So I'm heading to my first X-Wing tourney in about two months, and I've been kicking around a lot of different lists. Here's the one that's a forerunner for my tourney list:

IG-88A (50)

Veteran Instincts (1), Advanced Sensors (3), "Mangler" Cannon (4), Ion Cannon (3), Inertial Dampeners (1), IG-2000 (0), Autothrusters (2)

IG-88D (50)

Veteran Instincts (1), Advanced Sensors (3), "Mangler" Cannon (4), Ion Cannon (3), Inertial Dampeners (1), IG-2000 (0), Autothrusters (2)

First, with that free IG-2000 upgrade, they both get double pilot abilities. A lets them recover shields by blasting enemies, and D makes them even more maneuverable since they can use that special new maneuver with a 3 Bank or a 3 Turn.

The idea behind this list is to dance around the enemy with plenty of options for dealing damage. The Manglers will deny the bonus green die at range, and I'd probably use them at Range 2 as well for the bonus crit. At close range, switch over to primary weapons for the bonus red. Advanced Sensors make these two extremely dodgy, especially combined with D's ability. They can essentially land in six different locations every turn, and lots of those will be out of arc where the Autothrusters will kick in against Fat Han and the Donut of Doom. Once the enemy gets whittled down to a few ships, getting out of arc and switching to Ion Cannons will keep me behind them, especially against things without a turret (though denying a Fat Han Falcon his Evade would be a definite bonus).

Thoughts?

Drop A for C and you'll thank me

A is really situation dependent and only really useful against a swarm list where you can count on a few kills each time you fly

I also don't really like the second cannon ... if you are going to do something like that I would take hot shot blaster for those few times you have no shot. VI isn't useful for these guys I'd try and fit in PTL ... it is a nasty combo with adv. sensors

I'd definitely consider predator as an ept, as well as swapping a for b or c. Sadly a just isn't very good unless you're certain you're going to be fighting swarm lists, which are not in vogue all that much.

IG-88 B and Ion Cannon has always been my favorite control ship, pairing it with D will would be awesome for landing your ion hits and maneuvering like crazy around them all for kill shots.

I've always wanted to see IG-88A get some more love... I've never seen him flown and this is the first list I've ever seen in a 100pt list that contained him.

With that said, him and D don't synergize particularly well. If for some zany reason I stuck with A, which at some point when I buy IGs I probably will for kicks, I'd almost certainly pair him with B for the gunner-esque ability to help try and generate those shield restoring kills. Mini-swarms are still definitely a thing, so it's not completely insane... but the first time you fly against Soontir+Decimator or Fat Falcon Pilot, his ability will be nearly worthless.

B and D go well together, though perhaps ironically they might have issues with the odd swarm. They were actually the combo I downed with my Z swarm...