Thoughts?

Edit: Incorporated changes suggested by Kristjan. Many thanks!

Four Activation ISD Fighter Wing
Author: Sygnetix

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 399/400

Commander: Admiral Motti

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Hyperspace Assault
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer (110 points)
- Minister Tua ( 2 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 127 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Captain Needa ( 2 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 63 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
= 27 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
= 51 total ship cost

1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 Saber Squadron ( 12 points)
1 Dengar ( 20 points)
1 Soontir Fel ( 18 points)
1 Ciena Ree ( 17 points)
1 TIE Interceptor Squadron ( 11 points)
1 VT-49 Decimator ( 22 points)

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Fleet created with Armada Warlords

Nasty, Nasty. I would drop the two tie advanced and black squad for 3 interceptors. You don't need the escort, and those units lack swarm.

Nasty, Nasty. I would drop the two tie advanced and black squad for 3 interceptors. You don't need the escort, and those units lack swarm.

I was thinking about that. Afraid to lose the escort, though. It's 13 hull across 3 units...almost guarantees a full engage.

Your fighter ball is already so nasty it should wipe out most other squad compliments, I think 1 interceptor, 1 Decimator would be a better use of the 33 points. Once there is no enemy squads left, that Decimator can go to town. You could also use it to draw out enemy squads for your ball to jump on. The tie advanced and black squad don't add much offensively and use up squad activations. You want the enemy to shoot your interceptors, with Howlrunner, Dengar and swarm you are throwing 4 blue counters with a re-roll!

Your fighter ball is already so nasty it should wipe out most other squad compliments, I think 1 interceptor, 1 Decimator would be a better use of the 33 points. Once there is no enemy squads left, that Decimator can go to town. You could also use it to draw out enemy squads for your ball to jump on. The tie advanced and black squad don't add much offensively and use up squad activations. You want the enemy to shoot your interceptors, with Howlrunner, Dengar and swarm you are throwing 4 blue counters with a re-roll!

Fair point. I built the Counter intentionally but was thinking from a "once the escort is down, punish them" kind of train of thought. I like the decimators, was toying with running 3, morna, IG, and Dengar but shifted away from that for fear of them being ignored/outpaced by the enemy fighters. I like your 1 int 1 decimator suggestion and will incorporate it, thank you.

What is the purpose of your fighter wing? Are you just trying to stop enemy fighters?

First, drop boosted comms and add a Lambda Shuttle. Take away the need to follow your squads about with Gozantis. This has the added benefit that should you play first player, your opponents strategic objectives will not be quite so scary.

Second. Saber, Decimater and Interceptor are ubiqious in the list due to their lack of scatter. Saber can keep itself safe due to snipe. However, I would be inclined to switch the other two for Valen Rudor and Whisper.

What is the purpose of your fighter wing? Are you just trying to stop enemy fighters?

Yep.

First, drop boosted comms and add a Lambda Shuttle. Take away the need to follow your squads about with Gozantis. This has the added benefit that should you play first player, your opponents strategic objectives will not be quite so scary.

Second. Saber, Decimater and Interceptor are ubiqious in the list due to their lack of scatter. Saber can keep itself safe due to snipe. However, I would be inclined to switch the other two for Valen Rudor and Whisper.

Shuttle is outside the realm of possibilities due to squadron points. I prefer to go second, hence why I do not bid for choice. Saber and Interceptor are part of the Counter stack. Can't counter if I'm scattering and the Decimator....well, as mentioned it's just there because I like it.

So in a squadron list, why didn't I go lambda? Fair question, to be sure. I like to split forces rather than clumsily engage in giant balls so...the gozanti's skirt the battle with the Cruiser (and given the situation, on occasion the Decimator). I try to keep the Cruiser right between medium and long range to leave enough room for the lifeboat gozanti to sit behind it and remain in range for boosted. This also allows a sizable dice pool to break off with the Cruiser and come in on the rear flank if they go unanswered, or a decent enough defense to cause my opponent to commit enough of his forces into countering them that the ISD/Fighter Wing can tear into whatever is left behind.

The ISD can fight on it's own for sometime with an effective 17 Hull.

Can't counter if I'm scattering

Can you expand on what you mean by this? Most notably in reference to soontir.

Howlrunner, Dengar, 3x Interceptor, with flight controllers. Interceptors are rolling 6 blue with swarm if you put Howlrunner up there first, and counter 4.

Howlrunner, Dengar, 3x Interceptor, with flight controllers. Interceptors are rolling 6 blue with swarm if you put Howlrunner up there first, and counter 4.

So what would be sacrificed for 1 blue dice that's only useful against squadrons?

Can't counter if I'm scattering

Can you expand on what you mean by this? Most notably in reference to soontir.

His own ability to do damage when not attacked. Valen doesn't really fit.

