Changed my list a bit today. Now it's

OICUNN, Expert Handling, Agent Kallus, Dauntless, Ion Bomb, Anti-pursuit lasers

PATROL LEADER, Vader, Gunner

The EH was a great addition, makes that ship so much more agile! Bumb, deal damage, barrel roll away to be able to attack at R1. Just sweet. The ion bomb was nice too, although I used it only once today.

No so convinced about Kallus (used him against Whisper, which got killed in the second turn; against a Tempest Pilot, also killed on first contact, against Vader where I rolled only 1 eye before Vader went off the table,... and so on), but I don't know anything better for 2 points :-(

Maybe APL on the PL too?!

The EH was a great addition, makes that ship so much more agile! Bumb, deal damage, barrel roll away to be able to attack at R1. Just sweet. The ion bomb was nice too, although I used it only once today.

No so convinced about Kallus (used him against Whisper, which got killed in the second turn; against a Tempest Pilot, also killed on first contact, against Vader where I rolled only 1 eye before Vader went off the table,... and so on), but I don't know anything better for 2 points :-(

Maybe APL on the PL too?!

I can see EH being fun. But no wonder you didn't get much out of Kallus on a decimator. Not surprised at all---its a crew meant for a phantom or maybe a firespray (because you can use him on green and reds! doubles his value, more or less).

Some decent 2 point crew options for Oicunn:

bombardier + intel agent (adds flexibility to the ion bomb drop)

tactician (can also make setting up a following turn ion bomb easier)

Moff Jerjarrod (lets you flip down one annoying crit...honestly, this would be better with more crew on the ship...)

My problem with Kallus so far was that the target I chose died too fast - while that is good of course it makes Kallus useless afterwards, so something with a longer lasting effect might be better.

I had Intel on before, but the extra info wasn't worth the 1 point. While Oicunn can reposition with EH, I believe there might be something more valuable (even Kallus is better ;-) )

Tactician, while nice, needs some other stress causing buddy; 1 stress really isn't much, especially with the range limitation. Moff Jerjerrod was on my radar already, that might be something. I had only one game where a decimator was "over"killed, receiving 13+ damage with "direct hits" involved. All other games the decimators were destroyed with exactly 12 damage cards/points - converting a direct hit to a normal damage might buy me another round of ramming/shooting; not sure yet.

Thanks for the ideas though

The EH was a great addition, makes that ship so much more agile! Bumb, deal damage, barrel roll away to be able to attack at R1. Just sweet. The ion bomb was nice too, although I used it only once today.

No so convinced about Kallus (used him against Whisper, which got killed in the second turn; against a Tempest Pilot, also killed on first contact, against Vader where I rolled only 1 eye before Vader went off the table,... and so on), but I don't know anything better for 2 points :-(

Maybe APL on the PL too?!

I can see EH being fun. But no wonder you didn't get much out of Kallus on a decimator. Not surprised at all---its a crew meant for a phantom or maybe a firespray (because you can use him on green and reds! doubles his value, more or less).

Some decent 2 point crew options for Oicunn:

bombardier + intel agent (adds flexibility to the ion bomb drop)

tactician (can also make setting up a following turn ion bomb easier)

Moff Jerjarrod (lets you flip down one annoying crit...honestly, this would be better with more crew on the ship...)

How about Kallus + Jerjerrod? Once Kallus' ratget dies, the Moff can sacrifice him for the crit.

Expert handling sounds interesting, especially if you are going to bump and then barrel roll. Doesn't that leave you with two stress though?

I'd be quite interested to hear people's thoughts on good obstacle placement and general tips for setup. I'm still not sure what works the best.

Expert handling sounds interesting, especially if you are going to bump and then barrel roll. Doesn't that leave you with two stress though?

I'd be quite interested to hear people's thoughts on good obstacle placement and general tips for setup. I'm still not sure what works the best.

yes, it's 2 stress then. But you do it when you need it, and so far it was worth it every time. As for obstacles I use debris only to ensure that I can still fight when I land on one - and most aces don't like debris ;-)

Bumping doesn't give stress, where does the second stress come from? On the other hand after a bump, the ship cannot perform an action, so no bareroll from EH.

Daredevil with EU would work better with Oicunn

Bumping doesn't give stress, where does the second stress come from? On the other hand after a bump, the ship cannot perform an action, so no bareroll from EH.

Daredevil with EU would work better with Oicunn

The two stress comes from EH and Dauntless

Bumping doesn't give stress, where does the second stress come from? On the other hand after a bump, the ship cannot perform an action, so no bareroll from EH.

Daredevil with EU would work better with Oicunn

Bumping doesn't give stress, where does the second stress come from? On the other hand after a bump, the ship cannot perform an action, so no bareroll from EH.

