Alright flight leaders, we all know these things look like a mon cal's head on darkside crack (plus wings). So, let's learn how to bomb the crap out of them.

First, I think any pilot worth his Porkins brand Spicy Pork Rinds knows a speed 2 or speed 1 medium is so easy to hit, stormtroopers would get them... maybe. So we're going to examine the notorious speed 3 case. If we're pretty sure he doesn't want to navigate, we have this situation:

I've put our y-wings on the maximum spread of the formation to indicate the range of best locations to guarantee some protons up his froggy tail pipe, where there's only two shields. You can see here that we'd at most be able to squeeze in 5 fighters , but 4 should be no problem. If the potato's got a dial up his sleeve, it gets slightly more comlpicated with the extra yaw capability, as seen in the next figure:

With that extra yaw from a navigation dial, things have to tighten up. This is where you've got to STAY ON TARGET and bring your boys in no more than one flight stand's width away from the centerline, (that means packing 3 fighters means almost touching), and at distance 1 away from the bow of your frogger. if you can manage that, you've got yourself an easy time to lock protons. Because this doesn't require fighter movement, this also applies to you b-pilots.

Now after those two runs, that's a different story- unfortunately, even with a speedy A-wing, you're going to need to receive a squadron command to effectively sortie if the potato keeps steaming at 3. On the plus side, that also probably means the fatty's so far out he's effectively out of the fight. He'll be needing to turn around at some point, and in the mean time, you can try to burn some plasma to setup for your last one or two runs as he avoids the Great Unknown Barriers of Doom (table edges), but if there's other targets out there it might be better to try to get ready for them. Thankfully, fatties tend to travel in lines, leaving you a convenient next target.

Nice! Helpful diagram.

Quick comment: in the upper diagram (no Navigate), wouldn't the optimal placement be dead center, since he's then guaranteed to overlap your squadron?

I like it. Want to show off a TIE Bomber and what it would have to do to get as many shots as it can?

Nice! Helpful diagram.

Quick comment: in the upper diagram (no Navigate), wouldn't the optimal placement be dead center, since he's then guaranteed to overlap your squadron?

Yup, I just wanted to show how far off you could put a fighter to guarantee a shot. Center is optimal- that yields you 3 shots with command, 2 without, but at least for me, i'm usually trying to stuff as many fighters in there as possible.

Hmmmm So the Y-Wing can't quite make it into the sweet spot again when on the far side from the turn. . . You are right DUR. A squadron in the sweet zone does need speed 4 to get back in there. Hmmmm This makes Independence much better. . .

Hmmmm So the Y-Wing can't quite make it into the sweet spot again when on the far side from the turn. . . You are right DUR. A squadron in the sweet zone does need speed 4 to get back in there. Hmmmm This makes Independence much better. . .

Hmmmm So the Y-Wing can't quite make it into the sweet spot again when on the far side from the turn. . . You are right DUR. A squadron in the sweet zone does need speed 4 to get back in there. Hmmmm This makes Independence much better. . .

Except that those squadrons going speed 4 then can't shoot. You'd need a squadron command to get him to activate before the AF moves again. I think this is where boosted comms will really come into play. Spam those squadron commands!

I think what Lyraeus (and DUR, as the thread author) is saying is, if you do it right, it looks something like this: turn 1: move, turn 2 and 3: attack (because you don't have to move if you do it right). Then on turn 4, move again to the sweet spot. and on turns 5 and 6 you can attack again cuz you're, once again, in the sweet spot.

That being said, in order to get the successful turn 4 move into the sweet spot, you need a movement of 4.

This also assumes that:

1. you aren't being pinned by enemy fighters.

2 you don't actually use any squadron commands to do this.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. This whole thread, I believe, is presupposing you're not using commands. It's about how to get the best attack efficiency out of fighters without committing squadron commands to your ships.

Rocmistro has it spot on.

I used a Boosted comms/hangar/wing commander ISD the other night to push a Rhymer ball for incredible effect

If you command into position, this guarantees a free follow up on dat juicy rear arc. If moving during the squad phase, this guarantee's one attack run on the happy spot. I think that can often be the whole game right there.

I see! Thanks for the clarification, rocmistro.

I worry that a distributing the attacks over two arcs lessens their impact too much. Would it not be worth it to command 3 squadrons to keep them mobile and focus their attacks on one hull zone?

I see! Thanks for the clarification, rocmistro.

I worry that a distributing the attacks over two arcs lessens their impact too much. Would it not be worth it to command 3 squadrons to keep them mobile and focus their attacks on one hull zone?

Right on gents, this does distribute attacks and is less ideal than receiving commands from a carrier, but I've been trying to think about how to set up these kinds of runs more so that I don't need to take a carrier (and try to time it so whatever ships in the area use tokens banked from turn 1- if I've got 3 b's in the tight formation of the 2nd pic, that's very doable on 3 tokens while the ships can merrily take care of their other business). I think even 3 out of 6 turns bombing is an "efficient enough" run from my bombers if it means I didn't have to take a carrier (or sacrificially blow up a yavaris).

I'll be experimenting to see what scenarios can arise out of Rhymer at a later date.

This is what I'm talking about. Tactical use of fighters without the need for a carrier. Well done sir well written and displayed.

