Until Long Range Scanners, 2 Punishers and a Lambda.

With a titled Jendon you can have target locks and focus.

What Punishers have over Jumpmasters is they can take FCS, Cluster Missiles, and bombs.

You can do Jendon with title, FCS, Weapons Engineer and

3 Scimitar Squadron Pilots with Extra Munitions and Concussion Missiles.

Or if all you want is lots secondary dice attacks...

Omicron Group Pilot (21)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Engine Upgrade (4)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Engine Upgrade (4)

Captain Yorr (24)
Electronic Baffle (1)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Engine Upgrade (4)

or

Omicron Group Pilot (21)
Fire-Control System (2)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Engine Upgrade (4)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)
Fire-Control System (2)
"Mangler" Cannon (4)
Intelligence Agent (1)
Engine Upgrade (4)

Omicron Group Pilot (21)
Fire-Control System (2)
Heavy Laser Cannon (7)
Engine Upgrade (4)

Cluster Missiles are nice, i like slapping one in because if you are facing large ships or 3+ ship lists the 2 protons wont be enough anyway and the Cluster Missiles are almost as good. Oddly enough thats the one missile i want to stick on various ships like the Defender just in case i want it, but only got 1 card lol fml. No idea how i got 3 Proton Torpedos and only 1 Cluster Missile.

And i love me some cluster mines. Especially with Deathrain. Fly up and dump them directly on your target...BOOM! hehehe...really ticked off a certain Phantom doing that one. Lot harder when you cant use the front pegs of the base to dump them.

Personally i usually go for the jammer on my punisher just because his evasion is so....... sooooo bad. FCS usually doesnt do anything for me, i either kill the target in 1 proton volley or i never get another bead on him so i need to re-lock something else. Really wish it granted it upon initiating the attack.

Edit: One thing i didnt remember that the Punisher has over the Uboat the bomb comment reminded me. Proton Bombs. Ive won games purely because of that thing. Theyre pricy but 1 faceup card in a pretty wide area usually does a lot of damage.

Another point I haven't seen addressed is the advantages of three large-base turrets. That's a lot of acreage.

They are in a beautiful spot for PS too. Just outside Predator's predation and low enough to be blockers magnifique for everything except cheap generics.

Listing their stats, while absolutely accurate, is ultimately misleading.

Also find it pretty ass that the budget u-boat has access to elite cards, when the majority of budget ships dont. Punishers dont have it period and bombers only have it on name ships.

Yeah, the U-boat having access to the EPT at the lowest level REALLY is what makes it so annoying.

I mean, don't get me wrong - the other Jumpmaster pilots are quite good, and Dengar can be insane.

But the problem is that you'll never see them, for the same reason that the TIE Phantom drove nearly everything else off the table. Swarming the generic is just "easy mode" flying, and that's all there is to it. You don't really have any decisions to make or anything to worry about other than 'try not to hit a rock'. If they are in front of you? Blast them with torpedoes! Not in front of you? Blast them with a turret! Wash, rinse, repeat turn after turn until you run out of hull points or they do. Usually it'll be them.

So, no, there really isn't anything like it in the Imperial arsenal (and not really anything like it in the Rebel, either, really) - that turret and access to an EPT at that price point just creates too flexible a set of options.

4 TIE Advanced with X1 title.

You can run 4 Tempest Squadron Pilots with Accuracy Corrector and Cluster Missiles, or drops the missiles and add Backstabber.

or

4 Storm Squadron Pilots with ATC come out to 96 points,

little tweeking here and there...

Zertik Strom (26)
Adaptability (0)
Advanced Targeting Computer (1)
TIE/x1 (0)

Commander Alozen (25)
Adaptability (0)
Advanced Targeting Computer (1)
TIE/x1 (0)

Storm Squadron Pilot (23)
Advanced Targeting Computer (1)
TIE/x1 (0)

Storm Squadron Pilot (23)
Accuracy Corrector (0)
TIE/x1 (0)

Total: 100

And they all fire before the PS3 Jumpmasters.

Zertik Strom even nerfs their turret primary attacks.

I only own 3 Advanceds, so I'll probably sub in 23 points of Zeta Leader for the 2nd Storm. That way everyone has 3 dice attacks.

Also find it pretty ass that the budget u-boat has access to elite cards, when the majority of budget ships dont. Punishers dont have it period and bombers only have it on name ships.

It's also what pushed these things from 'well priced filler' to 'meta terror'.

Unfortunately, in doing so I suspect it's hurt the two mid-PS pilots; if you'd been buying up to get the EPT slot you'd have seen them much more. Now their PS buys only their special ability, and manaroo is hilarious, but given the EPT isn't part of what you're buying, it just weakens their overall package.

Poor Punishers ...

You can run 4 Tempest Squadron Pilots with Accuracy Corrector and Cluster Missiles, or drops the missiles and add Backstabber.

The problem with that is (a) cluster missiles require a target lock, and (b) the Jumpmaster 5000 has introduced something of a 'hard limit' on PS for ordnance squads.

If you're investing a significant amount of points in an alpha strike, you need to be PS3+ because otherwise you'll be at least one ship down with its missiles still in their tubes. For TIE advanced, it's arguably even worse - in order to 'arm' the cluster missiles you've got to target lock, which means no defensive tokens.

