Talk:TIE Phantom Expansion Pack/@comment-81.157.148.97-20180627153416/@comment-454133-20180627160649

Technically you could run 4 naked phantoms since they're 25 points, but you usually want to equip something on them.

I have run 3 phantoms before in a casual game -- Whisper and two Sigmas. It was great fun and they're terrifying when things are going well, but they're unbelievably fragile, and the current meta is not kind to Phantoms. They don't currently do well outside of casual play because so many things brutalize their 2 agility/2 shields/2 hull loadout.

I've also run 2 Sigmas and a Decimator in various iterations, and the hefty Decimator makes a nice companion to the generic Phantoms. A Sigma with Lightweight Frame + Intelligence Agent + either FCS or Collision Detector is a great little glass cannon, and a pair of them makes the opponent sweat. Unlike cloaking, LWF gives a pretty lasting defense boost without interfering with shots. I rarely cloak the generic pilots (cloaking for safety is Whisper's game), except at the start for some helpful repositioning in the first engagement. Instead I use them as relatively cheap and mobile nukes, thanks to their massive 4-dice primary, and Intelligence Agent helps them plan their barrel rolls to line up shots or position for a block.

But the main way people have used Phantoms, historically? Whisper. When she's not up against the current top meta, and especially when she has the highest PS (9 with VI) so she can shoot first, she's a beast. With Advanced Cloaking Device + VI + FCS + Gunner (or intel agent), for example, she's a heavy points investment but generally able to deliver on that investment with fury.

But as soon as she's out-PS'd, e.g. by Darth Vader, she could be in trouble. The PS wars (where everyone is pushing for 9+ PS) have pushed Whisper out of the meta unfortunately, so she's only great in more casual games (where the generics thrive too).

Conclusion: I'd recommend buying one, maybe two Phantoms tops. One is great for flying either Whisper or a generic, and two is great for flying double generics as scary nukes that draw aggro from the rest of the team (or punish the foe for ignoring them, muahahahaaa). Then proxy any cards you need like Lightweight Frame (no need to spend money on more cards with first edition ending soon!) and you're good to go.