When I build a squadron I often go on looks and appeal of the ships first, then build the force! So said, I like the idea of a Bomber swarm with a Punisher or two along for the ride! (I also like to play 150pts and epic, so no worries about it being over 100.)
I could see three or four bombers leading the way and followed up by either one or two Punishers to finish things off...
What are your thoughts?
I just want to try out "Deathrain" and casually fly up to an opponent, drop a proton in their lap, and then barrel trolololl away.
2x Cutlass Pilot + Extra Munitions + FCS + Cluster Missiles + Concussion Missiles
Flank with Turr Phennir + Lone Wolf + Royal Guard Squint + Autothrusters + Stealth
Keep the extra 2 points for intiative, or add Munitions Failsafe to the Punishers
Edited by Audio Weasel
Characters with relevant system + things that go boom; 5 academy pilots
Overall I am not convinced yet by the Punisher, I am however very interested in seeing Deathrain in action with Conner Net and Cluster Mines.
loaded up with proton bombs. Taking out every 2-hull ship I can get my hands on.
TIE punisher with EPT Daredevil and ion torps and missiles will be a Marvel (reference) that lets me Bullseye my enemies, making it a Kingpin of my force.
Edited by That Blasted SamophlangeI played a squad with the following build for Redline:
TIE PUNISHER: · "Redline" (27)
Extra Munitions (2)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Fire Control System (2)
This gives him 4 rounds of strong modified attacks to strip tokens and shields. Pairing him with a crit dealer (TIE Advanced with ATC, Chiraneau, Defenders/Firesprays with Mangler Cannons come to mind) that shoots after will be very useful so you can start crippling ships early.
Bombers seem to be a good counterpart to these as well. Major Rhymer is a great candidate to carry Advanced Homing Missiles, and Captain Jonus with some Extra Munitions carriers will be extremely effective as well.
The system slot will be great for Deathrain and other bomb carriers with advanced sensors.
The Punisher is my favorite out of the new lot. I was originally an Imperial fighter, so I'm happy to see it 
I played a squad with the following build for Redline:
TIE PUNISHER: · "Redline" (27)
Extra Munitions (2)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Fire Control System (2)
This gives him 4 rounds of strong modified attacks to strip tokens and shields. Pairing him with a crit dealer (TIE Advanced with ATC, Chiraneau, Defenders/Firesprays with Mangler Cannons come to mind) that shoots after will be very useful so you can start crippling ships early.
Bombers seem to be a good counterpart to these as well. Major Rhymer is a great candidate to carry Advanced Homing Missiles, and Captain Jonus with some Extra Munitions carriers will be extremely effective as well.
The system slot will be great for Deathrain and other bomb carriers with advanced sensors.
The Punisher is my favorite out of the new lot. I was originally an Imperial fighter, so I'm happy to see it
I played that exact loadout just the other day! The problem I had was poor old Redline kept blowing up before he could fire all that stuff (Mostly due to bad flying on my part). I like the ship though and wanna keep trying it out. It was the first time I had it on the table. Juno Eclipse though....I think I'm in love again. She is so much fun to fly!
slap on thrusters for the full forty
it don't look like much, but 75% chance of evade is A LOT better than what you normally get (37.5%) and it's great at range 3 (where poor punishers will get picked apart by lots of crap ships ala BBBBZ and tie swarm)
TIE punisher with EPT Daredevil and ion torps and missiles will be a Marvel (reference) that lets me Bullseye my enemies, making it a Kingpin of my force.
It will also be a joker, as they don't get epts.
That is glorious! I will fly that just to be the person that shows up with that many bombs!
I tried out a bunch of Wave VII stuff the other night, versus my buddy's maxed-out Bossk and two Deadman Z-95s:
TIE Punisher: "Deathrain" (26 + 14)
+ Advanced Sensors (3)
+ Extra Munitions (2)
+ Cluster Mines (4)
+ Cluster Mines (4)
+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
TIE Advanced: Commander Alozen (25 + 2)
+ TIE/x 1 (0)
+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
+ Adv. Targeting Computer (1)
TIE Advanced: Darth Vader (29 + 4)
+ Squad Leader (2)
+ TIE/x 1 (0)
+ Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)
+ Adv. Targeting Computer (1)
The game essentially devolved into a 3-on-2 joust between my TIEs and his Headhunters while Bossk flew around our one obstacle (what was I gonna do, *not* put the Raider on the table?!) and lined up to unload massive amounts of extra-hit Mangler cannons. And get free focus. And get free target locks. And just make me deeply sad.
