Every card in imperial aces has been revealed. What does it mean for the game? Will we see a lot of competitive 4 interceptor lists? Or will the interceptor still just supplement other lists? Which pilot will see the most play? The least?

I'm guessing that 4 Royal Guards with PtL will be common going forward. The slight PS edge over sabers could take them a long way. As far as uniques, Turr is the current one I see played the most due to his ability to stay out of front arc, which is the staple of well played interceptor squads. Soontir is a close second, as his focus ability lets him hit like a train, while also starting out of arc with PtL. I am thinking that people will obviously experiment with every pilot, but there is one that will be the most prevalent in the long term. Carnor Jax and Kir Kanos are powerful and will be forced to be reckoned with, but the real long term stand out will be Tetran Cowall. The ability to choose your K- turn speed after seeing where most of your opponents have moved will be just as powerful if not more than Turr or Soontir. Cowall with vet instincts will become a staple of non-swarm empire lists, or even as a swarm supplement. Lorrir also has a powerful maneuver ability in that he can, with a single action, perform basically the function of a barrel roll and banked boost, but his middling pilot skill and lack of EPT slot will be his undoing. There is a 50% chance your target hasn't moved yet when his ability triggers, likely leaving him without a target.



Disagree? Sound off. Agree? Let me know why.

I see myself using a lot of Royal Guards and Tetran Cowall, as his ability is nice and he costs a point less than Turr Phennir for the same PS and stats. I don't like to use Turr that much because his ability is completely wasted against a Falcon or turret ship, which is annoying enough for interceptors as it is

Another thing, there has been a lot of discussion on the Royal Guard TIE title. Will it see a lot of competitive use? Is it worth the price to add two modifications to an (arguably) already pricey interceptor? Will it see more use on named pilots or on RGPs?

I can see it being used in Furball settings, but a 30+point interceptor in a 100 point tournament seems like a lot.

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

Tetran is the third leg of my 999 interceptor squad (Soontir/Turr/Tetran with massive upgrades) and will see tons of play, Carnor will see some play, but I think the Royal Guard generic is gonna be my most usef piece from the set - I certainly hope so, I bought 2 aces sets to be able to fly 4 of them

[EDIT: since it was just brought up, I use the Royal Guard TIE title to give all three 999 interceptors stealth device or hull upgrade with a shield upgrade, for a total of 7 points of survivability enhancement each. I recognise that 21 points is an entire other ship, but I like having a 4-5 hit point each interceptor trio on the table ]

I also like the opportunist EPT. I always like ways to give Wedge extra dice, particularly against low agility ships. Wedge+Jan Ors is too expensive and Expose is straight terrible. Or to use Wedge or Han to make them use up their tokens, with a lower PS pilot carrying Opportunist.

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

I'm the opposite. He's my favorite. His ability is amazing. Yes, he does not have PTL available to him, but that barrel roll ability is incredibly potent. I plan to run him quite a bit.

Another thing, there has been a lot of discussion on the Royal Guard TIE title. Will it see a lot of competitive use? Is it worth the price to add two modifications to an (arguably) already pricey interceptor? Will it see more use on named pilots or on RGPs?

I can see it being used in Furball settings, but a 30+point interceptor in a 100 point tournament seems like a lot.

I don't expect to see much of Imperial Aces in real competitive play in general beyond the new upgrades like hull upgrade and targeting computer. The expansion seems to do little about the things that make interceptors "undesirable" to the competitive crowd. They are still expensive, and while it does give you ways to make them less fragile, that just adds further cost to the equation. If anything makes it competitively it might be the 32 point Royal Guard with shield/hull upgrade and push the limit for 5HP, but that's still a lot of points. Carnor Jax may see some play if people can really make him work but it's still a riskier proposition and the nature of tournaments does not favor risk.

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

I'm the opposite. He's my favorite. His ability is amazing. Yes, he does not have PTL available to him, but that barrel roll ability is incredibly potent. I plan to run him quite a bit.

From a creative point of view, I agree he has a great ability. He is actually the only one that I have proxied out of the set. It basically lets you get the same positioning as if you had boosted and barrel rolled. It plays fun, but it is very difficult to plan your maneuvers so that he will still get a shot because of the middle PS. I see a similar issue possibly arising with the RGP+PtL approach.

We will see. I am really looking forward to this set as a primarily Empire player. And I fully admit that I may just not be the best at maneuvering my interceptors, which is entirely possible.

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

I'm the opposite. He's my favorite. His ability is amazing. Yes, he does not have PTL available to him, but that barrel roll ability is incredibly potent. I plan to run him quite a bit.

Agreed. He's also my favorite of the bunch. For someone who enjoys a Matador-Barrel Roll (i.e. a 1 Turn followed by a Barrel Roll to stay in the same spot, and out of firing arcs of folks who are chasing me), I love the fact that I get that AND an angle shift if I wish.

In any form of Dogfight or Joust, Lieutenant Lorrir is going to be my guy almost all of the time. If I can't hop out of an arc with him, it's cause I picked a crappy maneuver first.

