The book... is awesome BUT there is a problem with the collectable, not necessarily the book.

Before I get into what I do and don't like about this collectable I thought I should notify you that at target they are selling a exclusive Black Series two set. This two set comes with what looks to be a Storm Commando with Black Speeder Bike AND a Shadow Storm Trooper.

Ok first this needs to be said, what I didn't like about the IMPERIAL Handbook collectable is that it comes in a spring powered case made out of thin brittle plastic. It requires batteries to make LASER / Blaster sound effects EVERY TIME IT OPENS OR YOU ATTEMPT TO CLOSE IT, which may be a lot because the way the mechanism was built it feels to complex considering the materials used to build it. The lock in the center is very touchy, so expect the door to fly open over and over again to making shooting sounds and bright red lights.

The other problem is it comes with what looks to be a IMPERIAL Aviator pin in the back of the case. This pin is so well wedged into the back that it feels like you'll break it or the case trying to get it out. Also I wouldn't recommend using this pin unless you don't mind it punching holes in your shirt, cosplay outfit.

The Book

Is freaking awesome. All the information they added about fleet / force composition in past books is in this book BUT with way more detail for every branch of the Empire Military. It goes into detail for specific jobs, vehicles, craft, Super Weapons used by the Empire and by Past Empires.

Here is some points of interest you may like.

* Wedge has been shot down twice, once at the Battle of Turkana by a Interceptor or Fighter. And at Tieos. He made a point to hope to never run into a Imperial Army Repulsorlift Company.

*There are a fair amount of things from Star Wars Rebels in this book.

** TIE Fighters with small solar panels may not be a artistic choice for the show, it makes point in a picture that said TIE has a smaller set of solar panels.

*** Its possible in the past before ESB, this shortened solar pannel was used for TIEs expected to preform atmospheric combat.

** Imperial 1 class Star Destroyers in Rebels may have a longer neck, and not because of artistic choices by the show artists. This is a bit tricky compared to the TIE Fighter bit I posted before because the picture showing this long necked ISD 1 is drawn in a abstract style picture

**AT-DP are deployed for Policing on worlds where Rebels are suspected to exist.

***Because of there armament and weapons, armor placement, they should also be tank hunters.

*TIE Interceptors have been given major praise by the Imperial NAVY Flight branch.

** The 128th led by Kasen Moor is an example of what the Empire can achieve when the best Pilots, get the best gear.

** TIE Interceptors apparently have a third variation or don't carry shortened 9.3 LASER CANNONs in the chin mounts when they have Blasters mounted to the wing tips. It says they carry the LASER Cannons mounted on standard TIE Fighters. Which could mean the 1 or 7.2 depending on the time frame.

* The standard Package for TIE Bombers is 16 concussion missiles, twelve proton torpedoes, eight proton rockets, six space mines, four proton bombs, or sixty-four thermal detonators.

* Even though they show the Empire replace the Republic gun ships with something similar in SWTFU, and technically a Star Wing or Missile Boat could act as a gunship / air to ground support, the Sentinel landing Craft is the Empires go to air to ground gunship / transport.

**Y-85 Titian Walker Transports are nasty too.

*The TIE Advanced V1 (used by SW Rebels Inquisitor) may have a paragraph in this book.

**They were gifted to the Emperor's Inquisitors and favored acolytes. They were smaller than the TIE X1.

*TIE Aggressors are used to harass Rebel shipping.

*TIE Hunters are long ranged fighters, and when Madine was a Storm Commando, they hid there TIE Hunters in a reservoir for a week and they suffered no issues,

*Just one Defender is more than Wedge would want to deal with.

** Baron Fel, at the time Captain Fel, thinks TIE Phantoms are the perfect stealth recon craft. He says this after saying that it is classified as a attack starfighter.

*The Ailon Nova Guard, are Alien infantry used by the Imperial Army, they are fanatic about the Emperor and wear gear that looks like Storm Trooper Armor made from dragon scales.

** This makes 7th nonhuman species that is held in high regards in the Empire.

***Although the Trandosons seem to have a stranded relationship with the Empire since Incinerators Troopers wiped out one of there colonies.

**** Incinerator Troopers are armed with Oppressor flamethrowers, Plasma rifles, thermobaric canisters and mortar launchers.

* Han points out that the E-11 is an inaccrute weapon.

* Magma Stormtroopers armor can withstand temperatures of up to 1,900 degrees centigrade. Not bad. but Xenomorphs put them to shame.

* Rad Troopers are so deadly Rieekan fled a battle zone just from seeing them. He kicks himself in the ass because he found our later reg Storm Troopers got there hands on Rad Trooper armor but had no access to Rad Trooper Weapons, so he fled fro nothing.

