The local store is having the Imdaar Alpha event a week later than most, should have around 16 players and this is what im thinking of taking, anything jumps out as really bad?

Howlrunner - Swarm Tactics

Mauler Mithil - Swarm Tactics

Obsidian

Obsidian

Omicron - FCS, Engine Upgrade, Gunner, Vader

100 points

I took the swarm tactics so I can boost the Omicron and 1 of the Obsidians up to get a good first strike on - hopefully lol

I took the Obsidians over Academies just in case I face an opposing swarm or the many ships with PS2 so they have a slight advantage

The Omicron, well its a buzzsaw lol

What store might this be...

Vader on a Buzzsaw seems like overkill. You're taking a damaging ship with no agility that accounts for 36% of your build total, and taking extra damage with it. Maybe use those points to bump an Obsidian up to Curse or Backstabber? Or just run Vader alone on the shuttle, and use the points to squeeze in an Academy?

The event is at Athena Games, Norwich (UK)

I was wondering if Vader was a bit overkillishness as the Omicron is a big chunk of points

Choose between making the omnicron either a buzzsaw or a Vader build, use the points you save on upgrades to your TIEs, with protection of Howlrunner being first priority.

If Vader is going on a Shuttle, do not put any more points onto that shuttle. You're throwing them away.

For a Buzzsaw, there are 3 more productive 3 point upgrades: Ion Cannon, Rebel Captive, and Captain Yorr.

• Adding an Ion Cannon for a Control Option is the weakest option, but it's still better than Vader. Hopefully, the Ionized Ship will land in range of your Shuttle and Swarmlet, and get annihilated.
  
• Rebel Captive preserves your Shuttle for the end-game relatively un-harmed. Your shuttle is your highest single-ship of damage, and though not agile is incredibly fast.
  
• Captain Yorr (instead of an Omicron Group Pilot) should only clear 1 stress per turn (2 if you know for a fact that you won't want to Boost the next turn), but is great for a non-formation fleet. The PS bid might be useful even if you almost never use his ability, though.

I do not like Mauler Mithel in general. If you demoted all of your non-Howlrunner Ties to Academies, and use the 3 points from Vader, you could afford a 5th Tie Fighter.

V

The event is at Athena Games, Norwich (UK)

I was wondering if Vader was a bit overkillishness as the Omicron is a big chunk of points

Vader excels on a standard shuttle. It only comes to 24 points. If your opponent focuses on it, it's no big deal. They're probably spending at least three or four attacks to clear a 24-point piece off the board, which allows your other ships to focus on killing someone worth more than that. If you run a Vader shuttle and downgrade one Obsidian, you can buy an extra Academy.

At 35 points, that ship moves from "complementary" to "centerpiece." It needs to be able to clear something off the board before it dies, to earn its value. You're not going to get that from an AG1 flight craft with 10 health that's doing 2 damage to itself. You'll be lucky if Vader even gets to use his ability. If you take Vader out, that's a Stealth Device or Hull Upgrade for one of your named pilots.

Ok, thanks for the replies, ive got to this now

Howrunner - Swarm

Mauler - Swarm

Omicron - Vader

Obsidian

Academy

Academy

In the first engagement I should have 2 8s and 2 7s, im thinking the shuttle should have the 7 on the first pass and try and take out at least one of the enemy ships - if I can get a lucky double damage crit on it - with other firepower

Gives an extra TIE and I can use the Omicron as a blocker/sacrifice ship

Last event I went to - 2 months ago - there was a lot of 3 ship builds and only 2 other swarms out of the 16/18 people there, im hoping it will be similar in composition (Never know till I get there)

I took a 7 TIE swarm with Howl and Mauler with Swarm Tactics each to my Imdaar. I didn't win a ship, but ended up 3-1. (It was my first time playing a swarm). The 8,8,7,7 was very powerful against the right matchup. I was hoping it would do what are hoping for. In the first pass I almost took out a dark curse before he could fire. In the 4th round I took out a B wing before it could shoot. Essentially, sometimes it happens and sometimes it does not. Overall your list looks good to me.