I have not lost yet with this (i think 5 games under my belt with it). loose at least 1 alpha a game, but at most I have lost 2 only. You have the best blockers on the board and a surprising amount of damage output. If you can block correctly you should be the only one with tokens.

TIE/in Interceptor - •Soontir Fel - 62
•Soontir Fel - Ace of Legend (52)
Predator (2)
Shield Upgrade (8)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

Total: 198/200

View in the X-Wing Squad Builder

The trick, not that its a trick is that you have to be constantly blocking and have Soontir flank in.

Yeah Shuttle with Sloane and 4 of them has done well for me.

I've run a few games using five Alphas and Wampa. I usually set up in a 3x2, but immediately dispersed them on the first turn.

I tried to fly them all over the place, but then would have them converge at the same time on the selected first target.

Some games went really well, while others went... poorly.

It all depended on the infamous green dice.

But that said, it was one of the more fun lists I've flown.

Hope for them to drop to 33 points so you can take 6.

2 hours ago, Icelom said:

I have not lost yet with this (i think 5 games under my belt with it). loose at least 1 alpha a game, but at most I have lost 2 only. You have the best blockers on the board and a surprising amount of damage output. If you can block correctly you should be the only one with tokens.

TIE/in Interceptor - •Soontir Fel - 62
•Soontir Fel - Ace of Legend (52)
Predator (2)
Shield Upgrade (8)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

Total: 198/200

View in the X-Wing Squad Builder

The trick, not that its a trick is that you have to be constantly blocking and have Soontir flank in.

This has been on my list of things to try ever since they became Hyperspace legal, but I keep flying Strikers. I need to try this now.

1 hour ago, InterceptorMad said:

Yeah Shuttle with Sloane and 4 of them has done well for me.

Sloane is strong, but I've found that Strikers are really good at getting around the main force to kill Sloane first. I've successfully neutralized the shuttle first in the last 3 games I've played against Sloane shuttles

So if I' reading this thread correctly, I1 Interceptors are fully viable and fun to fly, even though you can't expect to perform well in a consistent manner, thus a poor competitive choice?

As a player in love with interceptors and zero interest in the tournament scene, this is all good and sweet.

2 hours ago, Parakitor said:

Sloane is strong, but I've found that Strikers are really good at getting around the main force to kill Sloane first. I've successfully neutralized the shuttle first in the last 3 games I've played against Sloane shuttles

I'm the only one at my local club who owns more than one or two strikers lol so I don't have to worry about that.

17 minutes ago, InterceptorMad said:

I'm the only one at my local club who owns more than one or two strikers lol so I don't have to worry about that.

That's good. Just something to be aware of. I wouldn't be surprised if Alphas could do it, too, but I have yet to test it.

5 hours ago, LUZ_TAK said:

So if I' reading this thread correctly, I1 Interceptors are fully viable and fun to fly, even though you can't expect to perform well in a consistent manner, thus a poor competitive choice?

As a player in love with interceptors and zero interest in the tournament scene, this is all good and sweet.

Yep, they're a ton of fun to fly - which is why I've flown them in 4 different tournaments. Having fun is more important than winning.

What's more fun than 5 interceptors? I now have 13, but 8 is the most I've flown in a single game.

5 hours ago, Parakitor said:

That's good. Just something to be aware of. I wouldn't be surprised if Alphas could do it, too, but I have yet to test it.

Maybe, maybe not. Alpha Squadron Interceptors are incredibly fast in a straight line, but they're not quite as good at big swoopy turns as a TIE/sk as they can't chain 3-bank/1-bank together several turns in a row.

3 minutes ago, Gilarius said:

What's more fun than 5 interceptors?

I find strikers with afterburners hilarious. Because adaptive ailerons =/= boost, you can use both in one activation - 1 bank/straight, 3 bank/straight, 1 bank/straight. In a dead straight run, that can keep up with an interceptor but if you chain banks together you can pull off some truly stupid stuff - bank, 3 straight, bank gives you the equivalent of a speed 8 hard turn.

