TIE Avenger

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Info

Title	TIE Avenger
Side	Dark
Type	Starship — Starfighter (TIE/AD)
Set	Dagobah
Rarity	C
Uniqueness	Unrestricted
Destiny	3
Power	2
Deploy	3
Forfeit	2
Maneuver	4
Hyperspeed	2
Icons	Nav Computer
card_uid	4_172
Version	printed
Printings	Dagobah — this page

TIE Avenger is a Dark Starship (Starfighter) from Dagobah.

Card Text

Deploy -1 to same system as any Imperial capital starship. May add 1 pilot. Boosted TIE Cannon may deploy aboard.

Lore

Design based on Lord Vader's prototype Advanced x1. Manufactured until replaced by the more economical TIE Interceptor. Equipped with deflector shields and a hyperdrive.

Strategy

By Johan de Jong

At first glance, this appears to be just another type of TIE fighter with an odd wing configuration, a variant on the globe-cockpit, blah, blah, blah. What makes this card worth the card extra then ?

It's this. First of all, the destiny of 3 is great. You won't take out Obi-Wan with it, but compared to the destiny 1 from a normal TIE-Fighter or even the destiny 0 on a TIE-Bomber, this baby will probably not be the cause for a drop in average destiny in your deck. Personally I always try to have a decent average destiny all the time, so this TIE variant fits the bill quite nicely.

Next are its gameplay statistics. Power 2, Maneuver 4, Hyperspeed 2. Power 2 is just 1 more power than a basic TIE-fighter, but wait ! This Tie has no pilot yet ! Add even a lowly Imperial Pilot and you have a Power 4 starfighter. Better than a regular X-Wing ! Maneuver 4, hmmmmm. Basically, maneuver is not all that important anymore, but in those cases where it does count, such as in the asteroids, or even during a Tallon Roll, the 4 makes the difference. Hyperspeed 2... wait a minute ! A TIE variant with hyperspeed ? Yes indeed. Hyperspeed 2 might not be all too great, but add a Dark Maneuvers and see this increase to 4 for one turn (as most people don't use Dark Maneuvers for this bonus I also include it here). Why, a TIE Avenger in the clouds is even better than the Obsidians with regards to total modified power AND maneuver (though not deploy). Deploy 3, Forfeit 2. The deploy is a bit heavy, especially as it is higher than the forfeit value, however, there are many ways to take this down. Deploy the TIE Avenger to the same system as a Dark Side capital ship, deploy it at Kessel, or at a Star Destroyer: Launch Bay. So this, though disappointing, is not the problem at all.

"Boosted TIE Cannon may deploy here". An interesting sentence, as the Boosted TIE Cannon was only allowed on TIE Advanced x1 and Punishing One. When using starship weapons, the Boosted TIE Cannon was always better than the Enhanced TIE Cannon when using the bonus to hit starfighters. This can make the TIE Avenger an even more deadly adversary against starfighters. The main Strength of the TIE Avenger lies in the fact that it has no pilot.

A lot of people find this a weakness, as you need two cards for it to work, but actually it can be an advantage. There are a few more pilots than just Imperial Pilots. Any of the DS-61 pilots can make this craft a power 5 starfighter. For asteroid dodging use a TIE Avenger with First Anthology Fett (if you do not have CC Fett and Slave I), for a power 4, maneuver 5 starfighter. With all the ability 2 and ability 3 pilots (and Baniss Keeg to increase the number of pilots even more), you should have little trouble in getting battle destiny in space.

In short, the best all-purpose heavy duty starfighter in the Imperial Arsenal as of yet.

Strong Points

Power, maneuver and hyperspeed of reasonable amount. Also, a lot can still be increased.

You can add any pilot. There are many pilots out there.

Good destiny.

Common card, making it easy to obtain.

Weak Points

Rather weak Deploy/Forfeit ratio.

No immunity to attrition and thus easy prey to battle destiny. The 'TIEs are fragile'-syndrome.

Combos:

• TIE Avenger + Imperial Pilot = power 4, maneuver 4, hyperspeed 2.

• 2 TIE Avengers + 2 Imperial Pilots = Power 8, maneuver 4, hyperspeed 2 and ability 4, making battle destiny possible.

• TIE Avenger + Imperial Pilot + Tallon Roll = Average of 8 + destiny against Light Side score (even the Falcon gets scared).

• TIE Avenger + Imperial Pilot + Dark Maneuvers = power 5, maneuver 6, hyperspeed 4. Tallon Roll with this !

And the final combo of the line :

• TIE Avengers + any pilots better than the Imperial Pilot = All the above, but even better.

Pulled by

• All Power To Weapons
• Commander Brandei
• Early Warning Network
• Short Range Fighters

Characteristics

• Imperial (starship)

Underlying card for

• Mara Jade In VT-49 Decimator

See Also

Sources

• Star Wars CCG cardlists index at Decipher.com (archive, 25 December 2008)
• Complete Card List (Decipher PDF, archive 28 September 2007) — Dark Starship: TIE Avenger, Dagobah, C

References