13 minutes ago, Snipafist said:

Or to be more serious, because it seems like Rebel players use them like ISDs and then find ISDs are better ISDs (and for a higher cost, who would've guessed!) and then disregard them entirely. I've seen them used well as pocket battleships/bullies taking advantage of Engine Techs to gobble up small ships on the flanks and harass larger ships from bad arcs and they work just fine that way. They're not going to win a head-to-head fight against an ISD, though, but they're not priced to do so.

So much this.

They make a MEAN flanker with Madine and ETs. You do not want to get caught with your pants down in such a case. Many-a-ISD have been evaporated like this.

Ignoring all the hyperbole:

Do you really want multiple liberties?

5 minutes ago, Ginkapo said:

Ignoring all the hyperbole:

Do you really want multiple liberties?

I mean probably no, but you generally don't want multiple large ships most of the time anyways.

One of our locals won the Milwaukee Regionals last year with a double-Liberty fleet, though. As I recall it was 2 lightly upgraded LMC80s, 2 CR90As, and 2 GR75s with some squadron support.

3 minutes ago, Snipafist said:

I mean probably no, but you generally don't want multiple large ships most of the time anyways.

Which was the real point: ain't nobody wants multiple Liberties, but that's the only way to get multiple SFOs.

7 minutes ago, Ardaedhel said:

Which was the real point: ain't nobody wants multiple Liberties, but that's the only way to get multiple SFOs.

I've gotten mixed results that average successful, but it's a list with obvious, well known counters, and double Larges with a dose of **** The Torpedoes! is my thing anyway.

14 minutes ago, Ardaedhel said:

Which was the real point: ain't nobody wants multiple Liberties, but that's the only way to get multiple SFOs.

Skilled First Officer is probably my top pick for tournament kit "ridiculous pile of upgrade cards" inclusion in 2018, as soon as possible.

Don't get me wrong, Flight Commander and Flight Controllers are up there too but SFO is the clear winner for me. I'm lucky that I picked up 2 more on eBay back before their price went crazy, but my buddies weren't so lucky.

3 minutes ago, Snipafist said:

Skilled First Officer is probably my top pick for tournament kit "ridiculous pile of upgrade cards" inclusion in 2018, as soon as possible.

Don't get me wrong, Flight Commander and Flight Controllers are up there too but SFO is the clear winner for me. I'm lucky that I picked up 2 more on eBay back before their price went crazy, but my buddies weren't so lucky.

Agree on all points. A lucky early trade for one got me the third that I regularly use for tourney play, but very few have enough to do that, which sucks.

i am looking at buying a second Interdictor to use the Interdictor... Maybe I’ll get it half price if I split FC/FCT with someone...

7 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

You have NO idea how many times I've wanted to just put him on a flot for shtts and giggle.s

Wait wait - I just thought of a REAL reason to put him on a flotilla.

To give the finger to Director Isard.

"Look at my dial, will you? HA!"

18 minutes ago, Maturin said:

Wait wait - I just thought of a REAL reason to put him on a flotilla.

To give the finger to Director Isard.

"Look at my dial, will you? HA!"

I mean, heck. I do that to my opponents.

"You wanna see what I commanded, you really wanna know don't you. HA!"

11 minutes ago, Blail Blerg said:

I mean, heck. I do that to my opponents.

"You wanna see what I commanded, you really wanna know don't you. HA!"

Course, now you gotta find an opponent who's willing to play Director Isard. I can classify her as "best case situationally useful" but man, those 3 points could be much better served elsewhere I feel. "Oh, Yavaris is commanding squadrons? Gasp, so crazy! That MC80 has a navigate somewhere in that stack! Also insane!" Not to derail the thread, but has ANYONE found a good use for her other than knowing what to slicer tools and what not to? @Drasnighta, this seems like something nose-punchy in that it COULD tilt your opponent off guard, but I keep coming back to an "eh" thing. However, she's not my faction, so maybe I'm missing something. Anybody? Space Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

14 minutes ago, geek19 said:

Course, now you gotta find an opponent who's willing to play Director Isard. I can classify her as "best case situationally useful" but man, those 3 points could be much better served elsewhere I feel. "Oh, Yavaris is commanding squadrons? Gasp, so crazy! That MC80 has a navigate somewhere in that stack! Also insane!" Not to derail the thread, but has ANYONE found a good use for her other than knowing what to slicer tools and what not to? @Drasnighta, this seems like something nose-punchy in that it COULD tilt your opponent off guard, but I keep coming back to an "eh" thing. However, she's not my faction, so maybe I'm missing something. Anybody? Space Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

She might actually have a place in Nose Punch, sitting on Squall, if Squall is how I consider the initial punch.