10 hours ago, Icelom said:

TIE/in Interceptor - •Soontir Fel - 62
•Soontir Fel - Ace of Legend (52)
Predator (2)
Shield Upgrade (8)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34
Alpha Squadron Pilot - (34)

Total: 198/200

Looks interesting. One question - given that Soontir is (a) the archetypical arc-dodger so should (in theory) only be taking fire from 1-2 ships at once if that and (b) has a pretty good shot at having focus/evade every turn whilst in shooting range, would a stealth device maybe be a better choice than a shield?

6 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Looks interesting. One question - given that Soontir is (a) the archetypical arc-dodger so should (in theory) only be taking fire from 1-2 ships at once if that and (b) has a pretty good shot at having focus/evade every turn whilst in shooting range, would a stealth device maybe be a better choice than a shield?

Green dice can crap out at any time, including the first shot. Shields will always work for that first hit. I find I tend to like the reliability of Shields for most things. Green dice are just too fickle.

9 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Maybe, maybe not. Alpha Squadron Interceptors are incredibly fast in a straight line, but they're not quite as good at big swoopy turns as a TIE/sk as they can't chain 3-bank/1-bank together several turns in a row.

I find strikers with afterburners hilarious. Because adaptive ailerons =/= boost, you can use both in one activation - 1 bank/straight, 3 bank/straight, 1 bank/straight. In a dead straight run, that can keep up with an interceptor but if you chain banks together you can pull off some truly stupid stuff - bank, 3 straight, bank gives you the equivalent of a speed 8 hard turn.

Looks interesting. One question - given that Soontir is (a) the archetypical arc-dodger so should (in theory) only be taking fire from 1-2 ships at once if that and (b) has a pretty good shot at having focus/evade every turn whilst in shooting range, would a stealth device maybe be a better choice than a shield?

I am sure there are arguments both ways. The reason I prefer the shield is that it is more valuable in the situation where you totally borked your soontir move (were blocked and are out of bullseye), it also can block a critical crit from coming through and totally wrecking your day. Ideally, soontir is not being shot at or rarely, a stealth device only has value if you are being shot at lots and have tons of mods. Really it's just there as a **** I screwed that maneuver up, well I am not as likely to just die because of that upgrade. Furthermore, if you face a proton bomb the shield upgrade could save you the game while the stealth device is just gone. (same goes for moving over a rock)

Can I ask a question?

Is this related to tournament flying where you have to adhere to a strict time limit or not? because if not, then pretty much follow anything @heychadwick has said. Low I interceptors are a bunch of fun to play if you have the time to piddle about maneuvering at the periphery of the enemy, then closing in like a hungry shark. Personally, I would say great in friendly games, maybe not what you are looking for in a competitive setting.

Very much the same as my 2 Tie bomber, 2 Tie fighter, ! Tie advanced list.

14 hours ago, Icelom said:

Ideally, soontir is not being shot at or rarely, a stealth  device only has value if you are being shot at lots and have tons of mods.

Stealth is best if you're being shot at a maximum of once per turn , and have tons of mods.

I don't disagree about the getting blocked bit (and it's a fair point), or the comment about being caught by a bomb, but if you take the very occasional odd pot-shot, then that's precisely when stealth > shield, because if you only roll defence once per turn, that die is almost guaranteed to be an evade - which would block the damage, hit or crit, and the charge token will still be there for the next time someone manages to get a pot-shot at you, where a shield token wouldn't be.

I'm not insisting one is better than the other. I was just curious, because Soontir feels like one of the few pilots where a stealth device seems viable.

10 hours ago, princeyg said:

Is this related to tournament flying where you have to adhere to a strict time limit or not? because if not, then pretty much follow anything @heychadwick has said. Low I interceptors are a bunch of fun to play if you have the time to piddle about maneuvering at the periphery of the enemy, then closing in like a hungry shark.

