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Howl runner
-swarm tactics

Mauer Mithel

Backstabber

Dark Curse

Night beast

Winged Gundark.

Basically the idea is an elite type swarm that has the initiative that gets rerolls, extra dice etc.

Will it work?

Let me know

At 99 points, you aren't guaranteed initiative. Even if you had it, your best PS pilot is only 8 and all of the other true aces would move last and shoot first (also, she's going to be the first to die). Low PS generics would be able to move first and potentially block you as well.

Would it work? Sure, six TIE fighters is a healthy amount of dice to throw at something but they're still just TIE fighters and can be one shot off the board.

No personal experience with the list, but I've heard other people say good things about it in the past. The important thing is that you've got most of a Howlrunner swarm, but you trade a single academy pilot for major improvements to the rest of your ships. The hardest part isn't going to be going down to six ships instead of seven, it's the fact that you're flying a mixed-PS list that depends on maneuvering in tight formation. You will have to be really careful with your deployment and maneuvering to make sure that you don't get ships out of order and block your own moves.

The TIE Fighter All-Stars (AKA the Sinister Six) has been a thing since the game came out - it's a good list, but as Peregrine noted, it's a mentally draining one to fly.

Once you get into a furball, the fact that you've got many different pilot skills will get on your nerves something rotten.

That said, it's a very good list. I use it a lot and it always does me proud.


Suggestions:

Your minimum PS is 5, higher than almost all generics, and Howlrunner - at PS8 - still isn't shooting before a lot of aces. Swarm Tactics is an expensive option (for a TIE fighter!) and probably worth skipping on.

I tend to take the following upgrades:

Determination on Howlrunner. She is essentially a 'caddy' for her pilot ability

Veteran Instincts or Crack Shot on Mauler Mithel. PS9 is good, and Crack Shot makes a hell of a difference in firepower to a TIE fighter (the squad I've been flying more recently is a pack of Black Squadron TIE fighters all with Crack Shot).

Twin Ion Engines MkII on Night Beast. This opens out his green dial a little further, giving him free focus on a speed three [Bank].


The latter isn't that great, but since your squad sits in the PS5-8 range, initiative is often not all that crucial. Modify to taste, anyway.


Deploy in a classic 'TIE Fighter Box' - I would suggest a front rank of Night Beast and Dark Curse (the two hardest to hit) with Mithel, Gundark and Howlrunner formed up behind them (Gundark behind Night Beast to avoid movement order issues).

Don't put backstabber in the box. Yes, you'd get the howlrunner reroll, but an extra die is better than a reroll, so Backstabber wants to swing wide and come in seperately. If your opponent is daft enough to go after a lone TIE fighter and get flanked by a swarm, then......I dunno, do a little dance or something. If not, then you'll be able to use his ability much more easily.

You'll generally want to deploy in one of the 'channels' at the side of the board, because you're going to be flying three TIE/ln fighters abreast. Send Backstabber through the rocks in the middle to make him a harder target (don't set him up on the other flank or your opponent can hunt him down before you can swing in to help - moving a swarm through the rocks will take a turn or two....).

I've flown this at tournaments and done okay. You go from a 7 ships to 6 ships, but gain a lot of special abilities - not a bad trade. I do think that regular swarms are an overall better choice, but the Sinister Six are super fun to fly.

It's a complicated list to fly; all your TIE fighters are moving at different PS levels, so you really have to think about your maneuvers so you don't bump. The main thing you'll want to do is run a 5 ship swarm with Howlrunner, and then have Backstabber flying around trying to get good angles on ships. Gundark and Mauler both have range 1 bonuses, so try to take advantage of that (strip shield with Mauler, lay on crits with Gundark). Howlrunner has fewer ships to buff than a normal TIE swarm (less efficient overall), so don't be afraid to break up the swarm. If you don't practice flying this list, you'll lose games.

locarno24 wrote:
Determination on Howlrunner. She is essentially a 'caddy' for her pilot ability

Yes. Howlrunner is going to get shot at, and with her high evade she's more likely than other ships to take crits. The injured pilot card no longer exists, but determination still lets you discard 1/4 of all crits that you receive. I'm not a huge fan of swarm tactics. It doesn't help at all if you're flying against PS9 aces (which are common in tournaments), and at best will only buff 1 other fighter. I normally run Stealth Device with Howlrunner, but you afford it in this list without forgoing elite upgrades altogether.

locarno24 wrote:

Veteran Instincts or Crack Shot on Mauler Mithel. PS9 is good, and Crack Shot makes a hell of a difference in firepower to a TIE fighter (the squad I've been flying more recently is a pack of Black Squadron TIE fighters all with Crack Shot).

I always waffle on what to put on Mauler. Lighting Reflexes or VI are my usual go-to, as they can help you get range 1 shots.

Lighting Reflexes is a nice call, too. The place an elite TIE swarm tends to come unstuck is in turn 2-3 - you do well in the first turn of engagement because you have almost the firepower of a normal swarm plus you shoot first, but then you tend to find yourself getting blocked - moving after other generics leaves you vulnerable to this, and whilst you may see it coming, with five fighters in damn near base-to-base proximity, there's naff all you can do about it.

Lightning reflexes would let Mithel pull a hard turn or bank to break off at this point - and probably end up at close quarters to boot. Nice idea!


And yes, don't be afraid to break up the swarm. As noted - an extra dice is better than a reroll, so given a choice between getting into a position to use their own ability, or hugging Howlrunner to use hers, have Backstabber and Mauler Mithel break off.

I like Crack Shot - especially on my Crack Shot Swarm - because it increases the swarm's killing power in the first pass - which is when a TIE swarm is at its strongest anyway; think of it as cheap ordnance that sits in the elite pilot talent slot rather than a secondary weapon slot.