Given the idea behind the Aggressor, I'm thinking a TIE/D Automated Starfighter would be an interesting addition!

The dial, pilot skill, upgrades, etc., all do a good job demonstrating that the ship is droid controlled... so what if we had the Drone TIE?

Here's what I'm thinking:

• 4 different non-unique pilots.
• All Pilot skill 4.
• Similar to an Aggressor in that it has a lot of green, but with options along the lines of most TIEs
• 2 Attack
• 3 Agility
• 3 Hull
• 0 Shield
• upgrade bar: none

Title: Drone Swarm Matrix - When attacking, if the defender is within Range 1 of at least one other friendly ship with this title, this ship gains 1 attack die.

The idea being that it's another powerful arc dodger, but instead of being piloted by Aces with superior pilot skill, they rely on their built in abilities to get the drop on their targets. With the title, they'd also be very strong as a swarmlet all focusing on a single target at a time.

The 4 pilot abilities would be similar to some generic EPTs.

Drone pilot - Elusive => "After executing a barrel roll or boost, you may perform a free boost or barrel roll and receive a stress token" (similar to PtL)

Drone pilot - Hunter => "When attacking, you may reroll 1 attack die" (similar to Predator)

Drone pilot - Marksman => "When attacking, if the defender is at range 2-3 and this ship is outside of the defender's firing arc, the defender rolls one less defence die" (similar to Outmanoeuvre)

Drone pilot - Guardian => "When a friendly ship at Range 1 receives a stress token, this ship receives a free Focus token" (just made this one up on the spot).



These sound like TIE Interceptors crossed with TIE fighters, and really that's the point. The Imperial playstyle (originally, anyway) was all about speed and manoeuvrability, while being numerous and daunting. Those two ships embody that playstyle, and I think the Drone TIE would fit in that spot nicely while still being fairly unique.

What do you guys think?

If I were to design a Tie/D expansion, I would focus on making it a swarm ship. Cheap, powerful in numbers, but individually weak.

I think this keyword below would make it play differently than other ships, capture the flavor of an automated droid ship, and also cut down on the time spent assigning and revealing maneuver dials for lots of ships, which drags down games with lots of ships and makes them less fun:

Automated:
Do not assign maneuver dials to ships with the automated keyword. During the planning phase, if you have at least 1 automated ship, secretly select a maneuver on your master maneuver dial and place it face-down anywhere in the play area.
During the activation phase, treat each of your automated ships as though it were assigned a maneuver dial showing the same maneuver as your master maneuver dial. When one of your automated ships is activated, if your master maneuver dial is not revealed, reveal it.
While your master dial shows a red maneuver, all your stressed automated ships instead execute a green forward 1 maneuver. Your unstressed automated ships execute the revealed maneuver.

The other problem with swarms is that the only rule that prevents a squad with more than 8 ships is that there are no ships costed at fewer than 12 points. Droid starfighters should be even cheaper, however. So that introduces a second keyword:

Limit 8 ships:
If you have 1 or more ships with "Limit 8 ships" in your squad, you cannot have more than 8 ships in your squad total, even if some of the ships in your squad do not have "Limit 8 ships".

I expect the automated keyword will need a lot of playtesting to iron out, so expect these numbers to be rough estimates. Don't think too much about the power level - that can always be adjusted by changing numbers. Think about whether or not it would be fun.

So here are some sample pilot cards:

XJ-1 Automated Starfighter
Tie/D
Attack dice: 2
Evade dice: 2
Hull: 4
Shields: 0
Pilot skill 0
Pilot ability: Automated. Limit 8 ships.
Actions: Focus
Upgrades: no icons (Modifications and titles accepted)
Point cost 9

Master maneuver dial: Pretty basic stuff here. I expect it to develop interesting features in playtesting.
Speed 1 : Turn, bank (green), forward (green)
Speed 2: Turn, bank (green), forward (green)
Speed 3: Turn, bank, forward (green)
Speed 4: Forward
Koigran Turn: Speed 3 (red), 4 (red)

Ace-6 Droid Brain
Tie/D
Attack dice 2, evade dice 2, hull 4, shields 0
Pilot skill 1
Pilot ability: Automated. Limit 8 ships. During the planning phase, you may assign yourself a maneuver dial. If you do, you ignore your master dial this round and skip your "perform action" step this round.
Actions: Focus
Upgrades: no icons
Point cost 10

Tie/d individual maneuver dial: I expect this to develop interesting differences from the master dial in playtesting.
Speed 1: turn
Speed 2: turn, bank, forward (green)
Speed 3: turn, bank, forward
Speed 4: forward
Koigran turn: 3 (red), 4 (red)

