Need people to cast an eye over this one for me. I'm forever tweaking it and trying out different pilots and abilities, but feel it could still be giving me more. I've been flying the ships in pairs to try and get pincer attacks in which seems to work. Ryad with Zeta. OL with Scourge for late game threats. I've gotten really good at flying them as a 4 ship swarm through asteroids and debris using the 4 ships to create blocking no go areas to bump and concentrate fire to destroy ships.

Really wanting to keep the 4 ship idea going so please no "drop this and do 3 ships" as I've tried all those and find the 3 ship lists don't fit my play style.

This version got me 6th in a 4 round tournament, and the games I lost were under 10pts between us, one I seem to recall was loosing by 4 points.

Ryad PTL, MKII engines, x7

Zeta Leader adaptability

OL Com relay, Juke

Scourge adaptability

comes in at 99 pts

I then dropped OL and tried:

Backdraft adaptability, collision detector, special ops

Ryad PTL, MKII engines, x7

Zeta Leader adaptability

Scourge adaptability

Vessery, VI, MKII engines, x7

Zeta Leader adaptability

Scourge adaptability

99 pts

which I yet again tried at a tourney and the 4 ps8 pilots didn't help as much as I hoped it would. Only won 1 game but yet again the margin of loss was minimal points for the lost games.

So now I'm looking to get OL back in there but what to add??

these 3 ships really have worked for me but what to add?

Ryad PTL, MKII engines, x7 36pts

Zeta Leader adaptability

OL Com relay, Juke

Or what to drop and put in their place?

Zeta with wired?
Swap Ryad for defender Maarek with VI, x7, MKII engine saves a point and give 2 ps9 pilots?

Omega ace with PTL, MKII engine?

Thanks in advance

Any help or insights would be great

Before the defender buff I brought a list with OL, ZL, and VI Vessery to a store tourney for top 4. I imagine those 3 are still excellent together, so you could sub ryad out for VI x7 Vess and save a couple points. Then throw wired on zeta leader (makes him deceptively tanky, and synergizes well with his pilot ability ofc).

The list so far:

Vessery (34)

-VI

-/X7

OL (26)

-Juke

-Comm Relay

ZL (21)

-Wired

Leaves 19 points to play with. You could put these in there (and they would probably be pretty good):

Wampa (16)

-Targeting Computer

+Comm relay on ZL

The final list would be:

Vessery (34)

-VI

-/X7

OL (26)

-Juke

-Comm Relay

ZL (24)

-Wired

-Comm Relay

Wampa (16)

-Targeting Computer

100/100

Of course if Ryad is a requirement over Vessery then you can drop the Targeting Computer from wampa and replace Vess.

I've tried it with Vessery but the problem is his ability is reliant on the other ships. Once they start to die, which they usually do before the x7 defender, his ability is null and void in the end game when he's the final ship on the board. Ryad, maarek, and even Brath abilities are not reliant on other ships.

I was able to try a new version today and came up with:

Ryad PTL, MKII engines, x7

Zeta Leader Weapons Guidance, wired

OL Com relay, Juke

Wampa

99 pts

I played it against my sons Party bus Bossk and Kath list and was able to take out both only loosing Zeta leader, but OL was on 1 hull and Ryad had lost all her shields. Man thats a horrible list.

It still needs some play testing but seems to be a definite possibility

I find that Backdraft is very effective with wired as his EPT.

With his dial, and if you're using collision detector, you're gonna be stressed almost all the time. So having a soft focus token is very useful.

I find that Backdraft is very effective with wired as his EPT.

I do like backdraft. I tried him last weekend in a 4 round tourney. I do find for the points though he's pushing out a 4th ship to get a decent build on him. I just don't get on with 3 ship builds

I find that Backdraft is very effective with wired as his EPT.

With his dial, and if you're using collision detector, you're gonna be stressed almost all the time. So having a soft focus token is very useful.

Throw in Primed Thrusters, and you're still under 30 points, and can essentially ignore debris - which, combined with fore-and-aft guns, makes you one hell of a knife fighter in a close-packed debris field.

