1 minute ago, Archangelspiv said:

I dont know if it's been said yet, but I much prefer VI Backdraft than Quickdraw, at best she gets 3 uses of her ability, 1 Plasma torp etc and it's all over, you just have a dual arc TIE with less agility and a crappier dial.

Is that guesswork or have you played her? Quickdraw can, with the right positioning, be worth it even if her ability only works once. And if that is the case the Dengar effect kicks in and your opponent might forgoe the attack on her. I have had her last a lot longer than you'd expect thanks to that.

1 hour ago, SDCC said:

That...is a very good point. I was umming and ahhing between Vessery and Ryad, which is essentially X7 vs TIE/D in my head.

That would make for an interesting combo. How about putting Plasma Torpedoes on and then fitting in Crackshot?

Thinking it through, I want Vessery to strip tokens and move the enemy into a worse position(better for me) position, but need the TL. Get the feeling Backdraft might be better at PS7.

As I mentioned earlier, I was fiddling about with an X7/VI Vessery/Tomax/Adaptability Backdraft list on Saturday and was pretty impressed with it. All three moving and shooting at PS8 is pretty great. I hadn't considered making Vessery a TIE-D, which I could totally do if I drop Tomax to Omega Leader (which also solves the "Someone Needs To Take A Lock First Round" issue). Makes Vess the obvious first target, but I'd kind of rather either of the other two make it to endgame anyway.

8 hours ago, Archangelspiv said:

I dont know if it's been said yet, but I much prefer VI Backdraft than Quickdraw, at best she gets 3 uses of her ability, 1 Plasma torp etc and it's all over, you just have a dual arc TIE with less agility and a crappier dial.

I just fly both. Best of both worlds. May have limited uses of quickdraws ability but it can make a big difference when it does trigger. Especially if you're running expertise and fcs so it's fully modified

"Quickdraw" (29)
Expertise (4)
Fire-Control System (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)
Special Ops Training (0)

Colonel Vessery (35)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/x7 (-2)

"Omega Leader" (21)
Juke (2)
Comm Relay (3)

Total: 98

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

I've run this five or six times and done well, though I have not fought a stress list that would try to shut down Quickdraw nor have I run it in a tournament. Between QD's FC and Omega Leader trying to lock up someone, Vessery has a TL to work with and can help bring the hammer. I'll freely admit it probably wouldn't stand up to many of the meta lists out there, but I've had fun with it!

11 hours ago, Admiral Deathrain said:

Is that guesswork or have you played her? Quickdraw can, with the right positioning, be worth it even if her ability only works once. And if that is the case the Dengar effect kicks in and your opponent might forgoe the attack on her. I have had her last a lot longer than you'd expect thanks to that.

I have tried her out, people have just focused her down, well at least until she doesnt have any shields left. Normally takes only 1-2 shots with the current creep of red die attacks.

i've even ran her with the mentality of keeping her away from the initial joust, i.e. deploy her on the side and flank. People still just fly directly at her.

Its kinda comical how hardcore people are on removing her asap. Shes nowhere near dengar danger level yet people act like shes worse when they see her on the board lol. Really curious if she'd still have that level of threat if brought bare boned and used as a sacrificial lamb to distract everyone.....

That an SF an be the complete initial focus of the enemy says a lot about the ship and pilots.

I'll be using the Vessery/Backdraft/Tomax team on Thursday. I'll report in after!

Interestingly, I've found that people prioritise Backdraft over Quickdraw when I'm flying them both in a list. Quickdraw's return shot seems to be enough to put them off when combined with the threat of Backdraft getting rear arc shots the following turn.

49 minutes ago, Jarval said:

Interestingly, I've found that people prioritise Backdraft over Quickdraw when I'm flying them both in a list. Quickdraw's return shot seems to be enough to put them off when combined with the threat of Backdraft getting rear arc shots the following turn.

This ^

I run quickdraw and backdraft in a tight formation with Vessery so I can focus all guns on one ship.

And my opponents almost exclusevely choose to shoot at BD. Probably because four modified attacks at one target is to mutch for one ship.

And BD is the hardest hitting too with her rear arc.

3 minutes ago, Rasseman83 said:

This ^

I run quickdraw and backdraft in a tight formation with Vessery so I can focus all guns on one ship.

And my opponents almost exclusevely choose to shoot at BD. Probably because four modified attacks at one target is to mutch for one ship.

And BD is the hardest hitting too with her rear arc.

This is why you give QD Draw Their Fire =D

Sounds really cool, if I had two SFs!

The idea of Tomax dishing out an TL and getting the ball rolling intrigues me though so I'm happy to use that.

39 minutes ago, thespaceinvader said:

This is why you give QD Draw Their Fire =D

Perhaps I Should try that. I've been thinking of running all with crack shot. But perhaps changing QDs crack shot for draw their fire would be even better.

It makes deciding who to shoot very difficult. It's a solid choice for sure.

I've been having a lot of fun on Vassal recently QD and BD with title, frame, targetting synchroniser and FCS, QD with DTF and BD with VI. The third ship is flexible but Duchess and OL both fit and benefit well from the lock-stealing.You get a LOT of rerolls this way.

