Hi people, got six lists for you to have a look at here. I’m torn between desperately wanting 4+ activations without having to be too dependent on CR90’s, and still want a decent squadron component, can anyone solve this riddle for me?:
The first three focus on getting a good few squadrons in there:
1.
38 – Ackbar
83 – AF2b (gunnery team, boosted coms)
83 – AF2b (gunnery team, boosted coms)
76 – MC30 (gunnery team)
70 – 5x B-wings
26 – 2x X-wings
19(?) – Jan
395
Precision strike/most wanted, contested outpost, superior positions
This is a slight modification of the last list I used (last one had 6 B’s and 3 A’s rather than the X’s and Jan), it was good, but I do want to try the Jan combo. Sadly this list only has three activations and that makes me very unhappy. Despite this every one of those activations has a gunnery team so the list isn’t excessively dependent on the squadrons.
2.
38 – Ackbar
83 – AF2b (gunnery team, boosted coms)
83 – AF2b (gunnery team, boosted coms)
50 – CR90a (slaved turrets)
50 – CR90a (slaved turrets)
70 – 5x B-wings
26 – 2x X-wing
400
Most wanted, contested outpost, superior positions
Now I have sacrificed Jan in the name of a fourth activation. The maximum offensive output from capitals is about the same as the list above, but its spread about over more (although weaker) ships. I could drop one X-wing to an A-wing to upgrade the slaved turrets to TRC’s. Haven’t used the TRC’s yet though so don’t know if I prefer them (I am not sold on burning up the tokens that keep CR90’s alive, and we have a good number of rebel players here, so all those TRC double hits may end up being evaded anyway).
3.
38 – Ackbar
79 – AF2b (gunnery team)
79 – AF2b (gunnery team)
76 – MC30 scout (gunnery team)
50 – CR90a (slaved turrets)
56 – 4x B-wing
22 - 2x A-wing
400
Most wanted, contested outpost, superior positions
Tantalizingly close, but it may well be a case of too many squadrons for the support I can give them (B-wings have proved so much easier with boosted coms!)
The next few lists go for more points in capitals with variable fighter screens. These are more similar to my wave one lists, just with a few more fighters to respect the increased power of bombers.
4.
38 – Ackbar
86 – AF2b (gunnery team, ECM)
79 – AF2b (gunnery team)
50 – CR90a (slaved turrets)
50 – CR90a (slaved turrets)
50 – CR90a (slaved turrets)
44 – 4x A-wing
397
Most wanted, fire lanes, superior positions
I am not at all sure that four A-wings is going to be enough to keep bombers even remotely under control…….and CR90’s don’t like bombers.
5.
38 – Ackbar
79 – AF2b (gunnery team)
79 – AF2b (gunnery team)
76 – MC30 scout (gunnery team)
76 – MC30 scout (gunnery team)
33 – 3x A-wing
16 - Tyco
397
Most wanted, fire lanes, recon sweep/dangerous territory
Same as the above but with a little more fire power…….4 A’s, even including Tyco seems like a serious gamble to be taking.
6.
38 – Ackbar
79 – AF2b (gunnery team)
79 – AF2b (gunnery team)
69 – MC30 scout
69 – MC30 scout
66 – 6x A-wing or 65 for 5x X-wing
400/399
Most wanted, contested outpost, intel sweep
Six A-wing or five X-wings should be enough to cause headaches for bomber centric lists (not completely shut them down, just cause them problems). The concern is that this only has the same maximum capital damage output of the very first bomber list in this thread. However it does of course have more hull points and more activations.
A note on contested outpost:
Many of the lists have contested outpost as the defensive objective. This probably isn’t too excessively controversial in the lists with lots of B-wings, but I can imagine a few eyebrows have been raised on its inclusion in the more capital focused lists. The thinking here is that the Ackbar lists don’t want to be tied to a single point on the field and don’t want their objective to backfire.
The objective that first springs to mind is fire lanes, but I’m not at all sure about this. There are so many points to be had from fire lanes that it MUST be played (unless you have a seriously cunning plan). I do not want to be tied to one or two points on the map when the ISD’s and rhymer balls start flying towards me.
I am happier with contested outpost because I can grab a token pretty easily on the first turn or two. Then if something really horrid is flying toward me I can run away, the enemy then equalises the mission points. After this they either have to keep chasing (abandoning the objective), or they try to leave something smaller on it, it it’s too small I might destroy it, and if it’s too big I might be able to clean up the rest of the fleet and come back for the objective holder later on. Either way the enemy has been forced to go to part of the table of my choosing and do something about me sitting there and slowly winning. I hope to be able to work around this more than fire lanes.
Basically defensive objectives are a pain. Fleet ambush is not an option, and feel hyperspace assault could too often become a wash (and I want some advantage from going second!) That leaves fire lanes or contested outpost.