So, I have an NPC I'm working on, and he's a TIE Ace. Ive been dancing with several ideas of how to cheese up him, and his squadron, and some are sort of ridiculous (a small capital ship with those TIE mounts Rebels makes so popular, carrying two Interdictors, and a cloaking device, allowing them to close with a capital ship, and unload, while Reaper Squadron distracts their fighters, and point-defense weapons, some other stuff). I was having some trouble with Reapers' TIE choice, however. I love the Defender, and I'm REALLY glad Rebels brought it back into canon, but they are cheesy, and I prefer the idea that they were made in response to the Battle of Yavin, and the Rebel's use of X-Wings, B-Wings, and a few other ships, which I don't run with Rebels (the show) introducing several years too soon. I'm also a bit fond of the TIE Phantom, but they are sort of silly, too. I like the Hunters, but I also like the squad leader to stand out, and I don't want a squadron of Interceptors, or Hunters, escorting a Defender, or making the Phantom's cloak worthless, so I thought I might pup a TIE Advanced v1.

The Navy has tested them, but now their pilots, the Inquisitors, are mostly dead, and even Vader, and his x1, were shot down at the Battle of Yavin, though he lived, so it might seem prudent to run them through some more field tests, and with a pilot that doesn't possess a non-quantifiable, such as the Force. Where this is going is, i was wondering if it might seem BS to give this prototype a droid socket? Several Rebel ships use them, and to great efficiency, such as Rogue Squadron. While I know that the Empire doesn't favor such things, would there be anything weird with this? I don't imagine the stats are so weird, between a TIE, and an X-Wing, that giving one to the prior, for their Ace to use, would really be so big an issue, but I thought I'd check. Is there anything about the use of droids that will make him too much more cheese? Will the other ships, lacking these, be too out of sync with him? Is it just better to have a navicomputer, and skip the droid? Thanks much.

Here's the stats I'm using for Reaper Leader's ship:

Reaper Squadron TIE Advanced v2

Hull Type/Class: Starfighter/TIE Series
Manufacturer: Sienar Fleet Systems
Hyperdrive: Primary: Class 2, Backup: None.
Navicomputer: None-astromech droid socket
Sensor Range: Close
Ship’s Compliment: One pilot, one astromech droid
Encumbrance Capacity: 5
Passenger Capacity: 0
Consumables: One week
Price/Rarity: Classified [R]/8
Customization Hard Points: 0
Weapons: Cockpit-mounted medium laser cannons (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Close]; Linked 1)

Cockpit-mounted concussion missile launcher (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Short]; Blast 4, Breach 4, Guided 3, Limited Ammo 8, Linked 1, Slow-Firing 1)

This stat block has been modified, as it was a little too much TIE Defender <--> Lambda Shuttle fusion dance. It STILL might be that; I'm uncertain. It can be assumed to be accompanied by a wing of TIE Interceptors, or Hunters.

I think you went hugely overboard on this, especially if you consider the TIE Defender to be "cheesy". This is faster, more maneuverable, double the shields, and 50% greater HT, and has an astromech slot, with all else being equal. Well, some of the guns. Also, concussion missile launcher with Limited Ammo 20? The default launcher has LA3, most ships have LA6.

Hmm, the online stuff put Roto-saber's TIE with 20, since he lacks ion weapons, or some such. I felt the number was high, too, but it's easy enough to turn down; difference between fluff-fill, and mechanical stats; even the four-barrel Interdictor doesn't carry 20. As for the stats, it IS faster, and more maneuverable than the Defender, since it does a similar job, but not as a squad. A Defender is neat, but they move in four-unit squads, maximizing their cheese factor. If it's too much slower than Hunters, and Interceptors, it takes more out of them than it gets by being their squad leader, plus, it is never going to be mass-produced. Oh well, the special-snowflake syndrome is a pain, at times, especially when the books just didn't give us that one ship, the Advanced x1, at least as far as I know. I'll fiddle with the numbers a bit. Thank you for helping me rain in the cheese.

There's a history of older Imperial ships using astromechs. For example, V-Wings (p. 57 of Stay on Target) use them. It looks like you edited the stats a bit probably, but I think it's still perhaps a bit too much. You've got speed and maneuverability like a TIE Fighter, with the defense and loadout, of something like a TIE Interdictor.

I suggest reducing speed to 4, handling to -2, or instead reducing the durability.

Or you could somehow increase the size and cost to be a larger ship.

If you seek inspiration for TIEs for elite aces, that aren't all canon, I might direct you to this:

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial1.html

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial2.html

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial3.html

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial4.html

Beware, some of them are silly.

