Adventures with Echo
(WARNING: Long Post)
The list (98pts)
Echo + Vi + ACD + Intel Agent + FCS = 38pts
Redline + FCS + Plasmas + EM + Ion Bombs + Chips = 36pts
Gamma Bomber + Protons + EM + Chips = 24pts
I have never flown a Phantom before, just bought it for tactician really, but read a Blog and the author suggested this list he came up with to counter scouts. Although he had recon spec on Echo and no FCS on redline. Ive also read on other forums/posts people soloing three jump masters with Echo. That grabbed my attention real quick. So I dusted of my Phantom and put it on the table.
Tried this list the other day. It's REALLY good against Uboats. In a casual game I took down Manaroo, Scout, and Palob list without losing a single ship.
BATTLE #1:
Manaroo lined up top left corner, scout middle, palob (Gonk, Blaster Turret, Title) near right corner. I lined up bomber and redline in the middle (gonna take scout out asap), and placed Echo in right corner opposite Palob. Opponent slow rolled the opening. Moving 1 forward and barrel backwards with JMs first two rounds.
Bomber and Red move 3 forward, then 2 forward and are just inside range 3 of scout so they both get a TL. Echo (cloaked) just moves 2 forward out of anyones range. I want to eliminate a scout before Echo gets involved in anything. Redline fires plasmas, erases scouts shields. Bomber fires protons, 2 hits and 1 crit (making turns red). Manaroo and Palob both out of range. Scout fires at Red, wipes out shields.
Next round, decloak with Echo (want to take the scout out, then only palob could then fire as Manaroo still on other side of board). Scout does a 2 left bank, in front of Redline. Manaroo tries to block bomber, but I saw it coming as he was between asteroids and didnt have many options. I wanted Palob this round, so I do a 3 straight and hop over Manaroo, get a TL. Redline does a 1 forward, barely avoiding the block from scout and TL palob. Echo does a 1 sharp, then barrel rolls to get arc on Scout. Echo destroys scout. Red does 3 dmg on Palob. Bomber finishes Palob off. Manaroo does 1 dmg to bomber (rolled 2 natural evades!)
So now going into Round 4 he only has Manaroo left. Too finish it up. It just took a few more rounds to kill Manaroo off. Manaroo got a torp on Echo for 3dmg (I totally f'ed up her decloack since its my first time flying Echo), and another on Red for 3 dmg. Eventually his HP ran out. All my ships survived.
100-0
Thoughts: Like I said, really good against Scouts, or any slow low agi ships. Once my torps ran out, Red and Bomber had a hard time doing much. Red was little more effective with his FCS, so I could Kturn and fire. Bomber would have been on blocker duty, but I let him have initiative, so Manaroo was moving first. Love the firepower in this list though. And Echo decloaking is fun as all hell. She did a circle around an asteroid, decloacking then a hard 3, lined up a perfect shot on Manaroo, was beautiful.
After playing the list, I changed out Redline for Vessery + Adaptability. Reasons being Vessery can dish out almost an equal amount of damage in opening rounds as Redline, since both Echo and Bomber will have TLs. He will have 3 dice fully modified. After the two rounds, now you have a 3/3/3/3 tanky beast of a jouster rather than a 2/1/9/3 slug, who may already be dead or close to it. Vessery is also a HUGE threat and takes heat off Echo as well.
The bomber I upgraded to Homing Missiles. Why? It still 4 attack, with a TL for rerolls and chips, so 4 hits is still highly likely, but Homing Missiles are also threats to aces. Now I have similar firepower as old list, but all three are threats to aces as well now. When the Imp Vets is released, Vessery can get the x7 title, giving him evade for his 3,4,5 speeds. It also frees up two points to upgrade Gamma to Gamma Vet and add in Deadeye (for any aces that get in your arc) or Crackshot.
New List (98pts);
Echo + VI + FCS + ACD + IA = 38pts
Vessery + Adaptability = 35pts
Bomber + Homing Missiles + EM + Chips = 25pts
BATTLE# #2
I tried the above list out against 3 PS9 list - casual game. Zuckuss with VI FCS something else, Dengar. Kavil with VI + Engines + Dorsel and Talonbane with Engines + Lightning reflexes.
