I love the imagery of this ship, but whenever I've seen it played or played against it, it never seems to quite live up to the billing.

Sure, the first time it opened up using Vader, Xi7s and gunnery teams on my two VSDs was pretty scary (eight damage each with no brace and hardly any redirect!), but they lived to tell the tale.

Since then, I've used and opposed this ship quite a few times.

I always seem to find that it gets one good front volley but then either overshoots or its quarry dodges around it. It seems it only ever takes a ship one move to escape the ISDs front arc, and the small rebel ships can evade it with almost comical ease.

Compared to the MC80, which, for all its faults (including exploding all the time!), I find both when I use it and when I face it can be relied on to fire at full effect pretty much every turn (until it inevitably explodes).

Anyone found reliable tactics for getting some satisfying use out of the ISDII?

Same problem I've had with it.

I think pairing it with Demolisher atm is a good idea. just cuz the ISD is the second best ship the imperials have and the Demolisher specifically is the first.

Honestly, I just don't know. it always seems a tad too expensive.

I've found that if you are chasing down any of the medium or large base ships, you want to position yourself in such a way that they block your movement and you block theirs. ISD IIs can take a beating, especially with Motti. By trapping your opponents ship in your front arc this way you can maximize your 8 dice.

If I'm loading it to the max, I've usually got admiral of choice, Needa( to change the contain into an evade), ECM, gunnery teams, SW-7, XI-7, tractor beams, and relentless.

If I'm running one barebones it'll have admiral, ECM, and gunnery teams.

Actually, I've had some positive results with a Screed-Isd-2 list (3 semi-casual wins, 1 vassal 2 IRL). I have the Demolisher also.

Points 391/400

[Flagship] ISD-II class

Admiral Screed

Avenger

Gunnery Team

ECM

XX-9 turbolasers

Leading shots

Glad-1 class

Demolisher

Ordnance Experts

Engine Techs

ACM

Raider-II class

Veteran captain

Overload pulse

Squadrons

Dengar

Soontir Fel

Tie inty

Howlrunner

Tie fighter

Basically I just hug the ISD with the Raider, then activate first with it and use screed for OP to activate and exhaust an enemy ship's tokens, then smash it (hopefully) with the Avenger ISD.

And/or triple attack with the Demo first if in range.

It worked quite well so far. I beat two Rieeken fleets with it (Not sure if that is anything to judge by) but I've been quite pleased with it so far.

I played a Imp II, Glad I, 3 x Raider 1 fleet recently, 389pts, got me player one, and picked my opponents Advanced Gunnery, boy was he surprised when I double front arced my ISD II into his ISD II, and point blank range. Which having more ships and player one allowed me to get into position quite easily.

That being said in a 2 ship fleet, your always going to struggle to get more than one round out of the front, I have been experimenting with a Imperial class, supported by a pair of raiders, that I use to sit behind and to the side of the Imperial class, protecting its flanks/rear, and so far I have found Rebels will pick a much more oblique path of approach to not end up getting a double arc from a Raider after they have moved, and this allows the Imperial class to utilise Nav commands to keep stuff in the optimal front arc for longer.

My next fleet build is Imperial II, Admiral Vader, Captain Needa, ECM, Overload Pulse, Turbolaser Reroute Circuits, Avenger, and 4 raiders all with APT, 389pts, The ideal being using a double arc from the ISD side arc, triggering the Overload Pulse, then front arc no Def tokens, seeing as I have never liked the rigidity of using 2 ships in tandem to trigger the Avenger title, I am curious how it will play out.

We had a custom campaign a little while ago before Wave 2 proper's release where I made an ISD everyone feared. I can't remember the exact specifications and there were customizations beyond the scope of the standard game...

