Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Delta Squadron Pilot (30)
TIE/x7 (-2)
Total: 100
View in Yet Another Squad Builder
Bonus is you're lower PS than Warden Squadron bombers, so they cant guarentee advance-slam-cluster you.
My best Imperial build these days bears out your theory:
3x
Tempest Squadron Pilot
--TIE/x1
--Accuracy Corrector
--Proton Rockets
--Guidance Chips
"Deathfire"
--Homing Missiles
--Conner Net
--Extra Munitions
--Guidance Chips
The Tempests provide reliable chip damage at R2-R3, and a horrifying 10-15 red-die salvo at R1. Plus, the Advanced hull is pretty rugged for the points, especially when it never needs tokens on offense and can Evade at will. Deathfire adds teeth at R3, and Conners to lock aces in place so I can line up a Procket shot next turn.
Edited by fiesta0618Devil Squadron (99)
Glaive Squadron Pilot (35) - TIE Defender
Juke (2), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
Glaive Squadron Pilot (35) - TIE Defender
Juke (2), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
Kir Kanos (29) - TIE Interceptor
Royal Guard TIE (0), Autothrusters (2), Stealth Device (3) Range 1 12, range 2-3 10. With 2 jukes.
3 hours ago, Biophysical said:I think the days of SF hate are mostly over. I've been flying them since November, and liked them, and they're better with Lightweight Frame. People are realizing that now. The basic FCS+LWF combo makes them reasonably tough and do serious damage for the points. They move weird, and their dial looks like crap until you actually play one and get a sense of how it works, but people are doing that now. Add in the fact that they're the best Imperial fighter to take on K-wing bombers, and you've got something real.
I never hated them, I just wasn't keen on the design choice of the 0 point auto include title. For me Wave 9 was my least favorite wave. It just that I find the designs in wave 9 with the auto-include titles more restrictive. I like the option to not take the title to still be a valid option. There are those who pointed out that if you did drop the cost by 1 and make the title cost 1 point you could have a situation like the jumpmaster where it is way over its power/cost curve. IMHO TIE-SF is a good ship. I think that even without the title it might still do some good given its robust hit points in the stat line, but there is no reason to not take the title unless you just wanted to handicapped your self.
1 hour ago, Rakaydos said:Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Alpha Squadron Pilot (18)
Delta Squadron Pilot (30)
TIE/x7 (-2)Total: 100
View in Yet Another Squad Builder
Bonus is you're lower PS than Warden Squadron bombers, so they cant guarentee advance-slam-cluster you.
This sort of looks like a inverse BBBBZ list. Like BBBBZ looks through a Sith Dark Mirror and saw that in the reflection. I wonder how it would do against TLT. Well TLT can do a max of 8 damage but you probably can easily take one out of the firing through bumping range 1 and such. Too bad Imperial Aces didn't come with any Alpha squadron pilots. I have 6 TIE Interceptor models but only 2 Alpha squadrons. (Proxy in Avengers for Alphas I guess).
4x Zeta specialist with FCS (Fire Control System) work too.
I've been experimenting a lot with the Imperial faction post-FAQ, mostly because I'm a smug hipster jerk who likes to win with "the worst faction". Here's some of the stuff I've tried out that's worked:
All the Jank, just all of it. I mostly just wanted to try out the General Hux crew and @Biophysical gave me the idea for this combo. An auto-hit tractor beam followed up by 2x TIE/Ds shooting is pretty brutal. You can fairly easily wipe out a ship in the first salvo. The shuttle is doomed to die, but after that the TIE/Ds can easily close the game out. Also lol at Miranda.
Inquisitor and Omega Leader are still excellent (they love eating Fenn for breakfast nom, nom, nom), especially when you give your opponent a big fat shuttle to beat up on. The Upsilon is an amazing ship. Unless you really mess up the opening engagement, you'll get at least 2 double modded 4-dice shots before having to turn around. Turning around is also much easier than with the Lambda with your white turn, and for those turns when you don't have a shot, you have the coordinate action to help your aces out.
Very similar list, but I didn't find the Stridan + Systems Officer combo to be that useful. Dormitz + Comm Scanner was fun, and let me hard flank with Inquisitor a few times and get turn 1 shots, but the addition of Vader is what made this list sing. You'll usually only get 2 shots with the shuttle before having to turn around, so being able to add 2 crits really helps you burn enemy ships down. It also takes the pressure off of Omega Leader a bit more.
Quickdraw was great in this list. No one ever wanted to shoot him, and when they did I got to fire a homing missile right back into their face. Pure Sabacc may be the best flanker in the game. He's cheap, fast, and hits like a train if ignored, and if your opponent turns to gun for him you have the rest of your squad behind them. Also Academy was constantly the MVP. He claimed many scalps firing at PS1 and blocked many ships to their doom.
