My local meta is pretty saturated with rebels, and all rebel list are running heavy bomber wings an example would be something around these lines.

2x X-wings

5x B-wings

1X Jan

there are some other slight variations of that bomber wing but its ruffly the same. I have been looking for a fighter screen that is not to expensive but can deal with this bothersome bomber screen. I personally found it very difficult to keep bombers locked down where I needed them to be because of Intel I would have a a group of bombers locked down then the Intel ships would come in and free them up and my ships would take a beating. I tested out IG-88 to knock out Intel ships, and he works well against nameless Intel ships it takes about two shots from him to finish them off, but the Jans just took way to long to take down.

I played around with fighters that could burn though Jans escorts but it still seamed to take too long or I invested to much points in fighters and not enough in my ships. so that is when I started playing with the raider.

My first time trying the raider I tried the Interrogator title it crashed and burned literately, but I learned a lot form that game being able to go first and get the jump on the fighters is huge, and it is though most of my experience that bomber list because of Intel like to clump up into a ball of death so that made Mauler Mithel a go to pick with a Jumpmaster to keep him jumping around and a kitted out Raider I like this

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Impetuous ( 4 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
= 55 total ship cost

With Mauler landing in at the end of the round when all other fighters have activated dealing one damage then activating raider first before the fighters activate to activate Mauler with the raider for another one damage all around then you take your three black dice shot with re-rolls thanks to Ordnance Experts at Jan who is at 2 life if you get 3 damage witch I have found to be the case more often then not she will die and you get 2 damage more often then not leaving most ships at 1 health. Impetuous is there for insurance against Jan, and can be used to secure key kills on squadrons if Jan was killed. With most fighters at one health you can add another raider for clean up, or Soontir Fel. so your anti fighter could look something like this:

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)

- Impetuous ( 4 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
= 55 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)

- Jamming Field ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

1 Soontir Fel ( 18 points)
1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 Dengar ( 20 points)

total=159

or something like this:

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
= 48 total ship cost

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Impetuous ( 4 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
= 55 total ship cost

1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 JumpMaster 5000 ( 12 points)

Total=130

The Raider I is not without its faults it would struggle against squadrons with scatter, but if you could double arch that squadron with Impetuous you have 3 attacks forcing them to burn the scatter, but in my local meat there are not really any named squadrons with scatter flying around, a raider II would be better suited to take out a scatter named squadron like Dengar, Kitted out something like this:

Raider-II Class Corvette (48 points)
- Impetuous ( 4 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Sensor Team ( 5 points)
- Point-Defense Reroute ( 5 points)
= 65 total ship cost

You can also always add blue dice to the Raider-I with agent Kallus, but as I said in my local meta this is not a problem for me.

The build that I have settled on can be found in this link: http://armadawarlords.hivelabs.solutions/view_list.php?token=47412&key=410c66b3acda425a078d3505ad4921c3

I picked the two raider clean up in a Demo triple tap list with ATPs, with this list you go first all bomber list I have run into have Precision Strike as objective take that I have cleaned up 134 points worth of fighters by turn 2 and now there objective is to your advantage as they have no bombers maybe Ill post a more detailed description of the list in the fleet build section, but this is why I have fallen in love with the Raider give me activation, more than double the fire power of a Gozanti for just under double the points and the AA with Ordnance Experts is amazing!

Nice post.

Why Dengar if you are running Jamming Fields? Save yourself points and take a Jumpmaster and maybe a TIE.

The problem I've encountered with Raiders as anti-squadron platforms is that bombers can destroy a Raider in a single turn - often before the raider ever fires a shot.

I suppose if you had 1st/last activation advantage you could drive it into the fighters on one turn. Then shoot and run on the next.

The problem I've encountered with Raiders as anti-squadron platforms is that bombers can destroy a Raider in a single turn - often before the raider ever fires a shot.

I suppose if you had 1st/last activation advantage you could drive it into the fighters on one turn. Then shoot and run on the next.

that is the idea, and with Intel ships down they have to attack your squadrons first anyway.

and on a side note sorry about the title of this post was suppose to be why I have fallen in love with the Raider had a brain fart

Nice post.

Why Dengar if you are running Jamming Fields? Save yourself points and take a Jumpmaster and maybe a TIE.

so that Soontir could still have counter 2, but I do see your point

I've been on the receiving end of that Raider combo, and it definitely works. Adding Mauler for some wonderful splash damage is a great addition. I would go with the double Raider variation and add some APTs so that you can dual-role. It's only 10 more points and makes it just as capable at anti-ship. Never underestimate an APT Raider. They're absolutely vicious.

