So, the list to beat in my local meta is 4-5 bombers with barrage rockets and Jonus. Which lists or strategies work best against them? Best I’ve managed is playing to Final Salvo with Boba doing his thing but getting bombed to heck whilst doing it.

Do not joust them, do not engage them on their terms. This is a game that can be lost before a single ship moves if you fail to force them to come the way you want. Put your obstacles in such a manner as to not allow their formation to stay together through the middle, then fly so that the bombers cant come at you except through said middle. If i knew your list, i could give you more specific advice.

As Eruletho says. Don't joust them, drag/kite them through the rocks and debris. If able use flankers to harrass from the sides of the bombers. Engage them head on and you're toast.

Or you could fake a joust with two or three Y-wings, k-turn them a turn early, and cluster mine them in the face...

...maybe.

If your in scum why not nym?

10 minutes ago, Carnor Rex said:

If your in scum why not nym?

Traj Sim Prot bombs or Seismics? Unless you get lucky with the Prot bombs, his 10 hp 1 agil butt is toast when they catch him. Traj Sim Prot Bomb range is **** close to Barrage Rocket range (unless you delay it, then they have a good chance of just flying around it). Seismics are a bit better, threaten a wider area. What would you support him with?

Idk man I haven't used nym yet, just deathrain so it's more a question..

22 minutes ago, Carnor Rex said:

Idk man I haven't used nym yet, just deathrain so it's more a question..

Then you may not be aware that the charges on the bombs is all the Scurrg gets. No reload.

I've only played one game so far against jonus bombers. It was jonus with barrage, a generic bomber with barrage, a generic punisher with barrage, and redline with proton torps I believe.

I was running a low PS 5 ship scum list. I had to place all mine first, so I put 2 ship on each corner of the board, and one in the middle. Once he committed to one side to joust from, I moved those two ships away from jousting while bringing my other 3 in to flank. Between some bumping and stress from kturns, he wasn't able to shoot many barrage rockets luckily.

As well as I played it (and I won actually), it wouldn't have been hard to lose. Killing jonus late in the game one turn when I got 2 hits and a crit, he whiffed, and crit was direct to finish him off was huge.

If you're going to get shot by barrage bombers, make sure it's at range 1 - they don't get rerolls, you get your attack bonus and then next turn they are sad because bombers that bump, have to reposition or k-turn are just naked 2 dice guns.

37 minutes ago, Hiemfire said:

Then you may not be aware that the charges on the bombs is all the Scurrg gets. No reload.

No I didn't catch that. I've been on the fence with buying that ship anyway but I've read good things about nym vs swarmy lists.

1 minute ago, Carnor Rex said:

No I didn't catch that. I've been on the fence with buying that ship anyway but I've read good things about nym vs swarmy lists.

Nym's ability to delay the detonation of a friendly device gives the player a really nice boost to battlefield control. Especially when paired with Seismics, though it isn't bad with proton bombs either. Sol Sixxa takes the TIE/sa Bomber's special ability up a notch (adds the 1 hards), and likes running with Cad Bane (don't take the title unless you want to run trajectory sim on her, it eats the crew slot). The Lok.. Well... Tanky minelayer or one off siege gun with limited ammo if you take the title, traj sim and a bomb type of your choice. Bomblets are nice looking but very rng dependent. They're also the only way to get more than 2 shots from a single device, though you spend a shield to do so...

Avoid to take their fire in the alpha strike:

It depend by their formation

If you can turn around them is better

Otherwise get as close as possible to avoid almost a part of them (all is pretty impossible)

They don't have the 1 bank so stay close

And put asteroids in the position you imagine that the would want to turn or move to hit you un turn 2

This is the very important thing to avoid their alpha strike

Your rule of 11 control should be immaculate. This is basic flying for apprentices. If its not, go online and learn it. If you fully understand this, you can in the simple joust, always come out ahead, as the range control is at bare minimum a 50-50 sum game, if not more in favor of the non-bomber player.