Especially if you have two high-priority targets, you'll at least get to see one of the dial stacks to decide wether you hit that one (because it has 3 turns of Nav's stocked) or take a gamble elsewhere (because it has a Nav followed by all the Eng, all the Time, etc).

Most of the time however, she's only telling you what you probably already know about 1 target.

I have used her.

Twice.

For Slicer Tools targeting.

... wasn't worth it either time, because:

6 minutes ago, geek19 said:

Oh, Yavaris is commanding squadrons? Gasp, so crazy!

24 minutes ago, geek19 said:

Course, now you gotta find an opponent who's willing to play Director Isard. I can classify her as "best case situationally useful" but man, those 3 points could be much better served elsewhere I feel. "Oh, Yavaris is commanding squadrons? Gasp, so crazy! That MC80 has a navigate somewhere in that stack! Also insane!" Not to derail the thread, but has ANYONE found a good use for her other than knowing what to slicer tools and what not to? @Drasnighta, this seems like something nose-punchy in that it COULD tilt your opponent off guard, but I keep coming back to an "eh" thing. However, she's not my faction, so maybe I'm missing something. Anybody? Space Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

You take her so your opponent can put a SFO/YHM on a flotilla without their suffering existential angst, of course!

21 minutes ago, Maturin said:

You take her so your opponent can put a SFO/YHM on a flotilla without their suffering existential angst, of course!

NOBODY TELLS ME WHAT TO DO, I'M GOING TO MY ROOM! I GUESS WE'RE JUST DOING NOTHING THIS ROUND, MAYBE NEXT ROUND I'LL COME UP FROM THE BASEMENT, MOM!

26 minutes ago, Maturin said:

You take her so your opponent can put a SFO/YHM on a flotilla without their suffering existential angst, of course!

If i gotta suffer anxiety, they gotta suffer it too.

Slicer really makes me wish we had better debuffs than just wrong command and changing speed. I would think that a single -1 dice would be okay. (But not multiple).

Losing a defense token or something.

A Tale of Two Arquitens and Two Assault Frigates

aka. Ackbar and I.

Gotta keep this one a little short. Played PFFTT Ackbar vs VAAZZ Moffy J. Ackbar wins by 136 MOV.
The good:
Intensify Firepower (IF!) is nuts nuts nuts. Those guys at Steel Sq (@biggsIRL) had it right. Ackbar with GT creates some ludicrously consistent damage.
I've now kind of figured out the AF vs the MC30 = AF GT Ackbar is still more consistent firepower at range, for longer. MC30s will do burst damage. If you're an amazing MC30 player, you may get better value from MC30s if you get more than 1 great shot. (They dont need ackbar though, which makes things dicey). MC30s are EXTREMELY EXTREMELY COST EFFICIENT. Heck, typically, if you can be good at 1st player, I'm gonna predict that they are literally #1 ship in the game for damage and durability efficeincy. Top. Number One.

AFs with Ackbar though are really good. Their movement dial also tends to work pretty well. Got a slash on 2 Gozanti as 1st player. They died immediately. Removing any sort of activation control from my opponent.

This version, 2.5 conga, is very flexible in a Blail Blerg sort of way: Its very capable of reacting to an opponent who knows how to fight vs your strategy. By having only 2 AFs, you aren't locked in so hard to a conga. You don't have to worry about movement as much. The Pelta goes in front and screens the front with a big nasty ER shot. In this game even, I broke the conga, and Ackbar slashed the 2nd AF down the unprotected center of my opponent's gozanti and ties. Everything they touched turned to ash.

The bad:
Pelta firepower is really bad for its cost. =( Yes, its better than a TRC90. But really not by much. The black dice make you never get enough dice on target until you're up close. And although it seems like 2 red 2 blk + ER is scary... its really not. This thing is NOT a gladiator. I'd say this thing is only 1.25 of a TRC90. Ackbar doesn't help that much either.
(The blue dice Pelta does a lot better damage, due to range).

The AFs and Pelta really don't do well for AA. Ackbar has always had this problem.
Squadrons still die pretty fast, and commanding them is still a pain. (What's not a pain is killing ships.)

Arquitens are really hard to get value out of. Especially compared to AF Ackbar. Do what that guy said and go TRC. (Not slaved). Oh and really consider running vader. Really. So many 2 hits out of 5 dice shots with a CF reroll. (BAD!)

Tie Defs, best AA, pretty **** Anti-Ship.

Lists:

PFFTT Ackbar - s6Str b0 - 2nd, AA trap. DTT or RBD, Awings attack ships.

