Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power Campaigns

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power Campaigns, best known simply as Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: Balance of Power, was an expansion pack for the Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter video game. Released on December 15, 1997, the expansion fixed what much of the fanbase considered missing in the original game: the lack of a story-driven campaign. Balance of Power Campaigns therefore introduced a Rebel and an Imperial campaign of 15 missions each with cutscenes that advanced the story.
In addition, Balance of Power introduced a new "Battle" (a series of eight individual combat missions). The expansion also added several vessels and structures such as the iconic B-wing starfighter and the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer.
==Campaigns==
Balance of Power introduces two campaigns set during the Galactic Civil War: Spreading the Rebellion for Rebels players and Imperial Task Force Vengeance for Imperial players. 
===Spreading the Rebellion===
As a pilot in the Rebel Alliance's elite Rogue Squadron, the player participates in the evacuation of a base under fire from Imperial forces, counter-attacks against the Empire, capture of the Imperial Interdictor Cruiser Compellor, and other missions revolving around a Rebel campaign to establish a foothold in the Airam sector. The campaign ends with a battle against the Super Star Destroyer Vengeance.
*Mission 1 — Evacuate Rebel Base Near Gelgelar
*Mission 2 — Protect Arriving Wounded From Gelgelar Base
*Mission 3 — Escort Convoy Through the Halbara System
*Mission 4 — Retrieve Supply Containers From Gelgelar Base
*Mission 5 — Recon Imperial Fleet Near Almaran
*Cutscene
*Mission 6 — Ambush Imperial Escorts in the Goff System
*Mission 7 — Capture the INT Compellor
*Mission 8 — Escort Interdictor to Airam Factory near Mobetta
*Mission 9 — Protect Gravity Well Transfer at Mobetta
*Mission 10 — Intercept Imperial Reinforcements Near Derilyn
*Mission 11 — Respond to Attack on Airam Factory at Mobetta
*Mission 12 — Protect Resupply Operation in the Kuras Drift
*Mission 13 — Capture Rival Leader at Aiqin 4
*Mission 14 — Rescue Airam Conscripts Near Dega
*Mission 15 — Destroy the SSD Vengeance
===Imperial Task Force Vengeance===
Based aboard the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Rage, the player is an Imperial pilot in the elite Avenger Squadron and fights with Task Force Vengeance under the leadership of Admiral Senn. Mirroring the Rebel campaign, a series of missions depict the Imperial efforts to pacify the Airam sector and to crush the Rebel insurgence there, but the individual missions are entirely different from those played for the Rebel side. The campaign ends with the assault on a Rebel shipyard that is presumed to be their sector base.
*Mission 1 — Take Prisoners Near Blear Cluster
*Mission 2 — Seize Airam Supply Platform at Goff
*Mission 3 — Trap and Destroy Rebel Convoy Near Rocrin
*Mission 4 — Defend INT Compellor Against Rebel Hit & Fade
*Mission 5 — Destroy Rebel Starship Component Factory at Mobetta
*Mission 6 — Capture Airam Pirates Near Klaatu
*Mission 7 — Cover Imperial Starfighter Replenishment at Essebra
*Mission 8 — Retaliation Strike on Airam Repair Yard at Hinda
*Mission 9 — Rendezvous with Airam Clan Leader at Aiqin 4
*Mission 10 — Capture Enemy Freighters Near Elbra
*Mission 11 — Stop Attack on Imperial Repair Yard at Swellen
*Mission 12 — Protect Resupply of ISD Rage Near Bes
*Mission 13 — Defeat Rebel/Airam Counterattack Near Bes
*Mission 14 — Reconnaissance of Nocto System
*Mission 15 — Destroy Rebel Starship Factory Near Nocto
==Battles==
Balance of Power introduces one new "Battle": Balance of Power in the Airam Sector. Like in the original game, a "Battle" is a set of eight different missions grouped together without forming a coherent campaign; Battles do not follow a storyline and the missions have no clear chronological order.
===Balance of Power in the Airam Sector===
"Balance of Power in the Airam Sector" augments the storyline of the two main campaigns by providing additional engagements that were fought between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire on the sidelines of these opposing campaigns. However, the Battle missions are not a direct part of the campaigns proper. Their outcome is irrelevant to the overall storyline, and they need not be played to finish either campaign. Like with the other Battles in the game, they present evenly balanced missions where players can fly for either side, unlike in the campaign missions, where the player flies for one particular side and must achieve the mission goal to proceed to the next mission in the campaign.
On the Rebel side, Rogue Squadron is deployed against the Empire in all missions. On the Imperial side, Avenger squadron (in TIE Avengers) and Talon Squadron (in Gunboats) feature prominently in most of these scenarios. Since Task Force Vengeance was only equipped with these craft during the 7th mission of the Imperial campaign and Talon squadron had not even been created before then, this indicates that in the overall chronological order, the Battle scenarios occur after the 7th Imperial campaign mission.