To me there is nothing more effective in clearing out a ball of squadrons than a Raider with squad support. Even with Intel, the enemy must decide its fate - take on the Raider or the squads.

Also Truthiness is right. An OE+APT Raider is nasty.

Rebels are kinda in a bind if they don't run heavy bomber wings. The interdoctor is legit and the number wings are maybe the best answer

Rebels are kinda in a bind if they don't run heavy bomber wings. The interdoctor is legit and the number wings are maybe the best answer

Thats not really true but nevermind.

You are arguing that Home One, MC30s, TRC corvettes, MC80 liberties are no longer viable along with many other options....

Not what I said but nevermind

I said bomber wings are maybe the best answer to the interdoctor thanks for reading though.

Also why do you not count mc80cc as a member of a bomber fleet? It's an amazing carrier.

Heavy Bomber wing - 130pts on mainly bombers (By rebel definition, non rogue)

Now you need activations for them all, so at least 200pts on flotillas, MC80CC, AFK or nebs.

No more points for multiple TRC corvettes or MC30s, and no points for any MC80 liberties. If you are running that many points in bombers then Home One doesnt get the same benefit.

There are many ways to take down interdictors, bombers is just one. And arguably Interdictors are the best ship at taking bomber hits....

Anyway back on topic, raiders can be epic. I still like adding ruthless strategists to them to up their damage output even further.

Heavy Bomber wing - 130pts on mainly bombers (By rebel definition, non rogue)

Now you need activations for them all, so at least 200pts on flotillas, MC80CC, AFK or nebs.

No more points for multiple TRC corvettes or MC30s, and no points for any MC80 liberties. If you are running that many points in bombers then Home One doesnt get the same benefit.

I think your math is a bit off. 4 GR-75's decently equipped (mix of BCCx2, Boosted Comms x2, Expanded Hangars x2) gives you 10 squadron activations before tokens, and only cost 106 points. You could reduce the number of transports if your other ships are squadron-capable.

I will echo the OP that Raiders + titles can absolutely wreck squadron builds. Plan accordingly!

There are a couple issues with the ruthless strategists on Raiders. First, they stop you from taking ordnance experts, which make the Raiders very reliable both in anti-ship and anti-squadron roles. Second, and more specific to this particular instance, he does not want to run the heavier fighter wing necessary for ruthless strategists to really thrive.

Why does heavy bomber wing have to be 130?!!? Are 4 b wings not a heavy bomber wing? Cause to me it is. Obviously they need support like a hwk and some x wings. But man you can get all of that for 94. It can be easily ran with a flotilla and yavaris. That only get you too 185 total so plenty of points for your other stuff and an extremely potent bomber wing for up to 6 b wing attacks...... Feels like a heavy bomber wing to me.

You could also switch out yavaris for an amazing mc80cc carrier. Little more spendy but completely worth it

interesting topic, even though i do not agree on some of the builds op posted.

Basically, both raider titles are pretty awesome at anti squadron: impetuous is obviously for the damage and instigator for the utility of locking even intel boosted squadrons down. Lately, with all the bombers around, I've been thinking to test a Demsu kind of fleet with both of them to force some tough decisions on my opponent.

However, having flied a Demsu list before, in my experience these kind of combos work much better on paper than on the table: in fact, to really be effective, the last-first with a kitted out raider should happen on turn 2-3 to have a real impact on the game, and that's about the same time I want to do Demolisher triple tap.

Either way, I may give it a shot, maybe Demsu is just not the list to fit the combo in.

I am a Raider fan as well, but they are so **** hard to make work.

I am toying with this list.

Blue/black volley ships are a hard sell because they lose so much on the range. A Red black ship while not as effective at long to medium range is still able to make attacks at long range as well as medium range but a blue black volley cannot make attacks at long ranges.

Either way, I may give it a shot, maybe Demsu is just not the list to fit the combo in.

Correct. I might make a post about tika taka armada at some point, but until then.

Each round one ship has possession of the last/first maneuver. With this comes the opportunity for that ship to line up an attack unimpeded, but also the responsibility to deliver major damage.

In a DeMSU list Demolisher takes and keeps posession. This is not tika taka armada, it is Portugese Armada. Pass to Ronaldo, hope for the best. Effective nonetheless.

In a list with impetus and instigator as mentioned in this thread, during the destruction of the enemy squadrons, the two raiders pass possession between each other with quick 1-2 passing. Any other ships in the list must be happy to not have first/last throughout the early rounds.

For true tika taka armarda, your ships all need to be equal. Something like three Ackbar MC30s, trc Jainas light and a slicer tool bright hope....