Was trying a different Quickdraw in this list, and sweat Jesus was he good. Score to settle on TIE/D Vessery makes him even more of a monster than he already was, and Sabacc continued to be an excellent flanker.
I decided to strip down the super-shuttle I'd been running to save some points and spend more on my aces (5 points was a bit steep to essentially change 1 bank to a hit sometimes). Again the Upsilon continued to prove itself the successor of the Palp-shuttle, with the coordinate action, and/or 4 Dice + Vader winning me several games. It cemented in my mind that Advanced Sensors is just a must on the Upsilon.
These were by no means all the lists I've tried, just some of the ones I liked the most. I also played a couple of swarms, and they were still great, if somewhat of a brain drain. Next I'm going to give a modified version of the Mynock special a go:
I've flew the old version with an Omnicron with Palp and Deflectors to our regional, so it should be interesting to see how the list plays with the Upsilon instead.
The caveat to all of this of course, is that I'm wrong, and Imperials are ****. So disregard what I say.
Edited by CRCLMaybe Triple Delta TIE/D Defenders? You can get 3, one with Tractor, two with Ion Cannon, all 3 with Mk. II - 100pts. I mean that's about as brute force as you can get, plus they all have Mk.II so stress is pretty easy to deal with.
I quite like the idea of four
Tempest Squadron Pilot (25) - TIE Advanced
Proton Rockets (3), TIE/x1 (0), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1), Accuracy Corrector (3)
Could swap Prockets with Clusters. Most of the time you'd be taking evade actions to make them extra tanky.
Thinking on the Prockets ships would benefit more from Guidance Chips instead of TIE Mk II. Maybe upgrade a couple to Storm pilots.
Edited by SasajakI've had good luck with this:
Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)
Unguided Rockets (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)
Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)
Unguided Rockets (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)
Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)
Unguided Rockets (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)
Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)
Unguided Rockets (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)
Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)
Unguided Rockets (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)
Total: 100
View in Yet Another Squad Builder
In league play (7-2). It struggles with highly maneuverable ships like Miranda, though, so it's probably not a good tournament list.
42 minutes ago, Johen Dood said:Maybe Triple Delta TIE/D Defenders? You can get 3, one with Tractor, two with Ion Cannon, all 3 with Mk. II - 100pts. I mean that's about as brute force as you can get, plus they all have Mk.II so stress is pretty easy to deal with.
As much as that seems like a good list with three ships of a good stat line. It is still a 3 ship list. Also final volley of only 9. I think you will need at least a 4th ship also a final volley of 10 to get the more gunline approach. Patrol leader and 2 Deltas might be better (I tend to count large ships as 2 as far as ships in a list go). You should also have 4 points to play around with. It won't fit palp but maybe you could get vader and jerjerrod for some firepower and off set the self damage. Also it is a multi-threat list. Got somethign that is good at arc dodging you have the decimator. Got something that takes down large ships fast you got the Deltas.
Don't think you should be building for final salvo. Three TIE/Ds have the problem of being too one-dimensional, I imagine.
While I do like lightweight frame on an /sf I have had great success with MK II engines and pattern analyser. I have found that combination pretty much makes the reds on the dial white, and that's a heck of a dial.
29 minutes ago, Admiral Deathrain said:Don't think you should be building for final salvo. Three TIE/Ds have the problem of being too one-dimensional, I imagine.
Same for the deci and 2 delta build.
Now final salvo is not the strategy here. There meta is not in a tank cycle with most games going to table not time. The need for tough ships is more to absorb damage and not get killed out right than it is to save point for MOV. Final Salvo is more of a good metric or gauge on both firepower and ability to ablate damage through number of ships. The concept is that since the firepower in the meta is so heavy a ship is going to die. So the 3 ship aces build which has a very strong early game tends to die in the mid to late game as soon as the first ship is removed and quarter to even half the firepower is removed from the table. So the idea to compensate is to have more ships each with good firepower and durability, or a combined threat so that a list that is good at countering half the list will have a difficult time encountering the other half (such as the deci delta build).
However final salvo is not the only metric. 3 phantoms can easily have a salvo over 10 but again the concept is of durability. 3 phantoms does not have the durability of 2 deltas and a patrol leader. Also a TIE Swarm is capable of having over 10. While I think a TIE swarm does better than 3 phantoms, I am a bit concern over the 3 hull 0 shields. I think the new Imperial Meta hasn't hit full swarm (7-8 ships) but rather more of a 4-6 ship list is where the Imperials will find their new strength for this meta.
