Let's say, I want to play two Tie Defender in a tournament. Something like this:

Colonel Vessery (35)
Juke (2)
TIE/x7 (-2)

Countess Ryad (34)
Push the Limit (3)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/x7 (-2)

Total: 71

What should I do with the remaining 29 points?

Option a) Third Defender:

Delta Squadron Pilot (30)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1) -> this might go on Vessery instead
TIE/x7 (-2)
Total: 29

Option b) Palp Shuttle:

Omicron Group Pilot (21)
Collision Detector (0)
Emperor Palpatine (8)
Total: 29

Option c) Something else

Omega Leader, maybe? Gunboat?

I know, the Palp Shuttle option was popular for a time, but apparently it has fallen out of style so much, that it's not even listed as an archetype on meta-wing. What's the glaring problem with the list, that I'm not seeing?

The only reason Palp defenders aren't as meta right now is because of the Palp nerf, but that does not mean it isn't still strong. I would rather have Palp than the Defender, but Omega Leader would probably be my first choice, because realistically, she is harder to kill and more useful than 1 lonely die modification, and she feeds Vessery locks.

Alternatively you could go full firepower with this version:

(36) TIE Defender: •Colonel Vessery (35)
TIE/x7 (-2)
•Swarm Leader (3)

(36) TIE Defender: •Countess Ryad (34)
Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE/x7 (-2)
Push the Limit (3)

(28) TIE Defender: Delta Squadron Pilot (30)
TIE/x7 (-2)

Total: 100/100

It's one of the most successful lists I've run. Hits very hard when Vessery gets a good windup, but in the current meta with Fenn-ipede it struggles more to get those solid hits...

I was going run something like this in my next tournament:

Ryad - x7, PTL, Twin Ion Engine Mk II - 36 points

Col Vessery - TIE/D, Intensity, Tractor Beam - 38 points

Omicron Group Pilot - Darth Vader, Anti-Pursuit Lasers - 26 points

100 points total

Might get ruined but should be fun to get the Lambda in there blocking with Vader dishing out crits once the Defenders have taken down shields.

Palp shuttle can be good, in part because I think folks have forgotten they need to kill him. I've played a few games with Sienar-Jaemus Analysts with Advanced Sensors, Advanced Optics, and Autothrusters (not a Defender per se, but kind of similar in terms of action economy and stat line), and when folks ignore the shuttle, it gets work done, not always with it's own gun (sometimes though), but particularly with Palp's dice mods. Ships survive longer, do more damage, and it's beautiful.

Triple Defender isn't bad, though. Those Deltas are nasty when they're left alone, so much so that I kinda want to fly 3x Delta + 4th ship (Wampa? Night Beast? Dark Curse? Epsilon FO? If I had 1 more point for Advanced Optics, it'd be Ep-FO 100%), since those Deltas have always seemed to get so much work done, I wonder if a 4th wheel would be stronger than the pilot abilities and Elite upgrades. Probably not, but I keep wanting to try it, and never getting around to it.

//

I'm really leery of Intensity on a TIE/D Vessery, @Bigdan . In order to excel, Intensity (presuming not on Poe) needs either a source of free focus/evade tokens or free boosts and barrel rolls. I've certainly been a big booster of it on /x7 Defenders, since there are often unspent Evade tokens from turns your opponent didn't have a shot or targeted someone else. With Vessery making two attacks, and defending with 3 dice and no evade tokens, it feels highly unlikely to me that he'll have spare focus tokens at the end of the turn. I'd consider either A Score To Settle (which is free and grants grants focus-type modifications) or Expertise. You could get the points by taking Anti-Pursuit Lasers off of the Doomshuttle. I'd normally say "move Intensity over to Ryad" where I think it's great... except when you're trying to set up TLs for Vessery's ability.

1 hour ago, theBitterFig said:

Palp shuttle can be good, in part because I think folks have forgotten they need to kill him. I've played a few games with Sienar-Jaemus Analysts with Advanced Sensors, Advanced Optics, and Autothrusters (not a Defender per se, but kind of similar in terms of action economy and stat line), and when folks ignore the shuttle, it gets work done, not always with it's own gun (sometimes though), but particularly with Palp's dice mods. Ships survive longer, do more damage, and it's beautiful.

Triple Defender isn't bad, though. Those Deltas are nasty when they're left alone, so much so that I kinda want to fly 3x Delta + 4th ship (Wampa? Night Beast? Dark Curse? Epsilon FO? If I had 1 more point for Advanced Optics, it'd be Ep-FO 100%), since those Deltas have always seemed to get so much work done, I wonder if a 4th wheel would be stronger than the pilot abilities and Elite upgrades. Probably not, but I keep wanting to try it, and never getting around to it.

//

I'm really leery of Intensity on a TIE/D Vessery, @Bigdan . In order to excel, Intensity (presuming not on Poe) needs either a source of free focus/evade tokens or free boosts and barrel rolls. I've certainly been a big booster of it on /x7 Defenders, since there are often unspent Evade tokens from turns your opponent didn't have a shot or targeted someone else. With Vessery making two attacks, and defending with 3 dice and no evade tokens, it feels highly unlikely to me that he'll have spare focus tokens at the end of the turn. I'd consider either A Score To Settle (which is free and grants grants focus-type modifications) or Expertise. You could get the points by taking Anti-Pursuit Lasers off of the Doomshuttle. I'd normally say "move Intensity over to Ryad" where I think it's great... except when you're trying to set up TLs for Vessery's ability.

That forgetting about needing to kill palp? DEFINITELY true. At the last regionals at which I competed, I was against Palpa-Yorr, Inky, and QD. Killed QD in a turn or so, but I was down to Poptics myself. I spent a solid 30 mins trying to kill Inky, failing tragically, before realizing I needed to kill the shuttle to have a chance of winning on points, but I didn't have enough time to finish it off...so yeah, you need to kill the shuttle.

Agreed on the Vessery points - he needs more mods.