Specifications:
The classic TIE Fighter was the most common craft in use by the fleets of the Empire. The TIE/LN was very cost effective and easy to produce in mass thanks to its simple design and small size, allowing it to be built in untold numbers. The standard TIE does not include a secondary weapon system, such as a warhead launcher, nor does it feature a hyperdrive or shielding system. Visibility in the TIE/LN is hampered to either side by the placement and design of the solar panel wings, which reduce peripheral vision from the cockpit to virtually zero.
Specification:
The TIE Interceptor is immediately distinguishable by its shorter but longer, notched arrow shaped solar panels. It was intended as a more heavily armed replacement for the TIE/LN that was also faster and more maneuverable. Like the ship it was designed from, it does not equip a hyperdrive or shielding system as standard features. The peripheral vision problems that plagued the original TIE/LN were improved in this iteration, but still left the pilot with a few blind spots in their field of view.
Specifications:
The TIE Advanced X1 was a prototype built by Sienar to test the feasibility of a TIE variant that included a hyperdrive and a shield system. It equipped two of the same upgraded laser cannons that the TIE Interceptor received and was faster than a standard TIE Fighter. This was the craft type chosen by Lord Vader for his personal ship.
Specifications:
This is the production version of the TIE Advanced X1 prototype. Identified by its lengthened hull and double notched arrowhead solar arrays, this is a very strong and capable ship that excels in a variety of mission roles. Built standard with the X1’s hyperdrive and shielding system, Sienar took the design a step further by doubling the number of laser cannons, finding space for a warhead launcher, and increasing the top speed. Traditionally, TIEs relied on overwhelming numbers, however with the introduction of the TIE Advanced to the fleet, each craft has itself become a dangerous foe to all enemies, large or small.
Specifications:
With its tri-wing design, the TIE Defender is arguably one of the most easily recognizable TIE variants. The T/D takes the production TIE Advanced design even further by incorporating two ion cannons into the upper wing tips, allowing for the disabling of enemy craft, as well as a tractor beam mount to hold target ships immobile while they are pummeled by the ship’s laser cannons, ions, and warheads. It retains the hyperdrive, shield system, and excellent maneuverability of the previous design as well as boasting improved speed. The Defender is widely considered the very best fighter craft in the fleet.
Specifications:
A modified version of the V-38 Sentinel, the TIE Phantom featured a non-spherical cockpit module and three dagger shaped solar arrays. Equipped with both a shield generator and a hyperdrive, what really set the Phantom apart was its revolutionary cloaking device, rendering the ship invisible to scanners and visual observation. Offensively, the Phantom was armed with a total of five laser cannons that could be fired individually or linked, two mounted to the hull on either side of the cockpit and one each in the wing tips. This gave the Phantom a tremendous amount of firepower.