A real blast of a match today:

Luke + VI + proton + shield + R2d2
Biggs + proton + R2 + shield
Rookie + proton + R2

Vs.
Vader + Squad Leader + Concussion
Turr + stealth + PTL
Backstabber
Alpha Interceptor

I was imperials as usual. I have piloted this squad 3 times now and as long as Vader survives the first pass it is a real beast to overcome as it becomes extra highly mobile and/or accurate with Vader handing out extra actions.

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Set up:

classic line of asteroids running down the right with the big one and a small one in the middle. Alpha sets up down the right. Rookie behind the line for cover, Biggs a bit back and to his right. Stabber on the far far right. Turr pretty much straight down the middle Vader slightly right of him and a ships length behind. Luke in line with Vader near Biggs.

Rd1:

Alpha straight 2. Rookie straight 1. Biggs Straight 2. Stabber Straight 4. Turr Straight 2, Bank boost past the 1st astroids. Vader Straight 3 right behind the big astroid, evade. Hands action to Turr for an evade. Luke Straight 1.

Rd2:

Alpha Straight 2 and focus. Rookie Straight 1 TL Vader. Biggs Straight 1 Target lock Vader. Stabber Bank 3 and Barrel roll (out of all arcs). Turr bank 1 and focus. Vader TL Biggs and Evade. Luke straight 1-2 and TL Vader; launch torpedo 1 crit 1 eyeball! Vader evades both. Vader returns fire and scores 3 hits and a crit on Biggs. Biggs evades 2 and takes a meaningless crit. Turr finishes Biggs off with 4dice + focus before he even gets to shoot. Stabber hits but rookie dodges. Rookie fires on Vader and strips off both his shields with the Proton Torpedo. Alpha hits but Rookie is shielded by astroid and evades.

Rd3:

Alpha Turns in and Barrel rolls to block lanes and have shot on Luke. Rookie flys through asteroid (takes 1 dmg) and has a point blank shot on Alpha with focus. Stabber Turns in and barrel rolls into position to flank both. Turr turns behind everyone and focuses. Vader banks, takes an Evade as Luke will be behind him, and hands Alpha an action who evades. Luke K turns right behind Vader and hits him for 3. Vader rolls all evades for no more damage and it's looking grim. Vader and Turr both focus fire on the rookie and take him down to 1. Stabber takes a shot at Luke and all hits are evaded. Rookie puts the 4 dice + focus to use on the Alpha and brings him to 1 hp. Alpha takes away Luke's extra shield.

Rd4:

Alpha gets outta dodge with a turn and boost out of all arcs. Rookie slows forward to muck up the works. Stabber is out of position and collides with someone but still has shot on Luke. Fancy flying on Turr puts him in range 1 behind the rookie. Vader starts to turn around the asteroid field and takes evade and focus since Luke will have shots on his backside. Luke regens the shield, range 1 att with focus vaporizes Backstabber with 2 hits and 2 crits. Vader has no shot, Turr finishes off the rookie before he gets to do anything and positions to start chasing Luke. Alpha has no shot.

Rd 5:

Almost all positioning since Luke does a long shot through an asteroid (takes 1 dmg) and has a chance to take down the last alpha. Vader starts to come around and hands off an action to Turr to get him a focus, barrel roll would have made sure he had a shot on Luke. Luke hits but Alpha evades all.

Rd6:

Alpha banks 3, boosts near and asteroid for cover. Turr starts the merry chase and focuses. Vader finally gets turned around barrelrolls and then hands an action to alpha for an evade. Luke K turns and has a clear shot on the Alpha at range 2 but that Evade token saves his bacon. Vader has no shot and Turr misses at Range 3.

Rd 7:

Alpha Turns and Boosts around the astroid again. Turr lines up Joust with Luke and takes an evade. Vader banks 1, barrelrolls, and gives alpha an action to barrelroll completely around the astroid. Luke Regens, focuses, and scores 2 crits and a hit on Turr. Turr uses evade and rolls 1 evade and would lose his secondary weapon if he had one. Vader scores 2 hits but Luke Evades. Turr scores hits but only one goes through. Alpha has a range 3 shot that doesn't hit.

