Help Wanted with TIE f/o swarm

By NovaViolet, in X-Wing Squad Lists

I want to run TIE f/o swarm, i personally own 5.

What upgrades?

What pilots?

I don't know where to start, i have 5 crack shots, but I'm wondering if that's sub optimal here and not playing to TIE f/o's strengths over the normal TIE fighter.

How competitive do you want this list to be?

There is a 4 man /FO list running about that uses Omega Leader/Zeta Leader/Omega Ace/Zeta Ace that seems to work OK. not really a swarm persay, but all /FO all the time!

Omega Leader and Zeta Leader are the cream of the crop. Epsilon Leader is great if you intend to formation fly and want to make maximum use of your S-loops.

All FOs love Comm Relays, but they're only really necessary on ships with Juke. Speaking of Juke, how many copies do you have? That will help guide you in what sort of list you might want to fly. It does similar things as Crack Shot, but is reusable.

Omega Leader and Zeta Leader are the cream of the crop. Epsilon Leader is great if you intend to formation fly and want to make maximum use of your S-loops.

All FOs love Comm Relays, but they're only really necessary on ships with Juke. Speaking of Juke, how many copies do you have? That will help guide you in what sort of list you might want to fly. It does similar things as Crack Shot, but is reusable.

i have 4 copies of juke

That's a lot of Juking...

I'd probably run something like:

Omega Leader: Juke/Relay/Stealth Device

Zeta Leader: Predator/Relay

2x Omega squad: Juke/Relay

Still not a sizable swarm, but very punchy

I think one decision you'll have to make is whether you want to run 4 well-equipped FOs (as Mezegis illustrated above) or 2 well-equipped FOs and 3 basic ones, with a middle-ground of 5 lightly equipped FOs. I'm sure that I don't know which is best. It kind of depends on how you like to fly.

i have 4 copies of juke

Well then!

Here's an idea:

4 Omegas w/ comm relay, Juke & hull upgrade = 25 x 4

100

Okay, I admit its got its weaknesses (only 8 attack dice native!). But **** is it tough and high agility enemies will cry. You don't want to meet a double decimator list though...

How about:

Omega Leader [Juke, Comm Relay]

Zeta Leader [Crack Shot]

Epsilon Ace

Omega Squadron Pilot [Crack Shot]

Omega Squadron Pilot [Crack Shot]

Omega Leader [Crack Shot, Stealth Device]

Howl Runner [Crack Shot]

Zeta Leader [Crack Shot, Stealth Device]

Backstabber

Wampa

Wampa and Backstabber are still the most lethal hunters in the simple TIE ranks.

Howl is everyone's friend

Zeta is probably the only "swappable"

You'd have to drop Zeta down to a generic and drop all the upgrades to squeeze in a 6th TIE. Is it worth it?

That's a lot of Juking...

I'd probably run something like:

Omega Leader: Juke/Relay/Stealth Device

Zeta Leader: Predator/Relay

2x Omega squad: Juke/Relay

Still not a sizable swarm, but very punchy

I love Zeta leader with Predator, my recent mini Tie Fo swarm has been

Zeta Leader Predator

Omega Leader Juke Relay

Epsilon Squadron

Vader VI EU ATC

Only 3 FOs so not much of a swarm but it's a **** fun list

Omega Leader with Juke and Comms Relay is one of my favourite ships right now.

To that end, based on what you've got, you could try:

OLdr - Comm Relay & Juke (26)

Zeta Ace - Crackshot (19)

3 x Omega Squadron - Crackshot. (18 apiece, 54 for all 3)

99pts total

Edited by Stu35

You could try this:

Omega Ace

Push the limit

Epsilon Leader

Omega Sqdr Pilot x3

Weapons guidance

99 points

Hows this?

Omega Leader:

  • Comm Relay
  • Juke
  • Stealth Device

Zeta Leader:

  • Predator
  • Stealth Device

Omega Squadron Pilot:

  • Weapons Guidance
  • Crackshot

Omega Squadron Pilot:

  • Weapons Guidance
  • Crackshot
  • Shield upgrade

Total points: 99

I played this list on vassal:

3x Omega with juke and comm

Jax with hull,Ptl and thrusters.

The 3 fos flew in a mini swarm and they hit remarkably hard. My opponent mishandled jax,allowed me to get an ion stress hog shot on him and then I got my stress hog to hand out stress like candy to the fos, but I was definitely impressed with the ties. The hit hard, are maneuverable, shed stress easily (green 2 hard = one of the best maneuvers in the game)

Came down to my damaged poe and a 6-stress-deep backward facing hog against his remaining 3 slightly damaged and stressed fos. We called it and I was probably gonna win, but juke and comm relay is formidable

Hows this?

Omega Leader:

  • Comm Relay
  • Juke
  • Stealth Device

Zeta Leader:

  • Predator
  • Stealth Device

Omega Squadron Pilot:

  • Weapons Guidance
  • Crackshot

Omega Squadron Pilot:

  • Weapons Guidance
  • Crackshot
  • Shield upgrade

Total points: 99

I think you can do better but it's a start. I see Wired on Zeta Leader a lot but I don't think you can go wrong with Predator. The stealth device on him would be better spent elsewhere or replaced with a Comm Relay.

I don't like Weapons Guidance on anything and I think Shield Upgrade is a waste here, unfortunately.

I think if I flew 5 fo's I'd go with Zeta Ace and an Omega with Crack Shot. Zeta Leader with Wired or Crack Shot. Omega Leader with Juke/Relay and an Epsilon for blocking purposes. I'd put Twin Ion Engine Mk II on Zeta Leader to bring the list to 100 but mostly because I have a Punisher ( ^_^ ).

I don't like Weapons Guidance on anything

Why not? it makes your focus more useful in more situations.

What about something like this:

Omega Leader(21)

  • Com Relay(3)
  • Juke(2)

Zeta Leader(20)

  • Wired(1)

Omega Ace(20)

  • Push The Limit(3)

Epsilon Squad (15)

Epsilon Squad (15)

100 points

In terms of raw firepower, 5 Omega Squadron Pilots with Crack Shot and Weapons Guidance is quite nice. You're very focused on first-pass firepower, but it's less likely that you'll lose a ship before it shoots, and your attack bonus is embedded on each ship rather than in a single vulnerable point (like howlrunner).

I don't like Weapons Guidance on anything

Why not? it makes your focus more useful in more situations.

It's just really expensive for what it does on TIE fighters as opposed to X-wings. TIE fighters only have 2 dice, so the utility of WG is limited.

The only combination of dice that makes much use of WG is <hit/crit> <blank>. Focus is equal for any other dice result. If you roll <blank> <blank>, then you're spending a Focus on a shot that likely won't deal damage and exposing yourself on defense.