Missile-Equipped Droid
Tie/D
Attack dice 2, evade dice 2, hull 4, shields 0
Pilot skill 0
Pilot ability: Automated. Limit 8 ships. At the start of the combat phase, you may perform a free target lock action.
Actions: Focus, target lock (Note target lock added)
Upgrades: Missile
Point cost 10

Self-Destruct Droid
Tie/D
Attack dice 2, evade dice 2, hull 4, shields 0
Pilot skill 0
Pilot ability: Automated. Limit 8 ships. When you are destroyed, each enemy ship at range 1 suffers 1 damage.
Actions: Focus
Upgrades: no icons
Point cost 12

Ramming Droid
Tie/D
Attack dice, etc. all standard
Pilot skill 1
Pilot ability: Automated. Limit 8 ships. At the start of the combat phase, each enemy ship you are touching suffers 1 damage.
Actions: Focus
Upgrades: No icons
Point cost 11

Coordination Mainframe
Tie/D
Attack dice, etc. all standard
Pilot skill 2
Pilot ability: Automated. Limit 8 ships. Whenever another friendly ship at range 1 attacks, lower the defender's agility by 1 during that attack.
Actions: Focus
Upgrades: no icons
14 points

As I recall, the TIE Droid maneuvers something between a Squint and a Fighter. It would be interesting.

I still want a Clawcraft first though

EDIT: Why not do both, with the Droid being Imp release, and the CC being an S&V release

The thing is the designers have stated at one pt or another that 8 ships will be the max. Someone else also did the mathwing and the Academy Pilot is overcosted by 1, which I'm assuming is keep it at number. Could this change? Yea but I'd guess unlikely.

The funny this is and first let me declare *DISCLAIMER* I know this goes against everything in the movies/lore/facts/Common sense!!!!! but I like to envision that after Ep. IV Ties just became drones, with top pilots flying them remotely and the SDs being able to produce/repair a number of them. Before you grab your pitchforks I know I know... its just the only way I rationalize how they can do such wasteful ant swarm tactics, consider how quick a SD would burn through its 72 ties before pulling into "port" to rearm. Yes I know Ties are more expensive than pilots etc etc but that just because A is more expensive than B doesn't mean B cost doesn't matter. Just seems too over the top super cartoony evil to me. Then again I'm just trying use logic when many things about starfighters/fight in space don't make sense so what do I know.

The funny this is and first let me declare *DISCLAIMER* I know this goes against everything in the movies/lore/facts/Common sense!!!!! but I like to envision that after Ep. IV Ties just became drones, with top pilots flying them remotely and the SDs being able to produce/repair a number of them. Before you grab your pitchforks I know I know... its just the only way I rationalize how they can do such wasteful ant swarm tactics, consider how quick a SD would burn through its 72 ties before pulling into "port" to rearm. Yes I know Ties are more expensive than pilots etc etc but that just because A is more expensive than B doesn't mean B cost doesn't matter. Just seems too over the top super cartoony evil to me. Then again I'm just trying use logic when many things about starfighters/fight in space don't make sense so what do I know.

That would make sense in times of war. However, after Episode III, there is not really a war going on.

The Imperial Navy stops being contested after the Separatists are defeated and the Jedi exterminated. You could see that it becomes just an occupying force, or a policing force, where overwhelmingly most of its duties is about controlling trade and catching petty criminals like pirates or revolts.

The rebels are just a handful of terrorists with access to military grade weapons, but they are insignificant next to the size of the Imperial Navy, that in turn is insignificant next to the size of the Galaxy they need to keep order on.

It makes sense that they fill their star destroyers with tens of cheap, mass produced, shieldless TIE Fighters. Because most of the time, those TIE pilots won't see any combat action anyway. They will bully civilians, and no pirate or smuggler will stay to face the Empire. It's a little bit like Police in our world. You don't usually see them patrolling the streets in armored tanks, but in cheap aluminium cars.

Remember, the Empire doesn't keep peace by the use of their weapons, but by taking advantage of the fear to their weapons.

Most truck drivers don't have quad laser turrets on their trucks either. Maybe a shot gun and a baseball bat. And a hooker.

Not sure if this has been mentioned but. . . the FAQ states that no more then eight small ships or four large ships can be used within a standard game time.

This increases in Epic but even then there are limits.

The thing is the designers have stated at one pt or another that 8 ships will be the max.

Did they??

All I remember is they said that 12 points would be the minimum.

So kinda the same thing but it possibly allows for more than 8 if were able to, for eg 20points gives you two Tie/D

Not sure if this has been mentioned but. . . the FAQ states that no more then eight small ships or four large ships can be used within a standard game time.

This increases in Epic but even then there are limits.

Are you sure?? I know for epic you have a limit of 12 of each model.

I can't find anything for standard format games...