Rd 8:

Alpha sets Vs Luke with an evade again. Turr does the near 180 turn with the help of Vader. Vader TL's. Luke Kturns again and finally takes out the alpha. Vader and Turr both lay some damage on Luke.

Rd 9-12

Luke does the Regen thing with focus tokens but it's only a matter of time before Rng 1 Turr + focus tokens and TL Vader are able to take him out. Luke's a pain with the extra shield, regen, and the focus action but Turr with 3-4 actions a round and Vader with TL and/or Focus making sure Turr gets his shots in is an huge up hill battle for anything.

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Lessons learned:

Luke is still a monster when equipped as above.

Biggs almost always dies without doing much but damage soak so don't bother with upgrades.

Rookie should have been Garven but my opponent doesn't have him

Torpedoes just don't pack enough punch.

Vader handing out actions to interceptors (and "interceptors") is just so much fun. Sooooooo many options and I think it increases their survivability and accuracy as needed. Even if he's just getting range 2 and 3 pot shots if he's keeping your other ships in position, alive, or handing out that focus action for accuracy he's worth it. Then when push comes to shove he's really hard to kill when in defense mode (focus and evade or just maneuver out of arcs.) and at range 1 is ultra accurate with TL and focus.

Backstabber might as well be a 3rd interceptor with this set up. The extra dice with Vaders help (when needed) means he's rolling 4 just like Turr and Fell.

Naked Alpha is great bait. Seems like a good target until he does a weird turn, boosts and Vader hands him a barrel roll or evade token. Also a great blocker, again, he can get into normally impossible spots and end up with a focus and evade token.

As a nice aside, with good maneuvering this squad is putting down 14 dice vs. YT builds. It's maiden voyage vs. a Han squad had him dead round 3 (albeit vs a lesser opponent and build). It also manages 13hp vs the 9 that other 2 ace "interceptor" squads have.

Rebel scum just don't know what's good for em!

Opponent called for a rematch. I took exact same squad. He took my old ABXY list.

Green + PTL + Concussion

Blue + Shield upgrade + FCS

Rookie + R2

Gold + Ion turret

Similar set up but this time he put all his asteroids in the middle, so I didn't have the same crazy lane with Turr while I kept mine in a line up my right side.

I set up pretty much exactly the same and just a larger spread between my forces with Alpha and Stabber on the far right. He had Awing facing them and the other 3 in formation in the middle.

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Rd:1

Alpha straight 2 with evade. Rookie and Y straight up the middle 2. B wing forward 3. Awing does a big Turn 3 and boos bank forward bringing him just forward of Rookie and Y and in line to make a run at Vader with the missile. Stabber takes a 4 straight and a BR up and to the right. Turr and vader both advance 2 stright and barrelroll left for astroid cover and avoidance.

Rd: 2

Usually the all or nothing round. Alpha forward 3 and evade. Bwing bank 1 and target lock. Rookie and Y wing forward 1 and target lock Vader and Turr respectively. Awing Target lock and focus on Vader. Stabber comes around the bend of Asteroids and barrel rolls into long shot on the Ywing. Turr maneuvers out of arcs and in range 1 of rookie. Vader banks 1 Evades and Focuses, rolls nothing vs. Rookie. Turr hits but rookie evades all. Stabber puts 1 on the Ywing. Not good. Awing rips Vader for 3 + 1 crit. OWWW... not good at all. Vader evades 2, turns another focus into evade 3 and then takes a direct hit crit and he's down to only Hull. Rookie puts 2 more on Vader. I now know I'm going to be running the rest of the game. Ywing Ionizes Turr. Blue puts one on the Alpha and the Alpha does nothing.

Rd: 3

Crazy time.

Alpha turns towards Blue and Barrel rolls back to where the blue will have no choice but do a big red move or collide. Blue promptly does collide and now has no shot this turn. Rookie straight 1 and target lock Vader. Y bank 1 and target focus. Awing turns behind Turr. Stabber turns to face the middle and focuses. Turr moves his Ionized 1 white then boosts right up beside the Ywing and evades. Vader Kturns right between the rookie and the Awing who no have no shots on him. Vader gets a shot at the rookie and strips his shields. Turr puts some hurt on the Bwing. Stabber puts another 2 on it. Awing wiffs against Turr. Rookie has no shot. Ywing ionizes Alpha. Alpha puts 1 more damage on the Ywing.

