True...ish..?

But not at all cost effective for fuel/power.

But not at all cost effective for fuel/power.

The Empire cares not for cost!

The TIE series of fighters throws that argument out of the window. No hyperdrive, no life support, average firepower, superior agility, single occupant crew and relatively easy storage.

There is not a more efficient and effective starfighter in the entire galaxy so long as your pilot's lives are as disposable as the craft they fly.

That is The Empire's greatest strength and their greatest weakness alike.

Yeah at least in canon the equip your fleet with swarms of cheap fighters when your enemies have fewer but better fighters has been tried and discredited half a dozen or more times before the Empire was established like it was in Legends.

The TIE series of fighters throws that argument out of the window. No hyperdrive, no life support, average firepower, superior agility, single occupant crew and relatively easy storage.

But the exact same organization also builds TIE Defenders. The most expensive starfighter in the galaxy.

The Empire has so many resources, they can afford to make limitless amounts of cheap **** AND high-performance expensive ships.

Stardestroyers can operate in atmo they could be deployed then, what proof is there they are space worthy?

Wiki page claims that those police gunships derive directly from LAAT, and those happened to be space-worthy, right?

It could be nice to have it in the game, but I think it would serve no real purpose with Lambda already present. It lacks the "B-25 guns-in-all-directions" use of LAAT in combat, so it wouldn't be that useful... I could see it have auxiliary arcs like those of Hound's Tooth and one rear, with two red dice base (2 laser cannons in those mandible turrets) and a rule akin to "may shoot with rear arc at -1 red die" for the rear single laser cannon. And fewer hitpoints.

So... a faster, skinnier palpamobile better at maneuvering and running away from threats than a Lambda but without cannon slots? Sounds useless but, hey, I'm all up for diversity of choices in the game, even if it gathers dust on my shelf like A-Wings and TIE Defender!

It could be nice to have it in the game, but I think it would serve no real purpose with Lambda already present.

It could definitely serve a purpose if the game ever adds mechanics for boarding actions. As the Lambda isn't really for carrying Stormtroopers around.

Stardestroyers can operate in atmo they could be deployed then, what proof is there they are space worthy?

Wiki page claims that those police gunships derive directly from LAAT, and those happened to be space-worthy, right?

It could be nice to have it in the game, but I think it would serve no real purpose with Lambda already present. It lacks the "B-25 guns-in-all-directions" use of LAAT in combat, so it wouldn't be that useful... I could see it have auxiliary arcs like those of Hound's Tooth and one rear, with two red dice base (2 laser cannons in those mandible turrets) and a rule akin to "may shoot with rear arc at -1 red die" for the rear single laser cannon. And fewer hitpoints.

So... a faster, skinnier palpamobile better at maneuvering and running away from threats than a Lambda but without cannon slots? Sounds useless but, hey, I'm all up for diversity of choices in the game, even if it gathers dust on my shelf like A-Wings and TIE Defender!

But wikki's can be wrong they are useful for quick reference but should not be used a primary source.

Until we see it in an official tech manual or actually flying in space you simply can't say it's space worthy.

Larties could serve as drop ships; I don't know if they had sufficient thrust to return to orbit. Inter-orbital (intra-orbital? Hm.) flight isn't quite the same thing as spaceflight. Don't mean to be a semanticist, but remember the Old Republic Mandalorians used to drop from orbit into battle on the back of Basilisk war droids - according to Canderous Ordo, anyway - and while it might get you down to the ground from orbit, I don't think anyone would confuse it with a space-worthy craft.

It's not a TIE Avenger.

Absolutely disgusting.

Larties could serve as drop ships; I don't know if they had sufficient thrust to return to orbit. Inter-orbital (intra-orbital? Hm.) flight isn't quite the same thing as spaceflight.

I don't think something like, say, escape velocity is a thing in Star Wars. Anti-gravity tech kind of eliminates the need for it.

What we know from the films and the canon shows is that smaller walkers have repulsor craft that ferry them into combat situations, as seen with the AT-TEs and their LAAT dropship variant and the Gozanti tranporting two AT-DP walkers per drop. The SPHA walkers were deployed directly from Acclamaitor ships and represent heavy walkers/siege vehicles. We know Acclaimators and Gozantis are 'spaceworthy' and the LAAT troop transport can be deployed from orbit, so the AT-TE drop ship might be able to deploy from orbit as well.

AT-STs probably could fit under Gozanti ships just like the AT-DP. AT-ATs being larger walkers might be deployed from large dedicated ships like the Acclaimators or a variant, especially in fleets like the Death Squadron, with the smaller capital ships being carried by Executor-class or similar command ships.

