So in my time playing X-Wing, I've done many off-meta builds, used many off-meta cards, and pilots, in an effort to find lists I enjoy playing, and to find out why these things aren't used.

My latest experiment, inspired by an effort to deal with the latest evolution of Rebels, uses a few such items.

Unsung Imperials

The biggest issue is the TIE Advanced has such a poor Dial for a TIE. And so much ordinance on the Bomber is going to waste. So it comes down to what you prefer to have as you anchor and them wingmen. You could drop Zertik and some ordinance for a pair of Strikers for interfence or even a couple for f/o TIEs to help with target locks and blocking.

Swap out the ordanace for assault missiles on the bomber and the advanced dropping vessary to ryad, watch said rebel freak out trying to get that bomber off the board, and have a brain melt trying to decide if selflessness is now worth it with all the extra damage.

If you really wanna go all anti fair ship, try this (as suggested in a well known podcast):

Tomax Bren (24)
Swarm Tactics (2)
Assault Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

Lieutenant Kestal (22)
Ruthlessness (3)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
Assault Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

"Double Edge" (19)
Ruthlessness (3)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
Assault Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

2 minutes ago, Cassan said:

If you really wanna go all anti fair ship, try this (as suggested in a well known podcast):

https://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Galactic Empire&d=v4!s!190:9,-1,-1,26,-1,-1:-1:25:;261:100,135,26,-1:-1:25:;260:100,135,26,-1:-1:25:&sn=Anti Fair Ship&obs=

Oh lordy that's cruel. I like it!

4 hours ago, Cassan said:

If you really wanna go all anti fair ship, try this (as suggested in a well known podcast):

Tomax Bren (24)
Swarm Tactics (2)
Assault Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

Lieutenant Kestal (22)
Ruthlessness (3)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
Assault Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

"Double Edge" (19)
Ruthlessness (3)
Twin Laser Turret (6)
Assault Missiles (5)
Guidance Chips (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

I think you are better off with Jonus in that list as he gives you re-rolls on the TIE Aggressors's Assault Missiles. As is, you only have Guidance Chips on the Assault Missiles and you need to make sure they hit for the splash damage to occur. Jonus is still a high enough PS to fire first, and switching to him frees up two more squad points as well.

2 hours ago, HungryFFG said:

I think you are better off with Jonus in that list as he gives you re-rolls on the TIE Aggressors's Assault Missiles. As is, you only have Guidance Chips on the Assault Missiles and you need to make sure they hit for the splash damage to occur. Jonus is still a high enough PS to fire first, and switching to him frees up two more squad points as well.

I agree that Jonus is a better choice than Tomax. My concern would be the Aggressors ability to stay alive without lwf.

6 hours ago, Cassan said:

If you really wanna go all anti fair ship...

...

11 hours ago, Drakeheart said:

Now, while the FSR list was at the forefront when I designed this list, I didn't want to suffer against other lists. My main concern is how diverse the list is, and if there's any glaring weaknesses (other than low pilot skill) that could be exploitable.

I'm not looking to directly counter Biggs & Co. TM

I'm looking to do so in a manner that won't punish me in other match ups.

I'm gonna try this myself. X/7 is still good and you need that defensive ability versus Fair Ship Rebels or you just get eaten alive. You can also get fancy by triggering ruthlessness onto QuickDraw to trigger his ability.

(100)

"Quickdraw" (35) - TIE/SF Fighter
Adaptability (0), Fire Control System (2), Pattern Analyzer (2), Special Ops Training (0), Lightweight Frame (2)

Colonel Vessery (36) - TIE Defender
Ruthlessness (3), TIE/x7 (-2)

Omicron Group Pilot (29) - Lambda-Class Shuttle
Collision Detector (0), Emperor Palpatine (8)

On 8/15/2017 at 4:15 AM, Drakeheart said:

Zertik is the only portion of this list I haven't flown, and was chosen mostly for his Pilot Skill and the ATC, but I imagine his pilot ability being quite useful when things turn into a furball (alas, not a counter to Inq, still...)

He is...but only if he's physically at range 1 of the Inquisitor. If he is, then the Inquisitor counts as attacking his target at range 1, but gets no range bonus (even if not shooting at Zertik). Thoughts:

Quote

Gamma Squadron Veteran — TIE Bomber	19
Adaptability	0
Extra Munitions	2
Proton Torpedoes	4
Unguided Rockets	2
Seismic Charges	2
Long-Range Scanners	0
Ship Total: 29

You're massively overloading the bomber. You've got 2 torpedoes and an unlimited-use rocket.

• I get that firing your second torpedo may be hard because you don't have the ability to target lock up close, whilst the rockets only need focus, but if that's your concern, why take extra munitions.
• The big advantage of Long Range Scanners is being able to lock on turn 1-2, then focus on the turn you attack, giving you double-modified shots. You'll feel the benefit of this most with a secondary weapon which doesn't have its own organic focus-to-hit (or crit) modification - Long Range Scanners supports concussion missiles better than proton torps (because then you have one blank-to-hit plus any number of focus-to-hit swaps).
• Given the problem with re-acquiring locks, Long Range scanners also suit weapons which don't spend your target lock; homing missiles are more expensive than proton torpedoes, cruise missiles/ion pulse missiles are cheaper (but more awkward to use), Harpoon Missiles (once they turn up) are the same price. Ion pulse is less powerful but does synergise with bombs well.
• You're only 3 points shy of fielding Captain Jonus, who'd be PS6 whilst leaving your elite upgrade free. I get that you don't need jonus' rerolls (vessery has his 'free locks' ability, but it's just a thought).
• I'm not convinced he has a high enough pilot skill to make effective use of seismic charges. I guess he does against PS5 rebel heavies, which, as you noted, is what's foremost in your mind.

