I am curious why the basic TIE Defender skills don't start higher than 3 and 1.

From the flavor text:

“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

I can see learning a new ship might make a new pilot unfamiliar where their skill at a new ship may not as good as what they are used to. But if the above flavor text is correct (taken from the TIE Defender page), you would figure even the most basic pilot skill would be higher than a 3 or 1.

I can see for the game the ships need a "low" setting. But with the point value moderately high already you would figure even for 30 points minimum ship cost, the default pilot skill would better.

Still fun, still going to buy it, play the hell out of it, and get my butt handed to me as I always do. I was more pointing out how the reason the Empire has this ship (and not Tie fighter grunts). Low pilot skills just doesn't seem to fit with the reason the Empire made this ship.

Fight Terrorism. Join the Empire!!

Krech

I don't see the advantage of a Defender going first. Too expensive to be a blocker. FFG play tests the heck out of new ships, so I must be missing something...

PS thematically isnt how good of a pilot they are, its how good they are in that ship. Elite pilots may have lower ps than newbie counterparts if they are flying a more advanced craft. What I dont get is why they made them so low on ps for game reasons.

Edit: fixed error related to typing this on my tablet

Well, most ships have a pilot skill 1-2 and a pilot skill 3-4 squadron.

From that perspective, I don't mind - it just strikes me as really random that the Phantom's generic pilots are skill 3 and 5 when if anyone should have 'built-in veteran instincts' it's the defender pilots.

Well, most ships have a pilot skill 1-2 and a pilot skill 3-4 squadron.

From that perspective, I don't mind - it just strikes me as really random that the Phantom's generic pilots are skill 3 and 5 when if anyone should have 'built-in veteran instincts' it's the defender pilots.

Alternatively, with all the fancy tech in the Phantom, it's easier to be a skilled pilot.

You are right, it does not make sense thematically. But from a game mechanics perspective, it is nice to have them at PS1 for a couple of reasons:

• You can move them with the rest of your ships
• If you take the white 4K turn you will know if you will be clear to take it
• It's already super expensive

My guess would be that Phantoms depend more on PS than Defenders to be successful.

I am curious why the basic TIE Defender skills don't start higher than 3 and 1.

From the flavor text:

“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

According to your own quote, they could just be lucky.

I am curious why the basic TIE Defender skills don't start higher than 3 and 1.

From the flavor text:

“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

According to your own quote, they could just be lucky.

I don't believe in luck...

Further your line of thought with a real-world analogy:

<<nonsensical ramble alert>>

Manfred von Richthofen was one of the greatest prop plane fighter jocks to have been in WWI. The man literally knew the craft inside and out, and his thought processes when flying were made as such; the man was (almost!) unstoppable.

Plop Manfred in a WWII fighter plane? His learning curve has been smashed. He'd almost be unlearning how to fly in order to get better in a craft that felt and operated very differently from that which he was used to.

That's the way I look at the Defender. You could have been a nameless pilot of some skill in a TIE/ln, but when given a Defender for your first few sorties, you will have some level of difficulty!

<</ramble>>

TL;DR, X-Wing is great.

My guess would be that Phantoms depend more on PS than Defenders to be successful.

This. I find the defenders will be better as the game goes on, the more it can 4-white k turn the more actions it gets for "free" over opposing fighters that don't get such an ability. Phantoms, however, need higher PS to maneuver out of firing arcs and decloak at the appropriate times. I find PS 1 to be pretty useful for the following reasons:

1. Harder to block a PS 1 ship. Actions are lifeblood of the game, and if you have a 30 pt + ship, you don't want it's action to be blocked.

2. Move in tandem with PS 1 academy TIEs, makes for easier formation flying and attack priority selection during combat phase.

3. Cheap on points, you don't pay for any pilot skill you may not need.

That said, doing a k-turn on a low PS ship can be a bit troublesome with a lot of ships on the board, thus the higher PS Defenders do get a bit of a discount for the PS they have.

I haven't flown it yet, but my initial reaction is that FFG went a little too conservative with the Defender. Its got awesome stats, so I think they didn't want to introduce a ship that broke the game. So they made it very expensive and they made the generic pilots as crappy as possible. I much rather have seen the lower generic at PS 2 and the next one at 4 with possibly an EPT.

Right now its going to be hard to justify taking them ahead of a BH. Sure you can white K-turn, but the BH can shoot behind him. The FS doesn't need to k-turn all that often. With a few extra points you get 2 extra hull and another shield. All you lose is 1 agility die and barrel roll, but gain evade.

