This was inspired by TheBrownBomber's comment in the Store Championship thread calling a TIE Advanced list "Homing Pigs" as a play on homing pigeons. I decided to put together an Assault Missile list that should be able to get 3 Assault Missile hits in the first round. It uses Airen Cracken, and it should be able to "crack" a swarm, hence the title.

Swarm Cracken

100 points

Airen Cracken + PtL + Assault Missiles (27)

Lieutenant Blount + Assault Missiles (22)

Bandit Squadron Pilot + Assault Missiles (17)

Blue Squadron Pilot (22)

Bandit Squadron Pilot (12)

In the movement phase:

1. Airen gets a TL and focus.
2. Lieutenant Blount gets a TL.
3. The Bandit with a missile focuses, and is in range 1 of Airen.
4. Blue / Bandit #2 do whatever.

In the combat phase:

1. Airen fires his Assault Missile with TL + Focus, and should get a hit.
2. After Airen fires, he gives a free action to the Bandit with a Missile, who then acquires a target lock.
3. Blount fires his Assault Missile and is guaranteed a hit.
4. The Bandit with Assault Missile fires with TL + Focus, and should get a hit.
5. Blue and Bandit Squadron pilots fire normally.

The Blue and Bandit are fillers to provide some punch and clean up at the end. You'll only have 1 B + 4 Z's after the alpha, so against rebel lists, especially B-wings, it may suffer. But you should do a ton of damage on the initial pass against clumped up enemy squads.

The biggest drawback is the possibility of your PS2 Bandit getting killed before he can unload his Assault Missile. So I came up with this baseline variant that forces your opponent to fire at Biggs instead.

Bigg Swarm Cracken

91 points (9 to customize)

Airen Cracken + PtL + Assault Missiles (27)

Lieutenant Blount + Assault Missiles (22)

Bandit Squadron Pilot + Assault Missiles (17)

Biggs (25)

So this list leaves you with 9 points to customize. But this got me thinking, what other ships can carry an Assault Missile? The YT-1300 of course! So this third list drops Biggs in favor of a named YT-1300 with an Assault Missile. Since I wanted to continue with naming puns, we of course have to go with Chewbacca.

Chewy Swarm Cracken

96 points (4 to customize)

Airen Cracken + PtL + Assault Missiles (27)

Lieutenant Blount + Assault Missiles (22)

Chewbacca + Assault Missiles (47)

This list has 4 points to customize, so some related lists are

Swarm Cracken Land

98 points (2 to customize)

Airen Cracken + PtL + Assault Missiles (27)

Lieutenant Blount + Assault Missiles (22)

Lando + Assault Missiles (49)

Solo Swarm Cracken

100 points

Airen Cracken + PtL + Assault Missiles (27)

Lieutenant Blount + Assault Missiles (22)

Han Solo + Assault Missiles (51)

Any of these should be able to decimate a traditional 7 TIE Swarm, but have some weaknesses to other lists. Discuss!

Yeah, this is probably the main ways to run Blount as Anti-Swarm. I'd consider spreading around a couple of Munitions Failsafes for Cracken and your Falcon, although the Z-95 is made out of tissue paper, so you NEED to get those Missiles off successfully before either one goes down.

Up against Swarms which are primarily low pilot skill (except maybe howlrunner and one other) that should work fine. But mirror matches and more elite squadrons with higher pilot skills (Crackens 8 is decent, but Blounts 6 is kind of his personal weak spot) then things will be more up in the air.

I suspect we might see more Imperial lists favouring multiple Firesprays over TIE swarms in tournements when Blount finally hits, against which all of your lists might struggle (especially if they lose Cracken early somehow.)

I guess the next step now is to create a list with the tools to deal with all comers... well, I say "next" it's really always been objective. It's just that now Rebels actually have the tools to do that.

The biggest drawback is the possibility of your PS2 Bandit getting killed before he can unload his Assault Missile.

Consider spending 1 point for PS4.

The biggest drawback is the possibility of your PS2 Bandit getting killed before he can unload his Assault Missile.

Consider spending 1 point for PS4.

Might work. The meta in my area runs towards taking Black Squadron with Vet Instincts so it wouldn't really help there, but against the classical swarm the only thing to worry about is Howlrunner and maybe a Backstabber or Dark Curse. Even a Z-95 should be able to survive 4-5 attack dice, even if he isn't at RB3 for both and thus getting 3 evade dice.

