We all know about the common forum advice of maximizing the number of ships in your list. However, what if you have all the necessary parts and you now have about 12 points or 24 points to spend? How do consider spending it?

How do you consider what roles a single or two ties would do?

How much do you consider the ease of death of the single tie?

How much do the points bother you when you lose one?

How do you plan to incorporate blocking as part of your lists strategy as a REQUIRED force to let your list function? This question is different from: How do I block? Yes, blocking is a good tactic, learn to use it.

In what builds is blocking literally required to make the build function? For instance, setting up a tie and a lambda diagonal to each other so that they block each other and dont move the first round, drawing the enemy closer.

In what builds is it required to have blockers, where those are objects that you fill in first in the builder?

The build that Paul Heaver used in this video intrigues me:

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/127158-oicunn-shenanigans/

What do those two ties do for him?

How does one know that the non-obvious, smaller loadout on the main ships will actually do the job perfectly fine?

Note the requirement of the shuttle or the ties to close the ram-trap.

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We've also seen Shuttle Black SQ Wingman Fortresses and other fortresses that require certain ships.

How do you find the more important parts of the concept and decide how to buff its weaknesses versus strengthening its already good matchups?

Extra points????

What is this madness?

I don't understand this.

If I can get the core of my list in 63pts, I'm adding 3 Zs

If I've got 3 ships that aren't part of the core, I've got 3 ships that won't fall to pieces if a lynch pin gets destroyed.

I'm also giving my opponent more targets to choose from (which is in itself a form of defense), as well as easier targets to choose from (again, a form of defense).

Since I basically always play with 1 or 2 elite pilots, the rest of the list is inevitably Ties or Zs because of the bodies needed

It's really hard to find more efficient ships, both in sheer number of dice rolled (albeit less effective against higher agility targets) and in number of enemies blocked (which makes it much easier for your elite pilots to do work)

you now have about 12 points or 24 points to spend? How do consider spending it?

I'd have to say my answer may be different depending on which of those is true.

If you have 12 points, then a Z-95/Tie Fighter seems to be a bit of a no brainer. Typically you might be hard pressed to find 12 points worth of upgrades that give you more options than another ship. But when you get to 24, you have a lot more options. For 24 points you can do the following...

Green Squadron Pilot (23), A-Wing Test Pilot, Chardaan Refit, Predator, Push the Limit

Blue Squadron Pilot (24), Fire-Control System

Dagger Squadron Pilot

Rookie Pilot (24), R5-P9

Gold Squadron Pilot (24), Ion Cannon Turret, R2 Astromech

Roark Garnet (24), Ion Cannon Turret

Any named Tie Fighter pilot

Saber Squadron Pilot (24), Push the Limit

Scimitar Squadron Pilot (23), 2x Flechette Torpedoes, Proximity Mines

I'm not sure that 2 Bandits or Academy Pilots beats all those options.

24 Points have written "Doom Shuttle" all over it!!!

you now have about 12 points or 24 points to spend? How do consider spending it?

I'd have to say my answer may be different depending on which of those is true.

If you have 12 points, then a Z-95/Tie Fighter seems to be a bit of a no brainer. Typically you might be hard pressed to find 12 points worth of upgrades that give you more options than another ship. But when you get to 24, you have a lot more options. For 24 points you can do the following...

Green Squadron Pilot (23), A-Wing Test Pilot, Chardaan Refit, Predator, Push the Limit

Blue Squadron Pilot (24), Fire-Control System

Dagger Squadron Pilot

Rookie Pilot (24), R5-P9

Gold Squadron Pilot (24), Ion Cannon Turret, R2 Astromech

Roark Garnet (24), Ion Cannon Turret

Any named Tie Fighter pilot

Saber Squadron Pilot (24), Push the Limit

Scimitar Squadron Pilot (23), 2x Flechette Torpedoes, Proximity Mines

I'm not sure that 2 Bandits or Academy Pilots beats all those options.

I think it depends on how many other ships are already in your list. I don't like 3 small ships as my list. If i have 2 smalls, and points left to spend, I feel better adding 2 ships.

I think it depends on how many other ships are already in your list.

I agree, which is why I don't think it's quite so cut and dry in the case of 24 points.

okay so, on the imperial side, do you ever stick in just one tie fighter? I feel like chance of it dying and having wasted 12 points is very easy. also if thats your only blocker i dont know if its reliable enough to really do much blocking.

do you ever find your doomshuttles getting hopelessly out of place? I don;t, but many times I fear adding one if the rest of my list isn't that mobile.

I feel like chance of it dying and having wasted 12 points is very easy.

Well how often do you have 12 or more points left over? IME not very.

But even then, how much damage does a Tie have to do before it's earned those points? Is just being there a distraction and that servers it's own purpose.