Title: FFG:Designed for Success Post by: RSSFeeder on 10 April 2014, 00:00:03 Designed for Success
A Preview of the TIE Defender Expansion Pack for X-Wing (TM) “Imperial High Command decided that defender pilots would only be selected from TIE interceptor pilots who had flown at least twenty combat missions and survived. We're either the best pilots in the Imperial fleet or the luckiest.” One of the most recognizable of all Star Wars starfighters from outside the classic films, the TIE defender represented a major shift in Imperial policy. Classic Imperial tactics relied upon massed swarms of relatively inexpensive TIE fighters, favoring quantity over quality. However, as the Rebel Alliance enjoyed more and more success with its more advanced starfighters, the Empire decided to reevaluate the cost of replacing its starfighters and pilots. It was this decision that led to the development of the TIE defender. Upgraded with enhanced firepower and deflector shields, the TIE defender proved more than a match for its Rebel counterparts. In fact, when the TIE defender was introduced, shortly before the Battle of Endor, it was easily the most advanced starfighter in the galaxy. The addition of a hyperdrive allowed it to perform an even more flexible role within the Imperial Navy, though the significantly higher investment the Empire had to make in creating each TIE defender meant that only its best pilots would ever fly one.
Bringing the TIE Defender to Life In X-Wing™, as in Star Wars lore, the TIE defender represents a fundamental shift in Imperial military doctrine. The game’s base TIE defender, piloted by the Delta Squadron Pilot, weighs in at a hefty thirty squad points – more than twice the squad point cost of the TIE fighter’s Academy Pilot. As a result, any Imperial squad featuring one or more TIE defenders will fly fewer ships, necessitating that each ship last longer and hit harder. Fortunately, the TIE defender comes well equipped to boost Imperial squads that are designed to take advantage of its unique attributes. While both the TIE fighter and TIE defender come with three actions in their action bars, the TIE defender trades away the TIE fighter’s ability to evade in favor of the ability to acquire a target lock.
In conjunction with the extra die the TIE defender gains with its primary attack, its ability to acquire a target lock makes it a more potent attacker than the TIE fighter. It also supports the starfighter’s increased customizability. Whereas the base TIE fighter cannot equip any upgrades other than modifications, the TIE defender can equip both cannon and missile upgrades.
Here, it’s critical to note that the more you can customize your starship, the more its effectiveness is defined by its role within your squad. While you could assign a fully equipped and an outlandishly expensive TIE defender to Rexler Brath, it’s more likely that competitive players will experiment with squads featuring TIE defenders that carry just one or two upgrades.
How Does the TIE Defender Fly? So, if the TIE defender is a starfighter best used to fit a specific role within your squad, what are some of the roles it might play?
Another Cog in the Imperial Armada All told, the TIE Defender Expansion Pack a tremendous host of new strategies and tactics that Imperial players will want to consider as they construct their squads. However, despite everything that the TIE defender has to offer, its greatest contribution to the Imperial armada may be that added versatility that it offers. The game’s standard TIE swarm will still be effective. It isn’t about to disappear, but it will become less dominant as other equally viable strategies become more prevalent. That means you’ll want to craft squads with greater flexibility so that you can confront a greater variety of opposing squads, and few ships promote flexible squad designs as much as the TIE defender. Don’t miss out on your first chance to get your hands on the TIE Defender Expansion Pack. Head to your local retailer to pre-order your copy today. Then, keep checking back for more previews and updated details on our series of Assault at Imdaar Alpha preview events! ...Source: Designed for Success (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=4740) |