Putting together a list that unloads 3 assault missiles for anti swarm duty isn't really that hard. Making a list that does that AND has a cance vs anything other than a swarm, that is hard. Can these lists deal with 2 YTs or Firesprays? A suicide shuttle? XXBB?

That is the trick making an anti- swarm list, making it work vs other things too.

Although this is way too soft and doesn't pack a lot of post missile firepower you could look at this:

Cracken

Jake Farrell + PtL + Assault (assuming Rebel Aces are around)

Blount + Assault

Green + PtL + Assault

Once the missiles are gone you still have a pair of those annoying A-Wings to deal with and the two Zs can still work as a team especially if there are any Stealth Devices that can be removed.

How about this?

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v2!66:19,26:-1:-1:;31:19,26:-1:7:;85:1,-1:-1:7:;3:-1,69:-1:-1:

Basically:

Blount + Assault Missile + Deadeye

Green Squadron + Deadeye + Assault + Munitions Failsafe

Tarn Mison + Proton Torpedoes + Munitions Failsafe

X-Wing Rookie + R3 A2

Blount and Green Squadron are obviously there to throw assaults around and weaken the enemy, whilst Tarn and Rookie are supposedly the closers. Rookie can throw stress out with it's Droid, and Tarn can use his ability to punch one of his attackers in the nose with his protons as and when needed.

Sounds like fun but, "Swarm Cracken Land" The images, oh my god the mental images xD Just makes me think of some kind of Mario game cross over.

How about this?

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v2!66:19,26:-1:-1:;31:19,26:-1:7:;85:1,-1:-1:7:;3:-1,69:-1:-1:

Basically:

Blount + Assault Missile + Deadeye

Green Squadron + Deadeye + Assault + Munitions Failsafe

Tarn Mison + Proton Torpedoes + Munitions Failsafe

X-Wing Rookie + R3 A2

Blount and Green Squadron are obviously there to throw assaults around and weaken the enemy, whilst Tarn and Rookie are supposedly the closers. Rookie can throw stress out with it's Droid, and Tarn can use his ability to punch one of his attackers in the nose with his protons as and when needed.

Tarn is MADE for the stock R7 droid... he would be a tank

Abahtabad!

Ehtan Abat - Adv Sensors, PTL, R2 unit.
Bandit z95 x 5.

Bandit JAN

Jan Ors + Squad Leader + Nien Nunb
Bandit z95 x 6

I don't think the z95 should ever be on a list without a missile. Seems counter productive. I love the idea of throwing 2 of them on a squad with assault and munitions.

How about this?

http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/?f=Rebel%20Alliance&d=v2!66:19,26:-1:-1:;31:19,26:-1:7:;85:1,-1:-1:7:;3:-1,69:-1:-1:

Basically:

Blount + Assault Missile + Deadeye

Green Squadron + Deadeye + Assault + Munitions Failsafe

Tarn Mison + Proton Torpedoes + Munitions Failsafe

X-Wing Rookie + R3 A2

Blount and Green Squadron are obviously there to throw assaults around and weaken the enemy, whilst Tarn and Rookie are supposedly the closers. Rookie can throw stress out with it's Droid, and Tarn can use his ability to punch one of his attackers in the nose with his protons as and when needed.

Tarn is MADE for the stock R7 droid... he would be a tank

I didn't think we had a spoiler for the stock R7 yet?

[quote name="MajorJuggler" post="1031438" timestamp="1396110799"

The biggest drawback is the possibility of your PS2 Bandit getting killed before he can unload

I think the biggest drawback will be that anyone who sees this list will do their best not to provide you with a big juicy target. Anyone who faces this and still sends their swarm straight into range on turn 1 deserves to get it blown to shreds.

I didn't think we had a spoiler for the stock R7 yet?

We do.

source

discussion

My anti-swarm list would be:

Airen Cracken PS 8 PTL, Ass. Missile 27

Lt. Blount PS 6 (8) VI, Ass. Missle 23

Chewie PS 5 DTF, M.F., Ass. Missile 49

99 points

SWARM CHEWER! I really hope that doesn't catch on...

My anti-swarm list would be:

Airen Cracken PS 8 PTL, Ass. Missile 27

Lt. Blount PS 6 (8) VI, Ass. Missle 23

Chewie PS 5 DTF, M.F., Ass. Missile 49

99 points

SWARM CHEWER! I really hope that doesn't catch on...

This is the best one I've seen. I would fly that.