Is there any way to use the generic phantom in the meta today? I keep finding myself with an extra 28-31 points to fill and I realllly want to find a way to kit one of these little guys out. I love the cloak/decloak mechanic and you can't hate a base 4 attack. I've seen Whisper and Echo completely decimate but surely there has to be a role for a sigma at a 10-15 point discount. I've been testing the following for the last couple months:

Ranged - Sigma w/Stygum, FCS, (sometimes intel)

Super blocker - Sigma w/Stygum, Intel Agent, Enhanced Scopes

(my personal favorite for a focus+7k turn threat)

Utility Sigma - Sigma w/Stygum, Adv Sensors, Intel

I've found that I struggle vs any long range turrets (looking at you HLC Dash!), ACAB ghosts, crack swarms, and anything with zuckuss. In fact, even slow rolling I rarely am able to pull off more than a single shot a game before getting pinned behind a 2 dice defense or throwing a complete blank out while cloaked. A slow approach also struggles to get close enough to make use of intel agent, which I feel is almost a must for a PS3 so they know when they're safe to decloak. I like the idea of knife fighting with a sigma, but that also means being on the receiving end of a R1 attack most of the time and either needs the perfect angle or needs to bugger out of there. I feel like there has to be some potential for a low PS blocker/arc dodger (with intel) but I just cant figure it out. The only thing I've found it to be downright nasty against is one-on-one with an ace, especially when kitted with Intel.

I've given up on the PS5 varient... vs contracted scouts they may get one shot off but that's a one-off scenario. Otherwise they seem a waste of points.

Maybe rock placement is the key... I don't have much of a strategy with laying these out to assist on the approach so any tips here are appreciated .

I think you always find use for a ship with 4 red dice... and one of the really important thing is: you like the ship=you should be able to fly it even with a generic pilot.

28-31 points in imperial? why not omega Leader?

they are still relevant. One of the SC's I went to this year had the top final table with redline and 2 phantoms. Crackshot A swarm was the winner.

Just a knee jerk reaction to go against the meta. Gets kind of dull to see the same ships and palp in every imperial list.

Stygium/Rec. Spec. Is your friend, firing with Soontir's token puddle is pretty great even though you've got 2 greens.

Sigma Squadron Pilot (25):

• Fire-Control System (2)
• Advanced Cloaking Device (4)
• Intelligence Agent (1)

Total: 32 pts

Just throwing this out here. 3 of those as a counter to JM5Ks maybe?

You have a solid 96 pts bid (to which you want to go first), even against Hoth champ list. And if the list you're facing out-PSes you, ACD is still good for the decloaking following Intel Agent's check to improve blocks. And the eventual Corran-double tap...a stretch, I know.

Still a trio of 4-dice ships. Maybe for funsies?

the generic phantom is probably the most skill intensive ship you'll be able to find

no thrusters

no turret

very ineffective ACD, forcing you to know when to cloak and when/how to decloak

4 health, 2 agi when decloaked; no attack when cloaked

now the sigma with stygium and int agent + system of choice (but not scopes; screw scopes) is a punchy and very useful little blocker. Int agent probably benefits the phantom the most because it'll resolve a lot of issues you may have vis-a-vis cloaking/decloaking

a pair of them with the initiative (blocking jumpmasters) may be able to accomplish something with an ace

the generic phantom is probably the most skill intensive ship you'll be able to find

no thrusters

no turret

very ineffective ACD, forcing you to know when to cloak and when/how to decloak

4 health, 2 agi when decloaked; no attack when cloaked

now the sigma with stygium and int agent + system of choice (but not scopes; screw scopes) is a punchy and very useful little blocker. Int agent probably benefits the phantom the most because it'll resolve a lot of issues you may have vis-a-vis cloaking/decloaking

a pair of them with the initiative (blocking jumpmasters) may be able to accomplish something with an ace

thats a big if

In today's meta, a shadow squadron PS5 with ACD isn't too horrible either. Scream forward on turn 2 and force a bump on a JM, fire before them, and cloak. Probably not another one in range 2-3 at that point.

My favorite is Recon Spec and Stygium though. Won a store champ last year after the nerf with 2 of those and Echo!

I like a couple of these:

Sigma Squadron Pilot — TIE Phantom 25

Fire-Control System 2

Recon Specialist 3

Stygium Particle Accelerator 2

Ship Total: 32

Then you add in an ace they can't ignore so they can't focus the sigmas early.

This list is a lot of fun and does require a certain level of patience (I finished with a winning record after 15 games and think I would have gotten better but World's rolled around and I started playing something I was more confident with):

Carnor Jax w/Push+Hull+ATs+RGT

2x Stygium with SJ and Stygium.