2 hours ago, TheMOELANDER said:

If you seek inspiration for TIEs for elite aces, that aren't all canon, I might direct you to this:

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial1.html

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial2.html

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial3.html

http://darksaber.xwaupgrade.com/craftdsimperial4.html

Beware, some of them are silly.

I Quite Like the TIE Shadows. All the cool of the phantom without the wonky cockpit. A Souped-Up TIE Droid would be kind of AWESOME. It can pull off fatseer manuvers and such, and the square wings look cooler, just all around awesomeness.

On 5/18/2017 at 6:28 AM, venkelos said:

I'm also a bit fond of the TIE Phantom, but they are sort of silly, too. .

What about going back to the V-38?

I mean if you ditch the trash later sources stacked on the Phantom, and make some tweaks you can get a nice, dangerous, but not totally broken multi crew fighter...

You could also just come up with your own Starfighter to fit your needs. Hey, The Engineer sourcebook will have starship crafting rules. Hav ethe ace be some type of Rigger/Shipwright with his own custom TIE

TIE Clutch if you like V38/Phantom but without that 'silly' WW2 bomber style cockpit. Technically it's an "Ugly" but it is built from TIE components. http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/TIE_Clutch

You know those moments, when you feel kind of dumb, and you realize you made a mistake, but you have to decide if you want to come clean, and fess up, or just keep arguing? Yep, one of those. So, I had a great idea, I thought. FFG hasn't statted Vader's TIE, which is irritating, so I decided to make one, but the results, above, haven't been popular. Well, I decided to go a more surefire way, and grabbed my Saga Edition ship book. They certainly statted Vader's TIE Advanced x1, as well as the basic, Interceptor, and Defender, for nice comparisons. I figured, compare them, and while the system is different, in spots (transports between are often messy, on the best of days), the idea should be sound. I found Vader's TIE, and...did you remember that Vader's "Advanced" ship is sort of crap? Maybe they have it assuming he'll be in it, and a 19th level cheese NPC would be a huge bonus to it, but it is, for the most part, just a TIE Interceptor, with some shields. I can honestly say, the Defender schools it in EVERY way the book can measure; better armor, equal speed, better h-drive, more weapons, in that system. Now, I'm rather sad about all of this. I know that the TIE Defender isn't always a great benchmark; it's a bit famous for its cheese factor, but I'm surprised how not impressive it sort of is. I guess it does, in some ways, compare to an X-Wing alright, but...sorry to everyone for whining about my snowflake, up there; he might just be better in the Defender, which at least has official stats.

The Rational Answer Part: Let's put it this way. In the old days, The TIE Defender was probably born out of the design of the Tie Advanced x1. The Advanced x1 had shields and hyperdrive, sacrificing some speed and maneuverability for that durability and range, in order to counter the hit and run tactics of the Rebels.

The Ranty Part: Something about anachronistic decisions...

The TIE Advanced x1 is the first prototype of the imperial TIE advanced program, the defender is actually the TIE Advanced x7, while the Avenger (aka TIE/AD or TIE Advanced) was iirc the X2 and went into production and the Interceptor is born out of the x3. So naturally the x1 is the "weakest" out of the bunch, but Vader modified his one heavily on top anyway. ;-)

So, the assignment of TIE Advanced x2 is already taken by the Avenger.
Now the stateline of the defender is depressing in this RPG ;-)

edit:
Speaking of depressing stateline, the OP has a stateline which actually would work for the defender, now you take the defender stateline for the avenger. but increase the speed to 5 and all should be okish. (minus the astromech socket naturally)

Lastly, both Defender and Avenger should get a beam weapon on top, a tractor beam or jamming beam.

Based TIE-Fighter, both defenders and avengers should have speed 6, but I think for balance reasons it is fine if those heavy fighters stay at speed 5.

It might just seem uncreative of me, but I'm not in any danger of getting to use it, in the near future anyway, so the TIE Advanced v2, as I am likely to use it, just uses the stats for an X-Wing, with one extra front shield, the weapons stats for a Defender (minus the ion weapons, which my v2 lacks, but it carries a couple extra missiles), and a slower hyperdrive (the x2 of the Defender, not the x1 of the X-Wing). This way, it gets the best out of the Ace Pilot (Killgrave), and his special droid (Endgame), while also not being heinously broken (a VIP shuttle, but with the advantages of a TIE Interceptor), and benefiting well from the TIE Hunters that will form his squadron.

It COULD be subject to future change, but I do like their stats for the X-Wing, and can go with that. Thank you, everyone, for your assistance, and opinions, regarding all of this. it is much appreciated.