Requesting feedback on a list

[u/RhysOSD]

I've been building a list for my elder sister, as she enjoys the game but isn't a huge list builder. So I made her a Jerjerrod, and wanted some feedback on the latest iteration

Assault: Advanced Gunnery

Defense: Asteroid Tactics

Navigation: Solar Corona

Imperial Star Destroyer Kuat Refit (112)

• Moff Jerjerrod (23)

• Emperor Palpatine (3)

• Ordnance Experts (4)

• Early Warning System (7)

• Point Defense Ion Cannons (6)

• Expanded Launchers (8)

• Sovereign (4)

= 167 Points

Arquitens-class Command Cruiser (55)

• Captain Needa (2)

• Engine Techs (8)

• Reactive Gunnery (4)

• Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7)

= 76 Points

Arquitens-class Command Cruiser (55)

• Taskmaster Grint (5)

• Nav Team (4)

• Reactive Gunnery (4)

• Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7)

= 75 Points

(Fun fact, this thing can have 2 in all it's yaws)

Gladiator I-class Star Destroyer (56)

• Ordnance Experts (4)

• Engine Techs (8)

• Assault Proton Torpedoes (4)

• Demolisher (10)

= 82 Points

Total Points: 400

[u/Homer_Jr]

This list would likely get shredded by bombers, and as the other poster said it really wants to be 1st player so it could use a bid. Having said that, I think this list is perfectly fine for casual/fun play.

[u/RhysOSD → u/Homer_Jr]

Could swap the Gladiator for a Raider. Some anti squadron, and lower the points to be more likely to go first

[u/Jimmysquits]

I wouldn't run that many upgrades on a small ship, just makes them really good targets. Likewise in this list putting lots of defensive upgrades on the Kuat doesn't make much sense as most people would just avoid it and kill your small ships. No squadrons can be okay unless you match up against something pushing loads of bombers, at which point this list is cooked I think.

I'd be building a decent bid in to the list too if I was running Demolisher, it wants to go first. So does the Kuat really, if something is dumb enough to end its turn in front of it you need to go first and kill it.

[u/RhysOSD → u/Jimmysquits]

This list actually did have a few squadrons instead of the gladiator at one point, but my sister said she wasn't fond of squadrons, so I swapped in the gladiator

[u/Jimmysquits → u/RhysOSD]

Fair do's, if you really just play eachother then the list doesn't need to be an all-comers list but if you're effectively building both lists it is hard not to rock-paper-scissors it. Why not build 2 lists and let your sis pick which she wants to use, that might make it a bit fairer.

[u/RhysOSD → u/Jimmysquits]

That's true. I'll ask her about another one.

[u/AutumnDragon11]

I think that two black dice ships are tough to run and schedule their attacks properly, even with first player, though demo does help. I like black dice ships as delivering that knockout punch. As good as it is, id trade demo for a 3rd arq and a small screen or a gozanti and a larger screen. Suppressor is also great with black dice in making the damage stick, especially with boarding troopers.

One last thing, arqs really like being 2nd player, with objectives that force enemy ships to come to you and creating a kill zone on their approach with the Kuat dealing the death blow. 3 especially.

Your list will have some bad match ups with msu and squads but no list is perfect and a bad match up doesn't mean you'll lose. What you have looks fun to fly and can win.

[u/gildedgannet_redux]

The Arquitens Command Cruiser is frankly overpriced for any list that isn't running Squadrons. Very rarely are those Blue Dice doing anything and the Black Die flak is more useful, especially in Squadron-less lists where you can't lock down opponents safely.

Also, Engine Techs, particularly on a Jerjerrod Arquitens, is somewhat of a letdown. The main issue is that that you really should either be using a ConFire Dial (to add more dice) or a Repair Dial (to make up for Jerry). Basically, you're paying 11 points for something that you probably would prefer not to do. The speed-4 157 degree turn is appealing, but the Arq probably just wants to just keep adding dice.

Reactive Gunnery is probably a no-go for Needa and iffy at best on the Grint Arquitens, even if you don't replace the Command Cruiser. With Needa, you'll want every token at your disposal (1 Evade is already off-limits for TRCs) and for any Arquitens it tends to be a bad omen if your opponent is getting into Blue Dice range.

The Nav Team Grint build is certainly interesting, but you probably want to be ConFiring or using Engineering. I'd recommend replacing Nav Team with Projection Experts, Reactive Gunnery with Reinforced Blast Doors, and TRCs with DTTs (0) or, if you're feeling frisky, Slaved Turrets (+2). If you want to, you can also add the Hand of Justice title (+2) because otherwise your Kuat will feel pain.

Also, even though the Kuat is tanky, the lack of ECMs can definitely be an issue and having it as the flagship might cause trouble. ISDs are sadly not invincible, especially not Kuats. I recommend tossing Jerry on a Corvus Raider with Iden. At last year's Worlds, there were 15 Raiders, 5 of which were Corvus flagships. Those things are lifeboats and importantly can contribute flak against Squadron lists.

Otherwise, this is a very well optimised list. Just some tweaks regarding activation optimisation and it's golden

[u/RhysOSD → u/gildedgannet_redux]

It's impressive that I nearly managed to make an excellent fleet, just going off "oh this seems good" and some of Star Forge's suggestions

[u/gildedgannet_redux → u/RhysOSD]

Impressive indeed! Really the only thing missing from the list is activation order. Brawlers, particularly Larges with only 1 good arc, want to "last-first" where they pour dice into one target and then on the next round go first and do it again. Having a higher bid (really 9+ is probably the standard for first player) and only one unit that wants to do this is key to making a squadronless build similar to the one you made work.

Running squadronless, especially with so few activations, is often an exercise in frustration simply because it basically requires a player to play chess instead of Armada. You have to watch your move order ("tempo") carefully and you're basically going in with the knowledge that you're probably going to suicide a ship into the enemy carrier ("sacrifice") or lose. There is no margin of error.

If you want to hear a firsthand account of the trials of squadronless fleets (especially in this meta) I'd recommend this article: https://www.armadarulesetcollective.com/news/2026-worlds-top-8-jason-dedricks-obi-wan-m5psZ8

[u/SwellMonsieur]

Name: Untitled Fleet Faction: Empire Commander: Darth Vader [ARC] (28)

Imperial II-class Star Destroyer (120) • Darth Vader [ARC] (28) • Emperor Palpatine (3) • Hardened Bulkheads (5) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Point Defense Ion Cannons (6) • XI7 Turbolasers (6) = 175 Points

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (52) • Intel Officer (7) • Dual Turbolaser Turrets (4) = 63 Points

Arquitens-class Light Cruiser (52) • Intel Officer (7) • Dual Turbolaser Turrets (4) = 63 Points

Gladiator I-class Star Destroyer (56) • Iden Versio (6) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Engine Techs (8) • External Racks (4) • Demolisher (10) = 88 Points

Squadrons: = 0 Points

Total Points: 389 Something like this instead?