TIE Bomber Teardown

The TIE Bomber serves an interesting role for the Imperial faction. At first glance it isn't clear what it's role should be although it is the cheapest missile platform available for the Imperials. It also has double the hit points of a TIE Fighter for only four more points. That alone should make it interesting. It does lose a point of Agility and trades Evade for Target Lock but it can field any ordinance you can imagine and has more staying power. There are few different ways to use it.

Note: There is a card coming out which will improve the reliability of all secondary weapons called Munitions Failsafe. I am aware of its upcoming existence but my play tests did not use it so it is not factored into this article though I believe it could only be considered an improvement.

The first way to use it is as a supplementary cruise missile. Which is to say you are taking it so that it can unload its munition and then you expect it die quickly thereafter. When used in this way I would advise taking a single Assault Missiles (for anti-swarm) or Homing Missiles upgrade. I have found it is very difficult to set up more than one shot in a game and having five or more points go unused is simply too great a risk to take. For 21 points in either configuration it is reasonable to assume you put the hurt on your intended target(s) and it represents direct in-faction anti-swarm tech for a very reasonable points cost.

The second way is to build your entire list around it. In my introduction post I presented a bomber list that I had been play testing with. Here is a different one that is even more aggressive and specifically designed to help bring down Rebel lists with three or four models.

Bomber Strike Wing 100 points

Colonel Jendon with Fire Control System and ST-321
Captain Jonus with x1 Homing Missiles
x2 Scimitar Squadron with x1 Homing Missiles

In this list it is very important that you start at your board edge and do your best to move as little as possible for two turns to maximize use of giving away your target locks to your bombers. Then on Turn 3 position yourself and perform an alpha strike on your target of choice. If you have done it correctly you should be able to fire all three of your Homing Missiles with Jonus letting you reroll two dice per attack on your Scimitar models and with those two Scimitar models having focused that turn to insure maximum output. With one of their ships down you should now outnumber them but that only makes it even as your firepower is now greatly reduced. It is then important to focus carefully as don't have as much firepower as a swarm would. Jendon becomes very important in this scenario as he is your main source of firepower as well as still being able to issue Target Locks to the rest of the bombers to improve reliability.

The last way to use them is a theoretical I have not seen done but would like to see or may do myself if I can find someone out there who has three TIE Bombers to let me use is to run them as a swarm. While you lose on some of the TIE fighters maneuverability and Agility 3 you do have 36 Hull points of damage for them to chew through and Target Locks to help improve your shooting reliability. It may be a tragically bad idea but I believe it is the tankiest build you can currently make in the game.

TIE Bomber Swarm 100 points

x4 Scimitar Squadron
x2 Gamma Squadron

This weeks The Wookie Won is a cool list that I have played against and had an opportunity to try as well that features the Firespray-31 which I don't see enough of. While I use a variation of this list I am posting the original I fought against here. It was quite effective at taking apart my XXBA list.

Firesprays & Doomshuttle 100 points.

Omicron Group Pilot with Darth Vader
x2 Bounty Hunter with Recon Specialist and Seismic Charge

Aside from the overall tankiness of this list it gets a great deal of action efficiency from the Recon Specialists. The Seismic Charge is is very useful both in an anti-swarm capacity and also for helping to control space behind your rear arc. The Doomshuttle is a common build that takes an Omicron and makes it a threat by adding Vader who can cause crits on unshielded ships as well as offering a last ditch opportunity to do some damage before the shuttle blows up if you are low on hit points.

Go forth and crush the puny Rebellion and we will return on Thursday.