I'm currently rolling with this and it absolutely murders

"Murder-Hobos-Abound V 2"

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35
Veteran Instincts 1
Tractor Beam 1
Hull Upgrade 3
TIE/D 0
Ship Total: 40

"Omega Leader" — TIE/fo Fighter 21
Juke 2
Comm Relay 3
Ship Total: 26

"Quickdraw" — TIE/sf Fighter 29
Adaptability 0
Fire-Control System 2
Lightweight Frame 2
Special Ops Training 0
Ship Total: 33
-

99pts

On 4/2/2017 at 3:55 PM, Vineheart01 said:

Yes, if they worded it "When attacking from your aux arc" it wouldnt be an issue.

Course they probably didnt think this kind of thing was possible. Even though its painfully easy to get it in Epic...

Going from memory here but isn't Backdraft:

"When attacking a ship within your auxiliary arc, you may add `1 {crit} result"

Anyway, i struggle with the TIE/SF, seems like the Imperial T70 and you don't really see that, if at all.

Definitely not a T70, it has a bunch of tricks the T70 wish it had.

Aux arc
System slot
1turns (even if theyre red)
Splitfire potential
TIE only options.

And yes it does specify "When attacking a ship inside your aux firing arc, you may add 1 crit result" which doesnt specify attacking from the aux arc, just hitting a ship that happens to be poking into it. Unless youre in that perfectly spaced sweet spot against a Large ship, or basically flying next to a Huge ship in general (though probably different halves), you will add a crit on both attacks.

If they specified "When firing from your aux arc, you my add a crit result" this wouldnt be possible anymore and ONLY the aux would add it.
Not that big of a deal though since like i said its incredibly precise and difficult to pull off.

5 hours ago, Dalli said:

I flew Backdraft at Lothal Open with this setup and reached the cut on place 6:

"Backdraft" (27)
Lone Wolf (2)
Collision Detector (0)
Pattern Analyzer (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)
Special Ops Training (0)

Total: 33

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

I'm not a big friend of FCS on SF and I also think that Quickdraw is way more specific as Backdraft. Backdraft has lot more usability. It's a little problem to me to describe the "hows" and "whys". But I do - in german in the greatest Forum here. F or all interested and German speaking:

http://www.moseisleyraumhafen.com/t14158-lothal-open-2017#245819

http://www.moseisleyraumhafen.com/t14159-100df-riders-of-the-tiepocalypse#245820

http://www.moseisleyraumhafen.com/t12701-taktik-backdraft-wortwortlich-umgesetzt#224423

kind regards

Dalli

I've been playing with this backdraft in list builder for a while but my lists always fall apart because I can never figure out what to bring with him.

I had a few games last night, mostly against quad TLT (three games in a row! ) but I also got in a game against a Backdraft + Inquisitor + Bren list.

I was using VI Ketsu and VI Bossk.

Now I will admit and confirm that I did indeed focus fire on Backdraft first, this wasn't because of threat of the list, but it was a choice between deleting Backdraft (a 35 point ship) or Bren (a 32 point ship). Firing at VI Backdraft wouldn't PS kill him/her but it would remove his/her target lock and stop Bren from firing his homing missiles so I figured I would take it.

Few turns of jocking for position but the initial engagement saw me ram Ketsu five straight, which landed her within MM of Backdraft for an evade action and Bossk a two straight (K4 target locked onto Backdraft) and took a focus.

Start of combat phase saw Backdraft reduced to one agility whilst Ketsu pumped her system full of Glitterstim, popped countermeasures to remove the Inquisitors Target Lock and then proceeded to slam four hits home (two hits, one blank rerolled into a focus via Dengar and another focus, both converted by Glitterstim). Backdraft managed a single evade thanks to Lightweight Frame and then went to zero agility due to the Shadow Caster title.

Bossk then went over kill, with a combination of TL, 4LOM and guidance chips, his homing missile managed two crits and two hits. Zero evade from Backdraft and that was all she/he wrote.

The return fire was aimed at Bossk and managed a single hit after evade dice were rolled.

Inquisitor could only fire at Ketsu but three agility + glitter saw no damage. Bren tried but only managed a single hit, even with crackshot, it didn't do anything due to a lucky glitter + evade token use.

Next turn the Inquisitor cleared stress with a hard one turn which subsequently got him rammed by Ketsu, tractor beamed off, shot at and then massacred by a homing missile from Bossk (got to love salvage crane!). It was just too much to handle. Bren hit Bossk with his homing missile, dealing four damage in total but his options for the turns ahead were limited. Bren wasn't going to chew through both ships, not with only one missile left so we called time.

We discussed the game afterwards and both agreed that it mainly came down to that opening engagement. Both lists have strong alpha strikes but with Backdraft lacking any serious defensive mods, it makes him/her too easy to be removed. Also, being the lynch pin for the entire combo as well as the highest priced ship in the list, just makes him/her a no brainer for target priority. Maybe Quickdraw would of been a better fit in this list?

I did see some of the match up between Backdraft and Quad TLT as I was packing up, Backdraft alpha strike removed a Y wing before it fired but Backdraft was removed due to TLT fire. I think it was really unlucky evade dice personally. Not sure how the rest went, hope Inquisitor took the victory!

So with that being said, how would you approach these sorts of match ups if you were the Imperial player? You need the TIE/SF to fire and start the combo but by doing so, you are also exposing them to risk.

Quote

So with that being said, how would you approach these sorts of match ups if you were the Imperial player? You need the TIE/SF to fire and start the combo but by doing so, you are also exposing them to risk.

Flank with QD/BD or better control of the first engagement through the use of obstacle placement.

While I won't recommend it in most games, if you forego the Focus on Tomax and take TL instead, you offer him up as bait - and if he survives... well...