I've been playing for less than a year, and my collection hasn't been built up that much due to me being a poor student. Here are the expansions I have bought to give an idea as to what I have available to me:

- X-wing Core Set (original)

- TFA Core set

- Imperial Aces

- TIE Interceptor

- TIE Phantom

- TIE Punisher

I have tried running the Punisher with a pair of Interceptors (Fel and Jax / Fel and Phennir). In both instances, I made some grievous errors, but I also felt that the list was a little too elite to properly support the Punisher. So with that in mind, I have been wondering how successful this build might be:

“Redline” (43)

TIE Punisher (27), Fire-Control System (2), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Concussion Missiles (4), Cluster Missiles (4), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Academy Pilot (12) x 2

Epsilon Squadron Pilot (15) x 2

The TIE Fighters (and F/O) run blocking missions while Redline is the main heavy weight, striking from a distance with his longer range ordnance and saving Cluster Missiles for any close up encounters.

In my opinion you've overloaded Redline with ordinance, the odds of you getting 6 sets of ordinance off is rather low as the biggest threatening target is Redline. If I saw that across the table from me I'd be aiming to gun down Redline as soon as possible. When I focus my fire on your 1 agility bomber is not lasting the 6 turns of the combat phase it needs to launch all of its ordinance (assuming it gets a valid in-arc target every round). I fly with no more than 4 sets of ordinance, and I still don't get them all off most of the time.

I haven't flown the punisher very much, but with Redline, I think 5 academies or similar is the best way to go. As you say, other elite ships like interceptors cannot support the punisher and so its too easy for your opponent to destroy it. Running it alongside a block of fighters keeps the punisher safer, especially if you tie them up and keep the punisher out of the furball.

Since you don't have 5 TIE fighters, I think your list is the next best thing. If you manage to get your hands on a pair of crack shot cards, I think it would be worth upgrading the TIE fighters to black squads on crack. You can drop the plasma torpedoes and have room for them.

In my opinion you've overloaded Redline with ordinance, the odds of you getting 6 sets of ordinance off is rather low as the biggest threatening target is Redline. If I saw that across the table from me I'd be aiming to gun down Redline as soon as possible. When I focus my fire on your 1 agility bomber is not lasting the 6 turns of the combat phase it needs to launch all of its ordinance (assuming it gets a valid in-arc target every round). I fly with no more than 4 sets of ordinance, and I still don't get them all off most of the time.

It's not so much about having the 6 rounds of ordnance, but having a piece of ordnance for every situation. Plasma torpedoes to take down the shields of a Large ship, Concussion missiles to do long range damage, and Cluster missiles to do short range damage.

I have played a game on Vassal where I only brought 2 missiles with the extra munitions and ran out of ammo. The 2 red dice on the punisher was very underwhelming after you've been launching missiles the entire game.