I've been running the so called Commonwealth Defenders for a while now.

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Lambda-class Shuttle: Omicron Group Pilot (21 + 8)

+ Collision Detector (0)

+ Emperor Palpatine (8)

TIE Defender: Colonel Vessery (35)

+ Juke (2)

+ TIE/x7 (-2)

TIE Defender: Countess Ryad (34 + 2)

+ Push the Limit (3)

+ TIE/x7 (-2)

+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

I've had great fun and some success with it. (Second at regionals and won a winter kit tournament)

I like the synergy between Vessery and Ryad but sometimes I find it a bit unflexible. For example Ryad can't always target lock my preffered target due to moving after and being out of range to aquire the target lock.

And sometimes I get the target lock but can't shoot the locked enemy due to being arc-dodged and therefore having to shoot another ship, thus wasting the TL that turn.

And being stressed means Ryad can't do her 3 hard without keeping the stress.

So my thought is to change Vessery for Marek Steele with predator.

And give Ryad predator too and skip the twin ion engine.

The squad points is still 100. But I gain flexibility. And one important thing is that go up to PS7. A huge deal in a mirror match.

The downside is of course that a target lock is superior to a predator re-rol. And I loose Juke.

While Juke of course is good I don't think it's necessary. Most times the enemy has a focus or I've already spent my evade defending.

One other good thing is that both of my defenders now are totally self sufficient. Vessery is so much worse when his spotters die.

Any thoughts? I will try it out tonight. And see how it goes.

I have been running Ryad and Steele with predator in the same way you have listed. And i do prefer it over Vessery, I think that you will enjoy it.

Also please let us know how it works for you.

Vessery is more secure but cant do a dang thing on his own, which is kinda why i dont like him. Maarek's ability can easily be the reason you won lol ive had him pick out a devastating crit way too often to count.

I have been running Maaaaarek with calculation instead. Frees up palp as Maaarek can generate his own crits, or on a good day you can tag your target with 2 crits at range 1 with palp's help

Maaaarek has been crucial in anti dengaroo matchups. Once the shields are down, you really could do whatever you want with your opponent's dengar. I had games where i manage to find 2x weapons failure to reduce his atk to 1 dice. Other games i found console fire and damaged engine

Duraham would you think calculation would be more consistent over predator for Maarek? I am considering using this but have not done so so far.

If you want a more consistent TIEdef that can handle itself w/o any outside help, go for predator.

If you want to trigger Maaaarek's ability more often w/o having to use palp so you can free palp up for other uses, go with calc

I've been using Mareek with Ryad and a Palp shuttle with good results. I went 3-0 at a hangar bay tournament with it.

Mareek Stele

Juke

Tie X7 Title

Twin Ion Engine

Countess Ryad

Juke

Tie X7 Title

Twin Ion Engine

Omicron Group Pilot

Emperor Palpatine

Collision Detector

I enjoy Ryad and her versatility, but PS5 PTL Ryad loses to a lot of ships despite her green K-Turns. I've enjoyed Ryad with Adaptability or VI as she doesn't need PTL to complete wreck mirror-Ryads.

That said, I also really enjoy Vessery and Stele a lot more than Ryad. I've had great luck with Vessery, Stele, OL or Vessery, Stele, Inquisitor.

I am absolutely a fan of this, I've never liked PTL on the Defenders, and I have literally always been an advocate of Predator. I seriously do not understand how that card is not in almost every list in existence. Plus, Maarek will always be good on his own, but Vessery has always forced you to build your list around him, and losing other ships directly impacts his usefulness.

As to your question, Predator definitely lends itself more to thorough action economy, because it frees you up somewhat to save both your evade token and your focus token for defense. It also works better against swarms because of the two rerolls, and also because you'll be taking more shots. Calculation, on the other hand, fields well against some of the more tanky craft that rely on raw HP for their longevity, and as such have low agility. Y-Wings, K-Wings, VCX-100s, YT-1300s, and to a lesser extent the slightly more agile ships like the YT-2400, HWK, U-Wing, G1-A Starfighter, YV-666, Jumpmaster, and the Pursuit craft. Way back when Maarek was announced, I would propose a lot of ideas to get him to use his ability more often and everyone would always shoot them down saying it was pointless to try to force a one trick pony to get his ability to activate more often than it would just rolling whatever comes, but in my experience those people were very wrong. He has the singular ability to utterly nerf a synergy list before you manage to actually kill someone (as does Rexler), something I have done numerous times.

Also he is an unholy terror in Epic, but that's another story.

Here is a squad I've been using to amazing effect, so much so that I've had to retire it for a while.

Maarek Stele (TIE Defender) (35)
Predator (3)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/x7 (-2)

Countess Ryad (34)
Predator (3)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/x7 (-2)

Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)
Determination (1)
Fleet Officer (3)
Mara Jade (3)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE Shuttle (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Hope you like rolling blank reds

Unless predator ofc

If you can find a way to put the shuttle title in there with vessery then you have amazing synergy. You could drop the countess and play vessery and steele at ps 8 with x7 and have points for a bid.

