Apparently Sloane is pretty popular right now, so I figured I'd give her a shot. I usually play Rebels, so I may be way off on some of the Imperial combos. I specifically left out Maarek and Jendon to try and get other squads some play (Whisper, Zertik, and Saber), but willing to switch out Whisper for Dengar. Picked Most Wanted so that I could choose the Jerk Gozanti as the objective ship, which will be tough to kill. Lastly, might drop HIE so that I can add a generic TIE Fighter squadron. Tracking that I am low on activations too. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Faction: Imperial
Commander: Admiral Sloane

Assault: Most Wanted
Defense: Fighter Ambush
Navigation: Superior Positions

Interdictor Suppression Refit (90)
• Admiral Sloane (24)
• Captain Brunson (5)
• Engineering Team (5)
• Disposable Capacitors (3)
• G7-X Grav Well Projector (2)
• Targeting Scrambler (5)
• Heavy Ion Emplacements (9)
• Interdictor (3)
= 146 Points

Quasar Fire I (54)
• Taskmaster Grint (5)
• Flight Controllers (6)
• Boosted Comms (4)
• Expanded Hangar Bay (5)
• Pursuant (2)
= 76 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Minister Tua (2)
• Slicer Tools (7)
• Boosted Comms (4)
• Suppressor (4)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
= 47 Points

Squadrons:
• Whisper (20)
• Soontir Fel (18)
• Ciena Ree (17)
• Howlrunner (16)
• Mauler Mithel (15)
• Zertik Strom (15)
• Valen Rudor (13)
• Saber Squadron (12)
= 126 Points

Total Points: 395

Definitely take Dengar in place of any of the top 3 fighters. His Intel really helps Mauler make his contribution. Personally I would drop Ciena Ree.

Suppressor seems to be designed to go in close, so it can drop boosted comms to free up a few more points.

The Interdictor looks good but is certainly expensive. OL Pulse in place of HIEs could be fun if it activates first. Then all your Sloan assisted fighter attacks are throwing braces out the window as soon as you get your first accuracy. OL Pulse also doesn't exhaust so it could (with a little luck) do this twice a turn.

Another option is for a cheap BT Avenger on the ISD-I hull. Leading shots and a strategic adviser too would still be cheaper than your Interdictor. Or you can spend a little more for a Kuat version with Ex Rack or APTs and a RBDs for defence.

Thanks. I’ll tinker with my squads to get Dengar in there, dropping Whisper or Ciena, and drop Boosted Comns. And I’ll test OP and HIE to see which one I like better.

While the BT Avenger works and is cheaper, I definitely prefer to keep the Interdictor in this list. Not only want to fly the Interdictor more, but also want to try Imperial builds that don’t have either BT Avenger or Demo.

Appreciate the feedback!

If you are playing Sloane without Maarek and Jendon you shouldn't play Sloane. Phantoms, in this case whisper, have 2 anti-ship dice so they look like they could be good subs, but their high cost plus reduced chanced at an accuracy and the addition of blank dice faces (Sloane can do something with every dice face EXCEPT blank. Rolling a blank is a HUGE negative for Sloane) makes them terrible ships. (Source- played a CC with Sloane Phantoms and they are utter garbage.)

Maarek is the ONLY squad the Imperials have with 2 blue Sloanable dice (aka your BEST SHOT to trigger her ability) and also has the ability to trigger that ability AND do a damage at the same time. Plus, say you roll 2 hits - no big deal, change one to a crit with Maareks ability, then reroll it with Sloane to fish for the Acc again. Worst case Scenario you end up with 2 hits again and it's no hard no foul. But you have MINIMUM 3 tries to nail her ability on a ship - this is why you are taking Sloane, so why are you not taking the best chance to use her?

Simply put, he is required for Sloane to be effective, and Jendon is there so he can do it twice because again, he is the ONLY squad in the game that can do what he does.

Take out Whisper (again, blank faces, stay AWAY FROM THEM), Zertik (Your goal is to win the squad fight decisively in 1/2 turns, you don't need or want Escort), and Soontir (consider his ability a kind of escort, which you don't need).

