So I have been working with this same kind of idea for a while. I just have been loving the Engine Tech Doom pickle so much, I keep tinkering with it. I threw Lando on for BT avenger insurance.

I really like how it works with the Assault Pelta. The Pelta follows behind the pickle, guarding its rear and powering it up. With Ackbar and ER it's broadside is pretty deadly, if anything gets close, or tries to be in between the two ships. The intense flak is great against Sloane. I have thought about switching STM for Projection experts, since it will most likely be the MC80 needing the shield anyways.

I haven't used Garel yet, but we'll see how it works by himself, probably taking the long way round, with QS running around the otherside, looking to slice little gozantis and Quasars.

In my last game I used this squad set up, and I loved it. Rogue worked quite well with the Shara, going in and out of obstacles, I'm sure a YT-2400 would be better, but I just love x-wings models so much more.

I've never used Capture the VIP before, or Salvage Run. I thought with VIP I can take it on the pickle and dare them to get it back, and with Salvage Run I can get most of them with the Transports and maybe the MC80 too. But that may not be the best way to play those, I really don't know.

Garel, Pelta and ET'd MC80
Author: Tiberius the Killer

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 398/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Capture the VIP
Navigation Objective: Salvage Run

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Quantum Storm ( 1 points)
- Slicer Tools ( 7 points)
= 26 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 20 total ship cost

[ flagship ] MC80 Assault Cruiser (114 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Defiance ( 5 points)
- Lando Calrissian ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 191 total ship cost

Hammerhead Torpedo Corvette (36 points)
- Garel's Honor ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 43 total ship cost

Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship (56 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
- Shields to Maximum! ( 6 points)
= 65 total ship cost

1 Rogue Squadron ( 14 points)
2 A-Wing Squadrons ( 22 points)
1 Shara Bey ( 17 points)

I got another victory with this list today. But just barely, the MC80 almost didn't make it, but that's to the spacestation it managed to make it. I learned the dangers of being trapped in with an MC80. And I have new respect for RBD, which can be great when you are being rammed a lot.

Once again the Pelta with Ackbar and ER can pack quite the punch when it needs too. But I do wonder if I should switch STM for Projection experts. I think I will drop Rogue Squadron for an A-wing, and bring back Leia.

I'd still love thoughts if ya got em .

I like the new QBTs on a tooled up Defiance. Adding a blue at long range for leading shots is nice and with ETs it can go speed 1+ET rather than speed 2.

Why not both STM AND Projection Experts? Throw in a Raymus to keep the tokens flowing

I would have to give up rogue squadron for it. But that might be worth it.

Alright, I took your advice Hawkwing, I am going with Raymus and PE.

I think I am going to take this list to a store tournament next week. Any thoughts on the objectives? I have played with Capture the VIP and it went alright. The MC80 gets the token and then everybody tries to kill it. I haven't done Salvage run before, but I think I can gobble up tokens pretty fast with my flotillas and Garel's honor.

I have thought about bring in Leia (officer not commander), but I think a 3 point bid is nice enough to win against people who don't really care, then force them to go first for my objectives and for Defiance's sake.

Garel, Pelta and ET'd MC80 1.1
Author: Tiberius the Killer

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 397/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Capture the VIP
Navigation Objective: Salvage Run

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Quantum Storm ( 1 points)
- Slicer Tools ( 7 points)
= 26 total ship cost

[ flagship ] MC80 Assault Cruiser (114 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Defiance ( 5 points)
- Lando Calrissian ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 191 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 20 total ship cost

Hammerhead Torpedo Corvette (36 points)
- Garel's Honor ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 43 total ship cost

Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship (56 points)
- Raymus Antilles ( 7 points)
- Projection Experts ( 6 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
- Shields to Maximum! ( 6 points)
= 78 total ship cost

2 A-Wing Squadrons ( 22 points)
1 Shara Bey ( 17 points)

I'm really excited to hear how well the list is going to fare The Pelta Shield Projector is on my "to-do" list of builds I have yet to try but it really seems fun. The enemy will either have to carve through a beefed up Defiance getting repaired all the time or destroy the rest of your fleet first

I'm not entirely sure about all of the objectives. No doubt about Advance Gunnery though. Capture the VIP is also fine, you can take it with a transport and hide behind Defiance. But the last one is tricky, because the tokens in Salvage Run are very close to all of the obstacles. The enemy will for certain know your flight path.

In a list I have been toying with, I have a similar concept with a Defiance on roids but also VCX freighters to enable shenanigans with Fire Lanes and Sensor Net. That way I am certain to at least play an objective where I know I can force the opponent to play "my game": running away and harvesting points while they chase me

How are you finding External Racks on the Pelta without Ordnance Experts? I'm reticent to take ER without a decent reroll but it pushes the cost up.

I wish it could take OE, I'd probably find a way to squeeze it in. But what I plan on doing is the first turn just taking a concentrate fire token, since no one will need the STM shield the first round. It's not much but it can help a little bit when I pull the trigger on the ER. That's worked pretty well for me before.

I would love to fit in a VCX or two, but I just don't think it will fit. But I'm not sure of another good navigation objective that will make them have to come to me. I will have to do some thinking.