That leaves 4 points. You can do a lot of things with those 4 points. I like IA+Mara to fill out the two crew or you can Recspec+IA, or double tactician, etc...

The basic idea is that this list really wants to knife fight. Get up close and personal, block and shoot.

TIE Phantom: Sigma Squadron Pilot (25)

Fire Control System (2)

Stygium Particle Accelerator (2)

Intelligence Agent (1)

TIE Phantom: · "Whisper" (32)

Veteran Instincts (1)

Fire Control System (2)

Advanced Cloaking Device (4)

Intelligence Agent (1)

TIE Phantom: Sigma Squadron Pilot (25)

Fire Control System (2)

Stygium Particle Accelerator (2)

Intelligence Agent (1)

12 attack dice and 2 nice blockers.

TIE Phantom: Shadow Squadron Pilot (27)

Fire Control System (2)

Stygium Particle Accelerator (2)

TIE Defender: · Countess Ryad (34)

Push The Limit (3)

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

TIE/x7 (-2)

TIE Defender: · Colonel Vessery (35)

Adaptability (Decrease) (0)

TIE/x7 (-2)

Wreck faces. FCS on the PS5 allows Vessery to pull nice tricks.

When guidance chips came out, I ran a list with a sigma phantom with some success.

Inquisitor with title, and AT, 2 bombers with proton torps and extra munitions, and a naked sigma. Attack the phantom, the bombers unload on you. Attack the bombers, the phantom wrecks house. And if you make the mistake to try for the Inquisitor first...

This list is a lot of fun and does require a certain level of patience (I finished with a winning record after 15 games and think I would have gotten better but World's rolled around and I started playing something I was more confident with):

Carnor Jax w/Push+Hull+ATs+RGT

2x Stygium with SJ and Stygium.

That leaves 4 points. You can do a lot of things with those 4 points. I like IA+Mara to fill out the two crew or you can Recspec+IA, or double tactician, etc...

The basic idea is that this list really wants to knife fight. Get up close and personal, block and shoot.

Yeah, this is an excellent list and has legs even in the current meta! I haven't used it in a while but I had some really good success with it.

My preference for the last four points is intel agent on one sigma and rebel captive on the other (rebel captive is such a strong card vs your worst matchup: aces!)

Whisper - Veteran Instincts, Advanced Cloaking Device

Shadow Squadron Pilot - Tactician, Stygium Particle Accelerator x 2

Hitty glass cannons of doom.

I've had good success running two generics with squad leader Vader. It takes a bit of getting used to flying it but the squad leader bubble is big combined with a decloak and not always needed. It can be used to trigger a cloak for a phantom in trouble, or grab an evade for one who wants to shoot. My personal favourite however is to barrel roll a phantom that blocked an ace out of contact and arc and blasting him at range one.

Barebones Vader with just ACT and squad leader is 32 points leaving you up to 34 points a phantom. How you build them is really a playstyle and meta choice. Shadows w/ SPA, FCS and recon hit hardest if you just want big guns but I've find I have most success with the utility of Sigma w/ ACD, Jammer and Intel.

Regardless of how you run the phantoms the squad seems to be reasonable solid, but this is assuming you're competent in flying phantoms against PWT's if not, I'd suggest focusing on some practise games against them as they will normally be your worst match up

Lots of good takeaways from this. I hadn't thought to emphasize the recon specialist. Captive is another great idea I'll have to try.

Regardless of how you run the phantoms the squad seems to be reasonable solid, but this is assuming you're competent in flying phantoms against PWT's if not, I'd suggest focusing on some practise games against them as they will normally be your worst match up

Any general tips on how to approach a PWT with stygum? Seems like there is no possible way to get a shot off and not be shot in return with only 2 greens... Stay in R3 and pepper from a distance?

Vs a YV-666 or J5k with Zuckuss is there anything you can do at all besides donate your points?

Lots of good takeaways from this. I hadn't thought to emphasize the recon specialist. Captive is another great idea I'll have to try.

Regardless of how you run the phantoms the squad seems to be reasonable solid, but this is assuming you're competent in flying phantoms against PWT's if not, I'd suggest focusing on some practise games against them as they will normally be your worst match up

Any general tips on how to approach a PWT with stygum? Seems like there is no possible way to get a shot off and not be shot in return with only 2 greens... Stay in R3 and pepper from a distance?

Vs a YV-666 or J5k with Zuckuss is there anything you can do at all besides donate your points?