It is going to be the Gunboat.

It MUST be the Gunboat.

As soon it arrives to the stores I will buy at least 3 of them

I will just be happy if it's not the TIE/sf Fighter.

I couldn't stand another TIE Fighter clone in the game. It's not this game's fault, of course, but the design department of Episode 7 was really boring and unimmaginative.

There were quite a few Force Awakens concept ships doing the rounds, but to be honest I wasn't overly impressed with any of them, so I'm actually quite glad they stuck to a couple of familiar designs.

I think the TIE/sf is an inevitability though. That said, I understand exactly where you're coming from. Owning four TIEs from the original Core Set and Wave 1, four blue TIEs from the Gozanti expansion and two TIE/fo's from the Force Awakens set, I'm not overly inspired to buy another standard TIE variant, regardless of it's capabilities.

Rumors say that it will be the Tie/SF.
*sigh* I want my GUN.

If it's a TIE Hunter I quit...

Yeah it'd be just another two attack ship 2332 with a cannon slot, only new thing would be torpedoes over missiles.

Not that, it's an uninspired POS.

Counting down the minutes. I WANT MAH GUNBOAT.

Maybe they'll do another 6 ship wave, 3 from new content, 3 from EU! A MAN CAN DREAM CAN'T HE?

Not that, it's an uninspired POS.

More inspired than the fo though.

It's overkill.

I got into the game back when everyone was recommending to get two core sets, so I got 4 TIE Fighters from the coresets.

Plus 1 from the TIE Fighter expansion pack for the extra pilots.

Plus 2 from the Gozanti.

Plus 2 TIE/FO Fighters from the new core set for the new deck and rules.

Plus 1 TIE/FO Fighter from the expansion pack for the comm relay and pilots...

That's 7 normal TIE Fighters and 3 First Order TIE Fighters, for a total of 10 ships that as so similar... I am used to get just 1 of every SKU, so I don't fancy having tons of the same ship.

I found the inclusion of not one but two extra TIE Fighters in the Gozanti unnecessary. The new TIE Pilots were okay, but at this points, who doesn't have at least a couple of TIE Fighters already?

The prospect of getting yet another TIE Fighter with slightly different paint scheme is so unappealing to me, even if it comes with different stats and pilots. At the scale these miniatures are built, the different TIE Fighter variations are virtually indistinguishable unless you look at them like very very close.

Not that, it's an uninspired POS.

Having looked it up on the Wookiee, it makes little sense to me from a realistic design standpoint. Two laser cannons, two ion cannons, shields, 12 proton torpedoes, a hyperdrive AND it was "considered to he fastest TIE variant in the Imperial fleet"? All in a ship with a profile which looks physically smaller than a TIE Interceptor? Mary Sue, anyone? I wouldn't begrudge anyone who likes it and wants to see it, but man, to me it makes zero sense.

At least the Gunboat has a large-ish profile and was comparitively sluggish to account for all that extra shielding/ordnance/armour/hyperdrive etc.

...but back to GAMA, and the possibility of the Star Wing. My heart says please, FFG, for the love of the Empire, please, give us our five-winged darling, please...

..my head unfortunately says it will be the TIE/sf. Force Awakens is still in cash-in territory. My only hope with regards to this is that like the Force Awakens Core Set, the TIE/fo and the T-70, any new Force Awakens related models will be announced and released separately from the rest of the X-Wing ships/waves.

The other worry I have is that the Empire is probably due another large base ship as well.

If it's a TIE Hunter I quit...

Yeah it'd be just another two attack ship 2332 with a cannon slot, only new thing would be torpedoes over missiles.

Not that I am a fan of that TIE design at all, but if something we have been taught by the designers of this game is that raw stats aren't everything.

The TIE Avenger would probably also be a 3323 or similar, that makes it so similar to the TIE Advanced. But the dial, the titles, the available actions and upgrades, and the pilot skills can really set a ship apart from another.

Because we cannot say that a TIE Phantom is basically the same as an Attack Shuttle with one more attack die, can we?

