I had good luck with a VSD the other day backing up an ISD, but it still seems to me like they just utterly pale in comparison in every way, and that not even being 40-50 points less than an ISD is enough to save them. Anyone out there still use VSDs?

I've been using them as cheap carriers.

Yeah, getting some decent use out of mine still. They work as carriers, like has been mentioned, and still have some firepower builds.

I think rumours of the VSD's demise have been greatly exaggerated, their big drawback is just that they're slow and don't maneuver well. Get around that by choosing your objectives with care!

Once I realized Accuracy and XI7s completely negate the VSD's ability to defend, I haven't used them except for one time trying cheap carriers. It failed spectacularly.

Which is a shame because I wish they were better.

No.

Once I realized Accuracy and XI7s completely negate the VSD's ability to defend, I haven't used them except for one time trying cheap carriers. It failed spectacularly.

Which is a shame because I wish they were better.

That's kind of my feeling on them. In the current state of affairs, a single accuracy and XI-7's and it just falls apart. It's fairly easy to kill it in two salvos to the front that way, so only if it's somehow ensuring you hit the front one time, and the side the next time, is it able to survive. Tarkin with repair commands can also prolong the inevitable, but in some builds it's not impossible to actually one-shot it! I have seen ISD's and MC80's do 12 damage before, and it isn't pretty.

The VSD HAS the defensive upgrade icon right there on the model.... wish it had it on its cards....maybe that could be a title implemented later?

I recently tried out a fleet running 1 ISD and 1 VSD (plenty of squads) vs Ackbar / MC80 / 2 Corvettes / Nebulon (few squads).

Unfortunately the rumours are true. the VSD doesn't really stand up in todays meta. Some short comings include:

• If you want to navigate properly, you'll need to get that extra yaw from the navigate command dial
• ...however if you want it to be a carrier you'll be more inclined to run the squadron command dial.
• ...of course, since its defense tokens can easily be negated and it can't run ECM, you'll need that engineering command dial to keep it alive to do something useful!
• With three command dials, that'll be some impressive forward planning.

Unsurprisingly, VSD ended up getting popped without even needing to be hit by the MC80.

ISD however took two full volleys from a decked out MC80 and didn't take any damage cards, surviving til the end of the game. For the extra 35 points, an ISD II is far superior than a VSD II, gaining:

• an extra defense token (contain)
• extra yaw
• extra speed
• 3 extra hull
• better upgrade slots
• superior firepower
• more shields
• and able to command more squadrons.

If there is a use for a VSD in todays meta, I doubt it will be included in a straightforward, obvious strategy.

The only successful use of VSDs so far is towards extremely gimmicky one-off strategies that require a lot to go right. They simply cannot keep up with most Rebel fleets and will be shot down quickly by any serious abuse of their defensive tokens such as Intel Officer or Overload Pulse.

Rubbish

You used them to make fantasy flight money because they got nerfed with Akbar. Now we have to wait two years until they sell us the fix so you can use electronic countermeasures.

This also meant they were able to sell more people 2 ISDs than just one by nerfing the VSDs.

So already we have an iconic ship collecting dust. I have three collecting dust. The do make great toys for the kiddies now! Pulled a Games Workshop on us with that one.

Yeah, trying to make a list with 2 or 3 VSD's as a carrier group and I just can't imagine the list staying alive long enough to get any real challenge to the Rebels. I'll stick with the ISD's as they're dang good!

This is a VSD list I may just throw on the table for S&G's, but as people said before, with no ECM I feel they're just going to get hammered into oblivion. The idea is to have Nav tokens banked and then have Tarkin dole out squadron tokens left and right and then modify the strategy as the game unfolds.

This is a VSD list that I'm tempted to try out, doesn't have Bossk or IG-88 in it but it fits my swarm mentality...

Tarkin's VSD's

Author: GIJosef

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 399/400

Commander: Grand Moff Tarkin

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] Victory II-Class Star Destroyer (85 points)
- Grand Moff Tarkin ( 38 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)
2 TIE Advanced Squadrons ( 24 points)
6 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 48 points)

Fleet created with Armada Warlords

The Victory Class Star Destroyer definitely needs some help with speed or and maneuver ability "one y click suck" its slow speed can keep it from getting in to battle if setup badly, and as carriers its only has 3 Squadron you want to give it Expanded Hangar Bay but its slowness it can be out of range quickly and you can't give it Boosted Comms both it and Expanded Hangar Bay take up the same slot. so its one or the other that hurts its chance of it being a cheap good carrier. :-(

so as a lot of people are saying its going to collect dust in the storage box which is a shame it's a nice looking ship.