I used to run:

Decked out Soontir Fel.
Vader w/ VI, EU, Title, ATC.

Palpmobile.

Target priority should be Palp OR Fel sans tokens. If you can catch Fel via a bump or mistake, any and everyone should take advantage of it. Otherwise, though, burning the shuttle is your best bet, as long as you can do it and not get completely flanked by the Aces.

Local stress meta (ok, it's really just MajorJuggler) makes it so Soontir can be a liability (if you fly a bit too aggressively... so me). And Vader can't handle multiple TLTs in its current build. So I've adjusted to:

Vader w/ VI, EU, Title, ATC, Prockets

Omega Leader w/ Juke, Comm Relay, SD

Palmobile w/ Sensor Jammer.

When it comes to target priority in my list, it depends how many ships you're running. 4+, focus on Vader. 2-3, get rid of Omega Leader. I'll use the Shuttle as bait or a battering ram, depending on enemy composition. Sensor Jammer is fantastic at keeping the space whale alive, and it even gives basic TLTs a hard time (though Agromechs give it a problem). I'm going to be first trying to take out any TLTs/stress ships, using Vader w/ Prockets and a follow up shot from OL or Palpmobile. From there on out, there isn't too much that gives this list a hard time.

I run...

OGP + Palpatine

Vader + Title + VI + Engine Upgrade + Advanced Targeting Computer

Fel + PTL + Title + Autothrusters + Stealth Device

Total: 99 points

Depending upon your meta, you can drop VI for something like Crackshot or whatever you find useful. My meta has PS10 Poe all over the place so I need VI.

Darth Vader (29)

Veteran Instincts (1)

Advanced Targeting Computer (1)

Engine Upgrade (4)

TIE/x1 (0)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)

Emperor Palpatine (8)

Soontir Fel (27)

Autothrusters (2)

Stealth Device (3)

Royal Guard TIE (0)

Total: 96

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

This is only 96 points? I'm thought everyone liked Predator on Vader? What about Accuracy Corrector on the shuttle or Engine Upgrade?

I run...

OGP + Palpatine

Vader + Title + VI + Engine Upgrade + Advanced Targeting Computer

Fel + PTL + Title + Autothrusters + Stealth Device

Total: 99 points

Depending upon your meta, you can drop VI for something like Crackshot or whatever you find useful. My meta has PS10 Poe all over the place so I need VI.

Darth Vader (29)

Veteran Instincts (1)

Advanced Targeting Computer (1)

Engine Upgrade (4)

TIE/x1 (0)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)

Emperor Palpatine (8)

Soontir Fel (27)

Autothrusters (2)

Stealth Device (3)

Royal Guard TIE (0)

Total: 96

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

This is only 96 points? I'm thought everyone liked Predator on Vader? What about Accuracy Corrector on the shuttle or Engine Upgrade?

is that no ptl on soontir?

Predator on Vader, in a tournament setting, means you're going to have bad match ups against VI Vaders, Han, Poe, and eventually Dengar (and I might be missing one or two, say VI Carnor, but who plays that?).

VI Vader means you won't have any bad match ups, unless you lose initiative to another PS 11, though that's easier to deal with.

Predator is great, but VI prevents bad matchups.

IMO, any extra points added to the shuttle = MOV points you're conceding. I love Sensor Jammer, which is why I make it fit, but I know I'm at least giving up 16 points each game due to it.

I run...

OGP + Palpatine

Vader + Title + VI + Engine Upgrade + Advanced Targeting Computer

Fel + PTL + Title + Autothrusters + Stealth Device

Total: 99 points

Depending upon your meta, you can drop VI for something like Crackshot or whatever you find useful. My meta has PS10 Poe all over the place so I need VI.

Darth Vader (29)

Veteran Instincts (1)

Advanced Targeting Computer (1)

Engine Upgrade (4)

TIE/x1 (0)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)

Emperor Palpatine (8)

Soontir Fel (27)

Autothrusters (2)

Stealth Device (3)

Royal Guard TIE (0)

Total: 96

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

This is only 96 points? I'm thought everyone liked Predator on Vader? What about Accuracy Corrector on the shuttle or Engine Upgrade?

is that no ptl on soontir?

Yup, that's what he's missing.

IMO, any extra points added to the shuttle = MOV points you're conceding. I love Sensor Jammer, which is why I make it fit, but I know I'm at least giving up 16 points each game due to it.

Amusing story, I had a game where I was coming down to the end of the game and knew I was going to get the win. My shuttle was down to 1 shield so I still had half health. I decided to run him through a debris to keep him from getting shot and potentially dropping to half health. Of course, I rolled a crit for the debris. That was the hardest decision to use Palpatine simply to save MOV points. Made me feel dirty.

One directive: take... your... time.

Facing a shuttle in its starting corner is a bad idea. Forcing it to move out or forcing the aces to come to you by moving very slowly (or self bumping) helps a lot (depending on your build, of course).

Oops thanks,

That is what makes the Palpshuttle Aces list so good, target priority is hazy at best. Who do you try and kill first? Well first that depends on what you are flying, what is the most dangerous ship to your list or what is the easiest ship for you to take off the board? Then you have to wait and see how it is flown, if your opponent knows you need to kill Vader first he is going to fly Vader defensively and use the other Ace and shuttle to try and take some of your ships off the board. In this case, you shoot what you can. It is a very fluid match up.

My example: I flew a triple aces list at the last SC I went to specifically with the goal to mess with other people's target priority. It is purposefully difficult to pick out who to kill first. The list is Carnor Jax w/ VI, title, Thrusters, SD; Whisper w/ VI, FCS, Kallus, ACD; and Omega Leader w/ Juke and Comm Relay. There is no right answer, only a best answer for your list and the current board state.

