The goal is not to remove green markers with the hotshot gunner, which vader has already removed before. He's pretty useless for that. One could take another target than the Vader target, but that contradicts the credo to make focus fire. The opponent often has no token at all because of the blocks and Vader.

With the agile gunner you show the opponent quite strongly what you intend to do in the next round.

As I said - the list has a development behind it and the components in it have crystallized and all have their uses.

The veteran gunner is exclusively against lists with many ships and lists with many ships and little agility. You have to do extra damage or you lose the damage race. With every single damage or every use of a focus provoked by it, it has already been worth it.

2 hours ago, Dalli said:

The goal is not to remove green markers with the hotshot gunner, which vader has already removed before. He's pretty useless for that. One could take another target than the Vader target, but that contradicts the credo to make focus fire. The opponent often has no token at all because of the blocks and Vader.

With the agile gunner you show the opponent quite strongly what you intend to do in the next round.

As I said - the list has a development behind it and the components in it have crystallized and all have their uses.

The veteran gunner is exclusively against lists with many ships and lists with many ships and little agility. You have to do extra damage or you lose the damage race. With every single damage or every use of a focus provoked by it, it has already been worth it.

This. Especially on the Falcon and the Decimatior (which use a huge amount of your list) the 6 points for VTG as flanking-insurance seems well worth it to me, especially in the absence of any other useful/affordable gunners.

I don't think people realize how viable it really is against swarms/rebel beef.

Great article! I also really wanted to play with the decimator and made a 2.0 squad I hoped would do well. I won the one game I've flown with it do far and had a lot of fun flying the two ship squad with a defender. It was also a chance to put Vader with his Dr. Aphra squad (000 & BT-1) Check it out:

TIE/D Defender - •Rexler Brath - 87
•Rexler Brath - Onyx Leader (82)
Juke (5)

VT-49 Decimator - •Captain Oicunn - 111
•Captain Oicunn - Inspired Tactician (78)
Intimidation (3)
•Darth Vader (14)
•0-0-0 (5)
Proton Bombs (5)
• Dauntless (4)
•BT-1 (2)

Total: 198/200

View in the X-Wing Squad Builder

On 5/5/2019 at 11:17 PM, Dalli said:

He ist also I5 thats good. He costs too little and does too little damage thats bad. The Problem is he doesn't have a good action economy.. If the Jerjerod boost were white, it'd be different.

I was actually referring to Grand Inquisitor crew in place for Vader not the pilot. I should have specified that.

18 hours ago, Jo Jo said:

I was actually referring to Grand Inquisitor crew in place for Vader not the pilot. I should have specified that.

I think it can be good but not with Jerjerod. Because of the stress cycle. And I dont know if its better to have one action more or or to give a damage or to delete a token. I finish all two games a ship with vader so I tend rather to him

@Dalli I flew your Hot Rod list tonight against Tallie, Nien, Ello and L'ulo and it was so much fun. Thanks for sharing it - I'll definitely be flying it again soon. Moff was great, both bombs hit hard, and Whisper with stealth device didn't take any damage until after time was called

Been running Decimator in FlyCasual against 5 cartel marauders, which the AI plays pretty well. Over 8 games my RAC/Vermeil list barely pulled out 2 wins, but RAC/Scourge/Mauler is undefeated.

I think Scourge and Mauler are WAY underrated. An I5 with almost-3 primary for 32 points is a crazy steal. I put AB on both to proc their ability and Predator since it works so well with them and end up with 80 points of incredible punch that’s no great loss if you lose one, but at least one makes it to the endgame easily.

They typically hit for 3 damage. It’s awesome. Wish Jerry was on FlyCasual because that would add so much more to this list than 7th sister is currently filling

I would reeealllly love boosting then dropping prox mines on a ship.

But I’m keeping the faith and going to fly it just as you’ve constructed/play tested it!

Decimator has always been a favorite of mine from day 1 in 1e.

Well if nothing else, it seems a super fun list to play, I love it. Thank you for the input and the idea, will do my own playtesting and take it further (maybe already ideal, but at least I satisfy my own need).

What about adding Collision Detector on Whisper? Means he can decloak/boost over the clouds all the time with no disadvantage, without the need to spend a charge, so works the whole game. In addition, you can use the cloud to go and sit on it and spend a charge to gain the defensive bonuses and not incurring it yourself when you shoot at your opponent.

3 hours ago, PsychoCC said:

What about adding Collision Detector on Whisper? Means he can decloak/boost over the clouds all the time with no disadvantage, without the need to spend a charge, so works the whole game. In addition, you can use the cloud to go and sit on it and spend a charge to gain the defensive bonuses and not incurring it yourself when you shoot at your opponent.

I dont like this upgrade. It is this kind of 1.0 stuff that destroys one of the biggest gameplay parts. Obstacles. On top on this it is way too cheap.

