Starfighter combat/Legends

===Universal tactics===
The most important part of the attack stage of starfighter combat was the angle of attack at which one craft would try to shoot another one down. Pilots were trained to know that the easiest way to shoot down an enemy fighter or other type of craft was to maneuver their vessel into a position directly behind the rear end of their target, engaging it with their primary weapons, either lasers, ion cannons or disposable ordnance. However, as the enemy starfighter in question would likely be engaging in maneuvering of its own, this was not always possible. Deflection shooting, which was in essence leading fire at an angle into a target as it turned in front of a ship's weapons, presenting one's opponent with a wall of destructive fire through which to fly, became an essential skill within the arsenal of veteran fighter pilots.<ref name="I, Jedi" />

[[File:XwingdestroysTIE.JPG|thumb|left|250px|An X-wing destroys a TIE Fighter]]
The most dangerous angle of attack was when two ships confronted each other in a head-to-head pass, when two ships would run at each other on directly converging courses. At this angle, the rate of closure was at its highest, with ranges decreasing extremely fast, giving each combatant time for only a few shots before overshoot, the point when both ships passed each other. Rebel and New Republic starfighter pilots soon realized that due to their craft being fitted with deflector shields, they held a distinct advantage in such head-to-head confrontations; they could afford to engage their Imperial opponents in such passes since they lacked shields of their own.<ref name="I, Jedi" />

The [[break]] was a relatively simple turning maneuver that was utilized whenever a starfighter was under, or about to come under, attack by an enemy craft. The objective of a break was to turn hard toward the enemy's line of fire, thus forcing the attacker to overshoot; however, this still left the breaking craft vulnerable to a [[Snap shot/Legends|snap shot]] or to attack by the aggressor's wingmate.<ref name="Rebel Alliance Sourcebook" />

[[File:ImperialCounterattack-XWMG.jpg|250px|thumb|right|A pitched battle between TIE Fighters and X-wings]]
[[Jinking]], also known as "jinking and juking," was a defensive maneuver or series of maneuvers that was used in an attempt to spoil the aim of an attacking starfighter that had been able to maneuver itself into an excellent tactical position. Consisting of random slips, turns, dives and waggles, it was used in an attempt to avoid giving the enemy a solid targeting lock. Though the pilot of the attacking ship retained his advantageous position, the longer he was forced to concentrate on achieving a shooting solution, the less aware he became of the situation around him, thus leaving himself vulnerable to counterattack from other friendly starfighters.<ref name="Rebel Alliance Sourcebook" />

Essentially an exaggerated jumping turn, the [[Reverse Throttle Hop]] allowed an attacking starfighter pilot to retain his or her advantage over a targeted enemy craft as it attempted a sudden breaking maneuver. To execute, the attacking pilot would pull up from his opponent and ease off on the throttle, bringing his fighter back onto his opponent's tail as the defender completed the breaking turn. However, in order to be utilized effectively, the tactic required a good sense of initiative and excellent timing, as the consequences of a failed attempt could force the attacking fighter into an overshoot.<ref name="Rebel Alliance Sourcebook" />

An age-old tactic, [[Trap (tactic)|the Trap]] simply involved trapping an attacking enemy starfighter between the aggressor's intended target and the target's wingmate. When an enemy craft bore down upon a pair of snubfighters, each would make a hard break; if the attacking craft followed through, they would be an relatively easy target for the second defender. There were, however, ways to maneuver out of being trapped in such a manner; included among them were feinting toward the leader but rolling out at the last moment.<ref name="Rebel Alliance Sourcebook" />
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