The FO pilots have mouse ears on their helmets

So according to the rules, you can paint whatever not-offensive thing you want on your little ships but I was wondering: What physical differences are there between the TIE/FO and the TIE/ln to prevent someone just painting one to look like the other?

Not that I'd really care, but I am genuinely curious what differences there are between the two models.

The main difference I see is the regular TIE Fighter has little bars on the sides of it's cockpit, while the FO has armor plates.

I'm not sure how you'd abuse it. The card will make it obvious which type of ship it is. If someone uses the old TIE model painted like a FO TIE, and gives it FO pilots, it's not mechanically any different than just having more FO ships in the first place.

It's not like you can use it to sneak more than 8 TIEs on the field or something.

Should also note the TIE/fo is one of 2 known TIEs(afaik) in the movie. The other is the Special Forces(TIE/sf?) that is the one shown everywhere since the trailer and that toy for the 6" figures at SDCC. The TIE/sf has the cogwheel/gear around the wing roots and has the red on the side of the ball. The TIE/sf is probably the 2-seater with the turret under the ball.

The special forces TIE also looks like it has larger engines. I have a couple from some packs of Micromachines, and when I did an above view comparison I noticed that the rear of the sphere had more chunky bits pointing out the back. I'll take a pic for reference, but it will have to wait until I get home.

One of my K-wings definitely looks like it flew thru a shitstorm.

Given how annoying they can be, particularly with Connor Nets, that is very apt.

Okay, here's the comparison pic between the Special Forces TIE and the standard TIE.

Okay, here's the comparison pic between the Special Forces TIE and the standard TIE.

What? Were did you get that TIE Special Forces?!?! Oh, Micromachines . Those things look poorly painted, don't they?

Can you take a picture of them close to the X-Wing Miniatures Game TIE Fighter, for size comparisons?

Okay, here's the comparison pic between the Special Forces TIE and the standard TIE.

Well yeah, those engines are pretty big. But room had to be made to accommodate the extra crew member / gunner.

Okay, here's the comparison pic between the Special Forces TIE and the standard TIE.

Well yeah, those engines are pretty big. But room had to be made to accommodate the extra crew member / gunner.

Those aren't engines, those are smaller versions of the round 'reactor' with he actual engines next to them. So Spec Forces TIE has four engines but twin reactors that presumedly have individual lower power output than the standard TIE and /fo.

And the hexagonal 'window' on the rear of the TIE is suspiciously similar to the hexagonal opening in the ordanance pod on the Bomber. I suspect it's actually a type of universal docking device that allows for modular attachments like extended tails and such.

The engines are oriented vertically instead of horizontally.

Get ready. I'm a 40-year old Star Wars fan who remembers the roar of the Falcon in the theater in 1977. Plus I'm an engineer, and spent my youth geeking out to the blueprint drawings and callouts on my GIJoe toy inserts. Even spent most of high school inventing and drawing an entire sci-fi universe of ships and characters for my own comic series.

But...

Gulp.

I'm going to embarrass myself and ask this in public...

Because I truly have never known the answer...

Um...

Where exactly are the engines on a TIE fighter?

I'm a soon to be 40 year old SW diehard from before I can remember (literally) and became obsessed with studying the models of the ships and vehicles, and especially TIEs. The differences were really noticeable to me (I've built a few models). It is easy to miss those engines though if they were never pointed out for you.

Oh and I was also a big fan of Dr. Saxton's commentaries, though his Endor Holocaust is highly suspect (he omits any mentions of the planetary scale shields on the moon that would still be active after the smaller Death Star Sheild was destroyed). I started questioning WEG stats and counted gun barrels on the Escort frigate and found a new appreciation for the geniuses at ILM who brought that Galaxy to life.

Okay, here's the comparison pic between the Special Forces TIE and the standard TIE.

Can you take a picture of them close to the X-Wing Miniatures Game TIE Fighter, for size comparisons?

Yes, I can when I get home. I can tell you the size difference is noticeable.

Those aren't engines, those are smaller versions of the round 'reactor' with he actual engines next to them. So Spec Forces TIE has four engines but twin reactors that presumedly have individual lower power output than the standard TIE and /fo.

