I picked up a lone TIE Defender from my main store on Fri, and was pretty much using that for the basis for my squad. I ended up with this:

Darth Vader 29
Engine Upgrade 4
Outmaneuver 3
Rexlar Brath 37
Predator 3
Academy Pilot x2 24
Total: 100

My main thinking was that I would be seeing Phantoms and Falcons. Vader with Outmaneuver is nasty against Falcons. His high pilot skill, combined with Engine Upgrade and his dual actions makes him slippery, even against Phantoms. Rexlar needs something to enhance his attack so he can save his focus. And Predator can help against the filler.

Game 1 x Aaron
Chewbacca 42
Han Solo 2
Etahn A'baht 32
Bandit Squadron x2 24

Well, I chalk this up to my Defender learning game. Etahn and the Z-95's set up in a corner, with Chewie in the middle for the path in the asteroids. I did a lot of bumping with Rexlar, but he was going at the Z-95s. I wanted to get use out of Predator, I guess. Anyway, I also K-turned when I shouldn't have, locking me out of some shots, but no stress. Vader chased Chewie around, with him pretty much eating whatever Vader dealt to him. Vader had him stripped of shields and one damage to hull before Vader went down. Etahn's crit passing out was adding up on my other ships. I did manage to kill one Bandit. But that was it. Rexlar got the crit that dealt a damage if he overlapped. Thus, the next turn, he bumped into Chewie. And the Fighters did their best, but to no avail.
FL (100 vs 12)

Game 2 x Conner
Soontir Fel 27
Push the Limit 3
Shield Upgrade 4
Scimitar Squadron x2 32
Assault Missiles x2 10
Cluster Missiles x2 8
Dark Curse 16

Nothing like beating up on a 9 year old kid. It wasn't a very fun game, as he kept on flying onto asteroids, and I was able to easily outmaneuver him. Fel didn't get a shot the whole game. I didn't lose a single ship.
FW (0 vs 99)

Game 3 x Dan
Echo 30
Advanced Cloaking Device 4
Bounty Hunter x 2 66

This was a fun and intense game. It started of a little shaky, as Vader and Rexlar weren't rolling well and not setting up good shots. My Academies were doing amazing, though. His Firesprays came down the two corridors in the middle of the map. Echo wasn't having much success, as he wasn't getting shots on anything but my TIEs. He did get my TIEs down, though I once again killed a TIE myself due to the overlap crit. But, they had done more than their fair share of damage. Shields were gone on one, and the other one was fairly healthy, including a crit. Things then got interesting. Vader was doing the loop around to get back into the fight, due to mis-predicting Echo's decloak. After a round of no combat, due to Rexlar bumping the Firespray, but out of Echo's arc. Vader started to really pinging on the Firespray, staying to the side blind spots for the most part. The real pain was that he got the Blinded Pilot crit, which he didn't get rid till 2 rounds later. The key turn came, when Rexlar K-turned behind the damaged Firespray, with 4 hull left. I get a great range 1 shot, and 2 hits and a crit go through. Rexlar was down to just hull, so I really didn't like my chances, so I spend the focus to convert them all to crits. I get the Direct Hit I needed to kill it. Which leads to a fairly healthy Echo and a hurt Firespray vs my 2 ships with no shields left. This leads to him k-turning his ships. Vader takes the shot at Echo, and misses. Rexlar then attacks, gets 3 hits. Echo whiffs his defense, dying. Of course, the next turn leads to my stupid error of sending Rexlar the opposite direction of the remaining BH. But Vader continues to ping, without Outmaneuver. Time is called before I can get the final hit needed to finish him off.
FW (24 vs 100)

So, I end up coming in 2nd (went all the way down the tie breakers), and won a ship. I picked up a second Defender (no Phantoms, bought an E-wing, and not super excited for the Z-95 right now). Very fun time, and very instructional on the Defender. I enjoyed the squad. Some more practice is needed, but it is a fun list to fly. Outmaneuver is just awesome against Falcons. I love Predator as well. Some really great upgrades in Wave 4.

Don't falcons have a 360 firing arc?

Thanks for sharing, I find the 'learning reports' to be some of the most informative.......and happy to see Vader being put to good use!

I think it will take some time to warm up to the Defender (and it's point cost) but I think it will be recognized for being a big addition to the Imperials in time.

I played the Federation Attack Squadron the night I picked up my wave 4 so I got to see how the white k-turn did and it was a nice option even with the limited actions that I had access to.




No, it can shoot 360 but it only has a 90 firing arc.......comes up for secondary weapons and now Outmanuver.

Vader with Engine Upgrade is a very fun ship to fly. Adding in Outmaneuver ups his firepower considerably. I can't wait to add some Proton Rockets. Outmaneuver is just brutal, though. Definitely going to want to be adding that to some of the more maneuverable ships. That, and in the early Phantom vs Falcon environment, I highly recommend it as an elite talent to fight the Falcons. Eat it Threepio.

The Defender is interesting. It flies fairly straight. I need to get planning banks better (that was the downfall of two of my ships with the overlap crit). The big thing you have to adjust to is having almost ALL the options. Yes, the 1 and 2 turns are red, but the 1 turn is just as easily worth it. The elites are easily worth the points. Looking forward to testing Vessory. Also 2 Defenders with HLC and Jonus.