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The Power Of The Dark Side
A shadow falls over the Star Wars: X-Wing universe… deep, robotic breathing can be heard over the comms. As you shoot down the last of those pesky TIE fighters, a new craft appears against the starscape. With angled wings, higher agility, a built-in hyperdrive and a lethal cluster missile launcher, the TIE Advanced X1 fills any Rebel pilot with dread, and is a dark force to be reckoned with.
The next in the lineup of Imperial expansions for the game, let’s see how the TIE Advanced X1 pairs with the Core Set, and which niche it fills in the expansive roster of craft for the Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game.
I Have You Now…
The pilot most players will be flying this ship with (both thematically and to capitalise on points cost) is the dark lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader, whose key strategy revolves around getting a bead on enemy fighters with a target lock. This mechanic assigns a token to the defending ship which can be spent by the attacker to reroll one of their attack dice. When you dial in the TIE’s Advanced Targeting Computer - allowing you to roll an additional attack die and change a hit to a critical hit - the resulting strike is deadly. When you only have one shot… make it count.
This means the TIE Advanced X1 must act as a calculated killer, blocking with a cadre of Imperial aces to buy the time necessary to secure a target lock. If you’re flying as Vader’s elite Black Squadron, this will likely consist of the two TIEs from the core Second Edition set. Be sure to pair the TIE Advanced with a similar fighter escort to ensure you can make best use of your Fire-Control System.
If you have a lock on an enemy craft, this upgrade lets you reroll an attack die as if you were spending your lock token, but that token is not lost. Instead, the TIE Advanced is able to bear down on its opponents, forcing them to fly dangerously in their efforts to shake you off their tail. Among my group, many a player has opted to barrel-roll through a passing debris field, taking damage just to escape the TIE’s relentless pursuit!
Attack Formation
Even though the X1 can certainly hold its own and weather heavy blaster fire with the thick exterior of a 3-strength hull and 2-strength deflector shields, another reason to avoid flying solo is this set’s included Ruthless talent card. While performing an attack, you may choose one of your allies at range 0-1 of an enemy and actually catch them in the crossfire, automatically dealing damage to both ships in the process. Truly, as Darth Sidious said, the dark side is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.
The Squad Leader card, too, relies on your wingmen. This Unique Talent opens up the Coordinate action, allowing allied ships within range of your own to perform an action from the TIE X1’s action bar as if it were also on theirs. This can give your escorts a much-needed Focus token to up their prowess in battle, or even allow them to lock onto an enemy fighter themselves, creating a squadron of laser-accurate troops.
This in turn is reinforced by the ship’s Missile slot, and this is where the explosive choices really bloom. A barrage of Cluster Missiles (making full use of the lock-on mechanic and offering a bonus second strike at range 0-1) is included with this set, but across all its expansions Star Wars: X-Wing comes racked with over a dozen overcharged options.
Stay On The Leader
What would the craft flown by Darth Vader himself be without some Force upgrades? Like Vader’s surprise attack during the Death Star trench run, the Heightened Perception card guarantees that you will fire the first shot, allowing you to engage at Initiative 7 for the cost of one Force token. Limited to Force users, this upgrade still packs a punch.
Deviously complimenting this dark side ability is a copy of Supernatural Reflexes. With this upgrade, you may spend a Force token to perform an additional roll or boost action, two essential aids for spinning out of a tight spot in a pinch. Just beware of putting yourself in the flight path of your allies if you’re running an Imperial attack group! Even in the far reaches of space, it can quickly get crowded during an intense dogfight.
Dark Lord
The component quality in this set is just as exquisite as the rest. For some reason, this staple of the Imperial armada lends itself particularly well to this scale, from the beady red eyes of its laser cannons to the sleek, black glass of its cockpit offsetting the cold, uncaring blue-grey of its hull. Another small ship, excellent weathering and fine paint details have nonetheless been packed into this miniature like stormtroopers into a troop carrier, with a black wash to pick out all the finer exterior greebles so evocative of the practical models utilised in the films’ production.
The card artwork is dynamic, but naturally Vader’s portrait is a standout as his TIE Advanced rushes through the motion-blurred Death Star trench with emerald laser bolts flashing past. The other pilots, unfortunately, do pale in comparison to the might of the dreaded Darth, so some customised TIEs would have gone a long way to differentiate between them. But their uniformity does mirror their faction’s cruel efficiency, and some subtle elements like the glare of the sun in a front viewport add some flair upon closer inspection.
The Force Is Strong With This One
Like its on-screen appearance during the finale of A New Hope, flying the TIE Advanced X1 really feels like you’re getting the drop on your opponents and keeping the pressure on, dive-bombing from behind to weaken them. Situational attack runs and carefully-planned manoeuvres will make sure you stay one step ahead of enemy ships before locking them in your sights and swooping in for the kill.
You don’t need to be Force-sensitive to have figured out that this is yet another carefully-crafted and exhilarating expansion to the game. Though it doesn’t have quite as unique and characteristic a strategy as some of the Scum and Villainy faction’s offerings - like the Fang Fighter or Slave 1 - the TIE Advanced X1 thematically builds upon mechanics in the base game like Force tokens and target locks to create a loadout that’s as magnificent as it is merciless.
