I’m sure I’ll get some bites here. So a few ideas I want input on. With the Silencer spoilers and the new upgrades how can we maximize swarm potential.

so I know one list I really want to look at is.

4x Epsilon Squadron

Epsilon Ace

Epsilon Leader

96 points so a little room to help out one or two.

Could also look at 3x Epsilon Squadrons freeing up 19 total points for upgrades if it would be worth it.

Another List

Omega Leader Juke/Comm relay

4x Omega Squadron

total 94 pts.

Zeta Squadron

Zeta Leader or Ace possibilities for both.

a Zeta Specialist s/f

fill with Zeta Squadrons up to 5 total.

So go......

calling:

@Magnus Grendel @blade_mercurial @Parakitor **** even calling @ficklegreendice Thoughts?

Epsilon Squadron could run Advanced Optics on Ace and Leader for 100.

I don’t know if Optics is going to bring FOs onto the field in any meaningful way, but it’s a way to get focus and evade for a point less than comm relay. It also let’s them target lock for full offensive mods as well.

Hmm... Fighting the TIE Silencer with 2 attack dice-ships seems like a tall order. And by the sound of it, everybody in my group is going to jump on that Silencer band wagon. I thought about just a bunch of Omega's with Snap Shot, but Advanced Sensors on Kylo's starfighter makes Snap Shot less attractive. I'll have to put some more thought into this.

3 hours ago, Ronu said:

4x Epsilon Squadron

Epsilon Ace

Epsilon Leader

96 points so a little room to help out one or two

Normally I'd say Targeting Synchroniser for Epsilon Ace - a ship which is PS12 and can easily get a lock, and is agile enough to avoid being shot at, and isn't too well armed, being able to pass that target lock to someone else who can make better use of it is a good deal.

In a TIE/fo swarm....no-one is discernably more dangerous than he is. So he might as well keep the lock for himself. By comparison, his ability only works until he takes his first damage card. Comm Relay has always been a great investment for him.

Epsilon Leader - Primed Thrusters was my default - it let him segnor or koiogan, then barrel roll to 'shuffle' his stress relieving range 1 bubble across the rest of the squad before it triggers at the start of the combat phase.

With the new upgrades:

• Advanced Optics does the same job as comm relay, but cheaper and arguably better (because if you have no action and have a 'free shot' you still have a focus token).
• Saving a point on Comm Relay->Advanced Optics lets you also change Primed Thrusters->Pattern Analyser. This does the same job on Epsilon Leader (after a red move you can still barrel roll) but it also allows you to get any other action of your choice if you don't need to barrel roll. Combined with his pilot ability, this basically makes him a 21 point fun-size TIE Defender with super-Wingman.

3 hours ago, Ronu said:

Omega Leader Juke/Comm relay

4x Omega Squadron

Give the Omegas all Crack Shot - if you have 4 points spare and a quartet of TIE's with unused Elite upgrades it's never a bad starting point.

Other than that, the last two points I would suggest saving 1 point for an initiative bid - it's not critical, but PS8 is something Omega Leader shares with Miranda Doni and one or two other regular headaches; being able to control the movement order is quite nice.

The other thing I might consider is slapping a Hyperwave Comm Scanner on one of the Omega Squadron Pilots. This lets Omega Leader start with her Comm Relay 'charged' and gives everyone else a focus token for turn 1 if you're going to get aggressive (speed 5 head-on at someone who'll do the same to you) or expect to get ambushed on turn 1 (the Kylo Ren Batwing Surprise, a Resistance Han Solo, or a Ghost/Phantom/Leia "Bomba Larga"). No, it's not likely, but for a point it's very nice insurance if it does happen.

Omegas with crack shot aren't as good as black squadron with howlrunner, but they're a dratted sight harder to kill! Use them aggressively to keep the heat off Omega Leader until you can reduce the engagement to a 1-on-1 or as close as you can get it, and she'll clean house (barring Black One on Poe Dameron, who will laugh and kill her in the face, but how much can you expect from a 26 point ship?)

3 hours ago, Ronu said:

Zeta Squadron

Zeta Leader or Ace possibilities for both.

a Zeta Specialist s/f

• Zeta Leader
  • Wired
  • Weapons Guidance
• Zeta Specialist
  • Spec Ops Training
  • Fire Control System
  • Pattern Analyser
  • Lightweight Frame
• Zeta Squadron Pilot x 3

I don't think the 3 points to make Epsilons into Zetas are really worth it, but I appreciate the 'pure squadron' theme!

Zeta Leader Wired/Weapons Guidance is just really efficient. It locks you into green moves, but....it's a TIE/fo, big whoop, and 3 attack dice with rerolls on focus results and a blank-to-hit conversion is incredible firepower for a ship cheaper than a butt-naked generic T-70.

Zeta Specialist is tough and flexible. Pattern Analyser lets you use the red bits of your dial - making it to all intents and purposes more manoeuvrable than a normal TIE/fo, with Lightweight Frame it's about half again as tough, and with fire control and spec ops training it's significantly better armed. 29 points is not cheap but it's a fair deal for what you get. 2 3-dice ships gives a TIE swarm a fighting chance of engaging something heavier, and you still have 3 warm bodies to block and trap.

Sorry, I can't really offer anything. I've always felt that the TIE/fo is a bit....lacking. Don't get me wrong, I think there are some good pilots and it has a great dial, but 2 attack for the cost is hard to swallow...