Okay... so... you didn't plan for people to use the Tie fighters as a swarm.

More like "we didn't intend for people to be able to use TIE fighters in a giant blob that never suffers any penalty for sitting next to their powerful buff pilot". You can still take a swarm, you just have to think more about how you deploy and maneuver it instead of just throwing Howlrunner and a giant ball of TIEs in the general direction of the enemy and letting your superior math win the game.

It is obvious from looking at Howlrunner that FFG designed the Tie fighter to be strong in packs. This is the true nature of the ship. The Z95 is just another answer for a common Rebel encounter. Nothing is broken.

I think they intended ties to be flyable in swarms, but that the miscalculated just how effective they would be and so are toning them down a little.

Likewise, I see them pushing high PS and named pilots a bit more, trying to get people away from dirt cheap generics.

Likewise, I see them pushing high PS and named pilots a bit more, trying to get people away from dirt cheap generics.

Lol. I don't see that ever happening unless you got a Pilot that couldn't be shot at by generics.

Not that I don't like flying high PS named, as I normally do.

The Problem with the TIE has always been how fast they die. Well I think we just found a ship that will die faster. 2 attack dice no defensive actions except for focus, and only 1 more hit that a TIE. Granted a TIE is still more likely to be one shot-ed. I haven't run the math but I think we will find that the Z-95 will still die faster.

The Target Lock isn't the boon that people think. from a straight expected number of hits perspective, Focus is just as good as target lock. Target Lock is useful manly in two ways 1- stacking with focus, either from extra actions or from the fact that the TL stays from turn to turn. and 2- shooting missiles and torpedoes. The TL on the Z-95 is clearly there to help it shoot missiles.

TL also suffers on low PS ships, so this discourages swarms of Z-95's

So here is what I will be using the Z-95 for. At least initially:

Z-95: Blount

-Assault Missile

Z-95: Bandit

-Assault Missile

-Munitions Failsafe

Z-95: Bandit

-Assault Missile

-Munitions Failsafe

E-Wing: Etahn

-R2-D2

-Push the Limit

-Advanced Sensors

A baht is so expensive that it will be hard to bring enough ships to use his ability effectively. I think Z-95s will do this nicely. In addition, you have three assault missiles that are guaranteed to do splash damage (unless their ships are destroyed). And E-Wings with R2-D2 are likely to be pretty gross.

I will say this though. I like all the options that are coming out now and I can tell that FFG has done a good job overall because I had no clue how to spend my last two points.

I could have done: Wingman on Blount, Tala Squadron upgrades, a flechette torpedo on A baht, but I finally decided to go with the failsafes instead.