Today I'm going to tell you about Starvipers. The first squad list I want to talk about is this one:
-Prince Xizor, flying a StarViper (31)
Predator (3)
Virago Title (1)
Advanced Sensors (3)
Inertial Dampeners (1)
Autothrusters (2)
-Guri, flying a StarViper (30)
Predator (3)
Autothrusters (2)
-Serissu, flying a M3-A Scyk Interceptor (20)
Swarm Tactics (2)
It won regionals back in 2015. Why though? This build doesn't look great on paper. I mean, come on. Xizor needs to stay alive, Serrisu has 3 health. But here is my explanation. At the moment, this squad won't work, for many reasons. But back then, PS 9's were fine, Starvipers were new, and people didn't know how to deal with vipers. You see, when building a "Wild" squad, you have to catch the meta-game. It has to work, work against the meta, have a good balance of PS, and have ships that are "Online." When I say Online, I am referring to how worthwhile it is. For example, if you are running this:
-Xizor
VI
Virago
Advanced Sensors
Inertial Dampners
Autothrusters
You aren't going to be getting the most out of your ship. To make this ship Online, give it FCS or Predator, make his attacks hit well. You get me? But you might be thinking, "Epixca, how can you tell us how to play Starvipers?" Well, I've been playing them from the very beginning. I've seen them do well, I've seen them fail. I fly them almost every day, both Casual and Competitive to great results. But enough of that.
There are different kinds of Starviper squads you can run. There is the classic, Xizor/Swarm or Guri with small ships. But my favorite, is Xizor/Guri. I can't tell you how many times people have told me to not do Xizor/Guri. I will admit, they aren't as good as they could be. Once a Viper fix comes out, I will be the very first person in the world to buy it. Because I can see, these ships have flaws.
Another thing to point out: They didn't get hit with nerfs. I think we will be seeing a lot less Bus and Dengar, meaning, what's going to replace it? We can all keep on using Pattarini, or we can try something new! Something about Viper builds that have to be said, they look garbage on paper. Any Viper squad looks like total crap. But it's how you fly it. Build it best you can, and fly it! My most recent squad, that hasn't lost yet, is Xizor/Guri/Unkar. I love that thing. I can't wait 'til Vizago comes out, and makes this thing total beast mode!
What I'm trying to say is, play Vipers, give them a chance. If you take them to tournaments, no one will expect it. But you have to fill in the holes. Where Xizor lacks in damage, he gains in P, and the fact that Guri can supply the damage. Guri is a great arc-dodger, so she will be living for a while, IF FLOWN RIGHT.
Ok, ready for my pro tip? It will be a shocker. Don't use VI on Xizor. Is that moaning a hear? Hear me out. If you run VI on Xizor, you are forced into FCS. Advanced Sensors and Sensor Jammer are so much better! Also, which squads do PS 9 keep up with? Pattarini, but with simultaneous fire, that doesn't matter. Even if Whisper makes a come back, you won't win initiative.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this post, and please, please, try Starvipers at your locals.
Plasma Torps can be devastating if used right. Giving Xizor Predator makes him Online. Great work!