If you do understand this, the next steps are to arc dodge long enough to take one bomber down before being hit by protons/barrages, engage at R1, InitiativePS strike them off the board before they get a load off, bump them into non-shots, force them to retake TLs instead of shooting at their planned target. Otherwise, tractoring them also works well.

Thanks guys. I struggle with the sheer firepower out the front and the agile bombs guarding their tails. It’s hard to flank and hard to face.

Ive been flying Fenn Teroch Palob, swapped Palob for Kavil, and the other was my first 2.0 list which was boba, palob, l3 escape craft and gunrunner.

The problem with the first two is that Palob or Kavil are instant fire magnets, and the latter is that it only has one fighty ship.

I think i may need to resign myself to flying Boba/guri, make them chance Boba and stay on their flank with the viper.

10 minutes ago, Estarriol said:

Thanks guys. I struggle with the sheer firepower out the front and the agile bombs guarding their tails. It’s hard to flank and hard to face.

Ive been flying Fenn Teroch Palob, swapped Palob for Kavil, and the other was my first 2.0 list which was boba, palob, l3 escape craft and gunrunner.

The problem with the first two is that Palob or Kavil are instant fire magnets, and the latter is that it only has one fighty ship.

I think i may need to resign myself to flying Boba/guri, make them chance Boba and stay on their flank with the viper.

If I2 generics are dominating the meta, is it really wise to spend all your points on I5-6 aces? You pay a lot for that initiative, and it does very little against your strongest matchup. I'd bring the list up to four ships, lose one of the aces and add a couple of I3 generics.

3 minutes ago, Okapi said:

If I2 generics are dominating the meta, is it really wise to spend all your points on I5-6 aces? You pay a lot for that initiative, and it does very little against your strongest matchup. I'd bring the list up to four ships, lose one of the aces and add a couple of I3 generics.

It’s what I’m practiced with, tournament tomorrow

Its likely only one player will turn up with them, but if i do well it’s likely I’m facing him across the top table in the final.

I'll echo what others have said. Don't joust and be patient, waiting for the right moment to engage. If you can get into range 1 the bombers won't be happy - their attacks actually become less accurate due to lack of rerolls from the Barrage Rockets and they have to turn around, which denies them their rockets too. Palob can also work well by removing the Focus required for the rockets, but he has to expose himself for that to happen. You should be happy to take shots from range 3, out of the bombers' arcs.

6 hours ago, Transmogrifier said:

If you're going to get shot by barrage bombers, make sure it's at range 1 - they don't get rerolls, you get your attack bonus and then next turn they are sad because bombers that bump, have to reposition or k-turn are just naked 2 dice guns.

This. Think of them like 1.0 harpoon missile squads - the aim is to jump from >range 3 to range 1 in one turn - not easy but doable.

Anything which forces them to perform red moves - either K-turning or not having space for speed 3 turns (their only white one) - or requires a barrel roll, because they can link into a target lock but not a focus.

Moving 5 unwieldy bombers in a range 1 bubble isn't that easy. The ridiculous levels of face-punching ability with rockets more than makes up for it, but you can force them to break up. Mines might be your friend.

Their 2 hards are white now too.

If they fly in a 5 block formation your time will be much easier. But fast ships are the way to go to really help that jump from beyond range 3 to range 1.

And focus on Jonus

Could also take an i1 large base ship and block their whole formation...

2 hours ago, Estarriol said:

The problem with the first two is that Palob or Kavil are instant fire magnets, and the latter is that it only has one fighty ship.

Palob should be a quite good against Barrage Bombers, as properly flown he can turn off 2 of them (1 Focus stolen, second Jammed - ppl are forgetting that HWK has Jamm action). Zooming into r1, taking away 2 focuses and taking away rerolls from Jonus (no reroll on primary) should be problematic for Bombers.

But I agre, including some PS3 generics into Squadron should help as well.