So last year I rode the Ruthlessness Tie/D Vessery train to top 16 at Austin and to 20th at Dallas. I was trying some rebel jank out for a while but haven't come up with anything good enough for our local Store Champs, so I am falling back on my roots. What are the best wingmen for this Vessery build?
39 pts
Colonel Vessery,
Ruthlessness, Tractor Beam, Tie/D

36pt PTL x/7, Twin Ion Ryad has been my go to in the past, but I am looking for alternatives since I can't seem to find a good 25 point ship to round out the squad. Maybe I should throw Quickdraw in because I could trigger his ability with ruthlessness? Give me ideas internet! I am stuck!

It depends on what you're trying to do. I like Quickdraw with FCS because it interacts with Vessery so well.

Quickdraw -Title, FCS, LWF, sensor cluster, A score to Settle

it's 35 points and leaves you with 26.

Gamma Squard Vet - crackshot, proton torps, EM, guidance chips. 26 points

I know people like deadeye on the gamma, since he is PS 5, but TL works with Vessery. Your call.

You could also throw in a TIE striker as a blocker/distraction. I'm personally a fan of countdown because he's so tanky, but pure sabacc with the title, LWF would put you at 24 and give you some wiggle room for an EPT. However, no TL option means you need Quickdraw or Ryad to make Vessery work.

I was just thinking about Ruthlessness Vessery, and how to capitalize on his tractor beam.

(33) "Backdraft" (27) w/ Adaptability (0) , Fire-Control System (2) , Sensor Cluster (2) , Lightweight Frame (2) , Special Ops Training (0)

(40) Colonel Vessery (35) w/ Ruthlessness (3) , Tractor Beam (1) , Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1) , TIE/D (0)

(27) "Pure Sabacc" (22) , Predator (3) , Lightweight Frame (2) , Adaptive Ailerons (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

Okay, how about this,

Loaded out Vessery for 40 points

And two Omega Specialists with Homing missiles, adaptability, chips, title and collision detector for why the hell not

Four 0 point cards and one nasty alpha strike. 30 points each.

This will help protect vessery on the initial run by confusing your opponents targeting priority, ordnance carriers can almost act like biggs, drawing fire away from your precious endgame piece.

Tie D ruthless vessery is a damadge dealer, and if his wingmen are tanks or flankers, then that means vessery will just die first (lame)

From a strategy standpoint, doubling down on what vessery is already good at, (dealing lots of damage fast) gives him a solid chance of living long enough to deal enough damadge to pay for his cost.

There is a flaw "But Cognis" you tell me, "Wont your Omega die fast without lightweight frame?"

Yes they will, but this is actually an asset in disguise. A great psych trick to use when you dont have biggs, is to make everything have lower defense than the thing you want to live the longest. this again , messes with target priority. If they concentrate on vessery, you dont need LW until its too late, if they kill your omegas first...AWSOME! they ARENT shooting at vessery! and if they are trying to kill vessery last, then you probably just win right then and there.

I like the idea of Adaptability Backdraft in there, lets me take advantage of that tractor

I have tried Pure Sabbac but he dies soooooo quickly (I probably need to flank harder with him than I normally do).

Good point @DarthCognis about the target priority. Maybe I should look at more fragile ships that I can keep the enemy distracted from Vessery (in which case I should just keep flying Sabbac)

I'd recommend Carnor Jax as one escort, and probably Stele as the second defender - with Juke, most likely.

I've been going through this same conundrum lately. Can't wait for July so an unguided rocket Tomax is on the table, but until then this is what I've been messing around with:

Colonel Vessery - Tie Defender (35)

- Ruthlessness (3)

- Tractor Beam (1)

- TIE/D (0)

- TIE mk2 Engines (1)

The Inquisitor - TIE Advanced Prototype (25)

- Push the Limit (3)

- TIE/v1 (1)

- Autothrusters (2)

"Omega Leader" - TIE/FO (21)

- Juke (2)

- Comm Relay (3)

- Stealth Device (3)

Both wing mates are shielded, difficult to pin down and want target locks up. Target priority is difficult since they've all got game closing.thinking that Inquisitor flanks while vess and omega stick together.

