I'm at a crossroads.

Small, defensive lists are, fairly predictably, taking a lot of Regionals so far. So I could bring a samey Fel/Chiraneau list:

like you I was in a crossroad (we had to submit lists for regional yesterday):

The fun/ignore the meta squad with N'Dru as the troll menace:

N'Dru Suhlak — Z-95 Headhunter 17

Lone Wolf 2

Cluster Missiles 4

Prince Xizor — StarViper 31

Veteran Instincts 1

Autothrusters 2

IG-88D — Aggressor 36

Veteran Instincts 1

Advanced Sensors 3

Inertial Dampeners 1

Autothrusters 2

At the end went with Fel+Chiri... My loadout is a bit different than yours as Fel takes a shield instead of Stealth (Vader crew is all around) and Chiri gets some upgrades to stress IGs which are very popular in my area (Barcelona, spain).

Rear Admiral Chiraneau — VT-49 Decimator 46

Veteran Instincts 1

Rebel Captive 3

Gunner 5

Tactician 2

Proximity Mines 3

Engine Upgrade 4

Soontir Fel — TIE Interceptor 27

Push the Limit 3

Autothrusters 2

Shield Upgrade 4

Royal Guard TIE 0

I used to ran Fel with TC and Chiri with Ysanne and Vader but I've been adapting the list to counter my meta...while I do miss TC I don't miss Ysanne that much. My 2cnts, hope helps.

I think the lion's share of Fat Turrets will also be built as arc dodgers, so I'd steer clear of list 2. If it were me I'd do some variant of the 3rd option.

I'm at the same crossroads, actually. I even started a thread to go over my battle reports about it (in the battle report sub forum). I've been really torn.

If you have a lot of Fat Turrets, then the Bomber list will be utterly amazing. The problem comes in with all the bro bots and Soontir lists you will need to face. The ordnance just can't reliably handle all the evade dice. Oh, it might work once or twice, but just as equally screw you. I've played a couple of games where I fire all my ordnance at a ship with 3 green dice and only caused 2 damage with ALL of my missiles! It's just not going to work for a certain segment.

I thought of a Decimator + Defender list that uses Navigator, VI, and EU to be a PS 10 arc dodging Decimator, but I just don't want to join the meta.

I'm going with something odd ball. It's either going to be a Xizor list or it's going to be 5 Alpha Squadron Autoceptors.

Since Fel + Decimator is so "meta" now, you should probably run Whisper + Decimator! Haha!!

In all seriousness, it IS an underused squad now, and would be a meta punch in the face, since there are less lists building to "counter" the Phantom.

Since Fel + Decimator is so "meta" now, you should probably run Whisper + Decimator! Haha!!

In all seriousness, it IS an underused squad now, and would be a meta punch in the face, since there are less lists building to "counter" the Phantom.

I don't think Decimator/Whisper handles the most common netlists any better than Decimator/Fel does, though. Whisper handles Fel pretty well, as long as Fel has initiative, but then there are a lot of ships that can reliably interdict Fel.

The problem is finding something that works against Whisper/Fel and against fat turrets and against double IG-88.

If it were me I'd do some variant of the 3rd option.

I'm going with something odd ball.

Yeah, I'm leaning toward fatalism: I'm going to lose anyway, so I might as well earn my 3-2-but-didn't-make-the-cut finish on my own terms rather than running a list that's going to make me hate myself for giving into the groupthink.

Since day 1 I've always liked flying Interceptors, Phantoms, and something else. Unfortunately, points almost always requires it be the Lambda. Fortunately I've also always preferred Echo over Whisper because of the movement possibilities, 6 vs 3. Post Phantom change, I think Echo it even more favorable. Granted, against PS10 builds it can be tough but I've found that being at range 3 with an evade token does pretty well.

That being said, this is the list that isn't 100% "meta" but is a blast to fly. Good luck!

Kinda in the same situation as you. I've been flying with the same list for the last couple of weeks in preparation of the Regionals, something I never do (I hate flying the same list more than once, unless I really love it). Now, the Regionals is this weekend and I'm not sure I want to bring this particular list and fly with it for the entire day. There is another list that I'm sure would be fun to fly, but I'm not sure if it will be efficient. Still have 4 days to decide...

