I'm considering an Imperial Swarm based on Screed and Assault Concussion Missiles. Squadron screen provided by Instigator, Ruthless Strategists, and 3 squadrons of TIE fighters.

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Current Version of Concussion Screed (MkV)

Concussion Screed Mark I

Looks like a good build, but weak on fighters. A friend ran a list with only 3 TIE Fighter squadrons, and they were all gone as soon as the other player got his fighter in range. Without firing a single shot.

Yeah, three TIEs aren't going to do a whole lot. You're not going to get much else for 24 points, though. I'd recommend dropping them and adding a few more upgrades to your ships, or maybe drop one of the Raiders and invest more in fighters. Ruthless Strategists doesn't synergize well with TIEs. You have to take out 1/3rd of their hull to trigger RS, and your opponent will finish the rest. . .quickly.

Okay, I did some revisions based on feedback.

The anti-squad defense is the Instigator and another Raider, and the 2 tie squads are just to make it difficult to attack those two. But you make good points- maybe it'd be better to take off Ruthless in favor of Impetuous on the other raider, to improve their combined rhymer-killing power? Or give the Instigator Counter-1 with Quad Laser Turrets? What I like about Ruthless is that it's a guaranteed damage past braces. The TIEs are going to die anyway, at least this way they get their shots and then do an extra damage. That's why they're Ruthless strategists.

I would drop a raider, probably the first.

Use the points for a half decent fighter wing of say 4 Tie-Interceptors. Add engine techs to the Demolisher and upgrade the ISD-I to an ISD-II with ECMs.

Should cost you +1 point but that's hardly any use as an initiative bid.

@MadCat, I prefer the Raider + 2 TIEs to a fighter wing. I like a ship that can take advantage of Screed or tie up fighters, while interceptors are pretty crap against cap ships.

That said, I do think the engine techs are important to the demolisher, so I downgraded my first raider and swapped to APTs across the board and scrounged up enough points.

The Instigator is like a giant bomber, without heavy, that can throw 2 black dice against any squadron in an arc, and gives TIE fighters escort, all for 48 points. The cost of two aces. If that were a squadron it would be broken.

I like it, 5 ships is such a huge benefit that you'll do well just on that alone.

Theoretically a true bomber swarm could hurt you, but I'd play it until you see it happen on the table.

If you're going for it, go for it. Nice job with the Instigator and the two TIE.

And 5 ships. Woo.

Gunnery Teams on the ISD1 - you'll be glad sometimes. I guess I rate GT about the same as XI7 or the other turbolaser upgrades. Personal taste for me is rerolls on that ISD, just for insurance against the flub, in the form of Leading Shots - but I really like the list.

Thanks, @schmitty and @DrunkTarkin.

The bomber swarm is one of those things that you can't reasonably prepare for, imo. You risk having a bunch of pointless squads when you need more ship damage.

I will have to rename the thread though. Assault Screed or something.

Assassin Screed.

Apollo Screed

Drunk Screed.

So, I ran the list against a friend a couple of times this weekend. Notes:

-On an anti-fighter front, the best defense the fleet has is actually moving quite quickly at all times and killing ships. Once their carrier is gone their fighters fall behind. Did not get to try against a rhymerball, but outran/TIE'd up large numbers of X and B-wings. 2 Ties is enough for this.

-The Raiders and Demolishers are great fun, but flying this many ships at once is very difficult. Unlike the Clonisher, the Demolisher in this build can't be counted on to kill a big fish quickly- no intel officer, no expanded launchers. However, APTs definitely pulled their weight. Stacked multiple crits on everything through shields, sometimes three or four crits per turn, and crippled a lot of vessels.

-Raiders with the option to become suicidal are phenomenally useful. Managed to slide a Raider right in front of his Mon Cal before it could present a good broadside, though moving at speed 4 it went off the map 2 turns later. Could have saved it with better piloting (a nav token would have done it), but probably worth it anyway.

-the ISD is probably not worth the points in damage output, but is definitely worth the attention grab. The first game I moved it too fast and blew through their fleet, leaving it out of position to reengage before the end of the game, but the second game I kept it at speed 1 for the first 4 turns and my opponent was attempting to be prepared for its engagement. Meanwhile the Demo and Insidious cleaned up an assault frigate and had the mon cal shieldless.

- The mental stress of flying so many ships is difficult. Trying to coordinate so many ships without knowing who will be wiped off the board by the opponent this turn or next is difficult. The Demolisher is maneuverable enough to avoid killshots, but the Insidious is most certainly not, and if the Raiders close to use their black dice it's up to the opponent whether to kill em.

- Keeping the Raiders near the ISD seems important to provide cover (if they can stay in the same enemy arc as the ISD, giving the opponent the choice of the ISD or raiders is great).

-Gunnery Turrets on the ISD is lovely or useless. I like consistency in the value of my upgrade cards. I think that Needa + TRCs would be better, as the ISD-I has bad shooting at long range. Or an Intel Officer or XIVs.

But overall, it was very successful and fun. My opponent remarked that 'there are no ships he isn't afraid of in the fleet- the APT raider can be an unexpected dagger, the Insidious can't get behind, the Demolisher is the Demolisher, the Instigator kept making fighters useless, and the ISD is a big honking ISDtank.'

So it was great!