I have been trying to figure out a good imperial control list. I am looking at the new Defender but I wanted to get the board's opinion on this idea.

I find the best way to activate Kath's ability is the following build:

Predator, Mangler & Gunner = 50

Its a bit expensive though, but it works pretty good. Predator gives you an extra chance at fishing for a crit, and if you get one and the opponent evades it, gunner kicks in for another shot. Obviously, you get a crit automatically in the front arc thanks to mangler.

Instead of Chiraneau, you can run her alongside Whisper:

Kath w/ predator, 'mangler', gunner, engine upgrade & ion bomb = 56

Whisper w/ Veteran instincts, FCS, ACD & rebel captive = 42

98

Ion bomb is doubly scary here, because of the possibility of leaving a target (maybe even more than one) ioned and stressed...

You could even, if you wanted to ignore the initiative bid, put Kath in the Slave I and add Extra Munitions.

Agree with the above responses fully. Until the TIE Shuttle comes out, this is probably the most potent type of Imperial Control. The thing about control is that unless you can have multiple double stressing components (such as KO's 3x K-Wings w/ Tacticians), you really want to maximize your offense while owning the battle through control mechanics. RAC w/o at least Engine Upgrade and VI is a soft target IMO.

If you don't want to switch to whisper, I would at least downgrade to Oicunn and use Ion Projectors with the Emperor. This way if you were able to get an enemy ace at just the right angle, you can set up the block (or ram if they are lower PS) and automatically get Ion Projector to trigger via Emperor. Tactician on the firespray is also a great way to get extra stress out there if you are low on points.

It might look something like this:

Kath is not that great of a pilot ability in my opinion

In order to gain benefit from it, it requires your opponent to cancel your crit which is a negative in my book

It's also only two ships, one doesn't have any agility and no want arc dodge, or defensive upgrades

The rear Admiral will die very fast

Your much better off with engine upgrade and something like predator on the rear Admiral, and Rebel captive if you want to stress.

He'll be a target so Rebel captive will at least stress a ship.

I've gone games where I never gotten use from kath ability

Most times her crit got through, which is what I wanted anyway, so he ability never procked

It's not out yet but I played an awesome list last night.

Did better than expected

Which is a good imperial control list

Scimitar bomber

Tie shuttle title (not out yet)

Tactician

Mara jade

Scimitar bomber

Tie shuttle title

Tactician

Rebel captive

Scimitar bomber

Tactician

Intel agent

Vessery

Crackshot

Defender title (not released yet but let's you make primary attack after making attack with secondary weapon)

Ion Cannon

This list handed out a ton of stress

My buddies tie swarm, every ship was stressed and some double stressed

Vessery ion a tie then destroyed it lol

For me, this is the control list I've been looking for, for the Empire

Edit

It's never a bad idea to have something that can give more crits, but to put points into something with the hopes of having your opponent cancel it out is not a good point investment.

You only have one ship at the moment dealing stress and that's a big maybe

Rebel captive is the first thing I look at, then Mara jade

The emperor again you don't want to use his ability if it's going to be canceled anyway.

I'd much prefer use him for defense, or if it looks like the crit would actually get through, not canceled

Another list I used awhile back ghat had some control to it was

Oicunn

Mara jade

Rebel captive

Dauntless

2x scimitar

Prox mines

Academy pilot

Oicunn stays behind the bombers which were behind the tie

Tie flies aggressive, blocks and hopefully takes shots.

Bombers got in close, again hard to ignore, and then next turn fly by and drop prox mines, them Oicunn would get in close and stress everything, Rebel captive was a good deterrent from shooting it, and now opponent couldn't kturn behind me.

I went 13/14 and 1 with it.

It worked quite well actually

Instead of prox mines I'd probably go with Tactician on the bombers now

Though those prox mines did finish off a lot of ships, Corran, Jake, and Wedge to name a few

Captain Oicunn (42)

Intimidation (2)

Mara Jade (3)

Ysanne Isard (4)

Ion Projector (2)

Dauntless (2)

Kath Scarlet (38)

"Mangler" Cannon (4)

Rebel Captive (3)

Total: 100

I ran this in a tournament and placed second. Worked pretty good. I just drove into the enemy with the dauntless and flew around pinging ships with Kath.