Vader Swarm Fleet

By Khaymann, in Star Wars: Armada Fleet Builds

Posted at
Fleet Summary Page (385 of 400 pts)

Faction: The Empire

Commander: Darth Vader (36 pts)

Flagship: (95 pts)

Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 pts)

Ordnance Experts (4 pts)

XX-9 Turbolasers (5 pts)

Expanded Launchers (13 pts)

Fleet Ship 1: (91 pts)

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 pts)

Demolisher (10 pts)

Ordnance Experts (4 pts)

Engine Techs (8 pts)

Expanded Launchers (13 pts)

Fleet Ship 2: (57 pts)

Raider I-Class Corvette (44 pts)

Impetuous (4 pts)

Ordnance Experts (4 pts)

Assault Proton Torpedoes (5 pts)

Fleet Ship 3: (53 pts)

Raider I-Class Corvette (44 pts)

Ordnance Experts (4 pts)

Assault Proton Torpedoes (5 pts)

Fleet Ship 4: (53 pts)

Raider I-Class Corvette (44 pts)

Ordnance Experts (4 pts)

Assault Proton Torpedoes (5 pts)

Squadrons (0 of 134 pts):

Objectives: Opening Salvo , Hyperspace Assault , Dangerous Territory


I've played a couple matches against friends, and had good results, but wanted to get some input from the forums.


The idea so far behind each ship:


VSD: Rarely gets to do damage, but exists more as a pressure. Nobody wants to get close to that thing.. the few times I've been in black range, its done the devil's work (I think my last game, I managed to put 14 damage out of the front side on a MC80. Even with a brace, it was a hell of a hit.) It tends to anchor a flank, and force the enemy fleet to either turn to deal with it, or turn away to deal with the other ships, letting me take potshots at the sides.


GSD-Demolisher. Standard demolisher shannanigans, triple tap is essential. Runs with at least 2 of the raiders for extra pain train. Double arc, normal stuff. If you've fought against Demolisher, I'm not doing anything radical at all.


Raiders 1,2,3: In case of a Rebel conga line, at least one raider goes to bop it on the nose. Preferably 2, and if I can get away with it, all 3. I try to arrange to have a double arc, and a concentrate fire command done up, gives me a decent chance to proc APTs on both shots. I debated trying to squeeze in expanded launchers on the raiders, and run APTs on Demolisher, but I've found that the raiders are more effective with APTS in my experience (it ensures that if they do get into position, they do more than just pink them)


I run both Vader and Ordinance Experts, because I like to have fairly consistent high damage, and I've gotten screwed more than once with Mon Mothma vs Screed (he'd be my second choice). I considered Ozzel for the raiders, but I personally feel I get more utility out of the re-rolls when I can just order up a nav command + token (I almost always have a nav token waiting for this) to get a similar effect.


Vs a heavy fighter list, I'd probably go for a much closer formation, and let them try to rush fighers into 6 black dice with rerolls. Haven't had much experience with bomber heavy lists against this.


Thoughts/criticisms?

Posted at

Imo Screed is simply better then Vader. Vader has a VERY Slight increase in damage output (with the double reroll or reroll+screed) but it is only like 5% or something

Also screed is a GUARANTEE with out the cost of your defense tokens

Instigator is important, it can give you an extra turn or two to kill their ships. It's more important that Impetuous. If you want both drop xx-9, it's not really doing anything for You

Might post more later I gtg now

Posted at

Fair point, I've just gotten hard countered with screed vs Mon mothma... And the way I figure it, by the time I'm needing Vader rerolls on the raiders/demolisher, I'm not going to get any use out of my evades anyhow.

I would like to do more testing on this on vassal, as they say, the only real way to figure it out is in practice.

Thanks for your thoughts! (Xx9 is almost a throwaway, I feel stupid doing a 20 point bid...)

Posted at

With expanded launcher since your going for raw damage anyway there is no difference between Screed and Vader vs mothma.

And since you have OE there really isn't a difference with the Apt ships either

Posted at

I actually feel(wrongly maybe) that if I was running all expanded launchers, Vader would be superior. (Double rerolls mean that sh*tty rolls are almost nonexistent).

Apts make me reconsider for screed instead of Vader, but I've just had delicious success so far. Maybe all I need is a good shellacking to change my mind. :)