I asked this over in a thread on Boardgamegeek (with a poll), but why not mention it here in FFG's back yard?

The TIE Defender is very popular. But ever since Decipher depicted the ship around '96, it's never been depicted in the way it actually was in the game!

Fracalsponge's model seems to unify most of the depictions of the TIE Defender over the years (including the addition of the long-absent missile launchers!) but would FFG run with a fan-created model? I don't know Fractal personally but I don't think he'd be averse to allowing FFG access to his model if they approached him. Scale woudl have to be tweaked though since that depiction suggests the Defender is larger than previous depictions.

Am I alone in actively disliking the TIE Defender design in all its iterations? The trilateral symmetry just bugs me.

But definitely not the last one, it looks like poo. I expect they'll go with Decipher's version, or whatever version the licensor provides them.

Agreed with Grimwalker; but I'd go for the cinematic model, but with a more normal TIE cockpit.

Hey there! my first post here. So hello FFG boards! anyways on to the topic at hand. The TIE Defender from the game was the experimental/prototype model. While the one that Decipher made up is now considered the standard production model, with much lower stats than the prototypes had. Basicly think of the differences between the TIE Defender in TIE Fighter and how much it changed later in X-Wing Alliance. Sadly they balanced it for player vs. player combat. They did the same to the TIE Avenger earlier in the X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter game.

If FFG made one they would probably go with Decipher's model, it has appeared in quite a few games with that design and seems to be LFL's offical verison now. Although I'd love it if they made the cinematic verison from TIE Fighter. To me that will always be the true look of a TIE Defender.

Eh, I don't like how dainty and unbalanced the Decipher model feels compared to the ingame model. The ingame one was robust and equally balanced from the center (with just slight extensions on the front). The Decipher/popular model seems to point most of the ship foward but doesn't give enough facing backwards from the pylons to make the design feel that attractive to me. I'll still be picking up a flight group of TIE/Ds when the Defender is ultimately produced, but I would hope they create a very attractive and visually balanced mini when they do.

And really, Grimwalker? Id' have thought Fractals' would be the most popular version since nearly everyone whose seen his stuff loves it. I think he's spot on with the Assault Gunboat, and his TIE Avenger neatly avoids the "squashed cockpit" so common in Avenger depictions.

Personally, I like this depiction.

Not too big, not too small…. "Goldilocks"

Gah how do I edit a post??

I actually prefer the original "stretched" look as it appeared in Tie Fighter, but I don't think it's depicted like that in canon anymore.

Spectre, that looks like the Decipher version. This looks like the typical depiction of the fighter nowadays… though I don't like it because there's not enough in the back :

Wonder if I should hit up those shapways model makers to make a game-model version of the TIE/D and treat it as a prototype with different stats. Depends on how likely the TIE/D is going to appear though.

Nice, where did you get this?

IMHO the best is the cinematics model… look great to me.

Norsehound thanks for the links, those pics are amazing.

Norsehound said:

The Decipher model is the one that looks most TIE like. The original game model has the limitations on round shapes, thus the octagonal cockpit and long thin pylons. The Cinematic model the wings are IMO way to large and close together in proportion.

Most of Fractalsponges models are great, and many are now even official thanks to the Essential Guide to Warfare, but his Defender is a rare miss. Cockpit is far too small in proportion, and it looks less like a TIE series craft and more like a different design with a TIE cockpit stuck to the front.

My favorite depictions are similar to the Decipher one, perhaps with a slightly larger rear hull though.