Soo either tomorrow or next week decided to fly an imp fleet (i mainly fly rebels) and decided to try a sad vader cymoon with near max squads.

Just a casual list but im putting it up for comments. Im 100% trying the list as it is (unless ive severly messed up upgrade interactions somewhere) but then im open to including changes to the fleet.

Fleet against (400/400)
==========================
Cymoon 1 Refit (112 + 72)
+ Darth Vader (36)
+ Strategic Adviser (4)
+ Gunnery Team (7)
+ Intensify Firepower! (6)
+ Spinal Armament (9)
+ Quad Turbolaser Cannons (10)
Raider II-class Corvette (48 + 16)
+ Instructor Goran (7)
+ Point Defense Reroute (5)
+ Impetuous (4)
Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 + 2)
+ Comms Net (2)
Gozanti-class Cruisers (23)
Dengar (20)
Howlrunner (16)
4 x Tie Interceptor Squadron (4 x 11)
3 x Tie Fighter Squadron (3 x ?

So, general strategy to start :

squads surround the raider, wherever it gets placed.

Comms net feeds IF!

Cymoon does long range damage.

Mostly defensive fleet.

Ideas/changes ive got bouncing around:

1) drop raider and a gozanti for either a quasar.... or a Demo.

2) drop raider, gozanti and some squads for 2 Arquittens.

3) drop 138 pts of stuff and get a second cymoon

What are you using to push squads here? The transports I assume and then ?. With all those 3 hull squads you really don't want to let someone alpha you. I get the counter.. it's a ton of scary counter.. so maybe the hope is to just dare them to attack. But then what are the squads doing?

QTC seems pretty expensive for the extra (sometimes) die. DTT might be better? Not sure there just seems like alot of points.

Cool build and good idea, just not sure how much damage you'll be able to put out. You get 2 shots from the Cymoon front assuming things are in range but that's about it since the Raider is supporting all the squads. Interesting to see how it works for you.

What objectives were you thinking since you'll probably be second? Something to draw them towards the Cymoon and your squads?

6 hours ago, durandal343 said:

What are you using to push squads here? The transports I assume and then ?. With all those 3 hull squads you really don't want to let someone alpha you. I get the counter.. it's a ton of scary counter.. so maybe the hope is to just dare them to attack. But then what are the squads doing?

ill be honest my opponent could be bringing pretty much anything, however if he goes full bomber wing id be surprise and knowing his normal imp fleets i would say he will bring a big, 2 smalls, 2 flotillas and somefighter cover.

Im expecting a rebel fleet with probably jan, 2-3 YT1300s and 3 Awings. (The build ive been running successfully against him) with the possibility of a Ewing or 2.

so yes, the transports and raider are pushing 5sqds a turn and depending on deployment the Imp star can as well round 2. Thats enough to change my strategy on the go and alpha strike. It all depends on my opponents list really.

after the squadron fight, if the squadrons are still alive? Chasing down any low hull ships.

QTC seems pretty expensive for the extra (sometimes) die. DTT might be better? Not sure there just seems like alot of points.

yea its a lot of points, but with the possibility of facing small ships with (rerollable) red dice? If i get a single Acc then now i have 2. It might be worth it, it might not, so ill list DTT or X17 on possible future upgrades.

Cool build and good idea, just not sure how much damage you'll be able to put out. You get 2 shots from the Cymoon front assuming things are in range but that's about it since the Raider is supporting all the squads. Interesting to see how it works for you.

thanks! Ill make sure to post the results, ill be playing it next week.

What objectives were you thinking since you'll probably be second? Something to draw them towards the Cymoon and your squads?

im still unsure about objectives.

my usual objectives are opening salvo, superior positions and Hyperspace assault. HA is out, the other 2, im still debating as well.

ill update the first post when ive decided.

Unless you have a clear plan on how they’ll help versus a variety of fleets, I strongly recommend reworking the 168 points spent on antisquadron tech. One of the biggest differences between Rebels and Imperials is that Rebel squads are good in a lot of situations, whereas Imperial squads are great at exactly what they’re designed for and terrible at anything else. The kind of Interceptor investment you’re fielding will slaughter most enemy squadrons, but sucks against anything that’s not a squad (low anti-ship damage, low hull, and a tendency to melt against flak, or for the Raider, a decent attack or two.) All your opponent has to do is keep his screen stubbornly pressed against his ships under cover of flak and he’s spent maybe 50 points to more or less neuter nearly half a fleet. Now, if you switch Vader out for Sloane, the equation changes a bit. The Cymoon is the only ship that would really miss him, and 12 points will buy IF easily. This radically ups the antiship value of your squadrons, ensuring everything can contribute in some form. Alternatively, dropping the Raider and toning down the squads for a pair of Arquitens would make a pretty solid Vader fleet.

