TIE Defenders vs. Clawcraft?

Does the TIE Defender still rank as the most effective fighter ever, or has it been eclipsed by the newer Clawcraft design?

Or, is the popular X-wing worship placing the XJ3s above them both?

 

The Defender still beats both hands-down, according to most estimates I've seen. It outguns both, probably outruns both, and certainly outmanuvers the XJ.

 

Clawcraft are more of an Interceptor, while a Defender is your unltra-expensive one.

 

I would say the Defender still ranks #1 in everything but shields, which would go to the X-Wing. Does anyone have a really good pic of the clawcraft?

 

These are the TIE/df's stats according to XWA.

Shields: 100 SBD
Hull: 14 RU
Speed: 144 MGLT
Acceleration: 21 MGLT/sec
Maneuverability: 110 DPF

Compared to other fighters in XWA, the TIE/df has strong shields (the T-65C A2 has 50 SBD) and a weak hull rating (the TIE Interceptor has 16 RU).

 

Hm, I stand corrected.

 

There is a good picture of the clawcraft in the Icons page, look under "C", sorry about the lack of instructions, this is off memory.

 

Eh, that's the only one I've seen. I was wondering if anyone has done a side profile. I'd like to see it in landing config.

Here's the only pic I could find. Not quite what I expected. I don't really like it. scroll down

 

That's the best clawcraft picture that you're probably going to get for a good long while, sadly.

Back to the subject at hand, I think that the TIE defender is a pretty darned impressive ship, although I got the impression that the clawcraft was pretty darned fast and nimble as well.

 

I personally don't like the way the Defender looks. I looks very manueverable on the roll-axis, but other than that it looks extremely...interesting. Then again, I've always loved sleak aircraft, so I'm partial to the X-Wing and Interceptor.

 

I'd take a TIE defender anyday of the week.

Axl.

 

According to all the stat's I've seen, scrounged, or decombiled out of video games, the Tie Defender is still the undefeated champion of starfighters.

The current D20 Star Wars RPG stats confirm this. The Tie Defender stats even seem to beat the NJO era X-wing

I've always wondered would would have happened if they built Tie Defenders and added Missile Boat slams and warhead tech...

scary

 

The Defender at least looks like a design the Empire would consider using, the claw craft is too rounded. I also don't preticularily like the claw craft.

 

Methinks the mass added by the warhead capacity, along with the increased power drain would hamper its performance. Best to have Defenders running interference while a missile boat attacks the capital ships instead.

 

What above said. But use the Clawcraft to harry the enemy's starfighters and other objectives, which they are well suited for.

 

More or less, the same mission profile as the Defenders, just that they would need superior numbers to do so effectively.

Another use for the Defenders is for a two-stage capital ship attack, have missile boats use torpedoes and rockets to hammer down shields, Defenders to draw fire and use ion cannons to disable once the time comes. Ideally, the Defenders and Missle Boat would move on to the next ship, and have the designated fighers clean up any enemy resistance (such as fighters), and possibly devote Defenders to disabling shuttles and escape pods.

 

Best of my knowledge, the missile boats are just plain gone, though. In TIE Fighter, all of the designers are KIA and the only missile boats left wound up...gone. I assumed Mount Tantiss.

 

If they existed post-endor to begin with, that is.

Either way, Mt. Tantiss or Byss were the most likely storage locations, and neither of them are there anymore.

 

Here's another pic of the Clawcraft. (3 on the right)

[image=http://www.theforce.net/books/bookcovers/jpn/images/dj.jpg]

 

And yes, there was only two of them in the novel

 

That's a really nice picture of them thar clawcraft. Some of those Japanese covers are very nice, really.

 

Here are the stats from the SW RPG for the three types of ships:

XJ3 - TIE/def - Claw

Manu 4d - 5d - 3d+1

Hull 5d - 3d+2 - 2d

Shield 2d - 2d - 1d+1

It seems that the TIE and the XJ3 are pretty evenly matched(I think the XJ3 might have an edge with heavier torps) The Clawcraft would have to be controlled by a pilot with great skill...

 

It looks better in that pic. I almost like it. Although I imaging when landed it would look interesting, with the claws vertical and everything.

 

Are you sure about those clawcraft stats? Everything we've seen in the novels indicates they have superior manuverability to the XJ3.

 

The original TIE Defender design in the TIE Fighter PC game had 200SBD shields IIRC. It was toned down in the later games...