I would say that in some ways, heavy swarms are fine with short time-spans. You can do whatever you like in the move-to-contact but you need to deliver your big punch in the opening rounds when you're still lobbing 15-20 attack dice to your opponent's 9-16 (for a 3-ship or 4-ship squad). Without a time limit you can afford to be cagey but you're right that with a strict time limit you do have to play aggressively. A heavy swarm is still a swarm - individual components are not that hard to kill (especially interceptors, who are in practice no tougher than a TIE fighter), so you tend to bleed victory points even when you're winning, and a game that goes to time is likely to be a messy, close-cut victory even if you win.

I flew 5 intercepters at the tail end of 1.0, and have been flying 4 elusive hull Sabers in 2.0.

Key point is your flankers. from just outside the asteroid box (a 4 straight from the edge), an intercepter can do a (3-5) straight and bank boost, followed by a 5 straight, focus PTL bankboost, and have a flanking attack on turn 2 on the opposite side of the board. The opposite side (also a 4 straight from the board edge), can 1 hard toward the board edge, barrel roll backward toward the enemy, then 3 hard and focus to be right against the board edge. Remainder of ships fill the middle.

1

23 hours ago, princeyg said:

Can I ask a question? Is this related to tournament flying where you have to adhere to a strict time limit or not? because if not, then pretty much follow anything @heychadwick has said. Low I interceptors are a bunch of fun to play if you have the time to piddle about maneuvering at the periphery of the enemy, then closing in like a hungry shark. Personally, I would say great in friendly games, maybe not what you are looking for in a competitive setting.

If you are flying low I interceptors around the periphery of the enemy you are doing it wrong....

They can block like no one's business they should be rammed down the enemies throat your defence is stopping the other guy from having mods and being at range 0 of ships forcing him/her to split fire up.

This is my fav interceptor list

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34

VT-49 Decimator - •Rear Admiral Chiraneau - 96
•Rear Admiral Chiraneau - Advisor to Admiral Piett (80)
Swarm Tactics (3)
•Minister Tua (7)
Hull Upgrade (2)
• Dauntless (4)

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34

TIE/in Interceptor - Alpha Squadron Pilot - 34

Total: 198/200

I block with interceptors and hang a little back with RAC, interceptors have a great dial and the 2nd ed version of PtL. Certainly won more casual games than I lost.

On 6/5/2019 at 12:06 PM, Kaptin Krunch said:

Right now, you don't- Not if you expect to win. 3 agi 3 health generic i1 pilots are too fragile for them to cost their current 34 points.

As to the init 1 Striker (sentinel) comparisons, yeah, i1 Strikers are probably worth around a point more than an Interceptor.

But I1 Strikers are ******* awful and should cost 29-30 points if they were to be viable on their own. The only remotely good Strikers are the named ones, since their initiative scaling is ******* linear and their ability text is free. See meme-diagram below.

The crux of the problem is that named, high initiative ships that are more maneuverable and react with more perfect information are in fact better jousters than all generic lists due to their pilot abilities, and their high initiative allows them to escape consequences from engaging low-initiative lists head on via alpha strikes.

Because FFG doesn't price ability text and initiative properly, the only conpetitively viable Interceptor is Soontir Fel.

It's a sad day to want to fly generic interceptors.

The poor performance of the alpha squadron in first edition wave 2 is what actually prompted MathWing 1.0 back in 2014. After this analysis it was very clear that it was overcosted. MathWing 2.0 reinforced this.

Then second edition costs came out, and they very obviously made the same costing mistake with the alpha in 2E that they did in 1E.

I find this super disheartening, because FFG either:

1) intentionally overcosted it so we won't play it

2) Still doesn't understand the fundamentals of x-wing moneyball, 5 years after someone gave them step by step instructions on how to do their own evaluation.

