For most if my time playing armada I played with Imp msu lists, glads and raiders...

I’ve not been able to really keep them competitive for a while, I’m I missing something is there a way to keep the old imp msu alive or is it done ?

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I’ve tried Arq spam once or twice, and think it has potential.

Short range MSU is pretty dead right now and needs some love. Raiders are just too fragile in the face of SSDs, squadrons and Cymoons, and don’t offer overwhelming activation advantage anymore thanks to Pryce and SAd.

3 minutes ago, Ginkapo said:

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The problem (a problem) then becomes spending your tokens in the first place, because QTCs have something to say about that.

I saw a battle rep vid with 5 Arq vs 2 ISDs I think.

The Arqs took them apart if memory serves.

I have a really fun Thrawn MSU list somewhere. I could re-post it here if you'd like. It eats two-ship (but do it quickly or you're going to have a bad time lol)

I have had success with variations of this list

Gladiator I (56)
• Admiral Ozzel (20)
• Captain Brunson (5)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• External Racks (3)
• Demolisher (10)
= 98 Points

Arquitens Light Cruiser (54)
• Expert Shield Tech (5)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
= 66 Points

Arquitens Light Cruiser (54)
• Expert Shield Tech (5)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
= 66 Points

Raider I (44)
• Iden Versio (6)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Quad Laser Turrets (5)
• External Racks (3)
• Instigator (4)
= 66 Points

Raider I (44)
• Agent Kallus (3)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• External Racks (3)
• Corvus (2)
= 56 Points

Gozanti Cruisers (23)
• Darth Vader (1)
• Slicer Tools (7)
= 31 Points

MSU is already fighting an uphill battle; with squad heavy, large/huge ships blowing through smalls with one shot, and the activation officers (Pryce and Strat Ad specifically) causing problems for you, it's not an easy matchup most of the time. Then you double down on it with Imperials, and you're asking for even more of a difficult road to go.

MSU in general IS doable, but it takes a heck of a lot of skill (skill usually found in losing a BUNCH of games, speaking from experience) to get there. The benefit of Rebel MSU is that I can lean on Rieekan or supplement it with some Rogues which will do work even in an all ship opponent. Imperial MSU has/had a lot of issues getting multiple cheap ships that can hit and disengage or don't immediately evaporate to one big ISD shot (waves at Raiders in medium range). Expert Shield Techs and LTTs will help Arqs now that they're out, and DCap HIE Raider IIs are nice. The issue is that unless youre running Screed, they're 65 points per ship for that. Hits like a truck though.

I know people who HAVE given up on Imp MSU, but Imp LMSU is alive. And with enough refusal to believe it's dead, you can certainly try hard to make it work.

Thrawn in Demo with tua/ecm, arq x3 with intel and trc, 2x slicer goz.

It's got all the weaknesses of msu, but enough chutzpah that I've been winning and having great fun with it.

3 hours ago, BrobaFett said:

Thrawn in Demo with tua/ecm, arq x3 with intel and trc, 2x slicer goz.

It's got all the weaknesses of msu, but enough chutzpah that I've been winning and having great fun with it.

I have had similar success with

394/400, Most Wanted, Planetary Ion Cannon, Solar Corona
Arquitens CL, Needa TRC, Jerjerrod 86
Arquitens CL, TRC 61
Arquitens CL, TRC 61
GSD-I, Demolisher, ACM, OE, Brunson 82
Gozanti, Comms Net, Reserve Hangar Bay 28
Gozanti, Reserve Hangar Bay 26
Cienna Ree, 3 TIE-Interceptors 50

I fly them like a B17 Combat box. The three TRC Arquitens make approaching the formation unpleasant and Jerjerrod allows me to double yaw away then double yaw back again at the end of the move keeping the range open and protecting the commander. Demolisher lies in wait with a nav token ready to pounce on anything that gets too close and hopefully last first a weakened target to death. I have enough fighters to last a turn or two and reserve hangars to recycle some interceptors. I thought about replacing Comms Net with Suppressor to exhaust braces as the enemy approach.

29 minutes ago, Mad Cat said:

Arquitens CL, Needa TRC, Jerjerrod 86
Arquitens CL, Needa TRC 61
Arquitens CL, Needa TRC 61

Do you have a cloning machine or how do you have 3 Needas?

3 minutes ago, LordCola said:

Do you have a cloning machine or how do you have 3 Needas?

Err, they are tripplets..... 🙄 Vader killed one in ESB, One in the ESB special edition and the remainder roams the galaxy on the Arquitens Light cruiser.

=Edited post=

I'll throw out there that in my opinion the absolute key to the success of msu at this juncture of the game is intel officer. There is so much damage mitigation against mid/small ship dice pools that without it getting damage to stick is really tough.

Whether you are using raiders or hammerheads or arquitens- even crit based smalls in a world where you are bound to run into a dco ssd- intel officer is the great equalizer.

Ling's prefered MSU...

Arquitens Light Cruiser (54)
• Grand Moff Tarkin (38)
• Wulff Yularen (7)
• Reinforced Blast Doors (5)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
• Hand of Justice (4)
= 113 Points

Arquitens Light Cruiser (54)
• Taskmaster Grint (5)
• Reinforced Blast Doors (5)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
= 69 Points

Arquitens Light Cruiser (54)
• Commandant Aresko (7)
• Reinforced Blast Doors (5)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
= 71 Points

Gladiator I (56)
• Commander Vanto (7)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Engine Techs (8)
• Assault Concussion Missiles (7)
• Insidious (3)
= 85 Points

Raider I (44)
• Iden Versio (6)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Rapid Reload (8)
= 62 Points

Squadrons:
= 0 Points

Total Points: 400

Big Daddy Tarkin. If we divide his cost (38) across the number of ships (in this case 5) his cost per ship is: 7.6. This makes him most cost effective the more ships you have. Include you are throwing out 4-5 dice per shot for almost all of your ships? It gets silly.

Tartan-class patrol cruisers, anybody? Also while they're at it, give us a Kyle Katarn/Jerec commanders, I need my Legends canon fix!