I was inspired by MOTF batrep using the recent Polish Nationals Champ list. I’ve had success at Store Championships and GNK with Rebels, so I want to try Imperials for a change of pace. The use of the double red anti-ship battery on the Phantoms to generate accuracies was very appealing. At first I swapped out the Raider lifeboat for an Enhanced Armaments Arquitens, but found I was too aggressive with it and Sloane died before I used her ability.

Based on my first play test, I developed 2 lists. Both rely on Pryce for activation management and Avenger as the carrier. Sloane rides in a Raider, staying away from the weapons fire.

Similar to a Thrawn 2-Ship, the Avenger activation is the focus of the list. All the damage is coming from it, either from the Squadrons or that front arc. Having to really only manage 1 ship should make tournament play mentally easier.

Option 1: Sloane Phantoms

Very similar to the list played on the MOTF batrep, I put Capt. Brunson on Sloane’s lifeboat to enhance survival. Super Best Friends and the Phantoms get activated by Avenger ISD-2 to burn through the defense tokens. A boosted comms Gozanti provides a backup Super Best Friends activation in case of a Slicer Tools strike on Avenger. I swapped Flight Commander for Gunnery Team as my local meta is squadron light so I don’t think I’d need to burn a squadron screen as often, and the extra 8 dice shot out of the ISD is deadly. I make up for the loss of a blue anti-squadron die by upgrading the Jumpmaster to Dengar.

Assault: Advanced Gunnery
Defense: Fighter Ambush
Navigation: Superior Positions

Raider I (44)
• Admiral Sloane (24)
• Captain Brunson (5)
= 73 Points

Imperial II (120)
• Governor Pryce (7)
• Gunnery Team (7)
• Expanded Hangar Bay (5)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
• Leading Shots (4)
• Avenger (5)
= 155 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Comms Net (2)
= 25 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Boosted Comms (4)
= 27 Points

Squadrons:
• Colonel Jendon (20)
• Maarek Stele (21)
• Dengar (20)
• 4 x TIE Phantom Squadron (56)
= 117 Points

Total Points: 397

Option 2: Sloane Stealth Defenders

The big change from option 1 is to swap 2 Phantoms for 2 Defenders and Bomber Command Center. I also have to drop Brunson from the lifeboat, so I need to be more careful with Sloane. This change provides insurance against an early Sloane elimination and all 8 faces of the Defender blue bomber die are useful, with Sloane’s critical reroll and BCC allowing for very solid dice management to select the right face for the situation. I also have no bid, so I’m totally reliant on a successful alpha strike at the end of turn 2 to eliminate a major threat before it activates at the top of turn 3.

Assault: Advanced Gunnery
Defense: Fighter Ambush
Navigation: Superior Positions

Raider I (44)
• Admiral Sloane (24)
= 68 Points

Imperial II (120)
• Governor Pryce (7)
• Gunnery Team (7)
• Expanded Hangar Bay (5)
• Early Warning System (7)
• Leading Shots (4)
• Avenger (5)
= 155 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Comms Net (2)
= 25 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Bomber Command Center (8)
= 31 Points

Squadrons:
• Maarek Stele (21)
• Colonel Jendon (20)
• Dengar (20)
• 2 x TIE Defender Squadron (32)
• 2 x TIE Phantom Squadron (28)
= 121 Points

Total Points: 400

Let's focus on list one which I think is better.

4 activations is good but Pryce and only a 3 point bid isn't that great, maybe go for SADviser and just activate the ISD last of your 5. The lifeboat isn't great so I would risk the commander on Avenger. Traditionally changing a flotilla for a quasar or scrape up more points for a supporting Arquitens or cheap Demolisher. Boosted comms on the ISD is useful for flinging out advance fighter strikes or continuing to squadron when you dash past after a kill to avoid retaliation. Jendon can always relay for the flotillas so you don't need boosted comms a second time.

117 points of squadrons is ok or maybe a bit light for Sloan particularly with no flight controllers. Dengar isn't that needed unless you have Mauler, he would help sweep away fighter opposition quickly.

Missions look good but AG can be relished by a few builds like Ackbar MC80. The benefits also never stack with GTs. Most Wanted is safer and can allow GTs on Avenger.

Price is great whether first or second player... I don't agree with the lifeboat though.. You could trade it and a goz in and get demolisher, and then stick your admiral on that if you want to spread points out... Get ecm on the ISD because you can win a squad fight so ISD doesn't have to fear bombers, it's only fear is a big shot so you'll want that braced...at least get rbd

Thank you for the feedback. I’m still playing with my Sloane builds. I dropped Option 1 down to 380 pts and option 2 down to 384. I also corrected the error and installed ECM as the defensive retrofit. Then I had a crazy idea... instead of lifeboating with the Raider, could I use them as a clean up force.

So here is my third iteration, Sloane Ordnance Phantoms. I bid 20 points for first player, enabling the Pryce last-first in turns 2 and 3. I cede the activation game, running only 3 ships, but have enough points to upgrade 1 of the Phantoms to Whisper. The strategy is to deploy the Raiders behind the Avenger ISD-2, use the EHB boosted squadron command to push Super Best Friends, Whisper and the Phantoms into my primary target, turning the defense tokens red for Avenger. Avenger drops 14 dice (assuming 2 Leading Shot rerolls) into 2 targets, then navigating away. XX-9 assume that the squadron alpha + Avenger shutdown the defense tokens, so 2 damage will get through and neutralize contains.

The 2 Raiders follow up with ExRacks to kill off any wounded ships or flotilla hunt. I went cheap on these assuming they might be short lived. But 2 blue and 4 black dice with rerolls is pretty nasty follow up to 4 reds and 3 blues.

Against Thrawn, the squads engage the opposing squads turn 1, taking away the alpha strike, likely deploy at speed 3 to close in on the ISD early, trying to drop it before the Pryce turn.

Against Raddus, keep the raiders and squadrons in the side and rear arcs, trying to force the drop, or deploy the Raiders at speed 4 to drop the Flagship before the drop.

Reeiken Aces are delt with by trying up the bombers with the 4 blue dice anti-squadron batteries, then going after Yavaris, dropping it with the Pryce last activation, negating the Reeiken zombie.

Assault: Opening Salvo
Defense: Fighter Ambush
Navigation: Superior Positions

Imperial II (120)
• Admiral Sloane (24)
• Governor Pryce (7)
• Expanded Hangar Bay (5)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
• Leading Shots (4)
• XX-9 Turbolasers (5)
• Avenger (5)
= 177 Points

Raider I (44)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• External Racks (3)
= 51 Points

Raider I (44)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• External Racks (3)
= 51 Points

Squadrons:
• Colonel Jendon (20)
• Maarek Stele (21)
• Whisper (20)
• JumpMaster 5000 (12)
• 2 x TIE Phantom Squadron (28)
= 101 Points