I flew against the store champ who was running a version of Palp Aces in swiss and in the final four. His list was Yorr w/ Palp, Turr Phennir w/ PtL, title, thrusters, targeting computer, and Vader w/ VI, Engine, title, ATC. If the first game I got too aggressive with Whisper and he took her down with Vader and it was an uphill battle that I lost. In the semi match I knew what I had to do and to my credit I did fly my list better than our earlier match. My opponent also knew that for me to win I had to take out Vader and he played accordingly; he played very defensively and when ever I thought I had a good spread of arcs to get shots on him he just ran away. Eventually he caught me and turned in hard to take out Whisper(OL was already dead at this point but Jax and Whisper were behind Vader chasing him along the board edge while Yorr was trying to get turned around) and I conceded once Jax was clearly out of position.

My current palp list will likely brand me as a heretic but I run:

Vader - predator, atc, x1, engine (37)

Soontir - ptl, royal guard, targeting computer, autothrusters (34)

OGP - Palpatine (29)

As soon as wave 8 hits I'm hoping to replace soontir with the inquisitor and give the shuttle electronic baffle for better maneuvers.

Personally I almost always want you to ignore part of my list. That sounds dumb but pretty consistently people get caught up trying to focus one part at the cost of ignoring some other part and I fly it like 3 ships that will all deal good damage. You focus aces to hard? They'll turtle and run while the shuttle eats you from behind. You focus the shuttle too hard? My list has superior offense to many palp lists due to predator and targeting soontir.

I think you have to be fluid and take opportunities as they arrive or as you make them because palp aces is just a force multiplier riding shotgun to some of that player's favorite aces so it won't ever really have a go to answer for what to hit first or how to hit it. There's no real soft spot which is why it's a great archetype more than just a good list.

My current palp list will likely brand me as a heretic but I run:

Vader - predator, atc, x1, engine (37)

Soontir - ptl, royal guard, targeting computer, autothrusters (34)

OGP - Palpatine (29)

This is the exact list I fly and have done quite well with.

Like many are saying...it depends on what your facing.

Wampa can be a PITA and needs to dice because your opponent will just Palp any shot into a crit, which he will then cancel and deal you a damage card. 3 turns and Poe is dead with full shields and regen droid intact. The same with your high agility Whisper...only 2 turns to burn him down. Then Palpmobile or Fat Han die to concentrated firepower.

Without Wampa...its whatever ace gives you a good concentrated firepower turn. Just make sure you continue to burn him down until he's dead, then turn your attention on the other Ace.

The new Boba Fett may shake things up a little. The ability to burn down shields then steal Palp early may make going after the shuttle or Deci an attractive gambit.

My counter to Aces or Palp-Ace is Scum Boba+VI+Tactician+EU+Cluster missile and 2x TLT Ys. Double stressing any Ace (especially Whisper) lets the TLTs clean them up pretty quick. Dengar is going to make this even more fun.

The Inquisitor should also let you burn down the Autothruster and Stealth equipped ships rather nicely too.

The Inquisitor should also let you burn down the Autothruster and Stealth equipped ships rather nicely too.

Minor note, unless faq'd otherwise autothrusters measures ship to ship so inquisitor doesn't stop it.

The Inquisitor should also let you burn down the Autothruster and Stealth equipped ships rather nicely too.

Minor note, unless faq'd otherwise autothrusters measures ship to ship so inquisitor doesn't stop it.

For turrets, sure. Not for non-turret attacks, which the Inquisitor always makes as if at range one. If anything, I'd say that the FAQ needs to specifically prohibit the Inquisitor from cancelling AT rather than enabling him to cancel AT.

The Inquisitor should also let you burn down the Autothruster and Stealth equipped ships rather nicely too.

Minor note, unless faq'd otherwise autothrusters measures ship to ship so inquisitor doesn't stop it.

For turrets, sure. Not for non-turret attacks, which the Inquisitor always makes as if at range one. If anything, I'd say that the FAQ needs to specifically prohibit the Inquisitor from cancelling AT rather than enabling him to cancel AT.

I thought this too but if you check the rules forum there's been much discussion and at least 1 email which Frank answered with autothrusters always being measured ship to ship.

The Inquisitor should also let you burn down the Autothruster and Stealth equipped ships rather nicely too.

Minor note, unless faq'd otherwise autothrusters measures ship to ship so inquisitor doesn't stop it.

For turrets, sure. Not for non-turret attacks, which the Inquisitor always makes as if at range one. If anything, I'd say that the FAQ needs to specifically prohibit the Inquisitor from cancelling AT rather than enabling him to cancel AT.

I thought this too but if you check the rules forum there's been much discussion and at least 1 email which Frank answered with autothrusters always being measured ship to ship.

Be that as it may (I haven't checked it out, but have no reason to doubt you), that's not what the FAQ says RE: non-turreted ships. At least until it has been.....uh...FAQ'ed.

Be that as it may (I haven't checked it out, but have no reason to doubt you), that's not what the FAQ says RE: non-turreted ships. At least until it has been.....uh...FAQ'ed.

Yeah I'm hoping wave 8 comes with a nice fat faq update and cleanup to make sure there isn't anything contradictory and to clarify things like tractor beam, the inquisitor, and dengar (mostly simultaneous attack rule interactions for the last one)

Be that as it may (I haven't checked it out, but have no reason to doubt you), that's not what the FAQ says RE: non-turreted ships. At least until it has been.....uh...FAQ'ed.

Yeah I'm hoping wave 8 comes with a nice fat faq update and cleanup to make sure there isn't anything contradictory and to clarify things like tractor beam, the inquisitor, and dengar (mostly simultaneous attack rule interactions for the last one)

It would also be nice to have Wampa's timing and Omega Leader vs Palpatine in black-and-white.