Craft: Sienar Fleet Systems’ TIE/ad Avenger
Type: Space superiority fighter
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 6.4 meters
Skill: Starship piloting: TIE
Crew: 1
Crew Skill: Astrogation 4D, Starfighter piloting 5D+2, starship gunnery 4D, starship shields 4D+1
Cargo Capacity: 70 kilograms
Consumables: 2 days
Cost: 400,000 Credits
Hyperdrive Multiplier: x1
Nav Computer: Yes (SFS N-s6 Navcon computer system)
Maneuverability: 5D
Space: 12
Atmosphere: 450; 1,300 kmh
Hull: 3D (Titanium hull with Quadanium steel solar panels)
Shields: 2D (Novaldex deflector shield generators)
Sensors:
Passive: 25/1D+1
Scan: 40/2D
Search: 60/3D+2
Focus: 4/4D
Weapons
4 Laser Cannons (fire linked) (SFS L-s9.3 laser cannons)
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D
Space Range: 1-3/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5 km
Damage: 6D
Tractor beam/jamming beam projector
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D
Space Range: 1-8/15/20
Atmosphere Range: 100-800/1.5/2 km
Damage: 5D
2 Warhead Launchers (24 Missiles) (SFS M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers)
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D
Space Range:
1/3/7 for missile and torpedoes
1/2/5 for rockets and bombs
Atmosphere Range:
50-500/1/5 km if a missile
30-100/300/700 if a torpedo
Damage:
9D if a concussion missile or proton torpedo is used
10D if a heavy rocket is used
11D if a heavy proton bomb is used
Background: The TIE/ad starfighter was the culmination of a series of starfighter designs first explored with Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced x1. To avoid confusion with Lord Vader’s personal craft, it was known better by its nickname TIE Avenger.
Incorporating the previous successes of the TIE Series starfighters, along with those of the Rebel Alliance, the TIE Avenger was one of the first production starfighters to break away from the Imperial doctrine of quantity over quality with the inclusion of deflector shields, a hyperdrive, and warhead launchers. It was also significantly faster and more maneuverable than any existing Imperial or Rebel starfighter, resulting in enemy pilots nicknaming them “brights”.
The TIE Avenger was a descendant of the TIE/Advanced series, which were designed as the next generation to succeed the TIE Fighter. Avengers shared many commonalities with the TIE Advanced x1; notably bent-wing solar arrays, flattened and extended fuselage, and non-standard wing pylons in contrast to other TIE series fighters.
Similar to its older cousin, the TIE Interceptor, the Avenger featured the intimidating pointed dagger solar arrays, not only in front but also in the rear. The Avenger’s sleek design was credited with significantly reducing its profile, compared to other Advanced prototypes, while still retaining a comparable surface area for gathering more light from a nearby star for power and propulsion.
At least one model run of the Avengers, such as those deployed to the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Dauntless near Gaerboud IV, featured hull assemblies elliptical in shape, coinciding with the craft’s overall smoother bodylines, in contrast with those of its spherical TIE relatives. Several other models of the Avenger, as well as the succeeding TIE Defender and the similarly elite TIE Hunter and TIE Aggressor, returned to the traditional spherical cockpit.
The TIE Avenger’s primary weapon system were four Sienar Fleet Systems L-s9.3 laser cannons mounted on the front tips of the solar arrays. These laser cannons were initially deployed on the TIE Interceptor, and later incorporated into the TIE/D Defender. These cannons were also more powerful than those of the standard TIE Fighter, capable of destroying an asteroid in a single burst. The Avenger’s cannons could be fired in single, dual, or linked modes depending on the pilot’s preference.
Warhead launchers were another weapon system that TIE Avengers took to the battlefield. SFS M-g-2 general-purpose warhead launchers formed the Avenger’s secondary weapon system, possessing a magazine capacity of four concussion missiles each; however, they could also be loaded with three proton torpedoes, two heavy rockets, or one space bomb. The Avenger could carry a double load of sixteen missiles or twelve torpedoes, however this was extremely rare compared to the TIE Bomber and TIE Defender. This standard feature was yet another advancement against the older TIE fighters, and the beginning of a major shift in Imperial doctrine leaning towards quality over quantity.
A tractor beam, often known as the beam weapon, was an optional system developed first for the TIE Avenger, and later used on the TIE Defender, Missile Boat, and occasionally the Assault Gunboat. During dogfights, Imperial pilots would use the beam weapon to snare enemy fighters in front of them and prevent them from escaping the Avenger’s firing arc. The tractor beam was only effective in close range and could only be used for a short period of time, as its energy reserve was quickly exhausted and required frequent recharging. That was enough for the Avenger pilot to blast an enemy at point blank with either a quad-linked laser burst or warhead (without acquiring a full missile lock). Elite pilots such as Maarek Stele even took advantage of the tractor beam to successfully hit enemy fighters with advanced proton torpedoes (bearing in mind that torpedoes were more than twice as powerful as missiles but were too slow to track fighters on their own). The tractor beam paired with the Avenger’s exceptional maneuverability gave it the upper hand in space superiority.
The TIE Avenger was powered by the SFS I-s3a solar ionization reactor and featured the new SFS P-sx7.4 Twin ion engines. This new propulsion system, rated at 133 MGLT, pushed the Avenger faster than any previous TIE starfighter. The Avenger was also more nimble than the TIE/IN interceptor and the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor, with a maneuverability rating of 104 DPF. These factors were a major contributor in TIE Avenger’s success over the Rebel Alliance’s fighters.
