I tried using the Shuttle last weekend and it was a real bear to maneuver. If your opponent gets behind it, then it will not be able to shoot.

I am wondering how do you effectively use the shuttle as a support platform without it costung too much? I know Col Jendon is good for passing target locks, but what about the others pilots? And what works well with Jendon?

Use it as a stand-off heavy weapons platform? Use the slow speed to your advantage - hit things from range 3 with secondary weapons, tool it in slow behind your main force, and if the enemy tries to K-turn behind your other ships and joust, they've still got the Lambda creeping up behind them hitting them unanswered.

lambda lambda lambda. Jenden, Yor, and OGP sprinkled with upgrades. Two HLC's, an Ion cannon, and associated things make for it to be a super hard troll/turtle list to play against.

OGP

Ion cannon

Yor

Fire Control System

Heavy Laser Cannon

Jenden

Advanced Sensors

Heavy Laser Cannon

Weapons Engineer

ST-321

Troll away!

That is a good question. I haven't flown the shuttle yet, but every time I try to build a squad to use one of the named pilots for their ability I find a lot of hurdles to jump before I get there. Then I'm building a squad to match the support, rather than including support in my squad, if that makes sense.

Here's an interesting idea that focuses on the upgrade cards instead of pilot abilities.

[26] Omicron Group Pilot (21) + Darth Vader (3) + Saboteur (2)

[72] 6x Academy Pilots

98 Points total

You've got swarm potential, but the best part is that as they are dishing out damage the shuttle pilot can go around flipping damage cards on the enemy. I included Vader to encourage the opponent to shoot at the shuttle pilot instead of the TIEs in the opening approach. Actually, maybe the shuttle should use it's full stop early on to discourage opponents from doing the classic Koiogran behind the half-squad of TIEs. Then he can preferentially target ships that have lost their shields so Vader's critical hit will land on the opposing ship's hull.

If you really wanted to use Saboteur I could see the advantage of Advanced Sensors instead of Vader, and fly on the periphery instead of in the thick of the dogfight. Just kind of a shame to waste the 3 attack dice.

It's 98 points to secure initiative, but maybe Anti-Pursuit Lasers on the shuttle would be better than the initiative bid. I'd have to fly it a few times to decide.

I ran the swarm of Ties w/ Jendon earlier this week. It was actually fairly effective early on - I had 6 target locks on the table in no time between the weapons engineer and ST321. However, were I do it again, I'd run interceptors instead of tie fighters, just for the extra die on the target locks you're passing around. Probably something like this:

Jendon, ST321, Weapons Engineer, Saboteur

3x Alpha Squaron

Academy pilot

I ran the swarm of Ties w/ Jendon earlier this week. It was actually fairly effective early on - I had 6 target locks on the table in no time between the weapons engineer and ST321. However, were I do it again, I'd run interceptors instead of tie fighters, just for the extra die on the target locks you're passing around. Probably something like this:

Jendon, ST321, Weapons Engineer, Saboteur

3x Alpha Squaron

Academy pilot

Interesting. What squad were you up against?

I was thinking the same thing about interceptors over TIE fighters. Do you think that Academy Pilot in your second list is solid? I'm considering dropping him to get 3 Saber Squadron Pilots with Veteran Instincts. I just think the low PS can be a killer. But PS 6 isn't particularly high either. Maybe Determination instead?

I ran the swarm of Ties w/ Jendon earlier this week. It was actually fairly effective early on - I had 6 target locks on the table in no time between the weapons engineer and ST321. However, were I do it again, I'd run interceptors instead of tie fighters, just for the extra die on the target locks you're passing around. Probably something like this:

Jendon, ST321, Weapons Engineer, Saboteur

3x Alpha Squaron

Academy pilot

Just to make sure you didn't miss it, Jendon can only pass off one lock per turn, even if he can acquire more. So you should have been 5 turns in before you hit that count, with everyone (or even just someone) of your TIEs still close enough to get the lock? That seems somewhat unlikely, which is what made me think you might have been missing something...

[26] Omicron Group Pilot (21) + Darth Vader (3) + Saboteur (2)

[72] 6x Academy Pilots

98 Points total

I might go for 5 better TIEs, rather than 6 Academy Pilots, for a few reasons... Mainly, Vader will be far more effective if the shuttle is firing at the bottom of the order, after your other TIEs have fired and stripped shields. I've been underwhelmed by the Saboteur in practical play, but I see what you're trying. How about this:

Omicron + Vader + Saboteur

Howlrunner + Squad Leader

4x Obsidian Squadron Pilots

Howlrunner can act as a pseudo Advanced Sensors for turns the shuttle plans to stall, and boosts the Obsidians, all of who will fire before Vader does his thing.

