Is an X-Wing better than a TIE Advanced?  I don't know.  They're really just different.  X's get Astromechs and better firepower, but the TIE-Adv is more slippery due to agility, evasion and barrel rolls.  Either ship will die quickly if multiple attackers focus fire on them in a single turn.  And either ship can do some damage.  So the fact that their point cost is similar seems right to me.

Plus, if you're running an Imp list it's not like you can opt to take X's over TIE-Adv.  The question should be: how do TIE-Adv compare to the other options Imp players have available to them?

-DavicusPrime

My point in comparing the TIE Advanced to the X-wing was not to say that you should choose one over the other, but simply to say that you should be able to field a TIE Advanced heavy or TIE Advanced exclusive squadron.

I'm not saying it would be suppa-duppa, but it should be compettative.

I will admit that just about Every Imperial Squadron I have ever seen has had exactly one TIE Advanced in it and it has always been Vader.  I have yet to play or play against an Imperial Squadron without Vader in it, or with any other TIE Advanced in it.

That being said, I would like to see the other lists.  I think they could work well.

There are so many cool TIE pilots, but the TIE Advanced as a craft is so much better than the TIE/In

I plan to start out with the Vader/TIE swarm combo because that's what I "feel" the Imperial force should look like, but I will surely try out some other combinations with 1 or more Advanced ships.

has anybody even tried a TIE swarm of 7 TIEs plus Dark Curse or other improved TIE fighter?

bullyboy said:

I'm working towards the 8 TIE build. :D Yeah, Academy Pilots only have skill 1, but…..all those dice! I'd run two Tie Advanced in situations where my opponent was fielding Y-Wings.

 I have played with and against multiple advanced ties several times now…. they are very good. I am playing a game later tonight and depending on my opponent and whether I will be playing Rebels or Empire will decide which 100 pt list I will be using. This is the 100pt list I will be using if I play Empire. I have played it before and it rocked the house.

Vader- Tie advanced x1

+Cluster Missiles

+Marksmanship

 =36

Maarek Stele- Tie advanced

+Cluster Missiles

+ Marksmanship

 =34

Mauler Mithel- Tie Fighter

+Determination

 =18

Academy Pilot (or as my brother calls them, "High school Pilot")- Tie fighter

 =12

=100 pts

This list has 2 advanced Ties and 2 Ties and three pilots with a skill of 7 or better and it worked fantastic for me before. I was actually very very impressed with Maarek. Everyone knows how good Vader is, but Maarek with Clusters and Marksmanship is nasty. Target lock from long range and then since the clusters are range 1-2, the next turn you close in, use marksmanship and unleash the clusters. Since marksmanship works for all attacks in the round, you get 2 different weapon 3 attacks and on both of the attacks you change a focus into a crit and the rest into hits. Which gives you really good odds of putting crits on the enemy… which Maarek loves. I ran him last time with Vader. Vader attacks first at skill 9 and pulls away your shields with his cluster missile/marksmanship attack and then Maarek just puts crits on you which when he puts a card flipping crit on you he gets to pull 3 cards, look through them and give you the one he wants…. Direct Hit double damage card anyone? These two were ridiculously effective in the game I used them together killing Luke/R2 in turn two! (yep dead Luke/R2 combo turn 2…. don't let people tell you R2/Luke or R2/Wedge is unbeatable because thats crap) and the advanced ties were very very hard to kill with their shields and high agility.

Now I hope that I end up playing a Rebel player so I can unleash my elite pilot Empire attack on their candy asses!

I figure it would be entirely possible to run three TIE-Adv fully decked out for 93-97pts, you'd have Vader, Maarek and a Storm Squadron, three missiles and two skills.  If you give one of the Named pilots Swarm Tactics, all three of them will probably be shooting early if not first.

If you go with Tempest Squadron Pilots you could run a 4 ship TIE-Adv list at 100pts.  Which is pretty much the same as the all rookie X-Wing list.

Point wise, you can match any of the X-Wing builds with TIE-Adv builds, 1-for-1.

It would be very interesting to test out either of the above.

It will be very fun mixing TIE-Adv with TIE-Int when they finally hit the shelves.

-DavicusPrime

Very True Davicus.  As I just posted, Vader and Maarek are a very good combo and when you consider the going rate for X wings these days, its not going to kill you points wise because then you can always squeeze in a Tie or 2 at cheaper prices… the rebel player can't. The rebels cheapest option is an 18 point Y wing with a "high School Pilot"… and Y wings are friggin boats…. they can take a beating before going down though, but then again they have crappy agility stat and so they will take that beating pretty fast.