Thinking of this build for Vader to help him grab that initial lock, without leaving himself as exposed on the first round of combat. His first shot is never gonna deal that much damage and this gets him a free lock, if it hits for the second round, with better mods.

Darth Vader (33) - TIE Advanced
Juke (2), XX-23 S-Thread Tracers (1), TIE/x1 (0), Guidance Chips (0), Advanced Targeting Computer (5)

He doesn't have to have chips but in the list I have he can't get much else anyway.

The idea is just to get him a lock, but if he helps others it's a bonus.

Stupid idea?

It's decent plan, especially considering that at PS9, the Tracers won't be wasted on Vader alone. If he's in proximity to the rest of the list, it's a good way to set up target locks, and keep Vader alive on the first engagement.

The only real issue is that at PS9, with 2 native actions, acquiring a target lock shouldn't be that difficult. Still, it's a nice touch, as long as Vader isn't the only beneficiary.

A minor quibble: Juke on Vader is nice, but something about dedicating an action to it every turn rubs me the wrong way.

Vader's dial isn't the most, uh, advanced out there. I'd be careful of action-dependent EPTs as long as we have Jumpmasters flying around -- you run a high risk of being blocked or having to make maneuvers that either stress you or take you out of the fight, strictly because you're playing to your cards.

Predator is great, always. Expertise can help Vader token stack, though does generally make him want to avoid his k-turn. Adapt/VI helps you in other ways that are often beneficial regardless.

I LOVE Juke, don't get me wrong, but all my testing with Juking Vader didn't feel right. I've liked Juke on Omega Leader (obvii) and Vessery (less obvious, but I took the list to an almost complete league shutout last year). Beyond that, I've struggled to find a real home for it.

What are you running it with?

It's hard for me to say whether it's a good idea or not without knowing who he's flying with

I appreciate this is not hugely competitive, but I like Echo! I also get that LRS may be superfluous with the tracers on Vader.

i like Juke to help his damage output and possibly token strip at PS9. It's not too much hardship to always take an evade, when you have actions.

"Echo" (40) - TIE Phantom
Veteran Instincts (1), Fire Control System (2), Recon Specialist (3), Advanced Cloaking Device (4)

"Deathfire" (25) - TIE Bomber
Conner Net (4), Extra Munitions (2), Flechette Torpedoes (2), Long-Range Scanners (0)

Darth Vader (33) - TIE Advanced
Juke (2), XX-23 S-Thread Tracers (1), TIE/x1 (0), Guidance Chips (0), Advanced Targeting Computer (5)

LRS is more than superfluous in this case, it's actually hindersome. The only time you can acquire Locks with it is when you're further than Range 2. If Deathfire is inside of that bubble when Vader fires the Tracers, he won't be able to take advantage. With Vader set up as he is, it would be better to take Guidance Chips.

Additionally, taking Predator over Juke allows Vader to reroll, even when stressed. Useful for keeping Adv. Targetting going

2 hours ago, Drakeheart said:

LRS is more than superfluous in this case, it's actually hindersome. The only time you can acquire Locks with it is when you're further than Range 2. If Deathfire is inside of that bubble when Vader fires the Tracers, he won't be able to take advantage. With Vader set up as he is, it would be better to take Guidance Chips.

Additionally, taking Predator over Juke allows Vader to reroll, even when stressed. Useful for keeping Adv. Targetting going

Thanks for that.

I get the synergy is wonky, but Vader is a sub in this list for Vessery, and I haven't swapped out LRS. I do still like that the LRS guarantees the lock for Deathfire, as long as you pick the right target. He can then fly in, drop a bomb and get out again, while Vader and Echo position to take advantage. Tracers is not guaranteed, even with the mods, be that Predator or Juke. To be honest I'm thinking Lone Wolf instead of Pred and totally forget about the tracer synergy, just using it for Vaders initially round to get his Lock.