Interesting, but sounds like a build that could die horribly with only a bit of miscalculation.
I didn't see the particular build played though, not paired with a sacrificial Instigator anyway.

24 minutes ago, Onidsen said:

Instigator ignores both grit and Intel - both of which were already released during the heyday of this build. Clontrooper ran 2 TIEs with it, and used the whole set as a sacrificial screen. A Demolisher with engine techs, expanded launchers, ordnance experts, and Intel officer (I think he used Vader as a commander, but later variants sometimes used ozzel, or screed if they went with APTs instead of EL) was sufficient to kill (without the opportunity to respond) an MC80 or a non - Motti ISD. It ran a 20 point or higher bid to guarantee first player, and had 5 activations to guarantee last - first. Only 6 deployments, but that was enough back then. If squadrons were used to delay deploying big ships, the Demolisher could avoid them. If not, it could deploy in such a way to make the large ship irrelevant.

As Ard said, it's a very unforgiving build, and it hasn't been dominant since flotillas were released. It requires a very good player.

But in the right hands, it was a monster. Devastating. And it defined the meta for months.

These days, wewe have many more tools to deal with it. Flotillas to pad activations, slicer tools, fighter coordination teams, reinforced blast doors to cancel some of the damage, minister Tua to give defensive retrofits to anywhere that's needed. It's not a dominating threat anymore.

He used screed as a commander.

And to stuuk, you needed a hell of bomber net even if you did catch it. Light most favorable and you need to get through 3-5 shields, and then five hull. No rerolls. Doable? Sure. But not something you could really rely on.

So that's what 6 black dice on the side? 6 damage average. An MC-80 should be able to take that twice, no?

Assuming defence tokens available..

33 minutes ago, stuuk said:

So that's what 6 black dice on the side? 6 damage average. An MC-80 should be able to take that twice, no?

Assuming defence tokens available..

4 black on the side, 4 black and 2 red on the front.

Out of the front, average damage is 5.5 before the reroll. The reroll improves it to 6.5. Side average damage is 5, up to 6.25 with a concentrate fire

The triple tap uses last activation to hit the target for 6.5 (round up to 7), using Intel officer on the brace. Assume you hit the side. Redirect leaves the mc80 with 1 shield on the target facing.

First activation of the next turn, Demolisher goes and shoots front the front for 6.5 damage. Rounded up to 7 because Screed can burn a blank red to get 2 damage on a black. Intel officer on the brace again unless they burned it against the first shot. Assume they use it now, bracing to 4. Redirect to rear leaves no shields on the target facing. Side shot does 5 damage, or 6.25 if there's a concentrate fire command (which there is). Round down to 6, puts 6 damage straight to the hull. Ram with your movement - 7 damage. Spend the nav token you queued up first turn to activate engine techs, ram again. Dead MC80. We haven't even counted crits yet.

I don't know how the odds change with Vader - the math gets tricky.

44 minutes ago, stuuk said:

So that's what 6 black dice on the side? 6 damage average. An MC-80 should be able to take that twice, no?

Assuming defence tokens available..

End of turn 2:

2 reds 4 blacks out the front with OE and Screed. IO on your brace.

Probably at least one ram, possibly two, depending on the scenario.

Beginning of turn 3:

4 blacks out the side with OE. IO on your brace.

2 reds 4 blacks out the front with OE and Screed.

Definitely a double ram if needed to finish the job.

We did the math at one point, and the only thing with remotely reasonable chances of surviving it was a Motti ISD2 with, iirc, AP.

Ah so it requires a ram or two as well.. dammit i just hate that rule so so much. Absolutely stupid rule to not tie to a special ability.
In my local 'meta' we basically don't ram unless it's unavoidable, because the rule sucks so much ar*e it stops people wanting to play the game.

Just now, stuuk said:

Ah so it requires a ram or two as well.. dammit i just hate that rule so so much. Absolutely stupid rule to not tie to a special ability.
In my local 'meta' we basically don't ram unless it's unavoidable, because the rule sucks so much ar*e it stops people wanting to play the game.

Agreed. Ramming is the one part of this game that I actively dislike. Especially with engine techs.

I really like Armada but the rule just destroys the game for me, and I absolutely loathe people building squads around a rule like that.
Engine tech ramming. Agh. I just can't believe the designers didn't catch it in testing the game out.

Assume they did, and left it in.

Its generally only the fragile-ish ships that have the speed to pull it off at the same time...

Plus they applied a "Fix" of sorts, with Reinforced Blast Doors (and its associated timing)...

I still find it all a bit daft when two large ships get into a head to head and neither can now make it past.
Boom - ram - boom - ram etc etc

Surely I mean, lets go up 100 meters or something..

On 22/03/2017 at 7:53 PM, Drasnighta said:

Plus they applied a "Fix" of sorts, with Reinforced Blast Doors (and its associated timing)...

you managed a straight face whilst saying fix.... impressive

I've been practicing at being a "Nice person".

I'm glad its "Showing".