In a platonic bromance way!

So coming from a miniature war gaming background, I take a lot of enjoyment out of customizing my figures. I have been happily painting and modeling away. With that though, I have a personal tendency to put myself into the game. So I have been looking at my Imperials and thinking... "Ok.. ive been painting up all these ships, but which one is MY ship?".

So after playing with the squad calculators, I think I have found a GEM of a pilot.

Valen Rudor.

Valen Rudor + Tie Advance Prototype Title + Juke + Autothrusters comes into the low low price of 27 points. Here is what you get.

This combination gives you the ability to target lock once per round, get a FREE evade token, modify an attack dice, modify a defense dice (if beyond range 2 or out of arc. And if you get attacked you get a free Boost or Barrel Roll or Focus depending on the need of the board. At Pilot Skill six, your not going to be out maneuvering Poe Dameron, However, since you can boost or barrel role after being attacked, this does help mitigate that deficiency.

Movement:

The TAP has a beautiful dial with all kinds of tight green turns. In addition you have both Barrel Roll and Boost on your action bar. In theory you could move, (cant get a target lock), boost, and then if attacked barrel roll all in the same turn! (or some combination of such). A very highly maneuverable fighter.

Offense:

Well the TAP uses only 2 attack dice. Which stinks. However, if you can Target Lock each turn (which you should because it gives you a free Evade), then you can reroll any of those two dice if needed AND since your target lock gave you an evade, Juke allows you to remove one of your opponents evades. So Suddenly those measly two attack dice have merit!

Defense:

You get the TAP 3 Defense dice. If your target locking each round (which you should be) that's 3 defense dice plus an evade. If your outside rage 2, or outside arc (which you should be doing), that's two defense dice with an auto evade, plus an evade. That's going to keep you alive for a while.

Cost:

Only 27 points means that if you can keep your wingmen under 24 points, you can get 3 other people on the table: For example, you can have al all TAP squad:

================== [ TAP Patrol ] ==================

------ 99 points ------

Valen Rudor (27)

TIE Advanced Prototype (22), Juke (2), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Baron of the Empire (24) x 3

TIE Advanced Prototype (19), Juke (2), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

================== [bombing Run] ==================

------ 99 points ------

Valen Rudor (27)

TIE Advanced Prototype (22), Juke (2), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2) (You can also make a version with Guidance Chips and Tracers)

Gamma Squadron Pilot (24) x 3

TIE Bomber (18), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), Guidance Chips (0)

================== [Valen hangs with the Big Boys] ==================

------ 98 points ------

Valen Rudor (27)

TIE Advanced Prototype (22), Juke (2), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Soontir Fel (35)

TIE Interceptor (27), Royal Guard TIE (0), Push the Limit (3), Targeting Computer (2), Stealth Device (3)

Darth Vader (36)

TIE Advanced (29), TIE/x1 (0), Juke (2), Engine Upgrade (4), Advanced Targeting Computer (5)

================== [Valen: Mini Swarm Leader] ==================

------99 points ------

Valen Rudor (27)

TIE Advanced Prototype (22), Juke (2), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Omega Squadron Pilot (18) x 4 TIE/fo Fighter (17), Crack Shot (1)

So... Valen gives you Lots of flexibility, Great Dial, Great survivability, decent offence. Low cost for what you get.

[Custom card removed because it was to nerdy even for this board]

I love Valen too. He's probably one of the best if not the best PS 6 pilot in the game. His shenanigans are pretty sweet. Good luck hitting him at all with a TLT.

I have yet to try him with Juke but plan to do so soon. I've tried him fully kitted with PTL, Title, ATs, and a Procket. Fly him really aggressively and dare the enemy to shoot at him. Once he does, you boost into range 1 if you aren't already there, and then Push the limit to focus. Now you have a TL + Focus 5 dice attack. I like the flexibility Push the Limit gives you. It allows you better arc-dodging against lower PS ships and a better chance to get higher PS ships in arc if they shoot at you. However, I do admit your overall offense isn't the greatest. You basically have to get into range 1 to hurt any 3 agility target.

Its debatable whether Juke or PTL is better on him.

O'Neil looks like he has had a stroke.

I would love to hear other people's use of Valen. There is discussion going around about a Missile based TAP squad. That would be interesting.

That's the sneering indifference of the upper class, thank you very much. The picture is an inside joke. My regular opponent gets it.

"Ahem, yes. Quite."

Nothing wrong with a little bromance.

I like the list. I might want to swipe the idea and add my man-crush for the Inquisitor himself.

It's too bad that when you get the TL that you get a "free Evade action", which means you can Evade a 2nd time in the turn. Otherwise, you would get to TL and Evade, then use the Evade when shot at, and get another Evade.

I haven't had the chance to use him yet, but I like the idea of going with a Proton Rocket.

Otherwise, I worry that 2 attack dice is too little for the points invested.

It's too bad that when you get the TL that you get a "free Evade action", which means you can Evade a 2nd time in the turn. Otherwise, you would get to TL and Evade, then use the Evade when shot at, and get another Evade.

I haven't had the chance to use him yet, but I like the idea of going with a Proton Rocket.

Otherwise, I worry that 2 attack dice is too little for the points invested.

TAPs dont have an evade action in their action bar, so only way to get that evade token is with the Title.

I have been wanting to fly Valen for awhile, but havent gotten to it yet! Want to try Juke and Outmaneuver. PTL + Prockets sounds nice and deadly too

So you have to spend your action as target lock, get your free evade, and then if you get attacked, you have to get a focus/boost which does help with defense. Also auto thrusters lets you turn a dice to an additional evade if outside the firing arc which helps with those pesky turrets.

Although I don't know if I should swap out Juke with Push the Limit. With so many green maneuvers on his dial, He would be able to: Target Lock, get an evade, and then Boost or Barrel Roll, and get a stress token which should normally be removed next turn. But then you cant take your free action when attacked, as you have a stress token

It would have been nice to have it worded so you could target lock, get a free evade, get shot, target lock again, and get a second free evade, but that is not how the cards are worded. For your free action you have to settle for a focus or movement. (which is free, so it still not bad)

Although I don't know if I should swap out Juke with Push the Limit. With so many green maneuvers on his dial, He would be able to: Target Lock, get an evade, and then Boost or Barrel Roll, and get a stress token which should normally be removed next turn. But then you cant take your free action when attacked, as you have a stress token

It would have been nice to have it worded so you could target lock, get a free evade, get shot, target lock again, and get a second free evade, but that is not how the cards are worded. For your free action you have to settle for a focus or movement. (which is free, so it still not bad)

I posted this in a thread I started on a Soontir/Turr/Valen build, but I like PTL for a couple of reasons.

1) Against higher PS - you can get the TL and evade. After they fire at you, you can boost/BR either to get closer or to try to evade a second attack by IG88B, Gunner, or some other means. You also may have the option to boost into range and focus, getting off Prockets with a TL and focus to modify.

2) Against Lower PS, it either lets you get 3 actions up front or if there are multiple ships or attacks to try to evade after the first.

I really like Valen in a 1v1 situation, but I feel like he doesn't pull his weight until he's shot.

I like Omega Leader [Comm, Juke] for the same price for his anti-ace abilities, but he definitely struggles against TLTs more than a TAP.