I know, I know, I know.... "not another one". But I ran into something this morning that sounds like a viable solution that would add something new to the game. Found this on Wookieepedia when reading through the different versions of the Tie-Advanced:

This ship had a laser cannon turret on the top-back of the craft used to defend the craft from pursuers. With a good gunner, the rear turret could be very accurate and hard to evade, which made attacks from the rear or above very difficult even with all shield power channeled forward. Many TIE Aggressor pilots were trained to skirt the outer edges of a combat zone, letting their gunner take shots at any enemy fighters that were currently engaging Imperial craft. If any enemy fighters attempted to pursue the Aggressor, the pilot would fly away from the combat zone, exposing the pursuing craft to the rear turret, while the Aggressor's wingmate would fall in behind the Rebel fighter. The ship represented a distinct break in typical Imperial Starfighter design philosophy, placing survivability and performance over cost efficiency and ease of maintenance.

This would be The Aggressor modification and would add a back facing firing arc to the Advanced. This would also mean that FFG would have to print new base cards (or something that fit over top of them), but I think it could be a cool fix. Imagine 4 little Firesprays running around the board!

I know, I know, I know.... "not another one". But I ran into something this morning that sounds like a viable solution that would add something new to the game. Found this on Wookieepedia when reading through the different versions of the Tie-Advanced:

This ship had a laser cannon turret on the top-back of the craft used to defend the craft from pursuers. With a good gunner, the rear turret could be very accurate and hard to evade, which made attacks from the rear or above very difficult even with all shield power channeled forward. Many TIE Aggressor pilots were trained to skirt the outer edges of a combat zone, letting their gunner take shots at any enemy fighters that were currently engaging Imperial craft. If any enemy fighters attempted to pursue the Aggressor, the pilot would fly away from the combat zone, exposing the pursuing craft to the rear turret, while the Aggressor's wingmate would fall in behind the Rebel fighter. The ship represented a distinct break in typical Imperial Starfighter design philosophy, placing survivability and performance over cost efficiency and ease of maintenance.

This would be The Aggressor modification and would add a back facing firing arc to the Advanced. This would also mean that FFG would have to print new base cards (or something that fit over top of them), but I think it could be a cool fix. Imagine 4 little Firesprays running around the board!

It would most likely come in the much more commonly seen TIE Avenger (the Aggressor is a ship made up for SWG, so that the empire could have a 2-seater fighter), probably something to do with delivering Prockets (Maarek's favorite ordnance)

The decimator and scyk fighter were also made for star wars galaxies.

My guess is ordnance will bypass shields. maarek will then beckome the premier missile platform. This is however, not likely.

Ordnance bypassing shields would devaluate the bomber, wouldn´t it?

Then FFG would have to improve the bomber even more...

Adding +1 attack at range 2 and 3 is interesting.

Adding boost is nice, but I wonder if that would convince players to give the Advanced a second chance.

Such a nice design, it does deserve one

The Tie Advanced was a the test subject for the empire to building better ships and had many different prototypes.

Vader helped the Empire create newer versions, x2, x3, etc. Each with their own test prototype to combat rebel ships and tactics

So you could just add a title

Title:

Tie Advanced X2

Pts 1

Long Range Lasers

Add +1 to the Attack Value at range 2 and 3.

Note: This prototype was created to avoid close range encounters with B-wing and X-wings, where therr weapons were deadly.

Title:

Tie Advance X3

Pts 1

Add Boost Action to Upgrade Bar

Note: This prototype was created to keep up with the A-wing and other fast and small crafts

Each of these tested a different strategy for the Tie Advanced in the Empire Arsenal. This allows players to customize how the ship will play and feel

There are many others too. FFG could go the route of each title based on the testing vader and empire did with the prototypes.

Just some idea's

The x3 is the interceptor

As noted, the closest 'production version' to the TIE Advanced was the TIE Avenger, which (unlike the two-seat Aggressor, or the fundamentally stripped-back Interceptor) was actually build under the TIE/ad 'badge' and was referred to as both the 'Advanced' and the 'Avenger' at different points in the games and books.

