Tie Avenger as the Imperial Starviper

By Rakaydos, in X-Wing

The starviper has an interesting niche, not quite jouster, not quite arcdodger, but combined with it's elite pilots makes it a suprisingly durable and effective fighter. It has it's flaws, but most of that can be sourced to how half the ship's upgrades were shifted to a Unique Title that generics couldnt take.

The Tie Avenger, meanwhile, is supposed to be an intermediate step between the Tie Advanced X1 and the Tie Defender X7. Though it is supposed to match the Intercepter in maneuverability (with shields, too) simply taking away the Intercepter's green 2 hards would make Push the Limit much less viable, pushing it toward the same Elite Fighter role as the Starviper.

Giving it an Advance's defensive stats (3 agility, 3 hull, 2 shields), an intercepter's 3 attack, and a System Slot (but no ATC), with a dial with a lot of white but very little green, and a PS4 EPT Generic, and I feel the Tie Advance would have a viable role in the Xwing Minis game.

While your idea is certainly interesting, I'm going to go with "no".

The Starviper is in this grey area where it's neither a fighter nor an interceptor. It's a mistake they'll make sure not to repeat again, and a ship that tries to do two different things at once (badly).

GUNBOAT!

The starvipers sin was it costs too much as a generic and you can ignore one of the aces abilities by shooting him last.

It's not a bad ship it's just not the best choice when brobots are an option.

I think a tie avenger as described by raka would be interesting priced properly and would not invalidate the advanced or interceptor.

Hypothetically...

Lets say the Avenger had the Starviper's exact dial, EPT, Sensor, and a missile.

I see a few big builds:

Advanced Sensor/TIE MK2, spaming sloops and banks and generally pretending to be IG88.

Sensor Jammer/Autothrusters/Predator as a TLT hunter

FCS/Autothrusters with Cluster Mssiles

It'll probably be too expensive to be worth using Enhanced Scopes to be a blocker, and Accuracy Corrcters arnt really worth it on 3 red dice.

Seriously doubt any Rebel or Imp ship will have the SV's dial - FFG seems to have the idea that scum need to be maneuverable a low speeds (almost full set of 1s) while Rebel/Imps are maneuverable at high speeds (almost full set of 3s). This is aside from the Z-95 and Y-Wing of course.

The SV's main problem is that the pilots don't really show what the ship can do - the non-uniques are generally poor for points, both nameds are dangerous vs low to mid-PS but not so good vs high PS without tuning (My meta is filled with high PS). The SV could really use some new high PS pilots - it's interesting but just hard to play in my current meta.

This sounds suspiciously like what I expect the TAP to play like, though. 2 attack and 2 hull, but likely cheaper than an Avenger would be.

**** bro how many TIE Advanced models do we need in this game?

I'd say no for an Avenger every single day. Just ugly af!

Edit. But then again Gunboat is also so no real winner here. :(

Edited by Varred

The starviper has an interesting niche, not quite jouster, not quite arcdodger, but combined with it's elite pilots makes it a suprisingly durable and effective fighter. It has it's flaws, but most of that can be sourced to how half the ship's upgrades were shifted to a Unique Title that generics couldnt take.

The Tie Avenger, meanwhile, is supposed to be an intermediate step between the Tie Advanced X1 and the Tie Defender X7. Though it is supposed to match the Intercepter in maneuverability (with shields, too) simply taking away the Intercepter's green 2 hards would make Push the Limit much less viable, pushing it toward the same Elite Fighter role as the Starviper.

Giving it an Advance's defensive stats (3 agility, 3 hull, 2 shields), an intercepter's 3 attack, and a System Slot (but no ATC), with a dial with a lot of white but very little green, and a PS4 EPT Generic, and I feel the Tie Advance would have a viable role in the Xwing Minis game.

Will it have PS9?

Nope. Quota for 2 9's for a faction reached.

???

Nobody'll use the fellow :C

**** bro how many TIE Advanced models do we need in this game?

All of em! There's X1 through X7 and now at least a V1.

TIE Avenger should be in at some point for nostalgia...

However other Imperial GUNBOAT! ships should be in first.

The starvipers sin was it costs too much as a generic and you can ignore one of the aces abilities by shooting him last

If your opponent leaves your late game ship for last because xizors ability makes him too unattractive a target, you've effectively got a far better reverse-biggs ability

Edited by ficklegreendice

I'm down. Gunboat ≈ Y-Wing so Avenger ≈ StarViper is pretty solid for me. I want it to punch, I want it to dodge, and I want it to be appropriately shielded. I think the Viper is a great point of reference, especially with the valuable Sloops.

On your other point though, I disagree; Accuracy Corrector is awesome on 3ATK ships. Especially if that ship can Sloop, Barrel Roll, and Boost. AccC and Thrusters are all I want to staple to the PS1 Viper, please please please let me do that to the generic Avenger.