Hey crew,

So I've been playing for about a month or so, roughly getting about in 3 games a week. I'm a huge fan of Interceptors, and think they are the coolest ships in the galaxy. Maybe I'm not the greatest pilot, but I'm having a hell of a time. I'm struggling against high hull/ shield turrets and looking for tips, tactics, deployment ideas, asteroid/debris placement, and if my squad build is inefficient.

Currently running

Soontir Fel (35)

TIE Interceptor(27), PTL(3), AT(2), SD(3), RGT(0)

Turr Phennir (31)

TIE Interceptor(25), VI(1), AT(2), SD(3), RGT(0)

Carnor Jax (34)

TIE Interceptor(26), PTL(3), AT(2), SD(3), RGT(0)

Fel is the only one I think flawlessly uses stealth device. You might want to try hull upgrade on the others just because crap happens and green dice fail hard.

use the biggest rocks possible, you can squeeze around them way easier then fat turrets. And hide behind them for extra cover.

Avoid landing in their arc at all costs, autothrusters is your friend and the best defense you got

Play the slow game, don't go in for easy damage, play as cautious as possible, your defense is your best offense in those match ups

If your still having trouble maybe you should sub in a different third ship then turr, like a x7 defender, the inquisitor, the ever so popular palp shuttle, because triple aces is a stressful and very skill oriented list, that I honestly don't think is worth the devotion anymore, and I too share a love for the ship, but variety may give you an easier time.

First rule of Interceptors: figure out where your opponent wants you to be and don't be there .

Not getting shot at is more important than having a shot. You have every positional advantage available on the table, so use them. Be patient, play defensively, and wait for your moment to strike.

If going with Stealth Device, you really want to replace one of them (I'd recommend Turr) with a Palp Shuttle. The ability to more consistently ensure evade results using Palp (oh, yeah, ALWAYS SAVE HIM FOR DEFENSIVE USE ) helps the Stealth Device last a *lot* longer, which is critical to the list being able to function at all.

If going pure-triple-Interceptor...honestly, I feel I get more mileage out of hull upgrades than stealth. (But, seriously, Palp Shuttle + stealth devices is pretty solid, still)

Good advice thus far re the build, but I'm running the exact same build at the moment to good success.

As TheOz mentioned the list is pretty unforgiving though, Interceptors have a habit of becoming debris if you make a single mistake. But they are fun and they are pretty.

My obstacles currently consist of the 2 largest rocks I have available and one medium debris. I like to arrange the obstacles to form small 1 range triangles (someone described it as a death triangle somewhere, forgot who that was) as it is easier for the interceptors to hide in the grouping than for most of the things you will be facing.

Lay out the obstacles on your table like I described above and practise flying around them, and using them to hide behind.

(be aware if your opponent brings Seismic torps though ;p )

For deployment I usually group up Turr with either Jax or Soontir and then use the other to flank.

If I need to harass something (Kill Manaroo first) I will use Jax as the flank, and if I'm facing other Aces I prefer to flank with Soontir.

Again I very much agree with TheOz, play the long game, your ships have 3 die guns but you want to slowly peck your opponent to death. Prioritise getting out of arc even if that means that you also lose your shot. Nip in, take your shot and bug out to reposition for the next run. Also, Interceptors are incredibly fast, but learn to love the 1 manoeuvres - with the repositioning after a 1 you can usually stay exactly where you want to be on your target ship. This take some practise but is really satisfying.

Don't be afraid to set up one of your ships for bait to lure opponent ships.

Lure and bug out whilst your other ships go on offense.

All in all the most important thing with the list is practise, practise, practise.

You're not bringing Interceptors because you want to fight, you are bringing them because you want to fly

Your squad is a little bit dated these days, but it's still solid (though it has picked up some serious hard counters of late you'll need to watch for). I'd probably try to get an initiative bid by trimming points, perhaps by dropping or trading a Stealth Device, as moving last with Interceptors is pretty critical.

You should be pretty well set to fight high-HP turrets, though. How are you struggling, exactly? Is it proving difficult to keep Autothrusters online, are you having a hard time killing them? Is there any particular pilot or is it just big turrets in general?

I'm having a hard time with TLTs and getting black market slicered with stress. I guess my biggest problems have been ventress, by-49 pilots

Give Soontir a targeting computer. Of the three he's the hardest to hit, and while 4 evade dice is great, you don't kill things with green dice. Furthermore, more and more things are able to laugh off 3 dice with a single modifier. That being said, only use it when you are sure you won't receive return fire, or at least go TL/Evade so you have the option to hold the focus token for full defense.

As far as piloting, I find a flying circus the best way to go with triple interceptors. By that I mean you run three separate flank attacks, and if you think your opponent is going to pounce in one direction, run that guy out of range or arc. To help this I personally like using the big rocks to force my opponent down one or two potential approaches while I can slip around their formation.

As to BMST and stress, that's a harder nut to crack. In certain cases like that one you might just want to mass your fire on the dangerous ship and accept that you're going to lose a squint. Theoretically you can burn a Shadowcaster down in one round, but more likely it dies in the second round of shooting before it gets to fire if you can get good shots in both rounds. Do your best to start the fight at range 3 and you'll have the best chance of saving an interceptor, especially if you can follow up with a range 1 exchange.

Squints, and low-hull-high-green Imperial aces in general, are *EXTREMELY* unforgiving of mistakes, and even when they're not, are prone to high dice variance.

I cut my x-wing teeth on them, but I've since moved on, because it just got too frustrating being killed by bad green dice when I wasn't being killed by minor screwups.

I now play Defenders a lot more, they much kinder.

Split your ships properly. If you fly 3 interceptors in formations it means that you never can focus on dealing damage and always trying to avoid arc.
I would consider losing the SDs in that list and replace them by targeting computers to increase your damage output when you are behind non-turret ships.