Yeah, Lorrir is going to be my personal favorite, I think. You can compare it to a Barrel Roll and a Boost, but is much, much more versatile. I was pleased with it when I was just thinking about the forward/inward Barrel Boost, but then it was pointed out that you could flip the template, and go backwards and turn outward. He is going to be nasty on approaching from the sides.

I'm also interested in trying to get Kir Kanos to work.

I'm thinking carnor jax will get the most use, especially because of the synergy he has with opportunist.

My Favorite list is Carnor Jax(shield upgrade) with Captain Kagi(sensor jammer) and some Tie fighter friends. Shooting ties when you cant focus or target lock them is not an easy proposition. And shooting a sensor jammer shuttle once Carnor is eating your focus's is also lame.

The royal guards will see the most play along with Jax. The new upgrades are ok but not needed. An extra hull is a waste of points in comparison to PTL. Maneuvering and actions win games.

Another thing, there has been a lot of discussion on the Royal Guard TIE title. Will it see a lot of competitive use? Is it worth the price to add two modifications to an (arguably) already pricey interceptor? Will it see more use on named pilots or on RGPs?

I can see it being used in Furball settings, but a 30+point interceptor in a 100 point tournament seems like a lot.

I don't expect to see much of Imperial Aces in real competitive play in general beyond the new upgrades like hull upgrade and targeting computer. The expansion seems to do little about the things that make interceptors "undesirable" to the competitive crowd. They are still expensive, and while it does give you ways to make them less fragile, that just adds further cost to the equation. If anything makes it competitively it might be the 32 point Royal Guard with shield/hull upgrade and push the limit for 5HP, but that's still a lot of points. Carnor Jax may see some play if people can really make him work but it's still a riskier proposition and the nature of tournaments does not favor risk.

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

Tetran is the third leg of my 999 interceptor squad (Soontir/Turr/Tetran with massive upgrades) and will see tons of play, Carnor will see some play, but I think the Royal Guard generic is gonna be my most usef piece from the set - I certainly hope so, I bought 2 aces sets to be able to fly 4 of them

[EDIT: since it was just brought up, I use the Royal Guard TIE title to give all three 999 interceptors stealth device or hull upgrade with a shield upgrade, for a total of 7 points of survivability enhancement each. I recognise that 21 points is an entire other ship, but I like having a 4-5 hit point each interceptor trio on the table ]

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

I'm the opposite. He's my favorite. His ability is amazing. Yes, he does not have PTL available to him, but that barrel roll ability is incredibly potent. I plan to run him quite a bit.

I'm thinking carnor jax will get the most use, especially because of the synergy he has with opportunist.

The royal guards will see the most play along with Jax. The new upgrades are ok but not needed. An extra hull is a waste of points in comparison to PTL. Maneuvering and actions win games.

Jax is best as a list supplement, IMO. His ability is best when you have spent a lot of points on other ships around him to benefit from it, so I believe he will be most seen in swarm type lists. For instance:

Carnor Jax+PtL

Howlrunner+Elusiveness+Stealth Device

4 Academies.

I don't think he'll get played much among all-interceptor lists. The interceptor's strength, and the way it is upgraded and played most often, is it can easily jump out of enemy arc before wailing down on them. So, I disagree that Jax will get played more than Tetran or MAYBE even Lorrir, because they directly play to the strengths of the craft. Lorrir may prove me wrong as I have seen both love and hate for him here and on other forums. He has a potentially deadly ability at a pilot skill that makes it a risk. I would in no moment call him useless, however, when pilots like Fel's Wrath exist.

Many of the upgrades in the set don't synergize well with this approach or even the interceptor in general. Opportunist I think will get used on low-PS Rebels after Wedge or Han has forced targets to use tokens. Hull upgrade is best for cheap, fragile ships. Interceptors are fragile, but not cheap. I also see it working well for Chewbacca.

Maneuverability is key not just for the interceptor but for the game. Maneuvering first, list strength second, the rest is up to the dice. The ones that play most will be the ones that to the highest degree disallow incoming shots. I will definitely try out @Eruletho's Soontir/Turr/Tetran list.

Keep it coming!

I think royal guard and Cowall will be played the most.

Kir was my longshot named pilot before Cowall was spoiled. I still think he's a bit of a sleeper since he's a no stress required intereceptor.

Nothing in the pack ensures full interceptor lists will be viable. In fact, with what we know from rebel transport and wave 4, I think all the stress inducing will just kill off interceptor hopes.

Lorrir and Turr are great as they have PTL built in, Lorrir still takes a stress though and soon a stressed interceptor is a dead interceptor as much as an actionless interceptor is a dead interceptor.

I'll still fly them and they will work thier way into a mixed list but new stuff cancels any possitives that are coming out of aces.

I think royal guard and Cowall will be played the most.

Kir was my longshot named pilot before Cowall was spoiled. I still think he's a bit of a sleeper since he's a no stress required intereceptor.

Nothing in the pack ensures full interceptor lists will be viable. In fact, with what we know from rebel transport and wave 4, I think all the stress inducing will just kill off interceptor hopes.

