Ran the original incarnation of this list again twice last night. I wanted to see if I could handle a Riekann bomber wing without introducing the squadrons, and I'm very pleased to report that I won both times. They key is getting the timing down. Both my opponent and I learned from our first go, so approached things a little differently the second time. I managed to time it perfectly, such that my first Slicer hit Yavaris the turn before I would have seen the first double tap. The next turn, both ISDs moved into position, followed by a second slice on Yavaris. I popped Yavaris and a couple transports, plus got the final slice on zombie Yavaris.

This can work. It's not foolproof... but it's a list I've found success with that runs NO SQUADRONS, and that makes me happy.

Sounds like much hinges on those slicers! That's some great flying if you can bring them to bear several turns in a row.

Way to go!

22 minutes ago, Democratus said:

Sounds like much hinges on those slicers! That's some great flying if you can bring them to bear several turns in a row.

Way to go!

It truly does, hence my reluctance to drop one of the Slicers for a screen. The Slicers die every time, they have to get into the scrum to do their work. Giving up 60 points to let my ISDs approach unmolested is SO worth it, by the time the Slicers are dead the opponent doesn't have enough juice to kill the ISDs.

Ran a Jerjerrod two-ISD list last week using two of the "Bruiser Extraordinaire" ISD-1s. They are so much fun, just bullying their way around the map.

I think losing one is likely if you have no defensive retrofits or Motti. But in a way it focuses things. Your plan for the battle is 'how do I trade up for an ISD?' - which then gives you a clear path for what to do.

8 minutes ago, Democratus said:

I think losing one is likely if you have no defensive retrofits or Motti. But in a way it focuses things. Your plan for the battle is 'how do I trade up for an ISD?' - which then gives you a clear path for what to do.

Sometimes it's tough to find enough points to kill to make up for the loss of an ISD, especially against heavy squadron fleets or MSUs. ISD1s certainly make it a bit easier with their lower cost. You make a pretty valid point though, I'm finding there is typically a relatively clear path to victory with these fleets. With my version, I can really only project force onto two areas of the board at once. Typically this has me picking where I need to be and trying to get both ISDs there, because I don't have enough toys to send them off to do their own things.

Apologies for the necro, but in light of the new hotness, I think this list just got a lot better. Strategic Adviser kicks up the activation power, and Early Warning System helps me in my worst match-ups. I lose Kallus and SFO, but I wasn't actually killing aces anyway and SFO is a bit of a crutch. I am incredibly psyched to try this out!