Talking FFG tournament play here... I'm wanting a TIE FO theme to my list, so everything not FO is painted white on black. Since most repainting is fine for tourneys, if I'm using an Imperial TIE (youngster), can I just put an FO TIE on youngster's base or do I need to paint a TIE Fighter to look like a TIE/FO?

By the letter of the law, yes, you need to repaint a TIE Fighter to look like a TIE/fo. The TIE/fo is a different ship with its own model.

A) I was of the belief that you must use the correct model matching the base plate.

B) You are permitted to paint (and modify) models so long as it will not lead to confusion for your opponents as to what type of ship it is - so I'd think painting a "normal" TIE in an FO scheme could be very confusing, given the similarity between the models, thus against the rules.

I think you'd be fine as long as nobody complains. You wouldn't as soon as anybody was to complain.

Going strict I'd say you have to have the model of the ship that matches the pilot card. If you fly a TIE/FO pilot then play with the TIE/FO model. Same for the stardard TIE Fighter, if you are fielding a TIE Fighter then just use that model. And yeah, the models are not exactly the same.

Issue is once you start making exceptions where do you draw the line. Is the TIE/SF close enough to the TIE/FO next time around or the T-65 close enough to the T-70? You can see where minor exceptions can lead to issues in the future. Just play with the right model to avoid issues and confusion.

As far as painting I've played with players who painted their normal TIE in first order colors. It was not confusing. The rules state "Players may paint their ship models. They cannot modify a ship model in any way that would create confusion about which ship the model represents."

You can paint a TIE Fighter in First Order colors, as long as you're still using it as a TIE Fighter. Painting it in First Order colors and using it as a TIE f/o would be against the rules.

Can a repainted TIE Fighter be used with the pilot cards and second card base in the Sabine's TIE Fighter expansion, as they are both TIE Fighters?

Thanks guys... I think I'll put a grey stripe on the interia panels or do green cockpit glow on the repainted TIE

58 minutes ago, Lobokai said:

Thanks guys... I think I'll put a grey stripe on the interia panels or do green cockpit glow on the repainted TIE

Sounds like a great idea - even do both - and be sure to post pic's

3 hours ago, ilksvorbern said:

Can a repainted TIE Fighter be used with the pilot cards and second card base in the Sabine's TIE Fighter expansion, as they are both TIE Fighters?

Yes. Any standard TIE Fighter can be used with the pilots from that expansion. It's the name of the ship on the card that matters, not the paint job.

Welcome to the great debate about the classic TIE Fighter and the TIE/fo. Different ships but SO close in appearance that it may take a close look to tell them apart especially if they are painted in matching colors. Throw in the more recent ability to legally modify ships and you have a real mess.

1. It shouldn't matter that your TIE Fighter is painted in the black and white pattern of the TIE/fo. If that is a problem then one should be allow to complain anytime someone paints ships the same way even if neither of them looks like the original.

2. You need to use the correct model, base tile, and ship model w/ matching dial for official tournament play.

3. While I think the difference between the two models are minor enough that using the WRONG model should pass you still need to to use the right dial. When flown with other TIE/fo there is also an increased possibility of getting something mixed up which you probably don't want to do. As long as you feel comfortable doing so I'd suggest just flying the repaint.

4 hours ago, ilksvorbern said:

Can a repainted TIE Fighter be used with the pilot cards and second card base in the Sabine's TIE Fighter expansion, as they are both TIE Fighters?

Yes!

Better yet, you can use the Imperial TIE dial, as it only has to match the ship type, not the faction.

Apparently, this was a pain when you needed Scum dials for stuff like Scum Zs and Ys, so they dropped the faction specific dial requirement.

2 hours ago, Mef82 said:

Yes!

Better yet, you can use the Imperial TIE dial, as it only has to match the ship type, not the faction.

Apparently, this was a pain when you needed Scum dials for stuff like Scum Zs and Ys, so they dropped the faction specific dial requirement.

With Most Wanted you still have all the pain of only having so many base tiles and pilot cards.

At least with Sabine I really HOPE FFG wouldn't have expected us to buy four of the darn things to use all four unique pilots when most of us probably have more than two TIE Fighters to begin with.

4 hours ago, StevenO said:

Welcome to the great debate about the classic TIE Fighter and the TIE/fo. Different ships but SO close in appearance that it may take a close look to tell them apart especially if they are painted in matching colors. Throw in the more recent ability to legally modify ships and you have a real mess.

1. It shouldn't matter that your TIE Fighter is painted in the black and white pattern of the TIE/fo. If that is a problem then one should be allow to complain anytime someone paints ships the same way even if neither of them looks like the original.

I've been thinking about similar issues recently. While the FO and SF are distinct models, all the differences are in the central pod, so if they're turned 90 degrees it's hard to tell at a glance which one it is. My thought was to paint one or more of the solar panel triangles differently, for example making the upper forward panel blue. The same technique would work well for fielding lns that match the fo color scheme in my opinion.

If I was (richer) I would get eight rebel ties and then fly an imperial 8 tie swarm with Sabine painted ties and rebel dials. Just because.

The bases would be correct.

41 minutes ago, Funkula said:

I've been thinking about similar issues recently. While the FO and SF are distinct models, all the differences are in the central pod, so if they're turned 90 degrees it's hard to tell at a glance which one it is. My thought was to paint one or more of the solar panel triangles differently, for example making the upper forward panel blue. The same technique would work well for fielding lns that match the fo color scheme in my opinion.

Texture on the wing panels is very different, as well as smaller wings on the /fo.

Sorry, TIE nerd here.

49 minutes ago, Funkula said:

My thought was to paint one or more of the solar panel triangles differently, for example making the upper forward panel blue. The same technique would work well for fielding lns that match the fo color scheme in my opinion.

I always know which is which. I don't care when my opponents don't

If you run into issues with model color just point to TIE Interceptors where you can easily have three different paint jobs. If you run two of them which one is the right one to give Fel? ANY OF THEM. You can easily say it needs to be the standard model as that is the expansion where you get his pilot card/tile from. You can easily say the striped ship could be use as it more closely matches the artwork on the card. Usually you can easily argue for the Red model as well as it represent the Royal Guard Interceptor which is usually what Fel is flying via the title. As you see there are no wrong choices here but some people would complain no matter which choice you make.

Your repainted TIE Fighters would be the same.

If may just be me but I think there's more difference between the TIE/sf and either of the other TIE fighters than there is between the original and the /fo. At least after you paint all of them the same way.

I would just use the FO model(with the normal base plate and dial of course) until someone complains. Then just pull out one of the several Ties I'm sure you own and use that. I wouldn't bother doing a repaint, but of course I don't really care about theme as much as you obviously do. Not to mention,(and with your preference for theme in mind) if you repaint one of your Ties in FO colors, then whenever you want to run an Imperial Tie swarm, one will be wrong and you'll have the same issue in reverse. Not to mention the time and energy a full repaint takes to make look good.