Have really enjoyed reading SC reports and looking at which lists reach top 8 both here and on FB... One thing I'm noticing though is the lack of a traditional 6-8 tie swarm placing on high tables

Why do we think this is? Or am I wrong and they are everywhere?

Anyone have a link to a good battle report)(written, not video) for someone flying full swarm?

Time+skill-MOV=don't take tie swam

I think the variety inherent in the game now is a big factor too. I own dozens of different types of ships. Taking 6-8 of the same ship and ignoring all the others just doesn't excite me like having a few different ships does.

Maybe useable bombers and the TAP will change this as you'll be able to field 6-7 swarms of mixed ships pretty soon

My LGS 8 tie swarm are quite traditional and I am a mediocre player. No reports. I simply deploy 4 Academy to the left, 4 Obsidian to the right, 30-40 ctms between.groups. Square formation and when needs arises, break in four pairs. Nothing remarcable.

No time problems, probably not the best play skills by far, but as a wargamer I value fast play

Painting up an 8 tie swarm now and planning to play it ASAP.

I wouldn't run a swarm in a day-long tourney purely for brain space, and I think a lot of people are the same. There were at least two ace/miniswarms at the SC I was at today though, so the swarm ain't dead.

Have really enjoyed reading SC reports and looking at which lists reach top 8 both here and on FB... One thing I'm noticing though is the lack of a traditional 6-8 tie swarm placing on high tables

Why do we think this is? Or am I wrong and they are everywhere?

Anyone have a link to a good battle report)(written, not video) for someone flying full swarm?

Acewing ate swarm, because 2 damage can't possibly punch through.

I wouldn't run a swarm in a day-long tourney purely for brain space, and I think a lot of people are the same. There were at least two ace/miniswarms at the SC I was at today though, so the swarm ain't dead.

You're doing it wrong then. Flying a TIE swarm well means you pick 1 move and do that 6-8 times, not 6-8 different dials.

Have really enjoyed reading SC reports and looking at which lists reach top 8 both here and on FB... One thing I'm noticing though is the lack of a traditional 6-8 tie swarm placing on high tables

Why do we think this is? Or am I wrong and they are everywhere?

Anyone have a link to a good battle report)(written, not video) for someone flying full swarm?

Acewing ate swarm, because 2 damage can't possibly punch through.

Doing it wrong. Focus on blocking and then yes several 2 die attacks can get it done as long as the dice don't completely abandon you.

I wouldn't run a swarm in a day-long tourney purely for brain space, and I think a lot of people are the same. There were at least two ace/miniswarms at the SC I was at today though, so the swarm ain't dead.

You're doing it wrong then. Flying a TIE swarm well means you pick 1 move and do that 6-8 times, not 6-8 different dials.

For the first few rounds, yeah, then it gets complicated when things start bumping and needing to turn and block etc.

Because I'd rather lose 2 ships and gain 6 Crackshots and 4 PS.

There are many other reasons. Aces are better for their points, for example 3 Academy Pilots isn't as efficient as a 35 point Soontir and will also autolose to Soontir. 4 Academy Pilots can't deal with a 48 point Corran Horn, 5 of them cannot deal with a Fat Han or Dash, etc.

MoV and not feeling like moving 7-8 ships aren't the real problems.

8 ships is still decent but the meta has punished us swarm players for so long that we're tired of throwing 6 attacks at an ace and doing nothing. We'd rather just fly 3 Blacks and 3 Omegas and 6 Crackshots, you only lose out on 3 health total from 8 normal TIEs.

You want to know where swarms went? Stuff like your namesake, OP.

It's a mentally taxing list that I find personally demoralizing every time I lose a ship. That's why I fly big ships.

Yep, doing "squadron" fly is not the best option to win a game, but I think that vast numbers of low skilled pilots with basic fighters vs powerful Rebels is very Star Wars. Fighting Imperial Guard style. You loose two ships but cripple a B wing... I feel like a Goblin

I've beaten a full health 35 point Fel with 3 aces before, and before you say my opponent made mistakes he also is a constant top player and winner of SCs around the area. No, if you can't make a ship that is the base line for statistically balanced play in am equal fight point for point, it isn't the ship that's failing.

Swarms really aren't that hard to play, not sure why everyone thinks them to be taxing. Once you get a basic grasp of movement and visualization it is done relatively easy. Now, are they newbie friendly? No, but I don't believe a tooled out Fel is either. If you practice any ship in this game (albiet for one, poor syck) you can pretty much fly it and do well.

Now the reason I don't think you see so many, is because as others have stated, there is a great many options available to people. The swarm is still very potent, but it isn't the only list that can win now. Not only that but people usually gravitate towards the new shiny toys. So they have more competition in more ways then one.

I have seen some non-crack shot swarms the last few local tournaments, and they seem threatening but end up falling to my lists. Using a number of mid-PS ships, I can PS-kill a ship or two each round before taking return fire. This is just my personal perspective, however, and the real reason is probably because of the increased defense of most lists. It is also a dice fest on defense for them, and we know how fickle those things are.

I've won two SCs with a 3x Omega 3x Black Crack Shot swarm. I guess I'm not sure if that qualifies as "traditional". I wouldn't run TIE fighters without Crack Shot right now; there are too many ships they just can't hit.

I'm flying crackshot at the moment, I was hoping to find a blog/tournament report from someone who is running a crackblack swarm

Swarms not dead (Store Championship, Lodz, Poland, today):

I like Crack Swarm for pickup games and small (4 rounds - no cut) tournaments, but I've found that taking it to anything larger is exhausting. Unless you just annihilate your opponent in the initial joust prepare to go to time in every single round.

I've won 3 SC's in Atlanta with a crackswarm. They're around in some places.

I've won 3 SC's in Atlanta with a crackswarm. They're around in some places.

Swarms not dead (Store Championship, Lodz, Poland, today):

That tie on the right has some crazy battle damage, stop letting Finn fly ships. That or do you play where you rip off ship parts when they hit asteroids.

I remember back when TIE swarm was considered to be practically the only strong Imperial list and there were a large number of people complaining that they didn't want to fly a swarm because it wasn't fun, and that playing against a swarm wasn't fun either. Now we get frequent posts lamenting the supposed death of the swarm and asking for a resurgence.

IMO people make way too strong a connection between what lists are popular and what lists are good. If I wasn't such a big fan of the TIE Defender I would probably be just another guy running Imperial Ace lists with Soontir and Vader, as it captures the essence of what drew me to play this game in the first place. I know a number of people who love Han and the Falcon and still run him to this day even after his star has faded as well as back when Han + rookies and Fat Han + Zs were among the top lists.

Swarms may be fine, or they may be a little weak to some matchups, or perhaps the swarm play style just appeals to a smaller player minority. Competitive analysis is 100% fine, but not everyone chooses their lists based on strength and matchups.

Tlt and turrets i.e. X wing EZ mode remove their efficacy.

Why play something that takes skill when you can play on EZ.

waiting for rage crack swarm to make people rage moar