Hey!

Returning 1st ed player here. Got my first 2nd ed game next week and I've no idea what anything does anymore or what it all means. I should get my starter set in next couple of days so I'll be up to date with the rules

I used to fly Imperial Aces and S&V (all sorts) but I'll stick to Imperial Aces for now untill I get my head around 2nd ed.

Can anyone provide some example Imperial Aces lists so I can get the hang of list building again?

Thanks in advance!!

Darth Vader (67)
Afterburners (6)

Soontir Fel (53)
Predator (2)
Shield Upgrade (8)

“Duchess” (42)
Juke (7)
Fifth Brother (9)
Total: 194

Afterburners are glued onto Vader. Its basically his 1.0 engine upgrade, but he only gets em twice in a game. Force is really strong in the game, so Vader is REALLY good. Duchess with 5th bro giving her 1 force, can now take an evade every round for double mods, and makes her a bit more beefy with that evade also. At range 3 with average dice she can evade 3 hits with evade, force, and 1 natty evade. Soontir is really good in the game, as his ability gives him a focus even when blocked. He cant token stack anymore, so just dodge all day with him until he gets the shot he wants.

These three ships people play around with the upgrades. Dutchess can be cheaper with just predator, and then add on proximity mines. I dont fly vader with fcs, but many people staple it onto him.

For extended, you can go whisper instead of Dutchess:

Darth Vader (67)
Fire-Control System (2)
Afterburners (6)

Soontir Fel (53)
Predator (2)

“Whisper” (57)
Juke (7)
Total: 194

A popular list, not three aces, but still has vader and soonts with two bombers tagging along:

Darth Vader (67)
Afterburners (6)

Soontir Fel (53)

Scimitar Squadron Pilot (29)
Barrage Rockets (8)

Scimitar Squadron Pilot (29)
Barrage Rockets (8)
Total: 200

A really popular list back when 2.0 first came out and was dominating was Soontir, whisper, redline. Points increases and slot changes made it not so dominate anymore, but it is still quite powerful:

Soontir Fel (53)
Predator (2)

“Whisper” (57)
Juke (7)

“Redline” (52)
Advanced Sensors (10)
Proton Torpedoes (13)
Total: 194

Thanks for the detailed look wurms, much appreciated. Looking forward to getting my head around it all and coming up with my spin on them!

The Imperial 'aces' - the true aces - are pretty much the following pilots in whatever combination you find pleasing and/or affordable:

• Darth Vader
  • Old Tall, Dark and Asthmatic remains the quintessential imperial ace.
  • Now with the force he's flat-out devastating.
  • He's surprisingly effective with no upgrades, but Fire Control System is a good, cheap investment, and afterburners gives you the boost action you'll probably regret not having if you don't.
  • He doesn't need force powers, but Hate is cheap and very cost-effective. Supernatural Reflexes, by comparison, is a 'deluxe option' - really useful; it's a superior version of advanced sensors - but it is eye-wateringly expensive and takes him from 1/3 to 1/2 of your squad.
  • With his bonus actions and lack of evade, he might be a good option for angled deflectors, the one modification I'd consider instead of afterburners.
  • Proton Rockets does give him an impressive one-use sting (since it'll generally be focus/locked) but again at 7 points will be expensive.
• Soontir Fel
  • An awesome initiative 6 pilot with a great ability in a fighter held together from balsa wood and baling twine.
  • Predator. Job done. Maybe, maybe afterburners if you have 6 points spare, but anything else is largely over-investing.
• "Duchess"
  • The cheapest ace - she actually costs less than the lower initiative striker pilots.
  • Very manoeuvrable - her pilot ability turns Adaptive Ailerons from a nice signature ability into something totally other. Also note that it's not a boost, despite its similarities, so buying her Afterburners as well gives you some ridiculous ability to shimmy and shake.
  • With her gunner slot, Fifth Brother is a shoe-in unless you've already earmarked him to ride with "Whisper".
  • I'd actually recommend Elusive for a talent; strikers have an amazing red dial, and with "Duchess" ability and Fifth Brother to give you stress-independent capability you can afford to use it a lot. Elusive capitalizes on it by giving you a passively regenerating defensive reroll.
  • If you have 3 spare points, consider seismic charges. I'm not convinced spending huge amounts of points on bombs is a great idea for a fragile striker but being able to pop an obstacle might be tactically desirable even if it doesn't hit an enemy ship, and a well-timed seismic charge can batter a swarm.
• "Whisper"
  • Probably the most mobile ace except Vynder, but since decloak is a system phase activity, it's planned rather than reactive.
  • Competes with "Duchess" for the use of fifth brother.
  • Juke is a given as you've got free evades out the wazoo.
  • Passive Sensors gives you access to the Target Lock you currently don't have, whilst Collision detector makes you even more unpredictable by letting you decloak across obstacles.
• Grand Inquisitor
  • A huge amount of action efficiency and a great knife fighter.
  • Supernatural reflexes is still painfully expensive but less so than on Vader, and it's actually better on the TIE/v1 chassis - roll or boost, link a focus, perform a blue speed 1 turn and clear the stress, evade or lock as you see fit.
  • Fire Control System is a good buy too, and then maybe cluster missiles (which lets you engage at range 2 without burning force charge) or proton rockets (for a 5-dice 'bullseye surprise' )if you want.
• Rexler Brath
  • Onyx Leader is the Toughest and Beefiest ace - and the most expensive.
  • Agility 3, Focus/Evade, and 4 shields means that a pair of advanced proton torpedoes will on average not even crack the shields!
  • Not actually that manoeuvrable - the TIE defender has boost and barrel roll but no linked actions and you generally want to move at speed 3+ to get Full Throttle, so it's surprisingly predictable.
  • I would advise Juke, Collision Detector, Heavy Laser Cannon as the three upgrades I'd most covet.
• Major Vynder
  • Given the gunboat's relatively poor dial and agility, Vynder seems like an odd choice.
  • Strap on OS-1 Arsenal Loadout and Advanced SLAM, and you can move shockingly fast and keep firing torpedoes whilst using SLAM, giving you the biggest punch of any of the aces.