Quote

Colonel Vessery — TIE Defender	35
Ruthlessness	3
Ion Cannon	3
TIE/D	0
Ship Total: 41

A very nice ship given a lock to support him.

There is an issue (potentially) with acquiring target locks on PS7+ opponents given that your list maxes out at PS6, but if you're aggressive it's doable - unlike pure missile squads you don't have a minimum range to worry about.

Vessery is pretty brutal - with a primary plus an ion cannon plus two ruthlessness splash damage hits, he can go through a swarm like a twelve-guage. Hopefully Strom can keep him alive in a close-range face-off.

On 8/15/2017 at 4:15 AM, Drakeheart said:

Zertik Strom — TIE Advanced 26 Predator 3 Advanced Targeting Computer 1 TIE/x1 0

Ship Total: 30

Now I get why Strom has an advanced targeting computer; you want to lock with him then keep the lock to provide bonuses to Vessery. But flying into range 1 and target-locking rather than focusing or evading is a pretty suicidal thing to do in a TIE advanced - they're not all that much tougher than an X-wing (2 greens with focus is about the same as 3 greens without).

I genuinely think he'd do you better with accuracy corrector - because evade/accuracy correct is a nice combination, and if you really want a damage spike with a target lock, cluster missiles/guidance chips/accuracy corrector is a very nasty grouping.

The TIE advanced's dial is okay - provided you're not getting stressed, and you're right - Strom's ability can be very nice. I've seen him used in a 4-ship TIE advanced squadron and they were surprisingly effective in a head-on joust, because at range 1 they were getting 5 dice (proton rockets) whilst their opponents were only getting 3.

@Magnus Grendel

Thank you!

With regards to the bomber build, I agree with basically everything you said, and if I had my option I'd run Tomax with Crack & Homing, but for this build I couldn't.

Vessery has to shoot first to ensure he gets his rerolls, which meant downgrading the other pilots. While I know the bomber is a bit loaded up, I wanted to take the ProTorps to push Crits onto my opponents, despite the ineffiency. Factoring that out, the question then becomes, do I expect to fire more than once? Homing + EM is still entirely an option, and provides two good hits. And frees up points for upgrades on the other ships. Hm...

In my many flights of Vessery, I find that having more than one pilot for Vess helps immensely with his output. I did want to take AC but the need for a Target Lock for Vessery proved greater, and I wanted Zertik to get some benefit out of it. I'll test it out regardless. Additionally, I could swap Predator for PTL, and throw TIE MkII on him. We shall see.

15 hours ago, Drakeheart said:

I did want to take AC but the need for a Target Lock for Vessery proved greater, and I wanted Zertik to get some benefit out of it. I'll test it out regardless. Additionally, I could swap Predator for PTL, and throw TIE MkII on him. We shall see.

As noted, if you want to use Zertik as a target-locker (at least once), then Accuracy Corrector, Guidance Chips and Cluster Missiles is surprisingly brutal.

6 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

...then Accuracy Corrector, Guidance Chips and Cluster Missiles is surprisingly brutal...

I have a couple questions about this. Is the use of accuracy corrector just to help in the event of a total blank out? AC cancels all dice then adds to hits, leaving nothing left for the Chips to modify. And if Zertik is using ordnance, it would behove him to take Fire Control System over Accuracy Corrector, which leads into my next question...

What happens on the follow-up rounds? If Zertik spends his Target Lock to use the missiles, I'll have to spend an action to reacquire the target lock on the next round... Less of an issue with Push the Limit, but not optimal overall I feel.

PS: After playing with the numbers, there isn't enough points for the Bomber build of EM + Homing and Clusters on Zertik.

16 hours ago, Drakeheart said:

I have a couple questions about this. Is the use of accuracy corrector just to help in the event of a total blank out? AC cancels all dice then adds to hits, leaving nothing left for the Chips to modify. And if Zertik is using ordnance, it would behove him to take Fire Control System over Accuracy Corrector, which leads into my next question...

What happens on the follow-up rounds? If Zertik spends his Target Lock to use the missiles, I'll have to spend an action to reacquire the target lock on the next round... Less of an issue with Push the Limit, but not optimal overall I feel.

PS: After playing with the numbers, there isn't enough points for the Bomber build of EM + Homing and Clusters on Zertik.

You roll 3 hits: you do the spontaneous happy dance.

You roll 2 hits: you use guidance chips to add a 3rd

You roll 1 or 0 hits: accuracy corrector improves to 2

In practice it means your two cluster missile shots, which are normally unmodified, tend to rake in one at 3 hits and one at 2.

It's a really nice weapon system for generic pilots, and pairs well with Zertik's ability to get up in people's faces (as do proton rockets).

If you really want Zertik to support Vessery, I'd agree on sticking with Advanced Targeting Computer. You'll just have to hug your green dice and hope for the opening shots.