hi I recently bought 2 core sets for a really good price in my FLGS from someone and also found really cheap tie fighters from another guy. also I really like how the tie fighters look so I decided to get a squad going by buying more tie fighters. I have 4 from the 2 core sets currently. should I get 7 or 8 in total? I like to run like a horde/swarm kind of tie fighter army. 7 fighters with more named pilots or 8 with mostly academy pilots? what pilot should I add to the 8 fighter list?

I can also get a bomber, interceptor or phantom instead of the fighters. would you prefer a 4 fighter 1 bomber list to say 8 fighters? sorry I am a bit noob.

The classic TIE Swarm (Howlrunner and a bunch if cheap academy pilots) hasn't really been a thing for awhile. There are lots of variants that still kind of hang around the edges of the metagame (they're not common), and they mostly make use of the Crackshot EPT.

A few archetypes I can recall off the top of my head - the Pattiswarm was successful in the UK a few waves back - that was Howlrunner with Crackshot, 3 Black Squadron pilots with Crackshot and three Academy pilots. I think that Dallas Parker, who is a podcast host who flies/flew TIE Swarms would use Howleunner with Crackshot, Zeta Leader (which is actually a TIE/fo) with Crackshot and our Black Squadron pilots with Crackshot.

There are other variants too, but I'm not an expert. However you build it, you'll want Howlrunner to help with offence, plus some way to push damage through onto high agility targets (the Crackshot, Juke and Snapshot EPTs are good options there). You may or may not want some PS1 Academy pilots to help with blocking.

Whatever variant you build, you're going to struggle at first. Controlling that many ships all at once is hard, especially if you want to keep them in a block to benefit from Howlrunner. You'll make a lot of mistakes, make lots of bumps into your own ships. But with practice, you'll get better.

I think you'll find that the biggest challenge for any TIE swarm build right now is that there are some builds which you will monster (anything with a small number of low agility ships, like a Decimator based list), and some where you'll have very little that you can do (Harpoon missile based lists, lists with lots of area of effect bombs, ships with lots of reinforcing Wookiee gunships, or very highly mobile aces that can arc dodge a lot of the swarm and dodge your two dice attacks). Unfortunately, the latter set might be more common than the former - which is why TIE Swarms are relatively uncommon at the moment.

31 minutes ago, MacchuWA said:

Howlrunner with Crackshot, 3 Black Squadron pilots with Crackshot and three Academy pilots.

I would say, aim for this at the moment. Get a few crackshots and have at it. Then eventually you can drop an academy and add more blackcracks as you get crackshots. Also, feel free to proxy if your just playing at home casual matches. If you get a couple TIE F/Os you can go with something like this:

"Howlrunner" (18)
Crack Shot (1)

Omega Squadron Pilot (17)
Crack Shot (1)

Omega Squadron Pilot (17)
Crack Shot (1)

Black Squadron Pilot (14)
Crack Shot (1)

Black Squadron Pilot (14)
Crack Shot (1)

Black Squadron Pilot (14)
Crack Shot (1)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

All the same PS, so its easier to fly then the list with zeta leader that macchu listed above.

Thanks for the replies but modifications/upgrades you list are sadly not available in the OP's content of Core and TIE expansions. So I think a swarm is a bit hard for a newbie at first. Instead I can also get a phantom / bomber or / interceptor along with my TIE fighters. The budget is a concern for a few months and these expansions are on sale in my FLGS so I want to build something that will be at least fun and okay to run for a few months. So should I get some more fighters along with mine or get one of the bomber/phantom/interceptor next to my fighters?

1 hour ago, feras-are said:

Thanks for the replies but modifications/upgrades you list are sadly not available in the OP's content of Core and TIE expansions. So I think a swarm is a bit hard for a newbie at first. Instead I can also get a phantom / bomber or / interceptor along with my TIE fighters. The budget is a concern for a few months and these expansions are on sale in my FLGS so I want to build something that will be at least fun and okay to run for a few months. So should I get some more fighters along with mine or get one of the bomber/phantom/interceptor next to my fighters?

