Anyone remember those really interesting (and completely useless competitively speaking) mid tier Tie {insert ship here} pilots? Heres a few in case you forgot.

6 -“Backstabber” - 16 pts

TIE Fighter, Unique

When attacking at Range 2-3, you may spend 1 evade token to add one result to you roll.

5- Lieutenant Lorrir - 23pts

TIE Interceptor, Unique

When performing a barrel roll action, you may receive 1 stress token to use the 1 or template instead of the 1 template.

The list goes on.......

I personally have never seen Kir Kanos or Lorrir used, but I have seen Dark Curse and Backstabber a few times before Wampa came on the scene. Would there be a non game breaking way to revive these ships and bring them into the current meta with one or two upgrade cards? Alot of mid tier unique pilots beyond just these don't see the light of day which is sad.
Maybe something like
Title: TIE only (similar to Twin Ion Engine)
"You may only equip this card on a unique pilot"

"Your upgrade bar gains [Elite Pilot Talent] if it does not already have one"

Thoughts?

I personally would like to try Lorrir with Wired, or Backstabber with Outmaneuver.

I've found that Backstabber and Dark Curse make good filler pilots, Dark Curse especially, he can be surprisingly annoying. Kir Kanos, never seen him in play, I have seen a couple guys use Lorrir for fun, but his effectiveness isn't amazing...fun ability, shame about the stress.

Ummm. I play Dark Curse with a stealth device a lot.

Night beast is my favorite and he see's plenty of play from me. Dark curse and backstabber are still excellent options.

Kir Kanos could definitely use an EPT. Maybe a mod for TIE only, PS5 or higher (dont want to give Wampa and EPT), unique only, to add an EPT if you dont have one already. Although that would give Deathrain and Redline an EPT

Backstabber and Dark Curse are both excellent, provided you have the lists that need that wee spot of filler. Many imperial lists are running in the 30-somethings, which means there just isn't the space, but the pilots themselves are plenty respectable.

Kir Kanos needed an EPT. Then he'd have been a pretty scary offensively-minded blaster ship.

Lt Lorrir... has a repositional ability at middling PS. If it didn't stress him to do it, you might've had fun with a turn-on-a-dime interceptor as a low-ps predator, but as is, alas...

Fel's Wrath falls into the same territory of 'awful', it's just more obvious. An EPT and a Tel Trevua or reverse-biggs ("When at range 1, the enemy must attack you" or something) would've been thematically appropriate and actually have a point.

So: The PS6+ TIEs are all pretty usable, in the right lists; they're just not the popular ones at the moment. The mid-PS Interceptors... were rubbish on release. That about sum it up?

Anyone remember those really interesting (and completely useless competitively speaking) mid tier Tie {insert ship here} pilots? Heres a few in case you forgot.

6 -“Backstabber” - 16 pts

TIE Fighter, Unique

When attacking from outside the defender's firing arc, roll 1 additional attack die.

6 - “Dark Curse” -16 pts

TIE Fighter, Unique

When defending, ships attacking you cannot spend focus tokens or reroll attack dice.

6 - Kir Kanos - 24 pts

TIE Interceptor, Unique

When attacking at Range 2-3, you may spend 1 evade token to add one result to you roll.

5- Lieutenant Lorrir - 23pts

TIE Interceptor, Unique

When performing a barrel roll action, you may receive 1 stress token to use the 1 or template instead of the 1 template.

The list goes on.......

I personally have never seen Kir Kanos or Lorrir used, but I have seen Dark Curse and Backstabber a few times before Wampa came on the scene. Would there be a non game breaking way to revive these ships and bring them into the current meta with one or two upgrade cards? Alot of mid tier unique pilots beyond just these don't see the light of day which is sad.

Maybe something like

Title: TIE only (similar to Twin Ion Engine)

"You may only equip this card on a unique pilot"

"Your upgrade bar gains [Elite Pilot Talent] if it does not already have one"

Thoughts?

I personally would like to try Lorrir with Wired, or Backstabber with Outmaneuver.

Remember them? They are my staple. How can you fly Vader without his wingmen?

We ran a furball for Father's day where pilots had to be 25pts max and total cost with upgrades couldn't go over 33pts. It brought out pilots you don't usually see.

I ran a Ruthlessness Alozen with X1/ATC, guidance chips, and prockets and he was surprisingly effective. I'd keep him with just the title and ATC at a lean 26 pts for normal games, but he makes a really decent brawler.

N'Dru was murderous for his points though, especially as lone wolf wasn't ruled out. I had fun with Palob too, as I usually do.

The different format forces you to be creative and find new mid-term pilots, I liked it.

I can't speak to competitive, but once you decide to not enter the race to the highest Pilot Skill a whole new world opens up. Just look at Scum, all they've ever had before Waves 8 and 9 were a bunch of 5-7's and somehow they've made it work.

I love the Lt., but the stress is killer. And the lack of ept.

You're better off with a royal guard tie that has one more pilot skill, and costs a point less.

