Thoughts on the list I'm running can be found below.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/189523-the-scum-of-the-scum-graz-laetin/

My list:

Serissu (20) [29]

-Heavy "Scyk" Interceptor (2)

-"Mangler" Cannon (4)

-Stealth Device (3)

Laetin A'shera (18) [27]

-Heavy "Scyk" Interceptor (2)

-"Mangler" Cannon (4)

-Stealth Device (3)

Graz the Hunter (25) [30]

-Glitterstim (2)

-Stealth Device (3)

Black Sun Soldier (13)

My opponent's list:

Darth Vader (29)

-Tie Advanced x1 (0)

-Advanced Targeting Computer (5-4=1)

-Engine Upgrade (4)

3x Tempest Squadron Pilot (21)

-Accuracy Corrector (3-4=0)

Game 1

I set up all four my ships across from his three tempests along my left board edge. I had the Scyks in back and the Z up front with the Kihraxz. Vader was set up in the middle

Round 1.

We all go 4-straight while the tempests go 2 straight and Vader goes 3-straight and boosts in. No shots.

Round 2.

Tempests come forward 2. Fearing we would get bumped, my ships went forward 2 as well, putting the front rows at range 1 of each other. I thought about turning in toward Vader, but felt like he would bank away and run. He did, so I made the right call. Serissu, Graz, and Laetin were able to destroy a Tempest. The z-95 took off a shield, I think.

Round 3.

One Tempest banked and bumped while the other did a 2-turn toward the center of the map. My ships all K-turned. Vader tried to come around with a turn and a bank, but he was still range 2 or 3 of my ships. Graz chewed on the Glittersim. Vader fired at somebody, but Stealth Device + Serissu saved the day. Then my ships took out the blocked Tempest with help from Graz's spice-induced foresight (I think he rolled 3 focus results).

Round 4.

It's was now 4 ships vs. 2 ships. I knew the Tempest would Koigran, so I focused on Vader. Laetin moved to block Vader and everyone else spread arcs in case Vader got away. We blocked Vader, but he took no damage from our attacks. Meanwhile, we successfully evaded both TIE Advanced attacks.

The rest of the game.

We pretty much had Vader blocked every round for the rest of the game until we murdered him. It ended Vader, after having been blocked by Laetin again, tried to K-turn, but the Z took the spot which left Vader stressed at range 1 of Graz who finished the Dark Lord off. And even though Vader got to shoot Graz first, Graz shrugged it off with his extra green die from his ability (because Vader was in his arc). With the last tempest on 2 hull and with all my ships intact, my opponent called the game.

Game 2

Basically the same setup except there was a tight cluster of 3 asteroids in the center of the board and my opponent started with the Tempests in the middle of his side instead of on my left.

Round 1.

Tempests bank toward my ships in my left corner. My ships go 4 straight. Vader goes straight as fast as he can and boosts in toward the asteroids.

Round 2.

I can bank to meet the Tempests again, but Vader looks like he can easily thread the asteroid cluster with a 3 bank and maybe even barrel roll out. It looks like such a flashy move and I know I would have done it, so I turned in toward Vader. Vader banked away from the asteroids and barrel rolled out of arc. This was the beginning of the end.

For the rest of the game, I kept bumping my own ships, losing actions, and failed to get concentrated arcs. In the end, I lost all my ships and he hadn't lost a single one.

Summary

I find it quite interesting that both lists had such explosive wins. If I weren't already convinced that asteroid placement and player decisions matter much more than list building, this would have definitely helped me come to that decision. As it is, I'm well aware that top tier lists can die horribly in a few turns if they make the wrong maneuvers.

I was actually building this list with TLTs in mind. I wonder how it will do against them. It sure was a fun list to fly.

It was a surprisingly good list- Serissu combined with the Stealth Devices and latent abilities, make it a tough nut to crack. I would say Serissu is the weakpoint of the list, since not only can she not reroll herself, but also has no other ability for defense (Like Professor Layton and the Hunter), but you played with that in mind and made her a tough shot whenever the opportunity arose.

And yeah, I would say that just from a mathematical standpoint, the quad advanced list is more efficient and "better" compared to a list running Scyks and Grax, which are generally considered to be overcosted and underwhelming, but you completely outflew me that first game, and even in the second one, it wasn't so much that my ships wore you down with their superior statline, but rather that I made appropriate decisions to take advantage of your maneuvers. I do think people get caught up in what's the best and don't take into account how much skill (and the surprise factor, I did not have great plans in place for your ships, considering I see them rarely, and the Kihraxz is still pretty new) come into play.

You rock, hope we get to play again soon!

EDIT: I was totally gonna do that 3-bank with Vader in the second game, since I had skedaddled with him the first game and you punished me hard for it- that's why I had done the barrel roll the turn before, to set up that path. But I was afraid of getting trapped in the asteroid field and having Vader get shredded, so I decided to play it safe, figuring I could turn and boost in later if you didn't go after Vader. Close call on my part!

Sounds like fun games and a fun list. I like experimenting.