Recently got into Xwing after unsettingly finding out nobody plays Armada, and i purchased the original starter box, Tie Adv, Tie Inquis, Tie Bomber, Tie Punisher, Ghost, Tie Interceptor, and of course the Tie Defender...which is the main one i dont get.

What the heck is the point of this thing? The stats are fine and i can give it some good cards, even though i dont have any rebel/scum stuff so i lack the ridiculously abusive turret upgrades, but hes just....insanely expensive for what he does. Obviously since ive been playing for a week or so with 1-3 games pretty much every day (lot of downtime atm) i dont know all the cards or where theyre from but from what ive seen i dont even know of any cards that make him worth those points.

He's rivaling or more than the Punisher kitted out with a ton of ordnances, and doesnt do jack in comparison. Punisher ive taken a liking to the duo-targetlock variant and munitions for multiple homing missiles/mine field goodness, and unless i misjudge my distance he usually does a ton of damage. Defender? Jack squat. Dont get me wrong the pilot skill to flip all facedown damage cards dealt is nasty but ive used him in 6 games and have yet to actually get to use that ability (either 1shot the target or only did 1 damage and it was already faceup).

What is this ship good for? He came with the Ion Cannon card and hes the only ship i have that can even use it but since its not a turret i dont see any reason to use it over the main gun.

And yes i know theres suppose to be new cards for him in a near-future release.

And yes i know theres suppose to be new cards for him in a near-future release.

You answered your own question. Vessery sees occasional use, but for the most part the defender is simply overpriced for what you get. Veterans fixes this and brings thrm back into usefulness

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/12/14/rule-the-skies/

Read that article for some of the new cards coming to help them. Also the Ion Cannon is a control option so that you can force an enemy ship to go where you want more or less.

Well, those new cards coming in the not so different future are going to make all the difference. It seems you've come to the same conclusions that everyone else has regarding the defender. It's overpriced in its current form, and only a few people have gotten any good use out of them. Most people prefer the pilot skill 6 ace's ability over Rexler.

It's a TIE that can take a hit. Vessery is pretty nasty with the right support.

It's okay if you don't feel the ship. It isn't for everyone.

Where are you at that Armada isn't big?

in terms of defense i wouldnt even say it can take a hit.

3hull 3shield for **** near 3x the price of your typical TIE (more like 2.5x) and its a single target so potential heavy hits or ionspam can disable it while 2-3 regular TIEs wouldnt and would also have more dice. Ive had it die pretty **** fast.

The two title cards coming up do look juicy, guess im just sour that neither the ship or the cards i got were worth the buy right now.

edit: i live in lincoln, nebraska. Theres like 3 of us that even own armada because everyone just sold their crap or moved away. Saddening, because i actually prefer that game and not just because im more of a capitol ship fan than swarms of fighters fan. Has its own problems but they arent as glaring as xwing to me.

Brath + Lone wolf + heavy laser cannon + tie mk2 engines. Trust me.

Vessery is the pilot you are looking for.

It's a byproduct from a previous era, when FFG was overcautious when introducing new abilities for the game, which often resulted in grossly overcosted or practically useless ships/upgrades.

Until its new cards arrive it's only a niche ship. More or less like a vintage car... You won't win any race on it, it's impractical to use it in-town, you pay extra insurance for it... But some people feel special, different (and better) for driving it.

FFG thought the White K-turn was worth an extra 5 points.

On the rebel side, though, the E-wing is just as overpriced as the Defender.

Double TIE Defenders are a reasonably strong build and my most played squad but it's probably a B+ rating at best. The ship itself is a bit too expensive for what you get, but it does fill a role that Imperials otherwise don't really have, and are even pretty unique across all factions: high attack, with reasonably high HP behind 3 agility, and all on a small base. The dial takes some getting used to but Mk II engine helps a lot and the white K-turn allows you to even frustrate high PS aces who can't keep up with your repeated k-turns due to their stress management.

Colonel Vessery is especially notable and has good synergy with ships like Darth Vader and Omega Leader who can grab target locks at high PS and then not spend them while attacking.

IG-2000s stole a lot of the double TIE Defenders' thunder but we do have more cards on the way that should change the TIE Defender's combat profile for the better, though it diverges from the HLC platform concept.

And yes i know theres suppose to be new cards for him in a near-future release.

You answered your own question. Vessery sees occasional use, but for the most part the defender is simply overpriced for what you get. Veterans fixes this and brings thrm back into usefulness

Nothing will change except we'll see a little more vessery and some generics. Imperial vets is a dud.

Way too early to say that. Vessery has the support now to be very nasty. And after Veterans drop, ooh boy.

Plus, Gamma Veterans are kind of nice. Plus unlimited Crackshot Bomber is going to be nasty.

Brath + Lone wolf + heavy laser cannon + tie mk2 engines. Trust me.

You could get Gunner + Darth on a Decimator for 1 more point.

