I've just concluded my 8th game of the vassal league series. It was hugely fun, with games close enough that we had to double-check where points were rounded up or down on half-health Asajj to determine a winner at one point. In six of those games I flew Unkar in various forms, all of them using the perma-cloak gimmick. He's had an awful lot of control over some otherwise strong lists (regen Poe kinda doesn't do much at AGI 0...), and has just been an MoV holder in others. Nevertheless, he's an amazing little guy for the 21-22 points he costs, once you get used to how to fly him.
Anyway, my last game of the league was an interdivisional game against @Eldarlord (if his name on the forums is the same?) and much to my excitement, he was flying a Lothal/Fenn list (standard ghost + zeb, Fenn had adaptability, FAA and Hotcop, 2 point bid), and seemed to know how to use it. I was flying my slightly stronger version of my jank list at 100 points:
Fenn Rau
(34) PTL, Autos, Title
Asajj
(45) Predator, Shadowcaster, Latts
Unkar Plutt
(21) Cloaking Device, STA, Cikatro
Setup:
We placed rocks in a semi-tight formation (I place them a 3-speed manoeuvre template from each other for tractoring reasons) right in the center of the map, with a single outlier I placed in the top-right. I played from the left, and my opponent from the right. I set up Unkar and Asajj to joust the ghost on the bottom edge, while the Fenns squared off in the center. I was given initiative, much to my delight.
Turn 1:
I did a tactical bump with Asajj/Unkar, anticipating the standard 'fake joust then kite forever' move, which did not disappoint. The ghost 2-right turned away. The Fenns both delayed in various forms, moving half a range band upwards through barrel rolls.
Turn 2:
Asajj had just enough room thanks to the bump to turn left around the asteroids rather than chasing the Ghost, giving her the potential to cut off the ghost later on. Unkar moves into position for some nice cloak and 3-straight movement over the next few turns. Fenns both continue delaying and moving up the map, now about 3 range bands from the top edge. Unkar manages to lose his cloaking device on the second roll of the game, as per usual (I don't like to perma-cloak until there's a risky situation next turn where I really need the defence). Still no shots fired.
Turn 3:
Unkar runs away, as without cloaking device he'd just be torn up. He's not important for a while now. Everyone else continues moving towards the top board edge, asajj faster than the others to catch up.
Turn 4: (the last boring one)
The ghost 3-banks left towards the rock in the top-right in an aggressive move, attempting to gain a coordinate-boosted shot on Fenn. Asajj flies up the table to allow herself to either turn right into the rocks next turn (lining up mobile arc shots / stress) or fly past them towards the top of the board, cutting off the ghost. Fenn lines up just above the top-left rock, in line with the top-right. His Fenn banks towards the top of the screen (now just above the top right rock) and attempts to coordinate the straight boost that would give the lothal free shots on a tokenless Fenn. Thankfully, the straight boost is blocked by the rock by a hair, and the boost right is covered by Fenn, so no shots. Both his Lothal and Fenn are facing the top edge of the board with a rock on their left. Perfect.
Turn 5: (you mean we get to shoot now?!)
Unkar gives himself a full portion for being such a good slug. The lothal, in an attempt to blow past fenn and catch in in the rear arc (or with TLTs, not quite sure) goes either 3-bank or 3-straight (unclear in hindsight), but ends up just outside R3 of fenn, just above the top-right rock and at 45 degrees, facing the top board edge. Asajj puts on a 2-hard right while I think to myself "asteroids do not concern me, admiral", and puts her mobile arc right where Fenn will be, TL'ing him for future rounds. Fenn, anticipating the Lothal's exact move, executes a 3-straight, BR left and focus that puts him out of all the Lothal's arcs, while still getting an amazing shot opportunity. His Fenn, anticipating the more reserved play he'd seen of me thus far, executes a 3-bank left to end up... at R1 of my Fenn, inside Asajj's arc, and with no FAA shenanigans to pull. He makes the smart call and boosts the ghost left, setting it up for future turns.
His Fenn throws water balloons, stripping mine's focused attitude, and mine unleashes a blistering 3h1c salvo against a 0 evade roll, taking Fenn down to 1. Asajj finishes Fenn off with a flawless 2h1c shot (owing to predator and the TL from before), and takes 3 shields as revenge from the Ghost. Wow, Fenn down in a single turn, and only 3 shields for the privilege. But now the Ghost is behind me...
Turn 6: (don't get cocky, kid)
Unkar rewards himself for finishing off that portion with another one. The lothal does his expected 2-hard left, chasing the shots he was clearly expecting. Asajj burns out of there with a 5-straight (heading directly for the right board edge, Lothal is now on the left side), clipping a rock for no damage. Fenn resets similarly with a 3-straight in the same direction and a boost/br for good measure.
No shots (asajj was out by about 5 mm).
