3 hours ago, Forresto said:

Only in the sense that neither are fan fiction then you are correct neither are, but short of that yes Sabine really is. Rey on the other hand (and for the record) is not in my opinion.

I can bold too

Not only the fan fiction element is missing, but as well the authors projection of himself into the character ;-)
Sabine is simply a marketing tool. They put everything cool left into her, because she has a creat target audience reach among the young female star wars fans. She basically is the disney princess of the show.

43 minutes ago, SEApocalypse said:

(Sabine) basically is the disney princess of the show.

Which is a shame because there’s another female character in the Rebel alliance that is totally a real Disney princess:

46 minutes ago, GrimmyV said:

Which is a shame because there’s another female character in the Rebel alliance that is totally a real Disney princess:

Yeah.... I wish we'd get a Leia: a Star Wars story movie. Have it be a more spy thriller than straight up war movie. Her being a diplomatic senator to alderaan while also running covert ops for the rebellion. I mean I know how people feel about politics and Star Wars (especially when there's to much of it) but I'm curious.

2 hours ago, GrimmyV said:

Which is a shame because there’s another female character in the Rebel alliance that is totally a real Disney princess:

Wishing for a Millie Bobby Brown Leia somewhere down the line

6 hours ago, xanderf said:

Discussed a bit, above, yeah.

Man, Han's lipstick choice is interesting. I guess his time at Jabba's really got to him.

But in all seriousness, that Hera is confirmed kicking this late into the war is pretty big. But it really does seem to just be her and Chopper from Scarif to Endor.

EDIT:

So I watched the new episodes. "Whoa" can sum it up. First half was solid in and of itself, the writers are not shying away from showing us just what an imperial occupation is like. But the second episode... That, that was really damned interesting.

The Loth-Wolf? Pretty sure that had something to do with the Bendu. His physical form was decimated, but he did not die. The Bendu is very much one with the force and always has been. As such I imagine he's got a hand in this.

BUT BOY WAS I GLAD ABOUT THE TIE DEFENDER.

Not only is that the TIE Defender that we're gonna have going forward from now on, but THRAWN DID THRAWN-Y THINGS VERY THRAWNFULLY. It's interesting how certain he was that the rebels would not kill him. But he knows their tactics so well, so personally now, that he was using them to gauge everything about that fighter. Now he knows exactly what it can and can't do.

You guys have got to admit.

They've finally made the TIE Defender into the TIE Defender we've all known and loved for many years now.

I freaking love EVERYTHING about Flight of the Defender.

I need TIE Defender Elite that gives me a Stop maneuver now.

I liked how what I previously thought was the ship having 12 guns, 6 of those were actually missiles. It's weird though that it carries it's missiles externally instead of loaded into launchers.

I also kinda like knowing exactly how big a hyperdrive is and what it looks like. I'm sure that's been shown in other media before, but it's my first time seeing one.

10 hours ago, AllWingsStandyingBy said:

The pure brilliance, smartest guy in the room, seventy-nine steps ahead, omniscient, expert fighter who would never ever fail if it weren't for the incompetents that surround him. This was no less true in the Zahn trilogy, and I've always wondered why he's such a fan favorite. He just read like the ultimate Mary Sue villain to me.

I think because that Chessmaster trope wasn't as common then. And it's actually a pretty cool villain archetype the first time you encounter it. And it's certainly a far step above the usual cartoonish evil of the usual Star Wars villain.

Thrawn and David Xanatos are probably the first two times I encountered such characters growing up, and they're still two of my favorite antagonists to this day.

1 hour ago, Captain Lackwit said:

They've finally made the TIE Defender into the TIE Defender we've all known and loved for many years now.

I mean, not exactly. It still doesn't seem to have ion cannons.

TIE/E

TIE defender only.

When revealing a maneuver you may execute a white stop maneuver instead. Then receive a stress token.

0 pts.

I want it naow

3 minutes ago, RufusDaMan said:

TIE/E

TIE defender only.

When revealing a maneuver you may execute a white stop maneuver instead. Then receive a stress token.

0 pts.