With those points add Maarek, Jendon, and Dengar.

Yes, that means you will need to trim your ships to fit them in.

I would get rid of boosted and suppressor from the Goz, those are next to useless as if you have invested in tua ECM and slicers you will want it aggressively positioned anyway, and adding Jendon lets you relay. Doing that and removing the squads mentioned above gives you the EXACT points to add in Dengar and Maarek/Jendon without eating a single point into your bid.

Thanks @BrobaFett. I just didn’t want to use the standard squadron array, but you make an excellent argument for the inclusion of the SBF and the removal of Whisper (also saved me the trouble of trying a future Sloane Phantom swarm). Appreciate the advice.

11 hours ago, BrobaFett said:

If you are playing Sloane without Maarek and Jendon you shouldn't play Sloane. Phantoms, in this case whisper, have 2 anti-ship dice so they look like they could be good subs, but their high cost plus reduced chanced at an accuracy and the addition of blank dice faces (Sloane can do something with every dice face EXCEPT blank. Rolling a blank is a HUGE negative for Sloane) makes them terrible ships. (Source- played a CC with Sloane Phantoms and they are utter garbage.)

As a devoted Sloane player, I have to respectfully disagree with this. I’ve found Phantoms to yield real success at times, and they’re exciting to play as part of a Sloane wing. They’re definitely unreliable in terms of actual damage (high risk, high reward,) but that works against your opponent, too; few squads are as likely to trigger suboptimal defense token spending as the Phantom, because they just can’t know what to expect. Also, a set of 4 pair incredibly well with Avenger; Cloak allows you to virtually guarantee a first activation bombing run by setting up at the end of the round. That level of quality activation is virtually unmatched. Maarek/Jendon do generally come close (not when the Phantoms roll hot,) and are undeniably really, really good. But only a Sith deals in absolutes. Not only are there viable Sloane lists without MJ, there’s a variety to choose from.

Phantoms wont roll accs often, but will fairly reliably roll 1+ dmg. Dont use the to acc fish. Pairs well with Maarek

12 hours ago, BrobaFett said:

If you are playing Sloane without Maarek and Jendon you shouldn't play Sloane. Phantoms, in this case whisper, have 2 anti-ship dice so they look like they could be good subs, but their high cost plus reduced chanced at an accuracy and the addition of blank dice faces (Sloane can do something with every dice face EXCEPT blank. Rolling a blank is a HUGE negative for Sloane) makes them terrible ships. (Source- played a CC with Sloane Phantoms and they are utter garbage.)

Maarek is the ONLY squad the Imperials have with 2 blue Sloanable dice (aka your BEST SHOT to trigger her ability) and also has the ability to trigger that ability AND do a damage at the same time. Plus, say you roll 2 hits - no big deal, change one to a crit with Maareks ability, then reroll it with Sloane to fish for the Acc again. Worst case Scenario you end up with 2 hits again and it's no hard no foul. But you have MINIMUM 3 tries to nail her ability on a ship - this is why you are taking Sloane, so why are you not taking the best chance to use her?

Simply put, he is required for Sloane to be effective, and Jendon is there so he can do it twice because again, he is the ONLY squad in the game that can do what he does.

Take out Whisper (again, blank faces, stay AWAY FROM THEM), Zertik (Your goal is to win the squad fight decisively in 1/2 turns, you don't need or want Escort), and Soontir (consider his ability a kind of escort, which you don't need).

With those points add Maarek, Jendon, and Dengar.

Yes, that means you will need to trim your ships to fit them in.

I would get rid of boosted and suppressor from the Goz, those are next to useless as if you have invested in tua ECM and slicers you will want it aggressively positioned anyway, and adding Jendon lets you relay. Doing that and removing the squads mentioned above gives you the EXACT points to add in Dengar and Maarek/Jendon without eating a single point into your bid.

