Thoughts on a prefer list I should start play testing to try out of the three?

List 1:

Agent Blaise (6)

eISB Infiltrator x2 (14)

ISB Infiltrator x4 (20)

List 2:

Agent Blaise (6)

eISB Infiltrator x2 (14)

eStormtrooper w/Cross-Training x2 (20)

List 3:

Agent Blaise (6)

eISB Infiltrator x2 (14)

eHeavy Stormtrooper x2 (16)

Imperial Officer x2 (4)

I like lists 1 & 3 b/c it gives me 7 activations. I could remove the Cross-Training x2 from List 2 and add x1 Imperial Officer to get me 6 activations, but I like having a full Spy list to use for the Command Cards.

Thoughts/suggestions?

~D

Are you trying to build a Top-Tier competitive list or just trying to make something fun?

If the former you should start with 2x rOfficers and 2x eStormtroopers and add spies & cross training from there.

If you're just making something for fun then try them all and stick with the most fun one!

Variant of your List 2 I played 4-6 games with:

Imperial Officer x3 (6)

eISB Infiltrator x2 (14)

eStormtrooper w/Cross-Training x2 (20)

and enjoyed the list. Spy command cards are fun. I did not feel it was a super tournament list.

Agent Blaise (6)
Imperial Officer x2 (4)
eHeavy Stormtrooper x1 + TC (9)

eStormtrooper w/Cross-Training x2 (20)
Zillo Technique (1)

That's a popular list and very tough if played right. Can be tricky to use the eHeavies properly.
You could swap them out for some ISBs + officer. Or 2 eProbe and 1 less officer.

I've played 3 games so far with

Rule by Fear

Zilo Technique

Agent blaise

2 eISB

2 eStormtroopers

Feels like it could be legit

Are you trying to build a Top-Tier competitive list or just trying to make something fun?If the former you should start with 2x rOfficers and 2x eStormtroopers and add spies & cross training from there.If you're just making something for fun then try them all and stick with the most fun one!

Trying to be competitive with it. In the end, I want to have something different than just a pure Trooper list. I like Spy cards. So seeing which seems to be the "better" of the 3 lists and to start play testing that.

I think the eISBs have something going for them. Im just not sure how great against a heavy black die list it would do. But trying to make it work somehow...

~D

I've been testing it a lot and while the core remains the same I've been trying some tweaks. The core is 2 eISB, 1 rISB, Blaise, 2 officer and Rule by Fear. That leaves 10 points of flex.

2 rISB goes harder on command card denial and area denial. This one take more practice and possibly skill to setup good shots.

Elite heavies with targeting computer and adding Zillo technique is another I've tried. This one changes the Hide in Plain Sight to Grenadier and the heavies really like hide.

The latest ive been trying what I think might be the best is using temp alliance to grab bossk and Zillo technique. Bossk poses a unique threat that your opponent wants to focus down preferably in one round. That sort of focus leads the opponent towards a difficult decision. Do I take out ISB's first and let bossk do his thing or try to take out bossk and risk losing my units to triple isb shots. I've not found a bossk list I liked until I put him here. Zillo is great and making room for Zillo is awesome.

The last option is cross train some eStorms or Zillo eStorms. I could write a whole novel on why I think this is the most wrong choice. It boils down to Blaise being a lynchpin of the list and wanting to discard cards with him to take theirs and storms are just better with other storms and actually using their reinforces and grenades. To me its play spies or play storms but not primarily spies with a dash of storms if that makes sense .

These choices depend on meta too. If its stormtrooper heavy, bossk and heavies do a lot of aoe. If it's hero heavy, extra isbs for more shots alongside the Deadly ability is nice.

The key to all of these is a real focus on the long game and positioning with next round in mind, not just next turn.

For the command cards I've tuned the list down to (using bossk as the 10 pt filler):

[3] Hide in Plain Sight

[2] Comm Disruption
[2] Trandoshan Terror
[2] Inspiring Speech
[1] Data Theft
[1] Intelligence Leak
[1] Negation
[1] Strategic Shift
[1] Camouflage
[1] Jump Jets
[0] Espionage Mastery
[0] Planning
[0] Take Initiative
[0] Fleet Footed
[0] Cut Lines

I've been testing it a lot and while the core remains the same I've been trying some tweaks. The core is 2 eISB, 1 rISB, Blaise, 2 officer and Rule by Fear. That leaves 10 points of flex.

The latest ive been trying what I think might be the best is using temp alliance to grab bossk and Zillo technique. Bossk poses a unique threat that your opponent wants to focus down preferably in one round. That sort of focus leads the opponent towards a difficult decision. Do I take out ISB's first and let bossk do his thing or try to take out bossk and risk losing my units to triple isb shots. I've not found a bossk list I liked until I put him here. Zillo is great and making room for Zillo is awesome.

Could also think about HK Assassin Droids w/Targeting Computer for that 9 pts...?

~D

Don't look ( HKs have a targeting computer built in)

Don't look ( HKs have a targeting computer built in)

Correct, but with the Skirmish Upgrade they can reroll 2 of those 3 dice per attack. Not just 1.

~D

Don't look ( HKs have a targeting computer built in)

Correct, but with the Skirmish Upgrade they can reroll 2 of those 3 dice per attack. Not just 1.

~D

Really, so they can double up on TComps. Never even thought of that. Totally out of the box thinking

hmm, I wonder how many times I actually want to reroll more than one, we should get one of those math wizards to work out computations as to how often a 2nd targeting computer is needed.

hmm, I wonder how many times I actually want to reroll more than one, we should get one of those math wizards to work out computations as to how often a 2nd targeting computer is needed.

Quite often the ability to reroll is very nice. Especially if you want to go long range with these guys. Theyre rolling 2 blue dice, theres 12 accuracy as a possibility. Even just trying to get 8, being able to reroll chances or say you got 4 surges and want to reroll two of those dice to try and go for straight up dmg. That 1-2 more damage can be huge. Plus its affecting 2 figures, not a single figure so thats increasing your chances you will use it.

~D

In my book, ISB Infiltrators were invalidated for competitive play the moment we got to see the rest of the cards in their pack. Barring the very situational Deadly ability, eStormtrooper groups are harder hitting, more durable and more flexible. Only thing ISBs have over them is the Spy trait.

Trooper lists were already top tier when Bespin hit and gave us great Spy command cards. You don't need actual spies to use those great cards however, because of Cross Training. Cross Training makes already good Trooper builds have access to all the Spy toys and not vice versa. With two eilite Stormtroopers w/ Cross Training and Blaise, you have three Spy groups - it's highly doubtful you'll ever need more, Spy command cards and abilities do not benefit from redundancy the way Trooper stuff does. That's 26pts, you're still left with 14 to take other fun stuff, like eg. more troopers or officers.

You can play ISBs for access to good cards, or play the IMO flat out better Stormtroopers with access to the same cards and even more good cards the ISBs can never use. Seems like a no brainer to me.

Especially since apparently Cross Trained Troopers w/ Blaise won the US Nationals.

Especially since apparently Cross Trained Troopers w/ Blaise won the US Nationals.

~D

Yea our local regionals was bigger than that...

I think troopers are great and ISB won't displace them, but once you've got your two eStorms you're getting value out of reinforcements and grenadier already, at that point the ISB are a valid option as they add something in terms of spy cards, hide, cheaper etc.

Completely they won't replace eStorms, but there's a place in the rest of your 20pts once you've bought your auto includes (2x eStorms / rule by fear / Zillo Technique) in my opinion