And I used him just that way in my last game. He was very effective. I nearly won. But Chirenuea and Maerk proved to be too durable for my wired Quartet of F/O's and Tie.

TIE/sf Fighter: · "Backdraft" (27)

Wired (1)

Advanced Sensors (3)

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Special Ops Training (0)

Weapons Guidance (2)

TIE/fo Fighter: · "Zeta Leader" (20)

Wired (1)

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Weapons Guidance (2)

TIE Fighter: · "Mauler Mithel" (17)

Wired (1)

Shield Upgrade (4)

TIE Fighter: · "Scourge" (17)

Wired (1)

Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

-- TOTAL ------- 99/100p. --

The battle was lost when Backdraft took an unlucky defense roll from Maerk. Till then I had successfully divided his pair and was pecking them to death. Scourge proved very annoying to Chiraneau who was taking damage every turn from Scourge. But losing Backdraft allowed Maerk to swing to the rescue of the poor Admiral. Who was two hits from death, I might add.

Mauler and scourge proved to be a lethal pair. Mauler enabled Scourges pilot ability on the first engagement.

Backdraft loves to play the fun game of chase me big boy I got lots of Crit Lovin for yaz!

And Zeta Leader loves it when no one is paying any attention to him.

So what I've been using is Quickdraw with PTL and Electronic Baffles. His ability to dish out two shots a turn is BRUTAL - he broke through Corran Horn's token stack and shields to set him up for an Omega Leader kill. His PS9 is highly relevant, letting him maneuver after a lot of high-threat ships. I also got a 'live the dream' moment where I had Fenn Rau at R1 (out of his arc) in front and Kavil in the back arc - and I whiffed two out of the four shots, but for that moment I lived the dream of shooting four times with one ship!

Basically, he is a trade piece - you put an unrecoverable amount of damage on one of their high-value ships in exchange for QD. If he dies killing something that would beat Omega Leader down, then you've come out ahead.

The two of them together leave 41 points - I've been running a ZetaL with Crack Shot and a Scimitar with Darth Vader and Intel Agent. ZetaL worked well, the Scimitar... did not. But on the other hand, it did its job by sucking down early game fire that could have gone at my other ships. Once the Upsilon comes out I'll probably swap Vader for Kylo Ren. Kinda fits the "All First Order" theme a bit better anyway.

Do you think the 4 ship imperial lists are competitive in the current meta?

At a local level?

Regional?

National?

I think it will always come down to how well you can fly your ships. And how well you can read your opponents energy state(metaphorically speaking).

The guy I played against was preparing for the Socal Regionals. And my build highlighted his vulnerabilities. He was one bad defense roll from finished for him. But the luck turned his way.

So for local play, my build proved quite competitive. For Regionals, it's possibly competitive. For nationals, or world...

I kinda doubt it.

I think it will always come down to how well you can fly your ships. And how well you can read your opponents energy state(metaphorically speaking).

The guy I played against was preparing for the Socal Regionals. And my build highlighted his vulnerabilities. He was one bad defense roll from finished for him. But the luck turned his way.

So for local play, my build proved quite competitive. For Regionals, it's possibly competitive. For nationals, or world...

I kinda doubt it.

Kinda what I thought.

Still looking for that list to take to regionals

Hope the new ships will give me something I really want to play at a regional level

Why don't you try a variant of my build.

Why don't you try a variant of my build.

I have tried a plethora of variants of the 4 ship build and have tried one very similar to yours.

I'm actually looking for that special list to take to regionals in the new year and I just don't think the 4 ship Imperial build will be competitive at that level of play, as much as I want it to work.

If someone thinks otherwise please do let me know

Is "Competitive for regionals" slang for "Needs more Palpatine"? Because for some people it is.

I mean, I understand that Sheev is strong, but he's not a crutch; having a solid game plan and knowing how to adapt it for whatever enemy squads you come across counts for a lot more in my book.

Also, a four-ship list is harder to arc dodge, puts out more overall damage dice, can break through token stacks, and is more durable against the fickleness of green dice thanks to having more ships to kill.

But if you want a 4-ship list that uses Palpatine...

