I am not going around and asking people to analyze my list and that's basically it. It in some ways pretty secret and in other ways pretty open, because I will tell anyone who actually ask what list I will (most likely) bring.
How secret are your tournament lists
EVERYONE! I WILL BE RUNNING THE CHIHUAHUA A WING LIST AT A TOURNAMENT THIS SUNDAY.
nope don't keep it secret
I broadcasted Imperial AHoles all over the internets for months, took it to Hoth System Open, went 9-0 / 45 points in Swiss. :-)
Edited by sozinTIL I've been doing it wrong. I usually build my squad on the day itself 
I don't really understand keeping it a secret. The real trick is how you fly it anyway!
EVERYONE! I WILL BE RUNNING THE CHIHUAHUA A WING LIST AT A TOURNAMENT THIS SUNDAY.
nope don't keep it secret
What is that?
I mostly don't care. The only time I would actually care is I specifically built a list to gain a list advantage over one or two specific opponents.
I used to be secretive but I came to realize that if someone is really gonna change their list based on what one person is bringing that's not really someone you need to be worried about losing to.
I'm usually not secretive at all and I bring only 1 list. This is a game and I treat it as such.
Some folks get overly serious about it and are very secretive of their lists. There are so many variables to winning that I find it funny when folks get this serious about the game.
Lots of folks come up with the same or similar lists. Certain good synergies have a way of becoming popular - palp aces, super dash, rainbow dash, fat han, crackshot swarm, chihuahua storm, etc.
I'm dying to know what's a chihuahua storm...
My list is secret even from myself until shortly before a tournament. I'm super indecisive, but I make sure to decide before I see anyone else's list.
Shameless self-promotion: this is exactly how secret I don't keep my lists.
As this is a close knit community, I find myself discussing strategy and list ideas with people all over the country (mostly through Facebook). I noticed that some people are very secretive about what they are bringing. Not wanting others to be able to plan against it. Other people I know brazenly tell everyone what they are running looking for feedback on potential changes to make or shortcomings of the squad. Is it better to keep it a secret, especially if it is something no one is doing or is group feedback more important so that more minds are looking at different aspects you may be missing.
Funny side not to this post, for Months before Worlds 2015, Tusken tactician had been telling me about his secret list that was going to blow people away. Meanwhile my friend builds his first Palp Aces list with a VI Vader and wins the Iowa Hoth tournament with it (This is the Iowa Hoth Charity event, not the Hoth event at Adepticon). He was shocked someone had picked up on the same idea he had.
I find I am really open about lists because half the time I roll terrible so it does not matter. :-)
Past that I think that telling people what your going to play is not that big of a deal, if someone changes what there doing just to beat a single person, there is most likely someone out there that is going to counter them and so forth. I like posting lists to see what other people have to say and maybe there is something I am missing that would make my list stronger. Happy hunting this weekend.
PS speaking about lists, I think this is going to be my new go to list for local torny. When people are running PS 4 swarms this will do very well and the shuttle can survive for a couple of turns.
Imperial Nightmare PS 6/7
Royal Guard Pilot — TIE Interceptor with Adaptability 0
Royal Guard Pilot — TIE Interceptor with Adaptability 0
Black Squadron Pilot — TIE Fighter with Veteran Instincts 1
Black Squadron Pilot — TIE Fighter with Veteran Instincts 1
Colonel Jendon — Lambda-Class Shuttle
Total 100
The rule interactions in this game are straight forward and no one is showing up with something that only they thought of.
And then KineticOperator (Aaron Bonar) shows up and everyone is dumbstruck...
Edited by VeldrinSecret list for met. This whole game is rock paper scissors. That is one list is great against another etc....
Of course I bring lists I don't practice as much so seldom win.
Your probably better off playing the same week after week and getting good at that particular play style and using it in the tournament. That is boring but most effective.
I practice with a list at my club, realize it wont work the day/week before and bring a untried new list to the tournament. Probably explains why I am consistently the "bridesmaid" and never the "bride".
Upside is it probably throws my opponents off if they planned on me bringing a certain list.
Not secret at all.
I dont think I am a creative genious that comes up with a "never thought of before"- kind of list. So if I can think it up, I am sure it has already been discussed on the internet.
I tend to spend several weeks perfecting a list before I pull it out at a tournament. We have a weekly meet-up where I try to sort out all of the bugs. Most people there know that if they look at the table, they have a good idea what they will see at the next tourney.
so secret even i don't know what they are until i turn up at the tournament
Mine aren't remotly secret. I talk to my local group about them and test them at game nights. I'm lucky though, the people I play with aren't the sort to taylor their list to screw me.
So from what I can tell, loose lips won't sink your ships.
More times than not I just throw something together the night before, however for larger tournaments like this weekends regional in KC it is a bit different. I picked something out and have practiced it a lot. I look at it kind of like English football. Regionals = Champions League where I want my aces in their places and LGS = domestic league where I can play things that don't always get a lot of play time (see T-65).
I'm usually not secretive at all and I bring only 1 list. This is a game and I treat it as such.
Some folks get overly serious about it and are very secretive of their lists. There are so many variables to winning that I find it funny when folks get this serious about the game.
Lots of folks come up with the same or similar lists. Certain good synergies have a way of becoming popular - palp aces, super dash, rainbow dash, fat han, crackshot swarm, chihuahua storm, etc.
I'm dying to know what's a chihuahua storm...
5 Green a-wings with chardaan, test pilot, autothrusters, crackshot and adaptability.
I always found people that covered up their lists before tournaments start amusing for some reason.
So from what I can tell, loose lips won't sink your ships.
The game isn't nearly as close to rock-paper-scissors as some may occasionally believe.
If the game ever does devolve into a simple RPS system then I'd say keeping your squadron secret until you arrive could be beneficial especially if you show up and see everyone playing R when you wanted to play S but also brought along P just in case.
so secret even i don't know what they are until i turn up at the tournament
Me, too!
In fact, I've got a tournament in four hours and I haven't thought about what I'll play yet. Maybe I should do that instead of read this forum. Nah.