Tie Fighters; are they worth it?

[Rhinehard 37]

I don't know how much this has been discussed,

 

So i'm not keen on Tie Fighters (or interceptors for that matter) because of the shockingly low hull value on them.

 

The thing is they work in swarms and end up getting ruined by any anti squadron ship with two anti fighter dice. Ignoring getting one shotted by other squadrons, as i'm sure that's what Tie Advanced are for, its the abundance of two dice anti fighter firepower that makes them die quick.

 

I'm not ranting, i know they're cheap and i love squadrons but does anyone use them effectively? I like the idea of taking 5+ along with my other squadrons to really bulk out the threat but I just expect them to get shredded by ships. 

 

So please let me know if you take them and what you're taking them with and how you're using them.

[Ma22a 185]

I have to admit i've not used them myself but i do see the benefit in them.  Put in Howlrunner with them and your Ties go upto 4 blue attack with a reroll, interceptors go upto 5 blue attack with a counter of 3 as howls ability works on counter also.

 

put Dengar in the mix there and suddenly ties have counter 2 intys have counter 4 all with rerolls.

 

yes they have low hull but boy they can hand out the damage quick enough over their 2 turn life expectance to make them worth the points.

 

Course i say this all on paper as i've never tried them myself like this

[Mad Cat 2,250]

I find if I keep the Ties on a corridor between my fleet and the enemy fleet the anti squadron fire is lessened. Enemy ships faced with firing at my ships or 1-2 blue dice at squadrons usually target the ships. The danger lies when you send your ties off to one side giving the enemy something to do with that unused second shot.

 

The key to tie fighters is timing. Don't rush in even if you have initiative and can get an alpha strike on enemy squadrons. This could leave you plastered by 2 enemy ships with nothing better to shoot at that turn. Keep them back near your fleet until enemy fighters approach you and enemy ships are engaged with your own.

[Englishpete 1,379]

Tie's and Tie Ints are best used in numbers with support against other squadrons Howlrunner, Dengar, Tie Advanced and a mob of 6-8 Ties or 4-5 Ints will tear through most enemy squadron packs.

 

Ships are another matter and it can be prudent to withdraw your surviving squads once they have done their job.

 

As others have said, don't commit them alone where they can take anti-squadron fire from ships.

[shmitty 3,315]

I love them.  Rarely build an Imperial fleet without including 8 basic TIEs in it.  They are just incredibly efficient squadrons.

 

As has been said, they aren't for freelancing like Rebel squadrons.  Keep them close to your ships and they will be much safer from anti-squadron firepower.

[Kahadras 97]

A mob of TIE fighters is pretty terrifying especialy if the Imperial player is using squadron orders all the time. While they might have a low hull value they are fast, cheap and can quickly gain space superiority especialy if your opponant only takes a token ammount of squadrons. The trick is to not over extend and place your TIE fighters in a position where they can get hit by anti squadron shooting from multiple enemy capital ships as they can quickly get ripped up. Don't be afraid to swarm isolated enemy capital ships as well. They might only have a blue die each for anti ship shooting but those hits can add up. I remember one game where I moved a CR90 (which had lost most of its shields) into long range of a damaged VSD. My opponant, however, had squadron commands stacked on both his VSD's and my CR90 ended up dying to a horde of TIE fighters. I never made that mistake again.

 

As a Rebel player I'm looking forward to my cheap fighter squadron (the Z-95). At the end of the day I think that the TIE fighter is nice because you don't have any expectations of it beyond dealing with enemy squadrons (whether that's killing them, maiming them or just holding them up so your capital ships can kill your opponants capital ships). With Rebel fighters you're always left wanting them to help with anti capital ship work as well. If my TIE fighter takes out the X-wing them I'm happy. If the X-wing takes out the TIE fighter that's all well and good but it better get in a couple of bombing runs as well. Even if the TIE squadron dies it's only 8 points.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Kahadras

[Prince of Moskova 37]

They are iconic and a must include item ... Usually.

[Snipafist 7,541]

I find if I keep the Ties on a corridor between my fleet and the enemy fleet the anti squadron fire is lessened. Enemy ships faced with firing at my ships or 1-2 blue dice at squadrons usually target the ships. The danger lies when you send your ties off to one side giving the enemy something to do with that unused second shot.

 

The key to tie fighters is timing. Don't rush in even if you have initiative and can get an alpha strike on enemy squadrons. This could leave you plastered by 2 enemy ships with nothing better to shoot at that turn. Keep them back near your fleet until enemy fighters approach you and enemy ships are engaged with your own.

 

I just want to add my voice that this is basically correct.

