I've gone 2-0 with the only Palpatine build I ever flew, which I call "Red Meat." 99 points:

Yorr + Palpatine (32)

Fel + PTL + AutoT + Stealth (35)

Jax + VI + AutoT + Stealth (32)

I wanted to use Yorr primarily because I wanted to know where TLTs were setting up, or where other Shuttles are setting up. And it works for that ...

But, as it turns out, the ability to K-turn Interceptor aces and still get actions is incredibly powerful.

Note that if Yorr takes Soontir's stress, BTW, Soontir does not get the Focus token.

So why did I stop flying it, even at 2-0? Well, because I felt, in both games, that I was walking a tightrope made of razor-wire. I'm just not patient or defensive enough to be a top-notch Interceptor flyer.

I've played somewhere probably near or above 30 games with palp aces and am pretty solidly convinced my favorite build is Vader with predator, engine, atc, soontir fel with targeting computer, ptl, autothrusters and raw ogp with palp.

I disagree with some of the approaches outlined here for flying the shuttle. I've found you either bring it into the middle of the board for shooting and blocking or you slam it up the board aggressively for shooting or blocking. The shuttle is a tanky broad and has a big gun people often ignore. If they choose to turn on the shuttle your ace should rip them to pieces. If they ignore the shuttle play safe with the aces and the shuttle can be the biggest damage dealer by just shooting exposed flanks.

I play the list very aggressively and my offense is quite strong with predator and targeting computer on my aces so I am not as afraid to joust a bit against some lists. The only three things I've found as tough nuts to crack are 1) Stressbot. This needs to not shoot your aces. 2) VI Ten numb with mangler. This needs to not shoot soontir. 3) Brobots. Gunner on hlc is annoying.

Against the two 'counterbuilds' (1/2) I like to fortress until I find a good point to spring out and engage. Against bots you need maximum turtle and killing one of them early, hopefully with some dice on your side. Don't be afraid to use Palpatine to force Vader to take 1 damage rather than a full hlc reroll.

I've been running Palpatine with Vader and Juno lately and am having a pretty good run with it.

Omicron Group Pilot - Emperor Palpatine, Ion Projector
Darth Vader - TIE/x1, Veteran Instincts, Advanced Targeting Computer, Engine Upgrade
Juno Eclipse - TIE/x1, Push the Limit, Advanced Targeting Computer, TIE MKII Engine

I find it does well against other 2-3 ship builds but has struggled against a swarm (but only faced one admittedly) so far. Darth and Juno certainly don't like stress but it's not as bad as I thought.

Often I'll put the cow on a flank either facing the enemy or facing the opposite flank in order to create as much room in between increasing his survivability. Then Juno and Vader will attempt to target lock and double team each ship methodically until everything is dead. I generally use Palps ability initially to add critical hits and then in the later game for defence with evades.

I've found the Ion Projector is handy to have when small ships (even large) swarm the Shuttle and cross it next turn, I can even do a 0 red move and ensure they'll cross his base at some stage which is handy allowing Vader and Juno to swoop in for the kill.

I do miss Predator on Vader however I have some many problems with Whisper and I don't think I'd be able to catch her without having the jump. I love Juno's pilot ability and it often catches opponents off when she can pull a 1 turn and get the drop on them.

I've been thinking about dropped Juno for Vessery as I don't dig Soontir purely because every man and their dog use him and I struggle playing lists everyone else does but that's purely personal preference.

Battle reports in my blog of course.

For three Store Championships in January, I ran

OGP + Palp

Darth +Predator + Stealth Device + ATC

Soontir +PTL + AT + Stealth Device

And went 12-2 in the swiss, making the cut all three times. (4-1, 4-0, 4-1). The losses were to a Double Decimator list with Vader/Gunner to scare Soontir away, and to a CrackBot list.

Then I lost the first round of the playoff all three times, to Whisper/Howlrunner, CrackBots, and CrackBots.

The Double Deci loss was my first game of the season and probably some jitters.

The Whisper list was probably due to a poor initiative choice (I took initiative and then only got three shots on Whisper; lost on time with Whisper and Soontir twirling around each other).

The CrackBots have so far proved insurmountable, so I am now switching to VI+EU Vader and practicing my arc dodging at league before (hopefully) hitting another Store Championship in March.

Anyone have any idea how to deal with Brobots featuring HLC, FCS, Crack Shot, and Glitterstim? I just keep melting. The last two tournaments, I'm undefeated against everything but that list, which I'm 0-3 against.

