I may need to start an imperial list for a league that will be starting soon, I'm not really too interested in playing aces (swarm I am slightly more open to ) but what I think would be really cool is an all bomber list. I've never played imperials before so I'll consider all guidance the collective wisdom of the forum has. So this is the list I have been considering:

Captain Jonus

Guidance chips

Extra munitions

Plasma torpedos

Crackshot

(28)

Gamma Squadron Pilot (X 3)

Guidance chips

Extra munitions

Proton Torpedoes

(24)

Obviously, its designed to have a pretty good alpha strike. Gamma squadron pilots so they get to shoot after U-boats (and target lock after they have moved). On average the proton torpedos should give 2 hits/crits, 1 focus, 1 miss, which after I apply the proton torpedo and chips bonuses *should* give 4 hits with an average roll, but Jonus is there to give one of the bombers a proto target lock in case things go awry.

Jonus gets crackshot because I hate having an unused EPT and the plasma torpedos could be useful (albeit fairly situational) to strip an extra shield before hitting the rest of the proton torpedos go off.

I understand that the concept may have a ceiling in terms of competetiveness, but is there any changes you would make to squeeze a bit more utility from it?

Cheers

I honestly like it and have debated using a list quite like this. It could be fun because really you could care less if one or more of these guys die. However, in saying that, it would struggle against arc dodgers with high pilot skill. I find in this game to be competitive, you usually need a good closer who can take advantage after your alpha strike. Someone who can hang around yet still do damage. Let us know how it goes!

I like the theme but you may have a few problems with PS. At PS4 you will be moving (and crucially acquiring Target Locks) before everything except generics. This means you may find it hard to get you locks against PS5+ targets apart from with Jonus.

This brings me to the second problem. Jonus really is the lynchpin of this list as he provides the necessary rerolls and is also the main threat to higher PS targets. You may find that he gets targetted and burned down very quickly which will leave the rest of your list struggling.

You may be better off waiting for Imperial Veterans to arrive so that you can run Gamma Squadron Veterans with Deadeye. Like Scouts, they suffer far less when shooting against high PS targets. Downside is that they cost 2 points more which will not leave you points for Jonus. At least the flip-side of that is that knocking out one ship does not cripple the list so much.

GSV + Plasma + EM + Chips + Deadeye = 25 points.

You can just squeeze 4 of those in 100 points. You could replace Chips with LRS too. That will probably give you a slightly stronger alpha strike. The Range restriction on TLing will also not hinder you since if you are closer to your target, you can use Deadeye to fire with a Focus token.

If you could proxy from Imperial Veterans, maybe Gamma Veterans (with Deadeye) and LRS will give you more "edge".

If not, and wanna try something different... Bombs?

http://dockingbay416.com/darkhorses-strange-love-or-how-i-stopped-being-afraid-and-learned-to-love-the-bomber/

I've toyed with bombers a bit since the release of guidance chips and have found them to be very reliable at putting out 3+ damage per shot. Protons and concussion missiles have been the pick most often for price, but reliabillity goes to the homing missile. After a few games with jonus in the mix my list eventually changed to this:

Black squadron pilot 14 (x2)

-draw their fire 1

Gamma squadron pilot 18 (x3)

-plasma torpedoes 3

-extra munitions 2

-guidance chips 0

With the one floating point I have typically either kept a bid or added thread tracers to one of the bombers.

The list I'm going to run first thing when I get my grubby mitts on the two IV boxes I've preordered is to run this list:

(25) Jonus + Adaptability (0), XX-23 Tracers (1), Extra Munitions (2), Chimps (0)

3x Gamma Squad Vets @ (25 ea): Adaptability, EM (2), Proton Torps (4) Chimps (0)

GSV w/ Adapt run at PS6. Jonus is at PS7. He shoot tracers, gives everyone target locks. GSV's focused. GSV's focus down whatever was locked by rerolling up to 2 dice, spending a focus, and using chimps. That should be up to 12 damage w/ a mix of crits. in one round.

Lather rinse repeat, assuming the crits don't finish them off. Either that, or I'm going to run 4x GSV instead of Jonus. I'll probably try it both ways asap.

I am looking forward to test the following combination:

Gamma Veteran

Crack Shot

Long Range Sensor

Homing Missiles

Extra Munitions

Total: 27 points

It´s rather tempting to have a non evadable, focused, locked and cracked first strike.

Thanks for the advice guys. I think the gamma squadron vets with focus sounds like a good option even if it means leaving Jonus at home. I imagine there will be games where PS4 would have been sufficient but equally I dont want to fly against a high PS list and find I can't get the target locks to fire the torpedos at all.

As an aside is 4 bombers too many eggs in one basket? Would it be better to drop it down to 3 and spend the last 25ish points on something a bit different (a couple of TIEs as mentioned above or a single mid PS TIE variant?)

As an aside is 4 bombers too many eggs in one basket? Would it be better to drop it down to 3 and spend the last 25ish points on something a bit different (a couple of TIEs as mentioned above or a single mid PS TIE variant?)

Maybe the following would work.

26 Gamma Squadron Veteran (19), Deadeye (1), Proton Torpedoes (4), Extra Munitions (2), Guidance Chips (0)

25 Gamma Squadron Veteran (19), Deadeye (1), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Extra Munitions (2), Guidance Chips (0)

23 Scimmitar Squadron pilot (16), Homing Missile (5), Extra Munitions (2), Long Range Scanners (0)

26 Omega Leader (21), Juke (2) Comms Relay (3)

100 Total

That gives you a good spread of munitions and ways to ensure (hopefully) that they can all fire. If you want to put the Homing Missiles on one of the GSVs instead then feel free to swap them around, not quite sure what the most efficient combo is here. The only advice I would give would be not to put the Plasmas on the Scimmitar. These normally want to be fired first to help strip shields and allow the crits from the Protons through.

Omega Leader can then cleanup anything that survives the ordnance barrage. If your opponent tries to take out OL early, at least it means your bombers will most likely survive to fire all their ordnance.

You really really do want tracers in there somewhere.

You really really do want tracers in there somewhere.

Not really. That is a ship that is firing and causing 0 damage just to enable something else to shoot. The power of U-boats (and hopefully Bomber vets) is that they maintain their independence and action economy.

I would consider Thread Tracers on a Z95 missile swarm list but probably not on more expensive ships like Bombers.

You really really do want tracers in there somewhere.

Not really. That is a ship that is firing and causing 0 damage just to enable something else to shoot. The power of U-boats (and hopefully Bomber vets) is that they maintain their independence and action economy.

I would consider Thread Tracers on a Z95 missile swarm list but probably not on more expensive ships like Bombers.

But the core weakness of a bomber list is requiring target locks.

But the core weakness of a bomber list is requiring target locks.

My concern with tracers has always been the risk of taking focus on all your ships expecting that the tracers will give you a target lock, then fluffing your roll (or your opponent having friendly green dice) and then finding that you don't have target lock after all.

Have you had any experience of that?

My concern with tracers has always been the risk of taking focus on all your ships expecting that the tracers will give you a target lock, then fluffing your roll (or your opponent having friendly green dice) and then finding that you don't have target lock after all.

Also the rise of ordnance has also seen the rise of ships who can counter its enablers. Wes, Carnor and Palob all have the ability to mess with enemy tokens. The rise of U-boats has seen all these pilots cropping up more in people's lists. If one of these pilots stops 1 ship from firing its ordnance, that is a solid result. If they stop the one-and-only Thread Tracer from firing, the enemy list is basically neutered.

This is why Deadeye is a much safer option than Thread Tracers.