So, this is my first real list and I'm looking for some critique on my TIE Swarm. The basic idea is to use Howlrunner to bring up Wampa's Initiative, Use the Saber Ace with SL to give the standard TIE's a Boost option, and use the higher Agility of the Interceptors to get behind enemies and blaze away.

Howlrunner: 43

-Swarm Tactics

Rudor: 31

-Elusive

Saber Squad Ace: 50

-Squad Leader

Saber Squad Ace: 46

-Outmaneuver

Wampa: 30

36 minutes ago, GunnarL said:

So, this is my first real list and I'm looking for some critique on my TIE Swarm. The basic idea is to use Howlrunner to bring up Wampa's Initiative, Use the Saber Ace with SL to give the standard TIE's a Boost option, and use the higher Agility of the Interceptors to get behind enemies and blaze away.

Howlrunner: 43

-Swarm Tactics

Hask: 31

-Ruthless

Saber Squad Ace: 50

-Squad Leader

Saber Squad Ace: 46

-Outmaneuver

Wampa: 30

Okay first thing that stands out for me are the Squad Leader and Ruthless. The last thing the saber wants is Squad Leader, that red action kills it’s natural talent and won’t do enough to help the others. Ruthless really wants numbers and fodder to feed into. So unless you plan to sacrifice your interceptors it’s likely not what you want here. Great upgrade but not with expensive Interceptors.

I’d also drop the outmaneuver for Afterburners on Howlrunner in attempt to protect her as much as possible. She can burn down quickly as she’s the real threat with swarm tactics attached to her.

Ok, How about this? I also realized that I don't have Hask.

Total: 200

Howlrunner: 49

-Swarm Tactics

-Afterburners

Rudor: 34

-Outmaneuver

Saber Squad Ace: 41

-Marksman

Saber Squad Ace: 46

-Outmaneuver

Wampa: 30

1 minute ago, GunnarL said:

Ok, How about this? I also realized that I don't have Hask.

Total: 200

Howlrunner: 43

-Swarm Tactics

-Afterburners

Rudor: 31

-Outmaneuver

Saber Squad Ace: 50

-Marksman

Saber Squad Ace: 46

-Outmaneuver

Wampa: 30

Double check your points. The Saber with Marksmanship isn’t that expensive And Howlrunner is going to be more expensive with Afterburners . Still not sold on outmaneuver on the saber or Rudor honestly. Once you check you points and have the right total We can make other suggestions.

Sorry, I changed the list but not the points.

Total: 200

Howlrunner: 49

-Swarm Tactics

-Afterburners

Rudor: 34

-Outmaneuver

Saber Squad Ace: 41

-Marksman

Saber Squad Ace: 46

-Outmaneuver

Wampa: 30

Howl runner and iden verso are 80pts combined. Your left with 120pts

If you put elusive on howlrunner shes more survivable. If you put swarm tactics and take wampa hez I 5 in combat get to shoot 3 dice more. Use some generic tie classic fighters.

I dont think outmaneuver is good it's to expensive.

1 hour ago, GunnarL said:

Sorry, I changed the list but not the points.

Total: 200

Howlrunner: 49

-Swarm Tactics

-Afterburners

Rudor: 34

-Outmaneuver

Saber Squad Ace: 41

-Marksman

Saber Squad Ace: 46

-Outmaneuver

Wampa: 30

So just from personal experience. Outmaneuver on lower initiative ships doesn’t get enough mileage for the cost. Certainly try it and see for yourself what you think.

What I’d personally suggest is dropping the outmaneuver from valen, drop the Sabres down to Alpha’s which leaves points for another basic TIE/LN giving you a more proper swarm of 6 ships. Then you have some blockers to help set up different situations to help your aces.

What about this?

Total: 200

Howlrunner: 49

-Swarm Tactics

-Afterburners

Rudor: 28

Scourge: 33

-Marksman

Mauler: 33

-Marksman

Wampa: 30

Black Sq. Ace: 27

-Marksman

I think that the best, simplest TIE swarm around is Howlie, Iden, and 5 Academies. Lots dials, but efficient, and simple choices

If you're going to use Howlrunner in your list, I'd run a minimum of six TIEs (fighters or interceptors). You can either have several named TIEs, or run a combination of named and generic pilots.

I'd run them in a block formation for as long as you can to maximize the benefit from Howlrunner. After the first round or two of shooting, that formation will probably break down anyway, so any additional benefits you get from Howlrunner will just be a bonus.

