Article 13: Ships I like #1: The TIE/fo

I'm trying to make up for an unproductive summer by putting out some easier to write articles. No diagrams or schemes, just some thoughts on topics that interest me.

In that vein, this article is the first in a series on ships that I like.  This isn't to say they're good, just that I like how they play.  It's not likely to be convincing, but if you like these sorts of ships already, maybe this article series will get you to try some stuff you've always been borderline about, or maybe you'll be inspired to squeeze a little more out of these ships yourself. I'll be discussing why I like them and a little of how I play them, but it won't get super technical, because these are supposed to be quick to write.  

I'm starting off with the TIE/fo (henceforth referred to as the FO) because it was one of my favorite ships in 1.0.  It was a TIE Fighter, but it had just enough extra stuff (shield, lock, dial improvement) that it was just about a "real ship".  I don't have a good definition of "real ship" in my head, I just apply the tag to a ship that I expect to consistently contribute on its own in more ways than just blocking or support.  There's a lot of ambiguity there, I know.  In 2.0, the stats and role of the FO didn't really change at all, which is fine, but the points always seemed high compared to similar ships of the same capabilities (I'm looking at you, RZ-2s).  Consequently, I left them alone as there was so much else to try anyway.  With the recent points shift, most of the FOs have dropped 1-2 points, which really adds up for that sort of low-end ship.

What I like:

Statline:  It's a TIE Fighter with a shield.  4 HP, 3 AGI, and 2 Attack put this ship squarely in the "durable" as opposed to the "punchy" camp.  Normally I'm not a huge fan of ships whose needle points to the durable side of the dial, but the FO has other attributes that make it interesting.  For one, it's become cheap enough that it's less a bad offense/good defense ship and more an okay offense/good defense ship.  Furthermore, it's the kind of ship where you sometimes want to just throw it at something to occupy it and get in the way. The defensive slant is useful in that kind of role, and lets you convert defense into offense by getting close (and not immediately dying).  That extra hit point makes a big difference in durability over time as well.  Old TIE/lns sometimes go pop, and sometimes last forever.  FOs likewise sometimes last forever, but are a lot less unlikely to just pop from as bad round of dice.  

This means more ships in the mid and late game.

Actions:  The FO can Focus, Lock, Evade, and Barrel Roll, all the normal stuff except Boost.  The Lock is the real key action compared to the old Imperial TIE, and it does work on the FO.  FOs block a lot.  Blocking is a great time to take a Lock because you're not getting shot.  They're also cheap and kind of bad targets because of their defensively oriented profile.  This means FOs can often take a slight risk in uncertain situations and grab a Lock to save for later instead of a Focus.  There's usually turns when you're chasing an opposing ace where you know you don't get shots, but you're cutting off zones where you don't want the ace to be.  These are great turns to lock, and it means the FOs have a better chance to have telling shots when they get those shots.  

Dial:  The FO has a nice dial.  It's got all the standard TIE fighter moves, with a couple bonuses.  The 2 turns are blue, giving more options to drop stress.  Scorch excepted, these ships don't tend to stress themselves, so the bonus is more "keep options open when incidental stress happens".  More importantly, it has 2-sloops.  These moves are great.  For one, they're combined with the 4k, so you have 3 turn-around options and can face 3 different directions on a red move.  Another good thing about the sloops is that they're short.  With two dice, FOs don't do threaten much damage at long range.  The 2-sloop keeps them close to the action, able to maintain close proximity to opposing ship.  This ability works great with the lock action, as you can move, block, lock, then Sloop next turn and have a modified shot.

Compared to SFs:  TIE/sfs also got a drop in points, and are currently seeing a big increase in use.  It's easy to see why.  They're durable, have a rear arc, and can be upgunned with missiles or SF gunners.  They're the reliable choice for filler in a First Order list.  Equipped with Gunner, the SF is a different class of ship.  It has more offense and more shots per game, but is 15 points more (from cheapest FO to cheapest SF).  The basic unequipped SF and a lightly upgraded FO are in the same general points range, however, and do merit some comparison.  

The SFs have the nice stack of hit points, the rear arc, and the 1-straight.  The FOs have 3 AGI, more turnaround moves, a white hard 1, and are still slightly cheaper for equivalent initiative.  The SF with its higher hit points is more resistant to combined fire.  The FO with its higher agility is more resistant to lower numbers of shots (dependent on the quality of the incoming shot).  The defensive differences mean the SF is better able to stand up to a head-on joust with a lot of incoming shots, but easier for a single ship to grind away in the mid and end game.  The dial and arc differences mean the SF has a better time on target, getting more shots in the initial few turns.  The point differences mean you get some initiative and abilities in an FO of equivalent cost to an SF, and sometimes means you get an extra ship if your list has entry level FOs.  

The friends:  In all honesty, one positive factor that rivals all things listed above is the ship these guys fly beside:  Kylo Ren, of course.  Kylo is arguably the best ship in the game.  Good initiative, two force, and the best ship of all the force equipped pilots, and at a decent price.  That makes everything about the little guys better, because when they sacrifice themselves for the big guy, that big guy matters.  I've been running FOs in front of Kylo as a screen for my last few games.  That arrangement keeps the opposing squad at arm's length, so opposing ships aren't closing fast on Kylo for high quality shots.   It helps preserve Kylo, and it helps deny areas through blocking and mass of potentially dangerous range 1 shots, all while being tough enough to take some hits.  

Thus we reach the end of my thoughts on the TIE/fo.  If you like this sort of ship, there's never been as better time to try it.  Check the ship out and see what you think.