Daredevil with EU would work better with Oicunn

Dauntless is made for Oicunn, I would always put it on him. EU looks good on first glance, and works great for other Decimators builds (like Kenkirk or Chiraneau) but not really for Oicunn. You pay points for his ability, so you use it whenever possible - after all it's damage that can't be cancelled. That leaves you with one, maybe two possibilities to use EU during a game (in the opening moves, and maybe later again), but the dial of the Deci is surprisingly good and I'm already close to the opponent so it's tough to get good use out of EU.

Daredevil and title jumps right into your face. Two damage each time you bump an enemy ship, and more chances to bump at least once. But after several games I discovered that bumping and dealing damage is nice, shooting the same ship afterwards from R1 is even better though; that's where EH comes into play. You bump, deal damage, and then you get clear - either to shoot him then (when it's a lower PS ship) or to get in it's way in case of higher PS ships (dealing another damage thanks to anti-pursuit lasers, and negating their action - plus another bump damage next turn as you move first :-) )

Bought a Tie FO expansion to try Omega Leader for fun. First game against As and Bs I battered won quite easily.

Second game against Dash with a Mangler, A and B, I was incredibly impressed with Omega Leader. He practically soloed Dash and it wasn't until right at the end he took a single damage. I'd love to try him in a bigger ship list at some point, he's not really the best to take with a tanked up Kenkirk.

Kenkirk did really well. I dropped Determination for Lone Wolf as I just didn't grt enough benefit from it. Lone Wolf worked out great, between that and Palpatine, Kenkirk lasted for an incredible length of time. If I hadn't messed up and got repeatedly bumped into debris 3 times I think I would have won. As it was my opponent had to leave and we called it a draw.

I think I will drop Engine Upgrade though. I just haven't got the use out of it I want and playing as a tank Kenkirk I'd rather take a focus action. Dauntless was great some I'm keeping that. Just need to decide what to replace EU with...

Woah there, good buddy. I run Kenkirk all the time, and EU is possibly his best upgrade. If you don't think so, it's possible that you're not in the mentality to properly take advantage of it yet. That, or your meta is still full of super fat turrets for some reason. Big ship boosting is seriously powerful business.

I think the reason that EU isn't serving you especially well is probably the same reason that Dauntless is paying huge dividends. Try veering your nose away from the enemy pile at the start of a few fights and see if it feels any easier to out flank with your Deci. Just my two cents.

Against two Bwings and a regenerating Poe, won easily. PS11 Vader is a beast.

Then against 3 Interceptors (Connor Jax, Soontir Fel and Turr). Just about managed to strip the Shields off the Decimator but taking opportunities to use the Decimators unexpected speed (straight 4!)and boost was incredibly effective. Again, PS11 Vader was a beast and made the Interceptors lives a misery. I think I will likely drop Lone Wolf, it was great every now and again but there were too many moments where I couldn't use it.

My pal I played did point out that when guidance Chips etc are out he'd likely tool up the B-wing with proton torpedoes etc so that's going to be a misery for my Decimator. Unless I can speed 4 and boost into a range he can't use them/can't get me in arc...

Fantastic build and really fun to fly.

Sir, I take back my previous statement about EU. I actually took the time to stop and think about how I should use it over a focusing to incredible effect last night. It was great. I played this list:

I think I will likely drop Lone Wolf, it was great every now and again but there were too many moments where I couldn't use it.

Fantastic build and really fun to fly.

Soon you will replace Lone Wolf with Predator and fly this list at 98 points, without Dauntless. Your training is nearly complete...

My young apprentice

Hah! Will definitely take Predator and consider dropping Dauntless. However the title came in very useful when my opponent tried to block me a few times. It was quite something to boost past him or focus to range 1 a different ship.

Had an interesting match today against some B-wings with Ion cannons (+Dash) tonight.

Killed Dash but ended up getting my Decimator ioned off of the table. Partially down to poor positioning on my part and forgetting he had ion cannons and also not using my boost to turn away from the edge of the table.

I guess that's a good technique for someone battling a Decimator and I maybe should have focused on the Bs before Dash. I dunno. Was interesting.

I might try out the Inquisitor tomorrow, I doubt I'll find him more useful than Vader as a wingman but I bet it's fun. Not sure what upgrades to take though...

Sir, I take back my previous statement about EU. I actually took the time to stop and think about how I should use it over a focusing to incredible effect last night. It was great. I played this list:

I think I will likely drop Lone Wolf, it was great every now and again but there were too many moments where I couldn't use it.

Fantastic build and really fun to fly.

Soon you will replace Lone Wolf with Predator and fly this list at 98 points, without Dauntless. Your training is nearly complete...

