So with a lot of my local meta going very low on the bids to get 1st turn ( seeing 15-20 point bids regularly ) and running lots of Demolisher lists, i'm looking for things outside of the box. I've had a fair few ideas on fleet design both Imperial and Rebel to go second to mix things up.

I'm curious on how others approach this and what conclusions they have come to.

I'l post a few of my fleets to show some of my thinking

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Ozzel

Assault Objective: Precision Strike
Defense Objective: Fleet Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Wulff Yularen ( 7 points)
- Nav Team ( 4 points)
- Expanded Launchers ( 13 points)

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Expanded Launchers ( 13 points)

[ flagship ] Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Admiral Ozzel ( 20 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Assault Concussion Missiles ( 7 points)

1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)
6 Firespray-31s ( 108 points)

Idea here is to sit back speed 0 and let your opponent come to you all the while hitting them with bombers if they have little or no fighter cover then suddenly burst forward using Ozzel to engage the enemy.

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 396/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Fleet Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)

[ flagship ] MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Home One ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)

5 YT-2400s ( 80 points)

Same principle here letting them come onto you using Home One to throw down accuracies to hep your AF's hold down braces etc whilst the YT's clear the fighters/ bombers and then switch to anti ship duties.

The following is my list to go second.

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Ozzel

Assault Objective: Precision Strike
Defense Objective: Fleet Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Wulff Yularen ( 7 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)

Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

[ flagship ] Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)
- Admiral Ozzel ( 20 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

7 TIE Bomber Squadrons ( 63 points)
1 IG-88 ( 21 points)
1 TIE Advanced Squadron ( 12 points)
1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)
1 Dengar ( 20 points)

The idea is to slow crawl with the VSDs and Demolisher and let the bombers plink away at the enemy ships at medium long range. Once the enemy demolisher gets in range, try to get the counter punch with your demolisher. It becomes a chess match of activations, timing, and ship movement. With Ozzel, Wulf, and engine techs your demolisher has a range of 1-4 and can turn 90 degrees. The idea with the demolisher list is that he activates last and goes first. If you position properly, you can have your bombers with Rhymer plink away at demolisher, then move in with your demolisher to do significant damage, before he does his move last activation.

The idea behind VSDs over ISDs is that they are cheaper and a lot more affordable to lose one compared to an ISD.

The objectives are all geared around a bomber list to get as many objectives as possible except for fleet ambush, this can be bad if you place your ships poorly.

A modification to this list is to drop the gunnery team on demolisher and take ACMs.

The following is my list to go second.

Faction: Galactic Empire

Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Ozzel

Assault Objective: Precision Strike

Defense Objective: Fleet Ambush

Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)

- Demolisher ( 10 points)

- Wulff Yularen ( 7 points)

- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)

- Engine Techs ( 8 points)

Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)

- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)

- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

[ flagship ] Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)

- Admiral Ozzel ( 20 points)

- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

7 TIE Bomber Squadrons ( 63 points)

1 IG-88 ( 21 points)

1 TIE Advanced Squadron ( 12 points)

1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)

1 Dengar ( 20 points)

The idea is to slow crawl with the VSDs and Demolisher and let the bombers plink away at the enemy ships at medium long range. Once the enemy demolisher gets in range, try to get the counter punch with your demolisher. It becomes a chess match of activations, timing, and ship movement. With Ozzel, Wulf, and engine techs your demolisher has a range of 1-4 and can turn 90 degrees. The idea with the demolisher list is that he activates last and goes first. If you position properly, you can have your bombers with Rhymer plink away at demolisher, then move in with your demolisher to do significant damage, before he does his move last activation.

The idea behind VSDs over ISDs is that they are cheaper and a lot more affordable to lose one compared to an ISD.

The objectives are all geared around a bomber list to get as many objectives as possible except for fleet ambush, this can be bad if you place your ships poorly.

A modification to this list is to drop the gunnery team on demolisher and take ACMs.

i was going to say hows gunnery team worked out for you on a glad ? I dont think i've ever seen a glad get close enough too two ships at the same time to fire from the same arc. Seems a bit of a waste of points to me.

When I did the list, I did not realize how mobile having the Ozzel, Wulf, and engine techs combo was and setting up your shots. In wave 1, when I was messing with four gladiators, I used Gunnery teams cause I did get a lot of ships in my one arc but I need to get rid of my bad habits when building lists.

The bad thing about this list, is if someone has an anti-squadron list. I have to be more patient.