Why did they invent these two？ aiya. No real references to take? That's just weird. Everything else has a reference.

The TIE phantom has nothing to reference. Same reason they put Corran in an E-wing when the ship he's famous for flying is a green striped X-wing.

Ugh ma gerd.

I'm missing those dem gud ould dayes when you could one shot a Y wing with a good shot from a Tie Advanced. Le cough, Episode 4.

No they were in rebel assault II and empire at war

still neither had any pilots listed for them that I remember. Same thing for the E-Wing which actually did show up in a few novels. They have a fleet commander as a pilot for one.

"The EU, is strong with this one"

EDIT: it would appear Echo is a man and Whisper is never mentioned.

Why did they invent these two?

Because there's little out there in the EU for Tie Phantom pilots, they weren't featured in any novels or comics really. Mostly just part of the Tie Fighter video game, so no EU sources to pull from.

No they were in rebel assault II and empire at war

Yea I'm getting really annoyed at how people are like oh yea the Phantom is from Tie Fighter.

I'm pretty sure FFG called Whisper a man at one point

Whisper has never been referred to with a gender pronoun anywhere by FFG. So we have no idea what Whispers gender is.

I'm pretty sure FFG called Whisper a man at one point

Whisper has never been referred to with a gender pronoun anywhere by FFG. So we have no idea what Whispers gender is.

Ahh ok, my bad.

Your opponent’s ability to anticipate his final position is further compounded by the fact that he can perform the barrel roll action. (Click on the image to view a larger version.)


Today, guest writer Neil Amswych (“The Tusken Tactician”) takes a closer look at one of these pilots, “Echo,” and the ways that he may revolutionize how your games of X-Wing are fought and won.


“Echo” doubles that number. Because he uses the bank “2” template instead of the straight “2” template, he can decloak to any of six different locations, enabling him to end his maneuver at any of a dizzying array of ninety final possible locations.

Though variance exists in where his barrel roll starts and ends, “Echo” can fly from any of six relative positions when he decloaks before he reveals his maneuver dial.

Accordingly, he wants to avoid stress (because it would prevent him from recloaking), meaning that he usually wants to avoid his two Koiogran-turns. When “Echo” is stressed, he leaves himself vulnerable as a pilot with limited hull and shields and not fully enough agility to compensate.

However, the vast array of final positions available to “Echo” means that he doesn’t need to K-turn to rotate his ship.

So, if “Echo” wants so badly to avoid stress, how can he turn his ship?

For starters, if he carefully selects the start and end points of his barrel roll, he can combine his decloaking with a two-speed turn that results, effectively, in an angled K-turn that’s roughly half of the “1” speed template and incurs no stress, leaving him the ability to still take an action. It’s not a perfect K-turn, but the fact that “Echo” can choose which direction he faces actually offers him more flexibility than a basic K-turn.

“Echo” isn’t just limited to smart turns, though. He can move laterally across the table without turning and with only a fractional forward movement, by decloaking backward and then banking forward at speed “1.”

If you need “Echo” in another part of the battle, he can quickly disengage from his current dogfight and relocate by performing hard turns that complement the direction in which he decloaks. He can even end up behind his original position. Conversely, if you need “Echo” much further ahead of his current position, then he can decloak forward and fully

These are just a few quotes from FFG articles I've found about the gender of Echo, and it appears to be overwhelmingly that it is a he. I'm gonna have to agree with Vanor that 1 reference to it being a she isn't enough to trump the amount of references to being a he. But I'm not gonna derail the thread.

As for the art, that's pretty cool.

In a maybe vain attempt to get this back on topic... and head off people calling me a sexist pig or misogynist.

I wouldn't mind seeing one or both being female. The Empire was notoriously both xenophobic and sexist under the rule of Emperor Palpatine. It's well known that only the very best of the best made it in the Empire, and that for many the Empire believed in HuMan's first.

