TIE Phantom tactics

i'm so sexy for my shirt..

As promised earlier I will explore combat tactics best suited for newly released TIE Phantom. This post is based on both recommendations from Fantasy Flight and analysis of several combats using this ship against various adversaries. Allow me to start with analysis of what this fighter is:

1) Silver bullet of Empire's fleet. 

As a base of this topic let's agree that list over 100 points are left out of conversation. Let's compare the points of  basic TIE, Interceptor and Phantom: 12, 18 and 25. In or standard 100 points game we would be able to fit 8 TIE fighters, 5 Interceptors and 4 Phantoms. However, Phantom unlike other crafts, really shines with extra upgrades like Stygium particle accelerator and Advanced cloaking device. If we stick to 3 Phantoms it leaves us 25 points for upgrades, enough to give each one of them a chance to wreak havoc on opponent, but really vulnerable in case of concentrated firepower. So do not expect Phantoms to replace your TIE's. 2 Phantoms is an overspending you points in a small game. 

2) Mastering the flight of the Phantom.

X-wing is game where ability to predict opponents move and control over space is a mainstay of the gameplay. (Especially if there is no 3rd dimension in order to deliver dramatic elements of the space combat.) So we players, have to understand what our craft is able to do as well as what opponent is capable of. Mastering Phantom takes a bit of time simply because it requires a three sided analysis of battlefield in front of you. First, you have to predict where opponent's ships will be, then you need to plan positions of your other ships, then you plan where you would like to decloak and take position. Not an easy task if you have more than 6 ships in your flight path, as well as obstacles. So learn your Phantom! Learn a three phase planning:

showcase of Echo's decloaking paths

• where i will decloak: Main aspect of its ability to cloak gives you an ability to appear on position most advantageous for you. However in many cases, mistakes, opponent's ships and obstacles will deny you decloaking position, so be prepared for that. 

• where my manoeuvre will end: at the moment Phantom is probably fastest ship in the game with its 2 decloaking and 4 ahead move. however in most cases, especially in turning dogfight you will find ability to take sharp turn and barrel roll most advantageous. As well as lack of basic 1 ahead frustrating. Remember that your manoeuvre must put you into a firing position ahead of your opponent!   

• what action i shall take afterwards: Pure battlefield analysis must tell you what will happen next, if there is anybody aiming at you with higher Pilot Skill than yours, then Cloaking or at least Evade is a must. With you decloaked Agility of 2 and points value of 30 you are a shots magnet.    

3) Combat role and loadout.

Phantom as i mentioned before is a new and manoeuverable ship, with great firepower. However relying only on its in-built abilities is not enough to bring you victory. To make it into a really great addition to your squadron it would be a good idea to assign it a combat role with a balanced loadout. Allow me to offer some of the roles i've used so far:

• Flanker: this role takes Phantom as a support to your main squadron, making use of its ability to flank main enemy force and soften them up before your main strike at lower step. Loadout: Shadow Sq Pilot, skill 5 (27pts), Stygium Particle Accelerator (2pts), Fire-Control system (2pts), Shield Upgrade (4pts). Total: 35 pts. 
• Hit-n-run: in this role "Echo" Phantom takes a great risks by going into a midst of enemy formation, hitting hard and disappearing before anyone can retaliate. Loadout: "Echo" Phantom PS 6 (30 pts), Advanced Cloaking device (4), Push the limit (3), Recon Specialist (2). Total: 40 pts.      
• Sniper: in this role, "Whisper" Phantom is acting as long range attacker, forcing enemy to reconsider its manoeuvres as critical hits and unexpected stress token pile in. Loadout: "Whisper" Phantom, PS 7, (32 pts), Marksmanship (3), Tactician or Mercenary co-pilot (2), Stygium Particle Accelerator (2). Total: 40 pts
• Shotgun: in this role Phantom is working as point blank battery flooding target with shots and ignoring its fragile nature. Loadout: Sigma Sq pilot skill 3 (25 pts), Saboteur (2), Shield Upgrade (4 pts). Total: 32 pts. 

Echo's zone of control in combat

4) Combat tactics in accordance with role.
I must admit that i love Phantom, in every game that i played so far it really made a great impact, even if i lost the battle. Learning how to use Phantom to its advantages have boiled into those roles and following tactics for them:

Flanker is less than risky approach, than Shotgun. I've played this tactics in support of my TIE swarm and in support of Firespray. As a described before, your main task is to position your ship ahead and aside of enemy formation, barrel roll if you must and give pot-shots ahead of your main attack. Positioning here is crucial, as well as Evade action as you will be left open to enemy flankers. Fire-Control system or Targeting Computer if you prefer this version, will allow you to concentrate fire of most dangerous opponent and keep the pressure until its gone. With 4 shots as normal and re-roll with Target Lock you are dangerous. Preferred distance to target; range 2, less chances of getting stuck in clusterfuck of the swarm and enough space to decloak.      

Hit-n-run is by far my favorite tactic. Make maximum use of Echo's ability to curve your decloaking position, then decloak, move, Push the limit and Cloak again. There is no need to attack every turn, let opponent get stuck with your main force, let him ignore you or get annoyed at your unpredictable pattern of flight, then strike anyone who is busy target locking or focusing on other ships with absolute impunity. The dissapear again using Advanced Cloaking device, (it gives you a free cloaking after you attacked). Word of advice - avoid or wipe out Ion Cannons, even your cloaked agility of 4 will not help if you are zapped and have a ship with a Gunner on your six. Preferred range: any, but demands a good understanding of what's going on. Action: Push the limit/Focus.

