Star Wars: X Wing: TIE Interceptor review

FFG's Star Wars: X Wing - TIE Interceptor Review

FFG's Star Wars: X Wing game has a new Imperial fighter to fly alongside the Plentiful TIE Fighters and the Elite TIE Advanced. The TIE Interceptor has been one of the most anticipated ships to be added to the game since it's release.






Behind the Scenes

One of ILM's filming models

The TIE Interceptor was first seen in Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. it took design elements from the TIE Fighter and Darth Vader's TIE Advanced to make something that looked a lot more deadly and aggressive then either.


The Model

The TIE Interceptor is one of the "Sexier" ships in the Star Wars universe. The FFG Model captures the look of the ship perfectly, from the standard TIE ball cockpit to the dagger shaped solar panels. The paint job is subtle and very effective. Weathering is very toned down which makes sense for a mass produced ship like the TIE Interceptor.

The Ship and Game Stats:

The TIE Interceptor brings some new tricks to the Imperial forces. Fist lets look at a standard TIE Interceptor Stats.

Firepower: 3
Agility: 3
Shields: 0
Hull: 3

Boost, Focus, Evade, Barrel Roll

Yup, that's right, a Firepower 3 TIE! This is a huge boost to Empire squads. Firepower 3 is great against Agility 2 opponents like X Wings but even better against Agility 1 opponents like the YT-1300 and the Y Wing.

It does take finesse to fly the Interceptor well. At 18 points for the most basic model the TIE , while cheaper then an X Wing is still pricey. It's a egg with a sledgehammer and players need to be cautious and avoid letting the Rebels roll to many attack dice. Those measly 3 hull point go fast!

however not all is lost. The TIE Interceptor is still ultra manueverable and with boost can often get out of tricky situations or set itself up for the perfect shot.

The Pilots:   You get plenty of options with the TIE Interceptor as is comes with a whopping 6! Pilots!

Soontir Fel     Top Interceptor pilot Soontir Fel has an interesting if somewhat specialized skill. Every time Fel becomes stressed he also receives a free Focus token. This encourages players to play Fel to the extreme, pushing his performance envelope and getting as many free Focus tokens as possible.

Turr Phennir  I like Turr's skill a lot. After shooting perform a free Barrel Roll or Boost action. This let's turr get in, make his shots and hopefully maneuver  to avoid retribution.

Fel's Wrath   Not sure what to make of this guy. The only way to use his special ability is to be destroyed. Might just go with the Saber Pilot for the savings in points.

Alpha, Avenger and Saber Squadron Pilots: Alpha and Avenger pilots are your basic cheap cannon fodder pilots. At Pilot level 1 and 3 they don't cost a lot and are cheaper then Rebel X Wings. The Saber Pilot is a little different, at Skill level 4 his is a little below average but he does come with a Medallion upgrade slot.

Equipment and Upgrades

Daredevil:   A great card to go with any ship that already has boost. Basically it allows you to make a sharp "1" turn that will also stress your ship (So goes well with Soontir Fel's special ability.

Elusiveness: Make any attacker re-roll on of their hit dice and receive a Stress Token. cool effect and at 2 points it's not that expensive. Another Card that seems tailor made to go with Soontir Fel.


Conclusions

The TIE Interceptor is a great addition to the forces of the Empire. With 6 pilot options you have plenty of flexibility in building that perfect force.  If you are a fan of the ship or an Empire player you would do well to add one or two interceptors to your force. While I think the jury is still out on the viability of an all Interceptor force at 100 points they do excel as flankers.

5 exhaust ports out of 5.