Fair enough

On 5/9/2019 at 11:47 AM, ClassicalMoser said:

Been running Decimator in FlyCasual against 5 cartel marauders, which the AI plays pretty well. Over 8 games my RAC/Vermeil list barely pulled out 2 wins, but RAC/Scourge/Mauler is undefeated.

I think Scourge and Mauler are WAY underrated. An I5 with almost-3 primary for 32 points is a crazy steal. I put AB on both to proc their ability and Predator since it works so well with them and end up with 80 points of incredible punch that’s no great loss if you lose one, but at least one makes it to the endgame easily.

They typically hit for 3 damage. It’s awesome. Wish Jerry was on FlyCasual because that would add so much more to this list than 7th sister is currently filling

This guy is living in 3019 boosting tie fighters as aces.

Tried a similar list vs 5 grappling vultures + Wat+Kraken. ... That changed the bump idea a lot...

Will try the other one.

Found Moffy J to not be that useful.

Hi Dalli! i have i finally tryed your list today against a han solo/ norra wexley/ jake ferrel list.

For shure i need more playtesting time before to judge but list seemed to be VERY FUNNY TO PLAY and survivable

wisheper finished without damages.

rac finished with 6 hull remained.

i killed norra and for only 2 damages (and r2d2, because otherwise was 1 damage) i did't take half han...

yes i've lost but rac worked well.

(maybe he just lacks a bit in offence for its point cost but can't judge after only 1 game)

i used every possible time jerjerrod and quite every time it was a pain in the *** to the other player.

it suits very well on rac.

also proton bombs are a good choise paired with him! i finally dropped one in 2.0 !!! (i usually don't use bombs)

all worked as you said.

Dalli,

4-1 in casual play with Hot Rod!

My favorite thing about flying it? Opponents spend 10 minutes reading my cards and still don’t know what I’m doing in systems/activation 😂 😂 😂

The 1 boost drop a bomb normally nets me 3-4 damage alone. lol

I tried this out at the local weekly x-wing night I attend. I love this list! It’s going to be my main extended one for the time-being at least until I can fly it confidently and have played against multiple types of lists. As it happened, both games at that local meet were against variations of handbrake Han-Jake. The first list had wedge instead of Luke gunner and some other upgrades.

In the first game, the opponent seemed to run from RAC, or rather, just keeping wedge and Han together for focusing fire on rac and chasing whisper away from the flanking position she was set up for. Eventually, through obstacles placed exactly where they needed to be, by chance, a moff straight boost into a 2 turn fit through a lane in the obstacles PERFECTLY and allowed rac to get in front of the falcon. The following two turns contained the most brutal assault I’ve ever been able to execute against a falcon. Bombs and Vader on both turns, reinforce the second turn (stress remained after the boost-2 turn maneuver). The falcon bit spacedust one or two turns later after “racking” up too many crits. It was a beautiful thing, even if there was a lot of chance involved.

Oh, and it was an AMAZING feeling at one point to be defending with an evading, re-cloaked whisper, at range three AND obstructed by a gas cloud. I actually forgot to roll a green for stealth device, and still sooo many evades.

The second game didn’t go as well. I began to experiment with moving rac fast, and made some poor decisions about turret rotation early on. I ended up behind Han, so I couldn’t use the bombs. And whenever I needed moff for rac, it didn’t help whisper out.

so I want to keep at this list and get better at it. So much fun!

Seems like this list is much better vs 2-3 ship lists?

(Which I think is fair)

6 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

Seems like this list is much better vs 2-3 ship lists?

(Which I think is fair)

It actually hits a good nitch against 4-5 ships too. Because you’re reinforce is so strong and you can normally start getting mileage out of VTG. Also it normally means both can start ps killing too.

Its good against all. But as I said I think people wiill go on thinking the Decimator is bad. I dont understand it.

I've played against swarms several times. Imperials, separatists, rebels. All were defeated by Hot Rod. If you look at the upgrades and use the tactics I describe. I think it's obvious.

So whats the tactics against 5 vultures Wat with grappling?

16 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

So whats the tactics against 5 vultures Wat with grappling?

Just kite the edge and bip off a droid or two a turn while staying out of range of the rest

On 5/20/2019 at 9:52 AM, Blail Blerg said:

So whats the tactics against 5 vultures Wat with grappling?

maybe block them with jerry and then bomb them?

I've been using RAC with 2 Juke phantoms lately, I'm surprised with the success. The decimator is a fun ship.

I just beat 5 cartel marauders 3 times in a row with RAC/Maarek in FlyCasual.

RAC with Lone Wolf, Vader, Novice Technician, VTG, Proton Bombs, and Title.

Maarek with FCS, Marksmanship, Prockets, and Afterburners.

First was a nail-biter, but the last I ended with over 100 MOV.

Decimator is awesome.

6 hours ago, Blademaster72 said:

I've been using RAC with 2 Juke phantoms lately, I'm surprised with the success. The decimator is a fun ship.

What's on RAC? Vader + Title?