So I'm working on an Imperial build for SC.

I am set on 2 of the ships, but have 26/27 points to spare after the initiative bid.

Any recommendations for the best 26/27 points out there?

thanks,

Help to know the rest of the list.

Omega Leader with the usual stuff is a good fit there.

What's the rest of your list?

Omega Leader w/ Juke and Comm Relay is usually the best Imperial option for 26 points.

Omega Leader is by far #1 then Deathfire, Pure Sabacc or Duchess... those are your four real options, depends on what the rest of your list is

Sorry. The rest was Vader and Soontir.

Tomex + lightweight frame + crack shot (27pts)

This has sone well for me in that point range.

On 2017-07-06 at 4:42 PM, ImperialOfficer said:

So I'm working on an Imperial build for SC.

I am set on 2 of the ships, but have 26/27 points to spare after the initiative bid.

Any recommendations for the best 26/27 points out there?

thanks,

Easy, Omega Leader :-) Or starting tomorrow an aggressor would fill the spot perfectly depending on the rest of your squad.

Soontir OL and Vader is a classic but variance WILL get you and it WILL suck.

On 2017-07-06 at 4:57 PM, ImperialOfficer said:

Sorry. The rest was Vader and Soontir.

Soontir Fel — TIE Interceptor	27
Push the Limit	3
Targeting Computer	2
Autothrusters	2
Royal Guard TIE	0
Ship Total: 34
Darth Vader — TIE Advanced	29
Lone Wolf	2
Advanced Targeting Computer	1
Engine Upgrade	4
TIE/x1	0
Ship Total: 36
The other option I was playing with is: Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender 35 Veteran Instincts 1 Twin Ion Engine Mk. II 1 TIE/x7 -2 Ship Total: 35 "Omega Leader" — TIE/fo Fighter 21 Juke 2 Comm Relay 3 Stealth Device 3 Ship Total: 29 Soontir Fel — TIE Interceptor 27 Push the Limit 3 Targeting Computer 2 Autothrusters 2 Royal Guard TIE 0 Ship Total: 34

How about this:

I think the weakness of the built would be Vader. With no autothrusters, he tends to go down a little too fast.

This would be my go to (if you have the ship):

Another option is a Punisher (once Aggressor is out):

Cutlass Squadron Pilot (21)
Electronic Baffle (1)
Unguided Rockets (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)

Total: 26

Pretty solid stat line for 26 points - 2.5/2/6/3

I suppose you can drop EB for a bomb for 27 points but I like EB allowing you to k-turn and still grab a focus.

Lots of Great ideas. Thanks for the input.

I'm comfortable flying soontir and vader.

I'm not sure Aggressor tlt fits the build, at least not my play style. Never linked the tlt spam ships.

I hadn't thought of the punisher. I haven't been following the new releases like I normally do, forgot about unguided rockets.

I'll try that one out.

As someone who plays a TON of Vader/ Soontir, I'd say your best bet is actually Pure Sabaac or a low PS blocker. Omega Leader just ends up dying with little in return, because he's the easiest to chase down and kill (no boost and only 1 action compared to Vader and Soonts)

Pure Sabaac is looking to hurt something a bit before he dies (because again, he's going to die first, but at least odds of him hurting something are greater than Omega Leader)

I've flown a Sabre Squadron Pilot with PTL + autothrusters in that spot before. Its not great, but at least with 2 actions and autothrusters, he can be hard to pin down and kill. You can also dangle him out a bit as bait to let your more valuable ships get in on flanks. This kind of tactic has actually won me a few games.

Engine-equipped Lambda Shuttle with something like advanced sensors, FCS or your favourite 3 point crew member can also work. But you have to be really good at timing the approach of all 3 ships (because they should be spread out to give your opponent difficult choices).

26 point imperial (26)

Lieutenant Colzet (26) - TIE Advanced
Proton Rockets (3), TIE/x1 (0), Guidance Chips (0), Fire Control System (2)

I usually pair Colzet with Vessery, but I've found that the Lt. acts as an Imperial Biggs. Opponents are either so afraid of the crit flipping ability that they focus it down first, or ignore it completely, allowing Colzet to cause mayhem. Can't tell you how many matches have turned in my favor from flipping a crucial crit. Proton rocket could now be interchangeable with cruise missile.

FCS probably pairs better with the cruise missile, anyway. If he's ignored, he can pull a koiogran turn, which is fast enough to bin a 5-dice missile shot downrange, then 'regenerate' the lock and use it to mess with the damage he's inflicted.

Nice idea!

