Ackbar lead in arena: pros and cons?
September 28, 2016 8:55PM
edited September 2016
So to make this short and sweet, do you/have you run Ackbar in arena?
If so what do you like or dislike about?
How does he do against droid teams?
Droid teams have always been easy for my old setup until now. B2 is replacing Nebit/RG/IG 100 and it is making them more difficult because my team relies on buffs.
Going AGAINST Ackbar leads has typically been easy for me because I run a Ventress lead and mass dispel all of the buffs including Leia's stealth.
So, the team I run now:
Ventress
Old Daka
QGJ
GS
STHan
Team I am thinking of running:
Ackbar (L)
Leia
STHan
QGJ (until I get Lando up to snuff)
GS
Not really sure how effective it would be in arena but it is fun to run in GW. I still have some gearing to do on AA and need to omega Leia's basic.
So what are your thoughts? Am I wasting my time on this?
EDIT: I realize Ackbar lead team would be at least as reliant on buffs if not more so than my current team. However I am thinking of stacking tenacity on Ackbar and trying to utilize his cleanse for the massive amounts of debuffs from droids as well as EP led teams.
And yes I know, it is almost impossible to stack enough tenacity to neutralize potency modded toons. I figure it's with a shot... or is it???
If so what do you like or dislike about?
How does he do against droid teams?
Droid teams have always been easy for my old setup until now. B2 is replacing Nebit/RG/IG 100 and it is making them more difficult because my team relies on buffs.
Going AGAINST Ackbar leads has typically been easy for me because I run a Ventress lead and mass dispel all of the buffs including Leia's stealth.
So, the team I run now:
Ventress
Old Daka
QGJ
GS
STHan
Team I am thinking of running:
Ackbar (L)
Leia
STHan
QGJ (until I get Lando up to snuff)
GS
Not really sure how effective it would be in arena but it is fun to run in GW. I still have some gearing to do on AA and need to omega Leia's basic.
So what are your thoughts? Am I wasting my time on this?
EDIT: I realize Ackbar lead team would be at least as reliant on buffs if not more so than my current team. However I am thinking of stacking tenacity on Ackbar and trying to utilize his cleanse for the massive amounts of debuffs from droids as well as EP led teams.
And yes I know, it is almost impossible to stack enough tenacity to neutralize potency modded toons. I figure it's with a shot... or is it???
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Replies
You want two things from Ackbar; either going first, making sure Leia deals damage in the first turn or make the same order as I did: Leia first, Rey second (when Leia uses Special, it triggers Ackbar and has 55% - omega basic, of getting 45% TM which makes him going second), QGJ third, Ackbar fourth and RG fifth.
It brought me numerous #1 spots like a month ago, this might not be the case anymore due to meta-shift to the AoE. I barely struggled with Droids too.
Thanks for the feedback!
My main concern for switching out STHan for RG is loss of TM manipulation. It seems with many teams, if their STHan goes first I've lost half the battle already.
(I do love RG's autotaunt and stun though. He's only at gear 9 compared to STHan being close to G11.)
How do you deal with ST Han's taunt? If I don't get lucky in turn order with QGJ and he gets his taunt off, it is an eternity of feeding TM before he goes if he is even still alive.
Also, I'm having trouble following how RG helps maximize Leia's damage. Is it simply that his stuns ensure her attacks don't miss? Or am I missing something?
Indeed. Leia, STHan, and of course Ackbar all have specials that trigger and assist. Isn't that sufficient?
My RG has 86k HP in total, so he absorbs a LOT.
ST Han may be viable for AoE teams more than dual(triple)-Rebel teams.
Aa L,
Lando,
ST Han
Ep
B2
ST Han goes first, then it is random who goes next, either aa, lando or ep. So either lando or ep go back to back, which does a bunch of damage or control. If aa goes 3rd out of the 3, b2 does basic, ST Han does basic then Lando goes back to back with both aoe's being buffed. On defense if the above turn order happens but ep has low health and goes before lando he will does "let the hate flow" granting offense up and then he will stun again with the immediate next turn.
