What's your thoughts on using Sloane with Vic 2s? I'm building a list with 2 Vic 2s, a quasar and 4 defenders, and I was wondering at that point if I shouldn't just go with moff Jj instead. Can't link the list cause I'm on my cellphone but I was looking for first hand experience or just flat out common sense!

You won't get much use from sloane using 4 defenders.

VSD-IIs with Sloane seem appealing because they're mixed role battleship carriers but my main concern is the concern I've always had about leaning too hard on VSD carriers: when you're not using navigate commands most of the time it's very easy to get left out of the fight (unless you're using Jerry, of course). You also run into the issue of the Sloane sub-theme of spending opponent defense tokens with squadrons having anti-synergy with too many blue dice which will roll accuracy results anyways.

In short I can't say I feel very positive about the combination. Perhaps with some VSD-Is to keep it cheaper but in general it feels like you would be better served with ISDs as your carrier battleship hybrids, cheap committed carriers, and more focused combat ships working in concert.

Edit: And yes, 4 Defenders is not a good backbone for a Sloane fleet either. You need more squadrons total and preferably some cheaper ones to provide a higher volume of attacks.

Sloan has casual synergy with VSDs, but not as strong as with Avenger. And the Defender isn't the best Sloan squadron out there.

JJ may be a better bet if you are wanting a balanced ship + squads fleet.

I think that if you're using less than half a dozen squadrons then you don't need Sloane (and that might still be too few.) If you aren't intending to win the squadron battle you don't need Sloane. You don't need a dedicated carrier if you're only bringing four squadrons.

Sloane wants you to bring lots of squadrons.

With only 4 squadrons JJ is better since you might very well loose the squadron game. Sloane wants to win the squadron fight and then squadrons can support the vics. Dont take bombers, take stuff that wins the squadron game fast. Quasar+flight controllers helps with that. Maybe quasar+ruthless strategists and something with enough hull.

I have another list that is very similar but the defenders are replaced by tie fighters plus howlrunner something like 8 squadrons. .. but even then, I feel like JJ might be the best choice still. I haven't really figured out Sloane, but it seems to me she fits msus with a quasar more than vsds...

I find Vic II with QBT, DC, LS, and GT roll enough Acc on it's own to not need Sloane. What is a Vic II fleet with Sloane trying to achieve?

For example:

Top of the round and you have initiative. You activate and reveal a squad command. You get to push 3 Tie/D at your target who is in medium range. You deal 2 damage and 1 Acc so you spend a token. Now your Vic attacks and rolls 4 damage and 2 Acc. How do you spend those Acc? Do you force your opponent to spned their red token by blocking 2 others, or maybe you realize you want to block the red token because you dealt more damage than you thought, at which point you're synergy with Sloane is broken. No point in spending a token if you're going to block it with an Acc.

The token in question doesn't matter, nor the ship. With Sloane, I see really 2 options. You mass squads and try to rip tokens, or you spend tokens to set up for Avenger.

If you do try this list, run Vic II with DC and SW7 so you don't cancel Sloane out by generating Acc. Or run it with Vic I and Boarding Troopers. Spend a squad token at the start to flip tokens and then let the Tie/D do work. Follow up with a strong attack.

theoretically, seems like you'd be better off with VIC-1s, or black dice in general (GSDs?) due to Sloan's token stripping ability

especially with external racks (specifically because VSDs in my experience only get 1 close range front-arc shot off per game) allowing for an incredibly devastating close range bombardment

I also think you'd be better off with non-bombers because they won't take advantage of sloan's crit re-roll ability. Tie Fighters seem nice and thematic, plus they got numbers enough to really exploit Sloane (and cover for the VSD's/GSD's anti-squadron deficiencies)

ofc, Avenger remains the obvious combo but it's nice to try new things

EDIT: oh hey, External racks aren't hullzone restricted five dice out the side if you want

went with Moff JJ instead, thx guys