The Imperial Raider is the first ship that FFG has had a hand in the actual design of, so this is the first time the Aesthetics and design of a ship can be traced straight back to the makers of X-Wing. So, what does it tell us?

FFG is an amazing company, and they understand exactly what makes Star Wars great.

The people who came up with this ship managed to capture the Imperial aesthetic perfectly, with the wedge shape and a sinister threatening design. They also were tasked with creating a mid-range ship that combined capital ships with the starfighter scale, and the inclusion of the "panels" on the ship really helps to bridge the two scales.

From a game design standpoint, they needed a ship that functions at the scale involved but is different from the mini-cap CR-90 in looks and role. So, an anti-fighter and quick strike platform is perfect. The designers were ALSO aware of the balance issues of the TIE - Ad, but what reasoning would make sense for the rare and very niche TIE - Ad to be the escort of choice for their new starship? A quick strike raider with need for fighter escort would lack the internal space to carry fighters, so in this particular role the otherwise too expensive TIE - Ad would shine.

Bringing it all together FFG has created a gorgeous, thematically complete, unique and functional epic ship that also manages to give a logical reason for the rehabilitation of the very niche but iconic TIE - Ad.

Yes, I am an FFG fanboy. But full-on no holds barred home run releases like this one are WHY I'm such a fan.

Of course, other amazing escorts for this would (thematically/lore-wise) be:

- TIE Defender, which we already have

- XG1 Assault Gunboat (YESSSS...tell me one of these with a flight of gunboats around it wouldn't be BAD-ASS)

The art has a Mass Effect kinda feel to it.

The gunboat is ew and the defender doesn't exist in 6 BBY.

But full-on no holds barred home run releases like this one are WHY I'm such a fan.

I agree, it is a wonderfully designed model. Really does capture the feel of the ISD's but still fits well into this game with the more streamlined hull. The issue with the Vigil was always how wide the back end was.

Plus as much of a fan as I was of the Vigil, it did look like someone just wanted to scale down a ISD. The Raider looks more like someone wanted to make a Vette sized ship but was inspired by the ISD design, or in this case according to the lore FFG wrote, it was made by the same person who came up with the ISD design.

So it looks like an ISD, yet doesn't look like someone just hit the "reduce by 250%" button in CAD.

I like the solar panels myself, it adds a nice break to the hull, and makes some sense lore wise. It's likely a ship that small with that much firepower would have trouble fitting a power plant in that could support it. Also dig the hardpoints on it.

I agree also with you on the game design point. You have the GR-75 which is pretty much pure support, you have the CR-90 which IMO works like it should, as a small cap ship, that is ok against fighters, good against bigger ships, and with enough firepower to hurt other cap ships.

Now you have the Raider or RSD?? That fits a different niche, but one that tactically makes a ton of sense. ISD's aren't much good against fighters and rely on their own fighters to deal with them. So a vette sized anti-fighter ship really makes a lot of sense.

Should be interesting to see the stats on it and see how it would go in a game against a CR-90.

Fore: 4 0 8 6 Brace, Recover (like the back of the CR90)

Aft: 6 0 8 4 Target Lock, Coordinate (like the front of the CR90)

dunno about the point cost or upgrade slots. Look at those fireing arcs!

Edit: the rear has 8 upgrade slots, while the front has considerably less. Like, 4-5 max.

It is indeed a beautiful ship. It's beyond anything I was hoping for. It's just... perfect in every way. This really speaks to X-Wing's popularity that they are confident that an original ship to the game will sell for $80-$100.

And they couldn't include an assault gunboat as escort. We need that for wave 7!

The gunboat is ew and the defender doesn't exist in 6 BBY.

The gunboat is awesome! E-Wing didn't exist in 6BBY either.

I honestly don't want to like it. Contra the above, I think "Scale down an ISD and slap solar panels on it" is a terribly uninspired approach. "MOAR SOLAR PANELS!!" has been a sad crutch for Imperial ship design for the last 20 years.

But **** is it pretty.

Concept is meh, result is pretty much win.

I honestly don't want to like it. Contra the above, I think "Scale down an ISD and slap solar panels on it" is a terribly uninspired approach. "MOAR SOLAR PANELS!!" has been a sad crutch for Imperial ship design for the last 20 years.

But **** is it pretty.

Concept is meh, result is pretty much win.

Definitely more impressed with this "original design" than I was expecting.

Possibly concerned in that the photos of it make it look like the sides of it have three decks worth of lights? That seems a bit ridiculous for the size it should be coming in at, but...the closer looks we'll be getting in the coming weeks will provide some context on that.

But that's really my only complaint - seems a bit 'iffy' in scale vs the CR-90.

It's a **** fine looking ship, though.

Yeah. I'm glad you're happy, OP.

I think I could get used to it eventually, but the solar panels look really tacky to me.

Honestly, I would not have minded a down sized ISD. Was in favor of the Vigil, though the back IS wide.

This thing looks like a crocodile.

Great so:

Transport: Whale

Lambda: Cow

Decimator: Narwhal (or bi-corn)

Raider: Crocodile

I honestly don't want to like it. Contra the above, I think "Scale down an ISD and slap solar panels on it" is a terribly uninspired approach. "MOAR SOLAR PANELS!!" has been a sad crutch for Imperial ship design for the last 20 years.

But **** is it pretty.

Concept is meh, result is pretty much win.

Everything is better with solar panels on.

They are like the zombies for ships.

I honestly don't want to like it. Contra the above, I think "Scale down an ISD and slap solar panels on it" is a terribly uninspired approach. "MOAR SOLAR PANELS!!" has been a sad crutch for Imperial ship design for the last 20 years.

But **** is it pretty.

Concept is meh, result is pretty much win.

Everything is better with solar panels on.

They are like the zombies for ships.

GW has skulls, we now have solar panels.

I've always thought that it would be cool if FFG got to design a ship on their own and they finally went ahead and did just that (albeit with Lucasfilm input)! I hope this means that in the future we can get some more interesting designs that are not part of the established lore.

I had never felt personally loved by a company until I really got to know FFG.

Yeah, I am not overly fond of the actual design. Everything else though. SWEEET!

i've never had a huge desire to pull a model apart and put lights in it... But this one is quite tempting.