Perhaps more of a question for the X wing forum, but which design do you prefer?

For me it's the Advanced hands down. I never played the Tie fighter or X wing computer games, so my first hearing of the Avenger came from the Star Wars Encyclopedias. In them, there is no picture, but there is an entry for it and it talks about how it was the main line version of the Advanced x1. So I assumed it looked the same, or slightly different than Vader's Tie. When I saw an actual picture of it (probably on Mel's) my reaction can best be described in the words of Luke Skywalker, "Whatta piece of junk!"

But that is only my view. Which design (not capabilities, armament, etc) do you prefer?

Hmm... both, but one or the other for different reasons.

If forced I'd say the TIE Avenger because between the two, it is more rare. The TIE Avenger got caught between the canon fighters and the almost every way superior TIE Defender. The Defender was changed some and went on to become more popular, leaving the TIE Avenger left out of every other place to shine, along with the assault Gunboat. Aesthetically the TIE Avenger is the natural evolution of Darth Vader's TIE Fighter and meshing it with a TIE Interceptor. You get the firepower of an interceptor, but the shields and hyperdrive capability of Vader's x1. The result is a workable production-ready superior fighter that can, at last, fight the Rebellion on even terms. It is significantly cheaper than the TIE Defender as well (and faster I think). In spite of Stele appearing on the TIE Defender, Wookiepedia would claim that his chosen ride is actually a TIE AVenger, which is probably why he shows up on the TIE Advanced in wave 1 of X-Wing. It's the closest thing.

I do like the TIE Advanced though because like the avenger, we see very little of it, even in the context of canon. The EU lore gave mention of a few squadrons running limited production TIE Advanced units. Zetrik Strom was commanding such a unit, which is why he is the ace for one of them. I like to believe that there are some Imperial units that do decide to use them as their primary attack fighters, but because of the way they turned out and deployment doctrines, it is easier to field mass expendable fighter or interceptors that are more effective in pairs than single TIE Advanced. If there were better things to make escorts better, TIE Advanceds would be neat to fly as that exception. I was happy that they got their buffs in X-Wing because If I ever get back there, I could try TIE Advanceds as a list option again.

It's been a really long time, and I had honestly forgotten that Avengers existed.

I like their look and design more than Advanced(s?) for sure, but I know nothing about them beyond "I remember seeing these in a game at some point, and they looked cool".

Avenger is much cooler looking than Vader's but as mentioned did get shoved out of the limelight thanks to the Defender. Not only was the Avenger speedy as the interceptor with shields & hyperdrive it also carried missiles

Fractalsponge has Avengers. Don't tell me they don't look cool.

I think an updated Avenger would be awesome. Rounded glass on the cockpit, for example.

Avenger for sure. I loved flying a "liberated" TIE Avenger for the Rebellion in X-Wing Alliance. God the hours i had fun in the flight simulator

Tie Advanced. I very much dislike the Avenger as it looks like two interceptors smashed together. More power to you if you do like the design but I can't at all.

How about this badboy!? Jk, it looks dumb. I think it was one of the first new TIEs I ever heard of, from the SWCCG from the 90s and early 2000s.

Man that game was weird.

I dearly miss the SWCCG. Before the mechanics got out of control it was a really elegant game. The lifeforce being your deck is common in magic today, but the idea that locations and presence channels the force (to generate and spend as "income") is pretty novel.

I also like the TIE Vanguard, though that vanguard squadron never existed I think. I really wish Jonus' effect had been reserved for a generic function out of the TIE Vanguards, sine that's pretty much what those fighters did as a function.

3 hours ago, WuFame said:

How about this badboy!? Jk, it looks dumb. I think it was one of the first new TIEs I ever heard of, from the SWCCG from the 90s and early 2000s.

Man that game was weird.

So question is would they have strategic or relay?

Also where is the TIE scout, We haven't seen them in either Armada or X-wing.

So ugly...not

AVENGER

Vs DEFENDER

6 hours ago, WuFame said:

How about this badboy!? Jk, it looks dumb. I think it was one of the first new TIEs I ever heard of, from the SWCCG from the 90s and early 2000s.

Man that game was weird.

Wait, I think I have a few of these for Armada already! Weren't they the ties that come with the core set? Those bent wings sure look like it!

...just glue on some broken Victory antennas and you're good to go!

10 hours ago, WuFame said:

How about this badboy!? Jk, it looks dumb. I think it was one of the first new TIEs I ever heard of, from the SWCCG from the 90s and early 2000s.

Man that game was weird.

TIE Vanguard

"Is a scout."

"No Hyperdrive"

2 minutes ago, ianediger said:

TIE Vanguard

"Is a scout."

"No Hyperdrive"

It's a sublight scout. In my mind, I figured they were the equivelant of battleship artillery spotter planes used in World war II.

7 hours ago, Green Knight said:

So ugly...not

AVENGER

Vs DEFENDER

Defender every time lol looks like a set of kitchen knives flying at me, horrifying.

49 minutes ago, Norsehound said:

It's a sublight scout. In my mind, I figured they were the equivelant of battleship artillery spotter planes used in World war II.

As a person who uses destroyers in World of Warships, spotter planes are the bane of my existence.

As well as the ships who launched them.

So since this is in the armada forums, what stats would we give the Avenger? I'd say:

Speed - 5

Hull - 5

vs Squadron - 4 Blue (Maybe 3 Blue and a Black)

vs Ship - 1 Blue

Counter 2 (Maybe add Escort, too)

Cost - 15, Less black die and 1 less Hull than the Defender (16 points) but with more focus on anti-squadron with Counter 2.

For a named pilot ability (Stele is the only one that comes to mind but he's already got a Defender):

"When preforming a Counter attack, you may remove one blue die from your attack pool. If you do, you may add one black die to the pool."

3 hours ago, Norsehound said:

It's a sublight scout. In my mind, I figured they were the equivelant of battleship artillery spotter planes used in World war II.

Completely useless in a world with scopes.

I'd take a costlier, beefed-up interceptor.

35 minutes ago, Greatfrito said:

I'd take a costlier, beefed-up interceptor.

3 or four points to go counter 3 and 4 health?

Speed 5

Hull 5

Anti-Fighter: 4 Blue

Anti-Ship: 1 Red

Escort and Counter 2

14 points

Speed five

Hull eight

AA six blue

AS three black

Counter 4, Rogue, bomber, snipe 9, relay 3, super strategic.

60 points.

I prefer the Avenger because it's just a meaner looking ship. Super interceptor versus 'Vaders ship'. I'm fine with the X1 even being better than the Avenger, but I like that it feels like an advanced interceptor that was mass produced compared to the X1 Tie Advanced.

I follow the Tie Fighter rather than X-wing Alliance 'stats' so the Defender's still better than the Avenger when it comes to... well, top speed, acceleration, weapons, and shields. So, 'it's still worse than the defender' is fine with me. Theory stats: beefier interceptor sounds fine.