Has anyone tried either of these? Which one should I invest in next?

(18) Howlrunner

(17) Mauler Mithel

(16) Dark Curse

(16) Backstabber

(15) Night Beast

(15) Winged Gundark

(97) - And either PTL or Marksmanship on one of them?

or

(84) 7 Academy Pilots

(16) Dark Curse or Backstabber.

or

(28) Soontir Fel + Determination

(72) 4 Alpha Squadron

I'm just wondering what the most popular TIE swarms are. I do like the idea of all the named pilots in one squadron, but I'm not sure it would last long against Fat Han/Chewie.

Actually it would last fairly long against a fat han and especially against chewie. You still have six ships to get through and against chewie you have a minimum PS of 5. You have 4/6 firepower abilities and 2/6 with defensive abilities so they are stronger and more resilient than normal TIEs. You may run into problems with the different PS and some like close range to activate their abilities so you have to be careful against the falcon. It should work though. TIEs eat up c3p0 and falcons. 6 should be enough.

The most common TIE swarms consist of Howlrunner + 6 TIEs including most commonly Mauler, Dark Curse, Backstabber, or Black Sq. w/ Draw their Fire. Common upgrades include Swarm tactics and determination on the big guys. Hull upgrades are nice on Howlrunner. Some people use obsidians instead of academies. Mix and match to your specifications.

The "Black TIE Affair," as I call the elite TIE swarm, isn't bad, but it does have its limits, as you are giving up that critical 7th ship that helps with prolonged survival of the swarm. I typically run a 4-block (Howl, Mauler, Gundark, and Curse) with Night Beast and Backstabber flanking. I often swap out Gundark for a Black Squadron with some EPT as well, as his ability has limited appeal.

The 8 TIE Swarm has been generally well-regarded, though in the current meta, Phantoms would probably be your worst fear, as would any lists that feature Predator. Likewise, you lose the punch that Howlrunner provides your Academies, so this takes some advanced flying to perform well.

The last list doesn't really appeal, as seeing Soontir minus PTL is generally a disaster, and Alphas are usually most often seen in conjunction with Howlrunner so they can use their Focus or Evade to stay alive long enough to shoot. Jousting is not an Interceptor's forte.

Actually it would last fairly long against a fat han and especially against chewie. You still have six ships to get through and against chewie you have a minimum PS of 5. You have 4/6 firepower abilities and 2/6 with defensive abilities so they are stronger and more resilient than normal TIEs. You may run into problems with the different PS and some like close range to activate their abilities so you have to be careful against the falcon. It should work though. TIEs eat up c3p0 and falcons. 6 should be enough.

The most common TIE swarms consist of Howlrunner + 6 TIEs including most commonly Mauler, Dark Curse, Backstabber, or Black Sq. w/ Draw their Fire. Common upgrades include Swarm tactics and determination on the big guys. Hull upgrades are nice on Howlrunner. Some people use obsidians instead of academies. Mix and match to your specifications.

Thank you that's helpful. (And thanks as well R2)

I like the idea of 6 all named better than 7 some named/some generic, but I guess the extra ship is probably more valuable than some of the named abilities. I guess I'll grab 4 more Ties next then.

If I use an interceptor swarm, I typically go with Howlrunner and Tetran Cowell with Swarm Tactics and 3 Alphas.

Another list is Howlrunner with Swarm Tactics, 3 Academy Pilots and two Saber Squadrons with Veteran Instincts (of course, you could do 2 Avengers and 3 Obsidian Pilots for 99 points in exchange for higher interceptor pilot skill).

8 ties are intimidating. So many ships.

Eight TIEs (specifically 4 Obsidians and 4 Academies) seems to have fared relatively well in the Regionals scene (unclear how they've done in the Nationals). My favorite TIE Swarm at the moment is Howl + Predator, two Obsidians, three Academies, and Backstabber - I've beaten both a Fat Han and the Bandits squad and a well flown Phantom Mini Swarm list with it. People don't seem to expect Howlrunner to be an offensive threat in and of herself, and she can take an Evade and still deal some decent damage with Predator to keep alive a while.