If you get imperial veterans you can at least get a crackshot and stay within imps which seems like you are trying to do. Will also give you an x7 defender which is useful in any build. At the end of the day I'd still pick up a khirax/houndstooth the moment you see one at a price that fits ur budget, even if it is a scum, those cracks are super useful for any tie swarm, mini-swarm, variant.

Alternatively you could go with the Upsilon Shuttle/Batwing as that one comes with snapshots.

Even if you only bought one imp veterans pack, and one upsilon shuttle (instead of a bomber, phantom and interceptor), I think you'd have enough snaps and cracks to really fly some interesting tie miniswarms and still have plenty to back them up with either an x7 defender or a support upsilon shuttle. (Despite most, I think Batwing shuttle is one of the best/most fun/versatile ships to fly in the game).

TIE swarm is unforgiving at the best of times and is currently easly countered so I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're going to anyways the I'll suggest howlrunner (tie fighter) scimitar pilot(tie bomber) with TIE shuttle & systems officer (Imp vets), I'd also pick up the Tie striker if only for Swarm Leader Wich I'd put on a heavy hitter (Mauler mithil, TIE/Adv, Intercepter etc) go ahead and fill the rest with acadamy pilots

34 minutes ago, mad mandolorian said:

TIE swarm is unforgiving at the best of times and is currently easly countered so I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're going to anyways the I'll suggest howlrunner (tie fighter) scimitar pilot(tie bomber) with TIE shuttle & systems officer (Imp vets), I'd also pick up the Tie striker if only for Swarm Leader Wich I'd put on a heavy hitter (Mauler mithil, TIE/Adv, Intercepter etc) go ahead and fill the rest with acadamy pilots

what about adding one of the bomber/phantom/interceptor to my 4 tie fighters then? which one would go well with 4 fighters?

37 minutes ago, feras-are said:

what about adding one of the bomber/phantom/interceptor to my 4 tie fighters then? which one would go well with 4 fighters?

With the expansions you mention, you will struggle to be competitive. Academy Pilots can be useful blockers, Howlrunner is great, but her Pilot ability disappears when she dies, which can happen before any of your other ship ever shoot if you aren't careful. Youngster with Rage is a bit more efficient. That being said I would grab your favorite Ace and fill in with Ties as you see fit. Whisper and Echo are solid flankers (but tricky to fly) and really require Veterans Instinct EPT to be good (and even then are under PS in many Meta match-ups) Ryad is a fun low PS ace, but you will want to have Pred, expertise, PTL and Twin Ion on her to make her hit like a truck and stay alive (she will want to focus as a minimum every turn and have the x7 title). Soontir Fel with PTL,Targ Comp, AT or SD is a fun Glass Cannon. Honestly, put what ever you want together, go fly it some, and ENJOY!!!! As a new player with a limited collection, I highly recommend you to fly whatever sounds like fun for you, relax and expect to lose, but learn. Ask questions, re-hash mistakes etc. with your opponents and improve your flying. If you are going to stick with Imp, be aware that overall it is the least forgiving faction when it comes to pilot error.

Welcome to the $$$$$ Suck that is X-Wing, have fun, fly casual!!

3 hours ago, feras-are said:

Thanks for the replies but modifications/upgrades you list are sadly not available in the OP's content of Core and TIE expansions. So I think a swarm is a bit hard for a newbie at first. Instead I can also get a phantom / bomber or / interceptor along with my TIE fighters. The budget is a concern for a few months and these expansions are on sale in my FLGS so I want to build something that will be at least fun and okay to run for a few months. So should I get some more fighters along with mine or get one of the bomber/phantom/interceptor next to my fighters?

If you are not playing in tournaments, proxy the upgrade cards so you can run a decent list like you are asking. If just playing at home or at local game store, that is perfectly fine.