3 hours ago, The Jabbawookie said:

Unless you have a clear plan on how they’ll help versus a variety of fleets, I strongly recommend reworking the 168 points spent on antisquadron tech. One of the biggest differences between Rebels and Imperials is that Rebel squads are good in a lot of situations, whereas Imperial squads are great at exactly what they’re designed for and terrible at anything else. The kind of Interceptor investment you’re fielding will slaughter most enemy squadrons, but sucks against anything that’s not a squad (low anti-ship damage, low hull, and a tendency to melt against flak, or for the Raider, a decent attack or two.) All your opponent has to do is keep his screen stubbornly pressed against his ships under cover of flak and he’s spent maybe 50 points to more or less neuter nearly half a fleet. Now, if you switch Vader out for Sloane, the equation changes a bit. The Cymoon is the only ship that would really miss him, and 12 points will buy IF easily. This radically ups the antiship value of your squadrons, ensuring everything can contribute in some form. Alternatively, dropping the Raider and toning down the squads for a pair of Arquitens would make a pretty solid Vader fleet.

Thats a fair point.

If he stubbornly keeps his squadrons under AA, my fighters will simply do the same, out of AA range and not engage. If he does this (which ive never seen him do, sure if he can he will AA, but usually hes the type to throw his squads forward)

So heres the deal.... he has 2 options.

Option 1) he throws his squadrons forward away from his ships to engage my fighters, yay! Eats lots of counter. This would be preferred.

Option 2) he does the opposite. He keeps his fighters as a screen close to his ships.

Now things get interesting.... or rather they dont. My plan in this case is to shrug and use the IMP star to bomb at his ships at long range and depending on what objective is played use the flotillas to do objective work.

Sloane is definitely on the table as an option, and the only reason not the first pick is because based on past experience hes going to bring enough squadrons to stop and bombing run.... obviously he could surprise me but based on experience sloane wont get a chance to be used.

I have many ideas on how to play verses a variety of fleets. What i dont have is info on how he will build a rebel fleet unfortunately which means he could bring anything despite how unlikely some of those are ( highly unlike him to bring a bombing or mixed bomb/fight fleet or a MSU, almost guaranteed 50-100pts of fighter sqds, highly likely 1 big ship)

As you say, option 1 is absolutely great for you. However, if he takes option 2 (the smart choice) and his 270-320 points of combat ships can’t kill that Cymoon, he’s bringing a bad fleet. Regarding Sloane, you have Intel and speed 5; if you’re winning the squadron war you can bomb whenever you want. That said, flak is still a significant problem if your opponent is smart enough to use it when he can; the Sloane suggestion was just to make the interceptors somewhat useful against ships. If nothing else, almost any commander under 36 points (a bad deal for one ship’s dice control) is probably a good idea. Motti + IF + swapping QTCs for DTTs, perhaps? That saves 11 points, the cost of *sigh* another interceptor. At the end of the day this is a casual game. If a given fleet build is what you want to fly, then it’s totally the right thing to fly, period, end of story. That said, if you post it in the fleet builds section, I reserve the right to get all preachy about what constitutes a balanced Imperial fleet. ?

6 hours ago, The Jabbawookie said:

Regarding Sloane, you have Intel and speed 5; if you’re winning the squadron war you can bomb whenever you want.

+1

Sloane murders enemy squad balls, aces and all. And Howlrunner? It just gets ridiculous after that. Especially if you were to get Flight Controllers on a carrier somehow. If you do go Sloane, the Jendon Steele combo might be something to think about. But here we're getting into redesigning your whole fleet so maybe not

It seems like you're building a counter to the play style of your opponent, which you would know best.

19 hours ago, The Jabbawookie said:

As you say, option 1 is absolutely great for you. However, if he takes option 2 (the smart choice) and his 270-320 points of combat ships can’t kill that Cymoon, he’s bringing a bad fleet. Regarding Sloane, you have Intel and speed 5; if you’re winning the squadron war you can bomb whenever you want. That said, flak is still a significant problem if your opponent is smart enough to use it when he can; the Sloane suggestion was just to make the interceptors somewhat useful against ships. If nothing else, almost any commander under 36 points (a bad deal for one ship’s dice control) is probably a good idea. Motti + IF + swapping QTCs for DTTs, perhaps? That saves 11 points, the cost of *sigh* another interceptor. At the end of the day this is a casual game. If a given fleet build is what you want to fly, then it’s totally the right thing to fly, period, end of story. That said, if you post it in the fleet builds section, I reserve the right to get all preachy about what constitutes a balanced Imperial fleet. ?

13 hours ago, durandal343 said:

+1

Sloane murders enemy squad balls, aces and all. And Howlrunner? It just gets ridiculous after that. Especially if you were to get Flight Controllers on a carrier somehow. If you do go Sloane, the Jendon Steele combo might be something to think about. But here we're getting into redesigning your whole fleet so maybe not

It seems like you're building a counter to the play style of your opponent, which you would know best.

Seen these posts.

Feeling really sick so will respond when i xan think straight