Here are a couple of new piot suggestions. One generic. One unique. Both with an Elite Pilot Talent.

1) Maelstrom Squadron Pilot

Tie Advanced, PS5, Elite Pilot Talent, Cost:24

2) Unique Tie-Advanced Pilot

Tie Advanced, PS6, Elite Pilot Talent, Cost:25-26

When attacking from inside the defenders firing arc, roll one additional attack die.

Quite powerful. Its ability could be tweeked to only include its primary weapon but then again giving a single missile attack one extra attack die isnt game breaking, is it?

Thoughts?

For maarek stele I would use marksmanship + shield upgrade

(60,9% of geting a crit if my math isnt wrong and 14% of getting two ...not adding range or def-dice)

Generally I think TA is great for soaking up som early hits in the game.
The empire has very few of these ships with shields and considering the theme of the Imperial side, it is only resonable that you pay more points for it.
(just as a academy-tie equivalent should cost more for the rebels to use)

2) Unique Tie-Advanced Pilot

Tie Advanced, PS6, Elite Pilot Talent, Cost:25-26

When attacking from inside the defenders firing arc, roll one additional attack die.

Quite powerful. Its ability could be tweeked to only include its primary weapon but then again giving a single missile attack one extra attack die isnt game breaking, is it?

Thoughts?

Her callsign was 'Dazzler'. She tend to shoot right into the cockpit when she had the opportunity to attack head-on.

Any testing taking place so far?

Any news?

I haven't read through all 18 pages, but I'm not convinced the TIE Advanced needs much in the way of 'fixing.' The major problem is simply a dearth of viable named pilots, since the scant few that we already have are, admittedly, on the pricey side. Or perhaps it's simply that the Empire isn't conducive to fielding a handful of moderately expensive ships when cheap swarms produce significantly better results. So, is this a ship problem, or a faction balance issue? If it's the former, it would be an easy matter for FFG to (eventually) print new pilot cards with competitively priced abilities, though we know they're never hasty about such things. If it's the latter, producing more robust Imperial fighters (or cheaper Rebel ones, like the Z-95) would give us more variety, but both factions would start to feel the same. Is that a direction we want to go?

I haven't read through all 18 pages, but I'm not convinced the TIE Advanced needs much in the way of 'fixing.' The major problem is simply a dearth of viable named pilots, since the scant few that we already have are, admittedly, on the pricey side. Or perhaps it's simply that the Empire isn't conducive to fielding a handful of moderately expensive ships when cheap swarms produce significantly better results. So, is this a ship problem, or a faction balance issue? If it's the former, it would be an easy matter for FFG to (eventually) print new pilot cards with competitively priced abilities, though we know they're never hasty about such things. If it's the latter, producing more robust Imperial fighters (or cheaper Rebel ones, like the Z-95) would give us more variety, but both factions would start to feel the same. Is that a direction we want to go?

It's not an issue of pilot cards. The ships have worse firepower to attack ratio for their points than, well, probably any other ship in the game. (Excluding support ships, but even they can potentially put out more damage).

Attack Dice > Defense Dice.

3/2/x/x > 2/3/x/x

Maarek's ability is also pretty "blah", but Vader's is amazing.

Skim through a few pages back and look for my detailed posts that run the numbers.

I haven't read through all 18 pages, but I'm not convinced the TIE Advanced needs much in the way of 'fixing.' The major problem is simply a dearth of viable named pilots, since the scant few that we already have are, admittedly, on the pricey side. Or perhaps it's simply that the Empire isn't conducive to fielding a handful of moderately expensive ships when cheap swarms produce significantly better results. So, is this a ship problem, or a faction balance issue? If it's the former, it would be an easy matter for FFG to (eventually) print new pilot cards with competitively priced abilities, though we know they're never hasty about such things. If it's the latter, producing more robust Imperial fighters (or cheaper Rebel ones, like the Z-95) would give us more variety, but both factions would start to feel the same. Is that a direction we want to go?

It's not an issue of pilot cards. The ships have worse firepower to attack ratio for their points than, well, probably any other ship in the game. (Excluding support ships, but even they can potentially put out more damage).

Attack Dice > Defense Dice.

3/2/x/x > 2/3/x/x

Maarek's ability is also pretty "blah", but Vader's is amazing.

Skim through a few pages back and look for my detailed posts that run the numbers.

So... grand scheme AD is greater than defense dice, maneuverability, and actions. Hooray for 5 Tie Interceptor squads?

So... grand scheme AD is greater than defense dice, maneuverability, and actions. Hooray for 5 Tie Interceptor squads?

Possibly. A 7 TIE swarm with Howlrunner would, ironically, likely have more firepower though. With Interceptors you're paying almost as many extra points for maneuverability as you are attack.

TIE Advanced... they just don't make sense points wise.

Take a PS1 TIE Fighter and give it 2 shields, that's worth

12*(5/3)^0.5 = 15.5

Round up to 17 because they're shields not straight hull, and Lanchester's Law breaks down a little with small numbers of combat units. Then add a point for Target Lock + Missile Slot, that's 18. Then add a point for +1 PS and you're at 19 points for PS2 TIE Advanced. The TIE Fighter also has better maneuverability, which isn't factored in.

Edit: Simple solution that still needs to be playtested more, is to give the Advanced a built-in Fire Control System. This puts them (almost) on par with X-wings.

I haven't read through all 18 pages, but I'm not convinced the TIE Advanced needs much in the way of 'fixing.' The major problem is simply a dearth of viable named pilots, since the scant few that we already have are, admittedly, on the pricey side. Or perhaps it's simply that the Empire isn't conducive to fielding a handful of moderately expensive ships when cheap swarms produce significantly better results. So, is this a ship problem, or a faction balance issue? If it's the former, it would be an easy matter for FFG to (eventually) print new pilot cards with competitively priced abilities, though we know they're never hasty about such things. If it's the latter, producing more robust Imperial fighters (or cheaper Rebel ones, like the Z-95) would give us more variety, but both factions would start to feel the same. Is that a direction we want to go?

