This list has been inspired by a few things:

1) I spend a lot of time trying to get the optimum shot off (Talonbane or N'Dru alphas, Kath to shoot backwards etc.) With no special abilities to optimise I can concentrate on flying right.

2) nonetheless the YV-666's strength is its 180 arc, the Firespray's is it's rear arc and relative maneuverability. This list acknowledges both.

3) the harder you are to kill, the harder it is to lose - 30 points of shield and hull is a lot to chew through.

Trandoshan Slaver (36)

Bossk

Gunner

Mandalorian Mercenary (39)

Engine Upgrade

Syndicate Thug (25)

Twin Laser Turret

Unhinged Astromech

The Firespray and Y-Wing have a reasonable amount of nippiness (I can't get enough of my hard 3's with the UA). The idea is simply to last longer than your opponent - but isn't that the aim of every list?

I absolutely love it. It's almost like a scum iteration of my imperial fett lambda list.

The only things I'd personally look at is the performance of EU and UA but I get the feeling these fit your play style so I probably couldn't find a better alternative.

Sweet list.

I would also watch the performance of the EU closely. It will, given the Mercs PS, not always be useful. What saves it is that if it is, it is really good, but if you can reasonably cut it that opens up the possibility of running Tactician on the YV-666 and giving the Merc a 2 point Elite upgrade (or a 1 pointer (Crackshot!) and upgrading the Unhinged Astromech to a R4). None of that os neccessary and I do like the list as it stands, but if you are looking to make tweaks down the road this is a good place to start.

Thank you both for your input. I fly perhaps too casual for my own good so the UA and EU are there to help me take remedial action when I inevitably mess things up. But both the Tactician and R4 adjustments make this a tighter list if I can muster the the requisite skill to fly the dials right. I'll give it a go and report back. Thanks again!

Large base EU is so good that it does have its merits, that has nothing to do with lacking skills! Potentialy two stress will sometimes do a lot more, though not always. I think there is no clear "better" here and it comes down to what you like in action and what works for you as a player and in your local meta.

UA/R4 is pretty indifferent. One makes you move a lot better (green 3 turns are so much fun!), one makes you roll dice a lot better.

I have tested this list now and tweaked it a bit. It will be going to a tournament next weekend.

Trandoshan Slaver (38)
Bossk
Gunner
Tactician

Mandalorian Mercenary (37)
Tactician

Syndicate Thug (25)
Twin Laser Turret
Unhinged Astromech

Not worrying too much about the Trandoshan's first hit because of Bossk and the Gunner is an evil way to lay two stress on a target, and the Firespray's rear arc means you can usually find at least one range two attack.

It's not the most manouvrable list, but once the stress hits neither is your opponent, and since it can take 30 hits it hangs around like a bad smell.

Will report back on how it goes .

Thats pretty much where I would of gone with it. However I never use UA and very rarely do I even notice its absence. If anything I think you'd get more mileage from an EPT on the merc.. whether crackshot/adrenaline rush/VI/what have you, or else inertial dampeners.

What I like about UA is that it gives you options if your opponent tries to slip into the range one TLT doughnut hole (ie. you can swing a fair distance out) and it means you can cover more distance with the hard three to protect the Slaver's blind rear if you face someone who is particularly nippy.

The EPT is a good call though since he has it despite not being a named pilot... so if I get shot to sh1t, that will be my first port of call for Version 2!

Well after my first game I thought I was a genius and the list did everything it was supposed to. Wiped the floor with Kath, N'Dru and a couple of Z95 Pirates. Games two and three were against pimped up arc-dodging A-Wings and the usual Jax/Soontir nonsense so we got pulled apart.

Game four... well I flew an undamaged Firespray off the board and was beaten by a ten year old with a Ten Numb. 'Nuff said about my pilot skills, but that original Engine Upgrade might have saved me, so I've popped it back on. Carnor Rex, you were absolutely right - it *does* fit my play style (ie. I need to be able to correct dumb moves!) .

1-0-3 is not a great record but I fear the problem is me, not the list itself. Lesson learned: don't just think about this turn's manoeuvre... think about next turn's manoeuvre as well!