TIE Advanced x1/Legends

TIE Advanced x1 The TIE Advanced x1 (TIE/x1) was a prototype starfighter field tested by Darth Vader at the Battle of Yavin. Many of it's best design features were later incorporated into the TIE Interceptor and the TIE Avenger.

Details
The TIE Advanced x1 featured an original spaceframe and reinforced durasteel-alloy hull, with an elongated rear deck and matching bent wings covered with solar panels. The vessel had a solar ionization reactor and paired twin ion engines for a more powerful drive system than the standard TIE Fighter. Speed was only slightly improved due to the added mass of the vessel; a good deal of the extra power was bled off to the shield generators. While less maneuverable than standard TIE fighers, it was more resilient in battle.



The TIE Advanced x1 had twin heavy blaster cannons in a fixed, front-mounted position. In addition to its shields, it had a modest hyperdrive but no life-support systems. The target tracking system was also more sophisticated than the already formidable advanced targeting system on standard TIE craft, used to overcome the extremely powerful electronic jamming used by all combat craft to defeat target lock in battle. For best performance, the targeting system of the x1 required frequent adjustment in combat.

The Empire decided not to order the TIE Advanced x1 in large quantities, citing their excessive cost. Privately, some Imperial Navy strategists admitted that the Navy was afraid to purchase a fighter with a hyperdrive, fearing that it would give bureaucrats an excuse to slash orders for new capital starships. The few ships built were carried aboard Star Destroyers. TIE Advanced prototypes were deployed from Commander Strom's light cruiser to stage an attack on the Wheel, which the Empire blamed on the Rebellion, excusing the Imperial takeover of the station.

The Empire instead opted for the TIE Interceptor, which featured the TIE Advanced x1's drive system in a more compact ship. Although the TIE interceptor lacked a hyperdrive and shields, it was blindingly fast, incredibly maneuverable, and significantly cheaper than the TIE Advanced x1. By the Battle of Endor, the large increase in TIE interceptor production meant the end of production for the TIE Advanced x1.



The fighter flown by Vader was repaired when he reached an Imperial outpost. Vader had it with him on Terror, while overseeing the TIE Phantom project. When Terror was destroyed by Rebel operatives, Vader escaped in his fighter. It was later stowed aboard Executor and was apparently vaporized when the ship collided with the Death Star II during the Battle of Endor, though at least one TIE Advanced x1 was involved in the space battle over the sanctuary moon. One of Vader's other TIE/Advanced models was discovered by Jaden Korr in a hangar at Darth Vader's former stronghold on Vjun.

By the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong War, enough of these ships had been made that some ended up in the hands of private parties such as Lando Calrissian, who used a modified TIE Advanced x1 for entertainment purposes in the asteroid belt at Dubrillion. During the Battle of Dubrillion, Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin Solo (Vader's grandchildren) flew three of these fighters against Yuuzhan Vong coralskippers.

Behind the scenes

 * In early blueprints for the Imperial I-class Star Destroyers, fighters known as "TIE Assault Craft" could be seen as part of the fighter complement. These bent-wing craft might have been TIE Advanced x1's with a different name or possibly a sister craft of the x1.

Appearances



 * Prey
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars Empire: Betrayal
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * Tag and Bink are Dead
 * The Long, Bad Day
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Empire: Darklighter
 * Star Wars Empire 14: The Savage Heart
 * Walking the Path That's Given
 * Marvel Star Wars 18: The Empire Strikes
 * Marvel Star Wars 20: Deathgame
 * Marvel Star Wars 52: To Take The Tarkin
 * Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire
 * Collapsing New Empires
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Vector Prime