1 hour ago, The Jabbawookie said:

As a devoted Sloane player, I have to respectfully disagree with this. I’ve found Phantoms to yield real success at times, and they’re exciting to play as part of a Sloane wing. They’re definitely unreliable in terms of actual damage (high risk, high reward,) but that works against your opponent, too; few squads are as likely to trigger suboptimal defense token spending as the Phantom, because they just can’t know what to expect. Also, a set of 4 pair incredibly well with Avenger; Cloak allows you to virtually guarantee a first activation bombing run by setting up at the end of the round. That level of quality activation is virtually unmatched. Maarek/Jendon do generally come close (not when the Phantoms roll hot,) and are undeniably really, really good. But only a Sith deals in absolutes. Not only are there viable Sloane lists without MJ, there’s a variety to choose from.

And that proof how red dice work ?

Phantoms are garbage. I'm sorry @The Jabbawookie. No rerolls on blue antisquad dice. Blank faces on reds. Questionably useful ability that really only will come into play if you are running some kind of weird no-intel Chirenau build. Which sucks because of no rerolls on the blue makes them incredibly risky and inefficient in the squad fight vs an interceptor or generic tie.

I almost never call someone flat out wrong, but when it comes to Phantoms, I don't think anyone has a leg to stand on defending them as ultimately the argument has to boil down to, "but if you roll really well...." which is what you are saying. There is a **** good reason you don't see CR90's without TRC's. It's because 2 red dice with no inherent ability to fix their faces are terrible. And that is on a ship where the crits count as damage! That can't be said for the Phantom.

If you really want to use generic squadrons with Sloane you can get 2 generic ties for the cost which give more deployments, more hull, more AS dice PLUS rerolls for dramatically improved damage, and better anti-ship dice with no blanks. Plus allow you to build list synergy with other great Sloane squads such as Howlrunner and Dengar. I'm not saying that you have to use the same 8 formulaic squads every time you play Sloane. I am saying that Phantoms are bad squads and ESPECIALLY if you are a newer player testing the waters with Sloane they are a bad choice to form a fleet around.

You can say that Sloane Phantoms is good. What I hear, however, is that you have stubbornly pushed the square peg into the round hole and declared it fits. They are NOT good squads - with Sloane or any other commander.

@BrobaFett You seem to have a rather strong opinion on this. Have you played a standard 400 point game with them? Phantoms fill a unique niche in that they are the closest thing Sloane has to a generic heavy bomber. As you say, blank sides suck. A single double hit, though, and you’re hitting as hard as Maarek. It’s not just a matter of luck; it’s a matter of few things being able to hit that hard for the Imps. They’re not as cost effective as TIEs, but they’re more command and activation-effective, more reliably able to disengage, and better at using obstruction/the station. Can you really count on them when you need immediate damage? No. Should they be the bulk of your squadron force? I certainly wouldn’t recommend it (because we agree that other squads are much, much better as fighters.) Have I successfully used them with Squall to kill Salvation turn two without a ship shooting at it? Yes. While it would be a mistake to run them in a first Sloane list, that’s not the entirety of what you’ve been saying, and that’s why we disagree.

As a new player (and a bystander), really appreciate the discussion because I am learning a lot. Thanks. Looking forward to testing these suggestions out.

9 minutes ago, Admiral Calkins said:

As a new player (and a bystander), really appreciate the discussion because I am learning a lot. Thanks. Looking forward to testing these suggestions out.

I hope we’re not derailing your thread here. I just tend to oppose a “don’t try” attitude, doubly so when I’ve had success with them and want others to see if they can find similar results. Broba’s grievances with the Phantom have some definite truth in them - if they didn’t, people would fly Phantoms more. But they’re far from trash (and I’d still advocate for trying things I do consider trash, like G8s or even *shudder* Isard, because that’s how you find the occasional point of intrigue.) So in conclusion: seriously, try Phantoms sometime, in a considered manner, when you’re really comfortable with Sloane. ?

I was being serious, and definitely do not think you’re derailing the thread (maybe a little attempt at de-escalation though). I certainly want to try the lesser used upgrades and ships (“I was running the Pelta before it was Top 4 cool”), but sometimes it’s nice to have the “base build” before experimenting. Still planning on running the Phantom swarm at some point, but maybe Sloane isn’t my commander for that build. We’ll see.