*Luke is shocked to think Sand Troopers have good enough training to survive Tatooine.

*Imperial Jump Troopers are armed with Heavy Plasma Disruptor, rocket launchers, railguns that fire softball sized thermal detonators (OUCH) and anti-infantry flechette canisters.

*Aquatic Assault Stormtroopers may have one of the most dangerous ranged weapons, it fires a vibro-harpoon.

**Bold part not in this book

** Mothma has called on the Mon Cal Knights to fight on Worlds Sea Troopers are set up on.

*Imperial Marines use LASER cutters explosive charges, E-lls s, MiniMag PTL missile launchers, smoke pellets, and flash grenades.

*Elite Storm Troopers are

**The Emperor's Royal Guard

**Novatroopers

**Coruscant Gurad

**Imperial Storm Commandos

*The Specialization (Experimental / Classified Storm Troopers) are

**Shadow Stormtroopers (Blackhole Stormtroopers.)

**Terror Troopers

***Bioroids created using Star Killers dna, the can do force teleport, force stealth, force invisibility, force dodge. Even Clone 11XX couldn't hit them with physical attacks. They have durasteel talons on their hands and feet. They use stun guns as well. They will fight even if they lose most there limbs, maybe all there limbs.

****Bold part not in this book

**Dark Troopers.

*Bevel Lemelisk "appears" to think past super weapons, if not all, depends on readers interpretation, are inferior to the Super Weapons he has designed and the Empire have.

**It appears that He is working on having more Star Destoryers like the Conqueror built, they one armed with a Super Laser.

*The when talking to Imperial Media if the Death Star is brought up it is to be only refred to as the "Imperial Planetary Ore Extractor."

Theres a lot more in this book than what IVE posted, and overall it is a highly recommended read. I give the book itself a 10 out of 10. But with the whole package I give it a 9 out of 10. If you can buy the book without the case I recommend it unless your a hard core collector.

That sounds really badass. I wonder if they'll ever do a Rebel one?

But what I REALLY wonder is whether or not this is "Legacy" or canon now..?

That sounds really badass. I wonder if they'll ever do a Rebel one?

But what I REALLY wonder is whether or not this is "Legacy" or canon now..?

The wookiepedia article on it says that the publisher has confirmed that it is legends status.

I want to know if just the book is going to be available or if I have to pay more for the cheesy, gimmicky case.

That sounds really badass. I wonder if they'll ever do a Rebel one?

But what I REALLY wonder is whether or not this is "Legacy" or canon now..?

The wookiepedia article on it says that the publisher has confirmed that it is legends status.

I want to know if just the book is going to be available or if I have to pay more for the cheesy, gimmicky case.

Bah! That sucks.

That sounds really badass. I wonder if they'll ever do a Rebel one?

But what I REALLY wonder is whether or not this is "Legacy" or canon now..?

The wookiepedia article on it says that the publisher has confirmed that it is legends status.

I want to know if just the book is going to be available or if I have to pay more for the cheesy, gimmicky case.

The other three books in the series (Jedi Path, Book of Sith, Bounty Hunters Code) all came out in non-collector, book only versions. I'm sure this one will too, probably in nine or ten months.

The other three books in the series (Jedi Path, Book of Sith, Bounty Hunters Code) all came out in non-collector, book only versions. I'm sure this one will too, probably in nine or ten months.

Cool, thanks. The other books showing up in searches along with IH, but I couldn't tell for certain if they were related or just similar.

The other three books in the series (Jedi Path, Book of Sith, Bounty Hunters Code) all came out in non-collector, book only versions. I'm sure this one will too, probably in nine or ten months.

Cool, thanks. The other books showing up in searches along with IH, but I couldn't tell for certain if they were related or just similar.

Also - they are all EXCELLENT!

I love the book, wish they had went into detail about the TIE Corps. I think they just reached a point where during it's production the whole destruction of the EU happened and finished up with what they had done at that point and shipped it out.

It didn't have near the extra things like the previous books had. Especially the jedi and sith collector's editions. Even the sound for opening the case is a very odd choice considering what the other cases had. it also doesn't have a powered closing mechanism like the jedi and sith cases did. The Imperial medal is pretty neat. I would of loved it had they modeled it after the medals in TIE Fighter or the Imperial Ace Pilot medal with ribbon in Star Wars Galaxies.

Althought they did get their information about the TIE Aggressor wrong. It has shields and a hyperdrive it also only has one pilot not two. The rear gunner is a droid installed in the ship.

Found the bit about the smaller wing TIE Fighters to be interesting. I wonder if that could be the new difference between the TIE and the TIE/LN variants ?