Thats another thing I don't get. Why doesn't the Defender have boost? Its suppose to be fast as hell, but I can't boost with it? Doesn't make sense.

Thematically it also makes some sense. a TIE Defender is also likely to be seen as 'high-value' target and thus.....get shot at. Its lower PS also represents this as well. Whereas the phantom, well its stealthy right? Sometimes it gets the jump on enemy pilots and having a slightly higher PS reflects this too. (aside from actually cloaking)

Defenders have a PS1 and PS3 pilot because all normal base ships have a low PS (1-2) generic and a mid PS (3-4) generic pilot.

The Phantoms are 3 and 5 for solely mechanical reasons. Phantoms rely on pilot skill more than any other ship, particulalrly with Advanced Cloaking Device. A PS1 phantom's going to have no use for that. The low phantom is PS3 so it shoots before and moves after all of the low PS ships. All the 1s and all the 2s. The mid phantom does this for all the generic pilots except the oddball Royal Guard Pilot. They've got that extra pilot skill point because they need it to be reliable. Otherwise they're beholden to initiative.

Thats another thing I don't get. Why doesn't the Defender have boost? Its suppose to be fast as hell, but I can't boost with it? Doesn't make sense.

You can for 4 more points.

Defenders have a PS1 and PS3 pilot because all normal base ships have a low PS (1-2) generic and a mid PS (3-4) generic pilot.

The Phantoms are 3 and 5 for solely mechanical reasons. Phantoms rely on pilot skill more than any other ship, particulalrly with Advanced Cloaking Device. A PS1 phantom's going to have no use for that. The low phantom is PS3 so it shoots before and moves after all of the low PS ships. All the 1s and all the 2s. The mid phantom does this for all the generic pilots except the oddball Royal Guard Pilot. They've got that extra pilot skill point because they need it to be reliable. Otherwise they're beholden to initiative.

Thats another thing I don't get. Why doesn't the Defender have boost? Its suppose to be fast as hell, but I can't boost with it? Doesn't make sense.

You can for 4 more points.

I get the reason for the Phantom, but what does it have to do with the Defender? I'm just saying that at PS 1 and PS 3, the Defender generics don't seem that great. A small bump one PS would help a lot. You can shoot before (w/ initiative) rookie pilots, blue's, bandits, etc.

Cool... I know I can add a engine upgrade. Now my PS 1 pilot is sitting at 34 points...Corran Horn is 35!

I haven't flown it yet, but my initial reaction is that FFG went a little too conservative with the Defender. Its got awesome stats, so I think they didn't want to introduce a ship that broke the game. So they made it very expensive and they made the generic pilots as crappy as possible. I much rather have seen the lower generic at PS 2 and the next one at 4 with possibly an EPT.

Right now its going to be hard to justify taking them ahead of a BH. Sure you can white K-turn, but the BH can shoot behind him. The FS doesn't need to k-turn all that often. With a few extra points you get 2 extra hull and another shield. All you lose is 1 agility die and barrel roll, but gain evade.

Thats another thing I don't get. Why doesn't the Defender have boost? Its suppose to be fast as hell, but I can't boost with it? Doesn't make sense.

I also think its price is a point or two more conservative than it needs to be, but (1) the named pilots take up the slack by being aggressively costed in comparison to the generics, and (2) I think the PS1 generic still has a role to play, since it's just enough cheaper than the roughly comparable Bounty Hunter.

In particular, you can have a Delta + Ion Cannon for the same price as a Bounty Hunter, or a Delta + Engine Upgrade for just a point more, and both of them are pretty effective at that price.

I get the reason for the Phantom, but what does it have to do with the Defender? I'm just saying that at PS 1 and PS 3, the Defender generics don't seem that great. A small bump one PS would help a lot. You can shoot before (w/ initiative) rookie pilots, blue's, bandits, etc.

Cool... I know I can add a engine upgrade. Now my PS 1 pilot is sitting at 34 points...Corran Horn is 35!

Didn't say it would be cheap. Just that it was there. I'd just go for Rexler or Vessery anyway: when you're paying that much for a ship you might as well get a good ship.

I get the reason for the Phantom, but what does it have to do with the Defender? I'm just saying that at PS 1 and PS 3, the Defender generics don't seem that great

They broke the mould for the Phantom because they needed to. They didn't with the Defender because they didn't need to plus that would break the point of the Phantom generics having the jump on everyone in their pilot band. As for why 1,3 instead of 2,4? Probably because there are so many 2,4s around and barely any 1,3s. E-wing's an advanced fighter too and that's got 1,3s.