An idea that's been tumbling around in my head for almost 6 months is to get Kagi in a list. By sucking up Target Locks, he protects the rest of your squad from an alpha strike. It's a way to get other ships into position, but he's pricey in his own right, so I've never built a squad that feels worth it.
8 hours ago, Marinealver said:I never hated them, I just wasn't keen on the design choice of the 0 point auto include title.
I think you misunderstood what a point of title card is. More often than not it is not an optional element of upgrade of the ship but instead you should treat it like a special rule of the ship. So in a way title cost is already factored in cost of the ship. Because lets face it, without title cards where would you put additional rules of the ship? It is elegant and intuitive solution.
Also, I love this thread - instead of another "NERF DAT" whining fest we get actually meaty thread, encouraging brainstorming.
Ran this a couple of times last year. Hits like a truck!
Would probably put LWF in now, not sure what I'd spend the 2 points on though...
Colonel Vessery (35)
Tractor beam (1)
Adaptability (0)
TIE/D (0)
Shadow Squadron Pilot (27)
Fire-Control System (2)
Hull Upgrade (3)
Shadow Squadron Pilot (27)
Fire-Control System (2)
Hull Upgrade (3)
Total: 100
12 hours ago, Rakaydos said:Star Killer Base:
Starkiller Base Pilot (30)
Collision Detector (0)
Recon Specialist (3)
Pattern Analyzer (2)
Weapons Guidance (2)
Tactical Jammer (1)Starkiller Base Pilot (30)
Collision Detector (0)
Inspiring Recruit (1)
Recon Specialist (3)
Pattern Analyzer (2)
Weapons Guidance (2)
Kylo Ren's Shuttle (2)"Epsilon Leader" (19)
Comm Relay (3)Total: 100
View in Yet Another Squad Builder
71% chance of 4 damage on 4 dice. 90+% chance of 4+ on 5 dice. Let their fickle greens betray them....
IF Imperial big base ships had a dial as good as their Scum and Rebel counterparts, I would say yes....but Imperial big base ships suck in maneuverability, it's a design flaw that continues to haunt any list that uses them.
6 minutes ago, Stevey86 said:not sure what I'd spend the 2 points on though...
Swap Adaptability for Expert Handling to tech against Ordinance, or Determination for Kylo Ren.
My take on viable Imperial lists, maybe not a brute force but I will try one of those combinations in following store tournament:
#1 ANTI STRESSORS TOKENED-UP
Total: 100 pts
#2 BARON IS COMING BACK!
19 minutes ago, Embir82 said:2 BARON IS COMING BACK!
“Backdraft”Special Forces TIEVeteran Instincts
Fire-Control System
Targeting Synchronizer
Special Ops Training
Lightweight Frame36 ptsSoontir Fel (or Inquisitor with Prockets)TIE InterceptorRoyal Guard TIEPush the Limit
AutothrustersTargeting Computer34 ptsTomax BrenTIE BomberCrack Shot
Plasma Torpedoes
Extra Munitions
Guidance Chips30 ptsTotal: 99 pts
This list with a slightly cheaper Backdraft (no Pattern Analyzers) and Tomax swapped out for a lean Quickdraw is in the running for my Store Championships list. You get hea ily modified attacks, rear arcs, great PS, and you still have a classic Imperial Ace.
Also, part if my mind keeps thinking about Punishers. Not because they're great, but they're far more likely to survive an alpha strike than most ships. It gives them a certain amount if reliability. I wonder if a pair of those + Fel would be interesting.
39 minutes ago, clanofwolves said:IF Imperial big base ships had a dial as good as their Scum and Rebel counterparts, I would say yes....but Imperial big base ships suck in maneuverability, it's a design flaw that continues to haunt any list that uses them.
Pattern analyser + Epsilon Leader.
41 minutes ago, kris40k said:Swap Adaptability for Expert Handling to tech against Ordinance, or Determination for Kylo Ren.
Adaptability was a deliberate choice to have them all at PS5.
Then I can shoot with a Phantom first to set up a TL for Vessery.
42 minutes ago, clanofwolves said:IF Imperial big base ships had a dial as good as their Scum and Rebel counterparts, I would say yes....but Imperial big base ships suck in maneuverability, it's a design flaw that continues to haunt any list that uses them.
2 minutes ago, Rakaydos said:Pattern analyser + Epsilon Leader.
So now the Upsilon dial is as good as a Jumpmaster? a VCX-100? a Shadowcaster?
Nope.
2 minutes ago, clanofwolves said:
So now the Upsilon dial is as good as a Jumpmaster? a VCX-100? a Shadowcaster?
Nope.
VCX or Falcon, without hera, sure. The infinite stop shenanigams make up for the lack of K turn if you hug a table edge.
Edited by Rakaydos