Adding a Lambda Shuttle with Palpatine naturally would help a lot on the defense part and make your interceptors more reliable, in that case you can keep the SD too, because it is a lot more reliable with Palpatine support.
Lastly, adding a long range sniper in Form of the Inquisitor can help a lot too, his damage is quite reliable and his ability to slowly follow a hostile ship with green 1-banks allows him to use his autothrusters, the range 3 extra dice and his evade token to full extend while attacking with 3 dice + target lock all the time and denying the enemy autothrusters and range 3 defensive bonus. As a 31 package with PTL, Title and ACs he is quite the bargain and imo a good way stronger than Turr Phennir.

Lastly, there is always my theme list, which is surprisingly fun and a nice change from the PTL and stress addicted interceptors:

The Evolution of the TIE-Advanced Project (x1, v1, x7)

Darth Vader (29)
Adaptability (0)
Advanced Targeting Computer (1)
Engine Upgrade (4)
TIE/x1 (0)

The Inquisitor (25)
Push the Limit (3)
Autothrusters (2)
TIE/v1 (1)

Colonel Vessery (35)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/x7 (-2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder


Well, or just increase the efficiency of your Interceptor Squadron slightly with the Inquisitor:


The Inquisitor (25)
Push the Limit (3)
Autothrusters (2)
TIE/v1 (1)

Carnor Jax (26)
Push the Limit (3)
Autothrusters (2)
Stealth Device (3)
Royal Guard TIE (0)

Soontir Fel (27)
Push the Limit (3)
Autothrusters (2)
Stealth Device (3)
Royal Guard TIE (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

What if I went something along the lines of:

Inquisitor and Interceptors (99) for and Initiative bid?

The Inquisitor (31) - TIE Adv. Prototype

Push The Limit (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Soontir Fel (34) - TIE Interceptor

Push The Limit (3), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Targeting Computer (2)

Carnor Jax (34) - TIE Interceptor

Push The Limit (3), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Hull Upgrade (3)

I am one who doesn't agree with targeting computer on fel, lots of people like it, but with all of the ways people are getting 4 or more red dice, I think just using stealth is safer and in the long run you run sootier safe, because I'd you opponent can't kill him, you just banked 35 points in your favor, and pinging a big ship to death works, it just takes patients. But I like your variation. Maybe if you want initiative and your willing to be daring, you can take ptl off of Carnor for vi, now with stealth on soontier, you have a good 98 point bid, which is a real bid. Plus now Carnor secure a last shot before death, and can reposition after everybody having a better chance of getting into range one.

What if I went something along the lines of:

Inquisitor and Interceptors (99) for and Initiative bid?

The Inquisitor (31) - TIE Adv. Prototype

Push The Limit (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

Soontir Fel (34) - TIE Interceptor

Push The Limit (3), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Targeting Computer (2)

Carnor Jax (34) - TIE Interceptor

Push The Limit (3), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Hull Upgrade (3)

This is actually the alternative build I was going to suggest, though I'm still inclined to suggest you want a durability booster for Soontir; Stealth Device is traditional but if and when Hux becomes fashionable you may want to consider Hull Upgrades for both squints.

You're still vulnerable to anti-ace tech - Black Market Slicer Tools, bombs, and General Hux when he shows up will all cause you a world of pain - but you should have a bigger toolbox to play with, and aside from a general vulnerability to anti-ace tech in general, each ship has weaknesses to different techs. Practice with each ship, learn to fly them (because you'd better believe, all three pilots want to fly very differently), and then get used to winning games with only two on the board, as variance or hard counters leave one ship dead or helpless.

The good news with triple ace builds? Yeah, you can afford to lose one.

My 'go to' pick up games squadron is still three royal guard aces. Very much like your list but i dont take Carnor Jax

I personally find Tetran Cowell a better option. He's two points lower to help with initiative and i'd rather be able to get *right* on someones tail with a silly short K turn than have jaxs ability.

Thats just me though. I get that jax works well for most people.

I'm also of the 'chip away at them while staying at long range' vs turrets. I find that games with triple ints go one of two ways for me. I either win with three ships in the game or i make a mistake and lose actions and then it all falls to pieces quite quickly

Personally I have had much better success with Lone Wolf on Carnor Jax than PTL. But as many above have said, getting out of those firing arcs is way better than being token stacked.

Jusr my 2 bits. Turr is my favorite pilot, but is anti-synergistic with fel. If your opponent brings ps9's, do you want initiative or not? You have to choose between turr or fel's advantage.

I find that Turr loses quite a bit against 9 and higher Pilot Skill.

With Veteran Instincts, you can move and focus - Shoot and then Barrel Roll or Boost to try to dodge, but he seems less without Push the Limit.

I like Push the Limit, because I typically see PS6 and below - which allows you to focus for the attack and then perform a free boost barrel roll, plus a PTL action after firing. It makes it easier to arc dodge or at least barrel roll further away and take an evade. If I'm up against something like Palp Aces or Dengaroo, - I'm sending him after the shuttle or Manaroo to make the most of his ability.

I have faced a number a players with a Targeting Computer on Soontir and it seems quite easy to wipe him off the table.

With so many different high powered attacks, survivability of Soontir requires a Stealth Device. He becomes a big target otherwise.

I´dd drop one SD so youre sitting at 97 points, near-guaranteeing you your choice of initiative.

This is the first list I started with though.

Squints (99)

Soontir Fel (35) - TIE Interceptor

Push The Limit (3), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Stealth Device (3)

Carnor Jax (34) - TIE Interceptor

Push The Limit (3), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Stealth Device (3)

Tetran Cowell (30) - TIE Interceptor

Veteran Instincts (1), Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Stealth Device (3)