Just played a 900pts game.
I had 2 Gladiators, neither with Demolisher, and 6 TIE Bomber squadrons, none were Rhymer. The game was an Imperial Victory. Yes those two are brilliant, however using them all the time is a crutch, I'd much rather get good at game basics first and then add in the extra goods.
Play me! I can be beaten in roughly 40 minutes of game time playing as an Imperial.
Dear Lyraeus, thank you for some of the most excruciating and educating games of Armada I've ever played! Just completed the challenge and after 10 games I am delighted to report the following:
- my basic list during this period was ISD Xmas tree, Motti, Gozanti bomber command, Raider II with Kalus, Impetuous, Ruthless Strategists and 4 Firesprays, Bossk and IG88
- 9 wins (against everything from a double McLady Madine twister to Rieken Aces and Interdictor shenanigans)
- 1 loss (to a double ISD, double Gozanti fleet with QLT's and light TIE cover only - but a determination to burn down my squads SLOWLY)
What I learned:
- switching to 100% Rogues is fun
- always bombing at short distance is great against evades but awful against QLTs (obvious but still true)
- shoot then move NO EXCEPTIONS has begun to teach me the fine art of double arcing
- using tricks like Ruthless Strategists is something I wouldn't have developed if it weren't for the fact that I had the freedom to list build without the Demo/Rhymerball point sink
- Rhymer and Demonwere missed at some point in every game - I honestly think Demo would work better than an ISD (and that makes me sad!) and Rhymer would have enabledy many a bombing run that I just missed out on
- as a results I fear to say that they both may be crutches for me but they add so much capability to my list that if I want to climb the tournament rankings I probably will use them more often than not (not always but a lot)
Thanks again for the challenge - made me think anew about a lot. Cheers!
Im working my way through both sides of the challenge.
1-0 as Imperials (ISD/Inter/Raider/4xImpAces)
5-1 as Rebels (3-0 with a Home One/TR90 build)
The rebel version for me is to run 70 or less in squadrons. They are a personal crutch to me.
I will be continuing this challenge
I, too, found it educational.
I only won 2 of my 10 games. Some of that was trying a different list for every game. Some of it was that I'm not that good. 
I found the most success screening with rogues (Aggressors). I wish the VSD was worth it's points on the table. Currently it is just too much of a slug to be of use against speedy Madine lists.
The ISD is an amazing cornerstone for a fleet. I am very happy that the ship lives up to its reputation. ISDs and Gozanti's seem the way to go in a fleet without "crutches".
I, too, found it educational.
I only won 2 of my 10 games. Some of that was trying a different list for every game. Some of it was that I'm not that good.
I found the most success screening with rogues (Aggressors). I wish the VSD was worth it's points on the table. Currently it is just too much of a slug to be of use against speedy Madine lists.
The ISD is an amazing cornerstone for a fleet. I am very happy that the ship lives up to its reputation. ISDs and Gozanti's seem the way to go in a fleet without "crutches".
Victories have found a new home with me in a Vic/Vic/Dictor Konstantine list. Scramblers helps cover the lack of ECM, and speed control helps their lack of speed/maneuverability. Now they more than make up their points. And the best part is your opponent can do nothing but watch while your Vic's SLOWLY work their way towards their trapped prey, getting ready to blow enemy ships up when they reach them
- 1 loss (to a double ISD, double Gozanti fleet with QLT's and light TIE cover only - but a determination to burn down my squads SLOWLY)
Hehehe. :^]
Let me tell you, if you had Rhymer it would have been a very different game!
Turns out I just completed this challenge too, though it wasn't deliberate. I just thoroughly enjoyed my fleet.