The TIE Advanced x1 pioneered the inclusion of a hyperdrive but it suffered from reduced maneuverability compared to the standard TIE Fighter. For the succeeding TIE Avenger, a major obstacle was overcome when Admiral Zaarin discovered a partner in the Habeen, who achieved a breakthrough in making a new hyperdrive model that could be small and reliable enough, eliminating the disadvantages of hyperdrive inclusion. The final TIE Advanced prototype far exceeded expectations by including a hyperdrive, shields, and a general purpose warhead launcher, all while surpassing the TIE Fighter’s trademark speed and agility.
As impressive as its speed and agility is, the Avenger was still a small craft in the mold of the TIE/LN starfighter and TIE/IN interceptor, and emphasized space superiority due to its small warhead load and lack of ion cannons. The Avenger lost the performance crown by a small margin to the TIE/D Defender. While the difference was minor, it was significant considering the Defender’s triple wing design and larger hull, and numerous advances over the Avenger, such as ion cannons. This made the Defender larger and heavier than any of its predecessors—a fact which made its speed and maneuverability all the more impressive.
Coinciding with the trend of improved quality in Imperial starfighters, the Avenger was equipped with deflector shields.
Like earlier TIE series fighters, the Avenger’s great speed and agility coupled with its small size made it a difficult target. In a similar precedent, the Avenger’s armor plating was marginal, affording only as much protection as the TIE Interceptor. However, the inclusion of deflector shields meant that the Avenger would not fall prey to stray debris or laser fire that claimed unshielded TIEs, and with its shields at full power the Avenger was exceptionally difficult to destroy. The succeeding Defender, while still remarkably fast and agile as the Avenger, relied more heavily on shields because its triple wing design gave opponents a larger profile.
The TIE Avenger’s primary role was space superiority or starfighter interception. The Avenger excelled in this role: during the Galactic Civil War, no Rebel Alliance fighter could out-run or outmaneuver the Avenger. In the right hands, it could outmatch its intended replacement, the TIE Defender, as the Avenger’s small size made it a more difficult target and afforded it better maneuverability, and as the Defender’s large tri-wing design introduced several blind spots. When coupled with the tractor beam weapon, the Avenger was even more deadly.
As the TIE Bomber aged, the TIE Avenger was called on to perform assault or bombing roles. With its nimble frame, the Avenger was easily able to dodge defensive fire, even more so than its successor, the Defender. The Avenger was often utilized to carry heavy rockets and heavy space bombs, two very powerful but slow projectile weapons, as its high speed could offset the warhead’s disadvantages. The Avenger afforded expert pilots such as Maarek Stele the chance to use rockets in hit-and-run attacks against smaller craft such as transports and shuttles. While difficult to aim, rockets were far more powerful than proton torpedoes.
The Avenger’s small hull lacked the large capacity warhead magazines necessary to destroy larger capital ships. Because it lacked ion cannons, the TIE Avenger was also reliant on assault starfighters to disable mission critical craft.
The TIE Avenger was the perfect complement for the Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wing Assault Gunboat. Because of the hyperspace capability of both classes, they could arrive in a system at the same time, catching Rebel patrols by surprise. While the Avengers handled enemy fighters, the Gunboats could concentrate on their intended roles, whether that be capturing craft or assaulting capital ships. Successful Avenger-Gunboat partnerships included the capture of Admiral Harkov and the seizure of Galactic Electronics’ mag pulse weapons. Later, the TIE Defender would largely supplant the Avenger and Gunboat.
The high success rate of more advanced Rebel starfighters against standard Imperial TIE/LN starfighters resulted in a mounting cost of replacing pilots and craft. This, combined with the realization that the inclusion of a hyperdrive would allow the fleet to be more flexible, caused the Imperial Navy to rethink its doctrine of using swarms of cheap craft instead of fewer high-quality ones.
The Imperial Navy, under the direction of Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, began exploring this concept with several prototypes that were usually referred to as TIE Advanced, starting with the TIE Advanced x1. The x1, despite pioneering the inclusion of a hyperdrive and deflector shields, was more expensive and suffered from reduced maneuverability compared to the standard TIE Fighter. While it did become Darth Vader’s personal craft, it never went into full-scale production.
Nonetheless, TIE Advanced development and production continued. At first, production of the TIE Advanced was without a hyperdrive engine, as adding one at the time would reduce performance. This major obstacle was soon overcome when Admiral Zaarin discovered Habeen and the Nharwaak scientists who had created a revolutionary new hyperdrive model that could be small and reliable enough to eliminate the disadvantages of including a hyperdrive.
he result of this was the final TIE Advanced, a starfighter that not only incorporated a hyperdrive, shields, and a warhead launcher, but did so without sacrificing the TIE’s trademark speed and agility. When Zaarin gave a successful demonstration of the new Advanced’s capabilities, Darth Vader was so impressed that he authorized its production.
While “TIE Advanced” is technically correct, as it was the only prototype to make it into production, Imperial pilots nicknamed it the “TIE Avenger”. Soon, the craft was commonly referred to by its nickname to avoid confusion with Vader’s personal Advanced x1.
At least three TIE Avengers were involved in an Imperial fleet exercise alongside a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, a Praetor Mark II-class battlecruiser, a Bellator-class dreadnought, two Imperial-class Star Destroyers, an Assertor-class Star Dreadnought, and an Allegiance-class battlecruiser, the latter two also being refueled by an Altor-class replenishment ship.
Appearances: Andor