I want it naow

Should also be "Lose your Cannon slot, +1 Primary Attack" to represent the 6 lasers.

Also +2 Shields, and all red maneuvers are white...

6 minutes ago, DarthEnderX said:

Should also be "Lose your Cannon slot, +1 Primary Attack" to represent the 6 lasers.

Also +2 Shields, and all red maneuvers are white...

Good idea. Should increase price then.

TIE/E

TIE defender only.

Increase your primary weapon value by 1. Your upgrade bar loses the cannon slot

When revealing a maneuver you may execute a white stop maneuver instead. Then receive a stress token.

3 pts.

The Shields and the red moves sounds a bit too much

whew, seeing that thing flying like that, with all the spinning... i almost like the ship now. the longer design helps as well.

1 minute ago, RufusDaMan said:

The Shields and the red moves sounds a bit too much

Not based on the episode.

Increase cost accordingly!

1 minute ago, DarthEnderX said:

Not based on the episode.

Increase cost accordingly!

We really don't need a 4/3/3/5 small ship with built in inertial dampeners, white k-s, all white dial. we would just get a nerf so hard nobody would play defenders ever again

In fact, I say it's too much for a Title card. Separate new ship time!

Then they can just put the Stop on the dial.

On an aside note, I was expecting this to be the episode with that TIE Defender with the yellow trim from the trailer, but it wasn't. So that's still coming up. I assume that's the production model of the TIE Defender Elite.

It was a one bank to the right! You may think it was a stop, but that was the relative speeds, the clunk to the right made it for me. He went from a five forward to A ONE BANK! The devastating new trick in the Empire´ s arsenal! All other TIEs will overshoot (apart from Vader).

The K turn was pretty cool too. . .

Why are people saying that Sabine went all Mary Sue this episode? Yeah, her graffiti caught on, but otherwise she only strafed a bit and took out a ship´ s databank and hyperdrive. Not really that difficult for an Empire trained Mandalorian, who is also quite smart. Some people are, you know....

I´ ve always found the Mary Sue argument to be one based on Jealousy, myself. No way that a girl could/should be able to do all that. In fact, in this episode, she couldn´ t even take down a probe droid on her own....

Great episode though. The season opener is forgotten. Rebels was dead. Long live Rebels!

Also felt Thrawn was being a bit unThrawny in this episode when he sent those Interceptor pilots out fully expecting them to die.

I know collecting information is important to him, but he's usually not that wasteful with lives.

39 minutes ago, DarthEnderX said:

In fact, I say it's too much for a Title card. Separate new ship time!

Then they can just put the Stop on the dial.

On an aside note, I was expecting this to be the episode with that TIE Defender with the yellow trim from the trailer, but it wasn't. So that's still coming up. I assume that's the production model of the TIE Defender Elite.

I dont think we will ever get a new model for the ship. If the vaksai didn't get it, the defender won't either.

So, no new dial or maneuvers.

13 minutes ago, DarthEnderX said:

Also felt Thrawn was being a bit unThrawny in this episode when he sent those Interceptor pilots out fully expecting them to die.

I know collecting information is important to him, but he's usually not that wasteful with lives.

Eh he has been known to on occasion commit an entire tie fighter squadron to battle just to figure out who he's fighting... so sacrificing some interceptor pilots during the height of the empire seems very in character, to me anyway.

23 minutes ago, FlyingAnchors said:

Eh he has been known to on occasion commit an entire tie fighter squadron to battle just to figure out who he's fighting... so sacrificing some interceptor pilots during the height of the empire seems very in character, to me anyway.

Mmm, that's true.

I'm disappointed. If they were going to alter the TIE Defender model to represent an "improved model", this was a perfect opportunity to bring up the "Real" TIE Defender. The original model had wings connectors (like the TIE Advanced) instead of TIE FIghter/Interceptor struts and was, overall, longer and heftier. You could believe it packed all of that power in the most advanced star fighter in the galaxy.

The image they call cannon now rightly deserves the derision it gets for being a TIE Interceptor on steroids- and the "elite" model is nothing more than longer daggers, a module on the back, and a different sound effect for the engines.

