TIE Defenders

[NeoGoomba]

Now, I know that the games are the lowest form of Canon, but they're still on the list, right? Have there ever been any instances in the EU novels where the (supposed) greatest starfighter in the galaxy been brought back into production?

[Ender]

Isard's revenge.

TIE Defenders are thee in their full Asskicking glory.

They also pop up in Starfighters of Adumar

[NeoGoomba]

Did it give any reason for their lack of appearance? I would have liked to have seen Pelleaon or Thrawn use them, as the later undoubtedly knew all about them, and Pelleaon would probably have found out about them after being appointed High Commander or whatever his rank was?

[God Emperor]

There said to be to much money, and Imperials were afraid pilots would defect.

[consequences]

they are very expensive for a starfighter, and by the time they came out, the Empire was in a downward spiral, and couldn't devote the resources to changing over their lines of production.

[nightmare]

They cost 300.000 credits, or five times that of a TIE LF. I would say they were definitely worth the cost, but that's me.

[Darth Yoshi]

TIE Defenders are very expensive, and I think a half-squadron of TIEs costs the same, but can be split up to provide better support.

[Vympel]

Now, I know that the games are the lowest form of Canon, but they're still on the list, right? Have there ever been any instances in the EU novels where the (supposed) greatest starfighter in the galaxy been brought back into production?

Games are expressly part of the continuity. The only thing that is debateable is game mechanics, i.e. the range of a laser cannon, the armament on the Star Destroyers- because they're skewed in favor of gameplay.

TIE Defender is part of the continuity, as is the XG-1 NovaWing.

[Slartibartfast]

TIE Defenders are ugly, ugly ships.

[Vympel]

TIE Defenders are ugly, ugly ships.

I like em.

[DPDarkPrimus]

TIE Defenders are ugly, ugly ships.

Looks aren't everything, especially when it comes to ships.

[Slartibartfast]

To me it looks like "Hm 2 wings = good, 3 wings = better!" design
I really dislike it. Eventually the next generation of TIEs will have a complex web-like network of ion/whatever panels...

[Slartibartfast]

TIE Defenders are ugly, ugly ships.

Looks aren't everything, especially when it comes to ships.

Unfortunately in graphical fiction, looks ARE everything.

The ship could be a shoe and have the exact same stats (who's going to tell me it can't be?), but to the public it's still a friggin' shoe.

[nightmare]

To me it looks like "Hm 2 wings = good, 3 wings = better!" design
I really dislike it. Eventually the next generation of TIEs will have a complex web-like network of ion/whatever panels...

http://www.theforce.net/swtc/tie.html#raptor

[Mr Bean]

Tie defenders acutal WHERE cheaper that interceptors if they had acutal invested the time and money into mass-producing them

Remeber fokes, 12 Fighters Built over two weeks by a gang of mechanics may be slightly cheaper in the long run, But 5,000 Mass-Produced a Day certiantly goes a long way towards cutting costs


Remeber the defender plants where all small scall and anyone who's ever worked in manfacuting can tell you why Ford Does not build 1,000 Expolers then sees if they sell, THEN produce the 500,000 that end up at market

Par for Par building in 10k Quanites is much cheaper per car than 100 or 1,000 runs

[Lord Pounder]

Defenders were classy wee ships. According to a few sites i checked it was the Imperial Admirals who put a stop to the Defender production line. They felt that the existance of hyperdrive equiped fighters were a tnhreat to their starfleet.

[starfury]

TIE Defenders are ugly, ugly ships.

too true, the interceptor is the best-looking TIE. the defender the most powerful, damm, why can't they make a Tie as good looking as the interceptor but powerful as the defender, the avenger was only a decent compromise between appearance and powerful.

[consequences]

Defenders were classy wee ships. According to a few sites i checked it was the Imperial Admirals who put a stop to the Defender production line. They felt that the existance of hyperdrive equiped fighters were a tnhreat to their starfleet.

Bleah, frickkin "starfighters are the most effective combat platform" brainbug. Going by the lowest HTL figures(200gigatons), and the highest reasonable Proton Torpedo figures(10 gigatons), it takes something like 3000+ Proton torpedos to take down the shields of one ISD. This would require at least a thousand starfighters firing simultaneously with perfect accuracy to accomplish.

[Lord Pounder]

Yes but don't forget how effective fighters are against larget Capital Ships. A Cap Ship -v- A Squad of fighters is only effective if the cap ship cna hit them. That why the Rebel TRD works so well against Imperial ships.

[Darth Servo]

Bleah, frickkin "starfighters are the most effective combat platform" brainbug. Going by the lowest HTL figures(200gigatons), and the highest reasonable Proton Torpedo figures(10 gigatons), it takes something like 3000+ Proton torpedos to take down the shields of one ISD. This would require at least a thousand starfighters firing simultaneously with perfect accuracy to accomplish.

Assuming that proton torpedos are their heaviest fighter based weapon, and that proton torpedos are actually an anti-cap ship weapon and not the anti-starfighter weapon that they obviously are.

[Darth Fanboy]

Reading too many Rogue Squadron Novels

Yes but don't forget how effective fighters are against large Capital Ships. A Cap Ship -v- A Squad of fighters is only effective if the cap ship cna hit them. That why the Rebel TRD works so well against Imperial ships.

It only works in the Cap Ship has its shields down in the area they are targeting and damage might be limited unless the fighters are some kind of bomber such as a B-Wing or Tie-Bomber. The Cap Ship might not hit the fighters but the fighters can't do any real damage if the shields are up.

I love Tie Defenders for their power myself but in terms of design I have to give the nod to the TIE-Advanced (aka TIE-Avenger). If the Fleet admirals were smart they'd have accepted the TIE Defender design but eliminated the hyperdrive, that would have cut costs and quashed some fears about their capital ship budgets. But with ships like the Executor its a wonder why they would even fear budget cuts to begin with.

[Ghost Rider]

I believe that also is a brain bug...the truth is more or less reoutfitting the entire starfleet. But as Bean pointed out, they are written as being cheaper to produce, and probably would've been the new symbol of the Starfighter corps if the Empire lasted long enough.

The TIE Defender amazingly was a classy elite weapon(which I saw it as...and better than the Missle Gunboat...blech), and as for Cap Ship killers, only in games...in most things they(starfighters) were most effective when combined in concert with Cap ship to provide a specific shield section to be taken down.

[Soontir C'boath]

What's wrong with the look of the TIE Defender?
Sure it has three solar panels and all but to me, it's cool.

Cyaround,
Jason

[Malachius]

I love TIE Interceptors the most, beautiful fighters. I do have a love for Defenders, and I like the way they look. But I just don't see the three solar panels as being very good for visibility from the cockpit, but maybe it really isn't too bad. I do not know. Perhaps the sensors eliminate this problem?

[DPDarkPrimus]

TIE cockpits only allow the pilot to see out the front, Defender or not... there might be a variation or two that differs from this, but I don't think so.