Magnus Grendel, that was a very interesting read and has giving me a lot to think about. I haven't got the gunboat or striker but I think I'll pick them up as I like the sound Vynder slamming around firing torpedos. I'll try and do Vader, Fell and Whisper as long as I don't cheap out too much on upgrades.

The shuttle is very strong in 2.0 that’s the only variant I didn’t see. Also the Decimator is sitting pretty too after a recent points drop.

Hyper Legal:

Hyper RAC

(76) Rear Admiral Chiraneau [VT-49 Decimator]
(14) Darth Vader
(3) Intimidation
(4) Dauntless
(2) Tactical Scrambler
Points: 99

(42) "Duchess" [TIE/sk Striker]
(2) Predator
Points: 44

(53) Soontir Fel [TIE Interceptor]
(2) Predator
Points: 55

Total points: 198

Extended:

Brath Wrath

(81) Rexler Brath [TIE/D Defender]
(4) Heavy Laser Cannon
(2) Fire-Control System
(7) Juke
Points: 94

(53) Soontir Fel [TIE Interceptor]
(2) Predator
Points: 55

(47) Lieutenant Sai [Lambda-class T-4a Shuttle]
(4) ST-321
Points: 51

Total points: 200

Ok love the Deci with 2 fast ships. Going to have to get a Striker now!

On 8/2/2019 at 1:11 PM, ogretyrant said:

Ok love the Deci with 2 fast ships. Going to have to get a Striker now!

I'd definitely recommend it. The other thing to bear in mind is that of the list above, only the trinity of Vader, Fel & Duchess are 'hyperspace legal' - they make a rather nice set, too.

• Darth Vader
  • Fire Control System
  • Afterburners
  • Hate
  • Proton Rockets
• Soontir Fel
  • Predator
• Duchess
  • Fifth Brother
  • Elusive
  • Afterburners

Is 200 on the dot - either take as is or slice off upgrades until you're happy with the initiative bid.

I've got the Striker coming today so I'll be able to use it for my game this week. Stealth Device on Fel way overcosted?

1 hour ago, ogretyrant said:

Stealth Device on Fel way overcosted?

It's expensive. I'm not sure I'd say way overcosted.

I always maintain stealth device is only worth it for someone who can reliably get focus/evade (and preferably a reroll to boot), because in order to get your money's worth out of stealth device you need to roll that extra green die multiple times, and doing that requires you to completely dodge an attack.

It's less worthwhile than it was in the days of autothrusters and palpatine - it's a higher proportion of Fel's cost and it's less reliable. In it's defence I'd say he's one of the best people you could put it on; the ideal person to fit it to would be someone agility 3 with the ability to reliably get focus and evade simultaneously, but the only real candidates (TIE/v1 and TIE/d) both pointedly lack the modification slot, probably for that reason.....

Short version: I would consider it, but it'd be the first thing I'd bin if I needed points for something else. You'll never make Fel 'tough' in second edition; he survives by finding blind spots and not getting shot at all. Given a choice I'd probably pick afterburners instead for that reason.

Thanks, you've giving me a lot to think on. I just found the Fly Casual app which has helped me learn the new maneuvers all over again and Fel does fly completey different from before