So I've been a long time collector, but I'm playing my first event at the end of the month (I'd have played the wave IV release but the UK Games Expo was the same weekend).

I have three tie fighters and was going to grab another starter set for five total, but I was wondering how the Tie Defender and Phantom would fit into it? Was thinking of flying a Tie Swarm with a phantom or two, or possibly two Slave Is.

Also, with the Imperial and Rebel Ace sets, are the colour schemes just colour schemes or so I have to use those pilots with those ships?

You can use any pilot with any correctly corresponding model.

Soontir Fel can be placed on the regular Interceptor, or the one with the red stripe, or the one painted all red.

The paint scheme doesn't matter, as long as it's an interceptor.

Same with all other pilot/mini combos.

The Defender and the Phantom are both odd ducks, but both fly well alongside a mini-swarm.

Think of the Defender as being like a Firespray who's gone insane. It has high offense, high defense, and high cost like the Slave, but has the most unique maneuver dial in the game.
All 12 bank/turn options, and a White koiogran. Insaninty.

Fly with it often before flying it in a tournament.

The Phantom is incomparable to any other ship in the game, but should be a flanker/assassin.

4 Attack on its Primary, the Cloak Action, the insanity of Decloak, and the Sensor-Crew upgrade combos... yeah.
Fly with it often before flying it in a tournament.

Go with the fleet with which you are the most comfortable. This lets you actually use Tactics as you play, which is a greater advantage than going with a good fleet with which you are unfamiliar.

You can use any pilot with any correctly corresponding model.

Soontir Fel can be placed on the regular Interceptor, or the one with the red stripe, or the one painted all red.

The paint scheme doesn't matter, as long as it's an interceptor.

Same with all other pilot/mini combos.

It's why I got four imperial aces.