Lorrir and Turr are great as they have PTL built in, Lorrir still takes a stress though and soon a stressed interceptor is a dead interceptor as much as an actionless interceptor is a dead interceptor.

I'll still fly them and they will work thier way into a mixed list but new stuff cancels any possitives that are coming out of aces.

So will superiority craft always fall by the wayside for the Empire? I already can't see myself justifying a TIE Defender when it costs 2.5 TIE fighters. It will have to be comparable to a Slave 1 in competitive play. Possible, as we have not yet seen the named pilots, but I feel its very unlikely.

I think a well-maneuvered 4 interceptor list is competitively-viable, but it has a high degree of difficulty. Your first wrong move, you lose a ship. I wouldn't worry much about the Reb Transport pack, as the transport will likely only be usable in Epic Play, but we also haven't seen the pilot abilities for the X-wing pilots.

Will there ever be an Imperial list that is consistently competitively superior to TIE swarm?

Meh, Flechette Torpedoes puts the hurt on Interceptors, no doubt. But so did Assault Missiles. There are ways to work around Flechette Torpedoes.

Meh, Flechette Torpedoes puts the hurt on Interceptors, no doubt. But so did Assault Missiles. There are ways to work around Flechette Torpedoes.

If your interceptors are in front arc and able to be shot by torpedoes/missiles/what have you, you're doing it wrong. I do it wrong a lot...

For me? Probably Jax and definitely Lorrir. I definitely prefer to play highly mobile ships and that barrel roll augmentation is going to be fun.

For the record, Phennir and probably Fel will still be seeing plenty of use in my lists.

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

Tetran is the third leg of my 999 interceptor squad (Soontir/Turr/Tetran with massive upgrades) and will see tons of play, Carnor will see some play, but I think the Royal Guard generic is gonna be my most usef piece from the set - I certainly hope so, I bought 2 aces sets to be able to fly 4 of them

[EDIT: since it was just brought up, I use the Royal Guard TIE title to give all three 999 interceptors stealth device or hull upgrade with a shield upgrade, for a total of 7 points of survivability enhancement each. I recognise that 21 points is an entire other ship, but I like having a 4-5 hit point each interceptor trio on the table ]

I also found Cowalls 1k turn, fairly useless.. which could just be the limited testing I have done, but in the games I've had with him, I rarely use it and only once.. typically.. I initially thought it would be badass, but seems more... meh.. now...

I think Jax and Kan, may see more use due their abilities.

Meh, Flechette Torpedoes puts the hurt on Interceptors, no doubt. But so did Assault Missiles. There are ways to work around Flechette Torpedoes.

Do we know what Flechettes do yet?

Add stress it seems.. with the new slicer tools, might be something, but until then, I don't see any use in them.. anyone can shed stress if they want to, or are at least paying attention.. as a squint driver its always on my mind

is it just me, or did they make ANOTHER useless PS5 23 point interceptor pilot? Lorrir will probably never hit the table for me.

Tetran is the third leg of my 999 interceptor squad (Soontir/Turr/Tetran with massive upgrades) and will see tons of play, Carnor will see some play, but I think the Royal Guard generic is gonna be my most usef piece from the set - I certainly hope so, I bought 2 aces sets to be able to fly 4 of them [EDIT: since it was just brought up, I use the Royal Guard TIE title to give all three 999 interceptors stealth device or hull upgrade with a shield upgrade, for a total of 7 points of survivability enhancement each. I recognise that 21 points is an entire other ship, but I like having a 4-5 hit point each interceptor trio on the table ]

Having tested Lorrir in a couple games, I think his barrel roll is outstanding, it allowed me to get behind the enemy and not worry about getting shot, even in a joust.. I wish it became an ability for all Squints.. it's amaze-balls.. lol

I also found Cowalls 1k turn, fairly useless.. which could just be the limited testing I have done, but in the games I've had with him, I rarely use it and only once.. typically.. I initially thought it would be badass, but seems more... meh.. now...

I think Jax and Kan, may see more use due their abilities.

Tetran's 1K is cool but it's mainly that he can choose his K turn speed every time based on the situation. That is a big advantage. maybe he should also be paired with PtL? It never makes sense to K turn repeatedly, and I can't imagine Cowall is any different. He just adds a contextuality to K turns that wasn't possible before.

Meh, Flechette Torpedoes puts the hurt on Interceptors, no doubt. But so did Assault Missiles. There are ways to work around Flechette Torpedoes.

If your interceptors are in front arc and able to be shot by torpedoes/missiles/what have you, you're doing it wrong. I do it wrong a lot...

There isn't any way around the opening alpha with all your ships intact. Both Flechette and the new Ion pulse kill your maneuverability are dirt cheap and 2 ships to fire them will be about the cost of your sup'd up interceptor.

While the transport itself might not see 100pt play the upgrades, crew, mods, etc will.

Half the ships on the rebel side can have 360 shots, the ones that don't now have stress and ion options too. Bad days ahead...

Deploy on the opposite side, and separate your ships so they have to choose a target while the others attack