Turn 7: (witty remark)
Unkar runs out of portions and starts turning around to find the nearest restroom that someone else cleans. The lothal banks left towards the map centre to get back into the fray. Fenn and Asajj "tactically" bump after Asajj 3-turns left.
No shots once again.
Turn 8: (dewit!)
Unkar, confused continues to search for a restroom, despite an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. The lothal executes a slightly unexpected 3-straight and boost left through the rocks (I was expecting a slow-roll 1-forward), and as Asajj moves out of the right and around the rocks, the lothal catches Unkar at R3. Fenn's conservative 1-hard right left him at R3 of the ghost, but with a small chance to make r1. A boost and BR later (my biggest mistake in the game), and I'm sitting just outside R1 with Fenn, with no tokens.
Fenn does nothing, Unkar does nothing, and the ghost takes 2 hull from Fenn. Owch.
Turn 9: (I am one with the force...)
Unkar's turning motion was making things worse, as he straightened out, he was surprised to find a large ship outside his cockpit. THe ghost tactically bumps Fenn, and Fenn appreciatively bumps him back to ditch his stress. Asajj 2-banks left to score an R3 shot on the ghost.
Between Asajj and Unkar's shots the ghost loses 5 shields, which I was very happy about. In retaliation though, the ghost unleashes all weapons at its disposal and burns 4 hull from Asajj (astonishingly no crits from the primary, thankfully). Unkar later claims that he 'felt' the shot. Leading gastrologists argue otherwise.
Turn 9: (And the force is with me...)
Unkar 2-banks right, attempting to catch the ghost on a rock. The lothal, unexpectedly, turns 2 to the right and bumps Unkar, then Fenn, leaving him right where he was, much to my chagrin. Asajj 2-turns to the right, trying to claw for range against the devastating ghost, seeing shots would still be exchanged, she dejectedly rotates her turrets to the rear for a parting gift. Fenn 3-banks right, clearing the ghost, and a br + TL later he's safely out of the fight for a round in the ghost's bubble.
Fun fact: do you know that the only result a sensor jammer doesn't like to see is a crit?
Asajj rolls 3 crits, naturally, stripping the last of the Ghost's shields and scoring a damage cockpit and direct hit. THe lothal fires back at the 3-hull Asajj, and between 4 modded TLT shots does only 2 damage! His conservative use of Maul was his undoing.
Turns 10-12 : (just like chess!)
A lot of resetting happened. The ghost had one turn of fire on Unkar, who retaliated with a blistering email containing only offensive keywords. As the ghost rolled clockwise around to the bottom of the map, Asajj and Fenn rolled the opposite direction. Unkar kind of wanders around in a food-induced daze.
Turn 13: (not death... sacrifice!)
At this point the next confrontation was inevitable. Seeing the end in sight, Asajj burns a 3-bank left to score double-arcs on the Ghost, while Fenn 3-turns right and boosts to what I thought was R1 (would have been game if it had, most likely). Asajj scores a damaged sensor array and two hits on the ghost, while Fenn scores 2 hits (ghost had an evade token), leaving the juggernaut at 2 remaining. In return the ghost explodifies Asajj, but mercifully his EoT TLT shots plinked off of Fenn through a rock.
Turns 14-? (just like chess!)
A lot more resetting happened. The ghost never got a second chance on Fen, who boost/br'd to outside range 3, then met up with Unkar at the top of the map. The ghost meanwhile continues his clockwise rotation, ending up midway along the left board edge.
Turn 17?:
The ghost realises that it's only option for the round was a 3-bank left and boost straight, attempting to block both ships, then blow past them next turn and kill Fenn for the win, does exactly then. Unfortunately I'd thought it through and reaced the same conclusion. When all was aid and done, Fenn's R1 shot did 5 damage to the 2-hull ghost to finish it off, while the gtfo shuttle was deployed out the rear.
Turn 18?: (I am one with the force...)
Unkar tractors the shuttle, almost putting in on a rock (about 2mm off) on its expected k-turn. Fenn plinks a shield off it, taking it to 2 hull remaining.
Turn 19?:
The shuttle tries to block Fenn and kill unkar for some MoV; a notable but predictable play. Fenn's K-turn takes him behind Zeb and the kill-shot ends the game.
Final Thoughts:
This list of mine is by far the most successful I've ever run (with a win record somewhere around 80-90%), while being incredibly fun and engaging for both me and my opponent. While the 3-crit shot on the Ghost was absurd, the crits were negligible and Fenn did the necessary damage at the end to make up for it, so I feel like dice were pretty fair overall. The key moment was when the ghost attempted a boost on turn 4 and failed, telling me exactly where it would be the next turn, thus allowing me to put Fenn in the perfect position for the doppelganger kill.
If you don't try the list, I highly recommend you try Unkar with this build at least once before 1.0 ends. He's outstanding in every respect. Except for actually standing. He's working on it.