As for your problem, I would avoid the 1st, unless that's really a list that you want to try. Don't join the netlisters, fly something you like and you know will have fun for the entire day. I don't know if you're like me but I would prefer a 2-3 result with a list I designed myself over a 5-0 record with a copy-paste of the latest flavor(BBBBZ, Fat Han, Double IG, etc).

so join fat turrets or troll fat turrets

do you even have to ask?

so join fat turrets or troll fat turrets

do you even have to ask?

I haven't practiced much with them, because I don't really enjoy running them, so I'd probably be at a disadvantage anyway. So, as Red Castle says, I'll go 2-3 with something I built and be proud of it. But a set of dice and some street cred would be nice. (That is, if people still say "street cred.")

I think the meta is too diverse to troll!

But if I was trolling the meta I'd load a bunch of proton bombs to insta-gib 4B lists.

I have to say that Chiran0saurus Rex list has done really well against IG-88's as it can evade their arcs like crazy. Still, it's a fat turret. Bleh. I don't have much practice vs. Fat Han as no one in my area plays him.

Before brobots and autothrusters, my Tie Bomber list would SMASH fat turrets. I was really hoping to crush them all at Regionals, but I just can't face all those bro bots and Soontirs.

I want to try more of my 5 Alpha Squadron, though. Man, I wish they would stealth release the Imperial Raider and let me do a Tie Advanced list.

so join fat turrets or troll fat turrets

do you even have to ask?

...yes? It's been a long time since I've done well at a major tournament. I'd really like to do well, and turrets and IG-88 are what's doing well.

I haven't practiced much with them, because I don't really enjoy running them, so I'd probably be at a disadvantage anyway. So, as Red Castle says, I'll go 2-3 with something I built and be proud of it. But a set of dice and some street cred would be nice. (That is, if people still say "street cred.")

Why not try to do both at the same time? There is a lot of diversity in the current meta. I don't think there is a current build that really dominate. Think about the ship that you prefer to fly, see if it's one of the powerhouse, and then build around it, without doing what everyone's doing. Give it your own flavor.

I was at a point where I was denying myself to take my favorite ship just because he's popular right now and didn't want to look like a follower of the net. But I got back to my senses. The Interceptor's always been my favorite ship (Fel especially, of course), so why don't take them to a tournament while they're hot. But, it will be a team to my flavor that I don't think I ever saw taken, at least not with the same upgrades. Is it against the meta? Not totally, one guy won a Regional this weekend with a 3 Interceptors list, but I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun all day long, winning or not.

Questions are: What do you have fun and are confident flying with? How does it fit in the current meta? What do you expect to see often? How can you counter them while playing what you like?

Maybe make it a challenge. That's what I did at the Store Championship. I took a ship that I like but many think sucks (Tie Defender) and built a list around it that I thought could hold its ground against the current meta. It was very fun to test it.

Important thing is, don't take the tournament too seriously, you'll lose your focus. It's fun to challenge ourselves, win some prizes and see where we're at, but having fun the entire day is still more important. In fencing, the worst tournaments I had is when I took it too seriously, thinking more about the ranking than just having fun practicing the sport I love. That's why I'll suggest to you again to bring the list that you feel like flying, see where it stands, see what went wrong and what went great, make the modifications, if needed, for the next tournament.

so join fat turrets or troll fat turrets

do you even have to ask?

...yes? It's been a long time since I've done well at a major tournament. I'd really like to do well, and turrets and IG-88 are what's doing well.

I haven't practiced much with them, because I don't really enjoy running them, so I'd probably be at a disadvantage anyway. So, as Red Castle says, I'll go 2-3 with something I built and be proud of it. But a set of dice and some street cred would be nice. (That is, if people still say "street cred.")

I think that's the best reason to not go meta. Unless you really love flying a meta list, someone else will always fly it better. One will end up in a mirror match with a big disadvantage because you don't love the list. You, however, can be the best Merc-Merc-Spacer commander anyone has ever seen, and even better, probably the first one anyone has ever seen.

I still say street cred.

Just be careful about discounting bbbbz from the meta list. I built a list that trashes most two ship lists including easily tabling brobots round 1, then faced list after list of 3-4 bwings and got rolled.

so join fat turrets or troll fat turrets

do you even have to ask?

...yes? It's been a long time since I've done well at a major tournament. I'd really like to do well, and turrets and IG-88 are what's doing well.

I haven't practiced much with them, because I don't really enjoy running them, so I'd probably be at a disadvantage anyway. So, as Red Castle says, I'll go 2-3 with something I built and be proud of it. But a set of dice and some street cred would be nice. (That is, if people still say "street cred.")

