Rampage/Vizier(Sloane)/Academy TIE Swarm

(39) "Rampage" [TIE/rb Heavy]
(3) Tractor Beam
(2) Maneuver-Assist MGK-300
(3) Hull Upgrade
(4) Shield Upgrade
(3) Intimidation
Points: 54

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(45) "Vizier" [TIE Reaper]
(9) Admiral Sloane
(3) Hull Upgrade
Points: 57

Total points: 199

So I’m literally in the middle of my first game with this list (saved on TableTop Simulator), and it’s really impressing me. The game plan is pretty simple: Rampage leads the charge, tries to get in some strain/Tractor/Intimidation nonsense to lower the opponent’s defenses, while the TIEs put the hurt on the affected ships. Vizier starts halfway back across the table, and slides in next to the TIEs right around the time the first engagement happens, and provides Sloane/Coordinate support and a big 3-die gun. It’s all working to plan right now, but feedback is good!

I feel, by the way, that Rampage is probably over-upgraded, but Vizier didn’t need anything, I don’t think there’s much that’s worth it for a horde of Academy TIEs, and a bid is nearly pointless in a six ship swarm with initiative topped out at 4. The non-negotiables are the Maneuver-Assist Configuration, Intimidation, Tractor Beam, and Sloane on the Reaper... so not a lot of wiggle room, I guess... but what would you do with the ten or so points I spent on Hull and Shield Upgrades?

I LOVE this idea! I just played a game earlier this week, trying out basically the same rampage build, and the heavy for that matter, for the first time. I flew pure sabacc, vermeil, and fifth brother. Rampage is a master of making a mess for the opponent.

For your list, I imagine upgrading to feroph would make Sloane last longer. This can be achieved simply by removing the shield upgrade from rampage. And you still have points for a hull or shield upgrade on feroph, plus ruthless for those times you need to push damage through.

(47) Captain Feroph [TIE Reaper]
(9) Admiral Sloane
(3) Hull Upgrade
(1) Ruthless
Points: 60

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(39) "Rampage" [TIE/rb Heavy]
(3) Tractor Beam
(2) Maneuver-Assist MGK-300
(3) Hull Upgrade
(3) Intimidation
Points: 50

Total points: 198

5 hours ago, Synel said:

I LOVE this idea! I just played a game earlier this week, trying out basically the same rampage build, and the heavy for that matter, for the first time. I flew pure sabacc, vermeil, and fifth brother. Rampage is a master of making a mess for the opponent.

For your list, I imagine upgrading to feroph would make Sloane last longer. This can be achieved simply by removing the shield upgrade from rampage. And you still have points for a hull or shield upgrade on feroph, plus ruthless for those times you need to push damage through.

(47) Captain Feroph [TIE Reaper]
(9) Admiral Sloane
(3) Hull Upgrade
(1) Ruthless
Points: 60

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(22) Academy Pilot [TIE/ln Fighter]
Points: 22

(39) "Rampage" [TIE/rb Heavy]
(3) Tractor Beam
(2) Maneuver-Assist MGK-300
(3) Hull Upgrade
(3) Intimidation
Points: 50

Total points: 198

Interesting. I’ll have to look into Feroph. I tend to instantly gravitate to Vizier when I Reaper, because I LOVE Coordinate (especially WHITE Coordinate), and particularly when I have a list centerpiece like Rampage, who tends to want all the actions, all the time. Reinforce, Rotate, Focus, Lock, Roll... there’s a bunch of things Rampage always wants to do, and the Coordinate helps immensely.

I have noticed that just having Sloane massively changed my opponent’s target priority; if nothing else, those TIE Fighters live a lot longer when he’s afraid to shoot them. Even without Feroph, though, Vizier was tanky enough to suck up a ton of damage (including an ill-timed Hull Breach that turned into a massive critical chain involving Direct Hit and Fuel Leak on the following turn; 2 crits turned into 5 damage, which has sent Vizier running for the hills, skating away on nothing more than his Hull Upgrade). Anyway, the game is still playing out, but having killed two Republic ships already, I have a half-dead Wolffe and an untouched 7B Ahsoka to take on, with four untouched TIEs and a 10-health Rampage, while Vizier just has to run for a few turns more. But I digress...

Feroph may be a better ship than my initial analysis indicated. I guess when you break it down, it’s really that his Jam (if it strips the opponent’s last green token) can basically act as a superior Evade token. And sometimes the opponent just won’t have anything you need to Jam away, and his text will just work. And I guess the Coordinate is still there if I need it, I just have to be OK with it being red.

Oh, if you want the white coordinate and that’s your... jam, haha, go for it! I just know that the {meta} choice, dare I say it, is feroph because of the higher certainty he will get at least one evade result. It also works inside a single attack: if your opponent spends focus to mod attack dice, they are now without a green token when you get to mod defense dice!

I love toolbox Rampage -- so many ways of reducing green dice for your opponent. One other offensive minded option to maybe help Sloane live longer instead of the hull upgrades is to upgrade one of the ties to Wampa. If ignored he's now a three dice attack with a focus and probably a reroll. If they shoot him instead of the Reaper then Sloane triggers and more bad things happen for them.

Love that Wampa idea. And yeah, I’ll be giving Feroph a look.

Rampage proved to be every bit the beast I’d hoped he’d be. Intimidation, Tractoring, and his Strain ability were ALL factors at various times, and he changed the way my opponent flew his list massively. He’s a really, really solid mid-initiative piece, survivable and dangerous. The Maneuver-Assist Configuration was absolutely the way to go with him; I know a lot of people are hot on the Aimbot Config, but just, no. Not on Rampage. He wants to pull more complicated maneuvers than other Brutes, and needs to have better blue maneuver options. The white Barrel Roll is also just golden, especially when it’s getting coordinated to him, pre-move (one of the reasons I’m so in love with Vizier). The fact that it also links to red calculate is occasionally nice too. All of this, and it’s actually cheaper than Expert Handling, which would only give you the white Barrel Roll. Pretty great!

Talking myself through it, yeah, I’m having a real hard time going Feroph over Vizier. Maybe Feroph + Tactical Officer over Vizier, but where to get the points? I really think the white Coordinate is just so valuable on Rampage.

Then of course, I hadn’t really considered Lieutenant Sai in a Lambda Shuttle. Seems like Coordinating a Reinforce at Rampage, then getting a bonus Reinforce himself would be amazing...

On 11/21/2020 at 3:00 AM, Cpt ObVus said:

Then of course, I hadn’t really considered Lieutenant Sai in a Lambda Shuttle. Seems like Coordinating a Reinforce at Rampage, then getting a bonus Reinforce himself would be amazing...

🤯

Lieutenant Sai (47)
Admiral Sloane (9)

Ship total: 56 Half Points: 28 Threshold: 5

Soontir Fel (54)
Daredevil (2)
Targeting Computer (3)

Ship total: 59 Half Points: 30 Threshold: 2

"Rampage" (39)
Intimidation (3)
Tractor Beam (3)
Maneuver-Assist MGK-300 (2)

Ship total: 47 Half Points: 24 Threshold: 4

Saber Squadron Ace (36)
Predator (2)

Ship total: 38 Half Points: 19 Threshold: 2


Total: 200

View in Yet Another Squad Builder 2.0: https://raithos.github.io/?f=Galactic Empire&d=v8ZsZ200Z166XWW14WWWY179X117W249WY419X122W13WWWW329Y181X127WW&sn=Unnamed Squadron&obs=