I was toying around with a few list ideas (which I would absolutely love some feedback/advice, since I really have not played anything beyond casual). Both lists employ Motti in command, thus "Mottled". I left the objectives blank, mainly because I am still trying to figure those out!

Mott-led
Author: Puntspeedchunk

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Motti

Assault Objective: Custom Objective
Defense Objective: Custom Objective
Navigation Objective: Custom Objective

[ flagship ] Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
- Wulff Yularen ( 7 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
= 169 total ship cost

Gladiator II-Class Star Destroyer (62 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)
= 81 total ship cost

Quasar Fire I-class Cruiser-Carrier (54 points)
- Pursuant ( 2 points)
- Flight Commander ( 3 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
= 70 total ship cost

1 Dengar ( 20 points)
4 TIE Interceptor Squadrons ( 44 points)
1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)

The "strategy" on this one is to use the Imperial Light Carrier (I really want to try my hand at one - but I am terrible with fighters) to help offset the Rieekan zombie aces that I seem to read oh-so-much about in these threads) to escort my anti-squadron wing. The ISD-II seems like a good excuse to exploit Motti's ability and the Glad-II Demo keeps it all classy with another decently plump target. I maxed out at 400 points to either go 1st to use Demo OR go 2nd and throw out my anti-squad wing. I had considered dropping Wulff while changing Glad II to Glad I and then throwing on The Inquisitor Or Engine Techs (boring!) on Demo to change speeds in case I did get 2nd.

The nagging feeling I have though is that this list doesn't have any one thing going for it...but I could be wrong.

The second list removes the big ships and goes for small ship activations. I kept Motti in (to keep it Mottled) in hopes that maybe the added +1 hull to each ship is somewhat worthwhile. The squadrons are less potent - they almost may be superfluous other than to be slightly annoying instead of threatening. The real anti-squad threat comes from the Raiders. I plopped Motti in one [Raider] as a bother a possible backup that can also skip town if things really look bad (and they might without a lot of umph in those armaments).

Mott-led II
Author: Puntspeedchunk

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 399/400

Commander: Admiral Motti

Assault Objective: Custom Objective
Defense Objective: Custom Objective
Navigation Objective: Custom Objective

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Assault Proton Torpedoes ( 5 points)
= 83 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Flechette Torpedoes ( 3 points)
= 75 total ship cost

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Impetuous ( 4 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Flechette Torpedoes ( 3 points)
= 58 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
= 59 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Captain Needa ( 2 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- Turbolaser Reroute Circuits ( 7 points)
= 68 total ship cost

3 TIE Interceptor Squadrons ( 33 points)
1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)

I like the second list a lot more.

I would tool down the raiders (take flechettes off motti, impetuous off the other) to get engine techs on demo. If you aren't taking a glad II ramming is likely the only way it can handle a flotilla blocking its way.

Similarly, dropping holwrunning down to another interceptor gives you 5 points for DTT on the naked arquitens which is huge.

Awesome, thanks! Yeah, without the Quasar it Howlrunner doesn't quite fit in as well as in List I. The only thing that concerns me with List 2 is that it might lack punch against a beefy large base ship, although I am not sure if that can be avoided.

Would dropping Demo from List I and adding 2 Gozanti's + Bombers add any viability to the list?

12 hours ago, puntspeedchunk said:

Awesome, thanks! Yeah, without the Quasar it Howlrunner doesn't quite fit in as well as in List I. The only thing that concerns me with List 2 is that it might lack punch against a beefy large base ship, although I am not sure if that can be avoided.

You are underestimating how badly a well flown Demolisher annihilates large bases. If they don't have damage containment officer you should be getting 2 broadsides, 1 front shot, 3 apt, and at least 2 rams on them by driving into the large base after it activates and setting up the double arc before ramming again (twice if you add engine techs.) It is so much damage it just overloads tokens and APT putting on crits before damage gives you a chance to pull something like projector misaligned or crew panic.

