Been thinking about starting this topic for a bit, but recent discussions have pushed me over the edge to actually start it. I doubt we'll come up with any sort of universal consensus, but we can perhaps come up with a working definition of a Swarm.

So what in your opinion makes a Swarm a Swarm? Does it change depending on what faction you're playing?

Myself, I define a swarm like this.

6+ ships in a single list, even if they're not all the same type. They don't have to all be the same PS, and they don't have to be naked.

So 6+ Tie Fighters, 6+ Z-95's with assault missiles, or even 4 Z-95's and 3 A-Wings would be a swarm.

Would agree, any more than 5 I would consider a swarm. Not that it really matters. There's no legal/illegal rules on the matter. I must offer kudos to swarm players that don't crash

For me a swarm comes from sacrificing PS and upgrades to get as many ships as you can. This does not mean that all the ships need be Prototype Pilots or Academy Pilots, but the bulk of the points you spent needed to be to get as many ships on the board.

3 Bounty hunters would count, but taking all the named TIE Fighters doesn't really.

I don't really like just making a cut off with numbers and calling it a swarm because that might just mean you brought a few TIEs.

I don't know how many lists I have seen posted where someone spent half or more of their points to do something cool, then filled in the rest of their list with Academy pilots and said it called it a swarm. Like this is my Super Fettigator and Swarm. It that case it just means TIEs

Another definition I would be willing to accept for a swarm is building a list around a special rule that applies to all the ship in a give area. There are really only three kinds of these kinds of swarms as I see them now. Howelrunner swarm, Biggs Swarm and Jonus Swarm. These are not a swarm because of how many ships you have, but because of how you fly them.

It's not that I don't like that other people define swarm simply by the number of ships, but I find that definition a bit limiting and focused on TIEs.

When people complain that so many Imperial Players are flying Swarms are they really complaining that the Empire's main ship is a TIE Fighter? Or are they talking about specific tactics and play style.

I no longer field TIE swarms. From hence forth, I will field TIE gaggles.

It's just semantics but IMHO, 5+ makes a swarm.

I may be off the mark, but to me as swarm is more of a tactic than it is a list category.

Like, if you are attempting to overwhelm your opponent with numbers and coming at him/her from all directions at once, I would call it a swarm. So that could be a 4 ship list that takes advantage of a late game numbers advantage, or it could mean a 7 ship formation of TIEs.

To me it all comes down to the tactic used.

(however I'm also fairly new to the game so who knows)

For me, a Swarm requires two things:
1:) An unexpectedly high number of ships for your faction
2:) The ability for those ships to work as a single unit

For the first point, this allows for the "Swarm" designation to extend past the 100 point format.
Is 6 ships still a swarm in a 200 point match? Is 4 not a swarm in a 50? Et c.

The second one is the difference between a true Swarm and a Horde.
If I'm fielding 8 Ties, but treating them as 4 Pairs, I'm not actually flying a Swarm.
If I'm fielding 5 differing Rebel Ships, but am able to consistently concentrate my fire with all 5, I am definitely flying as a Swarm.

For me, a Swarm requires two things:

1:) An unexpectedly high number of ships for your faction

2:) The ability for those ships to work as a single unit

For the first point, this allows for the "Swarm" designation to extend past the 100 point format.

Is 6 ships still a swarm in a 200 point match? Is 4 not a swarm in a 50? Et c.

The second one is the difference between a true Swarm and a Horde.

If I'm fielding 8 Ties, but treating them as 4 Pairs, I'm not actually flying a Swarm.

If I'm fielding 5 differing Rebel Ships, but am able to consistently concentrate my fire with all 5, I am definitely flying as a Swarm.

I general I consider a swarm to be a group of ships that generally sacrifices PS for numbers, can have a "squad leader" (not the card!) for area effects, and is flown together to maintain area effects and depends on action denial. I also consider an entire list to be swarm when they are all the same ship type, with the exception of a single "squad leader" or flanker.

So, that means:

• XXXX = swarm
• BYBY = nope
• XXX = swarm
• 7 or 8 T/F = swarm
• 6 named T/F = swarm
• 1 T/I, 4 or 5 T/F = swarm
• 2 T/I, 3 or 4 T/F = nope
• 3 or 4 shuttles = swarm
• 3 or 4 T/B = swarm

For me, a Swarm requires two things:

1:) An unexpectedly high number of ships for your faction

2:) The ability for those ships to work as a single unit

For the first point, this allows for the "Swarm" designation to extend past the 100 point format.

Is 6 ships still a swarm in a 200 point match? Is 4 not a swarm in a 50? Et c.

The second one is the difference between a true Swarm and a Horde.

If I'm fielding 8 Ties, but treating them as 4 Pairs, I'm not actually flying a Swarm.

If I'm fielding 5 differing Rebel Ships, but am able to consistently concentrate my fire with all 5, I am definitely flying as a Swarm.

I like the idea, but there is one big issue. What constitutes an "unexpectedly high number of ships"? So I think that's where Hrathen's idea of sacrificing PS for numbers helps. But that's not a complete answer either, because I consider the 6-named TIE Fighter lists to be swarms too.

"Unexpectedly High" is, as you say, variable.

For the Rebels, this is 5 or more in a 100 point fleet, as Rebel fleets go with 3-4 ships.

For the Empire, this is 6 or more in a 100 point fleet, and the 6 is borderline, as their non-swarm fleets tend to be 4-5 ships.

XXX lists are not swarms by anyone's rubric excepting yours.