Faction: Rebel Alliance

Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Most Wanted

Defense Objective: Fire Lanes

Navigation Objective: Intel Sweep

Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship (56 points)

- Phoenix Home ( 3 points)

- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)

- External Racks ( 3 points)

- Intensify Firepower! ( 6 points)

= 69 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)

- Ahsoka Tano ( 2 points)

- Comms Net ( 2 points)

= 22 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)

- Toryn Farr ( 7 points)

- Comms Net ( 2 points)

= 27 total ship cost

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)

- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)

- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)

- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)

= 85 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)

- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)

- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)

- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)

- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)

= 123 total ship cost

4 A-Wing Squadrons ( 44 points)

2 VCX-100 Freighters ( 30 points)

Card view link

Fleet

VAAZZ Moffy J + Defenders - s6 b7 - or NavHazards/Intel Sweep

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 400/400

Commander: Moff Jerjerrod

Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Capture the VIP
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 25 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Slaved Turrets ( 6 points)
= 67 total ship cost

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (54 points)
- Intel Officer ( 7 points)
- Slaved Turrets ( 6 points)
= 67 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)
- Moff Jerjerrod ( 23 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
- Quad Battery Turrets ( 5 points)
= 114 total ship cost

1 Captain Jonus ( 16 points)
3 TIE Defender Squadrons ( 48 points)
1 Lambda-class Shuttle ( 15 points)
1 Bossk ( 23 points)

Card view link

Fleet



New Ackbar v2:

PFFTT Ackbar - s6Str b4 - 2nd, DTT or RBD, Awings attack ships. v2

Faction: Rebel Alliance

Points: 396/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Most Wanted

Defense Objective: Fire Lanes

Navigation Objective: Intel Sweep

Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship (56 points)

- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)

- External Racks ( 3 points)

- Intensify Firepower! ( 6 points)

= 66 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)

- Quantum Storm ( 1 points)

- Ahsoka Tano ( 2 points)

- Comms Net ( 2 points)

= 23 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)

- Toryn Farr ( 7 points)

- Comms Net ( 2 points)

= 27 total ship cost

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)

- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)

- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)

- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)

= 84 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)

- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)

- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)

- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)

= 118 total ship cost

4 A-Wing Squadrons ( 44 points)

1 VCX-100 Freighter ( 15 points)

1 Jan Ors ( 19 points)

Card view link

Fleet

@IronNerd

Here's my typical Twin Pickle list. Posting here so we don't derail the other thread.

You fly them in an off-set conga, so you don't bump each other, and you can turn out to bring your broadside guns to bear on anything. Use one set of broadside to protect the other. 4 activations is not great. You gotta threaten and kill. Non-ackbar MC80 goes first. Ackbar trails.

Use ET to give you better angles, to avoid getting trapped in the front. And you can use it to ram smaller ships dead.

ECM is actually somewhat optional.

This squadron set up is the most resilient, and you have one strat fighter for contesting tokens. Its also great vs no squadron fleets, as you merrily take all the tokens AND you bomb them with Awings.

HHTT Ackbar - The Twin Taters - s6strat b0 - 2nd.

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Fire Lanes
Navigation Objective: Intel Sweep

[ flagship ] MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
= 164 total ship cost

MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
= 122 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
= 18 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
= 18 total ship cost

4 A-Wing Squadrons ( 44 points)
1 VCX-100 Freighter ( 15 points)
1 Jan Ors ( 19 points)

Card view link

Fleet

Here is a 2nd version, but with only 4 squadrons, giving you a 3rd transport, 5th activation. I do not recommend this version. Because 4 squadrons will get overwhelmed by 134 squadrons in no time flat.

HHTTT Ackbar - The Twin Taters - s4 b1 - 2nd.

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 399/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
= 22 total ship cost

[ flagship ] MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
= 160 total ship cost

MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
= 122 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Hondo Ohnaka ( 2 points)
= 20 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 Tycho Celchu ( 16 points)

Card view link

Fleet

Version 3: Pelta and QBTs raises the damage dealt hugely. But at this point, I'm pretty much ignoring the squadron game and the activation game, and my win con is: kill your stuff dead really hard.

Either take Boosted Comms, or ER for the Pelta, for a nasty frontal sting.

HHP Ackbar - Full offense is the best defense - s4 b0 - 3 ships

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 400/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Solar Corona

MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Quad Battery Turrets ( 5 points)
= 120 total ship cost

[ flagship ] MC80 Command Cruiser (106 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
- Quad Battery Turrets ( 5 points)
= 162 total ship cost

Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship (56 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Shields to Maximum! ( 6 points)
= 63 total ship cost

1 Shara Bey ( 17 points)
2 A-Wing Squadrons ( 22 points)
1 Tycho Celchu ( 16 points)

Card view link

Fleet

The Unnamed Episode 3: Sloane Gladiators vs Pelta AF Ackbar. Sloane Gladiators takes out Pelta, all squadrons and barely cinches Intel Sweep, 154 MOV.