No @BrobaFett

Anti ship damage averages

Tie fighter without Sloane - 0.5dmg

Tie fighter with Sloane - 0.62dmg + 0.31accs

Tie phantom without Sloane - 1.0 dmg

Tie phantom with Sloane - 1.19dmg + 0.34 accs

(Numbers may not be perfect but they will be close)

Tie Phantons are always better anti ship dice than tie fighters, its just they are very very swingy so better suited as an opener rather than a finisher.

21 minutes ago, Ginkapo said:

No @BrobaFett

Anti ship damage averages

Tie fighter without Sloane - 0.5dmg

Tie fighter with Sloane - 0.62dmg + 0.31accs

Tie phantom without Sloane - 1.0 dmg

Tie phantom with Sloane - 1.19dmg + 0.34 accs

(Numbers may not be perfect but they will be close)

Tie Phantons are always better anti ship dice than tie fighters, its just they are very very swingy so better suited as an opener rather than a finisher.

And when it comes to 2Ties vs 1Phantom?

8 minutes ago, ovinomanc3r said:

And when it comes to 2Ties vs 1Phantom?

Tie fighter without Sloane - 0.0625dmgperpoint

Tie fighter with Sloane - 0.0775dmgperpoint + 0.03875accsperpoint

Tie phantom without Sloane - 0.0714 dmgperpoint

Tie phantom with Sloane - 0.085dmgperpoint + 0.0242 accsperpoint

And fewer activations required

@The Jabbawookie may I have a glance of your successful fleet with phantoms?

20 minutes ago, ovinomanc3r said:

@The Jabbawookie may I have a glance of your successful fleet with phantoms?

Sure thing, here’s the one I’ve been trying lately.

The Phantom Menace

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 393/400

Commander: Admiral Sloane

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Fighter Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] Imperial II-Class Star Destroyer (120 points)
- Admiral Sloane ( 24 points)
- Avenger ( 5 points)
- Captain Brunson ( 5 points)
- Boarding Troopers ( 3 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 168 total ship cost

Quasar Fire I-class Cruiser-Carrier(54 points)
- Squall ( 3 points)
- Flight Controllers ( 6 points)
- Boosted Comms ( 4 points)
= 67 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
= 23 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Cruisers (23 points)
= 23 total ship cost

1 "Howlrunner" ( 16 points)
5 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 40 points)
4 TIE Phantom Squadrons ( 56 points)
= 112 total squadron cost

It’s definitely still a work in progress; blitzkrieg is the name of the game. 9 deployments is decent for stalling the ISD deployment, thus getting in position to hit a chunk of their fleet hard and fast. The 4 Phantoms are there to be commanded by Avenger for a single, powerful activation. Obviously the squadron complement is inferior to a dedicated Rieekan/Sloane aces loadout, and targeting the main carrier (MC80/ISD) is probably the response for those matchups. No Intel is going to really hurt one day, so I kinda want to fit a Jumpmaster in...

List Testing Update (psudeo-battle report): Ended up switching the Interdictor out for a Kuat BT Avenger. Played a casual game against a three Assault Frigate Ackbar list. Got tabled (ouch!), but the list worked as intended and I learned a lot.

Takeaways

- The Quasar build worked perfectly, and wow is this combo deadly against squadrons. My opponent’s fighter screen of Corran and Shara only got two shots off, with one of those being an obstructed (and scattered) counter against Ciena.

- Squadron compliment was great, stripped tokens as intended, and synchronized very well. Anxious to see how it fares against a similar-sized squadron wing.

- Even while going Speed 3, Avenger never got in close to fire off its BT. I’ll keep testing it, but I might end up switching it back to the Interdictor or for an ISD2 with GT.

Now its happened I can say this. There may be a certain Euros fleet that you may want to take heavy inspiration from...

7 minutes ago, Ginkapo said:

Now its happened I can say this. There may be a certain Euros fleet that you may want to take heavy inspiration from...

Didn't want to completely steal your ISD2 build. Grats on Top 4 btw!