I'm going to send a slimed down version of this to my CC teammate, same fighter compliment. Flight controllers is nice, but I think it's probably overkill. Just be careful not to get pulled out of position, an experienced player will try to bait you into a bad spot. They will probably need to leverage their ships AA to have any shot of winning the squad war. Don't worry about Intel, just kill the most threatening anti-squad units first, anything left after will fold fast.

I prefer Vetern gunners over leading shots, but that's just personal preference. It's nice as it works at all ranges and if you get an accuracy on the first roll but your other dice are less than average, you can spend the accuracy and re-roll the other dice.

I'm going to send a slimed down version of this to my CC teammate, same fighter compliment. Flight controllers is nice, but I think it's probably overkill. Just be careful not to get pulled out of position, an experienced player will try to bait you into a bad spot. They will probably need to leverage their ships AA to have any shot of winning the squad war. Don't worry about Intel, just kill the most threatening anti-squad units first, anything left after will fold fast.

I prefer Vetern gunners over leading shots, but that's just personal preference. It's nice as it works at all ranges and if you get an accuracy on the first roll but your other dice are less than average, you can spend the accuracy and re-roll the other dice.

I flip flopped a lot on Leading. In the end, I decided to get the most out of my frontal arc while it had targets. I went with the ISD-I for those black dice in the side arcs (and because of cost). I try to use the Cruiser and Gozanti's to herd my opponent where I need him or to draw him out for more easily landed ISD front arcs so it's worked ok thus far. Tonight will be the test of the current configuration.

I'm going to send a slimed down version of this to my CC teammate, same fighter compliment. Flight controllers is nice, but I think it's probably overkill. Just be careful not to get pulled out of position, an experienced player will try to bait you into a bad spot. They will probably need to leverage their ships AA to have any shot of winning the squad war. Don't worry about Intel, just kill the most threatening anti-squad units first, anything left after will fold fast.

I prefer Vetern gunners over leading shots, but that's just personal preference. It's nice as it works at all ranges and if you get an accuracy on the first roll but your other dice are less than average, you can spend the accuracy and re-roll the other dice.

I flip flopped a lot on Leading. In the end, I decided to get the most out of my frontal arc while it had targets. I went with the ISD-I for those black dice in the side arcs (and because of cost). I try to use the Cruiser and Gozanti's to herd my opponent where I need him or to draw him out for more easily landed ISD front arcs so it's worked ok thus far. Tonight will be the test of the current configuration.

Weird quoting myself lol...

Anyway...there's enough room to drop leading and put veteran gunners onboard, bringing the fleet to a full 400. I think I'll play my games tonight with this consideration in mind. What I like about Veteran Gunners in this configuration is that it affects all arcs and, to be honest, is something I missed. I originally had a 3 activation list with an ISD-II where I think leading shots would make more sense. Hell, just typing it out has me nearly convinced to switch to VG over LS.

Howlrunner, Dengar, 3x Interceptor, with flight controllers. Interceptors are rolling 6 blue with swarm if you put Howlrunner up there first, and counter 4.

So what would be sacrificed for 1 blue dice that's only useful against squadrons?

Well, you said you were only looking to stop enemy squads. I gave you a 75 point anti-squad build (including the 6 points for flight controllers) compared to the 131 points you currently have. That gives you 56 points to spend elsewhere (another Raider perhaps). My experience with that fighter complement is it shuts down pretty much any enemy squad build for at least the few critical turns mid-game.

Ah, missed your meaning. Outside of activations, I hate making my squads reliant on ships for effectiveness. We're also talking about numbers here. With 8 squads I get 4 deployments, plus my 4 from the ships. This means that if I came across this exact same list but with an additionaal ship based off your set up, I get to see the full deployment before committing the ISD or more.

Soontir fel has proxy escort in this situation. Shoot him and he scatters followed by 4 counter back at you with reroll, dont shoot him and he does 1 dmg.

So I dont see your point

Same as above. Trying to incorporate less squadrons reduces my deployment advantage, specifically as someone who wants to go second. I see your point with the base interceptor and Saber in regards to scattering but they are mostly there for cannon fodder filler, Sniper, and numbers. Decimator has enough hull to at least get where it's going unless it's focused, in which case the targeting squadrons are sitting ducks for retaliation. In some instances I run the Decimator out to the flank with the Cruiser and Gozanti's.

If my opponent sends his forces to harass my Cruiser and it's escorts, the ISD gets more frontal arc attacks.

If my opponent sends his forces to harass my ISD, the Cruiser and it's escorts get uncontested broadsides followed by rear hull attacks.

If my opponent tries to split his forces to harass both elements of my fleet, then I can adjust accordingly and use the fighter ball to harass all the things.

By gaining deployment advantage through numbers (both ship and squadron), I get to know before he gets to know, and knowing is half the battle.

I would change leading shots for ordnance experts if you don't use flight controllers or gunnery team and lambda could be fine but you said it's not possible