Most of the lists I put together lately have two units of Fleets w/Scatter Guns And two units of Rebel Troopers w/Z-6s.

I’ve only been able to get one game in with the Fleets and I am not sure how best to use them. Is it better to have them up front as assault troopers or hold them back until someone charges in and then make them pay?

I really miss the range 3 shots and black dice I get with the Rebel Troopers. Range 2 is tough and scary for me. I often run Leia and keep her in the back sometimes never Using her blaster. I was hoping that running the Fleets might help encourage me to move my units and Leia (or Han) into range 2.

TLDR:

What are people’s prefferences?! Do you run Fleet Troopers upfront as assault units? Or do you play them more defensively holding them back and waiting to pounce?

Thanks

On my "3-3-3-1" List (My clearly tournament one) :

I use Han, 2 Troopers with com spec, 1 Fleet with add-up trooper, 3 Commando Mine carriers, 1 AT-RT Blaster, 2 AT-RT Flamer

And My Fleet troopers are more here to protect my mid-side of the map. No speedbike want to be near them, and with all the charges already on the board, and my AT-RT blaster, they give me a quite good defense.

Fleet's shorter range sure takes some time getting used to. Once you get the hang of them, they're awesome. A few things to remember:

1. If someone shot you at range 3, if you can perform a speed 2 move, you'll catch then at your own range 2.
2. USE TERRAIN.
3. Ready 1 is icing on cake, do not rely on it unless it's first turn, limited visibility and you had Scout 1 or 2
4. USE TERRAIN.
5. If able, parachute them (i.e. deploy via Rapid Reinforcements).
6. USE TERRAIN.
7. Try running them with new Leader upgrade form Specialists pack. They do love that extra courage.
8. Take the scattergun, the best Rebel corps can get against bucketheads.

The last one is dependent on one's play style, so it's separate - do not run more of them than regular troopers. In 6 corps builds, I usually go 4-2 or even 5-1, in 5 corps 4-1 or 3-2.

Adapting to what your opponent is using and doing will be the best guide. Offensively they are nice, while lesser in range and defense compared to rebel troopers, with your current build 5 points less than them too.

Choices choices, that never ending dilemma to advance or hold back. They seem to be built for close range offense rather than defense, certainly use best cover since they aren't as defensively strong as rebel troopers with nimble. If your opponent has range like DLT-19 Stormtroopers, you'd be wasting your points and unit keeping them far back in cover as they reasonably get chipped away to nothing. While, I wouldn't suggest to rush in going head to head vs. Snowtrooper unit with a Flametrooper.

I'd agree with Shanturin, should use more rebel troopers than fleet; and maybe use Rapid Reinforcements with them when able. The way you have it now, I'd say move your fleet trooper up going cover to cover while the rebel troopers provide cover fire attempting to protect them. or if playing Breakthrough, perhaps just keep them in the back separated as deployment zone defenders.

Ultimately, I go back to and expand my opening reply. Adapt how to use them based off what you are using, what your opponent is using, how you'll be using your units, how your opponent will be using there unit turn by turn, and deploy set up. That will serve you the best in greatest majority of situations, hope that helps and inspires new ideas.

I just got and am almost done painting a squad of Fleets, so this is helpful. I think I'm only 1/2 Rebel players in my area, and in our Rebel v Rebel game, my opponent used his Fleets to zone me out of an objective for a little while; it at least made me alter my plans. I had to maneuver an AT-RT and a Rebel Squad in such a way to get LOS on them, but barely staying out of Range 2. I wiped the Fleets, but it took more effort than I would've preferred because I didn't want to get hit with all those dice lol

right lol. If you don't already perhaps delay Leia's deployment until they deploy the fleet troopers so you make sure LOS is there, then use leia's Coordinated Bombardment to soften them up with hopefully a wound or two giving a suppression token too. That might slow them down enough to turn the situation around on them. Good idea with the AT-RT, that armor and potential range depending what weapon sure helps.

