So this Sunday I'll be playing in my first ever Escalation Tournament. If you don't know what escalation is, it goes something like this:

4 Rounds, no cut to top 4/8

Round 1 - 60 point build. Must be at least two ships

Round 2 - 90 point build. Your 60 point build must be fully incorporated. You can add upgrades to your original ships.

Round 3 - 120 point build. Your 90 point build must be fully incorporated. Can add upgrades

Round 4 - 150 point build. Your 120 point build must be fully incorporated. Can add upgrades

So I have a few list ideas, mainly rebels as that is what I primarily fly. Although I do have one Imperial build and one Scum build I've been toying with. Haven't had any time to practice this format. Any suggestions would be great.

My first list is:

60 points:
* Poe Dameron
- VI
- Autothrusters

- R2D2

* Bandit Squadron Pilot

(50 pts)

90 points:
* Poe, Bandit

* Gold Squadron Pilot
- TLT

- R3-A2

- Title

(76 pts)

120 points:
* Poe, Bandit, Gold

* Miranda Doni

- TLT

- C-3PO

(114 pts.)

150 points:
* Poe, Bandit, Gold, Miranda

*Gold Squadron Pilot

-TLT

*Bandit Squadron Pilot

(150 pts.)

I only played in my first escalation last saturday but I would suggest you stay close as you can to the point limits. A 10 point handicap in the first round seems like alot. Miranda was by far the most popular pilot, ensure you can beat her. It is hard to take her down quickly in the first rounds.

In your list i would start with miranda and 2 bandits or gold, then add naked poe later. Then add upgrades to poe & miranda. This should help stick to point limits.

Since clearly everyone has a lot of different opinions... Anyways, I need help choosing a list. I've narrowed it down to two. channellockjon, I've taken your advice about sticking more closely to the allotted points per round. Here are the two lists.

Rebels

Round1
*Poe Dameron

-VI
-R2-D2

*Bandit Squad Pilot (x2) - 60 pts.

Round2

*Poe, Bandit(x2)

*Gold Squad Pilot

-Ion Cannon Turret

-Title

-R3-A2

Round3

*Poe, Bandit(x2), Gold

*Miranda Doni

-TLT

Round4

*Poe, Bandit(x2), Gold, Miranda

*Gold Squad Pilot

-TLT

-R2 Astromech

*Add AuotThrusters to Poe, add C-3PO to Miranda

The other list I'm considering is:

Imperials

Round1

*Soontir Fel

-PtL

-AutoT.

-Title

-Stealth Device

*Academy Pilot(x2) - 59pts.

Round2

*Soontir, Academy Pilot(x2)

*Howlrunner

*Academy Pilot - 89pts.

Round3
Soontir Fel, Howlrunner, Academy Pilot(x3)

*Carnor Jax

-PtL

-AutoT. - 120pts.

Round4

*Soontir, Howlrunner, Academy Pilot(x3), Carnor Jax

*Omicron Group Pilot
-Emperor Palpatine - 149pts.

The other list I'm considering is:

Imperials

Round1

*Soontir Fel

-PtL

-AutoT.

-Title

-Stealth Device

*Academy Pilot(x2) - 59pts.

Round2

*Soontir, Academy Pilot(x2)

*Howlrunner

*Academy Pilot - 89pts.

Round3

Soontir Fel, Howlrunner, Academy Pilot(x3)

*Carnor Jax

-PtL

-AutoT. - 120pts.

Round4

*Soontir, Howlrunner, Academy Pilot(x3), Carnor Jax

*Omicron Group Pilot

-Emperor Palpatine - 149pts.

I like this list.

Only wiggle-room I can foresee is Jax, and even then he's aiding the main thrust of the team...

What do you think about 31 point Vader with VI, Title, and ATC instead of Jax? I know there's going to be some PS 10 Poe running around, so I think VI Vader is a decent tool to give me a little more game against those lists. I'm definitely leaning towards Vader.

And with the one extra point left over from Round 4, I'll probably add something like Crack Shot to Howlrunner

What do you think about 31 point Vader with VI, Title, and ATC instead of Jax? I know there's going to be some PS 10 Poe running around, so I think VI Vader is a decent tool to give me a little more game against those lists. I'm definitely leaning towards Vader.

I was honestly thinking of putting in a defense to one of your counters.

