Some tasty new images...

Note that what looked like an antenna - is actually another gun(!)

Thanks for posting these awesome new images. I said it was a gun way back in the discussion.

Mounting it to the top seems like an unusual choice for an anti-personnel weapon.

I'd guess that it's either an ion cannon (single barrel with the other thingy being a camera/sensor) controlled by the gunner or...

It's actually an antenna and the guys designing the toy made it articulate like a gun. (Because they've never done that before.)

Antennas don't need venting...

I think the design says a lot about the scene where Poe and Finn escape. That should be fun.

I think the design says a lot about the scene where Poe and Finn escape. That should be fun.

Everything about these new ships is cool!

So basically whoever was in charge of tacking things onto models is awful with the whole design principles thing.

Pointless spar geometry, the rings, inserting stretched hexagons into the engine nozzles in a sad attempt to echo the original rear-window geometry, which has been butchered...

I don't like it and probably never will.

Agree with the first 2 points but not the last 2. The engine nozzles suggest to me a more powerful engine than the standard TIE and the rear window has been redesigned with a gunner in mind. I will reserve opinion on the new TIE until I can see it on the big screen.

The engine nozzles being larger is fine, the radially-asymmetrical hexagon insert isn't.

The rear window is an AWFUL design for a gunner, they'd have been better off duping the main canopy.

Thanks for posting these awesome new images. I said it was a gun way back in the discussion.

D'Oh! I missed that Joe - excellent call!

The engine nozzles being larger is fine, the radially-asymmetrical hexagon insert isn't.

The rear window is an AWFUL design for a gunner, they'd have been better off duping the main canopy.

Apparently this is what it was going to look like - the distinct design to distinguish it from normal TIEs and to allow room for a second crew member, but it got scrapped and changed to a 'more recognisable'/audience friendly design:

Looks very TOR Sith...**** I woulda liked to see one of those take the (star)field.

Maybe the design will survive in an Interceptor replacement later in the trilogy.

The engine nozzles being larger is fine, the radially-asymmetrical hexagon insert isn't.

The rear window is an AWFUL design for a gunner, they'd have been better off duping the main canopy.

Apparently this is what it was going to look like - the distinct design to distinguish it from normal TIEs and to allow room for a second crew member, but it got scrapped and changed to a 'more recognisable'/audience friendly design:

That looks awesome.

Yeah, see, that's a lot better even if the panels are a bit wonky.

Actually looks like they learned some lessons from the Interceptor rather than being a nearly 70-year-old design.

Yea I'm sure the designers had a lot of great new ship ideas. But Disney or JJ said nope, gotta milk that nostalgia train and just use new xwings and tie fighters. I wish if they just wanted to reuse the OT designs to at least have it make sense and use updated awings and tie interceptors.

Yea I'm sure the designers had a lot of great new ship ideas. But Disney or JJ said nope, gotta milk that nostalgia train and just use new xwings and tie fighters. I wish if they just wanted to reuse the OT designs to at least have it make sense and use updated awings and tie interceptors.

And Y-wings(okay so they'll be really outdated, but still) and maybe some actual E/2 B-wings. Although I'm suprised they didn't make the special forces TIE based off of vader's advance...

Looks very TOR Sith...**** I woulda liked to see one of those take the (star)field.

Maybe the design will survive in an Interceptor replacement later in the trilogy.

According to my movie peoples that do not just say stuff just to look cool The Mouse IS going to be doing TOR storys.

So dat is why the new First Order TIE was changed... to save the crazy Sith deal for later.

Just saying... Disney did not spend a bazillion bucks just to make three more STAR WARS films.

Hels-Nahs!

:lol:

Brothers we have all kinds of cool STAR WARS goodies coming over the next several years. FFG says so... and already stated info along with common sense and sound speculation confirms it!

The engine nozzles being larger is fine, the radially-asymmetrical hexagon insert isn't.

The rear window is an AWFUL design for a gunner, they'd have been better off duping the main canopy.

Apparently this is what it was going to look like - the distinct design to distinguish it from normal TIEs and to allow room for a second crew member, but it got scrapped and changed to a 'more recognisable'/audience friendly design:

That looks awesome.

I'm looking forward to seeing this thing in the coming years.

It'll happen.

The engine nozzles being larger is fine, the radially-asymmetrical hexagon insert isn't.

The rear window is an AWFUL design for a gunner, they'd have been better off duping the main canopy.

Apparently this is what it was going to look like - the distinct design to distinguish it from normal TIEs and to allow room for a second crew member, but it got scrapped and changed to a 'more recognisable'/audience friendly design:

That looks awesome.

I'm looking forward to seeing this thing in the coming years.

It'll happen.

No design or concept goes unused forever at Lucasfilm.

The engine nozzles being larger is fine, the radially-asymmetrical hexagon insert isn't.

The rear window is an AWFUL design for a gunner, they'd have been better off duping the main canopy.

Apparently this is what it was going to look like - the distinct design to distinguish it from normal TIEs and to allow room for a second crew member, but it got scrapped and changed to a 'more recognisable'/audience friendly design:

Looks like TIE Avenger stealth edition.

Holy **** that is nice looking.

I don't believe this gun is meant for dogfighting. I think it's meant for use against ground targets like the Ground Buzzer that Han has on the MF and was used at Echo Base on Hoth.

As has been mentioned, that seems unlikely given that the gun is on the top of the ship.