Imperial Origins
When FN-2187 decides to do the right thing and free Poe Dameron (AW29) from captivity aboard Finalizer, the pair flee aboard a very familiar looking ship, a First Order Special Forces TIE fighter. The TIE (Twin Ion Engines) fighter is well known to all Star Wars fans, featuring in many iconic battles with Rebel ships. The first glimpse of the Imperial TIE came when the Millennium Falcon engaged a group whilst fleeing Tattooine.
TIE 2.0
The craft that FN-2187 (soon to be christened Finn (AW45)) and Poe find themselves in is not quite the Imperial TIE fighter of the Original Trilogy. Nor is it the First Order TIE fighter (AW6). Rather, it’s the First Order Special Forces TIE fighter. Both models deployed by the First Order are more advanced than their Imperial predecessor.
The Special Forces version has a heavy weapons turret, operated by a gunner in a second seat. It also comes with limited hyperdrive capabilities. Both come with shield generators, the Special Forces model having the more powerful shields. Both are also black, to disrupt visual targeting in space combat. The Imperial TIE and its grey paint job seems positively dull by comparison.
Cannon fodder no more
One big difference between the Imperial and First Order TIE fighters is the manner in which they are deployed and viewed by the military commanders of the respective regimes. Imperial TIEs were unshielded and thrown at enemies in an effort to defeat them by sheer weight of numbers. The attack on the shield gate at Scarif is a perfect example, with wing upon wing of TIEs scrambling to engage the Rebels. Imperial TIE pilots did not have long careers. First Order TIEs are far more advanced and pilots trained to a much higher standard. The First Order seem to view their TIE fleet in a slightly different way. Hopefully the classic TIE fighter vs. X-wing battles will continue for some time yet.
Check back tomorrow for Lyndsey Smith’s card dissection.
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