Actually, I have seen it first hand - my Demo annihilated an MC80 in a casual game that I played last year (almost to the scenario you describe ). I just have not played a lot since then and I am a little worried if that Demo gets obliterated if the list then lacks some punch (as I would assume Demo is the target).

Thanks!

I will retool it a little bit and see what I can some up with!

If you are worried about it getting threatened either add tua and ecm or engine techs.

I still think that tooling down the raiders and putting less points there gives you some hull to trade up with while they sacrifice themselves to keep the arquitens and demo alive and kicking.

Agreed.

In an opposite fashion, I took the first list and went to the extreme for fighter support:

Mottled I
Author: Puntspeedchunk

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Motti

Assault Objective: Opening Salvo
Defense Objective: Fighter Ambush
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- H9 Turbolasers ( 8 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 149 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
= 47 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Vector ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 31 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
1 Dengar ( 20 points)
4 TIE Interceptor Squadrons ( 44 points)
1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)
3 TIE Bomber Squadrons ( 27 points)

Or, a very similar list that tries to maintain 5 activations at the cost of some fighter ability (but adds additional anti-squadron support in the form of a Raider-I):

Mottled I 1/2
Author: Puntspeedchunk

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 397/400

Commander: Admiral Motti

Assault Objective: Opening Salvo
Defense Objective: Fighter Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Vector ( 2 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 33 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Admiral Motti ( 24 points)
= 47 total ship cost

Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Captain Needa ( 2 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- H9 Turbolasers ( 8 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 146 total ship cost

Raider-I Class Corvette (44 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- Flechette Torpedoes ( 3 points)
= 54 total ship cost

1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
1 Major Rhymer ( 16 points)
3 TIE Bomber Squadrons ( 27 points)
3 TIE Interceptor Squadrons ( 33 points)

A quick change that will make the second list way better is simply removing H9 for Turbolaser Rerouts. That is pretty much the only reason you are going to want Needa riding along. Also, if I take turbolaser rerouts I find I rarely have a roll bad enough to use leading shots. You have to remember you are sacrificing a dice that is guarenteed to be useful to reroll dice that still have a chance to fail. It's a great upgrade, stand alone, but if you roll 4 reds and get hit, acc, hit, blank (a mediocre but common enough roll) and can spin the blank to a double you have eliminated the need for LS. That lets you either put Reinforced Blast Doors on the ISD, or lets you take out the 3 Interceptors and change them to Defenders

Speaking of the interceptors, I think you like Howlrunner just a biiiiiiit to much. I have noticed she appears to be an autoinclude in all your lists. She is awesome, but she doesn't really make sense in these fleets. 5 dice interceptors are great, but they are 3 hull and going to get blown up super fast after that initial attack leaving you with a bunch of ships that won't use her ability. When I use her it is typically in a more Ace heavy loadout where those dice are going to make her target #1, taking pressure off the likes of Mauler and Dengar who I want to keep alive. If you opt into defenders above, you can swap her out for Zertik Strom and get some tokened escort for those bombers.

If you want to build around Howlrunner, I would suggest something like Dengar, Mauler Mithel, Howlrunner, Ciena Ree, Zertik Strom, Valen Rudor. It's a heavy AS ball that will hit way above it's weight class and not go down easily. (Also, its a strong contender as a sloane aces loadout when she arrives in a bit!)

1 hour ago, BrobaFett said:

Speaking of the interceptors, I think you like Howlrunner just a biiiiiiit to much. I have noticed she appears to be an autoinclude in all your lists. She is awesome, but she doesn't really make sense in these fleets. 5 dice interceptors are great, but they are 3 hull and going to get blown up super fast after that initial attack leaving you with a bunch of ships that won't use her ability. When I use her it is typically in a more Ace heavy loadout where those dice are going to make her target #1, taking pressure off the likes of Mauler and Dengar who I want to keep alive. If you opt into defenders above, you can swap her out for Zertik Strom and get some tokened escort for those bombers.

Thanks for the advice! I was trying to come up with some response to Rieekan Aces - having never actually faced them in real life. I'm also so used to taking LS on the ISD that it is almost by habit. I will switch those around and see what I can plunk out in the squadrons!