Ok guys and gals. I've not seen any topics along these lines before. Let's see your favorite builds for the ISD I. Everyone has them. When you make that new list, there are upgrades you automatically throw on first thing. No list discussion. Just the one ship. Please do tell how you would use the ship with the load out you show us. And... go!

no idea, I always bring the II

last I saw em, people were running them as carriers for rhymer balls with stuff like Ozzel and Demo and raiders in tow

expanded hangars with the command 2 title make for quite the carrier that can obliterate stuff in its single activation

Ordinance experts and Intel officer. Keep them lean and mean

Avenger + XI7 (and Vader)

What?

ISD-I // Boosted Comms / Expanded Hangars / Admiral Chiraneu / Flight Controllers

Option to replace Chiraneu with Yularen, or have an accompanying Gozanti continually passing a token to the ISD with Comms nets. 6 Fighter activation constantly with whatever fighters you like, while getting an attack bonus. Could be anything from an all TIE Aces ball (Mithel, Howlrunner, Valen, and company) to six TIE Defenders to just about anything you want. Crush enemy fighters with it.

I'll admit I really like ISD-I's and I tend to use them lean and mean as well: Leading Shots, XI7, and occasionally a Charting Officer so I can go for the kill rather than daintily pick my way around the space scraps.

Pretty fun topic, actually. Iz nice, yez!

Leading shots and heavy turbolaser turrets.

Or leading shots, Avenger, and XX-9s.

If I have Vader, drop the leading shots.

I don't run the one all that often, and don't really have a preferred build for it. But I do love the topic and want to see more like it.

5 hours ago, Vykes said:

I'll admit I really like ISD-I's and I tend to use them lean and mean as well: Leading Shots, XI7, and occasionally a Charting Officer so I can go for the kill rather than daintily pick my way around the space scraps.

Leading Shots and XI7 is my exact go-to as well. Keeps it cheap, but can absolutely murder things. Leading Shots and H9 has been getting more and more common though...

I tend to keep it pretty lean too. XI7 and Leading Shots for a bruiser. Expanded Hangars and Boosted Comms for a carrier (maybe XI7 if there are points leftover). I want to try adding Tua and try some defensive upgrades to see how hat helps the survivability.

Love the topic although I trend so heavily toward the ISD-2 as to not have much to add.

What do you do? You wait until PT106 posts and then do that. In my opinion he is the absolute master of the ISD (1 and 2 varieties.)

For an ISD1: Intel Officer, OE, and XI7s makes things die...

(I do like the expanded hangers/boosted ideas for a dedicated carrier though)

ISD 1- Relentless, SFO, OE, High Capacity Ion Turbines, H9s, 134 points

I Love this build because of the flexibility, Hitting power and all around versatility. The Relentless SFO combo can really help with having the right order at the right time every turn. Also H9s and HCIT on the side arcs hit so much harder. you would be surprised how flying this ship aggressively make your opponent end up in black range on the sides consistently. if you can feed a CF that's 2 reds 1 blue 3 black with a guaranteed acc and 3 blacks that have a re roll. hits very hard.

7 minutes ago, Mattorium said:

ISD 1- Relentless, SFO, OE, High Capacity Ion Turbines, H9s, 134 points

I Love this build because of the flexibility, Hitting power and all around versatility. The Relentless SFO combo can really help with having the right order at the right time every turn. Also H9s and HCIT on the side arcs hit so much harder. you would be surprised how flying this ship aggressively make your opponent end up in black range on the sides consistently. if you can feed a CF that's 2 reds 1 blue 3 black with a guaranteed acc and 3 blacks that have a re roll. hits very hard.

Gotta love them command 1 ISD's...

BTW, I love that this build isnt just "point front at enemy, make go boom boom". To really unlock this things full potential it wants that double arc. Good stuff.

With Minister Tua, I can see ISD-I's getting to see more action than they normally would. However, I will always take the II over the I.

I much prefer the ISD-I. The potential damage spike over the ISD-II is really nice. I tend to play it with Vader and in that context, it doesn't need many other upgrades to be awesome. I often use Gunnery Teams, but more as an Anti-squad upgrade than anything else.

Keep it cheap so you can afford the rest of the fleet to support it.

I like this load out since wave V. It's basically a big Gladiator and it flies with two of them. It hits hard and can take some punishment. Now, if I could only Hyperspace assault with it.

Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer (110 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
- Relentless ( 3 points)
- Minister Tua ( 2 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- High-Capacity Ion Turbines ( 8 points)
= 162 total ship cost

I faced a guy over the weekend with a pair of ISDs with expanded hangers and boosted comms with a swarm...surprisingly effective. I may start looking at a super carrier approach with some Arqs

I would only talk about gunship versions of ISD1 (as I have less experience with carrier version, so can't provide much info, but essentially in my mind its a EHB/BC or EHB/RLB with optional Flight Controllers on top of any gunship build one can make).

So, given that I would divide ISD1 builds into 3 subcategories:

1. Dirt cheap (115 pts or less):

Nothing. Even naked ISD1 can do a lot of damage. However its less predictable, so the only two upgrades I would consider there are Ordnance Experts(4) and Skilled First Officer(1) in any combination based on the points available.

2. Relatively cheap (120 - 130 pts):

OE/XI7 (120) or SFO/OE/XI7 (121) - this can kill a lot of ships in one shot from close range front arc (and God help you if you're in a close range double arc)

Upgrade with Tua/RBD (7 pts) for that extra hull or Kallus/QLT (8 pts) to add some pressure to squadrons.

IO/OE (121) - this can add a pain at long range to single-evade ships and neutralize ECM-equipped big ones. So a bit of the meta call.

IO/OE/XI7 (127) - best of both worlds but starts to be expensive.

OE/HC Ion Turbunes/XI7 (128) - dangerous in any arc.

3. Expensive (130 pts - Christmas tree land):

Gunnery/LS/Spinals (130 pts) : ISD2 on steroids.

OE/HC Ion Turbunes/H9 (130 pts): Flotilla killer of opportunity. I'm not fond of this config in a current meta (I think this role is better suited to Gunnery/LS ISD2) but it is a solid build.

For officer slot one can add Intel (7), Tua/RBD(7), Tua/ECM(9) or Kallus(3) with optional QLT(5) (and of course if you don't plan to add anything - SFO(1))

Another interesting variation to any of these is to add Tractor Beams (if points permit) but this requires a synergy with the rest of the fleet (as well as Avenger).

I'm personally not a fan of Relentless title, as ISD fleets are usually short on points and unless you're a carrier, a better effect can be achieved with SFO (and most of the time you can make do with 3 command dials) but looks like some people do love it so its worth mentioning.

"Natasha"

Avenger + Minister Tua + Reinforced Blast Doors + Gunnery Team + Q7 + Expanded Hangers + Leading Shots + XX-9: 149

i typically run this with a MEDIC! interdictor behind him, that also debuffs enemies (Overload shot, G-8), along with Konstantine to really slow enemies down

I'm liking what I'm seeing. I figured it was time for a different type of discussion compared to the usual stuff we see. I find myself throwing tractor beams on them often.

Gunnery team, and the occasional xi7. Tua and ECM recently too.

My latest cheap build for a ISD I: Vader/Damage Control Officer/Gunnery Team/Spinal Armament

If I have extra points to use: change DCO for Tua/ECM or Needa/Relentess (same points as DCO)

How do you ever get two targets at close range with an ISD-I for gunnery teams to proc? Generous opponents?

Just now, DUR said:

How do you ever get two targets at close range with an ISD-I for gunnery teams to proc? Generous opponents?

You can shoot at ranges beyond close.