Developing List: Black Ops

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

Proxied this dark little secret today and absolutely blew my opponent (bbxH) out of the water...er... space.

 

Black Sqaud + oppertunist

Black Squad + oppertunist

Night Beast

Backstabber + stealth

Cowall + PTL + stealth

 

7,6,5 to strip tokens and those black squads batting clean up really bring the hurt- a range 1 round features 19 dice...19 attack dice.  Fires before or with PS 4's.  Loves to see bwings on the other side- how many squads can say that?

 

 

[Millennium Falsehood 1,680]

Hmm. I'll have to try this one sometime. I'll add it to my "Possible good squads" folder.

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

Tactics:

Usually I have this much more thought out. Having only flown this one once (and once or twice mentally), I feel it's a pretty flexible list. As far as target priority goes, there really isn't a stand out to keep back/forward. Against PS4 and less lists you'll know where the bulk of forces are setting up. This list really just picks a target to converge on with focus fire and makes sure they don't make it through the alpha alive (falcon with an evade token rolling 5 evades in a row still dies if all hits-unlikely but oh he power).

Black Squads with focus/evade are still pretty hard to hit, Nightbeast should have evade and focus on the rounds it matters, Backstabber and Cowal both have extra D. If you take out the Black squads first the interceptor and named ties are still efficient and effective. Go for the named ties, the blacksquads then get an extra round of fire, and the named ties defensive nature means they stick around (thinking of dropping stabber for DC and stealth up NB so they are even more so). You can chase Cowal but he'll likely win; you can't 1 Kturn, straight 3 boost/BR, 5 Kturn for funsies. Add in "do I really want to give those ships extra attack dice by spending tokens?- and your ties probably have an extra HP or 2 by the end of the match.

Variations:

DC vs Backstabber- make target priority messy, or 19 attack dice?

NB+ stealth vs 3rd opportunistic black squad- I think NB gets the nod for utility and PS.

Cowal vs. royal Guard- what to do with 1pt? Shooting at 7 needed?

Adrenaline rush on Cowal- very nice one use combat trick. Lots of reasons not to be stressed coming.

Black squads with VI as your early hitters for cheaper, more bodies.

Weaknesses- multi ion turret. They can take one down on the alpha, unless its a named hwk or ywing they might not even get a shot off but doing so means being stressed.

Strengths- aces. If your opponent is packing an ace, he better protect him. You might fire first but if you don't kill a ship you probably don't survive. If you did kill off one you probably used a token and now you're going to die anyway. One list that doesn't really care about your PS: my 5 all fire first and you lose a ship. Your ace shoots first and now has no defense, or it shoots at the same time and revels in mutal destruction.

An interesting list.

[phild0 1,735]

I like it!

I might try the Double BSP + Oppurtinist in a 6 tie swarm. Replacing Cowall and Dark Curse with Howl and BSP + DTF/VI.

[phild0 1,735]

I meant Night Beast..not Dark Curse

[Disgruntled 245]

Is black squad with opportunist really worth it over and alpha squad for the same points? Giving up an attack die, boost, and a better dial for a situational attack die and 3 pilot skill?

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

Is black squad with opportunist really worth it over and alpha squad for the same points? Giving up an attack die, boost, and a better dial for a situational attack die and 3 pilot skill?

In this list I say yes.  The way the PS interacts with both high "aces" and low "swarms" is really unique in this list.  It really is a list that doesn't care what PS you brought as it's "trick" will still work.  +3 PS means you're shooting before swarm, shuttles, bounty hunters, rookies, and blues and at the same time as daggers/reds.  Your optimal attack dice can easily take out 2 ships before they get to even fire if they are lower PS.  Your AG dice and defensive upgrades should mean that you're still around after the opening salvo by ace pilots and get to shoot at them before the "filler" pilots and they probably don't have tokens (or if they did they kept them so you couldn't blast them more): win/win is good.

 

You can also do a 6 tie swarm with

Howl

Black + VI

Black + VI

Black + opportunist x3

 

That one is really kinda scary. 

[phild0 1,735]

It's all about the PS 4 and the types of enemies you expect to face.

