I'd like to see today if anyone has been able to make the Imperial Knights part of an effective team. I played them quite a bit in the wotc days, but it seems that they are outclassed nowadays. They are highly-cost, have low health, and they depend on rolling well to really be effective (evade, cortosis gauntlet.)

If played right, they can put out 80 damage with Opportunist and Roan Fel's +4/+10. Playing a TLBSV gives them GMA, allowing them to run 6 and attack twice (looking at Draco and the strike leader in this case; Imperial Knight Master has Lightsaber Assault.) They also have access to evade, which is helpful, but loses meaning once in melee.
In my opinion, ranged support is an absolute necessity if you're going to play Imperial Knights. While they have access to the Empire's neat CE's, such as Thrawn, the Imp Governor, and Mas Ameeda, these tools don't seem to be enough to allow them to effectively fight other melee.

I could go on what I think is wrong with them, but I was actually hoping to glean from y'all what you think is good about them. What have you found to be effective with the imp knights? How about Roan Fel? Do you think he is a necessity or a corpse when it comes to playing the imperial knights?

I've pretty much concluded the same thing with a shooter. As much as I want to make Antares good, I just can't see it happening in the current meta. With the way things are swinging in favor of melee in VSet 10, maybe we'll see some new CEs to make him better, or an outright new Draco (he's in need of it.)

In the example team you've provided, would you say that you would sit & spin with Fel, or use him as an attacker? With 90HP, he seems to get gunned down pretty fast. But 43 points is a lot to sit on.

I would for sure hold him in reserve until I really needed him in the fight as his CE is too important to lose by having him lead from the front, but much like Bastilla, he isn't a terrible fighter if you need to bring him up late.

I think that's a fair comparison. The power of the CE initially outweighs the power of the piece himself. I tried the initial team up against accurate shot and IG-Lancers, and they died like dogs. It was not a friendly map either. I think your suggestions should make them survive a bit longer as well.

I was thinking, and it would be pricey, and we've already written them off as 'play-for-fun' pieces, but you could bring them in with Lord Krayt, and give them access to Sith CEs.

Most tournament Thrawn squads are built around one or two big attackers, like Cad Bane, Boba AfH, Lord Vader, Morrigan Corde, or Arica. Then they try and cram plenty of activations in, and outactivate and smash. Imperial Knights can't really do that, but it's generally how Thrawn works best.