X-Wing: TIE-Defender

Fantasy Flight Games haben den TIE-Defender vorgestellt.

“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.”
–Onyx Squadron Leader Rexler Brath

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.

So sieht die Aktionsleiste im Vergleich zu einem normalen TIE-Fighter (links) aus:

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?

• One of the best uses of the TIE defender is to fly it as a flanker for a cluster of TIE fighters. In a squad designed to utilize this strategy, you partner the traditional threat of “Howlrunner” and her wingmen with a starship that can force your opponent to break formation or that punishes them for failing to break formation. With its agility, hull, and shield values of “3,” the TIE defender is a more durable flanker than someone like “Backstabber,” though you may find it rewarding to split your opponent’s attentions in three different directions by flanking with both a TIE defender and “Backstabber.”
• You may also wish to explore ways to take advantage of the TIE defender’s unique maneuver dial. The first X-Wing starfighter to feature a white Koiogran-turn, the TIE defender excels at making quick strafing runs before it darts out of close range combat, then returns on an ensuing round. Indeed, the TIE defender’s maneuver dial is all about speed, and it may prompt players to consider the battlefield in entirely new ways. You’ll be covering greater distances every turn, and this may help you to close in for early shots at Range “1” or dart away from your foes, keeping them at distance in order to fire your Heavy Laser Cannon or Assault Missiles. In such a squad, you may wish to equip your TIE defender with an Engine Upgrade and partner your it with a Lambda-class shuttle that can help close up enemy flight lanes.
• Moreover, any TIE defender pilot can take great advantage of an Ion Cannon and his ship’s white K-turn to establish an early tactical advantage. Once a TIE defender pilot has a lock on his foe, he can be extremely hard to shake.
• Alternatively, you could simply utilize your TIE defender as a dangerous starfighter in a squad that showcases the individual talents of pilots like Rexler Brath or Colonel Vessery. Perhaps you’ll use Colonel Jendon to bolster their attacks, or you may simply take advantage of their high pilot skill values and the potent punch of the expansion pack’s elite pilot talents, Outmaneuver and Predator.

Und hier noch mehr Details:

Und die Rundum-Ansicht:

X-Wing ist unter anderem bei unserem Partner Fantasy Warehouse erhältlich.

Der deutschen Vertrieb der Fantasy Flight Produkte liegt bei Heidelberger.

Quelle: Fantasy Flight Games