So this is where I’m at after all the suggestions. Toying with the idea of swapping one A-wing for a hawk so that I can free up the VCX’s for one more round of strategic after they get tied up. I could then drop Shara to Tycho for his mobility and to keep the same bid. Thoughts?

Defiance Breaker (394/400)

Rebels

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Objectives: Advanced Gunnery, Sensor Net, Firing Lanes

[flagship] MC80 Assault Cruiser (114)

- Admiral Ackbar (38)

- Defiance (5)

- Electronic Counter Measures (7)

- Reinforced Blast Doors (5)

- Leading Shots (4)

- Intel Officer (7)

- Engine Techs (8)

- XI7 Turbolasers (6)

= 194 total points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)

- Quantum Storm (1)

- Slicer Tools (7)

= 26 total points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)

- Comms Net (2)

= 20 total points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)

- Jamming Field (2)

= 20 total points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)

= 18 total points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)

= 18 total points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)

= 18 total points

Squadrons (80/134):

1x Shara Bey A-wing Squadron (17)

3x A-Wing Squadron (33)

2x VCX-100 Freighter (30)

Looks solid to me, usually I see it with 6 activations and a few more squads, but 7 activations is nasty. Just switch out capture the VIP, I'd be totally relieved if I saw that objective with this fleet.

2 minutes ago, Kristjan said:

Looks solid to me, usually I see it with 6 activations and a few more squads, but 7 activations is nasty. Just switch out capture the VIP, I'd be totally relieved if I saw that objective with this fleet.

Good catch, forgot to swap that out thanks

2 hours ago, Kristjan said:

Why capture the VIP over fire lanes? Good Super Pickle list though, was really surprised no one brought this list to Michigan regionals.

I was running this exact spec on Defiance, but I had 3 corvettes and bright hope with less fighter cover, and I played rather badly.

Very nice

I like the idea, but you can't be strong against everything. As the guy sitting across the table from you with swarmin' MC30's, I don't care how awesome those blues and yellows are, netting 300 points for killing your one ship sounds pretty good to me.

I think you need to weigh your MC80 build choices against the possibility that you'll have to face high-count MC30's or (I imagine) GSDs. If you're comfortable enough gambling on not running into something like that, then you're golden--but a well-built fast torpedo boat list is going to take this for a ride, all else being equal. Alternatively, just get in some practice games against those kinds of builds to at least learn how to tactically mitigate your vulnerability to them. It can be done, but it'll take a real skill differential to do it. It's way easier for me to stuff 4 MC30's in Defiance's path and wait for the giant pickle to blunder into them than it is for you to dodge them.

15 minutes ago, Ardaedhel said:

I like the idea, but you can't be strong against everything. As the guy sitting across the table from you with swarmin' MC30's, I don't care how awesome those blues and yellows are, netting 300 points for killing your one ship sounds pretty good to me.

I think you need to weigh your MC80 build choices against the possibility that you'll have to face high-count MC30's or (I imagine) GSDs. If you're comfortable enough gambling on not running into something like that, then you're golden--but a well-built fast torpedo boat list is going to take this for a ride, all else being equal. Alternatively, just get in some practice games against those kinds of builds to at least learn how to tactically mitigate your vulnerability to them. It can be done, but it'll take a real skill differential to do it. It's way easier for me to stuff 4 MC30's in Defiance's path and wait for the giant pickle to blunder into them than it is for you to dodge them.

You know, as I was building this list I was thinking a MC30 swarm would be it’s only weakness. Having run variations of your list since wave 2 I know this one would have a tough time dealing with multiple black dice ships, which is why originally I had a rather large bid for first in order to always be able to activate and get out of range of them first. I’m hoping 7 activations is enough to avoid getting the pickle trapped... around here I am the only one that really goes above 5 activations or runs more than two mc30s in the same list