[mrfroggies 945]

Another idea for this.

 

Yorr + TCS + Gunner

BSP + Oppx3

Nightbeast

 

Or

Howlrunner

Yorr + TCS + Gunner

BSP + DTF

BSP + Oppx2

 

You now have Yorr and Night beast to shoot first and hopefully strip Shields, and you now have Yorr as a Stress absorber.  I think he will see a lot more use when Flechette Torps start to hit the table.

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

Yorr was certainly another option that popped to mind.  He does shoot first and help with stress but I'm not sure what his load out is for this list... likely expensive which makes it hard to include other PS4+ shooters to maximize damage. 

[mrfroggies 945]

Yorr was certainly another option that popped to mind.  He does shoot first and help with stress but I'm not sure what his load out is for this list... likely expensive which makes it hard to include other PS4+ shooters to maximize damage. 

Keep Yorrs load out simple.  Yorr as a Buzzsaw shuttle is really good.  I don't think putting anymore on him is worth it.

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

I was thinking just Vader him and maybe even saboteur/intel and that's it.  Buzzsaw means it's a smaller swarm.

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

Not sure I liked the Yorr shuttle. Didt really pull its weight with just vader

[DraconPyrothayan 6,107]

Not sure I liked the Yorr shuttle. Didt really pull its weight with just vader

I'd straight prefer an OGP with Engine Upgrades and FCS to Yorr/Vader

[DFocke 163]

If I was going to include Yorr I might think about not taking EU.  I know this drastically reduces his mobility, but he is likely to be eating a lot of stress throughout the game anyway so will likely have few chances to boost.  If I were to put Yorr in a list like this it would be

 

Yorr w/ fcs, gunner (I want to get some offence out of him when able)

Howlrunner  (the more attack dice that get thrown around the better that reroll will be)

Nightbeast (another attack before ps4, plus I just like this tie)

2x Black Squadron w/ opportunist

 

I don't know how well this list would work, but its nice for a thought exercise.

[Revanchist 1,063]

Proxied this dark little secret today and absolutely blew my opponent (bbxH) out of the water...er... space.

 

Black Sqaud + oppertunist

Black Squad + oppertunist

Night Beast

Backstabber + stealth

Cowall + PTL + stealth

 

7,6,5 to strip tokens and those black squads batting clean up really bring the hurt- a range 1 round features 19 dice...19 attack dice.  Fires before or with PS 4's.  Loves to see bwings on the other side- how many squads can say that?

I really like this idea and will definitely try it. I am also thinking of trying a variant where Cowall is replaced by Kanos + SD + HU. You'd still have enough firepower to strip tokens (6-6-5 before the BSPs) but would also have the potential to throw in an extra hit past those 19 red dice.

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

I like Kanos too. Let me know how that variant works out.

[mikeyboy403 2]

I was a bit confused as I couldn't remember having the opportunist card, then I remembered it's not out yet and it comes with the transport ship. So all these builds with using 2 or 3 of this card is going to become expensive.

[Red Castle 3,869]

I was a bit confused as I couldn't remember having the opportunist card, then I remembered it's not out yet and it comes with the transport ship. So all these builds with using 2 or 3 of this card is going to become expensive.

No opportunist comes with the Imperial Aces and there are 2 per pack, so it should not be expensive.

[mikeyboy403 2]

Is there a card content list out for all of the new ships?

[Revanchist 1,063]

Alright, so I have a question as to which everyone thinks will be best interceptor for this list and why (I plan on trying all 3 anyways):

Terran Cowall + PtL + SD: Superior maneuverability, can surprise with a K-turn at the expense of PtLing it

Kir Kanos + SD + HU: not as maneuverable, can't have PtL, but will be less reliant on green maneuvers and more unpredictable.

RGT + PtL + SD + TC: can boost-roll to arc dodge, plus can TL + Focus if it has the advantage.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Revanchist

[Rakky Wistol 2,903]

I like cowall for the PS+ maneuverability.  He is your end game piece.  Kir is very interesting to me but I don't think he can be the same offensive threat, without PTL he'll be needing that evade token and there goes your offense.  I really like Kir as a second or third threat but not as your main gun.