I received the TFA Core set and am planning my next purchases. I'm leaning towards the Imperial with some Tie swarm so here's what I'm thinking:

Original Core Set

Tie Advanced

Tie Fighter

Tie Interceptor

Am I on the right path with those purchases? Also, where's the best place to read up on some Imperial tactics?

Thank you in advance for the help.

TIE Swarm is an excellent list to start with. Unfortunately, its not an easy one (nor cheap), but you will learn so much more about the game than you will flying any other list. Things like how to block, plan your approach, think 2 turns in advance, keep in formation without bumping into your other ships, and navigate through asteroid fields without landing on rocks (and sometimes when its a good idea to fly straight through the rock to surprise your opponent). All of these 'skills' are tied to predicting your opponent's moves, which is the heart of the game (in order to outfly your opponent). And no one can do it better than the imperials.

So as for ships, I think you are on the right track, except for the TIE advanced. I would not purchase that ship unless you are able to get the cards from the Raider (specifically the new x-1 title and advanced targeting computer). Without those 2 cards, the TIE advanced is not worth using, frankly.

It may be worth your while to get the new Force Awakens core set too. It has a better damage deck (unless you plan on flying all generic TIE fighters, then stick with the original deck). It also has the new TIE/FO (2 in fact), which in my opinion, is an excellent addition to the imperial arsenal. The new TIE/FO expansion is also worth getting, because it comes with some good cards (Juke & comm Relay being the standouts).

Another worthwhile purchase is the Imperial Aces if you are also interested in flying interceptors. It has a bunch of good cards and the paint jobs are pretty slick.

A good place to start learning about lists, tactics and other useful stuff is:

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/131310-new-player-quick-start-list-guide/

Thanks blade_mercurial. I already own the Force Awakens core set so it looks like I'm off to a good start. Thanks for the link. I actually found that post just after I posted this and I've been going through the swarm lists.

Should I purchase the Imperial Aces instead of the lone Interceptor or in addition too? Looks like I'll be skipping the Tie Advanced for now.

While the TIE Advanced isn't top tier when you just have the one ship, Darth Vader's ability and Pilot Skill value are both really good. He's just a tad expensive for the limited offense he provides. But if you're into the theme and fluff of Star Wars rather than being solely focused on winning, the TIE Advanced isn't so bad. I say this as a person who ran Darth Vader consistently before the new TIE Advanced cards were released.

But, given that the $100 Imperial Raider comes with 4 copies of the new title and systems upgrades for the TIE Advanced, you may be able to find those cards second-hand and avoid the huge price tag of the Imperial Raider. It looks like it'll be about the price of a small-base ship, though.