I honestly feel both in lore and in gameplay that if you aren't fielding an Ace for your defender then you are doing it wrong. They are supposed to be supper elite ships and their aces can be devastating if played in a synergistic list. Personally I like the idea of adding new aces for them like a lot of the wave 1-3 are getting. Though I do really like the idea of an upgrade or ace for them that lets them fire a secondary weapon immediately after firing their primary. It would also make missiles a viable option for them as they can shoot, strip off tokens and or shields then fire a procket, cluster missiles or an ion pulse to pile on the damage or set them up for another shot the next turn.

I built my list around Vessery and had a FCS shuttle, doom shuttle and one tie advanced (without title), so target locks were aplenty. At 45 points I would expect Vessery to play a larger role, but I can't afford to sink that many points into something without a lot of hit points and a turret. Not big news as everyone has been saying it, but I don't think I can make him work despite wanting to constantly field him. On a side note, ruthlessness was amazing for a 150 point match, I will need to take it more often.

Vader vessery and stele work great together when the advanced has the title and ATC you have three high ps ships two with excellent action economy and one able to pick his crits it's demolished everything it's flown against in our group.

With the engine mod PTL Rexler is fearsome.

Vessery with adv prototypes will be another option come spring(lol right).

Give it a 2 point Twin Ion Engine Mk2 Title and a 1 point Tractor Beam Cannon?

I would go with a title that gives the following: "After attacking with your primary weapon you may immediately make an attack with an equipped secondary weapon against the same target, then unless the secondary weapon instructs you to discard it after use receive one stress token. You cannot do this if you are already stressed."