Here's a list that I have been toying with recently:

Bounty Hunter (Firespray-31, 33 pts)

Bounty Hunter (Firespray-31, 33 pts)

Omicron Group Pilot (Lambda-Class Shuttle, Heavy Laser Cannon, Engine Upgrade, 32 pts)

Total: 98pts

I have enjoyed running 3x Bounty Hunters locally and I consider this an evolution of that. You still have 30 damage to eat through and have the advantage of 2 BH with their auxiliary arc. The extra 2 points could be an Anti-persuit Laser or a Crew Upgrade, but I think that having initiative against all of the Avenger Pilots and Obsidian Pilots will be more useful than just filling out the list to 100pts. I've also tried running 2 of the HLC-equipped Shuttles, but found myself taking more hits than I was dishing out because of the poor dial on the shuttle. In the above list, a very common movement tactic was to just pile the Shuttle behind one of the BH's every other turn to keep it at range of the fight after the first engagement.

The easiest fights were against Han Shoots First-type lists (or anything with a YT1300+2 y/xwings). Generally an xwing was nearly/taken out in the first full engagement. Swarm lists were hit or miss and more makeup dependent it seems. The interceptor-heavy lists definitely were able to punish my agility 1 shuttle where TIE Fighters couldn't do enough consistent damage before they were all wiped out. The real problem seems to be from the 3-4 xwing lists (elite or 4xrooks). My only real hope is keeping the shuttle out of the fight long enough to get a few good HLC hits in (and this is really where the Engine Upgrade is neccessary), plus these lists seem to be built a little more defensively.

So, my question is: what are you more scared to sit down across from: 3x Bounty Hunters or the above list with a single HLC Shuttle mixed in? Why? What list would you create specifically to counter this list?

Cheers!

Nice reading this, as I am making my own Bounty Hunter/Pirate faction this year.

I think the list that would give us baddies is a well played Elite X-Y-Wing combo.

Have fun and thanks for sharing.

It's spam. If you enjoy it, go right ahead. I would diversify by taking out a BH and adding in something more fun to play, like a couple of ties or an interceptor with PTL or Jonas to synergize with the HLC.

this is a year old I know, but I would go back to 3 BH. As for fun to play, I like the fun of concentrated big ships, and flying them effectively is every bit as skilful as a small ship. I am currently running 2 x BH +Echo w/ACD (with mixed results it has to be said, the mindset for Echo and the mindset for BH are so different) - -they are great fun as a combo.

With your 2 points I would stick on a bomb. Nobody expects them (cos' nobody plays them) and they give swarms of small ships a headache.

I recently ran 2 bh with gunner and a basic doom shuttle. Worked fairly well, I went 6 for 6 with it. The thing that got me was maneuvering the shuttle it took me a while to figure out my strategy for it. Generally you can get about 2-3 turns of firing from the shuttle before its out for a few rounds for manuevering. My strategy originally was to drop the shields on targets with my bounty hunters and use the shuttle to cause crits. Which sometimes meant not using dearth vader in order to lengthen my use of the shuttle. I quickly realized it's better to get as many shots and damage in as possible with the shuttle early so that it only has 1 or 2 hp left by the time it has to maneuver. Sure it's spamming big ships but it still is pretty difficult on the manuevering scale of things to fly. Nothing in the rules about spamming ships, same is true for swarms, no one says anything about spamming and swarms but as soon as you run 3 big ships it's called out haha. If it works and you like it then use it who cares. Just my opinion. I'm not calling anyone out here for saying its spamming I just think it's funny is all.

Meh, necromancy.