I can't speak to competitive, but once you decide to not enter the race to the highest Pilot Skill a whole new world opens up. Just look at Scum, all they've ever had before Waves 8 and 9 were a bunch of 5-7's and somehow they've made it work.

... in a handful of very specific builds that either favored a ship that had precisely one PS, or a bunch of generics.

Even Xizor with a Z-swarm... well, he really wishes he were higher, he just didn't have a choice.

I can't speak to competitive, but once you decide to not enter the race to the highest Pilot Skill a whole new world opens up. Just look at Scum, all they've ever had before Waves 8 and 9 were a bunch of 5-7's and somehow they've made it work.

... in a handful of very specific builds that either favored a ship that had precisely one PS, or a bunch of generics.

Even Xizor with a Z-swarm... well, he really wishes he were higher, he just didn't have a choice.

Xizor is probably the least used of the ones I'm thinking of. You have the IGs, Palob, Guri, Kavil, N'dru - all some of the most used named Scum pilots.

All I'm saying is that using a mid-PS pilot should not be seen as handicapping yourself. Just don't expect Kir Kanos to be Soontir Fel.

This is cute, those are the good ones. The B team pilots, the ones that are almost good.

What about:

Col. Jendon

Alozen

Z Storm

Winged gundark

Night beast

Fel's wrath

Kanos

Cowell

Zeta ace

Etc.

I still find places for Backstabber and NB occasionally.

This is cute, those are the good ones. The B team pilots, the ones that are almost good.

What about:

Col. Jendon

Alozen

Z Storm

Winged gundark

Night beast

Fel's wrath

Kanos

Cowell

Zeta ace

Etc.

Night Beast is good. He is... a beast, dare I say? With TIE MkII his dial is huge and he has basically a free PtL effect. You still have great maneuverability and are almost always guaranteed two actions.

Kir Kanos, I believe, is as close as he has ever been to viable. With the introduction of the TIE Shuttle allowing mind-numbingly cheap Crew support for Imperials, Fleet Officer is more usable than ever. Use Fleet Officer to dish out a Focus to Kanos, take his Evade action, and now your opponent is facing quite the ship on offense or defense.

Definitely not "competitive" for the cost of it all, but there now exist at least a few niche lists where his ability can be used without turning him into a piece of tissue for return fire, whereas previously there were none.

Dark Curse is pretty good.

The issue with the interceptor pilots is they compete with Soontir/Jax. Interceptors are pretty crap unless its those two with their high PS arc-dodgyness not to mention their abilities.

Though i have been toying around with Turr Phennir lately. Being PS7 its kinda risky, but i found he has a really freakin hilarious arcdodge ability.

"After you perform an attack, you may perform a free boost or barrelroll action"

so heres the thing. PTL procs of any action, not just your "normal" action. Dont use it in the activation phase, instead use it after you attack.

Im in your face, range1 and i fire. I barrelroll afterwords, but im not out of your arc...so i PTL to boost and now i am the look on my friend's face when i did thatwas priceless.

being PS7 though....risky. If he doesnt shoot first he could easily get blasted down.

All three factions have many many PS 5 to 7 pilots that just don't see play because they either are missing an EPT or can't compete on pilot skill. I've been thinking about running a league or tournament someday where all the PS 8 and 9 pilots are banned, just to see what lists people come up with.

An EPT slot would fix almost every pilot...

An EPT slot would fix almost every pilot...

Except Fel's Wrath. Nothing will fix Fel's Wrath.

I remember when Backstabber was considered one of the most efficient ships in the game.

Huh.

An EPT slot would fix almost every pilot...

Except Fel's Wrath. Nothing will fix Fel's Wrath.

Draw there Fire? could make him real annoying

If Kanos had access to an EPT he would be used a hell of a lot more.

Kir Kanos could definitely use an EPT. Maybe a mod for TIE only, PS5 or higher (dont want to give Wampa and EPT), unique only, to add an EPT if you dont have one already. Although that would give Deathrain and Redline an EPT

I think an easy fix for this is make it a title for Interceptors only, like the A wing. Something the lines of if you do not have an EPT slot, you gain EPT slot. Players then have to choose between an extra Mod slot or an EPT slot.

Unfortunately Lorrir does not have an EPT.

I have used him to some extent and I really likes his ability. There are better pilots but he can surprise opponents with his ability.

Cheers

I regularly run Dark Curse (if I need a tank) or Backstabber (if I need a distraction), but never the other two. Kanos might have worked if he had a way of getting an evade token and a focus token, such as Push the Limit or Comms Relay, but alas, he can't have that.

Lorrir might have been decent if his ability didn't leave him stress, but even then he'd be hampered by the honestly bad bad design of the TIE Interceptor. As of now, there is barely any reason to take any of them besides Soontir Fel, Carnor Jax and Turr Phennir. If you want a reasonably dodgy ship in the mid 20s, look to Omega Leader, and to a lesser extent Omega Ace, Zeta Leader, Commander Alozen and Valen Rudor.