Tweaking around with the idea of running Tie Swarm at a store champ this weekend. How do you like this variation? Op Spec does trigger off of Wampa if you're wondering. Vader is there for Fenn and will be used sparingly.

(100)

"Howlrunner" (19) - TIE Fighter
Crack Shot (1)

Scimitar Squadron Pilot (22) - TIE Bomber
TIE Shuttle (0), Darth Vader (3), Operations Specialist (3)

"Wampa" (14) - TIE Fighter

Black Squadron Pilot (15) - TIE Fighter
Crack Shot (1)

Black Squadron Pilot (15) - TIE Fighter
Crack Shot (1)

Black Squadron Pilot (15) - TIE Fighter
Crack Shot (1)

I don't think the operations specialist will be with it in this squad. The ties are low enough pilot skill that by the time they shoot the event had already likely activated, meaning that free focus is likely wasted. In addition, Vader kills the shuttle so quickly that any additional points on it are wasted when he kills himself

Well, you've got a howlrunner/crack shot swarm, which is nice, and with 6 shots you've got pretty decent firepower.

Operations Specialist isn't so much for defensive tokens as it is a generator of tokens for stressed/bumped/whatever ships; if the squad makes a Koiogan turn, then the first couple shoot without tokens, providing the later shots with tokens.

It's not quite as good a synergy as Operations Specialist with a Snap Shot swarm, but it's still worth having.

I don't see why it shouldn't work. As noted, Vader is a risky choice to use, but it should make TIE interceptors and Protectorates nervous about your arc, and if Howlrunner's still around, Wampa has a 1/3 chance of landing a damage card, which is also just risky enough to make people nervous.

It's worth a try. Good luck - and nice to see a TIE swarm.

I've been doing this with a 7 TIE swarm. If you are going with Ops Spec, the more bodies the better. You really don't need crackshot, to be honest. Even more importantly, its incredibly valuable having Howlrunner at PS 10 thanks to Veteran Instincts.

Here's my list:

Howlrunner w/ VI = 19

Scimitar w/ TIE shuttle, intel agent & ops spec = 20

5 academies = 60

99

The small initiative bid is really nice against other PS 1 lists. Going first against them is hugely beneficial, and they typically run at 100 points.

So the Ops Spec bomber is the MVP of the list. I'm 6-0 so far. The secret is the evade action. With all of your ships taking evade, none of them die so easily. Howlrunner generates the first focus token at PS10, before pretty much anything gets to shoot. You can put it on her to discourage shots against her, or you can start the academy wrecking ball rolling. I can't state enough how devastating their firepower can be. They either score two hits or they miss and generate another focus token for the next shooter. Once your opponent realizes how powerful that bomber is, he will try to kill it ASAP.

The only ship that is really problematic is Fenn Rau, but you just have to remember that staggering your ships is key to taking him out (so that you have a few ships at Range 2 of him where he is weak, and these of course shoot last after your other ships).

As for flying, you want to fly it in formation for the most part, but it doesn't have to be a tight formation. In fact, having a few outlying ships is good for closing off escape paths when facing boosting large-based ships or pesky arc-dodgers.

The fact that Ops Spec is range 1 - 2 is a huge boon. It means that your bomber does not have to stay in formation. In fact, I let mine trail the swarm and sometimes it doesn't even get to shoot, but the Ops Spec still kicks in. Next turn, the swarm is either k-turning behind or blocking off escape paths. The bomber can even zoom in to be a blocker to discourage attempts to kill it (and then the intel agent becomes really handy at that point).

Just remember: EVADE! Ops Spec + Howlrunner takes care of your offense!

(Obviously when barrel roll is key, you should do that, and once certain TIEs are damaged, then they are the ones that need evade while the others can just focus).

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The only ship that is really problematic is Fenn Rau, but you just have to remember that staggering your ships is key to taking him out (so that you have a few ships at Range 2 of him where he is weak, and these of course shoot last after your other ships).

Yeah, Fenn Rau is annoying but if you can block him at range 2 of the bulk of your ships he goes down surprisingly easily. More importantly, a >6 ship swarm has sufficient warm bodies to do that.

I shall have to give the list a try. Evade on howlrunner, especially focus/evade, should make her tough enough to live to PS1 (in fact if you're 6-0 it obviously does).

I might try it with a Youngster swarm, too; obviously Youngster is less capable than VI Howlrunner, but if means the swarm can fly loose too (you only Rage with one or two ships per turn), and Operations Specialist probably supports a heavily stressed out ex-Rage ship pretty well. Could trade the Intel agent for an Inspiring recruit (to help cope with stress cheaply) or else could pack rebel captive/lightweight frame on the bomber if it's going to draw so much attention from the enemy. Howlrunner's still probably better but it might be worth an experiment.