12 hours ago, MajorJuggler said:

The poor performance of the alpha squadron in first edition wave 2 is what actually prompted MathWing 1.0 back in 2014. After this analysis it was very clear that it was overcosted. MathWing 2.0 reinforced this.

Then second edition costs came out, and they very obviously made the same costing mistake with the alpha in 2E that they did in 1E.

I find this super disheartening, because FFG either:

1) intentionally overcosted it so we won't play it

2) Still doesn't understand the fundamentals of x-wing moneyball, 5 years after someone gave them step by step instructions on how to do their own evaluation.

I want to believe they have some idea of how to accurately price pilots, but this does paint a bleak picture. Question for you:

Doyou think FFG got TIE fighter price scaling right (for the most part)?

Sure there are some middle of the road ships that don't see much play, but for the most part I'm happy with the spread, and was curious about your thoughts. If that did find there, I can hold out hope for improved scaling with future points adjustments on the TIE/ln and TIE/sk.

9 hours ago, Parakitor said:

I want to believe they have some idea of how to accurately price pilots, but this does paint a bleak picture. Question for you:

Doyou think FFG got TIE fighter price scaling right (for the most part)?

Sure there are some middle of the road ships that don't see much play, but for the most part I'm happy with the spread, and was curious about your thoughts. If that did find there, I can hold out hope for improved scaling with future points adjustments on the TIE/ln and TIE/sk.

I think there's 2 parts to this: 1) Are they priced well compared to each other, 2) Are they priced well compared top tier stuff in the meta

For the most part they are priced OK between themselves, but some of the named pilots are clearly a bit better, and this shows up in the numbers and their tournament usage. The obsidian and blacks cost a hair too much but even with a 200 point limit theres not much wiggle room.

Compared to everything else in the meta, it really depends what the baseline should be. If you use the IN2 X-wing as a baseline then they are a bit too good, but for tournament play the meta is set by far better ships/pilots. Personally I would nerf the current top tier stuff rather than buffing tie fighters.

As training wheels for being outbid as Soontir. Seriously, there will be games where Soontir is the 3rd ship to move on the board, because you have been outbid. The game then has an intricate balance of cycling blockers and those who take shots while preserving the platform. When I used to fly Rexlar and Whisper with Soontir in a relatively unformed meta in the early days of this new edition of the game, Soontir was basically a free jam and reposition denial for the opposing I6's to make Rex and Whisper's jobs easier. Of course, he's also trying to dodge the sub I6's out there, so he can't do that all the time.

Intrinsically, I don't know how to use an I1 interceptor. The extra hull point of a striker and the stressless reposition make it straight up a better grunt than an interceptor. If Empire ever get a ship/crew to the effect of Serrisu/Dedicated/Naboo Handmaiden, then we'll know, cause that 1 extra agi is the only reason ever for it to be taken over a striker. That is unless the double mod slots offer an unlikely combo.

You are talking about a low Initiative(/Pilot Skill) arc dodger which in terms of X-wing competitive play is an oxymoron. Now I would argue that Alpha squadron has more of a position on cinematic type scenarios or even as NPCs in a co-op campaign much like HotAC.

3 hours ago, player3010587 said:

Empire  ever get a ship/crew to the effect of Serrisu/  Dedicated  /Naboo   Handmaiden, then we'll know, cause that 1 extra agi is the only   reason ever for it to be taken over a striker

Del Meeko...

8 hours ago, Hiemfire said:

Del Meeko...

The caveat is sooo hard to land for me though.

Still helps a lot in the endgame if he lasts that long.

11 hours ago, Hiemfire said:

Del Meeko...

Spreading fire to buff your defense is a bad idea as you certainly need guns off the table. And they will probably get their shots before you can inflict that damage. And one thing at a time will typically be damaged. That's so weak and situational it might not count. Unless, of course, you're using a Swarm Leader Howlrunner, in which case you're on your way to making an Inferno squad instead of a squint squad. Maybe just take Inferno Squad and swap Iden for an Alpha and pray to Duncan the whole time?