29 Omicron Group Pilot, Emperor Palpatine, Collision Detector

31 Quickdraw, Rage, Baffles, Title

26 Omega Leader, Juke, Comm Relay

14 Wampa

Wampa puts through-shield hits on threats like Corran and Poe. Quickdraw charges forward to trade with high-value threats. Omega Leader hangs back for the endgame. Commit the shuttle so that it dies second-to-last, banking on the sheer hate the Emperor draws.

Here a 4 Ship build. Wampa enables Scourges pilot ability. Omega Leader is the end gamer. The Palpmobile and Wampa draw fire. Wampa throws down a damage card on as many ships as he can before he buys it. Scourge gets 3 Red die from than on. 4 at range 1. Omega Leader hangs back to clean up the left overs.

Lambda-Class Shuttle: Omicron Group Pilot (21)

Collision Detector (0)

Tactical Jammer (1)

· Emperor Palpatine (8)

TIE Fighter: · "Wampa" (14)

Shield Upgrade (4)

TIE Fighter: · "Scourge" (17)

Adaptability (Increase) (0)

Shield Upgrade (4)

TIE/fo Fighter: · "Omega Leader" (21)

Juke (2)

Shield Upgrade (4)

Comm Relay (3)

Cheers guys, I don't think it needs more palp...

I dont rate palp, I know I'm in the minority, but its only 1 dice a turn and he has to be put in a ship that isn't very good. Effectively you have a 2 ship build as palp is primarily floating round the outskirts modifying dice.

I haven't played in a regional before, and although I'm not expecting to win, I don't want to be tabled every game. I've tried the 4 ship list against dengaroo and dengar pops ties in a single shooting phase, Party Bus I was able to win and I have come 6th in a local tourney with the 4 ship build.

The latest incarnation is:

Ryad PTL, MKII engines, x7

Zeta Leader Weapons Guidance, wired

OL Com relay, Juke

Wampa

Am I missing something obvious with the choices or should I swap certain ships out/in?

Basically I don't want to invest to much time practicing a list for regionals if, honestly, its no good for that level of play.

Ryad PTL, MKII engines, x7

Zeta Leader Weapons Guidance, wired

OL Com relay, Juke

Wampa

Am I missing something obvious with the choices or should I swap certain ships out/in?

I'd try once to stack more Juke into the list and see how it feels...

Ryad/x7/Juke (I like my dial open

Standard OL

Wampa

Zeta/CommsRelay/juke

I find juke on ryad a bit of a waste, as she looses her evade token well before she shoots...

People hate Ryad and she's the peoples enemy no 1 making her the first target, but that might be just our local meta

Unless someone has a trick to keep that evade that I can't think of?

Dengar is one reason that I like Quickdraw. Dengar vs. Quickdraw results in both of them dying - or QD dying but Dengar with a LOT of damage - however QD is 31 points versus Dengar's 50. A profitable trade.

these 3 ships really have worked for me but what to add?

Ryad PTL, MKII engines, x7 36pts

Zeta Leader adaptability

OL Com relay, Juke

Give Zeta Wired and throw in Dark Curse for another "annoying to kill" target?

A PS 7 Snap Shot Quartet. Evade with everyone (who can) and focus up with Ops Specialist.

4 Ship Imps (100)

Major Rhymer (33) - TIE Bomber

Snap Shot (2)

TIE Shuttle (0)

Tactician (2)

Operations Specialist (3)

Mauler Mithel (19) - TIE Fighter

Snap Shot (2)

"Scourge" (19) - TIE Fighter

Snap Shot (2)

Turr Phennir (29) - TIE Interceptor

Snap Shot (2)

Autothrusters (2)

Ran my latest list on Sunday at a tourney and came 7th so there might be something to this 4 ship list

I find juke on ryad a bit of a waste, as she looses her evade token well before she shoots...

People hate Ryad and she's the peoples enemy no 1 making her the first target, but that might be just our local meta

Unless someone has a trick to keep that evade that I can't think of?

I also thought that... But i guess with Ryad's maneuvrability you can rely on not wasting the token all the turns... Also Juke is not very expensive.

I also remember someone won the France National (?) with crackshot Defenders... If you want other options