In the first pass, my Advanceds did a whole lot of diddly-squat, even at range 1. I think Alozen put one damage on a Z. Dice exist, yadda yadda. But in one pass, the Punisher did 3 damage to the two Z-95s with just one Cluster Mine, dropping the template directly under one Z and blocking the other with a side mine. Which still left another side mine in play to clutter up my opponent's approach in future turns. That was just one mine of four. The free Barrel Roll lets D.R. safely place the Cluster Mine in front of him (her?)self, dealing immediate damage and playing very aggressively, to then set up for a K-turn and 2nd pass.
Over the course of the game those mines stripped shields off the Zs, controlled my opponent's maneuvering options, dealt something like 9 damage to Bossk, and generally impacted everything I and my opponent did. In the end both of my X 1s died to massed gunfire but the Punisher just kept trucking. And trucking. And trucking. In fact, it didn't fail me, I failed it: on the last turn I chose a 3 bank when I should have taken a 1 or 2, and ended up placing the final set of mines just outside of Bossk's flight path. Proper placement would likely have put the last two damage on the Hound's Tooth and done for Bossk, winning me the game.
I'm decidedly ambivalent about the Adv/X 1s, which just do not seem to do enough for their points even *with* additional crits. But I am deeply, deeply, deeply enamored of that Deathrain build. I will definitely be running it again.
I played a squad with the following build for Redline:
TIE PUNISHER: · "Redline" (27)
Extra Munitions (2)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
Cluster Missiles (4)
Fire Control System (2)
This gives him 4 rounds of strong modified attacks to strip tokens and shields. Pairing him with a crit dealer (TIE Advanced with ATC, Chiraneau, Defenders/Firesprays with Mangler Cannons come to mind) that shoots after will be very useful so you can start crippling ships early.
Bombers seem to be a good counterpart to these as well. Major Rhymer is a great candidate to carry Advanced Homing Missiles, and Captain Jonus with some Extra Munitions carriers will be extremely effective as well.
The system slot will be great for Deathrain and other bomb carriers with advanced sensors.
The Punisher is my favorite out of the new lot. I was originally an Imperial fighter, so I'm happy to see it
Same loadout as i plan to try out i think it should do well.
TIE punisher with EPT Daredevil and ion torps and missiles will be a Marvel (reference) that lets me Bullseye my enemies, making it a Kingpin of my force.
It will also be a joker, as they don't get epts.
Joker is DC comics.
When is the TIE Punisher coming out? (officially and to the general public, so GenCon doesn't count)
Well since you asked, the best use for the punnisher is either Redline clipping high-shielded rebels with quad adv. Homing missiles or Deathrain throwing cluster/proxy mines with adv sensors.
Redline does **** for homing missiles of either variety (they maintain lock, making his 2nd one redudamt). You could missile boat with a generic for the same effect minus the PS. (Just use FCS)
Where redline shines are munis that require tl to be spent before they fire (leaving no to to modify rolls). Every single torpedo and assault/conclusion/cluster missiles (need FCS for both clusters to benefit) fall under this category
With FCS tl and a focus action, you get hard hitting fully modded ordnance.
Edited by ficklegreendiceDon't be silly, you're not going to bank on a 21% to one-shot something with two hull, instead you're going to use the spare target lock the second turn with a focus action.
Deathrain, Advanced Sensors, Extra Munitions, Cluster Mines, Conner Net, Mark II.
Lt. Colzet, Accuracy Corrector
Tempest Squadron Pilot, Accuracy Corrector
Backstabber
Characters with relevant system + things that go boom; 5 academy pilots
That pretty much seems the best way to start with them. It'll let ya really feel out the Punisher's durability, damage, and ability effectiveness. Or...
40 pts of Punisher
35 pts of Soontir Fel
2 x Tie Fighter / Doom Shuttle
99pts
40 pts of Punisher
40+ pts of Whisper
1 x Named Tie Fighter + Defensive Upgrade
99 or less pts
Putting the Punisher in already known archetypes is a good start. I'm actually thinking a 2 Ship list won't be as bad as I originally thought. Deathrain may literally be enough of a threat to help a Decimator beat up some lists. I didn't like the idea at first, but now I'm thinking it is totally viable. I mean, people win some times with Defender + Decimator, and I thought that list would never work.
As a 28 point swarm+ ship alongside 6 Academies.
4 of the cheap ones with Accuracy Correctors and TIE MK II.
Edited by ParaGoomba Slayer