Help me putting together an imperial squad for my next tournament

By SmartCookie, in X-Wing

Hi,

I'm planning my next squad for an upcoming tournament. I've come to like (and become successful) with the TIE Bombers so am choosing between the following:

2 Scimitar pilots with Concussion Missiles and Prox. Mines

and

3 Alpha Interceptors

Total 100pts

or

2 Scimitar pilots with Concussion Missiles and Prox. Mines

and

Three Academy TIEs

and

Howlrunner

Total 100pts

Thoughts, comments, alternatives...

Please help

Consider:

3 Alpha Interceptors: 9 attack dice, 9 hull points, boost

3 Academy Pilots + Howlrunner: 8 attack dice, 12 hull points, potential rerolls for everyone's primary weapon attacks.

I'm thinking you could get more out of four TIE Fighters than you will with the three lowest PL Interceptors.

Of course alternatives are easiest to see in your ordinance choices. IIRC those mines require actions to use while Seismic charges can just get dropped although they may run a greater risk of hitting your own ships as well.

Edited by StevenO

My favorite bomber lists are built around something like:

Major Rhymer (40)
TIE Bomber (26), Advanced Proton Torpedoes (6), Homing Missiles (5), Push the Limit (3)
Captain Jonus (32)
TIE Bomber (22), Homing Missiles (5), Push the Limit (3), Seismic Charges (2)
And then 28 points of whatever suits your fancy. If you switch munitions around you can easily put those two with a small swarm, a couple of Saber interceptors, a Firespray, a Lambda, whatever you like flying most. Take Rhymer and Jonus, each with PTL for a total of 54, load them up with whatever secondaries you like, and you'll have points left over to flesh out a squad.

I like the second (TIE fighter) list. I'm interested in hearing how the Proximity Mines work because you can close off some major avenues for your opponent with two of them.

I also think the Fighters/Howl will work better overall.

Thanks for the input. I'm leaning toward the TIEs and Howlrunner.

The proximoty mines does indeed cost an action, but on a low PS skill I can move the Bombers first and drop them right in front of an enemy that will then detonate them as they execute their move.

Seidmic charges auto explode once all craft have moved, much trickier to hit the enemy with low PS bombers.

Edited by Veldrin

Hi,

I'm planning my next squad for an upcoming tournament. I've come to like (and become successful) with the TIE Bombers so am choosing between the following:

2 Scimitar pilots with Concussion Missiles and Prox. Mines

and

3 Alpha Interceptors

Total 100pts

or

2 Scimitar pilots with Concussion Missiles and Prox. Mines

and

Three Academy TIEs

and

Howlrunner

Total 100pts

Thoughts, comments, alternatives...

Please help

i prefer the 2nd squad... but maybe a few tweaks like this?

2 Scimitar pilots with Assault Missiles (42)

and

Three Academy TIEs (36)

and

Howlrunner + Swarm Tactics (20)

Total 98pts

extra pts could be used on a single seismic charge on a bomber maybe or keep initiative over most squads at 98pts.

those assault missiles will be gr8 against other swarm squads :)

Scimitar + concussion/homing x2= 40

Howlrunner = 18

Backstabber = 16

Academy x2 = 24

Best of all worlds. 2pts left for that seismic/init/mauler + VI or upgrades to obsidians to shoot first.

Edited by Rakky Wistol

I tested the TIE fighter version against another semi swarm. I faced Omicron Shuttle with Vader, 3 Academy TIEs, and 3 Obsidian TIEs.

It was a close fought battle which I lost. Manly due to not using my missiles at once to decimate som TIEs. I foolishly held them back for the Shuttle and I fired them of eventually. Because of this I took heavier casualties beacuse along the way.

The Proximity Mines worked like a charm however. Each Bomber (PS 2) moved up in front of an Obsidian TIE (PS 3) and dropped it so there was no way for the enemy TIE not to trigger the mines.

Two Proximity Mines = two dead enemy TIES.

The main thing that hurt me was that my opponent managed to kill several of my ships (PS 1) before I had a chance to fire back. To remedy this I'm thinking about increasing the PS on all my TIE Fighters and removing Howlrunner.

Next time I'll modify the squad like this:

Scimitar Bomber 24 pts

Promximity Mine (3)

Assault Missiles (5)

Scimitar Bomber 23 pts

Promximity Mine (3)

Concussion Missiles (4)

4 x Obsidian TIE Fighters 52 pts

TOTAL.................................99 pts

This way I have a chance get priority against other 99 pts squads and automatically get it against 100 pts squads and I have one Assault Missile to use against an enemy swarm.

Edited by Veldrin