And the hexagonal 'window' on the rear of the TIE is suspiciously similar to the hexagonal opening in the ordanance pod on the Bomber. I suspect it's actually a type of universal docking device that allows for modular attachments like extended tails and such.

So TIE stands for Twin Ion Engine, right? If the special forces "TIE" has four engines, would that make a FIE? Or a double-TIE?

It makes it a four in hand TIE.

What? Were did you get that TIE Special Forces?!?! Oh, Micromachines . Those things look poorly painted, don't they?

Can you take a picture of them close to the X-Wing Miniatures Game TIE Fighter, for size comparisons?

What? Were did you get that TIE Special Forces?!?! Oh, Micromachines . Those things look poorly painted, don't they?

Can you take a picture of them close to the X-Wing Miniatures Game TIE Fighter, for size comparisons?

I do know a place where you can get an Special Forces TIE.... with the same scale a the X-Wig Miniatures ones...

Maybe it is finally time for me to jump on the bandwagon.

What? Were did you get that TIE Special Forces?!?! Oh, Micromachines . Those things look poorly painted, don't they?

Can you take a picture of them close to the X-Wing Miniatures Game TIE Fighter, for size comparisons?

I do know a place where you can get an Special Forces TIE.... with the same scale a the X-Wig Miniatures ones...

Your miniatures are terrific! Good to know there is already a TIE Special Forces there.

I know you make the cards, but I also do know a place where one can get custom cards.

Even if you re-paint, what good will it do without a dial?

What? Were did you get that TIE Special Forces?!?! Oh, Micromachines . Those things look poorly painted, don't they?

Can you take a picture of them close to the X-Wing Miniatures Game TIE Fighter, for size comparisons?

I do know a place where you can get an Special Forces TIE.... with the same scale a the X-Wig Miniatures ones...

Maybe it is finally time for me to jump on the bandwagon.

The /fo looks way better.

Lies!

The /fo looks like a toy - the changes to the 'greebles' really diminished it's sense of scale, no wear or use on it at all, all shiny and...plasticy.

Bleh.

TIE/ln 4LIF!

Agreed, not buying into the whole Apple I-Fighter thing.

Hah, yeah, that's exactly what it reminds me of.

It's a TIE iFighter!

What? Were did you get that TIE Special Forces?!?! Oh, Micromachines . Those things look poorly painted, don't they?

Can you take a picture of them close to the X-Wing Miniatures Game TIE Fighter, for size comparisons?

I do know a place where you can get an Special Forces TIE.... with the same scale a the X-Wig Miniatures ones...

Maybe it is finally time for me to jump on the bandwagon.

I like how your store is basically a bunch of biplanes, a few howcer cars, and...one three sail mast.

I've actually sold one of those, believe it or not.

Those aren't engines, those are smaller versions of the round 'reactor' with he actual engines next to them. So Spec Forces TIE has four engines but twin reactors that presumedly have individual lower power output than the standard TIE and /fo.

And the hexagonal 'window' on the rear of the TIE is suspiciously similar to the hexagonal opening in the ordanance pod on the Bomber. I suspect it's actually a type of universal docking device that allows for modular attachments like extended tails and such.

So TIE stands for Twin Ion Engine, right? If the special forces "TIE" has four engines, would that make a FIE? Or a double-TIE?

Wait! Really? All these years I thought TIE stood for Bow TIE. Because you know Bow Ties are cool right?

You do know that's a joke right?

The FO is a little bit smaller, especially the wings.

The engines are positioned a little differently (so I am told)

The guns are a bit more pronounced

The greebles are different

The texture on the wings is different (the regular TIE has a pattern of lines on the panels, the FO has sort of a cross hatch grid)

Nice!

I didn't know it was a new model, good to know.

Though Im still going to repaint the silly white panels.

It makes it a four in hand TIE.

Oh, that's GOOD.

The First Order has definitely adopted the discipline of keeping their ships clean and polished.

It must be a canon requirement to FFG, because it's not like they don't like to bath their minis in a "grime" wash. One of my K-wings definitely looks like it flew thru a shitstorm.

Maybe it actually flew through all the posts commenting on the K-Wing's look