So, I would like to tweak my Vader-Devastator build to incorporate some of the new wave 5 stuff, especially the TIE Defenders. My current build teams the Devastator with the Interdictor, two Gozanti flotillas, and a light screen of TIE Fighters (it's very similar to the Devastator build posted for the Fleet Commander contest) and it's been working reasonably well for me. With the increasingly squadron heavy meta, I was thinking I might try teaming it with a full on bomber swarm. Here's what I'm thinking:

Imperial-II Star Destroyer

Darth Vader

Devastator

Intel Officer

Gunnery Team

XI7 Turbolasers

SW-7 Ion Batteries

Expanded Hangar

Electronic Countermeasures

Gozanti-class Cruisers

Comms Net

Gozanti-class Cruisers

Bomber Command Center

Boosted Comms

Fighters

Dengar

Maarek Stele

3x TIE Defender

Major Rhymer

Gamma Squadron

2x TIE Bomber

Objectives:

Precision Strike

Contested Outpost

Superior Positions

Total Points: 395

Thoughts?

I think its pretty decent. Max a leading shots on Devastator, so when you flak with it, youll be able to reroll with one blue if youre not lucky enough. And, consider fighter ambush with rhymer.

Drop Vader. Put leading shots on the ISD to get almost the same effect. Then you can take Motti or Jer Jerrod for other fleet benefits and save you a good chunk of points.

Suppressor and Avenger can have a nice combination between them. Turn the brace red then hit them with avenger. Who cares about their ECM now?

Thing about Vader and his ship the devastator is that you need tokens for reroll, but you want to get rid of tokens for devastator effect... It's kind of a non bough... Vader lets you get rid of tokens faster yes... But once they are all gone that massive salvo gives itself over to variance and is likely no more effective than a stock ISD with leading shots, begging the question why bring Vader for 36 points or devastator for 10... Though if you use leading shots on a full devastator, you are losing a blue for reroll... If you want Vader effect you must keep that last token and so loose a blue... Like I said even Steven... Well if it's even, then is Vader good for our fleet somewhere else, and if not, I suppose we should take someone else....

Personally I like am ISD 1 for devastator, as those black dice really up the damage potential... You can double arc one shot mediums ships no problem...

That said I think your ISD 2 build is solid... Concerning the fleet, I think I would like more of a bid and more activations...4 at least. Probably five... It helps us stall out action while the opponent takes shots at dev allowing us to discard tokens, and gives them time to walk into our front arc... Then we activate last first and hopefully make that 170 points sing, without losing it in the process.... Bombers can really help kill wounded prey or soften up targets before the big blow... But that isn't how I prefer to do things...I like dev to go in there and wreck face, then follow up with demo as a trailer... I also keep an anti fighter tie wing to activate with devastator... I don't mind bombers pecking at dev because it helps me discard tokens, but I do like to eat those points... The tie wing can defeat double it's points under certain circumstances

This build is a bit more experimental, I admit it. Activations are an issue, and one I try to remedy in my usual build. Mostly I was experimenting with the concept of using more fighters to add more dice to the Devastator's attack than the Concentrate Firepower command, while simultaneously giving me more flexibility against bomber lists. For comparison, here's my current list, which has been running really well for me:

Imperial-II Star Destroyer

Darth Vader

Devastator

Support Officer

Gunnery Team

Heavy Turbolasers

SW-7 Ion Batteries

Electronic Countermeasures

Interdictor Suppression Refit

Interdictor

G-8 Experimental Projector

G-7X Grav Well Projector

Gozanti-class Cruisers

Comms Net

Gozanti-class Cruisers

Comms Net

Fighters

Howlrunner

4x TIE Fighter

Objectives:

Most Wanted

Contested Outpost

Minefields

Total Points: 396

This gives me a fourth activation, plus the Interdictor to jack up deployments and hold enemy ships down in the Devastators arc, but Rhymerballs and Ackbar Conga Lines are problematic, never mind the frigate and Gladiator swarms that seem to be so prevalent right now.

Other options I could pursue are replacing the Interdictor with a pair of Raiders, each sporting a title and Assault Proton Torpedoes. That gives me five activations, as well as two ships that can put faceup damage on capital ships and tear up fighters, fragile though they are. I could also replace the Interdictor and one Gozanti Flotilla with the Impetuous with APTs and an Arquitens with Dual Turbolasers and Reinforced Blast Doors, plus some extra fighters. And of course, there's always the Demolisher to consider.

I guess I'm just reluctant to give up on the Devastator with Vader because it's worked so well for me. It's won me first and second place several times at my local game shop. I recognize it's not the most mathematically efficient ship to play in the current meta, but this thing's ability to simply erase one or two ships per turn if placed properly just beggars belief. But I can't quite find the right combination of support ships for it.

It might be something for me to relegate more to use in the Corellian Conflict rather than tournament play, since the extra 100 points lets me have a proper supporting fleet for such a heavily loaded ISD.