What's it like trying to broadside with a pelta? Have you been able to get two Akbar shots with it at all? How often are you taking side shots vs front shots with it? I love Akbar fleets but never tried a Pelta in one since it seems like a 'front shooter'....

I prefer advanced projectors over RBD on the MC80, with the theory that you can block another 7 damage rather than trying to survive the next round to get rid of 3 damage (that could include some nasty critical effect hurting you more).

3 hours ago, emsgoof said:

I prefer advanced projectors over RBD on the MC80, with the theory that you can block another 7 damage rather than trying to survive the next round to get rid of 3 damage (that could include some nasty critical effect hurting you more).

In the age of BTAvenger, you may well not get to use your redirects on a crucial round. My gut feeling is that RBDs are better against that, but it's nothing more than a feeling.

10 hours ago, Rettere said:

What's it like trying to broadside with a pelta? Have you been able to get two Akbar shots with it at all? How often are you taking side shots vs front shots with it? I love Akbar fleets but never tried a Pelta in one since it seems like a 'front shooter'....

I have only gotten double ackbar broadsides with the pelta once, but it has happened. And it didn't happen at all in the tournament I just played. But it did cover the MC80s tail pretty well, and help kill off survivors. The best part is the expanded racks however, it makes it much more dangerous than anyone expects. Ackbar is more of a bonus for it though. It certainly is very nice when something is just barely in range, and the side arcs go pretty far back.

7 hours ago, emsgoof said:

I prefer advanced projectors over RBD on the MC80, with the theory that you can block another 7 damage rather than trying to survive the next round to get rid of 3 damage (that could include some nasty critical effect hurting you more).

I used RBD, and I'm sticking with it. Most of all for ramming. The MC80 can get trapped pretty easily, (happened 2 out of 3 games). and it's very nice just to make the ramming damage go away. AP is certainly nice, but there is the fear of avenger, and since in this list you are regaining shield so much in this list, you can just put your new shields where you need them.

Overall my tourney went pretty well. The first game was almost a mirror match (which neither of us were expecting), he just had no shara but an extra A-wing, and went with Garm instead of Ackbar. Our ships were so tanky, we realized pretty quickly we couldn't kill each others MC80, and so we just ignored each other and shot up all the support ships. I was able to kill his pelta, with mine getting away, and get the VIP out. That plus some other small kills won me the game 8 to 3. The next game was against a ball-o-aces, it was solar corona, and he mostly just stayed out of range and bombed the little ships. It quantum storm had been able to go another 2 millimeters farther, it could have sliced Yaravis and changed everything, but oh well, it was a 6 to 5 loss for me.

Last was against double Motti ISD, an ISDI with BTvenger, the other an ISDII with gunnery teams. My MC80 got caught between them. I might have been able to survive, but my pelta was mm in medium range, and he rolled perfectly and it was gone. The ISD 2 was able to take the MC80 to 1 health, and then rammed it. Also I missed killing a Gozanti with Garel's honor (I could have hit it, if I had remembered small ships can fit on the inside of the maneuver tool.) I did take down Avenger though. I got the VIP out on quantum storm however, so the Rebellion lives on, but it was a 7 to 4 loss for me.

It was a fun day, and I ended up with 4th. I want to find away for one more deployment, but I also love Shara so much I don't want to get rid of her. I might try it again with Garm, but the Ackbar Defiance broadside is just so deadly, it's hard to give up.

Biggest lesson, always be very aware of how easily the MC80 can get trapped, and Motti's ISDs are the worst.

I can certainly understand that. Ramming isn't a big thing around here for the most part.

So I have been further tinkering with the list, and I have thought about maybe ditching Ackbar and seeing how it works.

Ackbar has been super awesome, and I may go back to him, but I find that often times even those huge broadsides can be mostly brushed aside with a ECM'ed brace on the big boys. So I thought I would try the Intel Officer on the doompickle. My one hesitation is it will lose it's only defense against the BTavenger: Lando. However, since I usually get multiple shots on most targets with the doompickle, I figure having them use or lose the brace will be pretty powerful, and may be just as much, if not more damage than two extra reds. I am sad to see the little pelta lose it also, but then I can focus on a bit more AA, and it will still be tough up close. I will be getting a little janky with the tokens manipulation with Phoenix Home, Ahsoka and comms net, but oh well.

Garel, Pelta and ET'd MC80 with Intel officer
Author: Tiberius the Killer

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 399/400

Commander: Garm Bel Iblis

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Capture the VIP
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Quantum Storm ( 1 points)
- Slicer Tools ( 7 points)
= 26 total ship cost

[ flagship ] MC80 Assault Cruiser (114 points)
- Garm Bel Iblis ( 25 points)
- Defiance ( 5 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 181 total ship cost

Hammerhead Torpedo Corvette (36 points)
- Garel's Honor ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 43 total ship cost

Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship (56 points)
- Phoenix Home ( 3 points)
- Ahsoka Tano ( 2 points)
- Projection Experts ( 6 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
- Shields to Maximum! ( 6 points)
= 76 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 20 total ship cost

2 A-Wing Squadrons ( 22 points)
1 Shara Bey ( 17 points)
1 Rogue Squadron ( 14 points)