Has anyone tried a 2-ship Ackbar build lately?

By TTC, in Star Wars: Armada Fleet Builds

Here's what I am thinking--comments and criticisms are appreciated.

Option 1 (Hera):

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] MC80 Assault Cruiser (114 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Home One ( 7 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 186 total ship cost

MC75 Armored Cruiser (104 points)
- Aspiration ( 3 points)
- Chart Officer ( 2 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 133 total ship cost

1 Hera Syndulla ( 28 points)
2 X-Wing Squadrons ( 26 points)
2 Y-Wing Squadrons ( 20 points)
= 74 total squadron cost

Option 2: Ys

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Contested Outpost
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions

[ flagship ] MC80 Assault Cruiser (114 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Home One ( 7 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 186 total ship cost

MC75 Armored Cruiser (104 points)
- Aspiration ( 3 points)
- Chart Officer ( 2 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 133 total ship cost

8 Y-Wing Squadrons ( 80 points)
= 80 total squadron cost

The problem with Ackbar is that the MC30 can't have Gunnery Teams and nobody will take Advanced Gunnery. Therefor you either use Ackbar and have only 3 (but more likely only 2) shots per turn, or you don't use Ackbar but that eould completely negate the purpose of your fleet.

I think the idea of 2 ship and the idea of ackbar are opposed. Ackbar wants as many effective combat activations as he can. Decentralizing your points, in his case, is actually more beneficial and bunching it up.

Just remember lots of intel officers.

Two ships and ackbar is a horrible idea.

The chance of actually getting good shots, let alone at the same target, is really low.

I haven't tried this since the 75 came out and then only kinda whatever...

Two things is like to see in the fleet is bail and strategic adviser... After that I think some strategic objectives like fire lanes, ion cannon, sensor net, minefields, would really help out here... And if we're strictly talking two ship then the squads have to be best we can possibly do...

The issue, as pointed out above, is that having low-ship Ackbar is like having low-squadron Sloane: you’re objectively getting less value out of your admiral. As a thought experiment though, I’d definitely bring Gunnery Teams on both ships, effectively doubling your number of attacks and somewhat mitigating the points inefficiency of Ackbar. That would mean 2 kitted out MC75s. Since other ships are off the table, you’d be running a squad ball (this is still a questionable idea, but I’m playing devil’s advocate.) Since you probably can’t command them super well, rogues are smart. BCC is unavailable, so red and black bombers... meh. Twin blue like Gold? Maybe. Gritty, self sufficient YT-2400s? Totally. Hera, Shara, Tycho? Expensive, but you have the points... It would be a little like Dual Cymoon, except instead of other ships you brought a rogue murder cloud.

Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 398/400

Commander: Admiral Ackbar

Assault Objective: Advanced Gunnery
Defense Objective: Planetary Ion Cannon
Navigation Objective: Intel Sweep

[ flagship ] MC80 Assault Cruiser (114 points)
- Admiral Ackbar ( 38 points)
- Home One ( 7 points)
- Strategic Adviser ( 4 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- Reinforced Blast Doors ( 5 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
= 193 total ship cost

MC75 Armored Cruiser (104 points)
- Bail Organa ( 7 points)
- Gunnery Team ( 7 points)
- Electronic Countermeasures ( 7 points)
- X17 Turbolasers ( 6 points)
- Leading Shots ( 4 points)
- External Racks ( 3 points)
= 138 total ship cost

1 VCX-100 Freighter ( 15 points)
2 E-Wing Squadrons ( 30 points)
1 Corran Horn ( 22 points)
= 67 total squadron cost

E wings seem like the best chance to scalpel out enemy Intel providing your ships some relief from bombers... Prolly gonna end up playing Intel sweep every time but that 75 points is in the bag! Starting you if at a 7-4. Debatable whether to put bail on 80 or 75...

Edited by SkyCake

I dunno if rebels have the reach necessary to make two-ship work. I did run two-ship Sato at a tournament and had fun with it, but I don't think it's nearly as strong. The problem was mainly that Bail doesn't have the same "oomph" as Pryce, and even with Bail small ships can dance around you. Smart opponents simply gave me first player and forced me

Speed5 squads plus an ISD2 commanding all of them back-to-back with Pryce is simply a much larger threat range. And then it's the combination of the massive guns of the ISD AND the reliable damage from MMJ that combine into a fleet-wiping strike.

Ackbar MC80 hits hard. But not ISD2 + 4 squads hard.

Option 2 is just bad. You don't even have enough activations for all your Y-Wings. Home One is a bad title for this kind of list. It's expensive and doesn't work on the ship carrying it. You're paying 7 points to change one die to an accuracy each turn.

An Ackbar list with only two activations is not going to do well- you need at least 4. I'd also call a Leia comms net flotilla basically mandatory for the command dial corrections. I'd also run squad-light or squadless- either a Biggs Ball or Shara/Tycho.

I won my store champs with squadless Ackbar. Armored 75 and Assault 80 armed to the teeth, plus a Jaina's Light TRC90 and comms net Leia flotilla. 5 activations with strategic advisor, and 4 nasty Ackbar shots a turn. I haven't had a chance to run it against Rieekan, but it does well against Sloane.

I have wondered if some sort of Rogue + Bail combo could approach the Imperial 2 ship combo, so it's very interesting to see this discussion. You could hit back in the squadron phase with your surviving rogues, and then go first with a squadron activation + ship attack from an MC80/MC75 or Ackbar AF.

Squadron wise, there's nothing quite like the combo above. YT2400s are speed 4 and great anti squad but are only OK against ships. You could use Hera to have your choice of now rogue bombers, but the best ones are only speed 2/3 (Scurgg/B wing). Maybe Ketsu could play in this equation too. But it's not as flexible as the Imperial version. And then your ship attack - even with Ackbar or Sato - is not going to be quite as deadly as the loaded Imp 2 ISD.

This was sixth at London Masters

REBEL FLEET (400 points)
1 • MC75 Ordnance Cruiser - Commander Sato - Bail Organa - Ordnance Experts - Reinforced Blast Doors - External Racks - Assault Concussion Missiles (158)
2 • MC80 Star Cruiser - Strategic Adviser - Gunnery Team - Engine Techs - SW-7 Ion Batteries (120)
3 • GR-75 Medium Transports - Hondo Ohnaka - Comms Net (22)
4 • GR-75 Medium Transports (18)
5 • Tycho Celchu A-wing Squadron (16)
6 • A-wing Squadron (11)
7 • A-wing Squadron (11)
8 • Shara Bey A-wing Squadron (17)
9 • Gold Squadron Y-wing Squadron (12)
10 • VCX-100 Freighter (15)
11 • Objectives - Most Wanted - Planetary Ion Cannon - Solar Corona (0)