Imperial Veterans will make them playable, not sure about competitive.

Imperial Vets Expansion help the Defender out a lot. I recently played a game with both Brath and Vessery with Ruthlessness. I was using proxy cards that are in the Imp vets expansion. They had an Ion Cannon and a Tractor Beam between them. I played against a Palp/Aces list, The person I played against had Fel Close to Vader. They both shot and I took damage from these beasts of the Empire. But what happened next surprised me, Brath Shot at vader with the TB, scored a hit, moved him to Range 1 of Fel, so used Ruthlessness to do 1 damage to Fel. Due to TIE/D Title, I shot with Brath's primary weapon and did 2 damage to vader, and used ruthlessness to do another damage to fel. Then it was Vessery's turn. You can see where I am going here.

Long story short, I killed Vader and without even targeting him, I killed Fel. One of the dodgeyest guys in the game went down to probably bad placement on my opponents behalf, but also new use of the Defenders abilities. The Defender is back and some decent combos will see it a beast in the game.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/12/14/rule-the-skies/

Read that article for some of the new cards coming to help them. Also the Ion Cannon is a control option so that you can force an enemy ship to go where you want more or less.

Do we know anything about this diamonds? When they come?

They say first quarter of 2016.. But in a preview picture the label showed a nice "Q2" which means probably summer.

It's good for boom and zoom fun and punching your opponent in the face before blowing up gloriously. It's a fine ship with a rough learning curve but about to become one of the best ships in the game.

Some months ago when everyone was playing the BBBBZ I countered them using Rexler and three Ties.

It was great.. Exploding one B-Wing each turn.

The problem is that with the wrong approach to the game, it could go boom in a couple of turns.

Unforgiving list.. Sigh.

I also remember an endgame of my Rexler against Fel, and I didn't have Twin Ion Engine Mk II yet. What a nightmare, removing stress by only going straight against that beast.

And yes i know theres suppose to be new cards for him in a near-future release.

You answered your own question. Vessery sees occasional use, but for the most part the defender is simply overpriced for what you get. Veterans fixes this and brings thrm back into usefulness

Nothing will change except we'll see a little more vessery and some generics. Imperial vets is a dud.

Lol.

If you don't think that people will be crying about falling skies once they get Defendered to death, you are deluding yourself.

What is this ship good for? He came with the Ion Cannon card and hes the only ship i have that can even use it but since its not a turret i dont see any reason to use it over the main gun.

It will be excellent purchase when Imperial Veterans are finally released.

I am already playing using future titles and TIE/x7 works like a dream. So far my PS1 Defender with TIE/x7 and nothing else shot down Han, Dash, Bobba (all almost on his own) and recently helped killing Dengar.

Very, very dangerous fighter if used properly.

TIE/D title which is designed so you can use cheap cannons (includng the Ion Cannon in TIE Defender set). So far I find it difficult to use because enemies tend to shoot at it first whenever they get a chance. When it shoots however it can cause incredible damage. I'll see how the Tractor Beam cannon works though - could help with surviving as well as causing damage.

Overall you are right. Right now the fighter is way too expensive for what it does, but the day is coming, coming soon and you might want to try using two.

And yes i know theres suppose to be new cards for him in a near-future release.

You answered your own question. Vessery sees occasional use, but for the most part the defender is simply overpriced for what you get. Veterans fixes this and brings thrm back into usefulness

Nothing will change except we'll see a little more vessery and some generics. Imperial vets is a dud.

Hmm, it depends how people are playing in your area.

I'd say this and it can be quoted for a record - PS1 TIE Defender with TIE/x7 will be one of the most dangerous small base models in the game, including ace pilots.

PS1, for 28-29 points.

Hmm, it depends how people are playing in your area.

I'd say this and it can be quoted for a record - PS1 TIE Defender with TIE/x7 will be one of the most dangerous small base models in the game, including ace pilots.

PS1, for 28-29 points.

True. Even the current Delta is dangerous if facing a single, turretless ships. My naked Deltas have soloed Wedge, Keyan and Corran several times already, and the free evade will make getting to that endgame all the more likely.

Though personally, this is going to be the list I bring to the first tournament after Veterans hit:

Colonel Vessery

- x7

- Crack Shot

Glaive Squadron Pilot

- x7

- Crack Shot

Glaive Squadron Pilot

- x7

- Crack Shot

The PS might be middling, but they'll still arc dodge generics, give Brobots pause, take a ton of punishment, and with Crack/TL/focus Vessery should be able to hit even Fel.

It's the joyous lovechild of a B-wing and a TIE advanced.

But yeah, it's been a little weak since its release. It's not bad but it's not got as much bang for buck as the Empire's other options.

Imperial Veterans turns it into either a Y-wing style double tapper or closes its upgrade slots to give you free evades and a discount. It gets a serious offensive/control buff or a serious defensive boost.