The recent trailer for Star Wars Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker shows Rey force jumping over a new type of First Order craft:

This craft looks a great deal like Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer, but it has some notable differences.

Sienar Systems (and their future counterpart Sienar-Jaemus) build craft with a modular design. The TIE cockpit ball was an often-used central part of the TIE-series of fighters. In the images above, we see the more typical TIE ball as the central chassis for the new craft, while the Silencer boasted a more robust and expansive central chassis. The common parts of the two craft are the solar collector wings. The weapon systems for the Silencer are housed in the wings, so we can reasonably expect the new craft to have the same number of blasters and munition launchers as the silencer. The differences will probably come in the form of various other craft capabilities, as the Silencer was meant to be a high-tech, limited production, prototype that acted as a testing platform for new technologies.

If I had to guess, the new craft is probably a production model that was based off of the Silencer’s technology.

The First Order is a faction that is forever in the shadow of the Galactic Empire. The type of craft building mentioned above has roots in Imperial doctrine. A great example of this is Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter (TIE Advanced X1)

This craft was also produced in limited numbers and given to a select few pilots. It was also a big technology platform. The production model, the TIE Avenger, had some similarities, but more than a few differences.

The TIE Avenger used the same central cassis, but had different solar collector wings, which changed the weapons load-out. It was also a heck of a lot cheaper to make. The Avenger/Advanced example seems to be the opposite of the first order situation where the chassis remains, but the wings changed.

So, what does this mean for the new craft in the game?

It is a bit of a design nightmare. The FO TIE fighter dial is good…REALLY good. In fact, it is very similar to the TIE Interceptor’s dial. Using that as a foundation and then upgrading to more advanced craft from there, we got the TIE Silencer, which had a slightly better dial than the FO TIE plus the wonderful Autothrusters ship ability. Essentially, the Silencer fulfills the role of a (somewhat beefy) interceptor in the FO roster.

The new craft could have fewer shields and hull to come in at a slightly lower price point, but that is not much differentiation from the Silencer. Also, FFG can’t give it 0 shields because that would make the Fanatical upgrade a tad bit powerful on that kind of ship (Starting the game with a 100% guaranteed passive mod on red dice).

FFG may have to get creative in order to make this into a ship that flies in its own distinctive way. They may even have to retroactively up the points on the Silencer and add an upgrade slot or two to it.

It's an sf silencer. It will be a separate ship with /sf's turret loadout but a more silencer like dial, almost certainly.

2 minutes ago, thespaceinvader said:

It's an sf silencer. It will be a separate ship with /sf's turret loadout but a more silencer like dial, almost certainly.

WOW! So, they just combined my two favorite ships...wow. If this is the case, then this ship COULD (should) have a 3 primary forward, a splended dial, and the ability to fire behind it.

Resistance A wing can suck a big one.

I'd bet on the same loadout and the ability to take sf gunner.

29 minutes ago, thespaceinvader said:

I'd bet on the same loadout and the ability to take sf gunner.

Why would I ever take an SF tie again, then?

24 minutes ago, PaulRuddSays said:

Why would I ever take an SF tie again, then?

You not having enough points in a list to field it with other ships you plan for in the list? I'm honestly expecting them just to have it have the Silencer's stats aside from the front arc being 2 with the mobile arc being 2 just like how the SF is and the ship ability is the Resistance's A-Wing. So with that in mind I'd expect its cost to start in the mid 40s, with them effectively giving its price point with the SF gunner in mind so that it at base with the gunner comes out a bit more expensive than the base Silencer.

It's still going to have a baseline of over 50 pts for a Ini.1 ship, which is unfortunate.

I'd like some more flexibility with FO, but there's only so much you can do with such expensive stuff.

2 minutes ago, bydand said:

It's still going to have a baseline of over 50 pts for a Ini.1 ship, which is unfortunate.

I'd like some more flexibility with FO, but there's only so much you can do with such expensive stuff.

If this were a fantasy setting, I feel like the FO would be the dark elves or something; expensive and evil equipment.

36 minutes ago, BDrafty said:

If this were a fantasy setting, I feel like the FO would be the dark elves or something; expensive and evil equipment.

That's pretty apt, and really nails why I like flying them!

As far as the ship at hand, I'd be happy if it were just an alternate sculpt for the Silencer, with a new title (for 6 pts, you can now equip a gunner or some such). I'm concerned that between this and the red Interceptor on the Rebels show, we're going to get a slow trickle of interceptor-ish ships for a faction that really needs some variety. Especially given the exciting new flavors of bombs we're about to see, it'd be nice for every faction to be able to equip the things.