Sometimes I run the same team as above but take out aa, move lando to lead and add jka.
Not sure what you mean by this, Comrade-in-Arms and Red Squadron Strike work with Tactical Genius. I do it all the time. You do not get a second Comrade-in-Arms, if that's what you mean.
AA (L)
StHan
Lando
Biggs
Wedge
Pros:
Cons:
I've been happy with him for months. I just find him fun to play. Using his abilities to deal with tricky teams gives me something to actually think about in this game. I'm not in competition for the top 5 spots on my server, but I've seen the teams who consistently make the top 5, and I'm neither geared nor modded as well as them.
I have one short comment on your team (which looks fine and all) - Wedge not being the leader is kind of wasted space. Don't get me wrong, but all the bonuses he gives to all Rebels is just too hard to overlook. You get leader ability of Ackbar triggered 3 times per match (if lucky more) but does that value in the same ranking as 30% offense, 15% heal and 10% TM gain? I am having second thoughts about it.
I've thought the same thing. However my main issue with Wedge as leader is that I drop a great deal of speed. With the teams I'm fighting, I could lose one or two characters before I get to go. Wedge in particular doesn't have much health. If I manage to score a few +30 speed arrow mods, I might promote Wedge to leader.
Makes sense and why I can actually use him as a leader. I don't really lack 20+ speed mods.
Can you imagine. SThan just eating up leias 5K attacks for TM
Akbar(L)
Lumi
Qui
Leia
Rey
It's a great team. Leia goes first and stealths with an Akbar assist, then akbar uses his tactical Genius and leia assist, then I use Rey's two attacks to take out a toon and possibly put some damage on another. Qui will swoop in and call someone to assist and I can usually take out two toons before someone else gets an attack in.
I used to run this team, it was too rng dependent. It is why I've dropped leia. More often than not she is hitting for 3k non crits two times.
Many better damage dealers than leia.
It is safe to have Lando quicker. If you meet oppenent with 2 tanks, it is better to use AA's Tactical Genius for Palpatine AoE and next for shock opponent's Han.
Nice, I never though of using EP with Ackbar. I'd have to move some speed mods around to get EP close to fast enough.
Does let the hate flow trigger Ackbars unique and grant an assist?
Speed manipulation with STH and mods turns AA into a great character!
Currently:
Palps (L)
STH
Leia
Fives
Rey
My thoughts is a straight swap with Palps and AA.. not sure if I will miss Palps dmg/stuns too much though
So keep in Palps... but I cant bring myself to lose Fives
take out leia, too rng dependent unless you modded her for crit chance
I don't know about that. I just got her modded with offense mods and a 5dot crit damage mod and she hits like a truck.
Even a single crit when stealthed does 11k. I'll take that all day long.
There are few people in my shard with B2 or Echo so I don't really have to worry about her losing stealth.
Ackbar, QGJ, STH, RG, and Leia are a fun combo.
I will sub in GS with RG or STH depending on what team I am facing.
Only thing I really have to be careful of is a crazy modded Rey oneshotting Leia before she stealths. I just got her to G10 though so it would take the perfect storm for that to happen now.
There are lots of EP and Old Ben leads on my shard so his cleanse ability is nice. That being said, his best asset is being able to call extra assists and giving 100% TM with Tactical Genius.
He is a pain to gear though. I only have him at G9 and he often gets killed early on in a fight even if I end up winning.
Going back to OP question, AA (L) is great but you need in that team STHan yes or yes, Wiggs or Lando + Leia and another control toon like Old Ben, B2 or RG. That makes a consistent team, and with nice mods a top 20 team easily.
It's not rocket surgery.
Also, he does need tenacity, it makes a huge difference, no question about it. Plus, since he's your cleanser, you don't want him ability blocked.
Why don't you have Wedge and Biggs going before STH?