So right off the bat I want to say that this is really just from an Imperial point of view.

Last weekend I played in my first real tourney at a local gaming store. Saw a lot of Poe and got beat up by them pretty good.

I'm trying to tailor my list towards dealing with him while keeping in some of the ships I enjoy (and would like to keep in the list if possible)

To that end, what I'm looking at is:

I think your list is fine. Jax is a very good counter to Poe (especially if he's using R5-P9 instead of R2-D2). My only quibble is Hull upgrade is better than stealth on Jax, imho.

Since you won't ONLY be facing Poe, I'd say drop the SD and grab Auto-Thrusters.

Also, if you can, Palp will also help a LOT against Poe -- if he's getting shots off first, you can help with defense. If not, you get more chances at burning him down.

I don't care for Whisper in this list, but that's just me. I'd swap her for Vader (Pilot) w/ VI, who is amazing always, but especially useful against Poe.

Since you won't ONLY be facing Poe, I'd say drop the SD and grab Auto-Thrusters.

Also, if you can, Palp will also help a LOT against Poe -- if he's getting shots off first, you can help with defense. If not, you get more chances at burning him down.

I don't care for Whisper in this list, but that's just me. I'd swap her for Vader (Pilot) w/ VI, who is amazing always, but especially useful against Poe.

Good point about the autothrusters. I didn't even realize they were absent. So yeah, first mod should always be autothrusters (unless you don't have it, then take hull or shield instead).

Palp is not really that important here. This particular Whisper should ALWAYS take an evade token when facing the potential of incoming shots. First shot may hit or may not, but its better if you miss because then FCS triggers and gunner too, making sure the second shot pretty much will hit. PS10 Poe is not nice for Whisper, but with the evade token, she will survive and get in her shot. Vader crew on the shuttle is pretty scary for Poe in this case, because if all of your ships shoot, Vader will almost certainly be putting a crit on Poe's hull (can't regenerate that!). And then if Jax gets into range 1 and Poe has R5-P9, its game over for Poe because whisper's next shot will be a kill.

Another possible change though would be Rebel Captive instead of Gunner on Whisper. Gives enough room for Jax to have autothrusters & hull. Also makes it extremely distasteful for Poe to shoot at whisper, because then he really has to do a green move next turn for his precious focus token, and if he's predictable, Jax can block him guaranteeing that Whisper and the Shuttle will have shots for a second round (which will almost certainly be the last for Poe)

Thanks for the responses, I'll give those changes a try. I guess it really comes down to buying starviper eventually (as pretty much all suggestions include autothrusters, hull upgrade, etc).

I really like gunner on whisper (new alt art card helps push that desire to play it as well) but i'll try a couple games with rebel captive as well. I've been playing whisper w/o a crewmember already so either should be an improvement.

Steps to defeating Poe:

1) Figure out how to survive the game with at least 39 points still on the board.

2) Kill all the ships that aren't Poe

3) Profit

Alternate steps to defeating Poe:

1) PS11 Darth Vader

1) PS11 Darth Vader

Carnor Jax is even better at assuring victory vs. Poe. Pilot Skill doesn't even matter...

1) PS11 Darth Vader

Carnor Jax is even better at assuring victory vs. Poe. Pilot Skill doesn't even matter...

I'll give you Jax, but only because if PS10 Poe boost out da way, he doesn't have that focus token anyway. That said, Jax will run like 29pts at bare minimum, and you're probaby putting at least Autothrusters on him for 2 more points making him 31.

Jax is a solution to a few things, but even guys like Soontir (who he should be good against) can boost or roll around his ability at PS9. For 4 more points, wouldn't you rather have Vader with an Engine, who's a solution to both Poe and like, a ton of other aces?

Jax's pilot ability is top notch, but I have trust issues when it comes to a PS8 interceptor who doesn't move last and only has 3 hull.

Edit: Also, doesn't the above scenario posit that PS10 Poe landed at R1 of a PS8 Jax, at which time he probably just took a Target Lock on Jax, at R1? Seems like Poe might be at risk this turn (assuming concentrated enemy fire) but it doesn't really sound like Jax has a long life expectancy here either, and it's kind of the best case scenario, right?

Poe doesn't have to spend his Focus token to use his ability. The new Relay means he could bank his Focus and completely negate Jax's ability. Derp.

Jax's ability only works at range one. A higher PS Poe should know to, you know, stay out of range one of Jax, which is relatively simple for the nimble ship.

Vader is the answer.

Poe doesn't have to spend his Focus token to use his ability. The new Relay means he could bank his Focus and completely negate Jax's ability.

But neither would he be allowed to take a focus action, regardless of his ability to spend the focus. Also, the relay works with Evade tokens, not focus.

Shucks, I should have pulled up the card.

The fact that that only works at range one and Poe will be moving after Jax means it's not a tenable solution, unless you are consistently able to outfly your opponent (possible), or they make constant mistakes (also possible).

Edit: To clarify, as that's the natural state of the game, it's a LOT easier for Poe to avoid a single, high priority enemy. Maybe you could use that fact to your advantage as well (block escape routes and etc...). To me, and this is probably more indicative of my skill, I wouldn't run Carnor as a solution to Poe.

Edit: Also, doesn't the above scenario posit that PS10 Poe landed at R1 of a PS8 Jax, at which time he probably just took a Target Lock on Jax, at R1? Seems like Poe might be at risk this turn (assuming concentrated enemy fire) but it doesn't really sound like Jax has a long life expectancy here either, and it's kind of the best case scenario, right?

