Maybe the original TIE fighter is still popular in your local meta, but I haven't seen a TIE fighter swarm (or any list with original TIE fighters) perform at the top tables in any of my local tournaments in the last three months.

Heck, I know the original X-wing needs some love, but at least Biggs has shown up consistently in at least one list in the final four at every tournament I've played at in the last few months. Yes, the X-wing probably needs a unique title card to buff it and make it more appealing to use ... but the same goes for the classic TIE fighter.

Does anyone else think the original TIE fighter needs a zero-point title card?

Personally, I like the idea of a free title card for the original TIE fighter only (not usable on other TIEs) that allows you to change one blank result to a hit result when attacking if you are outside of your opponent's firing arc.

I'd love to have one. But it's probably too soon for major adjustments. TIE Swarms have been strong throughout X-wing's history. For me it's only been the X7 that has pushed me away from running my swarms. If something else tames the X7, my swarms could come back without a title.

TIEs are still viable and a good player can wreck a lot of lists. You just need to be good at flying them, and have mental fortitude.

They don't need help.

I'm sorry, your thread cannot be connected as posted. Please wait until Worlds is over, or try again later.

But in all seriousness, TIE's are fine. They are meant to be in swarms or as blockers. Crackswarms are great, and Sable has even shown you don't need Howlrunner to be effective. They are good as is.

Something like 'Strength in Numbers' - maybe give a bonus to attack to represent all the shots of the whole swarm? Could be fun.

I do agree with the others though that Ties are, in general, still pretty good value.

At 12 points minimum for a fairly effective ship, I don't think a basic TIE Fighter needs any help.

Strength in numbers (and good knowledge on flying them) coupled with a good dial and decent actions make the TIE good enough.

It's called Crackshot.

Better question: Is it time for something other than a TIE Fighter or Shuttle for Imperials?

YES!

TIEs are still viable and a good player can wreck a lot of lists. You just need to be good at flying them, and have mental fortitude.

They don't need help.

This is the correct answer.

Does anyone else think the original TIE fighter needs a zero-point title card?

No.

The TIE fighter is the dev's balance benchmark. The goal of new ship designs is to be as good as it: not better, not worse.

You don't see TIE swarms much because they're taxing to fly: it's 6 to 8 moving parts instead of 3.

Better question: Is it time for something other than a TIE Fighter or Shuttle for Imperials?

YES!

Not Sienar or Cygnus huh...

Ties are fine they don't have the flashy abilities of other ships is all.

It's not like you see fo's everywhere either.

The meta shifted to ships that can survive alpha strikes because of uboats and that's not the humble tie, now that threats gone well hopefully see swarms once more.

ffg's way ahead of you

ffg's way ahead of you

Go sit in the corner and think about what you did wrong young man.

Maybe the original TIE fighter is still popular in your local meta, but I haven't seen a TIE fighter swarm (or any list with original TIE fighters) perform at the top tables in any of my local tournaments in the last three months.

Heck, I know the original X-wing needs some love, but at least Biggs has shown up consistently in at least one list in the final four at every tournament I've played at in the last few months. Yes, the X-wing probably needs a unique title card to buff it and make it more appealing to use ... but the same goes for the classic TIE fighter.

Does anyone else think the original TIE fighter needs a zero-point title card?

Personally, I like the idea of a free title card for the original TIE fighter only (not usable on other TIEs) that allows you to change one blank result to a hit result when attacking if you are outside of your opponent's firing arc.

No. It's fine the way it is.

The suggestion of basically a limited Guidance Chip upgrade for every TIE would be, in a word, insane. It could allow the 8 TIE Academy Swarm to dish out 8 free hits at their targets if the controlling player had a decent grasp of maneuvering. It would vaporize large based ships in a turn or two. Get behind the YT-1300 and watch it basically go *poof* in a turn or two.

You can't make TIE Fighters unique. They are the faceless stormtroopers of the Imperial Navy. Save that for those special snowflake Interceptor pilots.

that and I wonder why Ties need more dice mods

isn't that what howlrunner's for

anyway, I think hux might help a bit here

he helps you get more reliable Ties by allowing you to use the evade action without sacrificing focus, and the one guy he singles out is still benefiting from that evade token and hitting through all manner of bull green dice (including palp)

Omega L (juke relay)

Howlie (crackshot)

Wampa

Academy

Lambda (sensors, hux)

all fit in the same list

No. TIEs are balanced, and well built TIE Swarms remain tip top in the meta - if you've got the chops to fly them. They're little seen because they're really hard to learn and really hard on the brain over the course of a long tourney, not because they're bad.

