Today I found out the store where I used to play WOTC's Star Wars Miniatures game is going to be running a Kessel Run event next month. I only just got my Core set yesterday though so this will be my first time putting together a squadron and playing the game. My total ship stock is the 3 from the core set plus an additional TIE Fighter and TIE Advanced. It looks like even if I play Vader's TIE Advanced with Swarm Tactics and Cluster Missles plus use the 3 highest point TIE Fighter Pilots I'll still be 10-15 points low on my point total.

I can get 1 more TIE before the event and was wondering if I'd be better off adding a second TIE Advanced or a 4th TIE Fighter?

 Youll be much better off buying another Tie. Darth vader with concussion missles is always a good thing. IMO the only two things you should never take to a tournement is marak steele, or cluster missles.

Youll be able to make a great named charecter heavy team. (darth vader, howlrunner, mauler, backstabber, night beast) -I tend to run this from time to time and always get great results. for the points and the ships you have, I wouldnt go with any other team. keep vader defensive if you want to avoid death with him, save your focus for defense for a healthy vader.

dont necessarily give swarm tactics to the guy who has the lowest initive. sometimes your opponent will target lock mauler with luke and wedge, and youll want to shoot encase he dies…. 

play as many games as you can, and watch for people trying to tell you that marak steele might do good in a tourny  (they feed you crap to get you to run a crap list) 

 I would go with the TIE advanced, because I have the same ships you do right now and I want another one. It's an even match for an x-wing, which is all I'd really want from another ship.

why would you never take maerek or cluster missiles? that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. maybe maerek because he's is pricey for what he is but i'm confused on the cluster missiles. i use them all the time to great effect with marksmanship. usually a guaranteed kill on an x-wing in the first pass.

Vader with Marksmanship and Cluster Missiles is pretty solid. Because Vader can do two actions a turn, he can simutaneously Target Lock and use Marksmanship, pretty much guarenteeing someone is getting hurt reallly bad. I've used Vader twice before and he is very solid.

Consider a single TIE Advanced vs two TIE Fighters.

Both options are going to cost about 24 points.

A TIE Advanced only has half the firepower of two TIEs. True, it can take missiles, but that's a one-shot deal.

Two TIE Fighters, on the whole, are more survivable with 6 HP total compared to 5 (with shields).

The two TIEs have two actions between them whereas the Advanced has only one.

The TIE Advanced does generally have better initiative.

Personally, I agree with the Empire's in-universe decision on this and they went with the cheaper, more mass-produceable TIE Fighter. "Quantity has a quality of its own." In WWII, Germany's Tiger and Panther tanks easily outclassed the Allies Shermans and T-34s, but simply couldn't help being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the enemy.

However, it can be reasonable to argue the other side.

Stormtrooper721 said:

You forgot to add target lock into that equation as well as the facts that 2 of those five the tie is sporting can eat crits and that after three hits the dual ties lose their advantage. Not saying your points aren't perfectly valid, because they are, but you left out a few pros to the advance tie.

Really it boils down to personal playstyle in the end, as well as how the rest of your squad is composed. Runing the buffer hero ties obviously favours numbers where as the self boosting ties don't.

To use a rebel example, Dutch really shines when Wedge or Hortan are around and packing protons, Garven works well with Biggs and so on. Squad leader vader can make good use of a fellow missile carrying advance as well since he has two actions to hand out.

All a matter of taste and who you're fighting really.

Maarek has many detractors among this forum.  Maarek eats Y-Wings.  An awful lot of people have more respect for their lists than they do the maneuvering dial.  

 I would suggest you buy another core set.  Two more TIEs, more dice, another X-Wing +tons more.  Above all else play as much as you can before then and get a feel for squads you like to play.

Board glitched and I lost my respose. Try to remember what i threw in it.

 I do eventually want another core set for theships,  extra dice, and other supplies, but can't get it now.

For Kessel I'm thinking Vader and Stele, both with Markmenship and Cluster Missles. That's if the missles and Marksmanship both come with the TIE Advanced since I only have one of each of them now. If they don't I'll have to change that around. Assuming I can do that I'd have 30 points left to spend for two TIE Fighters, although I'm undecided on whether those would be the 18/12, 17/13, 16/14, or both 15 point TIEs.

No comic/game stores near me even sell the game so I won't be able to play any games before the Kessel tourny. I'll pretty much be hoping the 2 TIE Advanced can keep me in games long enough to at least score some kills and keep me from being wiped out in spectacular fashion while I try to get the hang of playing.

CaptainRook said:

Thank you.

To the OP, if I could only afford one more ship before this tournament I'd put my money on another TIE Advance. But more importantly, learn your maneuvers and try to avoid being boxed in.

qwertyuiop said:

qwertyuiop, has it it right. As a relative newb to the game, I try to spend as much time as I can practicing flying in formation. It really helps when going against a live opponent.

 Maraak can be used correctly, but remember youve got to have an all commers list, not a list that is specificly made to take on ywings or tie fighters. it also takes allot more skill to use few ties because you have to worry more on being out manuevered.

Grape Starburst said:

Howlrunner + squad leader

2x tempest TIEadv + concussion missiles

2x Obsidian TIEs

this has worked very very well for me despite being a 5 ship imperial build, provided you keep them close together. 

 I think you mean Storm Squadron not Tempest.  You're 4 pts short.

Torresse said:

Considering that I don't really know what I'm doing the only way my squadron will be tailored to a specific ship type is if it happens accidently.

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Also :I will take the earlier advice on practicing movement. Probably a good idea since I haven't even looked at what moves each ship can even make yet.

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Extra also: I went for the 2nd TIE Advanced. Some time between now and when it gets here from ebay I'll decide on which two TIE Fighters I'll be using alongside the two TIE Advanced.