Not that, it's an uninspired POS.

More inspired than the fo though.

The TIE Palette swap?

On the one hand it's in the movie, on the other hand, they could have done so much more. At least super-interceptors.

If it's a TIE Hunter I quit...

Yeah it'd be just another two attack ship 2332 with a cannon slot, only new thing would be torpedoes over missiles.

If the Hunter has 2 attack if and when it comes out I will be very disappointed. My only real experience of it was the Rogue squadron games and its main guns were beastly powerful and accurate in that.

And yeah, TIE s/f seems inevitable at this point, but I really hope it doesn't have a turret, or if it does that it has for and aft arcs and can't fire out of arc. It would be so dumb if it could fire 360.

I actually think it could be a tactically interesting ship, but I hope it wouldn't be a b-wing clone and I hope it wouldn't be a 360 turret.

Assault gunboat and/or missile boat would be grand too. I could maybe see them being large base b-wing equivalents but more agile, roughly the sort of stats and movement profile as the Aggressor which would be interesting.

Assault gunboat and/or missile boat would be grand too. I could maybe see them being large base b-wing equivalents but more agile, roughly the sort of stats and movement profile as the Aggressor which would be interesting.

They'd both definitely be small based ships (although maybe in the larger StarViper/K-Wing/Punisher/Mist Hunter box size).

The Assault Gunboat is only 12 meters long - approximately the same length as an X-Wing.

Not that, it's an uninspired POS.

Having looked it up on the Wookiee, it makes little sense to me from a realistic design standpoint. Two laser cannons, two ion cannons, shields, 12 proton torpedoes, a hyperdrive AND it was "considered to he fastest TIE variant in the Imperial fleet"? All in a ship with a profile which looks physically smaller than a TIE Interceptor? Mary Sue, anyone? I wouldn't begrudge anyone who likes it and wants to see it, but man, to me it makes zero sense.

At least the Gunboat has a large-ish profile and was comparitively sluggish to account for all that extra shielding/ordnance/armour/hyperdrive etc.

Unlike in this game, where Power Creep is considered something bad and to avoid, it is all the opposite in the comics, books and videogames where those ships appeared. Every new fighter was not only better than the previous ones, but it was by a lot, only to be shadowed by an even better thing.

Even in our beloved "TIE Fighter", the TIE Avenger was pure power creep from the TIE Advanced, and the TIE Defender was power creep from the Avenger, and the Missile Boat was the ultimate powercreep to end all the powercreepers that ever powercreeped.

The TIE Hunter seems to be an alternate result of the same path that led to the TIE Defender (Lasers, ions, shields, hyperdrive, top speed) that goes against the imperial doctrine of numbers over quality, only it makes no sense that it was deployed 1 year before the battle of Yavin, while the Defender had a longer development time and appeared just before Endor. What's the point of developing the Defender when the Hunter was already around?

Ah fair enough, for some reason I had understood it to be based of the Lambda chassis, rather than just sharing design cues.

Either way though, if it's wide enough to go out over the edges of the base much I'd prefer to see it on a large base much like the k-wing and punisher should have been. Too many ships which spread over their bases too much just really start to get in the way.

Denial

X wingers feel the need to believe that their favorite ship will be released, or will change their mind about the ship. Example: “The gunboat will be released.”

Anger

X wingers feel the need to blame someone for their sadness and loss. Example: “The other TIE models are uninspired and lazy.”

Bargaining

In this stage, X wingers feel as if they have some say in the situation if they bring a bargain to the table. This helps them keep focused on the positive that the situation might change, and less focused on the negative, the sadness they’ll experience after the many waves of no gunboat. Example: "If I keep a gunboat thread on page 1 for many months or maybe if I put it into my signature, then FFG will release it."

Depression

This involves the X winger experiencing sadness when they know there is nothing else to be done, and they realize they cannot stop the gunboat from fading to obscurity. FFG needs to let the X wingers experience this process of grieving because if they do not, it only shows their inability to cope with the situation. Example: “I’m sorry that I cannot convince FFG to release this ship for us.”