12 hours ago, blade_mercurial said:

As someone who plays a TON of Vader/ Soontir, I'd say your best bet is actually Pure Sabaac or a low PS blocker. Omega Leader just ends up dying with little in return, because he's the easiest to chase down and kill (no boost and only 1 action compared to Vader and Soonts)

[snip]

Not that I necessarily like disagreeing with @blade_mercurial, but Omega Leader is still an excellent choice, she just has different uses in this style of list. She is pure flanker or bait, and it's a great feeling when your opponent tries to chase down OL and finds how difficult it can be to land a killing blow.

Her damage output, on the regular, is kinda garbage, but she's one of the only ships that can reliably tag token stacking ships. As long as you're not putting her in the crossfire, she's likely to do more damage than Soontir. She'll explode much faster if you put her in a bad situation, though.

I miss Palp backing her up, but I still find OL to be more than worth her points.

Now, for other options, I do agree that a lower PS blocker is going to make your life MUCH easier with Vader & Soontir. Basically, you want a "counter-blocker," so no one jams up your ships. I recommend Countdown, though. You can run it naked (with title) for a measly 20 points, meaning you can put a bit more points on your other two ships (I'm liking Cruise Missiles on Vader, and I think Expertise is the right EPT for the Dark Lord of the Sith), and still have an init bid (which you desperately need). You can also add LWF to Countdown, though YMMV.

Countdown can jam up your opponent's works, can NOT die to a single shot, and has a pretty decent attack to throw around.

21 hours ago, Jo Jo said:

Another option is a Punisher (once Aggressor is out):

Cutlass Squadron Pilot (21)
Electronic Baffle (1)
Unguided Rockets (2)
Lightweight Frame (2)

Total: 26

Pretty solid stat line for 26 points - 2.5/2/6/3

I suppose you can drop EB for a bomb for 27 points but I like EB allowing you to k-turn and still grab a focus.

Unguided Rockets on a low PS ship is not a good idea. Chances are you will be using that focus on defense and when your time to shoot comes, you wont be able to use them.

9 minutes ago, Thormind said:

Unguided Rockets on a low PS ship is not a good idea. Chances are you will be using that focus on defense and when your time to shoot comes, you wont be able to use them.

Which is fine anyway. Since the Punisher is such an easy target if your opponent focuses on that it leaves your aces to operate freely.

35 minutes ago, Thormind said:

Unguided Rockets on a low PS ship is not a good idea. Chances are you will be using that focus on defense and when your time to shoot comes, you wont be able to use them.

Or you save the focus and take the hit. Omega Leader's Evade token style.

And, as @Jo Jo said, you're not that mad about then not shooting at your aces.

17 minutes ago, ArbitraryNerd said:

Or you save the focus and take the hit. Omega Leader's Evade token style.

And, as @Jo Jo said, you're not that mad about then not shooting at your aces.

Most players i know would use the evade on OL if it means taking one less hit. IMO it's never a good idea to let a hit go through in exchange for a chance at a better offense. A destroyed ship cant do any dmg...

20 minutes ago, Thormind said:

Most players i know would use the evade on OL if it means taking one less hit. IMO it's never a good idea to let a hit go through in exchange for a chance at a better offense. A destroyed ship cant do any dmg...

I have been playing OL since release. I have made top 16 in one Regional using OL, and done well at the store level in a variety of events.

I can tell you, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that keeping that Evade and taking the hit is more often the correct choice.

There are certainly some scenarios where spending the Evade is better - preventing death, avoiding a critical effect... and maybe how the setup for the next two turns is going to look.

Outside of that, keeping the Evade is the correct play. OL's offense is not good. OL's offense without a Focus token to back up is crap. A naked OL is horrifying.

Keeping that Evade, at the cost of some damage, means you're entering the next round in a better state. At worst, you have Juke active. If you need to, you can pull a K-turn or sloop to get right back into the fight, and still reliably have some expectation for damage... Or at least to have the Evade to save you from death while you're stressed. If you don't need to pull a red maneuver, you can now use your action for the much more needed Target Lock (if the ship you had locked died or you lost it somehow, OR someone else will be shooting at you), or a Focus token, which is arguably the better defense token for OL anyway.

If you spent that evade last turn, you shouldn't be doing any red maneuvers, you need to disengage to make sure you can token up, and this puts your damage output down/makes you predictable. OL really needs the Evade & Target Lock active every turn, and that's a lot harder to do if you've spent your Evade.

Remember -- OL's best defense is your opponent's crap rolls. She shuts down your primary target's mods so, unless they're god-rolling, they're going to have a hard time landing consistent shots. Taking one or two here and there is not a bad choice, as it keeps your offense as strong as possible.