I wish they had included a few more pictures of the Imperial troops and personnel. Like the Imperial Army Commando's, Navy Troopers with a proper uniform not just the ROTJ jumpsuit Troopers. TIE Pilot's in their dress black uniforms, or the Imperial Navy's formal dress white uniform (not the Grand Admiral uniform but similar. think of a uniform like the Marine Corps dress blues). Maybe a short article about the 181st, although I guess since the handbook is from before the battle of Yavin then Fel is still at the Academy and the 181st is still the one eighty worst.

I really hope Disney let's them do a Rebel handbook. Even if all that EU stuff is gone now, we still need that to complete things. They owe us that much. I had read that Disney forced them to get the Imperial handbook out as soon as possible so they didn't include a lot of the extras. Supposedly it was going to have a set of propaganda posers, like the ones printed inside the book every so often and a Imperial officer's code cylinder.

TIE aggressor had a human gunner when I flew one...

Give it some time - I bet they will release it in a less fragile case in 6 months.

**Terror Troopers...

They will fight even if they lose most there limbs, maybe all there limbs.

'Tis but a scratch.

That sounds really badass. I wonder if they'll ever do a Rebel one?

But what I REALLY wonder is whether or not this is "Legacy" or canon now..?

The wookiepedia article on it says that the publisher has confirmed that it is legends status.

I want to know if just the book is going to be available or if I have to pay more for the cheesy, gimmicky case.

Come on cheer up, for the most part Legends isnt non-canon. Two Important SW writers said that a couple months ago. If you dont have faith in that at least be happy about the Storm Commando and Blackhole Storm Trooper black series two pack that cameout this month at target. LFL / Disney police with collectables of this type are all canon. No non-canon action figures are being made =]

I love the book, wish they had went into detail about the TIE Corps. I think they just reached a point where during it's production the whole destruction of the EU happened and finished up with what they had done at that point and shipped it out.

It didn't have near the extra things like the previous books had. Especially the jedi and sith collector's editions. Even the sound for opening the case is a very odd choice considering what the other cases had. it also doesn't have a powered closing mechanism like the jedi and sith cases did. The Imperial medal is pretty neat. I would of loved it had they modeled it after the medals in TIE Fighter or the Imperial Ace Pilot medal with ribbon in Star Wars Galaxies.

Althought they did get their information about the TIE Aggressor wrong. It has shields and a hyperdrive it also only has one pilot not two. The rear gunner is a droid installed in the ship.

Found the bit about the smaller wing TIE Fighters to be interesting. I wonder if that could be the new difference between the TIE and the TIE/LN variants ?

I wish they had included a few more pictures of the Imperial troops and personnel. Like the Imperial Army Commando's, Navy Troopers with a proper uniform not just the ROTJ jumpsuit Troopers. TIE Pilot's in their dress black uniforms, or the Imperial Navy's formal dress white uniform (not the Grand Admiral uniform but similar. think of a uniform like the Marine Corps dress blues). Maybe a short article about the 181st, although I guess since the handbook is from before the battle of Yavin then Fel is still at the Academy and the 181st is still the one eighty worst.

I really hope Disney let's them do a Rebel handbook. Even if all that EU stuff is gone now, we still need that to complete things. They owe us that much. I had read that Disney forced them to get the Imperial handbook out as soon as possible so they didn't include a lot of the extras. Supposedly it was going to have a set of propaganda posers, like the ones printed inside the book every so often and a Imperial officer's code cylinder.

I kinda wonder if the publisher is wrong about its legends status because the director for published SW books said everything after that SW Rebels novel was canon. I think just to be safe they just labeled it as legends, which is still canon, because they werent gettting a on the fly responce from LFL about its status.

Just another thing to think about the parts of legends that has to stay in its own universe, why would it have to conform further by including bits of lore from SW Rebels? If this book were flat out only in a Legends only universe I dont see any reason to be forced to include lore from the Disney Wars universe or art work from Disney Wars "SW Rebels."

Real I dont see how this book will conflict with the Disney Wars universe because most of it is about lore about the troops and ships themselves. The rare awesome stuff in it like TIE Defenders is rare, I can understand not seeing it in the new movies or show. Same thing with the other rare Ships and Troops.

Now that I think of it I guess it could have used more pictures and it was missing info on diffrent Stormys and special forces like Imperial NAVY Commandos, but what was written in it was so extera awesome I didnt mind the lack of pics.

I wouldnt be shocked if there two or more diffrent versions of TIE Aggressor. The one Captain Fel flew was probably the Prototype version or in final stage before limited production. The Defender he test flew had six LASER cannons and no Ions.

**Terror Troopers...

They will fight even if they lose most there limbs, maybe all there limbs.

'Tis but a scratch.

