Dude you cant compare x-wing with 40k. There are hundreds and thousands of models and options against 12 models with limited options.

Endgame that Vader setup is pretty good, but try switching out Marksmanship for Expose. You trade one die for a much better chance to hit with all the others (and deal a critical too!)

Pretty much no one picks those versions, unlike X-Wings, Tie Fighters, Interceptors, Bombers. (you get the idea)

It's hard to disagree with that - I've never picked them. I might try them out though.

I tried them once or twice. In those games they were the biggest pieces of dead weight ever. I did better with a Lambda shuttle the first time i ever flew it.

Engine upgrade is SOOOOO > expose (and marksmanship) on vader, but that is kinda off topic.

Engine upgrade is SOOOOO > expose (and marksmanship) on vader, but that is kinda off topic.

it is but....

....you can always take both....

Being new to the game and having only flown Vader a few times, my theory on why he isn't in top tournament lists more has to do with the fact that tourneys are played with time limits.

Vader does not throw enough dice to win decisively quickly enough, and you get penalized for less that a complete win when the time is up. Since you can have two unique tie fighters at that price which deal more damage per turn, it seems obvious why the swarm is better in tourney play.

When time isn't a factor:Vader with engine upgrade is extremely hard to hit with anything the rebels have without a 360 arc. The A-wing cannot match Vader with the option to barrel roll and boost the same turn without penalty. I feel like he can stay behind x-wings all day, and boost/barrel role out of their sights of most enemies when he needs to. He's expensive, but I would rather have his skills in a Tie A than drop a 8 point pilot (over 21 for the basic Tie-A) into a regular fragile Tie. It's a pity he can't fly the Lamda or Firespray

I really like the top interceptors as well, they are the glass cannon of the game, but Vader's ability gives him the edge in my opinion.

As far as the other Tie-A's go, other tie's make better options, but there is some value to hitting your opponent with a force that they haven't seen often before. The critical resistance is nice against some rebels lists. An Academy Pilot is 12, at 4 points per shield mod, and one additional PS, the Tie-A is a logical choice for an imperial player that simply doesn't love flying the swarm every time, but wants more survivability that an all-interceptor list.

I have considered trying some variation of the Vader shuttle with two tempests with missiles and Jonus.

Since I was asked to run a tempest or a Storm pilot, I ran this today:

Howlrunner, Determination

Tempest Squadron

5x Academy Pilot

vs

Wedge, R2F2, Push the Limit

Red Squadron

Rookie

Rookie

He took initiative, which helped me immensely later. Wedge stayed back and out of range, so I focused down the Red squadron first, dealing 3 damage. Howl runner survived the first round of range 3 fire without damage, and then I hit a K turn to keep her alive another turn (the K turn took her just out of wedge's speed 1 arc). In general my fire was ineffectual, with me only dealing one more damage to the red squadron and losing academy in exchange. The following turn had both sides going almost nose to nose with 1s and 2s across the board, except for wedge, who had taken himself out of the fight by not K turning the previous turn (he target locked and focused to kill a nearby) and taking a green bank this turn. I took out the red squadron and a rookie with intense R1 fire, but lost Howl runner. The game devolved into a dog fight after that with wedge killing another 2 academies, but my Tempest stayed on the rookies tail and dealing 3 damage before an academy finished it off. I lost another academy trying to go nose to nose with wedge to get a range 1 shot, but the other academy managed to strip wedge's shields at range 2. Wedge didn't have a ton of options at this point, having gotten near a pair of asteroids that would either require him to take a 2 turn or let me get on his tail with both my remaining ships. I figured he would go for the turn, and I couldn't get the academy in position to block, so put my undamaged tempest in head to head range 1 of Wedge. Wedge target locked and focused the Tempest. Wedge landed 3 hits and a Crit, and I only evaded one, so I lost my shields and ate a crit (minor explosion, no damage). The Tempest's return fire dealt 2 damage to wedge on 3 hits and I didn't need to spend my target lock. At this point, Wedge either had to shed stress or fly without actions, so I put the academy in position to shoot at range 1 if wedge tried to go straight ahead or bank left (wouldn't be able to get arc if he banked 1 right), and K turned the Tempest for a range 3 through a rock shot if Wedge did bank right. Wedge banked right to clear the stress and just used R2F2. The academy didn't have a shot - the tempest did against 5 defense dice. I managed 2 hits after spending the target lock and wedge threw all banks on defense, ending the game.

While I can't say I wouldn't have done better with say, mauler and back stabber in the squad, being able to eat 4 hits on the tempest pretty much sealed this game for me.