I'm trying to put together a reasonably strong list that includes Rex and don't involve punisher/bomber. If I use Vader, it's a 2-ship list or a weak 3rd ship. Here's a couple that look decent to me, but curious what people think about which is better or how to re-optimize, since I haven't played either much and am still working on learning how to fly the phantoms passably.

Rex & Phantoms (198)

Rexler/Juke

Whisper/Juke

Echo/Juke

or...

Soontir / Rex / Whisper (198)

Soontir/predator

Rexler/Juke

Whisper/Juke

The former capitalizes on jukes to push damage though (focused fire), but lower PS and require good phantom flying -- feels like they should fly together down one side. The second list loses a juke, but ups the PS and might allow soontir to go down an opposite lane to flank.

Anyway, curious to hear thoughts on viability, how to fly them, what people might change.

Thanks!

I was trying Rex, Whisper, Echo with Juke...

I really enjoyed a couple of games with 2 Juke Sigmas in a squad, (they were monstrous). After playing with 2 Defenders for a while, thought to pair them up. Tried a few different things but the above seemed easily the strongest combo.

However, I'm still just learning the competitive side of the game and couldn't quite get my head around Whispers part of the deal. Just didn't understand what I was doing with the squad.

Echo is AMAZING and Rex is obviously great, so I've subbed in a Bomber to ease the thought processes..... It's clicking quite naturally now, I could probably put Whisper in for Echo...

But Echo over Whisper, if I only have one. Maybe that's just me. He just seems totally different in the role he fills. Whisper seems pedestrian and predictable by comparison. Even if he's obviously stronger, with the I5 and extra evade. I feel like people gun for him a lot more, which changes things massively.

Echo is possibly, instantly, my favourite ship in 2.0, he's just stupidly flexible. He's very much easier for the opponent to ignore and harder to catch if they don't.

If you have the chutzpah to fly those 3 together, it's seriously good. But there's obviously some very hard match ups.

For the 2nd one, I could tell after just 4 simmed turns with it, that I really couldn't handle it. Fel is above my skill ceiling

(and probably, Whisper is too)

Thanks for the reply. Echo seems like fun. I worry about the 4 initiative, but I guess the decloak is where the magic happens, so maybe not a big deal.

BTW, I think both phantom pilots are female.

1 hour ago, ahdaniels76 said:

Thanks for the reply. Echo seems like fun. I worry about the 4 initiative, but I guess the decloak is where the magic happens, so maybe not a big deal.

BTW, I think both phantom pilots are female.

I didn't know, I kinda go he/she tbh

The 4 can be an issue, but the manoeuverability is such that you can put her in places that are hard to reach, regardless of I. But you have to know where your opponent can go and plan outs and turnarounds, in case you have to gamble. Ships line up on all these sequential diagonals and Echo just goes nope.

Right now, I've got Afterburners and Col Det with Juke. Which is just extravagant fun. Similar price, but utterly different to Whisper/Vader.

They're quite reliant on making use of natural dice to have an impact, my Echo does lack there substantially, in comparison. But average rolls are good with all the tokens and Juke. If Rex has stripped their tokens, even better.

So being in the wrong place against scum can suck.

The dangers to her, you send the others at. Something that can TL....

Echo is fine at 4. If they go after her, she runs, and nobody runs better, and the other two punch hard. I flew Echo in Mynock Open and only lost her once cuz I was losing on points and had to get real aggressive with her.

Her decloak is a super blocker as well, able to block init 1s and such. Ive blocked kturning academies. Fly her right, and opponent just has no idea where she is going.