Consider how many female tie pilots there are now. One, with the only other female pilot not even really being an imperial, but a merc.

So the idea that a woman could be a Phantom pilot could make sense, after all the best of the best rising to that level, being trusted with that kind of tech. I could see how one more more women could end up there, having proven themselves that good.

But I don't think FFG is likely to say one way or the other, because I don't think they have the rights to make up new characters which would be Canon now under the new rules, I'd guess that's why they went with call signs rather then names, because they couldn't make up a real pilot.

I also head-canon two other X-wing Miniatures pilots into Onyx: The Next Generation, namely Whisper and Echo (who I head-canon as women, but PLEASE let's not argue. If you think different, that's cool! Please share below.)

Yet, if I remember correctly they refer to Echo as 'She' in the faq... that is official FFG in my book, and the guest writer seemed to either not have the correct info, or didn't have any and deferred to normal masculine reference...

I dont get the arguing over it really... seems she works fine.. I'll go with that..

Sent a support email asking about it when this argument flared up again a page ago, so we'll find out what FFG's position on it is soon enough.

I also head-canon two other X-wing Miniatures pilots into Onyx: The Next Generation, namely Whisper and Echo (who I head-canon as women, but PLEASE let's not argue. If you think different, that's cool! Please share below.)

I never argued, I shared below. I honestly think Echo is a man and Whisper is a girl.

What really surprises me about this wonderful piece of artwork and extra back story is the representation of Rexler Brath! I always imagined Brath to be this old, grumpy, fashisht, deformed bitter character. After all, Brath has the most advanced imperial star fighter and he can't even do a hard 1 or 2 without getting stressed about it. He also never learned how to evade in a Tie Defender nor did he figure out how to use its boost (fastest imperial ship, no boost). And understanding how to use the sensor or beam weapon slot on a Tie Defender, forget it! So for these reasons I thought that Rexler Brath would be a sad sour character, but instead it's a happy and energetic person who wants nothing more than a lone wolf title and a heavy laser cannon to go out and show what he thinks of the enemies of the Empire!

What really surprises me about this wonderful piece of artwork and extra back story is the representation of Rexler Brath! I always imagined Brath to be this old, grumpy, fashisht, deformed bitter character. After all, Brath has the most advanced imperial star fighter and he can't even do a hard 1 or 2 without getting stressed about it. He also never learned how to evade in a Tie Defender nor did he figure out how to use its boost (fastest imperial ship, no boost). And understanding how to use the sensor or beam weapon slot on a Tie Defender, forget it! So for these reasons I thought that Rexler Brath would be a sad sour character, but instead it's a happy and energetic person who wants nothing more than a lone wolf title and a heavy laser cannon to go out and show what he thinks of the enemies of the Empire!

Trust me. I'm young and I feel codgy and crusty in a Defender. **** thing SHOULD evade. I don't know about Boost. I'm okay without boost. but it SHOULD have effing 2 slight greens or SOMETHING.

EVADE DANGIT. EVADE EVAAAADE.

also funny enough, I played a game with my friend where I accidentally took evades as Vessery. in one round he took 4 three dice attacks, didnt even spend the token.

What really surprises me about this wonderful piece of artwork and extra back story is the representation of Rexler Brath! I always imagined Brath to be this old, grumpy, fashisht, deformed bitter character. After all, Brath has the most advanced imperial star fighter and he can't even do a hard 1 or 2 without getting stressed about it. He also never learned how to evade in a Tie Defender nor did he figure out how to use its boost (fastest imperial ship, no boost). And understanding how to use the sensor or beam weapon slot on a Tie Defender, forget it! So for these reasons I thought that Rexler Brath would be a sad sour character, but instead it's a happy and energetic person who wants nothing more than a lone wolf title and a heavy laser cannon to go out and show what he thinks of the enemies of the Empire!

Hmm. I wouldn't say he looks happy or energetic. I was going for dark, brooding, focused. He's the only one who isn't relaxed at all.