Regarding the list interceptor list, I'd keep the academy pilot. Have 1 ship to jam with is nice, and even a single fighter can be annoying when it has target lock and evade.

I ran the swarm of Ties w/ Jendon earlier this week. It was actually fairly effective early on - I had 6 target locks on the table in no time between the weapons engineer and ST321. However, were I do it again, I'd run interceptors instead of tie fighters, just for the extra die on the target locks you're passing around. Probably something like this:

Jendon, ST321, Weapons Engineer, Saboteur

3x Alpha Squaron

Academy pilot

Just to make sure you didn't miss it, Jendon can only pass off one lock per turn, even if he can acquire more. So you should have been 5 turns in before you hit that count, with everyone (or even just someone) of your TIEs still close enough to get the lock? That seems somewhat unlikely, which is what made me think you might have been missing something...

Nope, I wasn't missing anything. The list I used:

Jendon w/ ST321, Weapons Engineer, Fire Control System, Ion Cannon

2x Academy Pilots

3x Obsidian Squadron

His list (more or less, I'm missing some upgrades I think):

2x Prototype pilots, 1 w/ cluster missile.

Garvin

Gold Squadron w/ R2D2 and Ion Cannon

Deployment, 2 Obsidian directly to the left of the shuttle, 2 academy pilots on the right, and 1 obsidian facing the shuttle so I could do a hard 1 turn and stay in formation.

Turn 1, 1 forward with the shuttle, 2 forward with the ties, except for the 1 obsidian pilot that does a hard left 1. Jendon target logs both A-Wings, hands off a target lock. He goes forward 4.

Turn 2, 1 forward w/ the shuttle, 2 forward with the ties. He goes forward 5 with the A-Wings and jams the shuttle (no action). Jendon hand off a target lock to another tie and shoots the Y-Wing, gaining 2 more target locks, one each on the x-wing and y-wing (4 on the table), Back tie fighters light up the a-wings.

Turn 3. 3 K turn with 2 of the obsidians, 1 hard right with the other, academy pilots do stuff. Jendon goes 1 soft right, and ends up colliding with the Y-Wing. Jendon passes off the y-wing target lock to one of the K Turn obsidian pilots, shoots at the x-wing and spends the target lock. Jendon gains 2 more target locks, 5 on the table now.

At this point I started burning target locks faster than I was using them, but 5 locks on the table in 3 turns isn't hard to do at all.

Jendon hand off a target lock to another tie and shoots the Y-Wing, gaining 2 more target locks, one each on the x-wing and y-wing (4 on the table)

Ah, Fire Control System on the Shuttle? Didn't list that Not a huge difference, but does add more.

I would have expected you to be using them more, but no big. It is certainly possible, just seemed off enough that it was worth checking

Engine upgrade wi advanced sensors is nearly a must if you make a build that needs to turn. Any shuttle going into the endgame needs to turn...

Jendon hand off a target lock to another tie and shoots the Y-Wing, gaining 2 more target locks, one each on the x-wing and y-wing (4 on the table)

Ah, Fire Control System on the Shuttle? Didn't list that Not a huge difference, but does add more.

I would have expected you to be using them more, but no big. It is certainly possible, just seemed off enough that it was worth checking

I had the opportunity to use the target locks i was handing out, but for the most part I kept rolling all hits so I ended up just holding onto the locks. Now, if only I could roll like that in a tournament...

So it looks like its good for either a target lock distributor, or a platform for Vader. I like the tactic of having it linger behind and firing on ships doing a k turn. Are the antipursuit lasers a viable strategy? If they are, it is I assume better to use them with low rank pilots.

I just play tested this build:

Jendon

Weapons Eng

FCS

ST-321

Saber squad

PTL

Saber Squad

PTL

Alpha Squad

He ran:

Han

Marksmanship

Gunner

Chewie

Rookie

Rookie

Just a quick run down, I passed alot of TLs out to my squints. I one shot both his x-Wings and stripped Sheilds off Han vs 2 damage to one Saber and dead alpha. Hit Han one more time, then he ran Han off the Board and left the game.

Careful not to make people hate the game because of a bad ass whoopin like that.