Acceptance

This does not necessarily mean that the X winger will be completely happy again. The acceptance is just moving past the depression and starting to accept the non release of the gunboat. The sooner that FFG starts to move on from the situation, the sooner the X wingers can begin to accept the reality of it.

You're mistaking our fervor for emotional investment. We like the gunboat. For many of us, it's our favorite Star Wars starfighter. We'd be super happy to see it in the game, but that doesn't mean we'll be absolutely inconsolable if it is never added. It's fun to hope and experience the hype for each wave, cross our fingers, and see what what is released. Even if it is never released, we'll still talk about it. Why would we not?

You're mistaking our fervor for emotional investment.

No, no. He's got a point. I am totally emotionally invested in that ship.

To this day, I still cannot explain myself what made FFG choose the TIE Punisher over, basically, any other ship in the EU.

Wave 7 was about ordnance and bombs, and that is okay, but the choice seems completely arbitrary, considering that the Missile Boat, a special re-issue of the TIE Bomber, the Skypray or even, why not, the Gunboat could have played the role of heavy bomber for the Empire in that wave.

Instead they went for something totally obscure and that has probably had the least screen time ever: the tier 3 upgrade looks of a TIE Bomber in a game as obscure as Galactic Battlegrounds.

Is it really so important for them that all Imperial ships must look like TIEs?

And I will be "absolutely inconsolable if it is never added".

BTW, I was re-playing Balance of Power and the Gunboats are really tough!

No no, only the Punisher and Raptor are ininspired and lazy, a lot of TIE Variants I like.

Not a fan at all of the Hunter, but I've got nothing against anyone who likes it. It was only in Rogue Squadron 3 right?

The Punisher I get, it's pretty straightforward Imperial doctrine: what if the Bomber had MORE BOMBER?!

But the Gunboat is one of my favourite designs, both from lore and configuration standpoints. I feel like it's the exact sort of thing the Empire could benefit from in X-Wing right about now. I would be thrilled for it to be incorporated, but I've enjoyed everything so far and I'm not terribly worried about FFG's handling of things to come.

I think there may have been a scale shot somewhere earlier in the thread, based on FractalSponge's incrediballs renderings. I'll see if I can dig it out again.

But yeah, one of the reasons we love the Gunboat so much is the Lambda-inspired design cues.

Not that, it's an uninspired POS.

Having looked it up on the Wookiee, it makes little sense to me from a realistic design standpoint. Two laser cannons, two ion cannons, shields, 12 proton torpedoes, a hyperdrive AND it was "considered to he fastest TIE variant in the Imperial fleet"? All in a ship with a profile which looks physically smaller than a TIE Interceptor? Mary Sue, anyone? I wouldn't begrudge anyone who likes it and wants to see it, but man, to me it makes zero sense.

At least the Gunboat has a large-ish profile and was comparitively sluggish to account for all that extra shielding/ordnance/armour/hyperdrive etc.

...but back to GAMA, and the possibility of the Star Wing. My heart says please, FFG, for the love of the Empire, please, give us our five-winged darling, please...

..my head unfortunately says it will be the TIE/sf. Force Awakens is still in cash-in territory. My only hope with regards to this is that like the Force Awakens Core Set, the TIE/fo and the T-70, any new Force Awakens related models will be announced and released separately from the rest of the X-Wing ships/waves.

The other worry I have is that the Empire is probably due another large base ship as well.

Funny, it wasn't the fastest or shielded when you played it. Nor was it stated in the game that way. If anything, the TIE Bomber was overpowered.

@Azraspe when you can make something and can put whatever info you want in its place. If you also notice, RS3 also had one Interceptor the majority of the game, and Nadine was using it.

@Azraspe when you can make something and can put whatever info you want in its place. If you also notice, RS3 also had one Interceptor the majority of the game, and Nadine was using it.

Not sure what you mean, but I never played Rogue Squadron III. I read that info from the Wookiepedia.