So I was thinking about Imperial fleet makeup tonight after looking at some US Air Force OOBs, and started wondering, "Where does the Tie Punisher call home?"

Does it reside with ISDs? Planetary bases? Some other ship with collosal hangars?

Any ideas or references?

Thank you!

One would assume Star Destroyers as its primary deployment spot.

Planetary wouldn't be too useful as it doesn't have a hyperdrive.

It's a more specialized craft, so it most likely is ferried around systems by an escort carrier as it is held in reserve. After it is delivered to where it will see action, it is transferred to a combat ship like a destroyer.

Hence, are we thinking it would be attached as needed rather than a regular squadron on an ISD? That makes sense!

Wookiepedia says they have no hyperdrive, but they're intended to venture where Star Destroyers can't. If that's true, it seems like a questionable design decision. I guess they might be based on either escort carrier type ships that are smaller and could support them in areas Star Destroyers were denied, or they're a sec on Star Destroyers, but have tender ships or something to help them make long sublight journeys to their targets. A ship that big with that role really ought to have had a hyperdrive, though. They could have been based on asteroids or planets then.

In my fleet, it would be assigned to the ace squadron leaders of TIE Bomber squadrons.

Seems to me that "where Star Destroyers can't" would likely involve surgical strikes on planetary targets. Sure, your Star Destroyer could bombard from orbit, but there's not going to be a whole lot left. Couldn't TIE bombers fit that role? Perhaps, but the advanced systems of the TIE punisher would allow for more accurate barrages.

This would be a likely candidate for when you need a quick strike force.

Jump in, drop a few Punishers and escort TIE Fighters, wait for fireworks.