Both lists look like they have merit. For list 1 I would be tempted to replace 1 Glaive with Ryad. The slight loss of PS is more than compensated by the craziness of her multiple green K-turns.

With list 2, I like the idea of bombers for an alpha strike with Vessery to be your finisher. I am not sure if the bombers will last long enough to launch 4 sets of ordnance but worth experimenting with. I would also be tempted to try and get some homing missiles in there to counter Aces and other /x7 Defenders.

Both lists look like they have merit. For list 1 I would be tempted to replace 1 Glaive with Ryad. The slight loss of PS is more than compensated by the craziness of her multiple green K-turns.

With list 2, I like the idea of bombers for an alpha strike with Vessery to be your finisher. I am not sure if the bombers will last long enough to launch 4 sets of ordnance but worth experimenting with. I would also be tempted to try and get some homing missiles in there to counter Aces and other /x7 Defenders.

Ryad was used in the first two games I should add! I'm still trying to weigh up the PS and ability.

The bomber dial has pleasantly surprised me. I've not used ordinance before so it does intrigue me. Could it out alpha Trips?

I've not played against another batch of Defenders yet. I'm hoping on Thursday to go against a Palp/Ace and Trips.

Just messing around in a squadron builder and ended up with this:

2x Delta Squadron Pilot (30)

+ TIE/x7 (-2)

2x Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)

+ TIE Shuttle (0)

+ Fleet Officer (3)

+ Systems Officer (2)

+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

As long as you can pull moves of the appropriate speed/color, you'll get 10 tokens each turn to split among your 4 ships: 2 TL's, 4 Foci, 2 Evade, and 2 more TL's and/or Foci.

2 Alpha

Gamma Squadron Veteran (29) x 2

TIE Bomber (19), Deadeye (1), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Cluster Missiles (4), Long Range Scanners (0)

There's not really any point in running Deadeye and Long range scanners on the same ship. They try to solve the same problem: ensuring that you can fire off your ordnance at stuff you otherwise would struggle to get target locks on.

You can actually run a pretty terrifying list with Vessery + 2 bombers:

Vessery = 40 pts

-crack shot

-tractor beam

-TIE/D title

-hull upgrade

Gamma Vet (x2) = 27 x 2

-crack shot

-homing missiles

-extra munitions

-long range scanners

94 points

With the last 6 points, you could add more munitions to the bombers. Ion pulse missiles are nice because they don't spend the lock to fire. Also nice would be some thermal detonators, or perhaps proximity mines (easier to land them on higher PS opponents). Or you could mix and match. Conner nets are also nice, so you could give one bomber a net and the other a seismic charge.

What's great about this list is all 3 ships are incredibly threatening. Your opponent will probably want to kill Vessery first because the combination of tractor beam and all those crack shots is absolutely devastating to anything you get in arc...

Today I'll test Rex and Vess with AWACS (Support Shuttle)

Rexler Brath + PTL, TIE/X7, Twin Ion Engine

Colonel Vessery + VI, TIE/D, Tractor Beam, Twin Ion Engine

Scimitar Squadron Pilot + Tie Shuttle, Fleet Officer, Systems Officer, Twin Ion Engine

100 points

Just messing around in a squadron builder and ended up with this:

2x Delta Squadron Pilot (30)

+ TIE/x7 (-2)

2x Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)

+ TIE Shuttle (0)

+ Fleet Officer (3)

+ Systems Officer (2)

+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

As long as you can pull moves of the appropriate speed/color, you'll get 10 tokens each turn to split among your 4 ships: 2 TL's, 4 Foci, 2 Evade, and 2 more TL's and/or Foci.

10 tokens sounds interesting. But having all four ships such a low PS would be worrying to me. If I was going to have two bombers I'd want them to hit hard I think.

2 Alpha

Gamma Squadron Veteran (29) x 2

TIE Bomber (19), Deadeye (1), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Cluster Missiles (4), Long Range Scanners (0)

There's not really any point in running Deadeye and Long range scanners on the same ship. They try to solve the same problem: ensuring that you can fire off your ordnance at stuff you otherwise would struggle to get target locks on.

You can actually run a pretty terrifying list with Vessery + 2 bombers:

Vessery = 40 pts

-crack shot

-tractor beam

-hull upgrade

Gamma Vet (x2) = 27 x 2

-crack shot

-homing missiles

-extra munitions

-long range scanners

94 points

With the last 6 points, you could add more munitions to the bombers. Ion pulse missiles are nice because they don't spend the lock to fire. Also nice would be some thermal detonators, or perhaps proximity mines (easier to land them on higher PS opponents). Or you could mix and match. Conner nets are also nice, so you could give one bomber a net and the other a seismic charge.

What's great about this list is all 3 ships are incredibly threatening. Your opponent will probably want to kill Vessery first because the combination of tractor beam and all those crack shots is absolutely devastating to anything you get in arc...

I'm curious why you wouldn't put a title on Vessery?

Just messing around in a squadron builder and ended up with this:

2x Delta Squadron Pilot (30)

+ TIE/x7 (-2)

2x Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)

+ TIE Shuttle (0)

+ Fleet Officer (3)

+ Systems Officer (2)

+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

As long as you can pull moves of the appropriate speed/color, you'll get 10 tokens each turn to split among your 4 ships: 2 TL's, 4 Foci, 2 Evade, and 2 more TL's and/or Foci.