Letsee, if I wanted to build a scary ISD-II, this is probably what I would do:

ISD-II // Devastator / Intel Officer / Gunnery Team / Tractor Beams / ECM / NK-7 Ion Cannon / XI7

Probably best with Vader or screed. Start at Speed 3 and charge your opponent. Beam any target that tries to get away and chase them down. Keep hitting them or targets near them, and if they keep trying to knock you down don't be afraid to burn your defense tokens by turn 5 or so.. for it only makes you stronger. There's a good chance you'll lose this Star Destroyer but you'll also break a few ships on the way out.

The NK-7s are an option to have extra hurt when the ship strikes, but you can swap them out for leading shots (for Ozzel or Motti), SW-7s (For any admiral), or Overload Pulse (If you have other ships or Avenger with you).

I run Motti, ECM, XI7, Gunn Team, Leading Shots, and Intel Officer.

I run it with a kitted out Demolisher, and a sweet Fireball.

I have three important targets in this fleet, and I tend to win with it.

An ISD2 with Gunnery Teams, ECM, and command flexibility via Tarkin and Relentless is pretty awesome. The key is not overloading it so you can have 2-3 other ships. This allows for better activation control, which combined command flexibility really opens your options.

But for an "I will kill you dead now" ISD, go ISD2 with Avenger, Needa, SW7 ion cannons, and turbolaser reroute circuits. Sprinkle upgrades to taste.

The key is not overloading it so you can have 2-3 other ships. This allows for better activation control, which combined command flexibility really opens your options.

I just wanted to focus on this comment because I completely agree. I regularly see people completely overload their ISDs (particularly ISD-IIs) with upgrades and they become pretty points-inefficient the more upgrades you throw on. I'd say at bare minimum an ISD-II should have a Gunnery Team and should give serious consideration to ECMs and/or XI7 Turbolasers or Heavy Turbolaser Turrets. Everything past that is basically optional. A good officer or the Relentless or Avenger title can be nice but be sure they work with the rest of your fleet.

Block the enemy with the ISD itself or flankers

Stack the dials with Nav, you need it more than you think

Stack the dials with Nav, you need it even more than you think after reading the above

Have something (raider, bombers) to finish off anything that staggers past

$profit$

The ISD's 'suffer' from the same issue as the VSD did, the front arc is simply to easy to avoid in a turn or 2, which makes them hard to keep on target. The theory is you blast the enemy with the front arc and then finish them with the side arc as you pass, problem is you seldom have opponents who want to line up nicely for you to do that.

If I had designed the ISD/VSD it would have had no rear arc at all and 2 side arcs with current front arc firepower that was split by a straight line straight out of the front of the ship. It's actually more in line with how the movie ships fired, angling turrets to fire without being able to cross a higher center line on the ship.

The ISD is still a great ship for a killing blow against the enemies best ship, but it gets out of the fight quite quickly after one or two shots.

So my thoughts:

• The basic loadout for an ISD2 that I'm going to worry about seems to always include XI7 and leading shots (or Vader/Screed?) and probably gunnery teams.
• However, none of that matters if it is flown poorly.

The ISD has to keep opponents in the front arc, or if not, smash through a line with a points advantage and then just keep going so the game ends with the other guy chasing it. I find many people fly them at poor angles where they take themselves out of range, and good players who know how to stall and when to rush in are the ones who are hardest to face.

The skill required to fly this ship well is higher than people expect. It's not a fire and forget forward puncher.

Edit: So I guess what I am saying is that if you are disappointed in this ship, the problem is in the movement phase and not taking enough nav commands.

dit: So I guess what I am saying is that if you are disappointed in this ship, the problem is in the movement phase and not taking enough nav commands.

YES. The ISD is an absolute beast, but when you face someone who just thinks it's "front toward enemy" they're easy to mitigate. Lots of anticipation, and more than your fair share of navigates makes these things a reliable workhorse on the board.

See my tournament experience with a I and II combo meal: http://www.wwpd.net/2016/02/star-wars-armada-tower-of-games-store.html

dit: So I guess what I am saying is that if you are disappointed in this ship, the problem is in the movement phase and not taking enough nav commands.