11 hours ago, DarthCognis said:

Okay, how about this,

Loaded out Vessery for 40 points

And two Omega Specialists with Homing missiles, adaptability, chips, title and collision detector for why the hell not

Four 0 point cards and one nasty alpha strike. 30 points each.

Lots wrong with that, they are ps6, so moving before PS7+ means no target lock first engagement, which means one could be dead before it fires the next round with just two greens. And they don't have FCS so Vessery doesn't even get his lock in that first engagement either.

16 hours ago, NoShieldsAllGuts said:

	You could try pairing it with a Sensor Jammer Palp Shuttle and Omega Leader, fits at 99.

I'm very much not a fan of neo-Palp, but the Lambda does have some inherent synergy with Vessery. I'd suggest looking at this:

Jendon, round one, gets target locks on TWO enemy ships. At the start of round one's combat phase, he then passes one of these locks over to Omega Leader (who will now have a TL and an Evade, meaning she can focus or reposition without fear during the first engagement).

Jendon can hang back a bit, to make sure TLs are sticking and then to sneak in with his Vader crew and make some clutch kills.
OR
Jendon can enter the fray early and help lay waste with his Vader crew and hopefully draw some shots away from Vessery.

This is a modern variation of my 2016 Regionals list that took me to the top 16, and it's something I've been considering this tourney season (but I went RACdraw instead).

Another consideration would be a mix of Quickdraw, OL, and Vessery, where Quickdraw uses Targeting Synchronizer -- now OL AND Vessery get to benefit from Quickdraw's target lock, which is pretty awesome in my opinion.

@Astech I like Jax in general, but he just doesn't fit well with Ruthlessness in my experience. Jax needs to be in Range 1 and any ship I put in range 1 of the ship vessery is shooting should have some health to soak up a ruthlessness if for some reason I can't tractor the enemy ship away (or its a large ship).
In general I think this build suffers against large ships, but it does murder those small ships awful quick!

@ArbitraryNerd I like that synergy! It does seem like Omega leader would not take the most advantage of vessery's tractor beam, but he is a great endgame ship!

Going back to @DarthCognis 's idea, you could fit two Omega Specialist Tie/SF's with FCS, Twin Ion and Pattern Analyzer. They could keep vessery going for a long time and wouldn't mind being hit by ruthlessness once or twice.

Benefit of Ruthlessness and Quick draw is you could force her ability to trigger with Vessery, especially if no one else is going to shoot her that round.

I ended up deciding on a Lambda with FCS and Tactician. Its a good k-turn blocker, fcs for vessery, and tactician to stress a mindlink list potentially.

Let us know how it goes!

On 6/2/2017 at 1:17 PM, AngryAlbatross said:

I ended up deciding on a Lambda with FCS and Tactician. Its a good k-turn blocker, fcs for vessery, and tactician to stress a mindlink list potentially.

Most times, stressing a Mindlink list isn't a big deal, unfortunately. Even double stressing one ship won't stop it from getting a Focus token passed on by a buddy.

Stress countering Mindlink is a bit of an illusion. It limits their movements a bit, but they're already pretty aware of that before you brought a stress mechanic.

I still think a Lambda + Title is the best setup for pairing with Vessery. Add Vader, and you've got a real threat to swing in after the first round or two of engagement.

Vessery, VI, Tie/D, Tractor - 37

Quickdraw, Rage, Electronic Baffle, title, Light frame - 33

Tomax, Crack, Plasma, EM, Chips - 30

IMO, Rage/Baffle Quickdraw is another trap.

You pull that stunt and then the opponent has the freedom to obliterate Quickdraw in the same turn.

Sure, you can try to only use it when you're less likely to be shot, but I think you're better off spending the points on upgrades that function all the time. Quickdraw's ability does then cause Vessery/Tomax to be more viable targets, sure, but a shielded Quickdraw is a pretty awesome late-game ship to have around.

I won the store championship!
After getting there I panicked and took Omega Leader instead of the stress shuttle. That was a really good decision!

