Trying to decide what to bring for my last store championship. I've settled on using soontir Fel with PtL, stealth device, royal guard, and auto thrusters. What would you pair with this?

2 Delta Defenders (flechette cannon)

[it really works!]

but because you probably won't do well with Defenders unless you like them and have practiced with them (they're really strange buggers), my local group has been talking about this list:

Same Soontir as Above

Backstabber

4 Academy Pilots

it's their next "meta terror" post phantom errata, although nothing will ever come close to threat of Whisper unless its fat and has a turret

I think it's deadly competitive, but it's not easy mode like the phantom + chiraneau builds of yore.

What about bounty hunter (recon spec, engine upgrade) and academy X2?

engine seems little too much when its competing with Rec Spec for the Bounty's single action and two Academies are imo not enough to make an impact

if you have two bounty hunters and know how to fly them, though...(you'll have to drop Stealth device on Soontir, which is risky)

Scum firesprays are much better anyways. I like the idea of running a mini swarm with Soontir, or you could try running a list like:

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Galactic%20Empire&d=v3!s!28:18:5:15:M.1;56:-1,-1,21,45:-1:-1:;10::-1:-1:;10::-1:-1:;10::-1:-1:

S&V has no proper analog for the bounty hunter, which is still unrivaled as the most cost-efficient firespray (and a **** intimidating sight to see in multiples)

2 Delta Defenders (flechette cannon)

[it really works!]

but because you probably won't do well with Defenders unless you like them and have practiced with them (they're really strange buggers), my local group has been talking about this list:

Same Soontir as Above

Backstabber

4 Academy Pilots

it's their next "meta terror" post phantom errata, although nothing will ever come close to threat of Whisper unless its fat and has a turret

I think it's deadly competitive, but it's not easy mode like the phantom + chiraneau builds of yore.

I've given Soontir a solid go alongside 2 deltas with flechette cannons and I have found that he is actually a poor partner for them.

Here's the thing I've discovered with Soontir (and I think this holds true with any list he's in): he is a loner and very poor at supporting his squad. Basically, he works fantastically in the end-game when there are few ships on the table, but getting him there intact can be a struggle if your opponent has a good understanding of the interceptor dial and manages to block you. For this reason, you have to fly Soontir very cautiously, often giving up early game shots just to avoid potential blocks and keep him alive. Thus he doesn't contribute much to your early game firepower. For this reason, I feel the best things to pair him with are ships that don't need a lot of support, or are capable of putting out a good amount of damage on their own.

So I think some good candidates might be:

TIE mini swarm

pair of Bounty Hunters

Shuttles (either a pair of upgraded or 3 near naked ones)

Elite flankers (other interceptors or possibly a phantom)

Ymmv of course, but I don't think you can just slap the good Baron into any list and expect good results from him.

Defenders don't need support

A shot from a flechette or ion cannon already makes them superior to any jouster in a 1v1 scenario, and 3 agility makes them hell to hit with 2 dice offense.

They're more than capable of working alone while soontir screams in from the side

I haven't been finding that to be ideal -- I mean sure, it works against some lists just fine, but against swarms or other lists capable of high damage, the defenders can take too much of a beating early on.

I've swapped Fel out for 3 academy TIEs. I haven't gotten many games in yet (just a couple on Friday), but the Academies are doing a lot more for the Defenders than Fel could. Basically, they are out front running interference and forcing the opponent to deal with them. Meanwhile the defenders are free to use their focus offensively either to ensure that they get the most out of their flechettes or to deal some solid damage to a wounded ship (that the academies softened up). All PS1 and the flechettes really help to trap an enemy ship by blocking up potential green moves and k-turns so that it remains actionless, stressed and inside my defender's firing arc for a second round of shooting (usually at range1).

It turns the defender into a scary prospect that just was not possible when they were going it alone and had to k-turn for a second round of shooting or 3hard turn/5 straight to escape shots if the k-turn was blocked. Best of all, the third turn is again very favourable for me because there is no chance of the defender's k-turn being blocked once everything is clustered in tight and so I get even more efficient fire out of the defenders.

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Galactic%20Empire&d=v3!s!28:18:5:15:M.1;18:9:-1:1:;12:-1:-1:-1:;12:-1:-1:-1:;12:-1:-1:-1:

This is something I helped a friend of mine brainstorm up a few weeks back. Maybe this will help.

5 Obsidian Squadron TIE Fighters.

I'm leaning tword the 5 obsidians or 2BH right now, though what are your thoughs on 4 scimitar?

Also if I assume I want him for end game, what squad could I take for the best alpha strike?

What about two phantoms?

Currently I am experimenting with this:

Sigma Squadron Pilot (34) x 2 - TIE Phantom (25), Recon Specialist (3), Sensor Jammer (4), Stygium Particle Accelerator (2)

Soontir Fel (32) - TIE Interceptor (27), Royal Guard TIE (0), Push the Limit (3), Autothrusters (2)

I am alRegionals:

Sigma Squadron Pilot (34) x 2 - TIE Phantom (25), Recon Specialist (3), Sensor Jammer (4), Stygium Particle Accelerator (2)

Soontir Fel (32) - TIE Interceptor (27), Royal Guard TIE (0), Push the Limit (3), Autothrusters (2)

I was only able to play with it twice so far. Once last week, against a Dash - Dutch list (battle report with pictures here: [http://arianoolvido.blogspot.nl/2015/04/first-flight-of-phantom-x-wing-battle.html]) which ended in a modified win for me. But I am no so proud of my performance, I forgot plenty of things and being my first time with the phantoms, I think that I did not fly to the best of their capabilities.

Today, I just played against a Corran Horn - Horton Salm - Ten Numb list and I massacred them. At the end of the game, only Horton was barely alive. I will put a battle report on the same blog next week or so.