Big Ships - the "Whales" of Armada. They are big, hard to kill, and worth the most points for your list if you can manage to drop them. That's not to say that it is easy.

These monsters of space are these days packing Electronic Countermeasures, designed to ensure that their brace token is fresh to thwart the biggest attack from your own monstrosity. So what do you do to hunt the big fish that popped into your own small pond?

In today's article I tried to tackle that very issue, but this is one that I think should get some community response. What do you feel is the best way to hunt down the big ships? At what point do you give up, and take the easier points on the board?

Fabulous write-up, as always.

Just one minor point on the "less effective options" - unlike NK-7, I believe Nym does allow the attacker to choose the defense token that is discarded. That's a better ability than NK-7s, but as you point out, at 25% odds with no chance to modify, it's far from a sure thing (unlike NK-7s which, with Screed, is a sure thing--at least at close range with no Mon Mothma). Nym is more of a crap shoot, but more devastating when it actually does go off (at our Sullust final, the Rebel got two consecutive blue crits on the Imp's ISD, which not surprisingly went down in a heap of ash mid-way through round 3).

Beyond that, I'm glad to see HTTs getting some love at high dice rolls. Great article choice, as in my recent games (all Imps), I've been settling for focusing down small ships instead of going after the whale. The points are really tempting, but I find that after getting through an enemy fighter/bomber swarm, my ISDs aren't in great shape to take on a fully healthy MC-80.

Edit : On Nym, it also seems like he's a natural pair with Yavaris --basically the same price as Adar if you're already taking a Neb and a generic Scurrg, and seems more economical than Adar, at any rate (since Yavaris , properly set-up, has far more potential as a force-multiplier than Adar). As a primarily Imperial commander, the thought of double-taps for Nym and then Keyan is terrifying.

If you can use them, an Intel Officer is a perfect counter to the Brace. Use your Brace and it is lost for good, don't use it and take the damage, not good choices those :-)

I've been using MC30s with both Assault Concussion Missiles and an Intel Officer. After the initial attack run by one of those most large ships are essentially shieldless. Even if they use the brace on the second attack, they just took about 12 damage from a single activation, and lost most of the effectiveness of their redirects.

Good write up !

I wouldn't discount the Ion Cannons upgrades on Victory 2s and Imperial 2s especially with Screed. Against big targets with large bases, it's pretty easy to line up shots from 2 hulls, especially if you have the initiative.

If you manage to move your Screed Avenger last, to angle it so you can get a side arc shot followed up by a front arc shot next turn after activating first, you're pretty sure to deal crippling damage (or burn the defense tokens of the opponent for a follow up).

I found the best way to get rid of brace if they have ecm and i have to ship targeting it. Is use the accuracy to force ecm on the brace and exhaust it. Then when the second ship fire i dont accuracy brace at all. Forcing thrm to use and discard it and my accuracy goes to other tokens

I am an option 1 player.... lots of ships rather than few whales

I'll share that NK 7s combined with Intel Officer were key in me finishing off an ISD in my game last night against Caribbean Ninja. He was down two tokens for the second shot. It was also interesting in that, on that particular shot, I had a red crit and blue crit. Since he still had a contain I chose the blue crit since contain wouldn't block that.

The problem though is that it is expensive and by the time I got it to work I was left with one good shot after that.

I'll share that NK 7s combined with Intel Officer were key in me finishing off an ISD in my game last night against Caribbean Ninja. He was down two tokens for the second shot. It was also interesting in that, on that particular shot, I had a red crit and blue crit. Since he still had a contain I chose the blue crit since contain wouldn't block that.

The problem though is that it is expensive and by the time I got it to work I was left with one good shot after that.

A Screed Victory II could do that points efficiently, much like a Screed Raider II (although you don't threaten the Brace as much)

It's going to be to try that probably.

Intel/XI7s do it for me ever since I started using them in Wave 2. No big ship stays around after the second round without their Brace token.

I actually really like the overload pulse/screed/Avenger combo I worked up the other day.

I actually really like the overload pulse/screed/Avenger combo I worked up the other day.

> Dependent on Screed being your Admiral, or else dice rolls.

> Dependent on Overload Pulse ship activating first.

> Dependent on Avenger being a position to fire for effect on the ship sometime after (if it's still there).

> Dependent on having points for OL and Avenger.

So, dependent on too many things for my tastes. Intel Officer though, slap it on a ship with big dice like the ISD and let the fun times roll.

I actually really like the overload pulse/screed/Avenger combo I worked up the other day.

> Dependent on Screed being your Admiral, or else dice rolls.

> Dependent on Overload Pulse ship activating first.

> Dependent on Avenger being a position to fire for effect on the ship sometime after (if it's still there).

> Dependent on having points for OL and Avenger.

So, dependent on too many things for my tastes. Intel Officer though, slap it on a ship with big dice like the ISD and let the fun times roll.

I built a fleet around it so I had the points for it clearly and Screed is there because I want to use the Avenger/OP combo. I agree that it's positioning/activation is important and a potential liability if done poorly but it is a fun combo and it is different than just slap an intel on it which is what so many people suggest.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/198734-imperial-test-build/ There is the link to my build. Please feel free to comment. I am tinkering with it a bit as we speak so the list has been updated a bit.

I'll share that NK 7s combined with Intel Officer were key in me finishing off an ISD in my game last night against Caribbean Ninja. He was down two tokens for the second shot. It was also interesting in that, on that particular shot, I had a red crit and blue crit. Since he still had a contain I chose the blue crit since contain wouldn't block that.

The problem though is that it is expensive and by the time I got it to work I was left with one good shot after that.

A Screed Victory II could do that points efficiently, much like a Screed Raider II (although you don't threaten the Brace as much)

It's going to be to try that probably.

I just think nk-7 and VSD-2 are to expensive

I'll share that NK 7s combined with Intel Officer were key in me finishing off an ISD in my game last night against Caribbean Ninja. He was down two tokens for the second shot. It was also interesting in that, on that particular shot, I had a red crit and blue crit. Since he still had a contain I chose the blue crit since contain wouldn't block that.

The problem though is that it is expensive and by the time I got it to work I was left with one good shot after that.

A Screed Victory II could do that points efficiently, much like a Screed Raider II (although you don't threaten the Brace as much)

It's going to be to try that probably.

I wouldn't exactly call a 102+ point ship, efficient.

I just think nk-7 and VSD-2 are to expensive

More efficiently than an ISD, that's what I meant

I don't know, in a support role, they have the potential to be effective. The mainstay of the Imperial fleet though has become the ISD for sure and that's a smart move from FFG.

I've been using MC30s with both Assault Concussion Missiles and an Intel Officer. After the initial attack run by one of those most large ships are essentially shieldless. Even if they use the brace on the second attack, they just took about 12 damage from a single activation, and lost most of the effectiveness of their redirects.

Very much a gladiator thing too!