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I've been testing out a couple of lists that won't become fully available for a little longer yet (needing stuff from the Rebel Aces and Tie Phantom expansions) but I wanted to get some thoughts from my fellow dakka-feinds.

The Taanab Yellow Aces is a pretty simple list at this point, 5 Green Squadron Pilots w/ Push the Limit and Chardaan Refit. So far in play testing it's done fair, almost an auto loss to the turret ships or the 3 Bounty Hunter list (my room mates favorite), but against everything else it does really well. Thoughts so far would be to switch out a couple of the Push the Limit for Outmaneuver, making for a pair of dedicated flankers.

The Triple Phantom List (1 Sigma Squadron Pilot and 2 Shadow Squadron Pilots all with Fire Control System, Intelligence Agent and Advanced Cloaking Device) has won all of it's test games. Han+Chewie Bromance, 7 Tie swarm with Howlrunner, Mauler and Backstabber, 3 Bounty Hunters, the Yellow Aces, and XXBB. It also won each of these without losing a ship (the Bromance came the closest)! With the Intelligence Agent letting me "peak" at 3 maneuver dials at the start of the activation phase, I can know where the opponent's ships are going to move to and either move to flank or roadblock. Even against the lists that have 4+ ships, knowing where 3 of them are heading you can get a good idea where the rest are headed. the FCS giving Target Lock makes sure that you can hammer down high hull/shield ships in a hurry, and the Advanced Cloaking Device keeping you cloaked keeps you at that 4 agility defense. Focus is you go to action, since your going to be cloaking and target locking for free.

I have also been looking at something like the Triple Phantom list.

I have been thinking along the lines of including Gunners to ensure the maximum effect when de-cloaking, and then putting Stealth Devices on all of them to ensure their survival.

In the end I think you have the better idea. The constant de-cloaking and re-cloaking via ACD gives so much more maneuverability.

I've been concentrating my collection thus far on Rebels as none of the Imperial stuff really stood out to me as of yet, but the Phantom (and the upcoming VT-49) will change that. I like the idea of pretty much always being cloaked when it comes to getting fired at.

I really like the idea of multiple A-Wings (so far I've only bought 1, I'm really just waiting for the Aces expansion because I like that paint scheme better) since it was my favorite design of fighter from the original trilogy. Even if it doesn't win, it'll be fun to throw 5 A-Wings on the table and zoom around. As much as I love Push the Limit, I think you have the right of it with switching a couple with Outmaneuver. If you get to playtest that change please come back and tell us how it goes.

How do your low PS Phantoms survive fire from Han and Chewie when decloaked? Adv Cloak seems completely wasted as there's not a point where Ps 6+ ships won't be shooting you first. Echo and Soontir Fel will wreck you.

 Asmodai Asmodean wrote:
How do your low PS Phantoms survive fire from Han and Chewie when decloaked? Adv Cloak seems completely wasted as there's not a point where Ps 6+ ships won't be shooting you first. Echo and Soontir Fel will wreck you.

That is one of my questions as well. How do you handle High PS ships like the Han/Chewie combination where the maneuverability of the Phantom is almost neutralized.

*dreams of bigger playgroup :,(

Personally I think the three little ghost's list is busted as balls unless your bringing very specific countermeasures. Even then ACD and the Stygium thing are going to be so obnoxious its not even funny. But just too say it put Echo in your list somehow.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Quick question, have you tested against Dash?

Did a playtest of the Aces with the 2 ships having Outmaneuver. It didn't really help directly, but it did get my opponent to face off with them first, leaving the other 3 pretty much alone. In my next run I'm going to try running a Flanker up each side and the trio up the center, that way I will always have at least one of my flanking ships be behind the attack, and gaining the bonus, but it did make me wonder how dropping all of the PtL for Outmaneuver would work out.

Flying against the high PS turret ships was hard, but staying at range 3 for the initial volley gives me a 3 agility to 3 attack vs. their 2 agility to 4 attack, and it gets me the target lock I need to hit harder next turn, and I always take the evade token for the ships that might be at range 2. Knowing where they are going to go is also an asset, as I was able to move the Sigma into Han's flight path, causing him to lose his action for the turn. I then fired all 3 ships (including the hurt Sigma) into Chewie to finish him off (2nd volley). I spent the next round moving out of fire arc, and Kept the Sigma out of Han's range for the 1st volley at range 3 (both shields off of a Shadow) and got a lucky Crit (Pilot Stunned). Swooped in for the Kill. Like I said, the Bromance list did best, and we are reworking it to make it more resilient for our next match up, we're just not sure how yet.

And as a question of interest for the painters that follow, do you have a recommendation on a good bright yellow? I'm using Citadel paints but the yellow is coming out a little darker than I want it, and I'm getting a little frustrated with having to put down 2 or 3 coats just to get coverage.