5 minutes ago, Tokous said:

right lol. If you don't already perhaps delay Leia's deployment until they deploy the fleet troopers so you make sure LOS is there, then use leia's Coordinated Bombardment to soften them up with hopefully a wound or two giving a suppression token too. That might slow them down enough to turn the situation around on them. Good idea with the AT-RT, that armor and potential range depending what weapon sure helps.

Bombarding them is a good idea. I couldn't see them in that game

They activated before my AT-RT (Rotary), and I had to finish my move just outside range 2, then, the next round, he kept the Fleets there on Standby, and I performed a pivot with the AT-RT to get them within my arc, still outside Range 2, and hit them with the Rotary. Then the Rebel Troopers followed up.

If he had tried to send the Fleets after that AT-RT, he would've walked them right into a Rebel Trooper squad + Leia kill box.

They need to use LOS blocking terrain well in order to survive long enough to make a difference.

I like using them to bully objectives, especially on a flank.

Use them to kill speeder bike units that zoom up on you.

Ok, I am starting to lean towards trying to use the Fleets more as backline support/objective holders on my next time out.

I am looking at adding an officer or two to my army and if I am going to have the Fleets holding up the flank and the Rebel Troopers pushing forward I think I’ll put the Officers in with the Troopers up front.

I am wondering if one Officer is enough to support two units of troopers or if each unit needs an Officer...

If each unit has an Officer, Suppression will be a thing of the past! But one unit with an Officer and one with a Medical Droid might be interesting...

The officer as a commander and a officer as a unit personnel upgrade are two different things with only one similarity. That similarity is Inspire 1. Other than that, the commander is a commander worth 30 pts more than the unit upgrade, while also having spotter 1, sharpshooter 1, its own Health, surges, weapons, and defense die. The unit upgrade is treated stats wise as whatever the unit it is with, just with Inspire 1.

Depends if spotter 1 and it being a commander is worth 30 additional points or not to you. Each are good, though if you want to keep suppression away then I agree having a couple or so as unit upgrades should help with that at still being less than one as a commander. Add Leia since she has Inspire 2 & take cover 2.

6 hours ago, Tokous said:

The officer as a commander and a officer as a unit personnel upgrade are two different things with only one similarity. That similarity is Inspire 1.

For this post I was referring only to the Rebel Officer Unit Upgrade and debating whether to attach them to my Fleets or Rebel Troopers.

They help the unit they are attached to by raising their Courage but can’t remove any extra Suppression from it. With Inspire 1 you can only remove suppression from “another friendly unit”.

One thought I had was to have two units of Rebel Troopers as the bulk of my upfront assault group and attach an Officer Upgrade to each so they can remove suppression from each other!

That’s 38pts though and I wonder if I might get enough benefit with just one of those two units having an Officer Upgrade.

I do wonder about a double Officer Commander list though... for a different thread...

Thanks for clarifying. I think its a good idea if you have the spare points, it is the most expensive personnel upgrade for them though. If go through with it those two maybe should be supporting behind a unit or two instead of being point, being suppressed themselves I think wouldn't be maximizing their usage. To specify, if they are in the front, get fired at say twice ending up with two suppression. Then in rally you remove one, then you lose one action for having one. If say that was another troop, you just don't activate them yet until your Troops w/ Officer so remove at least one giving them a better chance to not lose actions.

In my opinion I wouldn't use them up front, that doesn't mean it wouldn't work or isn't a good idea too. Hopefully that gives a different perspective and ideas to test. That double Officer Command does have its merits, though a lot would think its ridiculous lol.

I believe you are only suppressed if you have equal to or more of you courage value. So the personnel upgrade doubles the amount of tokens you can have without being affected and a)lows you to avoid some of the need for babysitting them with a commander.

Even with a full squad I'm having a hard time getting them to roll enough hits, I've actually thought about just taking the scatter gun and letting the red dice do the work and keep them cheap.

Rapid Reinforcements would be awesome but my opponent always throws that one out

Buckero0 is correct, they would have to have 2 Suppression to be suppressed if they have the officer upgrade. They would have Courage 2 instead of Courage 1.