10 tokens sounds interesting. But having all four ships such a low PS would be worrying to me. If I was going to have two bombers I'd want them to hit hard I think.

[...

Just messing around in a squadron builder and ended up with this:

2x Delta Squadron Pilot (30)

+ TIE/x7 (-2)

2x Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)

+ TIE Shuttle (0)

+ Fleet Officer (3)

+ Systems Officer (2)

+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

As long as you can pull moves of the appropriate speed/color, you'll get 10 tokens each turn to split among your 4 ships: 2 TL's, 4 Foci, 2 Evade, and 2 more TL's and/or Foci.

10 tokens sounds interesting. But having all four ships such a low PS would be worrying to me. If I was going to have two bombers I'd want them to hit hard I think.

2 Alpha

Gamma Squadron Veteran (29) x 2

TIE Bomber (19), Deadeye (1), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Cluster Missiles (4), Long Range Scanners (0)

There's not really any point in running Deadeye and Long range scanners on the same ship. They try to solve the same problem: ensuring that you can fire off your ordnance at stuff you otherwise would struggle to get target locks on.

You can actually run a pretty terrifying list with Vessery + 2 bombers:

Vessery = 40 pts

-crack shot

-tractor beam

-hull upgrade

Gamma Vet (x2) = 27 x 2

-crack shot

-homing missiles

-extra munitions

-long range scanners

94 points

With the last 6 points, you could add more munitions to the bombers. Ion pulse missiles are nice because they don't spend the lock to fire. Also nice would be some thermal detonators, or perhaps proximity mines (easier to land them on higher PS opponents). Or you could mix and match. Conner nets are also nice, so you could give one bomber a net and the other a seismic charge.

What's great about this list is all 3 ships are incredibly threatening. Your opponent will probably want to kill Vessery first because the combination of tractor beam and all those crack shots is absolutely devastating to anything you get in arc...

I'm curious why you wouldn't put a title on Vessery?

I'm curious why you wouldn't put a title on Vessery?

It's TIE/D by omission...

I just think you either need to be offensive (loaded up bombers with a hard hitting Defender) or more agile/annoying (x7s and crew).

Unless there's a way to effectively mix both?

I've only gotten to play it twice but I've had a lot of fun with this list.

TIE Defender: · Colonel Vessery (35)

Crack Shot (1)

TIE/x7 (-2)

TIE Defender: · Countess Ryad (34)

Push The Limit (3)

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

TIE/x7 (-2)

TIE Bomber: Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)

Crack Shot (1)

Extra Munitions (2)

Homing Missiles (5)

Adv. Homing Missiles (3)

Long-Range Scanners (0)

-- TOTAL ------- 100/100p. --

I'm still debating the Adv Homing Missiles on the Gamma but the list really has some teeth.

The Countess is living up to her reputation and Vessery loves his two target lock buddies. The Gamma has pulled his weight thus far with the regular Homing Missiles (he usually shoots last so his friends strip tokens and the missile really counts).

I'm curious why you wouldn't put a title on Vessery?

There absolutely should be a title on Vess! I'll fix it now...

I've only gotten to play it twice but I've had a lot of fun with this list.

TIE Defender: · Colonel Vessery (35)

Crack Shot (1)

TIE/x7 (-2)

TIE Defender: · Countess Ryad (34)

Push The Limit (3)

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

TIE/x7 (-2)

TIE Bomber: Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)

Crack Shot (1)

Extra Munitions (2)

Homing Missiles (5)

Adv. Homing Missiles (3)

Long-Range Scanners (0)

-- TOTAL ------- 100/100p. --

I'm still debating the Adv Homing Missiles on the Gamma but the list really has some teeth.

The Countess is living up to her reputation and Vessery loves his two target lock buddies. The Gamma has pulled his weight thus far with the regular Homing Missiles (he usually shoots last so his friends strip tokens and the missile really counts).

Very similar to a list I've tried a couple times.

You just have Vessery instead of Inquisitor and I put engine upgrade on my Ryad (instead of the adv. homing missiles and TIE mk 2 on her).

Reason for taking Inquisitor over Vessery: Dash. If you never face Dash, Vessery should be fine, but of all the ships in the game, he can really give TIE defenders problems (at least if they are lower Pilot Skill).

Totally valid points on Dash! Vessery has been my favorite pilot since I started playing him in ~October, so I don't want to leave my boy out in the cold in this new Defender meta!

TIE Bomber: Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)

Crack Shot (1)

Extra Munitions (2)

Homing Missiles (5)

Adv. Homing Missiles (3)

Long-Range Scanners (0)

I'm still debating the Adv Homing Missiles on the Gamma but the list really has some teeth.

I would be tempted to replace the AHMs with plasma torpedoes to give you some extra punch when facing heavily shielded targets (they make great Ghostbusters ).

So what do people think?

DDB or DBB?

I think they both have good arguments.

But if we take the main threats as Trips and Palp Aces (am I missing anything?), then what would be better?

TIE Bomber: Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)Crack Shot (1)Extra Munitions (2)Homing Missiles (5)Adv. Homing Missiles (3)Long-Range Scanners (0)I'm still debating the Adv Homing Missiles on the Gamma but the list really has some teeth.

I would be tempted to replace the AHMs with plasma torpedoes to give you some extra punch when facing heavily shielded targets (they make great Ghostbusters ).

That's exactly what I've done since I that post actually. Great minds!