My young apprentice

Do it.

So, uhh... Decimators are gonna take some very, VERY skilful piloting - as in not doing a THING wrong and arc dodging three large base ships with 4-dice mains. Even then, you're not truly 'arc dodging' as they have 2 damage PWTs that will regularly land hits against the Decis. I'm talking about the triple Jumpmasters.

It remains to be seen if triple Jumpmasters is the threat they seem to be, but fact is in one round of shooting they deal on average 9 hits to a single target - that's enough to completely ruin defensive Kenkirk. The remaining hull just isn't durable enough to Isard+Emperor for long enough to guarantee damage back.

Decis lack the System slot for the new Reinforced Deflectors which basically mitigate one damage from each JM torp shot, reducing them to an average of 2 - painful, but survivable. Also, they can be bled to death by the PWT easily - backed up by 2 evade dice the JM doesn't do so badly swapping fire with the Deci. The only real hope is to kill them faster than they kill you, which with a JM's 9 life and 2 evades is easier said than done.

Spirits only know if JMs will have enough oomph to really be a long-term threat instead of a short-term fad list, but man... I was extremely disheartened by a test run. They eat Kenkirk for breakfast.

Would a Decimator packing Vader be able to deal enough damage to a Jumpmaster, or at least force crits in the hopes of knocking off those secondary weapons? Omega Squadron Pilot with Draw Their Fire at 18 points might be able to mitigate some of the damage you'll be taking and is a bit more durable with that one shield than a standard TIE, but that's 18 points less to spend on the Decimator or your chosen Ace.

Don't mind me, I'm just extrapolating. Poorly, probably.

If it's serious, I've been eyeing Oicunn as the best possibility - bumping to avoid shooting while still being offensive with Predator, maybe Vader/Jerrjerod/Intelligence Agent, stuffing Vader in the first hole and Agent in the second. Or perhaps Rebel Captive instead of Vader to punish the PWTs for firing on it while out of arc.

The problem is, what can you add to the list after that? Engine Upgrade still lets it arc dodge against non-PWTs but that is bumping it up into the 50+ range so that's a bad idea.

Maybe bet on it sucking down a great deal of ordnance to kill? Patrol Leader + Vader or + Gunner is pretty threatening, fairly cheap for a lot of hull that the ships will HAVE to burn through, and gives you options for a pair of arc-dodging aces having 50+ points left over. Whisper will sneer at these guys all day, only problem is she's pretty expensive. He? not sure.

48 Patrol Leader + Emperor Palpatine

14 Wampa

38 Whisper + ACD + VI + Intelligence Agent

Patrol Leader and Wampa give them immediate, serious threats that grow out of control the longer it's left unchecked; meantime the Whisper takes shots where it can and is strong late-game.

43 Patrol Leader + Vader

37 Whisper + ACD+VI

20 Zeta Leader

ZL hits like a truck for a mere 20 points, the Patrol Leader will weaken a Jumpmaster before it dies, and then you've got Whisper sneering at them from behind its cloaking device. FCS would be nice, but... *sigh*

Or a different route...

53 Rear Admiral Chiraneau: Veteran Instincts, Engine Upgrade, Agent Kallus

24 (TIE Bomber) Gamma Squadron: Extra Munitions, Plasma Torpedoes, Guidance Chips

24 (TIE Bomber) Gamma Squadron: Extra Munitions, Proton Torpedoes, Guidance Chips

The Gammas joust the Jumpmasters, secure in the knowledge it will take two torp launches each to kill one and that they + RAC can kill one a turn. I want to keep EU on RAC for arc dodging goodness against other lists, and Kallus on RAC basically means the only action you need is EU or TL on a hardened target - and you decide at the start who dies first to the Gammas. Dropping Kallus does give you Protons on both bombers, though, making them a much more immediate threat than RAC (for once!) But I like plasmas on one Gamma because that gives it a threat of cutting right through the shields in one shot and opening it for the Protons - and in real terms the "+1 shield removed" is almost always the same statistically against shields as "turn an eye to a crit". Another option is drop either EU or VI and put Fleet Officer on RAC to up the lethality of your ordnance.

Oh I like the idea of bombers. That's a lovely list...

As it stands now I'm really enjoying the Decimator but am coming to realise it might not do well once people have picked up guidance Chips and munitions etc and other wave 8 ships...

Oh, I think we just need to parlay the Deci's natural advantages instead of just being lazy and relying on it as fat PWT - the days of fat PWTs being able to sweep a board by itself (or with a wingman) are GONE.

Advantage: Lots of HP - even supposing that the 3 Jumpmaster list hits with every single shot, it will still take four missiles to put down.

