Blimey, what does one do with TIE Bombers?

[Mr Mystery]

So....on their own, unupgraded, TIE Bombers aren't all that and a bag of potato chips. Though they are resilient.

But they can carry a lot of ordnance.

What do I equip them with? Help my Bolsy-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!

[Brenlak]

I just picked up a TIE bomber today and was wondering the same thing. Way I see it, ( keep in mind I haven't played it yet just pure speculation) I see three ways to use it. With Major Rhymer you can any of your missiles can go off at any range (cluster missiles at range three, nice), Captain Jonus, is why you field these guys in wings of at least two (he's almost a free target lock, considering you will be spending yours to fire your secondary weapon), and the other two pilots lets just call them Corey and Trevor because they aren't special. Haven't looked too much at the secondary weapons themselves, Protons are standard I guess, Advanced Proton look like they will go good with a pilot that would generate a free focus for an ally (then you can target lock the same turn). Assault missiles look like all kinds of evil fun, but I think I'm stuck on Major Rhymer taking cluster missiles( he will be able to take two once I get another bomber for his good friend Captain Jonus). How would a guy go about using bombs correctly? They look cool too. besides Concussion Missiles that's my arsenal addressed.

[kellyj]

2x Gamma Squad, Assault Missile x2, Munitions Failsafe.
3x Black Squadron TIE.

Slow play the bombers (moving speed 1 or 2 max) until you just get in range 3. Use the TIEs to outflank and corral stray ships towards the primary target. Each Bomber dumps a missile hoping to hurt/kill the primary while getting some splash damage on escorts. TIEs either finish off the primary or concentrate on a damaged ship.
Slow move the bombers 1 and repeat (or target the next threat if the primary was killed).
Hope your dice don't fail you.
PS4 should give you a match for most Rebel fleets and beat most TIE Swarm lists, though for variety you can lower the TIE PS and pick up a named TIE.

[Straight JaKeT]

If you play the bombers with the shuttle there is a shuttle pilot that can give out target locks. Combined with the named shuttle and weapons engineer you guarantee target locks first turn. Plus lots of hull to get through.

[Brenlak]

Wow Bombers and the shuttle sound sick!! What is Munitions failsafe? What ship does it come with?

[kellyj]

Munitions Failsafe comes with the Z95. Its a 1 point modification.

[Krefey]

They could be a lot more useful now with cheap flechette torpedoes to hand out stress to the enemy as well.

[Xcerus]

If you play the bombers with the shuttle there is a shuttle pilot that can give out target locks. Combined with the named shuttle and weapons engineer you guarantee target locks first turn. Plus lots of hull to get through.

This was errata'd in the latest FaQ:
"Colonel Jendon may assign 1 of his blue target
lock tokens to a ship that does not have the
target lock action listed in its action bar."

Source - Page 7 of x-wing FaQ VERSION 2.0.1/ UPDATED 4.15.2014

[url]http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/x-wing/support/faq/X-Wing-FAQ.pdf[/url]

[Patrick Boyle]

This was errata'd in the latest FaQ:
"Colonel Jendon may assign 1 of his blue target
lock tokens to a ship that does not have the
target lock action listed in its action bar."

Source - Page 7 of x-wing FaQ VERSION 2.0.1/ UPDATED 4.15.2014

[url]http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/x-wing/support/faq/X-Wing-FAQ.pdf[/url]

That doesn't mean he can't pass blue target lock tokens to bombers, it's clarifying that he can pass them to ships that lack the Target Lock action. That section isn't errata, it's in the clarification section.

[Brenlak]

Cluster Missiles plus munitions failsafe works good...