Nationals Top 64 - alt art Howlrunner

Nationals Top 8 - spot gloss extended art Black Squadron

Nationals Side Events - alt art Backstabber

Right as I'm about to get into swarms!

Anakin: "Yippee!"

For now it would take some sort of new mod to fix Tie Swarms specifically. A-Wings are OK but don't seem to be able to stand up to the bomb meta. Hopefully FFG brings them back! I just bought a Gozanti!

I think we need a small ship only modification that deals a stress when a ship overlaps you. Would go a long way towards making blocking useful again.

3 minutes ago, gamblertuba said:

I think we need a 0 point small ship only modification that deals a stress when a ship overlaps you. Would go a long way towards making blocking useful again.

I'd be down with that. Let's face it, Han, Chewie and Lando all certainly looked stressed when they were fbeing buzzed by TIE swarms...

If you could roll defense dice against bombs I think swarms would see a lot more play.
Or if Snap Shot could be modified and was a primary weapon attack. Then Howl Snap Swarms would be AMAZING!

47 minutes ago, AngryAlbatross said:

I just bought a Gozanti!

Make sure you play the campaign! Best fun I've had with X-Wing. Otherwise swarms of any ship type do well in Epic. Black Squadron with Snap Shot are nice especially when launched from a Gozanti.

5 minutes ago, AngryAlbatross said:

Then Howl Snap Swarms would be AMAZING!

No need for Howl - TIE Shuttle with Operations Specialist is the way to go with Snappy TIEs. Howl works well with Juking/Cracking TIEs already.

I wonder how 3-4 auzitucks would handle a swarm...

I think swarms are very strong in the current meta, bbut there aren't many people willing to fly them for long events. Mine will be making a return soon

26 minutes ago, Nyxen said:

I wonder how 3-4 auzitucks would handle a swarm...

2-Red ships are useless against reinforce. The swarm would be lucky to get 1 off the board before it disappears.

48 minutes ago, gamblertuba said:

I think we need a small ship only modification that deals a stress when a ship overlaps you. Would go a long way towards making blocking useful again.

I didn't know we have alt art Backstabber ...

Don't forget Omega Ace, crackshot and Omega Leader.

30 minutes ago, sirjorj said:

2-Red ships are useless against reinforce. The swarm would be lucky to get 1 off the board before it disappears.

But reinforce is an action, a blocked auzi is a dead one.

A guy in our meta is really good at tie swarms. Unfortunately, the last few tournaments he's been to, Bomblet Nym pretty much solos his list. Turns out a nigh-unblockable ship with repositioning, splash damage, and tlt is murder to swarms.

Harpoon Missiles sure seem to be pointing to the other direction

Not really sure how some alternate card art is going to make them more competitive...

Also, any pics of these cards?

1 hour ago, Odanan said:

Has the idea of stressing by blocking on Tie's been discussed before? I don't remember seeing it but if I'm just restating someone else's idea I would like to give them credit. A zero point title that gives an opponent stress when they overlap would go a long way to making the TIE swarm a threat again.

Tie swarms (especially with crack) will eat Biggs/Lowhrick for breakfast. Autoblaster Nym will die a horrific death as well. TLT Nym, Dengar, and Rey are still out there to prey on swarms though. Dengar is probably the worst.

Just because they're 3-4 years late with Howlrunner's promo card doesn't mean that there's a release coming that will magically revitalize swarms. There was also a alt art black squadron a coupleof years ago. The Backstabber one is the plastic card with original art enlarged.

7 minutes ago, Arschbombe said:

Just because they're 3-4 years late with Howlrunner's promo card doesn't mean that there's a release coming that will magically revitalize swarms. There was also a alt art black squadron a coupleof years ago. The Backstabber one is the plastic card with original art enlarged.

No, it doesn't. It just means it'd be awesome if they did.

3 hours ago, hargleblarg said:

A guy in our meta is really good at tie swarms. Unfortunately, the last few tournaments he's been to, Bomblet Nym pretty much solos his list. Turns out a nigh-unblockable ship with repositioning, splash damage, and tlt is murder to swarms.

Shameless plug for the TIE Striker swarm! Eats low agi ships alive. And at least 3 out of 5 strikers will have an arc on Nym while spread out themselves. Two rounds and Nym is gone.

I would like to point out alt art howlrunner is checking the FFG forums for this very thing! (Well maybe not really but it sure looks like it).

3 hours ago, DarthEnderX said:

Not really sure how some alternate card art is going to make them more competitive...

it's just interesting that they're all turning up as prizes at the same time. The Nationals cards were all essentially "TIE Swarm". Maybe that's a hint that we'll be wanting to fly them more often soon.

Maybe not. It's fun to speculate.

3 hours ago, DarthEnderX said:

Also, any pics of these cards?

Yes, yes there are.

The Howlrunner is nice.

Don't know what the point of Backstabber is. Why make an alt art card if you aren't going to show the pilot?

1 hour ago, DarthEnderX said:

The Howlrunner is nice.

Don't know what the point of Backstabber is. Why make an alt art card if you aren't going to show the pilot?

Seems to be a new trend. Omega Leader is like that. Maybe it's to avoid "Derp Dash" and "Goblin Hera" problems on lesser known characters.

14 hours ago, Nyxen said:

But reinforce is an action, a blocked auzi is a dead one.

Blocking ps1 ships ain't that easy

If I was in that matchup, you had academy pilots and the initiative, I'd just kill them first. I've actually found not going after Howl to be a surprisingly effective strategy against crackswarm.

As for the original topic, swarms are dead as soon as Guns for Hire drop. It's not impossible for a 4 Harpoon (Kihraxz+Z95) list to PS kill all of your PS1-4 ships in the first round combat.