This is one of my favorite things to kill time thinking about. So I have a few notions.

A couple things to keep in mind:

Firstly: Any title that's "TIE Only" applies to every small Imperial ship. In practice, most Imperial TIEs have their own title, and so wouldn't want anything narrowly tailored at the standard TIE l/n. However most of the TIE Titles work best on the highest PS TIEs. There's design space available for something good that helps- say, the Alpha Squadron or Sienar Test Pilots. And heck! The TIE Bomber and TIE Phantom could use a bit of love- the TIE Bomber Title basically turns it into another ship entirely.

Secondly: Anything that says "TIE Fighter Only" would apply to the TIE F/O Fighter and TIE S/F Fighters as well. Making a title that doesn't apply to them, but does apply to the TIE (Standard) would be an interesting kluge.

TIE Fighter (Standard) don't really need much love. Maybe- maybe- half a point. An Operations Specialist* on Howlrunner, and you'd be set.

Thematically, the strength of a TIE Fighter is that it can swarm. A great fix would be one that makes a swarm stronger. This implies that you should only get a benefit from this title if you have another TIE Fighter nearby- say range 1, or 1-2. Good news? Range and unit limitations are a _great_ way to reduce the power of a title.

I've got some specific ideas, but I'd prefer to leave these general thoughts as a standalone post. I'd rather have people mull this over without also having to think about a specific direction that I'm leaning in.

*Operations Specialist (limited) (unreleased)
Limited.
After a friendly ship at Range 1-2 performs an attack that does not hit, you may assign 1 focus token to a friendly ship at Range 1-3 of the attacker.

(Text via http://geordanr.github.io/xwing/ )

Weapon of Mass Production

TIE Fighter only

For each other friendly ship with the same card name, reduce this ship's cost by one.

Though this could get ugly fast.

Maybe a max reduction.

There is a big problem with putting "TIE Fighter only" in the restrictions for a card. Because of the rulings with Youngster, this title would work for FOs and (most likely) SFs, as both are "TIE Fighters". It's the same problem that making a (T-65) Xwing title that can't be used by T-79 xwings. Xwing title could say if you don't have a boost. The TIE fighter title would need to say: if you don't have a targetlock action.

There is a big problem with putting "TIE Fighter only" in the restrictions for a card. Because of the rulings with Youngster, this title would work for FOs and (most likely) SFs, as both are "TIE Fighters". It's the same problem that making a (T-65) Xwing title that can't be used by T-79 xwings. Xwing title could say if you don't have a boost. The TIE fighter title would need to say: if you don't have a targetlock action.

introduce sub-faction restriction and bang, problem solved

There is a big problem with putting "TIE Fighter only" in the restrictions for a card. Because of the rulings with Youngster, this title would work for FOs and (most likely) SFs, as both are "TIE Fighters". It's the same problem that making a (T-65) Xwing title that can't be used by T-79 xwings. Xwing title could say if you don't have a boost. The TIE fighter title would need to say: if you don't have a targetlock action.

introduce sub-faction restriction and bang, problem solved

Tie fighters are fine. They are cheap, and have one of the biggest selection of pilots in the game. Some are better than others sure, but still they are viable enough for what they do.

Weapon of Mass Production

TIE Fighter only

For each other friendly ship with the same card name, reduce this ship's cost by one.

Though this could get ugly fast.

Maybe a max reduction.

So if you have six AP's in the group each of them sees a cost reduction of 5 points so down to 7. Well if they only cost 7 we can easily get seven in and still be under 50 points! Oh wait, that would be another ship so now they only cost 6 each and all seven would only cost 42 points so let's add another keeping our AP total under 50; but that also reduces the cost so now we're looking at APx8 for only 40 points!!! Oh gosh, just saw that we've easily broke the tipping point as we've added more ships but lowered to total cost for those ships meaning there is nothing to stop us from fielding unending zero point TIE Fighters!!! Considering how many we will be fielding it seems an unending Crack-swarm could easily be arranged as well.

That certainly does get ugly fast.

I see no need for a title for any kind of cheap/free title to boost the original TIE Fighter. Maybe the TIE Swarms don't make the tops of tournaments like they once did but there are so many more choices now and still they do manage to work there way up there from time to time despite being ancient history. That an army from Ancient Egypt can still win battles is a testament to its strength.