If you dont want to proxy, or plan to play in tournaments, then building will be very limited if you are not buying multiple ships in multiple factions. Very few expansions are competitive and self sufficient right out of the box. An interceptor is **** near useless without PTL and/or autothrusters, which doesnt come in the expansion, you would have to buy Imperial Aces pack to get two interceptors and two Push The Limit upgrades, then buy a starviper or wait for the new tie silencer for autothrusters.

With 2 core sets and a tie fighter expansion, I would probably just buy a TIE F/O expansion and run this:

"Omega Leader" (21)
Juke (2)
Comm Relay (3)

"Howlrunner" (18)

"Dark Curse" (16)

"Backstabber" (16)

Academy Pilot (12)

Academy Pilot (12)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

About as good as you can get without going any further or proxying upgrades

Thanks everyone for replies!

30 minutes ago, JSwindy said:

Honestly, put what ever you want together, go fly it some, and ENJOY!!!! As a new player with a limited collection, I highly recommend you to fly whatever sounds like fun for you, relax and expect to lose, but learn. Ask questions, re-hash mistakes etc. with your opponents and improve your flying. If you are going to stick with Imp, be aware that overall it is the least forgiving faction when it comes to pilot error.

Welcome to the $$$$$ Suck that is X-Wing, have fun, fly casual!!

Yeah I do plan to enjoy it I don't have crazy competitive THAT GUY character when it comes to tabletop games. Fun is my goal.

26 minutes ago, wurms said:

With 2 core sets and a tie fighter expansion, I would probably just buy a TIE F/O expansion and run this:

"Omega Leader" (21)
Juke (2)
Comm Relay (3)

"Howlrunner" (18)

"Dark Curse" (16)

"Backstabber" (16)

Academy Pilot (12)

Academy Pilot (12)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

About as good as you can get without going any further or proxying upgrades

Thanks for the advice. The Fighter expansions I mentioned on sale was the classic ones, not FO. The reason I am stuck on these options of more fighters or /phantom/intercepter/bomber is that because the price is like crazy cheap so thats why I put these options before ordering some other stuff.

Basically in the end what it comes down to is either I get 4 more TIEs to run 8 TIE Fighter squad or add a bomber to my 4 TIE Fightes to run 4 Fighters / 1 Bomber squad. From what I read I think in the case of the second squad, best option would be to give the bomber seismic charges and missiles and try to get the bomber in a position to use the bomb without getting blown up by Fighter defence.

7 hours ago, feras-are said:

what about adding one of the bomber/phantom/interceptor to my 4 tie fighters then? which one would go well with 4 fighters?

TIE/shuttle or TIE/Adv if you fly in formation, phantom if you dont, soontir Fel if you need an ace

My opinion is that seven or eight fighters would be more effective than four and one bomber -- but if the four fighters are the same price as the one bomber, it might be cooler to own more fighters. If one fighter is the same price as one bomber, interceptor, or phantom, though, you will probably enjoy the variety more long-term.

As you've probably gathered, a list only composed of those ships would be considered rather outdated. Furthermore, most lists require all manner of upgrade cards scattered across expansions. For this reason, many players proxy upgrade cards -- use a list-building website like YASB , print off your list, and pretend you own the upgrade cards. You can't do this in a tournament, and you'll have to make sure it's okay with your opponents for casual play. If you can't do this, and think you'd get enough use out of them, I've found what I consider to be a great deal on Crack Shots online. I can't remember the forum policy on links to things for sale, so send me a private message if you'd like it (I'm not the seller, lol).

If it were me, and each individual ship is the same cost, I would buy as many different ones as I could afford, to be able to try as many different things as possible and to use in future lists. I would play some games, expecting to lose but enjoying the experience, and find out what kinds of ships you like. Then you can plan for some future lists with some newer ships and upgrades along those lines down the road.

thanks for the replies!