I usually get hit by a flanking demolisher and I'm not big on always bringing b-wings along which usually can't kill it in time anyway. Crucially though, the Demolisher is usually traveling alone.

How about...

Quantum Storm

Q7 tractor beams

Slicer tools

Bring two Scurrgs

Hondo Ohnaka

Close with demolisher

Use the phylon Q7s to keep him slow

Use the slicer tools to remove his nav commands so he can't speed up OR engine techs

Keep him slow using the Q7s

Use the scurrgs to pummel him to death

Thoughts?

Skip the scurrgs. The phylom slicer flotilla is enough to take a 90pt ship out of the game. It works really well and is amusing to just circle at medium range taunting.

Just use a rebel transport as a sort of bumper. Park the transport between the victim and gladiator....just watch you oppo sweat as they realise the 18 point immune to black a pain in the **** is parked just were demo needs to be to hit its target. For utter giggles have an armed transport and shoot the glad....it’s a pointless waste ( literally a waste of points ) but very funny especially if you have a con fire.

Problem with that is that one transport can only cover one ship and i find demolisher is fast enough and maneuverable enough to be pretty precise in its approach so that it can get around it (especially if you were outdeployed) of just pick a different target.

It also doesn't address the fact that since you can't move two ships at once there is a natural window where a transport likely won't be in the appropriate cover position because either it or the ship it's covering had to move. If you outactivate your opponent by two this might be ok provided you save those two ships for last but that starts to really limit your move options. It also puts the transport on a very predicable course and kinda limits the maneuvering options of the ship its covering.

In a bubble, a transport can block a demolisher but there are a lot of things that break that bubble so I'm looking to answer this with something that imposes minimum cost and management and doesn't limit the maneuverability of any important ships.

Plus killing demolisher is always satisfying as without a flanking ship, i find your strategic options suddenly open up while your enemy's options close down. 😁

Hi Garret. What you say is true “from a certain point of view”. See what I did there.

The bumper can work if you think like a demolished/glad driver.

1) The demo is a chunk of points, it’s not an addendum but is a key tool in the list I need it to perform....so it’s got to kill a valuable ship....if all my glad does is kill a a CR90 or other tin can it’s buggered my winning strategy. So yes their are many targets but if you can force the demo into eating a minnow by placement of cheap bumpers you have done well.

2) Time is not my friend. Demo is a first strike monster causing me to change my plan or delaying my demo strike is costing me.

3) when my demo is coming for you I’m not just thinking about my attack run I’m thinking about my exit. Demo is a very expensive glass cannon, losing a high end demo is not in the game plan. If it’s clear you can block my exit path with that silly transport I may not risk engaging unless risk and the points swap is very much in my favour. I’m going to loose if I Only half kill you capital ship but loose demo in the process because the transport stopped it hopping over the capital ship and escaping.

so using those tactics will really help you, demo is a fearsome ship, I’ve used it to kill many a large base in comps, but I’ve also ended with it trapped and shot to bits or had to just nibble around the edges due to clever blocking.

another good blocking ship is a blue dice CR90, it cheap so wastes the demos investment in points if that’s all it can get to but is also is plenty able to hurt a demo if you can double arc....so making me really think about where my demo will be landing ( remember high cost glass cannons can loss you a game).

if that transport is a slicer it will make it even harder for me....demo much have the right dial at the right time or it’s dead dead dead.