So I am starting a new series Commander Emeritus where we look at commanders that have retired if you will and look at why and how they might be able to make a comeback. Today we are going to start with a commander that never really gained a huge following even when he was out, but he does have his lists that he was good in, Admiral Ozzel.
So Ozzel lets us change our speed by an additional one and is only 20 points so fit into the cheapest commanders in the game so why is he never seen? Well it has to due with a lot of things and in fact if he was a rebel commander I think we would see him a lot more often, but he does not see play for 4 main reasons.
First speed-2 is just so good as the empire. only one imperial ship can go speed 4 the raider meaning if you set your speed at 2 at the start of the game it only takes a non ozzle command to drop to your top speed or you lowest speed, baring speed zero, but that is normally not the greatest Idea. Because of this it is just so easy for the empire to be extremely flexible with speed already that ozzel is just no needed, and factor in if your really need ozzel for one turn Entrapment formation will pretty much do the same thing when paired with a nav command.
Second was touched on in the first, but only the Raider has speed 4 as an option for the empire, and with speed two being so flexible for the rest of the empire fleet they don't gain much from Ozzles ability. Raiders can go speed 2 then jump to 4. Raiders are in all honesty the ship best equiped to use Ozzle's ability and most others are kind of meh.
Third well as raiders really are the ships best able to use Ozzles ability they are unfortunately not really "in" right now. The game has moved to large dice pools many of which will get an accuracy to lock up the single brace the raider has. Really the raider can be a pretty tough ship, but if it loses its brace 6 damage is enough to kill it and that is not a very tall order in today's meta.
Forth and lastly Ozzle's effect its one of the easiest commander ability's to replicate in game. Increasing speed by two is vary obtainable with just a nav token and dial or even just entrapment formation and a nav token or dial. In most case a ship only need to use Ozzle's ability once maybe twice per game, and this is not hard to accomplish by just using one of the aforementioned effects.
So what would need to change to bring this Admiral out of retirement? Well more speed 4 imperial ships. If the Empire had one or two more speed 4 ships ozzle would have a lot more uses. Right now you have only have the raider, and you can use engine techs to give a few imperial ships arqutines, gladiator, and onager a fake speed 4. If you want to use Ozzle right now you are going to need to take advanatge of these fake speed 4 ships.
Arquitens Command Cruiser (59)
• Engine Techs (8)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
= 74 Points
Gladiator I (56)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Engine Techs (8)
• External Racks (3)
• Demolisher (10)
= 81 Points
Onager Testbed (96)
• Veteran Gunners (5)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Engine Techs (8)
• Orbital Bombardment Particle Cannons (5)
= 118 Points
There is an argument to be had for an Ozzle list to take a quasar, or an ISD. When taking a quasar it can sit back at speed one commanding squadrons and with just a nav token can jump up to speed 3 in a pinch. with an ISD it can be intriguing to be super aggressive fly in at speed 3 drop to one and just throw as much damage as you can and when things get hairy jump out at speed 3.
ISD Kuat Refit (112)
• Reeva Demesne (4)
• Local Fire Control (4)
• Electronic Countermeasures (7)
• Leading Shots (4)
• Assault Concussion Missiles (7)
= 138 Points
Ozzel is just an odd commander that no longer has the luxury of being the cheapest Imperial command, meaning your fleet has to gain more from taking him than taking Romodi. If you had to bring Admiral Ozzle as your commander to your next tournament what list would you run him in? What do you think would need to change in the game for him to see more table time? Here are a few list I came up with to utilize Ozzle Enjoy, and until next time have a great week.
ISD Kuat Refit (112) • Admiral Ozzel (20) • Reeva Demesne (4) • Local Fire Control (4) • Phylon Q7 Tractor Beams (6) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Leading Shots (4) • Assault Concussion Missiles (7) = 164 Points
Raider I (44) • Captain Brunson (5) • Ordnance Experts (4) • External Racks (3) • Corvus (2) = 58 Points
Raider I (44) • Minister Tua (2) • Ordnance Experts (4) • External Racks (3) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) = 60 Points
Gozanti Cruisers (23) • Slicer Tools (7) • Reserve Hangar Deck (3) = 33 Points
Gozanti Cruisers (23) • Slicer Tools (7) • Reserve Hangar Deck (3) = 33 Points
Squadrons: • 4 x TIE Interceptor Squadron (44) = 44 Points
Total Points: 392
Onager Testbed (96) • Admiral Ozzel (20) • Strategic Adviser (4) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Veteran Gunners (5) • Engine Techs (8) • Orbital Bombardment Particle Cannons (5) • Rakehell (4) = 146 Points
Raider I (44) • Captain Brunson (5) • Ordnance Experts (4) • External Racks (3) • Corvus (2) = 58 Points
Raider I (44) • Iden Versio (6) • Ordnance Experts (4) • External Racks (3) • Instigator (4) = 61 Points
Raider I (44) • Minister Tua (2) • Ordnance Experts (4) • External Racks (3) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) = 60 Points
Gozanti Cruisers (23) • Darth Vader (1) • Comms Net (2) = 26 Points
Gozanti Cruisers (23) • Hondo Ohnaka (2) • Slicer Tools (7) = 32 Points
Total Points: 383
Gladiator II (62) • Admiral Ozzel (20) • Captain Brunson (5) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Assault Concussion Missiles (7) • Demolisher (10) = 108 Points
Raider II (48) • Weapons Battery Techs (5) • Disposable Capacitors (3) • Heavy Ion Emplacements (9) • Corvus (2) = 67 Points
Arquitens Command Cruiser (59) • Engine Techs (8) • Linked Turbolaser Towers (7) = 74 Points
Quasar Fire II (61) • Skilled First Officer (1) • Ruthless Strategists (4) • Flight Controllers (6) • Boosted Comms (4) • Pursuant (2) = 78 Points
Squadrons: • 5 x TIE Bomber Squadron (45) • Captain Jonus (16) = 61 Points
Total Points: 388
Comments