Advantage: Lots of crew - no other ship can take 3 crewmembers.

Advantage: 3-dice PWT. Still doesn't care that much about arc.

Advantage: No reds and a decent selection of greens (for a fat PWT).

Advantage: No restriction on crew.

Advantage: two highly offensive pilots in Oicunn and Chiraneau.

When compared to a TIE/Shuttle or Lambda, it's got a greater offensive presence while still carrying support personnel - and can take fire away from your other ships BECAUSE it's so fat. That's why I liked the idea of RAC backing up the Gammas - yes, you can fit 3 Gammas (Protons, GC, EM) in a list with Shuttle Captain Jonus (Rebel Captive, Fleet Officer), but Jonus draws fire because he's such an obvious and frail target. Kill him before he has a chance to pass out a second Focus to his Gamma buddies and you're taking away a lot of killing power.

You want to mix up your opponent's targeting priorities. "Yeah, if I target the Gamma it won't get a second shot off, but can I deal with a full health RAC?" Hmm, drop the VI and you can get the Fleet Officer on there... worth it to distribute focus tokens for the two rounds of fire? Focused Proton Torps are pretty guaranteed of 3-4 hits. Drop both of them to Plasmas and you can put VI back on there. Decisions, decisions... Plasmas are theoretically better against high Shield foes (like JMs!) because of 5 possible hits including one guaranteed hit.

But most of this is just theory crafting.

Predator is better than Expose - the math supports that, even with Chiraneau, you'll want Focus actions instead of another die. Speaking of that, Gunner is probably better than Weapons Engineer, and Engine Upgrade will let it outmaneuver swarms.

If you're good at piloting, pairing chiraneau with a VI Echo is NASTY. You've got durability, high damage output, and a decent Ace.

Expose + EI is better then Predator! But also much higher on the points side.

Expose + Target Lock (EI) & Chiraneau is almost a guarenteed 4 hits. Unless you roll HORRIBLY.

I very much enjoyed running Chirenaeu with Experimental Interface. And it did a lot of damage, but being stressed made me utterly predictable, and getting stress added made Experimental interface/expose useless. It makes it very difficult to get in the donut hole of ships like Dash as well.

I would like to try a different build to last time but can definitely see why people prefer predator, as it doesn't matter if you're stressed.

There's a theory among historians that the exponential growth of the human race's technology is directly attributable to writing. An entirely oral society can mislearn a vital lesson, or fail to pass down an important piece of information, whereas in written form it can be transmitted flawlessly and keep indefinitely.

A lot of Bothans died (on the blaster fire of Decimators) to bring you the information that Predator > Expose. Then again, there are some people that HAVE to make the mistakes others have made and tried to transmit warnings about.

Although I suppose that is the scientific method, to test the conclusions of others. So, objection withdrawn.

I've been thinking about the RAC list and wondering if Oicunn would be good as well. Put Plasmas on the Gammas and that gives you 54 points to play with. Putting Fleet Officer (to give focus to the Gammas) on Oicunn gives you 9 points to play with. Predator, Moff Jerjerrod, and Rebel Captive? The reason I think Jerry's a good choice is because the Fleet Officer becomes obsolete when the Gammas empty out/if they die first, so stuffing him and then Jerry into two Crits is pretty handy. Isard is an option in the third slot, but... I'm kinda not feeling her any more. TLTs eat her alive, and she's only really good if it's one-on-one - and by the time she's kicked in you're at almost half anyway. EU is also good, but at PS4 you're not going to be doing much arc dodging anyway.

Also, you could change one Plasma Torps to Homing Missiles if you've got a lot of dodgy aces in your area. Could come in handy if the Inquisitor ever becomes a thing...

I saw some Firespray lovin' here and I couldn't resist.

Might I suggest lady Scarlet as companion to your Deci?

Kath Scarlet (38)

• Veteran Instincts (1)

• Mangler Cannon (4)

• Tactician (2)

= 45 pts

Rear Admiral Chiraneau (46)

• Veteran Instincts (1)

• Rebel Captive (3)

• Engine Upgrade (4)

= 54 pts

You can downgrade RAC to Kenkirk and switch VI for Predator (and/or EU for Ysanne).

Either way, you get stress mechanics and a bit more mileage out of your Spray.

I really need to get Rebel captive. Going to have a search for it online. I may have to give the Firespray again as it is a lot of fun to fly.

Tactician procs out of the rear arc right?

I also saw a Ghost being played against a Decimator today. It is frigging huge. I hadn't realised that it was 16hp too and has some options to regen Shields compared to Deci. Really interested to see how it does.

@Iamfanboy: I see your point about low PS ships not being able to arc dodge so I'm still considering dropping EU on Kenkirk...