PS wars are cooling off, and the need for autothrusters increases. And I love Inquisitor.

So what about this list? Also pinging @Boom Owl

Darth Vader (Total: 38)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Cruise Missiles (3)
Advanced Targeting Computer (1)
Engine Upgrade (4)
TIE/x1 (0)

The Inquisitor (Total: 34)
Push the Limit (3)
Cruise Missiles (3)
Autothrusters (2)
TIE/v1 (1)

Rho Squadron Veteran (Total: 26)
Deadeye (1)
Concussion Missiles (4)
Guidance Chips (0)

Total: 98

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

• Vader is the same as usual. Reliably firing off 5 dice in his first round, then boosting and rolling around, dealing the extra crit. But now there are no Harpoons and I'll never have to weigh range 1 versus taking a damage
  • so much fun to fly
• Inquisitor instead of QD
  • only PS8, but that's still high enough for most
    • it is a problem to get the TL though. Most lists have a ship below PS9, and often a good one. But the fringe cases are definitely a problem.
  • Cruise or Prockets is up for debate. Prockets is more defensive, Cruise more offensive and predictable (generally you won't rush into range 1 with him for an alpha)
    • I do have the points to go up to Harpoons as they are better for a slow-rolling ship like Inq.
  • PTL, Title and Autothrusters gives him 3 tokens every turn, or 2 and range control
  • so much fun to fly
• Rho instead of Nu
  • Chips instead of LRS, especially helpfull against GhostFenn or stress lists
  • Deadeye allows me to switch targets.
    • That also allows me to range control Fenn better. Usually the Ghost is closer, so I should be able to keep out of Fenn's range
    • Even if I can't - it draws his fire away from the way more important ships who definitely want to keep their focus for defense if possible
  • Concussion brings again more passive modifications
    • I have to spend the focus (or TL) , which is bad
    • I get 3 hits with 99.6% chance, which is good, and 4 are still at 95%. Or in other words: he really should draw some aggro

Together their alpha has a 50% chance of rolling 14 damage, or 97% for 12 damage. That is a lot!

Thoughts?

That list looks excellent.

It pains me to say this but Vader is the weak link.

I have been kicking around something like this lately.

If you go with VI on Quickdraw there are 3 more pts to put a missile on Inqy.

This is the other variation I have been messing with:

I call it "One of Each"

17 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

It pains me to say this but Vader is the weak link.

So sad, but I tend to agree. I just played PS0 Vader against an Inq in the end game and had no chance at all. He is much fun though and can take on/solo many other ships.

17 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

I have been kicking around something like this lately.

If you go with VI on Quickdraw there are 3 more pts to put a missile on Inqy.

QD with Expertise and SensorCluster is amazing. I've recently tried it (without Harpoons though) and she is such a brawler!

I just can't fly QD well enough with Cruise - unless I straight up joust. Which is not the worst idea but not really my style.

Generally I see 2bid - 26Rho - 31/34Inq - 38/41 QD/Vader as potential list for the future. Rho has the PS advantage on all these PS3 that are now around, which is pretty useful. Inq brings Autothrusters. And QD is probably the correct choice, but the 38pt are just not enough. The Expertise+Harpoon comes to 43pt, and I don't have that much. Maybe 39pt and 99 overall, and skip the Harpoon?

Another option is to go back to the Nu, and build a fat QD at 43, with 34pt Inq and 22pt Nu. This QD will be quite strong and impressive, Inq is annoying to shoot, and Nu is the most convenient target - and that is fine by me.

I feel like there are so many, many possible builds here and I can't clutch the right one. And I definitely can't test them all until March 25th or April 7th (Regional and System Open)...

Ideas I/we had alread:

• ImpAlpha v1: Vader/QD/Inq
  • discarded because they are too weak after ordnance is shot off
• ImpAlpha v2: Vader/QD/OL
  • OL replaced by cheaper Nu
• ImpAlpha v3.99 : Vader/QD/Nu at 99pt, 2 cruise and 1 harpoon, two PS11, QD with FCS
• ImpAlpha v3.98 : Vader/QD/Nu at 98pt, 1 cruise and 2 harpoons, two PS11, QD without FCS
  • missing the FCS on QD, but my most played list so far and works very well
• ImpAlpha v4: Vader/QD/Nu at 99pt, 1 cruise and 1 harpoon, one PS11 (expertise sensor cluster QD)
  • only 1pt ini for Vader, no ordnance on QD, but she's a beast and the rest is as usual
• MixPSalpha v1: Vader/Inq/Rho at 98pt, 2 cruise and 1 harpoon, one PS11
  • don't know? Vader looks like he's the weak link. PS advantage of Rho, plus crackshot or deadeye
• MixPSalpha vBoom: QD/Inq/Rho at 99 or 100pt, 2 harpoons, or one of each, no or one PS11
• MixPSalpha v2: QD/Inq/Nu at 99pt, 1cruise/procket and 2 harpoons, no PS11, but fat expertise QD
• MixPSalpha v3: QD/Inq/Rho at 99pt, 1cruise/procket and 1 harpoon, no PS11, but fat expertise QD without ordnance. (A small variation of „One of Each“)

So many options!