If you're going to run fewer than six, or not use Howlrunner, I wouldn't necessarily worry about keeping them in a block from the start of the game. It's easier to fly if you do, but you definitely don't have to.

Concentrate more on flying them so that you converge at the same time on the first target you want to take out of the game.

As for upgrades, I was a big proponent of Crack Shot in 1.0. In 2.0 I've found that it triggers far less, especially when you're flying your TIEs in formation. It's just too hard to line up the bullseye.

If you're using Howlrunner I'd probably use a couple of Swarm Tactics instead, to maximize the shots at I5, or use Ruthless on as many as you can.

Broadly agree with both @Greebwahn and @underling .

1. If you plan on flying your TIE fighters in a tight 'block', Howlrunner and Iden Versio are probably your 'go to' options - they both have range 1 bubble effects and dramatically improve the head-on offensive power of a swarm. It does require you to fly in a tight formation, so figuring out obstacle placement and deployment of the swarm to allow you to approach your opponent without messing up your formation becomes your main tactical problem (along with "oh dear god that's a trajectory simulator-equipped bomber" - splash damage is not your friend....)
2. If you want to fly in a much looser formation, then I suggest Black Squadron Pilots with Ruthless or Crack Shot, plus or minus your choices of Valen Rudor with Squad Leader or Mauler Mithel with Afterburners. This squad still rewards using TIEs en masse, but it only needs to concentrate arcs of fire, not ships, which makes it a lot easier to envelop more elusive targets or line up Bullseye arcs, which is hard to do - or more accurately, it's hard to line up multiple bullseyes on the same ship whilst still keeping all the attackers within range 1 of Howlrunner.
3. Thoughts on the list as written:
   1. Howlrunner's job is to stay alive and stay in formation.
      1. Afterburners are about repositioning, which is in theory nice on an initiative 5 ace, but less useful on someone who has to stay at range 1 of her wingmen to justify her cost (which for "just a TIE fighter" is pretty extortionate)
      2. Swarm Tactics is not bad, and one of the main ways to make Wampa work. At the same time, if your opponent is shooting Wampa and not Howlrunner, he's kind of doing his job anyway.....
      3. Generally a howlrunner swarm wants to be built around cheap generics. Because she lets you reroll 1 die in each attack, the more attackers you have in her vicinity the better - load out on academy pilots or Alpha squadron pilots (the TIE interceptor equivalent) to get the most bang for her substantial bucks.
   2. Valen Rudor is kind of pointless as is. Getting a free action is nice, but:
      1. If he's currently in Howlrunner's reroll bubble, he doesn't want to barrel roll out of it
      2. If he's already focused, he can't focus again and can't target lock
      3. He can evade, but that only matters if the enemy is shooting at him specifically (remember his ability triggers if anyone within range 1 defends), and no-one in their right mind wants to target a basic TIE fighter when they could be shooting at Howlrunner or Wampa.
      4. With Squad Leader, he can turn that free action into an evade on whoever is being shot at, or with Juke he can evade himself and actually make that token useful offensively. If he doesn't have either of these, frankly I'd rather take a generic Black Squadron Pilot and if he doesn't have a talent at all, it's questionable what his advantage over a generic academy pilot is.
   3. Scourge
      1. Scourge's extra attack die is bullseye-locked, so giving him a talent which is also bullseye-locked makes sense.
      2. Personally, I'd fly Scourge separately from the swarm - allowing him to bank in or barrel roll as he needs to to line up that centreline shot.
      3. If you can find a point, Predator is arguably nastier - since if you fly him solo he's not going to be getting howlrunner's reroll
      4. By comparison, the problem with Marksmanship is that at Initiative 5 he's one of the first ships in your squad to attack - meaning the target is likely to still have shields which don't care if you inflict hits or criticals.
   4. Mauler Mithel
      1. I'd rather take other things than Marksmanship generally - I think as an ability it's best used when you have a special ability which triggers off criticals (like Seyn Marana or Bossk), but it's cheap and face-up cards are nasty.
      2. Given his high initiative and desire to get close, I'd rather give the afterburners to Mithel - being able to boost into range 1 makes a difference of 2 red dice to his subsequent attack... the equivalent of equipping a Proton Torpedo for half the normal price.
      3. Yes that would mean breaking formation with howlrunner. But TIE aces can afford to do that - it's the nameless generic grunts you want swarming around her.