 

The problem with TIEs is that in order to work well, you need to get your Swarm on and get it going consistently. If you can, they are very cost-effective fighter squadrons. The problem with getting Swarm to consistently work is it makes you vulnerable to anti-squadron flak from enemy ships. If you're going to get TIES to survive, then, you need to ensure you don't use them before it is necessary to do so and keep them near/behind your ships so flak at them is obscured until they're ready to pounce (preferably with a turn of coordinated Squadrons commands). If enemy ships have nothing better to shoot, they absolutely love hosing down TIEs with flak. I see a lot of beginners just charging their TIEs in recklessly so that it's an easy thing on turns 2 and 3 for the opponent to just flak the TIEs and then their squadrons have an easy mop-up job against them. If an opponent needs to choose between flakking TIEs and shooting at your capital ships, it becomes a much more difficult decision.

[player1130419 25]

At 8 points a Squadron, they are all I could ask for. Sure they are fragile, but they are fast, have a reasonable amount of fire power, work well in numbers, and above all are cheap.

 

I have flown squadrons of 10, they have performed brilliantly. They can prey upon damaged ships to finish them off, or stick to their role as a way of holding down the enemy squadrons for a number of turns. 10 of them is 30 hit points, that will take some work to get through, and only costs 80pts.

 

Always take TIE Fighters in an Imperial fleet, not just because they are so iconic, but because they do so much heavy lifting. I shudder to imagine what damage would be dealt by a Rebel fleet squadrons if they were allowed free reign.

[Mad Cat 2,250]

The TEN TIE Commandments

1. Stay Together. The swarm rule is your friend increasing a TIEs firepower by 29.2%.
2. Stay Focused. Concentrate fire to get early kills and reduce enemy return fire. Mauler Mithel can be useful to tweak wounded squadrons rather than wasting a full TIE fighter's shots at single hull squadrons.
3. Stay Safe. Don't get caught by unnecessary flak or by enemy squadrons hitting first with an unexpected squadron command. 
4. Stay Back. TIEs don't last long and it's only a 6 turn game. If your fleet can spend turns 1, 2 and maybe 3 unengaged while banking tokens delaying the fighting to turn 3-4 then your TIEs (even if out pointed) may last until the end of the game.
5. Stay Alive. If you win most of your dogfights then during late turns wounded ties should consider running away into the table corners to avoid flak. Fresher TIEs can help out against ships. Wounded TIEs could join them to tip the balance if needed but keep an eye on the MOV table as you decide.
6. Stay Annoying. If outnumbered decide when best to sacrifice your TIEs to "tie up" (sorry) enemy bombers for a turn or two. It may be worth letting X & Y-Wings get one shot at your ships before deciding to commit the fighters. A well timed squadron command can get you a shot after the enemy attacks your ships followed next turn by another if your activating ship has initiative.
7. Stay Nimble. Remember the squadron command can be used to move & fire OR fire & move. The second option can be used to hit & run if you can kill off engaged enemies or use Chiraneau/intel. A squadron command next turn can get you back in the fight but it could avoid X-wings getting in a retaliation shot even if they had a squadron command available.
8. Stay Hidden. Obstacles and particularly the space station can be an ideal location to hang out. It protects you from flak and reduces enemy and your own shooting and so extend combats which is often ideal for TIEs.
9. Stay Relevant. Think carefully before moving out of control range of friendly carriers or buffs like Dengar, Howlrunner or flight controllers. Once your dogfights are over you may not have the squadron commands available to get back in the fight.
10. Stay Realistic. TIE fighters are cheap and expendable. Sometimes you must be ruthless and take one for the fleet.

[Vogons 195]

As a rebel player its like this. A few ties, no problem. Big swarm with aces, please make the hurting stop

[Mitthrawnuruodoh 0]

I use them defensively. I keep them close to my own ships and send them out when enemy squadrons come close. They usually manage quite well. Placing asteroids and debris where you suspect squadron battles will take place also helps a great deal.

[Vogons 195]

I have recently used Gallant Haven and flight controllers on a guppy with extended hangers. Bombers were controlled from a M80 flying with it.  The X-wing escorts stayed protected and mauler was the only one who did any real damage with his special ability.

 

This is the first and only time I have yet dominated a Tie ball. It felt good but I know my usual opponent won't fly into that lawn mower again.  The point is that Tie swarms will always be incredibly nasty.     

[ceejlekabeejle 473]

If you just want to use them against squadrons, Ties are cheap and can be devastatingly effective in the right combination.

 

I like to use them as part of a fighter screen with named squadrons and a dedicated carrier VSD. I use Howlrunner to add a blue anti-squadron dice and Dengar to give them counter, and that essentially turns them into cheap interceptors. Either allows you to free up points in your build, or to add in more squadrons of Ties.

 

Load the VSD up with flight controllers and expanded hangers, and you can send in Howlrunner plus three Ties with five blue anti-squadron dice. That's usually enough to cause some serious pain to a rebel bomber formation. Add on boosted comms, and you've got real flexibility on where you can position them. I also like to use weapon liaisons - for a cheap three points, you can always switch to a squadron command in case you need to respond quickly to a fighter attack.