It's not an issue of pilot cards. The ships have worse firepower to attack ratio for their points than, well, probably any other ship in the game. (Excluding support ships, but even they can potentially put out more damage).

Attack Dice > Defense Dice.

3/2/x/x > 2/3/x/x

Maarek's ability is also pretty "blah", but Vader's is amazing.

Skim through a few pages back and look for my detailed posts that run the numbers.

Vader's is amazing. What if they printed more pilots with skills of equal potency, but at a lower cost than Vader?

I wouldn't complain, but I would rather use house rules to make the TIE Advanced more balanced for my own play, and then see them put those pilots towards other ships like the TIE Avenger and TIE Defender.

i'd play the **** out of Darth Vader if that title would happen, or even if it was a modification i'd use it

i've always been saying that the tie advanced is too expensive for it's low firepower, but for that added 4 points for the extra attack die; it makes it highly playable

i really hope FFG looks at this thread and takes note

I think the stats are solid as is, changing them would encroach onto other ships many of us hope to see later, like the Avenger/Defender. Furthermore, I don't think they're going to change.

The ship, although iconic, does not really fit thematically or mechanically as anything other than the personal ride of a character, or as part of a small squadron of similar ships. A large defensive increase with only a small offensive increase over a standard TIE Fighter means that they're a lower-priority target, so unless a more important character is flying one, it is out of place when accompanying other more powerful or more fragile ships.

This is a good thing! It isn't meant to be to the Empire what the X-Wing is to the Alliance. Darth Vader had his commissioned (rumor has it) so that Soontir Fel would stop shooting him down in the sims, not to replace the TIE/LN as the standard space superiority ship.

Yet again:

Don't read the first post only!

There is a development in this topic.

The current solution is to give the Advanced a free FCS in exchange for the 2 points it is overcosted.

If you want to post in this topic, please take the time and read first!

Thank you.

So,

I did some more testing with FCS added, both with Vader and Mareek as well as 'normal' Adv's. Vader truely is a pilot to fear when this is added, I used Engine Upgrade and daredevil in my set up and he is plain nasty.

Mareek is now better, but not great and the normal Adv's are as experienced in earlier tests very viable now.

My conclusion would be that adding FCS is a very viable option to easily make the Adv viable without breaking it or being a hard update for FFG to implement.

Thanks for your feedback, Pete.

Vader would finally play in the same league like Wedge ...

Do you think that Maarek still needs a special treatment or is he fine enough with the FCS?

And how about the Storms + EPT? A must-have or a nice to have?

I think that Mareek works OK with FCS. As for the Storms, I think an EPT slot plus FCS would be overkill. I think the addition of FCS is enough to make the Adv a viable and not overpowered ship.

So your according on test experience the complete ADV line would been fixed with the FCS.

One use I had in mind with the EPT with the Storms was to use it as a tank with Draw their Fire - but maybe it would be too easy to transform them into little Vaders with PtL ... ?

After all you could take Maarek + PtL as Vaders Wingman ...

I agree with the Mareek plus PtL. I think the Storms become overpowered with EPT and FCS.

So what are the options for releasing new upgrades/titles for this ship, hypothetically speaking?

After all, this is good news.

I hope for others to test the FCS ADV and have their experiences shared with us.

@Joker Two: even when it gets some kind of improvement it will not be the same as the X-wing is to the rebels. The standard Tie Fighter will still see a lot of game as it fits a certain role and the low point cost is just great.

Right now the TA rarely sees time on the tables (except for Vader) simply because it is far off with the stats and the points costs. Regardless of fluff/background it still is part of a game system that should try to be balanced, and people spend money on it with the believe that there is some use for it. I have to admit that it will be incredibly hard to find a satisfying solution. You can't simply drop the points, I'm sure it was playtested and 5 of those for 100 points is too much (probably the same reason why the Academy is 12 and not 11 points). Simply adding systems is also tough, while it would be an elegant solution to add FCS or AS through some title kind of upgrade, I'm currently still testing the FCS option and my first impression is that it's immensely strong, especially vs low agility ships (everything with AG 1). You get a very strong Alpha strike, and you have an almost guaranteed 2 hits each shot (tl and focus), that seems quite nasty to me. Maarek is not really improving (besides the general improvement that all TA will have then), his higher costs might still be considered unjustified...

I don't know what AS would do, I'm all in testing the FCS right now.

The suggestions in adding extra attack dice (for whatever point costs) are absurd, that would destroy it's special feel and really make it a imperial X-Wing, just better.

My 2c

So what are the options for releasing new upgrades/titles for this ship, hypothetically speaking?

For the FCS ADV rule just an errata would be needed, like:

"The TIE Advanced may now equip the Fire Control System Upgrade Card for 0 points."

or

"The TIE Advanced has a built-in Fire Control System."

The suggestions in adding extra attack dice (for whatever point costs) are absurd, that would destroy it's special feel and really make it a imperial X-Wing, just better.

My 2c

And this would be the job of the TIE Avenger

So what are the options for releasing new upgrades/titles for this ship, hypothetically speaking?

This is more practical as 'house rules' than something FFG would do..

Not so fast. We don't know what FFG has in mind for future releases. Any way it would take time.

FFG is aware that the ADV would need a fix. But in the end, sales figures count.

I think we've found a sound fix for the Adv.

What we can do is to keep this topic alive, keep testing and keep reporting about our experiences.