I also though to replace Ryad with a Glaive pilot with the title and predator to have the built in ps skill. Although her ability can be useful.

Problem with Marek Steele is his ability doesn't work with the TIE-D title so you really want to EPT him for consistent crits. But there is a lot of EPTs that do better on him (because they do better on everyone ) so that's out of the question.

I like the design philosophy for Marek Steele, making it a good option to NOT take titles, issue is there are so many other ships that go against it (TIE-SF, ARC-170, and the Scyk once the C-Roc comes out). So much like having a pilot skill >2 without EPT slot is putting that pilot DOA (unless it is Biggs), having a pilot that can't take the available title is also putting that pilot DOA.

Although her ability can be useful.

that's a bit of an understatement

Marinealver i think the Tiex 7 title works better.What other ept would you recommend?

Points limits. ....Shmoints blimitz..

Expertise Breath.

Ok. So I flew two games today against Rey with VI, Kanan, Finn, sloop title. And ps9 Poe with predator, autothrusters, pattern analyzer and R5-p9.

First game my opponent gave up after I almost killed Rey in two turns without taking any damage myself.

Second game was much closer. I killed Rey but lost Palp and Marek.

I actually managed to kill Poe 1v1. But only because my opponent didn't want to run away the rest of the game. In a tournament he would have run untill time.

The verdict? I liked it. One re-roll was enough most of my shots. And I got my re-rolls first round of combat where I couldn't have taken target locks.

Unfortunately I didn't get to use Maarek's ability. But I see it mostly as a bonus anyway.

I wouldn't change his EPT for anything. Consistency wins matches.

Hopefully I can try it out against a triple defender list where Maarek's ps7 matters.

Thanks for the report and i am very happy you liked it.

Yeah..... -sigh-

Predator sure is great.

Problem with Marek Steele is his ability doesn't work with the TIE-D title so you really want to EPT him for consistent crits. But there is a lot of EPTs that do better on him (because they do better on everyone ) so that's out of the question.

I like the design philosophy for Marek Steele, making it a good option to NOT take titles, issue is there are so many other ships that go against it (TIE-SF, ARC-170, and the Scyk once the C-Roc comes out). So much like having a pilot skill >2 without EPT slot is putting that pilot DOA (unless it is Biggs), having a pilot that can't take the available title is also putting that pilot DOA.

Marinealver i think the Tiex 7 title works better.What other ept would you recommend?

Well if I had to put a title on it. If it were the TIEx7 then either Calculating or Marksmanship. Problem with Marksmanship is that it negates the -2 point cost of the title all together. So calculating might just be the better one.

If I had to put the TIE D title on it, well in that case I would go with tractor beam to knock down the ability then marksmanship as it works with both cannon and primary weapon follow up attacks,

But still that leaves you at a rather vulnerable PS 7, and the meta is loaded with 8s and 9s. So VI is still default but you might as well forget about pilot ability then.

I prefer Vess but Steele is so awesome against high hull ships like the Slaver, Ghost, Decision, Shadow caster.

I have not played him without Palp (Which goes against my fun factor) so I would probably be eyeing Calculation.

I am going to be controversial and suggest that it is not the Ryad/Vessery pairing that needs looking at but the Palp Mobile. You have nearly a third of your points tied up in that thing but Defenders don't need Palp the way Soontir does. They don't usually run SDs and they have twice the health meaning they can take a few hits and still keep fighting. Soontir is a glass cannon who needs Palp to remain alive and effective. Defenders are fairly cannony but a lot less glassy.

I would suggest that instead of taking a Palp Mobile that you want to hide from engagement, take a 3rd combat ship that can actually take part effectively and still paint Target Locks for Vessery. Having 2 wingmen to mark targets for him makes him a lot more flexible than if he relies on Ryad alone.

My 2 favourite wingmen are either an /x7 Delta Squadron pilot or Deathfire with LRS and ordnance of your choice (I favour HMs, CNs and EMs). Both have lower PS than Vessery meaning they can take a Target Lock and then use it after he has finished shooting. In the case of Deathfire, he can take a TL anywhere outside Range 2 which means once he has fired his missiles, you can TL anything you like for Vessery to shoot at and use Deathfire's free action to drop his Conner Nets.

Here is what I have been toying with.

Rexlar Brath

expertise

tie x/7

The Inquisitor

PTL

tie v/1

autothrusters

Tomax Bren

Cool Hand

Tie Shuttle

Fleet Officer

Systems Officer

Let Rex take a Target Lock, assign a focus to him with Fleet Officer, and use Expertise to turn the eyeballs. Spend focus to flip cards face up.

it may not work as well as i hope but something i want to try.