Sniper is my answer to B-wing with pesky "i-ignore-your-ability" upgrade. It demands patience and careful positioning. Ignore fighters and anything with agility more than 2. Your priority is heavy punchers, which must lose their advantage of shields and firepower before your main force will rip them apart. Main danger here is being distracted or intercepted by A-wings or TIE, so either let them get busy or wipe them as they closing to you. Cloaking and evading them is also a good tactics, but remember your objective is to take down and disorganize, let TIE bombers be a damage dealers. Preferred range: 3, action: Marksmanship.  

Shotgun is reckless but devastating tactics, where Phantom is used as part of formation, basically ignoring Cloaking for the sake of firepower. You would need to ask Darth Vader or Squad leader for extra action called Evade, as you will attract a lot of attention. But flying alongside a swarm of 3 Interceptors and poring 5 my shots plus their 12 into anything which comes close is not for feint hearted. I've used Saboteur crew upgrade just to make sure that if anything has at least one damage, will be crippled on the next turn if it did not got away. Beware of assault missiles and bombs, as any swarm you are vulnerable to them, so pick you targets wisely and cloak out of danger if you have to. Preferred range 1, action: Evade.   

In conclusion, TIE Phantom is a truly an elite choice, demanding, sometimes unpredictable but ultimately rewarding. Take your time to study its abilities, and do not get cocky. Now player's are new to it but eventually those pesky rebels will learn of your weak spots like low agility and will know how to use them against you. Good old rule of flying in formation and staying of boogie's six are still in play. 

Sincerely yours,
Mark-Paul Severn.

TIE Phantom review: origins, rules, upgrades

"Scanners are picking up something strange;
 I can't get a firm fix on anything."

TIE Phantom is one of the ships of 4th wave for X-Wing miniatures games. At the moment of writing this post its couple of week away from release along with TIE Defender, E-wing and Z-95 Headhunter. I was lucky enough to acquire Phantom during Assault on Imdar event in my local gaming store. 

Origins: TIE Phantom was featured in computer game Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire, where Darth Vader was extremely annoyed at his egg-heads who kept testing this stealth fighter instead of delivering it under his command. Well, in events of that game (released in 1995 AD), the entire fleet of Phantoms along with cruiser Terror explodes in typical Star Wars manner. For more fluffy story on TIE Phantom (V39 Phantom) look here.  

Rules: Now lets have a good look at rules and card for this fighter. Box comes with two generic pilots flying Phantom: Sigma Squadron - Pilot Skill 3, Shadow Sq - PS 5, and two named pilots: "Echo" - PS 6 and "Whisper" - PS 7. As you can see on a picture, Phantom has Firepower of 4, Agility 2, Hull 2 and Shields 2. Incredibly impressive firepower is delivered by five laser cannons, which makes this beast most dangerous opponent in Range 1 with its 5 dice to hit you. even with Agility 3 and guaranteed Evade, there is few ships able to leave without scratch. (unless your dice hate you)

Points: All this goodness comes at a steep point price, Sigma Sq: 25 pts, Shadow Sq: 27, Echo: 30, Whisper: 32. And we have not yet looked at upgrades!  

Manoeuvrability and cloaking: this is the best part of Phantom, its unique (until arrival of Jedi fighters and Stealth-Wing) ability to cloak and become invisible. Game mechanics works in following matter: you spend an action and place a fancy Cloaking token next to the ship. This adds +2 to Agility of the ship and stays until decloaked. The pay-off is that you cannot make an attacks while cloaked. However Decloaking IS NOT an action. Let me say that again: decloaking is not an action. Which means that that after you appear on the field you still can focus, barrel roll, evade or put target lock (if you have an upgrade, because Phantom does not have it as standard). 

TIE Phantom manoeuvre dial

Decloaking is made before you reveal you manoeuvre. After you decloak ship must move ahead 2 or make a barrel roll of 2. Then you make a move depicted on a dial. I will talk about it later in tactics section, but just imagine the possibilities! Muhahaha! Phantom's manoeuvrability is close to TIE Interceptor, but without K-turn and direct ahead of 5. But with decloaking move of 2 it not a bad compensation at all.

   

Upgrades: TIE Phantom can take following upgrades: Elite Pilots skills (named pilots only), Crew, System Upgrades, as well as Modifications and Titles. Box comes with five of the upgrade cards: Recon Specialist - adds extra Focus token (3 pts), Fire-Control system - allows you to gain a Target Lock on a ship you just attacked (2 pts), Tactician - ship defending from your attack in Range 2 takes a stress token (2 pts),  Stygium Particle Accelerator -  allows free evade token if you perform Cloak or Decloak (2 pts) and Advanced Cloaking Device - enables you to perform free cloak action after you perform an attack (4 pts). 

All in all, TIE Phantom is an exceptional addition to the fleet of Empire, with its firepower and mobility it will make a great hunter. However there are some big question to which role this craft should be assigned in your squadron, as well as its high price and effective combat application.

I will explore this more in TIE Phantom Tactics.