The 2-3 ship meta hasn't really gone away. Since large ships pretty much count for 2 it is now a 3-4 ship meta. You really can't make a 2 ship list anymore even with TIE Defenders.

I've had 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place tournament finishes recently with:

Carnor Jax + VI + Title + Autothrusters + Shield

Omega Leader + Comm Relay + Juke

Captain Kagi + Palpatine + Sensor Jammer

Literally been a dice roll or two away from taking a couple of first places with it. As others have said, you're lacking a bit in red dice, and you have to play Palp on defense a lot of the time - I'll only use him on attack if I'm facing little return fire or I absolutely -have- to make sure I get damage through. I like to stall the shuttle early on, and then swing in once the opponent has commited to where they're going. It's surprising how much damage the shuttle can do if it's ignored.

I'm thinking of changing Jax's Shield for a Hull (Or maybe Stealth), which leaves me 3 points to maybe put a Hull or Stealth onto Omega Leader as well.

Took 2nd place is a Swiss tournament this weekend (1st place beat me on pts, never played him though) running:

OGP+Palp

Vader+Title+VI+ATC+EU

Soontir+PTL+RGT+SD+AT

Every opponent immediately went for the shuttle allowing me to flank with Vader and Soontir and just wreck ships. Had VI on Vader to counter VI Poe, yet despite there being 4 lists with that (including the winner) I never faced off against one.

I've been tinkering with Palp+aces for quite a while, my favorite so far is:

OGP+Palp

Fel/PTL/AT/TC

Vader/Lone Wolf/ATC/Title/EU

Its harder to keep Vader using Lone Wolf, but your opponent has to make a choice right off the bat. I fly Soontir close to Palp on one edge of the board. I setup diagonally in the corner. If its an aces list, I joust with Palp. If swarm, I try and fly around or through the rockfield with Palp and flank from both sides with the aces. I'm 12-3 with this list, losing a couple of hard games at a store champs (Tie crackshot swarm and Poe+2x K-wing TLT). I always take the 3 biggest rocks, give away initiative, and try and use at least 4 rocks in a very tight cluster. After the first store champ I flew this list:

Vader/VI/Prockets/Title/EU/ATC

Kenkirk/Palp/Lone Wolf/Ysanne/EU

I was bleeding MOV all day with the above list (20 person store champ). But I can tell you that a VI Prockets TL+Focus+Palp Vader is a rediculous force to contend with. The extra die at range 1 from Prockets makes all the difference to cut through those other aces! (Range1+ATC=4). With Palp and a TL you can get crits through and make it really hurt. Same rocks, and I would joust with Kenkirk to get him behind or force bumps, as well as get some damage on him for superior defense. MUCH easier on a EU Decimator to trigger lone wolf. I probably won't fly this in a championship that relies on MOV (I was 6th place with 3-1 and bad MOV), but if you have a limited tournament with 16 people, its perfect. 3-1 gets you into top4 or 4-0 gets you the prize if no cut. Easy to still do damage with a decimator from range as long as its not Jake the A-wing. And you just haven't lived until you roll 3 evades and still have an evade token on a decimator

Just a little bit late I know, life gets in the way.

I agree with the majority of people, the Lambda plays a much bigger part than it looks on paper. The damage it dishes out, damage it absorbs so the aces don't have to roll the dice, the blocks it makes at crucial times. I fly Captain Yorr, his ability to take stress and shoot before the majority of generics (including Sigma Squadron Pilots) has also proven invaluable. The list I fly is;

Darth Vader + Veteran Instincts + TIE/x1 + Advanced Targeting Computer + Engine Upgrade (35)

Carnor Jax + Push The Limit + Royal Guard TIE + Autothrusters + Targeting Computer (33)

Captain Yorr + Emperor Palpatine (32)

Alas, Stealth Device is 1 point too expensive. Carnor Jax as PS8 is perfect; he can arc dodge Brobots and stay at Range 1 of Dash while blocking aces, getting a **** ton of use out of his ability. I haven't flown the 4-ship variant with "Wampa" but it looks very interesting. I would try this out first;

The Inquisitor + Push The Limit + TIE/v1 + Autothrusters (31) OR Carnor Jax + Push The Limit + Autothrusters (31)

"Omega Leader" + Juke + Comm Relay (26)

"Wampa" (14)

Omicron Group Pilot + Emperor Palpatine (29)

Looks like it would take some time and effort to master flying this list but it would be extremely good in the right hands. I can see this topping tournaments. Carnor Jax vs The Inquisitor is personal preference, I put The Inquisitor first because he fits into this list fully kitted out.