Hence why a "TIE/ad Avenger x2" advanced-only title card would probably be the best way to bump the advanced without any spill-over onto other ships.

The fact that Darth Vader explicitely flies a TIE Advanced x1 rather than a 'TIE Advanced' (i.e. an Avenger) gives you a hook to vary costs if you want.

Ordnance bypassing shields would devaluate the bomber, wouldn´t it?

Then FFG would have to improve the bomber even more...

Adding +1 attack at range 2 and 3 is interesting.

Adding boost is nice, but I wonder if that would convince players to give the Advanced a second chance.

Such a nice design, it does deserve one

Having 4 attacks that can ignore shields and do a buttload of damage.

You're right, bombers would be terrible...

Ordnance bypassing shields would devaluate the bomber, wouldn´t it?

Then FFG would have to improve the bomber even more...

Adding +1 attack at range 2 and 3 is interesting.

Adding boost is nice, but I wonder if that would convince players to give the Advanced a second chance.

Such a nice design, it does deserve one

Having 4 attacks that can ignore shields and do a buttload of damage.

You're right, bombers would be terrible...

From what I understood from above posts the ability to ignore shields would come through a TIE Advanced Title card. Hence why I did not see the same effect for Bombers.

If they would get the same, then yes, that would be nice

Nope. Ordnance avoiding shields would be a global thing.

I can't believe wookieepedia is still trying to claim there is a gunner onboard the TIE Aggressor. It's a single person ship, the rear gun was according to lore controlled by a droid brain installed in the ship. In Star Wars Galaxies the Aggressor was nothing more than an excuse to have a two person ship. It being two person was nothing more than game mechanics and had nothing to do with the lore of the ship. Player controlled ships did not have AI gunners as it was considered to be overpowered. So if you wanted your tail guns to fire, you brought along a friend.

Most pilots in SWG flew the Aggressor with out a gunner and with out a tail gun installed as to have more power and the ability to install better equipment. Which most of the time ment it was heavier equipment, all ships in SWG had a max weight, all ship parts had weight and you couldn't go over the max weight the ship could carry. So most pilots left that rear gun out unless they were taking a friend up to get experience points.

I just can't see it working making the Aggressor a card and not a physical model. There are just too many differences.

I can't believe wookieepedia is still trying to claim there is a gunner onboard the TIE Aggressor. It's a single person ship, the rear gun was according to lore controlled by a droid brain installed in the ship. In Star Wars Galaxies the Aggressor was nothing more than an excuse to have a two person ship. It being two person was nothing more than game mechanics and had nothing to do with the lore of the ship. Player controlled ships did not have AI gunners as it was considered to be overpowered. So if you wanted your tail guns to fire, you brought along a friend.

Most pilots in SWG flew the Aggressor with out a gunner and with out a tail gun installed as to have more power and the ability to install better equipment. Which most of the time ment it was heavier equipment, all ships in SWG had a max weight, all ship parts had weight and you couldn't go over the max weight the ship could carry. So most pilots left that rear gun out unless they were taking a friend up to get experience points.

I just can't see it working making the Aggressor a card and not a physical model. There are just too many differences.

Same for the Avenger and Oppressor...

Well most people can't tell the difference between the Advanced Vader flew and the Advanced that was nicknamed the Avenger.

Even less people would actually care.

There are visual differences between the Advanced x1 (which is the model we've got) and the x2 (The Avenger), but - wing 'notch' aside, they're pretty minor, and the broad shape is right.

The Aggressor, on the other hand, looks about right from the front on but nothing like from any other angle:

Vader came back for us with Prockets so we got no problems there. Whatever they do to solidify the Advanced's playability from here will have to be fairly indirect. Remembering that the end goal is to get the model on the table, and not to get individual pilots on the table, we'll likely not see any direct linked Titles or Advanced only Modifications. If we see anything for this as a ship to bring it into the fold more often it will probably be a set of Pilot cards with very meta-relevant, but not hard-counterable, abilities. Particularly because FFG kinda shot themself in the foot by putting the "X1" directly on the ship card. Minor, but notable.