Now that we're showing off the concussion missile armament, they also missed the chance to reference the cockpit interface from the game. It would have been such a small thing to throw in the lock-tone from the original game that would perk up the ears of every TIE Fighter fan whose still flying those sims for fun since the 90s.... *sigh*

Apart from that, what did Thrawn really learn by letting Sabine run off with the TIE/D? This "weapons demonstration" embarrassed the Imperial navy and wasted the lives of elite TIE Interceptor pilots to let two super teens ride off with the TIE Defender. It's not like they can save and develop the telemetry from the Rebels' little jaunt, since Ezra made off with the flight recorder.

About the only thing I see Thrawn gaining out of this is showing how impressive his fighter is in the right hands, and using that as ammunition to tell the Imperial brass to invest in the fighter program. This fighter beats the next Imperial standard fighter, the TIE Interceptor, when flown by a couple of kids. If they can do it, imagine how scary the Imperial elite pilot corps is going to be when armed with the TIE/D?

Of course, we already know the brass is going to say, "cut to the chase, the Superlaser makes conventional battles moot", but really this is the only gain I see out of this.

5 hours ago, Captain Lackwit said:

But in all seriousness, that Hera is confirmed kicking this late into the war is pretty big. But it really does seem to just be her and Chopper from Scarif to Endor.

Well, really, what makes it interesting is that it's still just 'Hera, Chopper, and the Ghost' at Endor.

I mean, seeing no cameos from anyone else at Scarif was...not especially enlightening. 'You can't prove a negative', after all, so their absence of proof was not proof of absence. Still missing everyone but the Scarif combo on Endor , though...

Unfortunately, still no confirmation that anyone was missing for a reason , but that is DEFINITELY another data point that seems to correlate with the first, and kinda implies the rest of the crew has already left/is lost by Scarif.

7 hours ago, DarthEnderX said:

I freaking love EVERYTHING about Flight of the Defender.

I need TIE Defender Elite that gives me a Stop maneuver now.

I liked how what I previously thought was the ship having 12 guns, 6 of those were actually missiles. It's weird though that it carries it's missiles externally instead of loaded into launchers.

I also kinda like knowing exactly how big a hyperdrive is and what it looks like. I'm sure that's been shown in other media before, but it's my first time seeing one.

I think because that Chessmaster trope wasn't as common then. And it's actually a pretty cool villain archetype the first time you encounter it. And it's certainly a far step above the usual cartoonish evil of the usual Star Wars villain.

Thrawn and David Xanatos are probably the first two times I encountered such characters growing up, and they're still two of my favorite antagonists to this day.

I mean, not exactly. It still doesn't seem to have ion cannons.

Let's be fair, those ion cannons in TIE Fighter and (in simulations) XWA were super cheese given you could permanently disable literally any ship with them. Honestly if the Death Star II had been a real entity in XWA Ace could have fired Ions at it a handful of times a- PRIMARY TARGET UPDATE, THEY'VE BEEN DISABLED.

38 minutes ago, Captain Lackwit said:

Let's be fair, those ion cannons in TIE Fighter and (in simulations) XWA were super cheese given you could permanently disable literally any ship with them.

If anything, Ion Cannons in the show seem even more powerful, since a single blast usually disables anything it hits.

1 hour ago, Captain Lackwit said:

Let's be fair, those ion cannons in TIE Fighter and (in simulations) XWA were super cheese given you could permanently disable literally any ship with them. Honestly if the Death Star II had been a real entity in XWA Ace could have fired Ions at it a handful of times a- PRIMARY TARGET UPDATE, THEY'VE BEEN DISABLED.

Except that at Endor, you're flying the Millennium Falcon , which doesn't have ion cannons.

(I don't think I could ever figure out, is Ace supposed to be riding in the Falcon , like as a gunner or something? Or did they just decide, "Forget Ace! Lando is much cooler for this final mission!")

Just for anyone hasn't seen it, Rebels Defender vs Defender Elite.

Thrawn's TIE Defender Expansion Pack. Wave XIV or XV. Calling it here.

Thrawn and Vult Skerris pilots. A mod/title that gives an additional missile slot and maneuver craziness.