I flew
Vessery + TieD + Ruthlessness
Ryad + PTL + X7 + Twin Ion
Omega Leader + Juke + Pattern Analyzer

Pattern Analyzer was actually really awesome on Omega Leader. Being able to 2 sloop and still juke

My hardest matches were against the worlds Tel + Dengar list (which I won by 5 points) and the final against ReyFinn + Norra (I won by 3 points).
Against Tel + Dengar, my opponent bested me with the range game (so I had no target locks) and nuked Omega Leader the first round of shooting. But fortunately he flew Tel and Dengar right next to each other, so I was able to kill Tel fairly quickly while getting some ruthlessness damage on Dengar without shooting him and triggering his ability. Came down to Dengar vs Ryad in the end. I brought him down to half health and ran away.
Against ReyFinn I stupidly flew Vessery onto a rock, and fumbled the initial joust pretty hard. Vessery only shot one turn the whole game due to bad flying on my part (I blame exhaustion lol). But Ryad and Omega Leader happen to be worth a few more points than a fully loaded Rey, so I won the final on time (even though I think I could have beaten him, he had no shields left).

4 minutes ago, AngryAlbatross said:

I won the store championship!
After getting there I panicked and took Omega Leader instead of the stress shuttle. That was a really good decision!

I flew
Vessery + TieD + Ruthlessness
Ryad + PTL + X7 + Twin Ion
Omega Leader + Juke + Pattern Analyzer

Pattern Analyzer was actually really awesome on Omega Leader. Being able to 2 sloop and still juke

My hardest matches were against the worlds Tel + Dengar list (which I won by 5 points) and the final against ReyFinn + Norra (I won by 3 points).
Against Tel + Dengar, my opponent bested me with the range game (so I had no target locks) and nuked Omega Leader the first round of shooting. But fortunately he flew Tel and Dengar right next to each other, so I was able to kill Tel fairly quickly while getting some ruthlessness damage on Dengar without shooting him and triggering his ability. Came down to Dengar vs Ryad in the end. I brought him down to half health and ran away.
Against ReyFinn I stupidly flew Vessery onto a rock, and fumbled the initial joust pretty hard. Vessery only shot one turn the whole game due to bad flying on my part (I blame exhaustion lol). But Ryad and Omega Leader happen to be worth a few more points than a fully loaded Rey, so I won the final on time (even though I think I could have beaten him, he had no shields left).

Congrats on the win.

Omega 1X1 versus Rey would be a good match-up. Once you have a TL on Rey, all the re-rolls and Finn die are useless. You would have probably taken the game, but you won either way.

I still can't imagine pattern analyzer over comm relay

3 hours ago, Biggsy_boy said:

I still can't imagine pattern analyzer over comm relay

When you only have 25 points, it does wonders!

I hadn't considered Ruthlessness as a soft/weak counter to Dengar's shenanigans, I like that, especially since we see a LOT of Dengar in this area.

I'd say that your Omega Leader built is inefficient. It relies 100% on natural dice, since you're action is always going to be Evade. Clearly, it worked for you, and congrats!! But I wouldn't touch that OL if you paid me, haha. The loss of Comm Relay means you're even more prone to bumping and stress. Having a stored Evade and slooping nets you the same action economy (assuming, of course, that you were able to save the evade), and now means you're not terribly afraid of being blocked.

At 25 points, I'd have looked into taking a Striker; they are actually pretty solid backup ships. Countdown can play OL's tank roll pretty well, and the extra dice can SOMETIMES make up for not having Juke.

I don't mean to sound critical of you, though! Clearly your flying & luck served you very well!

On 6/1/2017 at 1:23 AM, Zucch10 said:

I've been going through this same conundrum lately. Can't wait for July so an unguided rocket Tomax is on the table, but until then this is what I've been messing around with:

Colonel Vessery - Tie Defender (35)

- Ruthlessness (3)

- Tractor Beam (1)

- TIE/D (0)

- TIE mk2 Engines (1)

The Inquisitor - TIE Advanced Prototype (25)

- Push the Limit (3)

- TIE/v1 (1)

- Autothrusters (2)

"Omega Leader" - TIE/FO (21)

- Juke (2)

- Comm Relay (3)

- Stealth Device (3)

Both wing mates are shielded, difficult to pin down and want target locks up. Target priority is difficult since they've all got game closing.thinking that Inquisitor flanks while vess and omega stick together.

ooooh! I like this one! *runs to put it together*

Omega Leader is almost an auto-include in any Imperial list right now I think. I like both the Inquisitor and Ryad variants suggested here. Maybe Inq. more so as he synergizes well with Vessery.