Or maybe he's just jealous Whisper got the first turn.

really guys
really

awesome art

and all you can do is talk about who has what kind of junk between their legs

really

really

- Captain Yorr crew card (so he and Jendon can fly ST321 together with Vader. straight out of RotJ!)

- Soontir Fel: Flight Instructor crew card (for the Phantom)

- Jendon, Yorr, Echo and Whisper TIE/D pilot cards.

- Rexler, Echo and Whisper TIE/IN pilot cards.

Dream list: Jendon & Yorr in Lambda escorted by Rexler, Echo and Whisper in TIE/INs for 100pts or less.

I'd love to see this cards so

Go for it!!

... but what about Maarek Stele?

- Captain Yorr crew card (so he and Jendon can fly ST321 together with Vader. straight out of RotJ!)

- Soontir Fel: Flight Instructor crew card (for the Phantom)

- Jendon, Yorr, Echo and Whisper TIE/D pilot cards.

- Rexler, Echo and Whisper TIE/IN pilot cards.

Dream list: Jendon & Yorr in Lambda escorted by Rexler, Echo and Whisper in TIE/INs for 100pts or less.

I'd love to see this cards so

Go for it!!

... but what about Maarek Stele?

He is also cool. However, like Fel, he has a ton of backstory already, and we know what he looks like. Rexler, Whisp and Echo had nothing, and I liked the fact that there were so many ties to Onyx Squadron. Basically, I wanted to give these chars the "hero treatement" that is usually reserved for rebel pilots, where everyone of them has a novel sized backstory and tons of personality.

I haven't decided what to do after part 2 - part of me wants to do more art with these characters, but another part of me wants to start working on some art and flavour for my scum list. I had an idea to "hero treatment" the Wookie from "gunner", the Rodian from "mercenary co-pilot" and the Mon Calamari from "experimental interface" and build a list/head-canon for them with scum ships.

Do you know how to make pilot cards?

Its not that difficult. Made a ton for myself in the past. And its fun, too

There are Photoshop templates out there.

really guys

really

awesome art

and all you can do is talk about who has what kind of junk between their legs

really

really

No we can talk about more than that, everyone commented about the art. He also said share below if you think differently. No one is arguing, debating is better word.

really guys

really

awesome art

and all you can do is talk about who has what kind of junk between their legs

really

really

No we can talk about more than that, everyone commented about the art. He also said share below if you think differently. No one is arguing, debating is better word.

He's just lonely and after attention.

What really surprises me about this wonderful piece of artwork and extra back story is the representation of Rexler Brath! I always imagined Brath to be this old, grumpy, fashisht, deformed bitter character. After all, Brath has the most advanced imperial star fighter and he can't even do a hard 1 or 2 without getting stressed about it. He also never learned how to evade in a Tie Defender nor did he figure out how to use its boost (fastest imperial ship, no boost). And understanding how to use the sensor or beam weapon slot on a Tie Defender, forget it! So for these reasons I thought that Rexler Brath would be a sad sour character, but instead it's a happy and energetic person who wants nothing more than a lone wolf title and a heavy laser cannon to go out and show what he thinks of the enemies of the Empire!

Hmm. I wouldn't say he looks happy or energetic. I was going for dark, brooding, focused. He's the only one who isn't relaxed at all.

Or maybe he's just jealous Whisper got the first turn.

Oh, so is Rexler the one on the left of Fel? Oooops, I got it wrong! Dark and brooding it is after all then.

Do you know how to make pilot cards?

Its not that difficult. Made a ton for myself in the past. And its fun, too

There are Photoshop templates out there.

There's also a web app, if memory serves. Does all the hard work for you

really guys

really

awesome art

and all you can do is talk about who has what kind of junk between their legs

really

really

No we can talk about more than that, everyone commented about the art. He also said share below if you think differently. No one is arguing, debating is better word.

He's just lonely and after attention.

Dude. Seriously.