Really tough fight. All three of opponents ships lined up in the top left. Echo in my right corner, Bomber and Vess in middle. I slow rolled, trying to get his three ships into asteroids to split those arcs up. He was coming after my bomber. I feinted with bomber like I would engage in the asteroids, then Hard 3 out of there, drawing all his PS9’s into the asteroid field. This worked great as next two rounds they are hopping over rocks losing actions or pulling red maneuvers.
Now Echo decloaks finally as she will now be behind most of the enemy. Zuckuss however takes a range 2 shot at her, doing 2 dmg. Echo does 4dmg at range 1 of Talonebane, then Bomber finishes Talonbane off with a range 1 shot.
Kavil was next on my list, took a couple rounds, Echo tried a block. IA showed Kavil doing a hard 2. Echo decloaks, dos a hard 1. Kavil 2 sharps a millimeter in front of echo and tokens up. Kavil destroys Echo.
Last round, Vess banks toward Kavil, the two exchange fire, Kavil dies and Vess goes untouched.
Game ends.
He only had Zuckuss left with 4hp. Talonbane and Kavil were gone. My bomber only had 1dmg. Vessery had 2hp remaining. Echo was destroyed.
Win 65-38
Couldnt get a missile off with my bomber (really need Deadeye! had Zuckuss in Range 2, but TL was on Kavil who boosted out of arc!), Vessery put in a lot of work!
BATTLE #3
Local kit tourney:
Was thinking about changing TIE Bomber out for a Baron with Deadeye and a WAY better dial, but points weren’t adding up, I would have to sacrifice my initiative. So I left my squad the same.
My opponent is really good, placing 2nd at last years regionals. He is flying a four Z swarm (blount with SS and Tala Concussions) with Biggs as bodyguard.
Im not sure how to approach this one. I know I want that swarm in the asteroids, so I send bomber and Vess up the left, his swarm fits through the asteroids, slowly. Range looks good to me, so I 1 bank the bomber and hard 3 vess. Both are just a millimeter outside range 3 of the two Z’s up front. This hurts, as Bomber and Vess could have taken out a Z. Next round is not good for Vess, but he took all the Z’s missiles with him. Good for Echo.
From here on out it was a dance with Echo. Bomber lasted a few more rounds, getting a HM off but rolling horrid. Echo was decloaking all around the Z’s, they spread out trying any angle to get a shot on her. Echo was doing damage to all of them little by little. Problem was to keep her unpredictable, I didn’t want to keep on the same target, so she would fire, cloak, then decloak and go after another Z.
I don’t think she ever got fired on. IA was awesome in this fight. Unfortunately I only took out 1 Z, had two others at 1 or 2 hp, blount untouched, and Biggs at 1 or 2 health. Time ran out so I loss 60-17. With more time, Echo could have got them all. I was just really really slow on setting her dial wasting lots of time. Got to be faster with her!!
BATTLE #4
Zuckuss, Kavil, Manaroo battle. All with mindlink shenanigans. Zuckuss and Kavil only PS7 in this fight, great for Echo.
Vess and Bomber in middle, Echo on far right. Zuckuss is enemy #1 and bomber and Vess take him out it two rounds, but not before he takes out Bomber. Echo and Vess go after Kavil. Again, IA works great as Echo and Kavil were facing each other, Kavil could have went left, right, or hopped over Echo, so set a 2 straight and IA Kavil, he has a hard 2 right, so Echo decloaks, setting her up perfectly. If Kavil hopped over Echo, I wouldn’t decloak and just 2 straight and turtle up. Kavil moves, then Echo ends up an inch behind him. Five red focused and TL die. 3 hits, 2 crits. Bye bye Kavil. From here it was clean up on Manaroo, but she takes Vess out before.
100-60 win.
I had a bye in third match of tourney
so only got two games in.
So far, 3-1 with Echo.
After 4 games with Bomber, he just isn’t cutting it and has to go. It’s either Baron with Concussions title adaptability, or maybe even just two Academies to block for Vess and Echo, or even a Doom Shuttle for some more tankiness. I know Vess isn’t ideal, but I want practice with him, so once the title comes out, he is ready to rocknroll. Was thinking about swapping him for Carnor Jax, but I like Vess's tankiness. He takes a beating, leaving Echo to do her thing.
Thanks for reading, will update with more Echo battle reports