So, what do you NOT want to fight, and what shuts that down? That idea.

Well anything PS 10 is hard to play against. I don't foresee many turrets being played. I don't know, what would you suggest Dracon?

10x Crack Squadron.

You're weakest at the 60 point round should you have to face a Super Corran or fat Turret or some other obnoxious ace. Every round after that just gets more and more insane and it starts to no longer matter what you're facing.

Other builds have to sacrifice something to fit in at 90 points. Not 6x Crack Squadron.

I assume you don't have access to 10 TIEs and/or 10 Crackshots, so I suggest the standard 44 point Whisper (VI, ACD, FCS, Gunner) and a Crack Squadron. This leaves you with an initiative bid to C-block other PS 9's from shooting before you cloak, and Whisper is broken enough to carry your 60 point game, and the Crack Squadron is filler that also cannot be ignored and that has PS over your opponent's filler.

NOW you just add 2x Crackshot every round. Should be able to borrow enough TIEs, and ask if you can borrow/proxy crackshot.

Other decent options for 30 points: Vader with ATC. Howlrunner and an Academy. Alpha Squadron and an academy. Palp Shuttle for 29 points. Generic Phantom and an upgrade or two.

A new game store around here is doing what they call, "informal escalation" or whatever. Every week they up the point total by 30 and you play that squad all day, however you don't have to keep your same squad from last week. This week is the final week at 150. 6x Sigma Squadron Phantoms it is.

Two squads I have been planning for an escalation tournament in January.

Rebels

59/60
Miranda Doni + TLT 35
Jake Farrell 24

90/90
Miranda Doni + TLT 35
Jake Farrell 24
Ten Numb 31

120/120
Miranda Doni + TLT + Tactician 37
Jake Farrell + VI 25
Ten Numb + VI 32
Gold Squadron + BTL-A4 + R3-A2 + TLT 26

150/150
Miranda Doni + TLT + Tactician 37
Jake Farrell + VI + AWTP + Chardaan + PTL 26
Ten Numb + VI + Mangler Cannon 36
Gold Squadron + BTL-A4 + R3-A2 + TLT 26
Blue Squadron + E2 + Tactician 25



Imperials

60/60
Oicunn 42
Mauler Mithel + VI 18

90/90
Oicunn 42
Mauler Mithel + VI 18
Soontir Fel + PTL 30

120/120
Oicunn 42
Mauler Mithel + VI 18
Soontir Fel + PTL 30
Vader + Tie/x1 + ATC 30

150/150
Oicunn + Expose + Gunner + Ysanne Isard + Dauntless + APL 59
Mauler Mithel + VI + SD 21
Soontir Fel + PTL + RGT + AT + SD 35
Vader + Tie/x1 + ATC + VI + EU 35

Two squads I have been planning for an escalation tournament in January.

Rebels

59/60

Miranda Doni + TLT 35

Jake Farrell 24

90/90

Miranda Doni + TLT 35

Jake Farrell 24

Ten Numb 31

120/120

Miranda Doni + TLT + Tactician 37

Jake Farrell + VI 25

Ten Numb + VI 32

Gold Squadron + BTL-A4 + R3-A2 + TLT 26

150/150

Miranda Doni + TLT + Tactician 37

Jake Farrell + VI + AWTP + Chardaan + PTL 26

Ten Numb + VI + Mangler Cannon 36

Gold Squadron + BTL-A4 + R3-A2 + TLT 26

Blue Squadron + E2 + Tactician 25

Imperials

60/60

Oicunn 42

Mauler Mithel + VI 18

90/90

Oicunn 42

Mauler Mithel + VI 18

Soontir Fel + PTL 30

120/120

Oicunn 42

Mauler Mithel + VI 18

Soontir Fel + PTL 30

Vader + Tie/x1 + ATC 30

150/150

Oicunn + Expose + Gunner + Ysanne Isard + Dauntless + APL 59

Mauler Mithel + VI + SD 21

Soontir Fel + PTL + RGT + AT + SD 35

Vader + Tie/x1 + ATC + VI + EU 35

Ten Nunb is not as good as a blue and spending the rest of the points on upgrades.

Originally I based the entire rebel list around using Ten Numb and giving him some helpful upgrades early like sensor jammer and mangler cannon. I can see that the list is weak at the 90 point squad, but not so weak that it cannot still be effective. I have more than a month to tweak it.