Hi all

My question is, is there any way to make them work? I've had some success with k-wings built with proton bombs and conner nets and thought I'd try out some munition heavy bomber lists proxying guidance chips. The bombers just got destroyed before they could get a decent amount of their ordinance away

I feel that lacking a slam or boost they are just sitting ducks

Any suggestions or should I just not try to make them work pre imperial veterans?

The TIE Bombers were designed as munitions support with bombs and missiles and torpedoes. Now it does a good job at this if only missiles, torpedoes, and bombs were any good. Which sadly to say they are not. Problem is that missiles and torpedoes are worse on the statistical probability track trading a very valuable target lock reroll for more dice and a bonus effect if it hit which is counter-intuitive as you are often lessening the odds of hitting. Also that they are costing points making ships more expensive at the cost of lower performance (if used) thus equipping missiles torpedoes and bombs are just giving your opponent bonus MOV points.

However fixes like Guidance chips and Extra Munitions are a step in the right direction the only question is will they be enough as the meta becomes more and more established and additional power creep is added Missiles and Torpedoes find themselves having to catch up against builds that are already miles ahead and are still running. With today's current meta refined so much simply good enough won't cut it in a competitive tournament.

As for the TIE Bomber there is a fix in the Imperial Veterans and that is giving the TIE Bomber a new role from an ordnance carrier to a support ship which is good as the Imperials lack a cost effective support ship. Now Some might point to the Shuttle and the palpmobile but the shuttle's point cost is more in the front line ship and while yes the shuttle does have the firepower and durability as a front line ship it doesn't have the maneuverability for a front line ship and with the large ship nerf it becomes 2 ships with the attack of only 1. So giving the Imperials a low cost support ship and the underutilized TIE Bomber being refitted for that role could be something that places the long absent TIE bombers back in the meta.

Guidance Chips make a world of difference. Concussion Missiles and Proton Torpedoes work wonderfully with them.

I used a /sa based list for our club's escelation league. I did pretty well with it (especially considering Extra Munitions wasn't out when we started), and learned a lot that's going to help out with the new mods coming out. First thing I would say you need to think about is that while the short hand is bomber the actual designation is Special Armament. I got way more mileage out of the torps and missiles (flechette and cluster respectively) than I did out of bombs. People also really underestimate the /sa. They will prioritise pretty much anything over it, and they don't realise how fast it can be. Sure, it turns like a pig unless you are willing to take stress, but a lot of people are so adverse to taking stress voluntarily that they discount your tight turns.

In my basic squadron I keep PS2 TIE Bomber as a toolbox - a strategic asset enemy has to eliminate or face problems.

Right now I load it with:

Scimitar Squadron Pilot (16)
Fleet Officer (3)
TIE Shuttle (0)

Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)
Determination (1)
Extra Munitions (2)
Homing Missiles (5)
Long-Range Scanners (0)

Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)
Determination (1)
Extra Munitions (2)
Homing Missiles (5)
Long-Range Scanners (0)

Gamma Squadron Veteran (19)
Determination (1)
Extra Munitions (2)
Homing Missiles (5)
Long-Range Scanners (0)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

This one might be fun to try out. Those Determination Bombers can really last. I can bump the Homing Missiles down to Concussion if I want to make room for another crew on the TIE Shuttle.

Crackshot > determination

Always and forever

Face rush, drop bombs, and K-turn works great vs. Poe. The bombs helps trip shields and then 2-3 Homing Missiles should get him.

Which bombs do you go with?

If you go proton you can do it without having to strip the shields

Seismic are cheap at 2pts and you don't have to do an action. I can fit 4 Scimitars with them. I've not tried Proton Bombs before, but they look fun.

Hi all

My question is, is there any way to make them work? I've had some success with k-wings built with proton bombs and conner nets and thought I'd try out some munition heavy bomber lists proxying guidance chips. The bombers just got destroyed before they could get a decent amount of their ordinance away

I feel that lacking a slam or boost they are just sitting ducks

Any suggestions or should I just not try to make them work pre imperial veterans?

The TIE Bombers were designed as munitions support with bombs and missiles and torpedoes. Now it does a good job at this if only missiles, torpedoes, and bombs were any good. Which sadly to say they are not. Problem is that missiles and torpedoes are worse on the statistical probability track trading a very valuable target lock reroll for more dice and a bonus effect if it hit which is counter-intuitive as you are often lessening the odds of hitting. Also that they are costing points making ships more expensive at the cost of lower performance (if used) thus equipping missiles torpedoes and bombs are just giving your opponent bonus MOV points.

We have been round and round this before. Homing Missiles are fine as they are now. They are good. They only get better with the other fixes. The other fixes will make almost all other ordnance worth it.

Don't understand what is with everyone's obsession with conc missiles. Homing missiles deny Soontir his precious evade token, and they don't require the expenditure of your target lock, so you can use them to modify the HM or save for the next HM.

With LRS, being able to save the TL for the second shot will help in case you close to range 1-2 where you'll be unable to require a TL because of LRS.

Don't understand what is with everyone's obsession with conc missiles. Homing missiles deny Soontir his precious evade token, and they don't require the expenditure of your target lock, so you can use them to modify the HM or save for the next HM.

With LRS, being able to save the TL for the second shot will help in case you close to range 1-2 where you'll be unable to require a TL because of LRS.

That's why I had them originally. Especially being able to save your lock in case you're too close next round. But depending on what Systems Officer does, shaving a few points to fit it in the shuttle might just work out as well. We'll just have to see.

Hi all

My question is, is there any way to make them work? I've had some success with k-wings built with proton bombs and conner nets and thought I'd try out some munition heavy bomber lists proxying guidance chips. The bombers just got destroyed before they could get a decent amount of their ordinance away

I feel that lacking a slam or boost they are just sitting ducks

Any suggestions or should I just not try to make them work pre imperial veterans?

The TIE Bombers were designed as munitions support with bombs and missiles and torpedoes. Now it does a good job at this if only missiles, torpedoes, and bombs were any good. Which sadly to say they are not. Problem is that missiles and torpedoes are worse on the statistical probability track trading a very valuable target lock reroll for more dice and a bonus effect if it hit which is counter-intuitive as you are often lessening the odds of hitting. Also that they are costing points making ships more expensive at the cost of lower performance (if used) thus equipping missiles torpedoes and bombs are just giving your opponent bonus MOV points.

We have been round and round this before. Homing Missiles are fine as they are now. They are good. They only get better with the other fixes. The other fixes will make almost all other ordnance worth it.

They are not worth 6 points (or even 8 for 2). If they were you would have seen them by now and even on some of the top cut tables on some regionals.

As for Advanced Homing Missiles they are only good on Rhymer but again the point cost for rhymer (Rhymer has the highers point gains per pilot skill ratio) really kills any prospect of them being used efficiently.

We have been round this before, and homing missiles still fail.

Homing missiles are not worth 6 points

Good thing they are 5

So this thread got me so excited, I built new lists and bought 2 Bombers from my LGS. After the first test game, I'm pretty pumped! I won a store championship last month with a Soontir w/ Mini Swarm, and this thread got me to try a Bomber mini swarm.

99pts

Soontir

-Ptl

x3 Scimitar Squadron

-Seismic

-Homing Missile

1-0 so far! Got to drop a bomb (first time ever, lol) and killed Dash with a Homing Missile, gonna try a variant next that allows a few more points to Soontir for upgrades

99pts

Soontir

-Ptl

-Autothrusters

-TIE Mrk II

x3 Scimitar Squadron

-Seismic

-Flacette

-EM