My first true swarm

By flyboymb, in X-Wing Squad Lists

After a rather brutal beating of a 3 TIE/I 1 TIE/LN group (see my post on Fel's Epic Fail), I went home and scribbled furiously to come up with a better matchup to take to the shop next week.

Currently, I have the 2 Core TIE Fighters, Imperial Aces, TIE/I (minus upgrade cards which were traded), TIE Advanced, TIE Phantom, Decimator, and Slave 1.

In order to field a proper swarm to put up with Rebel tank fighters, I've come up with this roster.

Turr Phennir + Determination + Autothrusters (28)

2X Royal Guard Pilots + Autothrusters (48)

2X Academy Pilots (24)

Downgrading the RGP's to Saber Squadron (I have 3) won't do me much good as that saves me a grand total of 2 points which either lets me give each a VI (I have 2) which would turn them back into RGP's. I could give one a Calculation and the other Draw their Fire, but I'd rather keep Focus for defense or multiple offense changes and a TIE/I can't really tank too many hits for another player. I only have 1 Alpha Squadron pilot with no real means of obtaining another (would it have seriously killed FFG to include 2 of those in Imperial Aces?). Even then that would only save me 8 points which would allow me to fatten up Turr or put some mods on the Academy Pilots (waste of points for cannon fodder). If I took off Autothrusters from Alpha Squad, I'd have enough for a third AP, but I'm stopping my spending on this game until a couple of paychecks.

Anything I could do to make this better?

Not sure what you mean by Rebel Tank Fighters...BBBBZ?if you are wanting to keep those same ships then you may consider and go against a rebel swarm then something like:

Turr+AT+PTL+title+TC

2xavenger +AT

2x academy

this list lets you shoot all your heavy hitters before BBBBZ

if thats not the list you are worried aobut encountering and are more concerned with heavy hull rebels AND dont mind mixing up your ships a bit then you have some options:

1.Slave-1 is probably the most versatile ship in the game. i see you dont have access to a mangler cannon so i would steer away from named pilots for slave and go with a basic firespray with maybe a recon spec for crew. that will leave some points to kit out a decimator. those two ships can bring some thunder

2. slave one and a mini swarm: bounty hunter + recon spec, howlrunner +swarm, 2Xblack + swarm, academy

this list has your swarm all firing at PS8. or you can swap out stuff for draw their fire to protect howl or throw in some named ties instead. strategy is to plow the field like a pulling guard in the NFL with the bounty hunter and follow in with the swarm. its quite effective

3. Fel and mini swarm. same idea as above but put in a tricked out soontir (maybe the best pilot in the game?) with PTL, title, TC, and AT

4. fel and deci is getting a lotta love right now

double deci. IT WILL KICK YO OPPONENTS BUTTs

Halrunner goes well with any swarm.