Rd:4

Can't believe I'm still in it.

Alpha does an Ion 1 which collides him with the Ywing and I know he's not long for the world. Bwing Kturns and has a lock from earlier on the Alpha. Ywing weaves a bit to avoid asteroids next turn. Rookie banks long and focuses, having no shots without a kturn through an astroid. Awing continues to chase Turr. Stabber is able to turn and focus on the Rookie but at range 3. Turr closes in on the rookie. Lord Vader does not run and instead turns, target lock the Bwing, and focus... comes up the same every... single... time: Crit, hit, hit, blank that turns into a hit. Console fire crit goes through, not that it mattered. Turr finishes him off. Stabber gets a 2 hit 1 crit on the rookie who only dodges 1. Direct hit crit kills rookie. Awing finishes off Alpha and Ywing misses the ionization on Turr.

Rd5-7

Vader starts avoiding the Awing like the plague and Turr does his best to get behind him after the Awing takes an asteroid hit and promptly dies to a range 1 barrage from Turr. My opponent concedes with a damaged Ywing way out of position, Vader at 1, Turr at 2. Would have been a terribly terribly long game to finish.

once the target lock upgrade arrives for intercepters vaders free action gift giving will become even better

i like ur imperial squad. wonder if turr could b upgraded to soontir and drop the stealth device? it seems to be working just fine how it is tho.

When running Turr + PTL I just never feel the need to go with Fell. This set up means he can do exactly what Fell does when needed (stress for focus) but when that isn't needed Turr has more options. Yep, lower PS but usually only Luke, Han, and wedge beat him and they usually tie or beat Fell too so no real loss (we play rebel vs imperial about 90% of the time here). The other set up with him is kinda Fell light where he has less actions (kinda) for more PS with vetran instincts. When that matters it matters but when it doesn't PTL is so much better. Those few points is the difference between backstabber and a black squad... Vast for this list.

I am looking for a 1 pt swap somewhere to snag mauler instead of an alpha but that makes the squad really different without a blocker and the obvious PS bump. Yep a tie "interceptor" swarm with PS 9, 7, 7, 6. Not sure it would fly the same; that point one of the imperial interceptors + PTL and stealth is probably cheaper than Vader. But now we're talking a whole different squad.

I like this squad and it's opening trick seems to work well (Vader handing stupid mobility out turn 1 and TL + focus missile Turn 2 or fly Vader out behind an astroid as obstructed bait with focus and evade) against a variety of squads. I'll want to try it vs. large ships more and vs. imperials too but for now I have fun playing it every time.

Thx for a good report blow by blow.

Squad looks fun.

Have run, vader, Soontir, turr a few times in past but never thought to use sqL on vader for hijinx.

I know this flys a little different to yours but your second idea with mauler just brought back happy memories.

I have been trying to make a vader, jonus, Scimitar squad swarmed work for the alpha strike but with limited success.

You have inspired me to rethink.

Shall put my mind to a more independently flying squad, perhaps vader, bomber, interceptor, tie if it fits. I like the idea of flying the full compliment of ties.

Good luckkeep us informed

4-0 online. Vader has to survive and then they have to chase him to make up points when you've downed one of their threats. Except: it's Vader. You just can't chase him down unless you're packing a turret. Even then 3-4 dice + focus + evade is not looking good.

Backstabber has also earned a lot of heat. Keeping him near Vader for the free action in the opening rounds is counter intuitive but also makes sense. Or just keep letting him do his own thing and know that the opponent isn't shooting down Vader or Turr AND is leading them right into your trap.

Biggs does a lot better when you can keep him at Range 3 and/or behind an Asteroid. The more attacks he dodges, the more attacks his allies get for free.

I've seen him run well and still die, especially to missiles that don't care about Rng 3. I've seen a startling amount of people play the edges and avoid asteroids all together (I blame all the top 8 videos where I think 3/4 of the games avoided the middle) as well. Biggs almost always dies unless the dice are really on your side. I know I can't be the only one who just guns him down the first round every time I see him.