Ill give it to the Black Knight, at least he can talk. The only thing Terror Troopers do is make roaring sounds.

TIE aggressor had a human gunner when I flew one...

Well yeah, because the SWG devs made it so you could take a friend up with you. Just like the two person Y-Wing they had, that still only had one pilot. They only did with both ships so we could take friends up with us to fly around. It's the same story with that Y-Wing, offically "in-universe" the turret is controled by the droid.

edit: Black Night Leader, I didn't even think about that. Considering that Fel flew it sometime before Yavin, by the time the TIE Aggressor was in SWG they had progressed along the timeline. It had been several years at that point. Make sense he flew one of the early prototypes and what we had in SWG was a later production model with changes and upgraded based on early performance.

TIE aggressor had a human gunner when I flew one...

Well yeah, because the SWG devs made it so you could take a friend up with you. Just like the two person Y-Wing they had, that still only had one pilot. They only did with both ships so we could take friends up with us to fly around. It's the same story with that Y-Wing, offically "in-universe" the turret is controled by the droid.

edit: Black Night Leader, I didn't even think about that. Considering that Fel flew it sometime before Yavin, by the time the TIE Aggressor was in SWG they had progressed along the timeline. It had been several years at that point. Make sense he flew one of the early prototypes and what we had in SWG was a later production model with changes and upgraded based on early performance.

I wish I could have played SWG, Star Fighter part only. My computer is just to low tech for it. I hope if they make a TIE Fighter 2 it will be on the X-Box and have every fighter made in the past and new ones as well. I want to fly a RGI even though I dont really like the Royal Guard, Shadow Guard are an exception "Light Sabre Lances" are flat out the coolest Light Sabre Ive ever seen.

Anyway what do you think of the Imperial Maritime Division? From what IVE seen the only sources for them lore wise is this book and a RTS game. It says in the book they are a division of the Imperial Army. If you read the stuff about them and the Imperial Army it almost sounds like its a diffrent branch. Theirs a part where a Imp ARMY writter brags about how they have better TIEs than the NAVY, but they only talk about TIE Tanks. You would think TIE Torpedoes and TIE Boats would be on the list too. I want to Pilot those bad too LOL.

I thought it was interesting that there two diffrent type of underwater boat AT-ATs. AT-AT swimmers, which might be seaweed field modded, and AQUA TERRAIN ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORTS, which sound factory built. Besides those diffrences I wonder if theres anything else diffrent about them.

I also find it strange that there underwaves fleet is epic but there destroyers and cruisers are lacking in fire power. I guess if they get in heavy engagments they call on SD? In some reguards the Imperial Maritime Division reminds me of WW2 era Italian NAVY forces, there frog men and one man subs were very dangerous.

why do you capitalize random words

why do you capitalize random words

It depends on the word. If your talking about my last post I always try and press every letter in all caps in the word NAVY. The AQUA TERRAIN ASSAULT TRANSPORT I think was written that way in the book so IM just writting it the way the author did.

Also WE kinda talk like early 1990s VENOM.

It's the same story with that Y-Wing, offically "in-universe" the turret is controled by the droid.

The BTL-S3 Y-wing has a human/alien gunner for the turret. The BTL-A4 has the turret locked forward and is controlled by the pilot. The astromech droid doesn't get guns.

It's the same story with that Y-Wing, offically "in-universe" the turret is controled by the droid.

The BTL-S3 Y-wing has a human/alien gunner for the turret. The BTL-A4 has the turret locked forward and is controlled by the pilot. The astromech droid doesn't get guns.

Thats true, but the one in Star Wars Galaxies wasn't the S3 variant. There were two Y-Wings in that game, the normal one with the turret fixed forward and the two player variant. They both used the same model, the single pilot cockpit. As it was explained away in game it was the droid controling it. They called it the Long Probe. Although it didn't look anything like the LP is suppose to look. They just reused the same model for both ships, the SWG devs were lazy like that.

It's the same story with that Y-Wing, offically "in-universe" the turret is controled by the droid.

The BTL-S3 Y-wing has a human/alien gunner for the turret. The BTL-A4 has the turret locked forward and is controlled by the pilot. The astromech droid doesn't get guns.

Thats true, but the one in Star Wars Galaxies wasn't the S3 variant. There were two Y-Wings in that game, the normal one with the turret fixed forward and the two player variant. They both used the same model, the single pilot cockpit. As it was explained away in game it was the droid controling it. They called it the Long Probe. Although it didn't look anything like the LP is suppose to look. They just reused the same model for both ships, the SWG devs were lazy like that.

Hell someone stop Pinocchio from joining the Rebels and being a gunner in a Y-Wing, he just became a real boy now he will be a inhuman shaped garbage can.