YES. The ISD is an absolute beast, but when you face someone who just thinks it's "front toward enemy" they're easy to mitigate. Lots of anticipation, and more than your fair share of navigates makes these things a reliable workhorse on the board.

See my tournament experience with a I and II combo meal: http://www.wwpd.net/2016/02/star-wars-armada-tower-of-games-store.html

So I have a question for you, then, based on your tournament experience and my games against Imperials lately:

We normally consider the command-swapping officers heresy, but is there an argument to take a Navigation Officer on an ISD so that you never have to think about where in your stack to place the nav commands and you can maximize your front arc?

Edit: This is not a leading (shots) question. I genuinely want to know people's thoughts, especially those doing well with ISDs.

I like a Navigation Officer on my ISD's and Ozzel is fast becoming my favorite admiral overall. (Fleet set up taken into account of course). They are also gold on a VSD. These big ships with front arcs have to be brought in on oblique angles where the front arc stays on target longest and the old Nav Officer is money for helping with that.

Totally agree that if you are flying your ISD or VSD as a straight ahead 'battering ram' you are doing it wrong....

You do have to accept though, that once a ship is behind you, you are not getting it back in your front arc.

@Reinholt I think there's always plenty reason to take one of the command-swappers on the Command 3 ships if you can fit it in!

We talk about 2 ISD to some extent in the forthcoming IFF, but I think squeezing value out of them doesn't mean driving them straight across the table but predicting where the opponent will be and being ... well ... there. A speed 3 ISD1 can be a real swirl-stopper, for example.

@Reinholt I think there's always plenty reason to take one of the command-swappers on the Command 3 ships if you can fit it in!

We talk about 2 ISD to some extent in the forthcoming IFF, but I think squeezing value out of them doesn't mean driving them straight across the table but predicting where the opponent will be and being ... well ... there. A speed 3 ISD1 can be a real swirl-stopper, for example.

ISD1: clogging Ackbar's toilet since wave 2?

I've been using a Nav Officer on an ISD I and so far I like it. The flexibility is really nice to get that extra click when it is needed.

One of the first things many Armada players learn is how to dodge the front arc of the ISD and VSD. So, I tend to use my ISD to herd the opposing ships where I want them to go.

We talk about 2 ISD to some extent in the forthcoming IFF, but I think squeezing value out of them doesn't mean driving them straight across the table but predicting where the opponent will be and being ... well ... there. A speed 3 ISD1 can be a real swirl-stopper, for example.

I've had a lot more success treating ISDs like upgraded VSDs (prioritizing Navigate orders, piloting them towards where the enemy will be) than just driving them straight towards trouble, as I've seen a lot of other Imperial admirals do.

I also agree that speed 3 ISD-Is can get some work done. A month back I took 2nd in our store champsionships with 2 ISD-Is and a VSD-I (and 8 TIE Fighters) and being able to accelerate to the head of the swirl and just use your large base to clog up the conga line while ramming and pouring in black dice is very satisfying. Similarly, just wedging in opposing super-upgraded ISD-IIs with a pair of nearly-naked ISD-Is, ramming away while pouring in front+side arcs is a recipe for success.

Nav commands put the ISD into places it needs to be. I also recommend changing up speeds with opponents to mess with them. Occasionally going to 0 or 3 will do awesome things.

So, basically I agree with the above.

Hmm, this might be kind of weird advice, but try using ISD-I's and really think about activation order. While learning, I also recommend simply spamming nav commands (with maybe an engineering thrown in around turn 4). Using tokens, dials, and formation flying in the right order VASTLY trumps the utility of upgrades on these things. I run 'em naked! (well, except for ordnance experts on the ISDI's, cause you know, you just should).

I like ISD-I's as well and I tend to run them just with Xi-7's, I like ISD-II's with just that as well. If you add in a nice set of 4 squadrons to command, things can actually work better than a heavily upgraded ISD would.