........ That is what I was saying. Just forgot to say the word Token. Ugh, I'll use simpler words since it must of been misunderstood.

Before I say anything this isn't a staple and I'm not saying this is the only strategy, just one among many using a different outlook. Having them be point, sure go for it. I have a different idea if it suits you, if not just don't use it! If anything just trying to start the idea that creates another continuing to make a super idea.

They go rear to use there ability to regular troops without the officer, cause if they gain 2 suppression TOKENS and in their rally can't make any saves they will become suppressed losing one action. Since they are the ones with the officer which removes 1 suppression TOKEN, should they really waste their only action removing the others!? Or be in rear using only one action to remove the point basic teams suppression TOKEN by 1 helping them out, perhaps doubling up to fully remove both off one unit. That's all I'm saying about it, I thought I explained it well the first time.

Not trying to be sound cross to you guys, just know if any of us even dare to make one typo the lowest of the low will pop out of a bush calling us on it making a scene like a fool. LOL so just have to speak as politically correct as possible, what a world.

I don't use rebel troopers anymore, only fleet troopers with scatter guns. I ve brought down AT STs with them alone. but my buddy says they are OP and broke....

1 hour ago, Thalandar said:

I don't use rebel troopers anymore, only fleet troopers with scatter guns. I ve brought down AT STs with them alone. but my buddy says they are OP and broke....

As I would reply to any people who says rebs are more broken than imps : "I won all my games when ever people played imps with rebs. Now that ever single guy are switching to rebs, I'm starting winning with imps."

Tell your buddy to throw that at-st garbage out of his list and start playing snowtrooper as they will wreck appart fleet troopers

I told him I'd play his list and he could play mine, but he wouldn't do it

On 2/8/2019 at 7:22 PM, Tokous said:

Not trying to be sound cross to you guys, just know if any of us even dare to make one typo the lowest of the low will pop out of a bush calling us on it making a scene like a fool. LOL so just have to speak as politically correct as possible, what a world.

happens to all of us. No biggie

Correct and proper speaking/punctuation/writing is the sign of a truly sophisticated man. 😸

One thing I like about Fleets is that opponent’s tend to focus on them, and depending on how good your opponent is, they can focus on the Fleets to the exclusion of everything else. It gives a lot of freedom for other units to move in and take things out. Not every unit has to shoot to be effective or useful. 😈

I haven’t been able to get a game in to test the defensive tactics with my Fleets...

I’ve been wanting to run two units of Fleets to satisfy my desire for symmetry but I am starting to come around to the idea of possibly running only one unit. If I am planning a defensive posture with them I feel more comfortable with one unit...

At least until I learn how to get into range 2!

1 minute ago, BenBot said:

I haven’t been able to get a game in to test the defensive tactics with my Fleets...

I’ve been wanting to run two units of Fleets to satisfy my desire for symmetry but I am starting to come around to the idea of possibly running only one unit. If I am planning a defensive posture with them I feel more comfortable with one unit...

At least until I learn how to get into range 2!

I am using my freshly-painted Fleets today, in about 3 hours

I'll let you know how I decide to use them, or how I fumble around and fail utterly to use them successfully lol They were such fun to paint, I am just considering getting another squad.

I pretty much just jam Fleet Troopers down my opponent's throat, while trying to use cover and blocking terrain to keep them alive. It generally works pretty well and leaves all of my Rebel Troopers to focus on objectives.

Yeah I basically relegated my squad of Fleets to capturing a supply crate in my game Wednesday night. Capture the Supplies feels really boring to me lol I didn't play as aggressively as I should have, and lost, but mostly because aggressively going at the third crate would've meant running directly into an FD Turret, Airspeeder, and Chewie/Han fire with very little cover. I've got to get better at placing terrain lol

But! My Barrage Trooper on the Fleets did get a good number of hits on the Airspeeder, which helped my AT-RTs take it down.