Still, you should (probably) whomp a jumpmaster with three accuracy-correctored cluster missiles, especially with guidance chips. It then comes down to the remaining two versus three 'empty' TIE advanced - the problem will be that the Jumpmasters have another torpedo spread left, and a second advanced is probably already hurt.

The Long Range Scanner helps a lot - as noted, it lets you get a focus/target lock missile off in the first engagement from a generic ship. At the same time, I think it's best suited for bombers - the TIE punisher has staying power, but Long Range Scanners preventing you locking up close means you'll only get one turn of use out of the missiles - or at least, you can't reliably get use up close, as you've no access to Deadeye.

Long Range Scanners for a single missile spread, followed up by bombs and primary weapons at close range? Maybe.

We do,

Gamma Sq. x2 with Proton Torps, EM and GC.

Inquisitor with PTL, Thrusters, Title and Tracers.

Omega Sq. /w Crackshot & Weapons Guidance.

So a Uboat is a Jumpmaster with Deadeye, R4 Agromech, Extra Munitions, Protons and Guidance Chips. Some run two with Protons, and one with Plasma to get the points right.

PILOTS

Contracted Scout (33)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), R4 Agromech (2), Deadeye (1)

Contracted Stats are Stats are 3 ,2, 2, 5, 4 focus, target lock, barrel roll.

Imperials have Tie Punishers.

Black Eight Squadron Pilot (31)

TIE Punisher (23), Fire-Control System (2), Extra Munitions (2), Proton Torpedoes (4), Guidance Chips (0)

Punisher Stats are 4,2,1,6,3, focus, target lock, boost.

Analysis:

So from a stats perspective, Punishers are down one agility, but up one pilot skill. Shield + Hull is 9 for both. They both have target lock, focus, and a movement ability.

You can load a Punisher with Fire Control System (same as Agromech), Extra munitions, Protons, and Guidance Chips. The only thing you miss is Deadeye.

the Tie Punisher has a much worse dial, but is small and can fit through more items. they also are two points cheaper, meaning you could add in two 3 point ordinances for 4 ordinance shots with extra munitions.

Similar Enough to be feasible?

Discuss!

Missing Deadeye is a killer for an alpha list, although Long Range Scanners will help there. FCS is nothing at all like R4 Agromech; FCS happens after the attack, R4 happens DURING the attack, so you can spend the lock to reroll after firing with Deadeye, which makes them SO much more accurate.

I think a good counter, as sorta mentioned, would be three bombers PS4 with LRS and (1x plasma and 2 x cluster) this comes in at 65points and you can then add the barron with the works. You will get one alpha strike, that can take one out, then (lose one bomber as he shoots back) your now 3 on 2 and hopefully get down to one on one (the baron). baron vs scout is a bad day for the scout.

I know this post isn't about counters but I think it is fair to say the Empire has lists that are similar and just as good, if not with the punisher who seems over priced.

Like someone said, the generic punisher is in a tough spot, it basically has stats like a B-wing, BUT unfortunately with only 2 attack dice, and (ihmo) a worse dial. The 2 attack dice realy hurts munitions now. Or looking at all the munitions, you could compare it with the K-wing, BUT missing the primary turret, the turret upgrade slot, and the SLAM ability.

The Aces are great tho, and it kind of makes you wonder about the design process at FFG. Do they come up with the stats for a ship first, which in the first iteration may be fine. Then secondly design the aces..only figure out in playtesting that they are too powerfull, and then nerf the stats to balance out the aces leaving the generics somewhat under performing.

I would really have loved for the punisher to have had its own kind of SLAM something where you could have setup fantastic long range bombing runs or alpha missile strikes☺️

Yeah, the Punisher should have had 2 defense die instead of 1. It was a weird break from tradition for a TIE to have weak defenses. It can't trade blows and come out ahead the way a B-wing can.

What Punishers need is a 2 point system or title upgrade that gives them a target lock and an evade token when the combat phase starts, and reduces the cost of each ordnance upgrade by 1 point. But I don't see that happening.

Punishers do not have an elite slot on any of the pilots, There is no Deadeye or Push the limit to round out a cheap build.

I'd be fine with them if Punishers had unlimited Ordnance, without any need of Extra Munitions, etc. So you'd just pay the base cost of a missile/torp/bomb and that was it.

Right now though, they're a dud ship.

Like someone said, the generic punisher is in a tough spot, it basically has stats like a B-wing, BUT unfortunately with only 2 attack dice, and (ihmo) a worse dial. The 2 attack dice realy hurts munitions now. Or looking at all the munitions, you could compare it with the K-wing, BUT missing the primary turret, the turret upgrade slot, and the SLAM ability.

The Aces are great tho, and it kind of makes you wonder about the design process at FFG. Do they come up with the stats for a ship first, which in the first iteration may be fine. Then secondly design the aces..only figure out in playtesting that they are too powerfull, and then nerf the stats to balance out the aces leaving the generics somewhat under performing.

I would really have loved for the punisher to have had its own kind of SLAM something where you could have setup fantastic long range bombing runs or alpha missile strikes☺️

Electronic Baffles has the chance to be this. 4k, take a damage to clear the stress, conner net to face. Then 1 forward, conner net to face, repeat until dead.