I think that's the best reason to not go meta. Unless you really love flying a meta list, someone else will always fly it better. One will end up in a mirror match with a big disadvantage because you don't love the list. You, however, can be the best Merc-Merc-Spacer commander anyone has ever seen, and even better, probably the first one anyone has ever seen.

I still say street cred.

This is really the spirit of the game, I feel. Copy/Paste meta lists make tournaments a boring and repetitive slog. I'm very glad the Phantom nerf has provoked a little more diversity, but I'd love to see more. At the end of the day, you should always fly the list you find more fun to play, rather than the one that is, on paper, more likely to win.

Hell, Paul Heaver himself ran an XBBY list in this season's regionals.

vorpal, im not the best player, but recently ive developed and played a personal list to get some serious practice on it. so far 3-0 and getting better. Its a good list in the first place: meaning: You can still make great lists right now that aren't meta.

Its just making a good enough list and knowing its in and outs enough to take out common enemies. (I have a bunch of failsafes for certain matchups.)

We need to be proactive in list building now. Not reactive. In a diverse meta, you need to have the better A plan, and a decent counter plan.

In a set meta, you want a powerful Counter plan, and an ok A plan.

I've found a niche list that has done very well for me in the past 6 games, I've played variants of it but the final came down to:

Jake Farrell

-refit, test pilot, ptl, vi, auto thrusters

Tycho celchu

-refit, test pilot, ptl, vi, auto thrusters

Corran

-fcs, ptl, r2

These three have encredible pilot skill at 8, 9, 10. Have encredible manuvearability and action economy, r2 gives corran 9 green maneuvers. The a wings do really well at arch dodging as they generally move last and I've found a focus, evade ptl action with 3+ green dice works really well defensively. Auto thrusters really help against turrets and hlcs at range three. It's challenging to fly well but I find it trolls the current meta pretty well.

There is no group think only the force.

Matter not others perceptions.

Okay, here's where I'm currently at. I'll be running double Firesprays with an escort.

Here's the Imperial version:

Here's the Scum version (moving away from Merc/Merc/Spacer to Kath/Merc/Pirate):

I've played both sets of ships, with similar (though not identical) upgrades. My second-to-last practice game is tonight, so I'm trying to get my list nailed down. Thanks in advance for additional feedback.

for imps, I think Ysanne would be far more efficiently re-purposed as a mangler for Kath

for Scum, I don't have much faith in a single pirate's ability to acomplish much of anything, but I know I'd prefer that feedback array to be Kath's ptl

I actually like the scum list. Now I need to get another FS....

for imps, I think Ysanne would be far more efficiently re-purposed as a mangler for Kath

Could be, but that means I have 50 points wrapped up in one box for my opponents. Ysanne makes the list substantially more defensive overall, and (hopefully) it presents an endgame problem for fat lists in the same way Threepio does.

for Scum, I don't have much faith in a single pirate's ability to acomplish much of anything, but I know I'd prefer that feedback array to be Kath's ptl

I seriously thought about it, and it's a stronger build (although more expensive, of course). But it leaves Kath at PS7, which makes me fret about how I'll deal with 35-point Fel or even Whisper + VI + ACD.

I actually like the scum list. Now I need to get another FS....

Yeah, I love double-Firespray lists... obviously.

I've played that Scum list, and it was good. Though, I think putting Predator + Tactician on Kath nets more value (a PS 9 with no Init bid isn't all that helpful in a meta where chances are the enemy is not running a PS 8 arc dodger). Only problem is you only have 4 pts for upgrades on the Mandelorian. I would probably just run predator on him (maybe Greedo if feel ballsy!!). Or could upgrade to a PS 3 Z95.

List becomes:

Kath + Predator + Tactician + Engine

Merc + Predator

Black Sun Soldier + Feedback Array/DMS

100pts

That'd be my take on it, personal preference on upgrades mostly.

The Firespray itself isn't a BAD end game ship, but it certainly gets outperformed by other ships. And occasionally flops due to unreliable 2 Green dice, and sometimes really wishes it had equipped gunner instead of the other awesome crew options.

As far as "meta" concerns, take the list to victory and it will BECOME part of the meta, haha.

I like your second Scum list, especially how you equiped the Mercenary. I wonder, how would 2 of those combined with a Ion Scyk fare? Scum version of the Panic Attack.