I especially like how you haven't relied on any characters or support for this tactical analysis.

As Tie Bombers are speed 4, are you confident they could pursue and harass a target (up to speed 3) for the duration of the battle? (assuming they don't get intercepted by enemy fighters)

The devastation to a rear arc with 3 bombers is a great follow up that most will try to avoid. I take it you've used flank heavy placement to shepherd your opponent out of the engagement so you can focus down their other ships? Great stuff I hope you keep it coming.

Does that top image really show the ship moving at - | | at speed three? Doesn't look to have moved sideways enough.

Does that top image really show the ship moving at - | | at speed three? Doesn't look to have moved sideways enough.

I dunno...the image looks kind of odd. The AF at speed 3 has more options that that, doesn't it?

DUR, are you missing the first segment yaw clicks in the second pic? As GK points out, it looks a little tight grouping.

Thanks for illustrating this. I've been wanting to see this for a while and hadn't gotten into vassal or wanted to physically cut and paste things like I did for illustrating Rhymer ball offense and defense (on BGG).

One of the interesting take aways is that if this is a reasonable "no command" ideal we have as base you should get about 4 attacks in out of a possible 6. So spamming squadron commands better get you attacks on 5 of 6 rounds (attacks on round 1 being unlikely). Of course this is a vacuum, so the commands help with anti-squadron pinning and so forth.

What I'm currently trying to accomplish is developing a pattern where my one carrier has 2 squadron groups and activates each group every other round. So an even turn group and an odd turn group. Perhaps the fighters are odd turn, and lock up enemy squadrons and then the bombers are even turn. So one MK2 with hangers and 4 A-wings and 4 Y-wings (or H-6s).

Does that top image really show the ship moving at - | | at speed three? Doesn't look to have moved sideways enough.

I dunno...the image looks kind of odd. The AF at speed 3 has more options that that, doesn't it?

It has - | |. The image looks to show it doing straight-left-right and straight-right-left, but not straight-left-left or straight-right-right, I think.

Edit: Looking at the very top layer - it looks like the ship has done straight-left-left, but the manoeuvre tool started on the ship's front-right corner but ended on the ship's front left corner, maybe?

Top image is fine. -,I,I means only the middle segment is really affecting the position. The final Yaw just affects heading (outside out rotation possibly moving something just out of range) and won't really affect position till next turn.

Now that I look again, the second image looks okay as well. The outermost possibilities are in fact outermost, and its just my own assumption that the first segment yaw click would do more. Always good to plot these things out to help straighten the mind out.

Top image is fine. -,I,I means only the middle segment is really affecting the position. The final Yaw just affects heading (outside out rotation possibly moving something just out of range) and won't really affect position till next turn.

Now that I look again, the second image looks okay as well. The outermost possibilities are in fact outermost, and its just my own assumption that the first segment yaw click would do more. Always good to plot these things out to help straighten the mind out.

Hmm, I'm having a hard time visualizing it. Could someone superimpose the manoeuvre tool on top of the image? I haven't had many games so I'm still rubbish at judging where it'll end up.

Top image is fine. -,I,I means only the middle segment is really affecting the position. The final Yaw just affects heading (outside out rotation possibly moving something just out of range) and won't really affect position till next turn.

Now that I look again, the second image looks okay as well. The outermost possibilities are in fact outermost, and its just my own assumption that the first segment yaw click would do more. Always good to plot these things out to help straighten the mind out.

Hmm, I'm having a hard time visualizing it. Could someone superimpose the manoeuvre tool on top of the image? I haven't had many games so I'm still rubbish at judging where it'll end up.

Just to remind folks that b-wings can go in that spot too!

The problem is next turn...

That's using speed 3 y-wings to attempt to get as close as possible. If they turn at all on the next manuever, they will have evaded at least two of your fighters. If they nav again, they will avoid all of them. I put the other frigates in there to show the "mysterious boost" ships get from banking hard- they mysteriously travel greater linear distances if they can click on the first segment. If they go straight, you should be able to hit the rear again on a squadron command with speed 3 fighters, but b-wings will not be able to catch up. Liberty will guarantee you're being in range the following turn for a command-bomb for y-wings but will allow b-wings to command bomb only if the ship is going relatively straight.

I'm starting to wonder why tie bombers are 9 points now . They're able to catch up no problem (on a squadron command). Adding ryhmer just makes it stupid easy. Corrupter is just. plain. awesome. Why that title is 5 points without an attack restriction vs Liberty is mind boggling to me.

I am liking more and more the concept of the Independence and Boosted Comms. . . I think it is a match made in heaven.

And, like many such matches, expensive

And, like many such matches, expensive

At that rate, you might as well just take twice as many fighters and have two groups!

To the imperial players out there- have you tried running 12 or more tie bombers? Just from the fact that you don't have to worry about obstruction from your wing mates when attacking, I imagine this is the easiest way to place high average damage hurt on a ship (rhymer or not)

With intel on the horizon, I can see some extremely deadly shenanigans becoming very possible very soon.

When you start getting to that number of squadrons, you do start to get into packing problems. Squadrons aren't points and only so many can occasionally fit into a space (or make it far enough). Still plenty of space surrounding a ship, but not always in a single arc if it's a narrow one.