I didn't have much time today. So I ended up playing a 60 point game. I wanted to at least try some of my misfits out, so I ran:

Fel's Wrath

Mauler Mithel with Veteran Instincts

Black Squadron Pilot with Draw Their Fire and Shield Upgrade

He ran Wedge and Dutch. (I was happy because I had the chance to use Fel's ability.)

Optimally, I would like to be out of range 3, and then move into Range 1 the next round when the combat starts, so I've been working on an opening that delays the combat until I'm ready. So I ran that opening, and it worked pretty well. I managed to stay out of combat until I could get right into range 1. And boy was it bloody for him. Took Wedge out first combat round, then koiograned and made a few shots at Dutch. Dutch hit Mauler once (his 2 dice vs my 4, 3 blanks and a focus) ,and that was all of the damage that i took (wedge rolled bad on his attack). He landed Dutch on an asteroid, and the game was brutally over shortly afterwards.

The squad ran pretty much like I thought it would, which was good. And my opening worked like I thought it would, so I was happy about that. Overall, I feel good about running the misfits. I'll have to try and get a game in next weekend when i can play all of them together.

hothie said:

Agree. Daredevil is a better fit with Fel due to the fact that his special ability is to get a focus token when he gets a stress token. I was lucky enough to make the finals in out local KRT and that's the way Fel was kitted out in the list provided. It was fun being able to stay behind an A-wing no matter what my opponent tried to do to shake me off his tail.

hothie said:

I'm more curious about the maneuvers actually, I find myself usually stuck at range 2 or risk overshooting/collisions with the target when I attempt to pull that off. I understand the beginning maneuvers because there is really only that few effective methods to delay the first engagement, but after the range 3/ out of range round what do you do? Koiogran 4/5 the front few ships? or rush in with forward 2/3 then use boost to further adjust the distance? or just risk it with forward 5? and also, wouldn't the in-your-face range 1 exchange be very risky too, especially when Wedge has the potential to one-shot TIEs.

I managed to delay until we were just out of Range 3, then went straight 4 or bank 3 depending. My bodyguard went first, which leaves a nice blocker behind my front wave in case he does try to k-turn to get behind me. But seriously, when we're out of range 3, who then does a k-turn as their next maneuver?

And yes, being at Range 1 is risky defensively, but that's why the bodyguard is there, to try and mitigate some of the damage I'll take.

Part of the decision comes from what my opponent did the first 2-3 rounds as well, and how far out of range we are before jumping right into range 1. If I think a straight 5 will do it, I'll do that, but if we're barely out of range, I may do a 3 or 4 maneuver depending on if I think my opponent will go 1 or 2. As it turned out last Sunday, a 3 and 4 maneuver was exactly right for gauging what my opponent was going to do.

Had you play tested  the four Alpha and Turr combo?

Not yet. I played a few games today. The Misfits lost bad. Apparently they aren't nearly as effective when they aren't at Range 1. But then I played my "Pseudo-Interceptor" squad and did quite well. So, I dunno. We'll see when Wave 2 gets released.

The more squads I build, the more I think the optimal number of Interceptors is going to be 2 for my play style.

My "Pseudo-Interceptor" squad does well:

Turr w/PtL
Mauler w/Engine Upgrade
Backstabber w/Engine Upgrade
Dark Curse w/Stealth
Academy Pilot

The trouble with this squad is I would rather use Backstabber's and Mauler's actions for things other than Boost. I mean, it's fun to give the Boost action to regular TIEs, but i just didn't use it as much as I thought I would. So, I tweaked it a little like this:

Turr w/PtL
Mauler w/Veteran Instincts
Dark Curse w/Stealth
Backstabber
Alpha Squadron Pilot

That gives me 2 Interceptors, as well as 2 other TIEs that can shoot with an extra die, as well as "The Untouchable" Dark Curse to help with clean up. It's also a 99 point squad, so I should have initiative, so Mauler will get to go first, and if Turr is facing another level 7 pilot, hopefully he can get out of the firing arc after he attacks.

I looked at Swarm Tactics on Mauler, but then I have to keep the Alpha within 1 of him, and I just don't think that's going to be nearly as easy to do after wave 2 releases. The TIE squads I'm favoring now don't rely on squad cohesion at all, but instead rely on individual fighters attacking from many angles, which I think will be a necessary evolution with my opponent having the boost action.

The Misfits would be an exception to this line of thinking. But they are hit and miss. When they work, they work well, but when they don't work, they fall apart quickly. So maybe the squads I listed here will be more consistent.

I also looked at some 3 Interceptor squads, but I don't think they will fit my style of play. I think the only squad with more than 2 Interceptors that I want to try is Turr w/PtL and 4 Alphas. I'm curious to see if the firepower of that squad will actually work, or if the 3 agility/hull will be its downfall before it gets a chance to attack.

hothie said:

3 interceptors will be worth a try eh? id be edf tempted to run swarm tactics if i was going with that number. illl own 3 intercepters soon (have them back ordered) so ill be able to post some feedback here soon on 3 intercepter builds.

Another option I had not seen mentioned is Turr with PtL and 3 X Saber all with PtL. A list like that would have good synergy. Comes to 100 points on the nose.

Vespula said:

nice. i will soon own 3 intercepters. maybe i should by a 4th?

and a fifth for good measure.

The R5Don4 Star II said:

Any person facing four Tie Intercepters with PtL will have a lot of WTF moments.  The key will be closing that range so they can truly shine. Their maneuverability and effectiveness will be brutal once they get amongst the Rebel ranks. With so many green maneuver options available stress should not be an issue. 

That does sound like a fun squad, and will have to try it out sometime. Turr w PtL really does zip around the board a lot quicker than you would think. I'll have to wait a few more weeks to find out what 4 Squints with PtL will do.