Various video games throughout the years have depicted box-like drop ships that completely encapsulate AT-AT walkers, usually one at a time but there may exist variant drop ships that can ferry two or more heavy walkers. These have been depicted as delivering the walkers directly to the battlefield and sometimes under fire. These vehicles have never been depicted in any canon sources save Star Wars Commander where they are used to transport a multitude of walkers and other vehicles to transport ships ranging from Lambda and Sentinel transports to Gozanti class, indicating that the depiction of the ships and vehicles may be simply game mechanics and not meant to be 100% accurate representations of actual deployment or transport of these vehicles.

In my opinion it is likely that AT-ATs are deployed from dedicated large landing ships akin to the SPHA walkers at Geonosis, or are deployed from orbit by 'minimal' dropships such as the LAAT variant or engine pods that are jettisoned on touchdown (AT-ATs are covered in protrusions and grooves that resemble attachment points for clamps that may allow multiple modes of deployment). It is also my opinion that Imperial-class Star Destroyers do not normally carry heavy walkers such as AT-ATs despite noncanon depictions of such. The only film depiction of AT-ATs being deployed showed them landing well outside any combat zone and marching to their destination once through a theater shield, with the General commanding the force having departed from the Executor.

This leads me to believe that the entire force of walkers at Hoth came from the Executor and landed in a large dedicated drop ship (or multiple large ships) that were docked in the Executor's massive landing bays instead of single use drop ships or ships that could carry only one or two walkers at a time. The docking facilities of an ISD are just too small to handle deployment of heavy walkers for planetary invasions on a regular basis. Perhaps dedicated carriers such as Acclimators or even Gladiators (or variants of those classes) act as carriers for fleets while ISDs have a role of escorting larger ships in formation, picket duty/blockading with minimal starfighter carrying capacity, and pursuit. (72 TIEs aren't that many if one Lucrehulk can carry hundreds of Starfighters, including X-wings in legends).

Back on topic, I think the Transports in question are likely able to operate in orbit or interplanetary space and might be able to achieve orbit from a planet's surface (it still takes a lot of delta v to get into orbit, and slowly ascending with repulsor engines might not be able to do it, especially on a craft that might have limited fuel). I think their main mode of operation is to remain at low altitude, and if deployed from ISDs they might only used during atmospheric flight. There's not enough evidence either way, but I can easily see these ships being used to shuttle Stormtroopers between ships in a fleet.

It's main role is obviously patrol of controlled territory and police actions, but it's design could easily lend itself to other roles such as basic transport of personnel, and there might be variants that are not as well armed for such a role, similar to the situation with he TIE Shuttle, Boarding Craft and Bomber, all with basically the same fuselage design but very different roles.

Oh and remember, though we saw the Lambda used as a VIP shuttle we saw a Star Destroyer Captain use a TIE Shuttle in a battlefield/potentially hazardous scene. The Lambda might have been able to ferry Cpt Needa easily, (assuming there was one aboard the Avenger) but protocol may have dictated his choice of transport.

Back on topic, I think the Transports in question are likely able to operate in orbit or interplanetary space and might be able to achieve orbit from a planet's surface (it still takes a lot of delta v to get into orbit, and slowly ascending with repulsor engines might not be able to do it, especially on a craft that might have limited fuel). I think their main mode of operation is to remain at low altitude, and if deployed from ISDs they might only used during atmospheric flight. There's not enough evidence either way, but I can easily see these ships being used to shuttle Stormtroopers between ships in a fleet.

It's main role is obviously patrol of controlled territory and police actions, but it's design could easily lend itself to other roles such as basic transport of personnel, and there might be variants that are not as well armed for such a role, similar to the situation with he TIE Shuttle, Boarding Craft and Bomber, all with basically the same fuselage design but very different roles.

Oh and remember, though we saw the Lambda used as a VIP shuttle we saw a Star Destroyer Captain use a TIE Shuttle in a battlefield/potentially hazardous scene. The Lambda might have been able to ferry Cpt Needa easily, (assuming there was one aboard the Avenger) but protocol may have dictated his choice of transport.

Had not thought of that. That's a good protocol to have when a fleet is deployed as in ESB.

Especially when the captain of the enemy ship is well informed about when imperial ships drop garbage. Who knows what fiendish imperial secrets Captain Solo knows, like the officers' laundry schedule!

J/k, it is a good point that it's likely a security measure. Otherwise I'm sure George would have slapped a CGI Lambda over that TIE.

Honestly, at this point I'm straight up annoyed by canon sources seeming to intentionally avoid the issue of how AT-ATs land at this point.

This weeks Rebels had the perfect opportunity to show it. 3 AT-ATs, deployed from a Star Destroyer. We don't see them till they're walking over the horizon.

The SPHA walkers were deployed directly from Acclamaitor ships and represent heavy walkers/siege vehicles.

Holy ****, I never realized the SPHA was a walker before. I thought it was a hover tank.

The SPHA walkers were deployed directly from Acclamaitor ships and represent heavy walkers/siege vehicles.

Holy ****, I never realized the SPHA was a walker before. I thought it was a hover tank.

Pfft got that beat I didn't even know they existed.

So there!