If Jax lands R1 in arc of Poe, well, not to be a jerk, but frankly you're doing it wrong. There is absolutely no reason Jax should not be blocking Poe so the rest of the squad can light him up. If jax lands in Poe's 1 straight/1bank spot, Poe either bumps or goes faster and passes over Jax, but is still R1 and so no focus. Now he either boosts or target locks. But he won't want to TL jax, because the rest of your fleet is pointing guns at him (and if you are really clever, you can make it so he would've bumped one of them too and get pushed back onto Jax). From there on in, Poe is in a pickle---Jax will tail him doggedly unless he goes fast and boosts to get away or k-turns/T-rolls. Either is good for you since no focus. And if he kites, well just finish off the rest of his buddies while Poe contributes nothing to the fight. If Poe comes back, then Jax gets right back in his face again...

Shucks, I should have pulled up the card.

The fact that that only works at range one and Poe will be moving after Jax means it's not a tenable solution, unless you are consistently able to outfly your opponent (possible), or they make constant mistakes (also possible).

Edit: To clarify, as that's the natural state of the game, it's a LOT easier for Poe to avoid a single, high priority enemy. Maybe you could use that fact to your advantage as well (block escape routes and etc...). To me, and this is probably more indicative of my skill, I wouldn't run Carnor as a solution to Poe.

I disagree, and have used Jax successfully against Poe in 4 games now (not a ton, but I can't always fly the same list!). Its not a matter of 'outflying'. Ships with forward arcs have to move towards each other. There's only so many places they can go given their respective dials. If jax sits in Poe's best spots, he either accepts bumping is inevitable or picks a 'worse' move on his dial to avoid the bump. With 3 or 4 ships in the list (because running Jax solo WOULD be crazy) means Poe has to take all of their positions into consideration too. Plus his wingmen. Plus the rocks/debris. So its not that easy for the Poe player.

Having said that, Jax is not the solution for everyone. I'm not saying he's the ONLY solution. I mentioned him primarily because the original poster used him, so I figured he would like to continue to do so. But he is really the best anti-Poe tech imperials have, although taking any number of ships at lower Pilot Skill than 10 means lots of blocking opportunities, and that is the easiest way to kill Poe or any high PS ace.

Its funny how these days people have forgotten about the power of blocking. Back in my day, TIE swarms were king----they lived and died by the ability to block enemy movement. Kids these days, just don't know how to fly

BM is spot on.

Several times I've completely melted a regen Poe with humble Tie's. get the magic block with one while the rest pour on fire.

In my case I like 4-5 Ties with VI Vader so If the mini swarm fails, or is dead by the time I get to Poe (entirely possible as almost anything else in the list is easier to kill than Poe) Vader is generally able to finish the job.

Blocked Poe is dead Poe (blocking, the most underrated ability in the game)

Unless you have my luck, which is so bad it makes my opponent's better by reverse diffusion

Had a blocked Poe survive Redlined cluster missiles AND 2 range 1 crackshot ties w/focus

And then another cluster missle volley the next turn...never less than 2 evades per roll

And another block + 2 range 1 crackshots the next...

**** me the game can be dumb sometimes

Outside of that one scenario, however, redline essentially 2-shot Poet in every game they've faced off against

For the sake of reference, that's two re-rollable 3 dice attacks versus blocked Poe (so presumably Tie/D Vess will utterly mutiliate Poe)

Unless you have my luck, which is so bad it makes my opponent's better by reverse diffusion

Had a blocked Poe survive Redlined cluster missiles AND 2 range 1 crackshot ties w/focus

And then another cluster missle volley the next turn...never less than 2 evades per roll

And another block + 2 range 1 crackshots the next...

**** me the game can be dumb sometimes

Then I guess you are really gonna like Tractor Beam!

Of course its a bit of a catch22 if you can't even hit with it...

Unless you have my luck, which is so bad it makes my opponent's better by reverse diffusion

Had a blocked Poe survive Redlined cluster missiles AND 2 range 1 crackshot ties w/focus

And then another cluster missle volley the next turn...never less than 2 evades per roll

And another block + 2 range 1 crackshots the next...

**** me the game can be dumb sometimes

Then I guess you are really gonna like Tractor Beam!

Of course its a bit of a catch22 if you can't even hit with it...

and lo, you've discovered the issue with tractor beam

Unless you have my luck, which is so bad it makes my opponent's better by reverse diffusion

Had a blocked Poe survive Redlined cluster missiles AND 2 range 1 crackshot ties w/focus

And then another cluster missle volley the next turn...never less than 2 evades per roll

And another block + 2 range 1 crackshots the next...

**** me the game can be dumb sometimes

Then I guess you are really gonna like Tractor Beam!

Of course its a bit of a catch22 if you can't even hit with it...

and lo, you've discovered the issue with tractor beam

Outside of R3 shots at stuff with autothrusters, I think Vessery has the best chance of getting value out of it. Otherwise, I can't see it really being worthwhile...

Outside of R3 shots at stuff with autothrusters, I think Vessery has the best chance of getting value out of it. Otherwise, I can't see it really being worthwhile...

Wait for the second half of the tractor beam card! It could still be good!

"If a ship at any time has two tractor beam tokens, take away their ship dial. Their engines are disabled and they may never move again"

...yeah I know. But there might be SOMETHING else on the card! Tractor beams might still be cool, ...right? RIGHT?!!

Outside of R3 shots at stuff with autothrusters, I think Vessery has the best chance of getting value out of it. Otherwise, I can't see it really being worthwhile...

Wait for the second half of the tractor beam card! It could still be good!

"If a ship at any time has two tractor beam tokens, take away their ship dial. Their engines are disabled and they may never move again"

...yeah I know. But there might be SOMETHING else on the card! Tractor beams might still be cool, ...right? RIGHT?!!

Good point...