Something like taking the new Inquisitor from SW:Rebels and giving him PS5 and "When attacking a ship with your primary weapon that has 1 or less agility, you may roll an additional attack die." So it would hit Decimators, Falcons, B-wings, Rebel and Scum Y's. That would affect every Faction, but still affect the primary opposed faction the most, very cool. Nudge the Factions to play more agile ships, like the A-wing over the Falcon. Or X-wings over the B's. But at this PS he wouldn't push the meta up in overall PS because he best preys on the generic Pilots of the ships he hunts, so just bringing a named Y or B puts a damper on his day, while making sure his ability is still relevant against those pilots.

Plus they got that Baron Valon Rudor or whatever they mention,...then never see again so far...Almost like they were setting up a toy company...to have...a new...character......name........ huh. *Eyes the Disney marketing planners and FFG suspiciously* I see what you did there you two.

The Tie Advanced was a the test subject for the empire to building better ships and had many different prototypes.

Vader helped the Empire create newer versions, x2, x3, etc. Each with their own test prototype to combat rebel ships and tactics

So you could just add a title

Title:

Tie Advanced X2

Pts 1

Long Range Lasers

Add +1 to the Attack Value at range 2 and 3.

Note: This prototype was created to avoid close range encounters with B-wing and X-wings, where therr weapons were deadly.

Title:

Tie Advance X3

Pts 1

Add Boost Action to Upgrade Bar

Note: This prototype was created to keep up with the A-wing and other fast and small crafts

Each of these tested a different strategy for the Tie Advanced in the Empire Arsenal. This allows players to customize how the ship will play and feel

There are many others too. FFG could go the route of each title based on the testing vader and empire did with the prototypes.

Just some idea's

I have often thought this will be the route FFG goes; multiple X#s that are title upgrades. We might see two or more with one or more of them being free.

And I'd bet my bottom dollar that we'll see an Inquisitor pilot added (PS8).

I do like the idea of multiple titles to represent different prototypes. It would be something that makes the advanced unique in an interesting way to have a half dozen different titles. If they can get the assorted abilities right it would be awesome. Imagine playing a squad composed just of 3-4 TIE advanceds but each one having a different unique title.

FFG has stated recently that it won't just be a band-aid fix. The multiple titles (some being unique maybe) would definitely be adding something new to the game. It also fits with the lore of the ship. I figure it could not have been chance that Rebels recently built a whole episode around the Advanced.

Title that adds Sensor upgrade (for Accuracy Corrector) will probably be one of the fixes. I highly doubt any of the fixes will add red dice.

I expect to see the Aggressor as it's own release. Think a small base ship with a rear arc like a Firespray.

A low cost (0 or 1 point) ship modification that made all ordnance attached to that ship bypass shields would be an interesting fix for ordnance that would help a lot of ships that FFG expected would be strong due to their capability to use ordnance, but don't see a lot of play due to ordnance generally being considered a poor (dice/luck dependent solution). Or at least it would be an interesting alternative to munitions fail safe.

It would most likely come in the much more commonly seen TIE Avenger (the Aggressor is a ship made up for SWG, so that the empire could have a 2-seater fighter), probably something to do with delivering Prockets (Maarek's favorite ordnance)

Of course, a TIE Advanced that could take a passenger WOULD be pretty hilarious.

Maarak Stele + Vader = DIRECT HITS FOR EVERYONE!!!

The multiple titles (some being unique maybe) would definitely be adding something new to the game. It also fits with the lore of the ship.

Do you think they could do an aces type pack that included a new sculpt? Do a pack that had a regular advanced fig plus an avenger resculpt that are mechanically the same ship and use that to include the half dozen or whatever titles to fix the ship?

Well a title would be the simplest fix. A title or 2.

I already gave my $0.02 on some ideas.

I think a cannon slot, a free elite talent to PS 4 and up, and the systems upgrade for 0 will be the way they go all, in the form of a title.