So I just realized how much IG-88 can be a perfect counter to minimalist squad builds (Tychu+Shara or Ciena + Valen) or large bomber build that base around Intel and Escort to guarantee bombing runs...

He has speed 5 and rogue, so moves quickly and can attack too, great!

He ignores counter... so the main point on minimalist builds of squads is basically ignored, and when THEY attack him he has counter 2.

He ignores escort, so that intel is NEVER safe from him, and Dengar is rendered totally useless against him.

Take a Jendon and Rudor as well, and then you have an amazing way to take down intel and ignore counter on infernal Shara!!!

Yes, all hail Might IG-88.

Just an anecdote! Once I was playing against IG-88, he was activated and shot my Shara. As usual, I gathered my dice and was about to throw my counter attack until my opponent just casually said "you can't". It took half a second until it dawned on me. #NeverForget.

So if not for anything else, just include IG-88 to cause your opponents a lot of annoyance

I've always wondered why I don't see people running him more often.

Cost. He's 21 points and has 4 blues vs. squadrons. He may ignore counter and escort, but he isn't pumping out the dice that you could be getting from cheaper ships. Add on that he's only got the scatter, he gets eaten alive by pretty average rolls.

He's a great sniper to take out a single, low hull target, but you have to be getting amazing rolls vs. Ciena, Valen, etc to put them down and survive until turn 2.

Yes, I use him with Jendon to double (or triple) tap. It only takes a Gozanti to activate the combo.

The "problem" with him is an X-wing (or any big blue die machine) is really nasty as it almost always locks his one scatter and then he takes mucho damage. 2 X-wings frequently kill him when I get him stuck, or send him on a suicide mission to blast Jan so I can lock down their stupid bombers with cheap Ties.

Sooo, (to spell it out for newer players)... assume he is going to die after he does his assassin thing unless you do the following:

Activate 88 at end of squadron phase to attack your target (or not, this is only the triple).

Activate Jendon with first ship to move Jendon forward & attack with 88.

Attack with 88 and move away if you are not engaged. (if engaged & you truly want to save him, use a JM5000 to save him, but you usually have better things to do with that).

It is so very brutal and hard to counter, especially when you pair him with Saber squadron strikes. However, you have now spent lots of points on anti-squadron... and it they don't bring squadrons it is kind of a waste.

In tandem with a Quasar activated, flight controlled Interceptor/Howlrunner ball he'd be pretty tasty - IG hunting Jan Ors whilst the interceptors unload buckets of blues at the escort fighters. Your opponent would have to spread their fire in a bad way.

But yeah, 21 points is a bit of a killer

24 minutes ago, ricefrisbeetreats said:

but he isn't pumping out the dice that you could be getting from cheaper ships

Like what? He is over the average wich is 3 standard blue dice. The only ones over him are lone dudes like Wedge or Boosk/Vader. For their own point cost.

25 minutes ago, ricefrisbeetreats said:

Add on that he's only got the scatter, he gets eaten alive by pretty average rolls.

Only a scatter? ONLY?? Is the best Defense token in game. Every named fighter gets eaten alive by average rolls, at least he can avoid that annoying 1 damage roll, not like the standard Brace/Brace aces where 1 is 1. Can't see your point here. Plus he has counter 2, he is not going to be eaten alive easily.

29 minutes ago, ricefrisbeetreats said:

He's a great sniper to take out a single, low hull target, but you have to be getting amazing rolls vs. Ciena, Valen, etc to put them down and survive until turn 2.

You need decent rolls from every fighter, not only IG, to put those two down. The difference is that you are not taking anything back. Ciena obstructed? I can still shoot her for free. The Shara thing is just obscene, it denies her entire skill.

I think imp players are TOO used to cheap squadrons aces and somehow see IG pricey. In fact he is brutally cheap for what he can do. Same price as Nym. Compare.

Just now, xerpo said:

Like what? He is over the average wich is 3 standard blue dice. The only ones over him are lone dudes like Wedge or Boosk/Vader. For their own point cost.

Only a scatter? ONLY?? Is the best Defense token in game. Every named fighter gets eaten alive by average rolls, at least he can avoid that annoying 1 damage roll, not like the standard Brace/Brace aces where 1 is 1. Can't see your point here. Plus he has counter 2, he is not going to be eaten alive easily.

You need decent rolls from every fighter, not only IG, to put those two down. The difference is that you are not taking anything back. Ciena obstructed? I can still shoot her for free. The Shara thing is just obscene, it denies her entire skill.

I think imp players are TOO used to cheap squadrons aces and somehow see IG pricey. In fact he is brutally cheap for what he can do. Same price as Nym. Compare.

