There's a tourney Sunday, and I'm trying to decide between these two fleets. The Sloane list is tried and true, but the Motti list offers more ship firepower and room for aggression. Any recommendations?

Name: First or Second
Faction: Imperial
Commander: Admiral Motti

Assault: Advanced Gunnery
Defense: Fire Lanes
Navigation: Sensor Net

Imperial II (120)

• Admiral Motti (24)
• Strategic Adviser (4)
• Boarding Troopers (3)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
• Leading Shots (4)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
• Avenger (5)
= 172 Points

Gladiator I (56)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Assault Proton Torpedoes (5)
• Demolisher (10)
= 75 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Comms Net (2)
= 25 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
= 23 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
= 23 Points

Squadrons:
• 2 x Lambda Shuttle (30)
• JumpMaster 5000 (12)
• Zertik Strom (15)
• Mauler Mithel (15)
• Black Squadron (9)
= 81 Points

Total Points: 399

Or this one:

Name: Hopefully Second
Faction: Imperial
Commander: Admiral Sloane

Assault: Advanced Gunnery
Defense: Fire Lanes
Navigation: Sensor Net

Imperial II (120)
• Admiral Sloane (24)
• Strategic Adviser (4)
• Boarding Troopers (3)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
• Leading Shots (4)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
• Avenger (5)
= 172 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
= 23 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
= 23 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
= 23 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
= 23 Points

Squadrons:
• 8 x TIE Fighter Squadron (64)
• Howlrunner (16)
• Dengar (20)
• 2 x Lambda Shuttle (30)
= 130 Points

Total Points: 394

Demo with no bid?

I've played 2nd player Demo. Its not good at all.

Also even an ISD usually wants to be 1st player. Though I guess you've been playing with only 6 its bid for SECOND-list? How did it go? (I think ISD cares a little less than Demo ofc)

I vote SECOND

But I don't like ties at all. I much prefer the aces. Ciena, Mauler, Valen.

Demo is mostly there if I get first; otherwise I get an AG ISD/points farm in either case. In my meta the bid seems to work, oddly enough. Switching the generics out could be smart; they're mostly there as an anti-ace/bomber defensive force. (The 2nd list is meant to be quite passive unless they choose AG.) Mauler, Ciena, Valen and Soontir could fit instead, and up the bid by a point...

4 minutes ago, The Jabbawookie said:

Demo is mostly there if I get first; otherwise I get an AG ISD/points farm in either case. In my meta the bid seems to work, oddly enough. Switching the generics out could be smart; they're mostly there as an anti-ace/bomber defensive force. (The 2nd list is meant to be quite passive unless they choose AG.) Mauler, Ciena, Valen and Soontir could fit instead, and up the bid by a point...

If you want my advice, I see lots of 1+4 ISD fleets looking to go first. So they can control using first last to actually get that ISD on target.

As for ties: I don't like generic ties cuz you lose 8 points when they die. So, its hard to make use of the extra blue die you get from going from 2 ties vs say Valen. Whereas I don't fear dropping Valen and Ciena in front of a large ship for days, plinking away. And they are perhaps even better at AA than 2 ties are. Mauler and a generic Jump also work for me. After that, adding something that has antiship damage helps, like Maarek.

Maarek/ a bid for first I'll stay away from; if this were a last/first fleet I'd go with the topmost list and a higher bid. The ISD2 is there in exactly the same role as a 1+many "fish farm" Defiance. There are really two instances in which I want to proactively kill ships: AG and the dreaded first player. You make a good point about the aces; I'll try changing up the squads. Does this seem like a reliable fighter force? They're mainly there to facilitate objective play/kill bombers/perform surgical strikes if AG is chosen.

Ciena Ree

Soontir Fel

Valen Rudor

Howlrunner

Dengar

Mauler Mithel

Lambda x2