 

Realistically, rebels have the most versatile squadrons, and they're the most likely to use them against ships. No-one's looking to ties to take down an MC80. But when used on the front foot and in numbers, they do their job well and they do it cheaply,

[WGNF911 826]

When I read this thread's title, I had my mind made up.  Outside of TF aces, I was going to say a resounding NOPE.  However, after reading the thoughtful inputs, my mind has been changed.  I might have to throw some into a fleet here and there.  I almost always have Mauler in a fleet but he's usually the only TF unless I can afford Howlrunner.

 

And this is why these forums are good schtuff.

[Mayer21 6]

I love using tie interceptors. My typical build if I'm going with just fighters is "soontier, tie advanced (for escort), dengar, howl runner, three tie interceptors and four tie fighters." It puts me at 131 points and it hasn't let me down yet when fighting the rebel scums fighters. Granted that is as long as I keep them away from the ships with anti fighter. If I want a little more versatility instead of numbers I'll switch two tie fighters for the aggressor fighter. Gatta love rouge. Otherwise. Yes. Ties are useful.

[CDAT 243]

I love using tie interceptors. My typical build if I'm going with just fighters is "soontier, tie advanced (for escort), dengar, howl runner, three tie interceptors and four tie fighters." It puts me at 131 points and it hasn't let me down yet when fighting the rebel scums fighters. Granted that is as long as I keep them away from the ships with anti fighter. If I want a little more versatility instead of numbers I'll switch two tie fighters for the aggressor fighter. Gatta love rouge. Otherwise. Yes. Ties are useful.

 

I would say no they are not, one of the reasons I say this is because almost everyone who says they are has something like "Granted that is as long as I keep them away from the ships with anti fighter." So you can not use them around the enemy ships, last week I was trying something different and took ten TiE Interceptors, I keep them behind my ships as the rebel player had the must include Gallent Haven. As we got into range I sent all my fighters attacking by squadron commands and took out just a bit less than half his (most of the ones I took out were out of range of Gallent Haven). With his return fire from ships and remaining fighters he killed all of mine and two ships (X-wings do wonders on small ships). So with my entire fleet all my large ships got one shot out the front at his ships, and out one side shot fighters, my small ships fired twice at his fighters. So I lost 110pts of fighters and about another 90pts of ships to kill about 70 points of fighters, I did kill Gallent Haven next turn. So what I see is a combination, one Gallent Haven sucks to go against, and the rebel fighters are just much tougher even without it. The three hits just makes them not worth it, maybe I suck as a player, but I have seen several times the entire Empire fighter screen killed in one round of anti-fighter and fighter attacks. Saying that you never bring them next to the ship give the initiative to the Rebels more then it is right now. All they have to do is just keep there fighters next to there ships tell they pounce and even then they may still be in range.

[thecactusman17 3,192]

I think one of the things about TIE Fighters is that they can work, but only if you field them with the goal of losing them all immediately on engagement.  Using Dengar to make their death throes even more painful is probably a smart idea too.

Basically, you are hoping that the cloud of TIE Fighters becomes a cloud of TIE Fighter wreckage that successfully trades 1:1 for the enemy fighter screen.  Any leftovers should just fire on the ships and work to do enough damage that by the time they die they've made their points back.

[TheEasternKing 607]

Personally I have no use for them, that doesn't mean they are junk per se, for me if I want to kill enemy squadrons, for 3 points more, you get 1 more speed, 1 more dice and counter 2 so Tie_Interceptors are the obvious choice, and from experience in tournaments, they are just free points, when someone has 3-4-5 of them and nothing else.

 

Maybe wacky strat utilizing Ruthless Strategists, I dunno I am reaching here, lol.

 

With the advent of 2 AA dice ships from wave 2, they just don't cut the mustard, at least Tie_Interceptors activated with Flight Controllers will kill most things inside one round, and then they can move 5 out of range next round stand a chance, Tie_Fighters just don't have the damage output to get in and out so quick.

[Vogons 195]

I normally play rebels but how we value squadrons in general is the same for both sides. My usual opponent always brings a big cloud of ties to throw at me,  Because of this I have two choices, either a full carrier list complete with bombers, or just enough fighters to screen my ships. If I try to run without fighter support those tie bombers at the back of the cloud make me pay for it.  

I used to bring A-wings to screen ships, but Mauler/Chiranuea eat those up fast. For now most of my lists contain Gallant Haven with flight  controllers and extended hangers. 

 

I would say that when they make me factor them into my fleet building, they're worth it.

[GIJosef 3]

I always run squadrons in my lists as I feel naked otherwise.  Tie's 6-10 depending on the list.  I ran one with 6 and felt it was a bit underwhelming however, those 6 did a decent job of harassing bombers but were easily outmatched with A's, X's and even more-so with YT-2400's.  This is why I run (with our meta here), Dengar and Howlrunner mixed in with a couple of Advanced and 6 Tie's as a minimum.  The advanced if placed correctly can cover both "flanks" of the ball and then the Dengar/Howlrunner combo gives them Counter 2 once the Advanced die...and they will die.  By that time, you have the ball ready to pounce and administer pain in the process.