1 hour ago, PaulRuddSays said:

Why would I ever take an SF tie again, then?

System slot, price, turret missiles.

Pilots.

Probably better hp.

I'd probably expect it to have res a wing ship ability, fwiw so it probably loses the white linked rotates.

I'd expect it to be closer to an Interceptor/SF hybrid than a Silencer/SF hybrid. Something similar to a Resistance A-Wing with the turret mount, but maybe with a 3-dice forward primary and a 2-dice rear-only turret instead, which would be quite powerful. To balance it out maybe it doesn't get the Sensor slot so the SF still has a role. Points would also probably be on the high side.

A 3 forward primary would be too good if it can equip the SF gunner.

A little off topic. But the fact that mary sue is doing a jump over this ship is just too much. She should be splattered across the cockpit like a bug across my windshield. So far, episode 9 is a no go for me.

53 minutes ago, Jike said:

I'd expect it to be closer to an Interceptor/SF hybrid than a Silencer/SF hybrid. Something similar to a Resistance A-Wing with the turret mount, but maybe with a 3-dice forward primary and a 2-dice rear-only turret instead, which would be quite powerful. To balance it out maybe it doesn't get the Sensor slot so the SF still has a role. Points would also probably be on the high side.

The silencer is an interceptor...

1 hour ago, martini74 said:

A little off topic. But the fact that mary sue is doing a jump over this ship is just too much. She should be splattered across the cockpit like a bug across my windshield. So far, episode 9 is a no go for me.

A force powered leap is too much? You must have hated Empire strikes back.

2 hours ago, Ximatique said:

A 3 forward primary would be too good if it can equip the SF gunner.

It looks like a single seat ship.

Just now, Odanan said:

It looks like a single seat ship.

So does the TIE sf from the front.

If it has a turret it will have the gunner slot. I'd bet on it.

Loved empire. Just hate rey as a character. Nothing. She just shows up, can do everything better than anyone. Surprised her game ability isnt, "once you play rey on the board, you win".

I don't see why so many are assuming a turret. Has there been any media at all which actually suggests this?

It really just seems like the TIE Interceptor of the sequel era. While I see the similarity in the wing structure, I'm not as convinced that this can be correlated to TIE Advanced : TIE Avenger. It seems more correlated to TIE Advanced : TIE Interceptor. It seems more stripped-down but perhaps not to the level of a shieldless, system-light craft that the GE used. I actually expect this to be a more affordable arc-dodger if it comes to XWTMG2. An alternative in the SF price range, not a faster version of the same thing. An analogue of the GE TIE Interceptor in the same way that the Silencer is a sort of analogue of the TIE Advanced. An Interceptor with actual usable systems and a bit of shielding. Maybe even some ordinance options.

I also don't think it would be entirely wrong of them to consider Vonreg's interceptor from Resistance as the same model (I mean this for both XWTMG2 and Lucasfilm). They aren't quite the same look but similar enough that I don't personally care.

It looks more like an FO TIE interceptor to me. Which the way the FO works the Interceptors would be Special forces only hence the SF pain scheme.

5 minutes ago, CaptainJaguarShark said:

I don't see why so many are assuming a turret. Has there been any media at all which actually suggests this?

It really just seems like the TIE Interceptor of the sequel era. While I see the similarity in the wing structure, I'm not as convinced that this can be correlated to TIE Advanced : TIE Avenger. It seems more correlated to TIE Advanced : TIE Interceptor. It seems more stripped-down but perhaps not to the level of a shieldless, system-light craft that the GE used. I actually expect this to be a more affordable arc-dodger if it comes to XWTMG2. An alternative in the SF price range, not a faster version of the same thing. An analogue of the GE TIE Interceptor in the same way that the Silencer is a sort of analogue of the TIE Advanced. An Interceptor with actual usable systems and a bit of shielding. Maybe even some ordinance options.

Because the turret is visible in some of the screenshots. Same shape and location as the one on the sf.

7 minutes ago, CaptainJaguarShark said:

I don't see why so many are assuming a turret. Has there been any media at all which actually suggests this?

While not visible in the OP's selected image (bad one to choose for this assessment in my opinion) the SF painted "Interceptor' does have a dohiky on the bottom similar to the TIE/Sf's.

Here we go, found a better one. The "turret" is right under the cockpit. Admittedly barely visible in this image, but there.