spread across a large number of attacks is sometimes worse than a smaller number concentrated into a smaller number of attacks.

A naked Patrol Leader is 40 points well spent, but is highly dependant on what you spend the leftover 60 points on.

I've grown quite fond of a Shuttle and a Bounty Hunter, to fly alongside it.

It's actually a tough squad to fly, as 3 large base ships can be quite unwieldy, especially if one is a space cow. However, its a ton of beef and can throw out some decent damage. I'd suggest Vader on the shuttle and Rec Spec. on the BH to make it fairly tanky.

Oh yes and the Shuttle's dial doesn't help much - but it is truly a beefcake list and it throws out 9 attack dice regularly, for quite some time.

It can also wreck your opponent's movement plans when you throw 3 large bases in front of him.

Patrol Leader + Vader + Captive

Howl

3xAcademy

This is a really solid list that has done really well in store championships (prior to wave 6). The Captive can really screw with Phantoms, Fel and any ship that takes PTL. Vader can take care of low hp, high agility ships.

So you're relying on your flying and your opponent's target priority choices to put you in a winning position.

This a thousand times. You need to bring something along with the Decimator which makes your opponent's choice of target difficult.

If your opponet goes all in on your Decimator you have to have something that can hurt him for doing so.

With my list (Patrol with Vader, and 3 Scimitars with Proximity Mines) I found that if I flew in such a way that any enemy gunning for my Decimator faced the risk of getting Proxy Mined they either veered off and targeted my Bombers or kept going and got hammered by two or three mines.

The "somewhat new" ruling on Proxy Mines make it easier to fly in formation and drop as you fly over an enemy as the mines now explode as soon as you drop them (if overlapping the enemy). This means you can fly two Bombers side by side and both can drop their mines without risking the bomber that moves second to trigger the first one's mine.

completely naked - no. Naked except for EU, oh hell yes.

You could try my "Howl's Moving Castle" list:

Patrol Leader x2

Howlrunner + Swarm Tactics

You get to focus and reroll with your decis, and if Howl dies, you could always go back to target locking.

You could try my "Howl's Moving Castle" list:

Patrol Leader x2

Howlrunner + Swarm Tactics

You get to focus and reroll with your decis, and if Howl dies, you could always go back to target locking.

I do have 2 Decis.... I might have to try this.

I have a 3D list

1 Patrol Deci = 40

2 Delta Defenders = 60

Played it once, didn't lose a ship. If you fly it right, 9 to 12 reds on a target, makes a target go down.

I may give this one a go again, it was fun

Pet peeve: counting up red dice as an indicator of offensive power.... more dice spread across a large number of attacks is sometimes worse than a smaller number concentrated into a smaller number of attacks.

I have a 3D list... If you fly it right, 9 to 12 reds on a target, makes a target go down.

Sigma Patrol

Patrol leader + Rebel Captive

Sigma + Stygium x 2

Wolfpack tactics with the Sigma. Sweep in on a target, shoot, then cloak and run the next turn. 2nd sigma sweeps in and shoots, then fades away. Repeat. Patrol is to entice large number of ships and stress phantoms.

Naked decimator 40 points. Two delta's 60 points. Tons of fun. Typically my opponent goes for the decimator leaving two tie defenders...they are very hard to beat mid and end game. I think they have a combined hit point total of 28?