Hi

I've decided to go with something a bit unconventional for this next campaign: dual glads and an interdictor (plus others).

I had chosen Screed as my commander, and the idea is the glads to glad stuff, interdictor messes with movement, and also using screed to trigger its blue crit abliity.

I tested out a few things last night and made some good discoveries about my build - what works and a few things that dont. But I do need some help:

1) If the idea is to use the blue crit ablility, what do you recommend? Overload pulse was my first test, but the interdictor wants to naturally activate after the gladiators so its ineffective - Im playing with NK-7s, yes they are expensive, but since I can at least guarantee the crit to trigger it - could be handy.

2) I dont know if I should put points into supporting the glads from the interdictor, like projection experts and targeting scrambler, since they want to run farther ahead of the interdictor - I wonder if im better off just concentrating on board and objective control.

3) what helps for survivablility? Wulf (for 8 engineering) or Tua with ECMs?

How else do you load out your interdictors?

Well if you are loading it up for CC conflict you can only start with a single upgrade/ship so best choose an upgrade that allows you some use from its limited ability as a disruption cruiser. Just having a ship with the experimental upgrade on the table will allow you to stop the enemy from running late in the game, but you do have to be near the enemy to accomplish that (Distance 1-5). Maybe best to use the Glads exactly as you describe with the Interdictor trailing. So say your first upgrade is Targeting Scrambler. This fits the roll of the Interdictor following close behind the Gladiators. Because the ability of the card requires the defending ship to be at close range of the attacker, this fits the Gladiators role in a fight perfectly.

Since the upgrade process could take awhile may I suggest the combat refit version for your fleet. The extra red dice will be handy to have. Currently the Blue crit effect does not really play to the Interdictors purpose. You would be better suited to seeing that on a Victory-II. Maybe in a later round with points to buy additional upgrades you could then decide the fate of the cruiser. Giving each Gladiator an Engineering team from campaign start will go a step further in recovering some shields from early ranged fire.

Alternative is to outfit both Glads with APT or ACM supported by a Raider-II with Overload Pulse. With the 4 ships that still leaves you 92 pts after Admiral and upgrades. You can further buff your actions with a Gozanti-cruiser Dlotilla helping you get that critical effect you seek when you need it vs hoping the enemy plays into it for you.

57 minutes ago, Wes Janson said:

Well if you are loading it up for CC conflict you can only start with a single upgrade/ship so best choose an upgrade that allows you some use from its limited ability as a disruption cruiser. Just having a ship with the experimental upgrade on the table will allow you to stop the enemy from running late in the game, but you do have to be near the enemy to accomplish that (Distance 1-5). Maybe best to use the Glads exactly as you describe with the Interdictor trailing. So say your first upgrade is Targeting Scrambler. This fits the roll of the Interdictor following close behind the Gladiators. Because the ability of the card requires the defending ship to be at close range of the attacker, this fits the Gladiators role in a fight perfectly.

Since the upgrade process could take awhile may I suggest the combat refit version for your fleet. The extra red dice will be handy to have. Currently the Blue crit effect does not really play to the Interdictors purpose. You would be better suited to seeing that on a Victory-II. Maybe in a later round with points to buy additional upgrades you could then decide the fate of the cruiser. Giving each Gladiator an Engineering team from campaign start will go a step further in recovering some shields from early ranged fire.

Alternative is to outfit both Glads with APT or ACM supported by a Raider-II with Overload Pulse. With the 4 ships that still leaves you 92 pts after Admiral and upgrades. You can further buff your actions with a Gozanti-cruiser Dlotilla helping you get that critical effect you seek when you need it vs hoping the enemy plays into it for you.

I've played the campaign once before now, and I found building my "ideal" 500 point list first to figure out my upgrade path, then pairing it down to the 400 point start is the way I like to do it. It's not necessarily how my final fleet looks (in the first campaign there ended up with some changes based on the opponent fleets from my 500 ideal upgrade track), but I find it handy to have a end fleet in mind so Im not making unnecessary purchases and wasting points.

Ive got my glads pretty well figured out, I liked the way they ran in the previous game - made a few changes but I like them.

But I do like your suggestion on a raider with overload pulse - its a great early activation punch that I could really use. Ill have to consider that over my planned addition of a Arcquittens

I hear ya, the Arquittens is a good ship, but does not fit well into the form of play the remiander of the fleet wants to tackle. Plus there isn't anything really special about the red crit world for Screed to exploit.

Interdictor Suppression

1. Wulff - Engineering Token for Projection Experts.
2. Projection Experts - Heal those Glads
3. Targeting Scrablers - protect your Glads
4. Grav-shift Reroute
5. Interdictor - for Targeting Scrablers
6. Ion-cannon Batteries
7. Optional Tractor Beams.... This kills their Nav token or slows them down and lets the Ion-cannon strip that shield away.

124pts or 118pts without Tractor Beams. Keep your Glads close then pounce when in the next turn they are in range of the Interdictor.

Ion Cannon Batteries is quickly becoming my go to Ion Cannon upgrade for Interdictors. It's on the cheaper side, it doesn't exhaust, and helps with the damage output on the Suppression, particularly if you have Screed. The only way I've gotten Overload Pulse to work was when I threw Engine Techs on the Dictor and raced it out there to begin popping shots off for Avenger close behind, but that's an expensive combo, and the same would go for NK-7s.

If you've got two Glads there as your heavy hitters, you want the Interdictor there to support them.
-Targeting Scramblers only helps you if you plan on either trying to keep it up to speed with the Glads (almost need Engine Techs if you put Engine techs on the Glads) or keeping the Glads a bit slower (probably not the best strategic play).
-GSR can give you some pretty decent control over the field and objectives, either defensively playing your objectives/moving obstacles in their way, or offensively, reducing the benefit of their objects and moving their obstacles out of your way.
-G8 & Tractor beams could potentially be effective here as an alternative to Naboobo's set up. Keep something pinned for the Glads to focus down.

A lot of these decisions would be a lot more informed once you know what you are facing in CC. If you're facing long-range MSUs, plinking out damage from afar, then Projection Experts/Wulff would be a pretty good counter to that. If you're facing black dice brawlers like the MC30s, then Targeting Scramblers and the Title are probably the way to go. The only "must" I ever feel like I need is GSR, but maybe that's me...