Interceptors roll 4 and you get 2 for the price of IG88. you get nearly 3 TIE Fighters for the same as well and that's a total of 9 dice. Ciena Ree is 4 points cheaper and rolls 4, has Scatter AND brace. X-Wings roll 4 blues.

The idea is that a single scatter is easy to accuracy away. Even if they do roll that 1 accuracy, you have a brace to reduce the damage. With Ciena or any of the other Scatter/Brace squads, you either A: Scatter away a no accuracy hit, or B: Cut in half a single accuracy hit down to 1 or 2. With IG88, you have a single scatter. So you only have option A. I like having options so that becomes problematic. Add things like Flight Controllers and IG88 starts feeling it way more than Ciena is going to feel it.

As for Nym, I haven't seen him hitting any of the top tables either. Not sure why he's being brought up.

I think IG88 works really well if you need an independent squadron that can try to scalpel out a key squadron without being burdened by the defender having escort ships. In the game today, people are playing far too many support capital ships that push squadrons to make rogue valuable enough to have him playable.

But go ahead and make him work for you. I spent a lot of time trying to get him to work and ultimately found myself unimpressed.

I personally love IG-88 but find myself taking him less and less simply due to having to pay for Rogue that I'll probably never use.

The other issue is opportunity cost if you run into a list that isn't running fighters, or not very many. At that point he is very expensive for what you can get out of him. Typically in a well tuned list, you are looking to get something out of every card in the list, regardless of matchup.

8 minutes ago, AdmiralYor said:

The other issue is opportunity cost if you run into a list that isn't running fighters, or not very many. At that point he is very expensive for what you can get out of him. Typically in a well tuned list, you are looking to get something out of every card in the list, regardless of matchup.

He can chase ships and shoot at them at every turn once it starts, if it has no squads, it's a speed 5 rogue that can run after a ship, even if it only has 1 black, it likely won't die, because without squads, the relying on AA every turn against a scatter squad is not the easiest thing

He is nice to have to hunt priority squads - *cough* Jan Ors *cough* - but isn't super useful in a stand up fight.

He does have another purpose though. At speed 5, rogue, and black anti-ship, he makes an interesting hunter-killer to go after wounded ships fleeing from the fight. The scatter makes him resistant to most flak.

That 21 pt single scatter means he burns down real fast. That's the real issue. Saber squadrons snipe with Jendon is, imo,a better choice.

1 hour ago, Darthain said:

That 21 pt single scatter means he burns down real fast. That's the real issue. Saber squadrons snipe with Jendon is, imo,a better choice.

He also lacks the means to reposition - he's no Tycho. So once committed, you risk him being stuck.

Anyway. I think he's an ok option, but you need to assassinate with care. Don't throw him away too soon.

If you are going to use him to carve, you cant use him alone. He wants to be joined with saber and maybe mauler to make sure that whichever squadron you need to have dead actually dies. And then also hope your opponent didnt bring Rieekan. Otherwise, 4 blues and no modification are unlikely to make it happen against any squadron you are likely to designate as a priority target.

I like IG88, but I rarely bring him. The Imps have lots of strong antisquad options competing with him for that spot, many of which are cheaper.

1 hour ago, Madaghmire said:

The Imps have lots of strong antisquad options competing with him for that spot, many of which are cheaper.

Exactly this.

IG-88 is thematic and fun, but he is killed by the rogue points premium.

For me, he doesn't quite cut it because when you primarily expect to face aces rather than generics you need to get 3 damage fairly reliably. That's why I usually go with Marek, Valen and Saber. IG only rolls 2 damage on the odds and there is no way to boost it. And if your opponent is running a decent fighter ball they will drop him in short order in return.

6 hours ago, BrobaFett said:

IG-88 is thematic and fun, but he is killed by the rogue points premium.

I agree. If I could get the IG-88 unique on a rogue-less platform I'd be bringing it every time.

In fact, I kind of do now. If I'm bringing a significant Imperial squadron presence, Saber is usually in there. Freaking love Saber.

@moodswing5537 can tell you all about how much I love Saber.

I used to run Iggy but Maarek Steele has replaced him these days, same speed n more flexible with bomber.

Not that i'm a nostalgic old TIE Fighter player at all.....

Bring on the Assault Gunboats!!!!

I think IG-88's best partner in crime is Valen Rudor. Together, they rendered Shara completely useless...

I always loved IG88 he was a staple of my early fighter balls. I slowly drifted away while experimenting with other Rhymer balls. He may make a comeback with Rhymer being nerfed and all.

Like many others have said, good ship, better in tandem with others, but not great for point optimization