17 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

Rho Squadron Veteran — Alpha-class Star Wing 21
Crack Shot 1

Why do you prefer Crackshot+LRS over Deadeye+Chips? Is it because of HSCP?
Crackshot pushes more damage through, but Deadeye allows some flexibility to fire in the first place. I've had enough games by now where my Nu didn't shoot a single harpoon... it's slightly embarassing, but at least I didn't lose all of them (but I found that I always won the few games where I did shoot 3 harpoons with the Nu)

17 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

The Inquisitor — TIE Advanced Prototype 25
Proton Rockets 3

And what is your reason for procket (other than "one of each" )? Would you go for Harpoons if you had the points? Or do you value the deterrent for range1 more?

14 hours ago, GreenDragoon said:

Why do you prefer Crackshot+LRS over Deadeye+Chips? Is it because of HSCP?
Crackshot pushes more damage through, but Deadeye allows some flexibility to fire in the first place. I've had enough games by now where my Nu didn't shoot a single harpoon... it's slightly embarassing, but at least I didn't lose all of them (but I found that I always won the few games where I did shoot 3 harpoons with the Nu)

And what is your reason for procket (other than "one of each" )? Would you go for Harpoons if you had the points? Or do you value the deterrent for range1 more?

So I tested out Deadeye/Chips/Concussion on a few different ships. Its great! I think I prefer it now over LRS.

Used to run crackshot just to get that extra little bit out of the precious few shots that gunboats get to take to begin with typically no more than 2 a game, deadeye helps solve that a bit in a different way.

As far as the Inquisitor, I always have a hard time deciding on a missile. My instincts are to put a cruise missile on it since its still very helpful against a huge # of ships.

But I tend to settle in on Prockets instead. I don't really go into the game planning around using it. Inquisitors primary functions like ordinance to begin with so I stay at range like it wants to and save the Procket for a key moment or for some board control. Might sound strange but I like to put the Inquisitor right next to Cruise Missile Quickdraw. If someone trys to range control by going fast they still take 4 red dice from QD and potentially 5 from the Inquisitor which ends badly for them. Not a "good" tactic but it makes it easier for QD to throw down the Cruise since opponents become conflicted.

@Boom Owl

Yeah, I am the same with prockets. They are a great contingency plan, but not a great opener.

I start to settle in on Expertise QD, Inq with Procket and Rho with DeadeyChipsConcussion.

That is very far from an alphastrike though. I‘m not sure whether QD with a harpoon and downgrading to Nu instead of a Rho (and Cruise instead of Procket) is not better. I think it is more threatening even if it‘s not strictly better.

Just got the first game in, with the version of a fat QD (39pt), Inq with cruise, and Rho with Concussion against KetsuAsajj. Won 100-26. Expertise QD with FCS/Sensorcluster is amazing, and Inq is also great.

However the Rho was pretty useless. I'm not sure whether I want to put a Harpoon on QD and downgrade to Nu, or keep it.

6 hours ago, GreenDragoon said:

Just got the first game in, with the version of a fat QD (39pt), Inq with cruise, and Rho with Concussion against KetsuAsajj. Won 100-26. Expertise QD with FCS/Sensorcluster is amazing, and Inq is also great.

However the Rho was pretty useless. I'm not sure whether I want to put a Harpoon on QD and downgrade to Nu, or keep it.

Thinking more about this...throwing harpoons on QD and dropping down to the Nu makes the most sense.

I think this is where im at with this now.

QD - Expertise/Sensor Cluster/Harpoon

Inq - Cruise/Procket

Nu - Harpoon/LRS

Roughly 99 pts lots of room to personalize. I keep drifting back to Sabacc as the third ship just because I enjoy it more. Even with all the TLT out there.

4 hours ago, Boom Owl said:

Roughly 99 pts lots of room to personalize. I keep drifting back to Sabacc as the third ship just because I enjoy it more. Even with all the TLT out there

Exactly! Also, OL might be a choice.

But I‘m still convinced that a gunboat is worth it, just because it is so damgerous if ignored.

I think I have my new list! Thanks!

On 8.3.2018 at 4:40 AM, Boom Owl said:

Roughly 99 pts lots of room to personalize. I keep drifting back to Sabacc as the third ship just because I enjoy it more. Even with all the TLT out there.

I think it just clicked for me, and I‘m back to QD Inq Rho because getting these TLs is not a given and I forgot that after all this PS11 time.

Rho has deadeye, no problem there.

Inq takes prockets, also no problem

QD just stays with expertise fcs sensor cluster and ‚only‘ shoots double mod primaries because it‘s still super strong.