Had some fun with Sloane and 3 Gladiators. Now I really like Gladiators. They're a ton of fun. Tanky, punchy. Handsome. I'm not sure this is a great list. But its got some strengths.
6 activations is the new strong. It feels strong, it feels very effective. This squadron ball is also very effective. I like it a lot. You could drop one Lambda for Soontir or Howlrunner though. Or better yet, Jendon. The 2 strategic fighters help out a lot in some medium squadron matchups. Gotta actually try it now vs some real dealRieekan aces. Yuck.

This is the 2nd time I ran PFFTT Ackbar. Its a solid list, But I'm noticing its hard to keep the Pelta alive. Whereas the two AFs potato around the board like schoolyard bullies no one wants to get near. This screening made it pretty hard to get effective shots with the Gladiators. Was only able to land shots on the Pelta and took out a flotilla.

I think this list really wants 6 activations too. The screen worked really well: 4 Awings, 1VCX, Jan, + Boosted Comms on one AF. Toryn is just seriously not in the right place in the right time for this list ever. Maybe someone can help with this, But I can rarely get her to really matter that much. Really considering dropping.

PFFTT Ackbar - s6Str b4 - 2nd. Phoenix Home or RBD, Awings battery. v2
Skill Floor: Simple / Casual / Challenging / Difficult
Skill Ceiling: Low / Moderate / High / Extreme
I recommend this list. It has a wide mix of strengths, and Assault Frigates don't get playtime much anymore.

GGGZZZ Sloane - s6AAstrat b16 - or Motti
Skill Floor: Simple / Casual / Challenging / Difficult
Skill Ceiling: Low / Moderate / High / Extreme

I do think this build a lot more challenging. No ET makes your moves very precision-requiring. However, it has enough punch to take some things out. And it too plays medium squadrons decently well.

PFFTT Ackbar - s6Str b4 - 2nd. Phoenix Home or RBD, Awings battery. v2
Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 396/400
Commander: Admiral Ackbar
Assault Objective: Most Wanted
Defense Objective: Fire Lanes
Navigation Objective: Intel Sweep

Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship (56 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
- Intensify Firepower! ( 6 points)
= 66 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Quantum Storm ( 1 points)
- Ahsoka Tano ( 2 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 23 total ship cost

GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Toryn Farr ( 7 points)
- Comms Net ( 2 points)
= 27 total ship cost

Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
= 84 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Assault Frigate Mark II B (72 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
= 118 total ship cost

4 A-Wing Squadrons ( 44 points)
1 VCX-100 Freighter ( 15 points)
1 Jan Ors ( 19 points)
Card view link
Fleet

GGGZZZ Sloane - s6AAstrat b16 - or Motti

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 384/400

Commander: Admiral Sloane

Assault Objective: Custom Objective
Defense Objective: Custom Objective
Navigation Objective: Custom Objective

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Demolisher ( 10 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 74 total ship cost

Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Agent Kallus ( 3 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 66 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Gladiator I-Class Star Destroyer (56 points)
- Admiral Sloane ( 24 points)
- Skilled First Officer ( 1 points)
- Ordnance Experts ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 88 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
= 23 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
= 23 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
= 23 total ship cost

2 Lambda-class Shuttles ( 30 points)
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)
1 "Mauler" Mithel ( 15 points)
1 Ciena Ree ( 17 points)
1 Saber Squadron ( 12 points)
Card view link

Fleet

13 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

@IronNerd

Here's my typical Twin Pickle list. Posting here so we don't derail the other thread.

You fly them in an off-set conga, so you don't bump each other, and you can turn out to bring your broadside guns to bear on anything. Use one set of broadside to protect the other. 4 activations is not great. You gotta threaten and kill. Non-ackbar MC80 goes first. Ackbar trails.

Use ET to give you better angles, to avoid getting trapped in the front. And you can use it to ram smaller ships dead.

ECM is actually somewhat optional.

This squadron set up is the most resilient, and you have one strat fighter for contesting tokens. Its also great vs no squadron fleets, as you merrily take all the tokens AND you bomb them with Awings.

Thanks, I'll give this a try. I assume the lead MC80 is your typical Intel Sweep-er?

10 hours ago, IronNerd said:

Thanks, I'll give this a try. I assume the lead MC80 is your typical Intel Sweep-er?

Yeah. Give it a go. See how you like it. Try and think as a broadsider. Give yourself room to move.