*Attack on Imperial Convoy near Mylok
*Two on Two - Alliance CRLs vs Imperial STRKCs
*4 Imperial Starships vs. Mon Calamari Cruiser Chie
*Attack on Secret Imperial Base
*Attack on Rebel Capital Ships
*ISD Conqueror vs. 3 Alliance Frigates
*Attack on Imperial Shipyard
*Imperial STRKC Ull vs. Alliance DREAD Karei
==Storyline and canonicity==
The scenarios from the Battles, and the two Campaigns provided in the BoP expansion, contribute canon in a similar fashion to the storylines of previous (and subsequent) games of the series.
===Original Battles===
Although grouped together into Battles, the isolated nature of these combat scenarios makes it difficult to pinpoint when or even in which order they occurred. It seems clear that they take place prior to the Battle of Endor though, while the deployment of TIE Avengers in some missions means that these missions at least take place no earlier than the inception of this particular starfighter around 2 ABY.
===Balance of Power===
The third Battle, Balance of Power in the Airam Sector, and the two Campaigns presented in the BoP expansion together form the Airam Sector storyline. Based on circumstantial evidence, the timeline of events can be summarized as follows:
====Prelude====
*Rebel Alliance Operation: Quick Strike, Mission #4: Ambush Arms Smugglers near Ytha'ac Cluster
Airam smugglers deliver stolen Imperial munitions to the Rebels, but the cargo transaction comes under attack from imperial forces bent on reclaiming the stolen goods.
*Imperial Operation: Clean Sweep, Mission #5: Ambush of Rebel Leader at Airam Platform
Imperial forces attempt to kidnap a Rebel leader after a meeting with neutral Airam.
The chronological order is unclear, but it is evident that both missions took place prior to the later Airam campaigns, having occurred during operations Quick Strike and Clean Sweep, respectively (and not during the Battle "Balance of Power in the Airam Sector"). The Empire deploys Gunboats in both scenarios, but not from Talon squadron, and TIE Avengers from Zeta squadron (not Avenger squadron) only in the former, indicating that Task Force Vengeance had not yet been formed, or at least had no part in these particular scenarios.
====Opening moves Part 1====
Rebel campaign missions #1 through #4 take place roughly around the same time as Imperial campaign missions #1 through #7. The Rebels retreat into the Airam sector and evacuate their outlying bases, with the Empire in pursuit. A cutscene shows the destruction of a Rebel asteroid base by a Star Destroyer following its detection by Avenger squadron. Following Imperial mission #5, the Interdictor cruiser Compellor is sent away to a repair yard in the Swellen system to have an anti-warhead defense system installed. During Imperial mission #7 the Imperial task force receives a full shipment of TIE Avenger starfighters for their elite Avenger squadron and Gunboats which are subsequently formed into the newly created Talon squadron. The new starfighters almost completely replace the previously used more common designs among Task Force Vengeance.
====Balance of Power====
The Rebels reconnoiter the Imperial fleet massing at a staging point in the Almaran system (Rebel campaign mission #5), then initiate the Skirmish near Almaran to draw two Star Destroyers and Interdictor Compellor (diverted from its mission to Swellen to intercept the Rebels) into an ambush that only Compellor survives (Rebel campaign mission #6). Subsequently, ISD Rage launches punitive strikes against Airam suspected of supporting the Rebels and the Empire wins the support of one Airam clan leader (Imperial campaign missions #8 through #10).
In addition, the individual engagements depicted in the Balance of Power in the Airam Sector Battle all take place during this phase, after Task Force Vengeance has received its new starfighter complement. They depict an attempt by the Empire to deploy biological weapons against Airam supporters of the Rebel Alliance and numerous small fleet engagements between Imperial and Rebel forces. However, none of these encounters yields a decisive result for either side.
====Gravity well technology====
Having located the Interdictor Compellor in dock near Swellen, the Rebels unsuccessfully attempt to destroy the strategically valuable ship (Imperial campaign mission #11). They later manage to capture it and, with help from friendly Airam, proceed to remove its gravity well projectors and install them on a Modified Strike Cruiser while the Empire frantically searches for their stolen Interdictor cruiser (Rebel campaign missions #7 through #9).
====War of attrition====
The Rebels use their modified cruiser on its maiden flight to intercept and destroy a large Imperial supply convoy (Rebel campaign mission #10) and then scuttle the empty hulk of the Compellor in full view of an Imperial battle group to cover their tracks. Subsequently, the Rebels defend their new Airam allies from an Imperial attack, resupply, capture the renegade Airam clan leader who had sided with the Empire, and finally manage to intercept another Imperial supply convoy (Rebel campaign missions #11 through #14). Meanwhile, the Empire manages to obtain at least some supplies despite Rebel counterattacks (Imperial campaign missions #12 and #13) and pinpoints the location of their secret shipyard.
====The Battle of Nocto====
Admiral Senn has taken a great risk in not following the Emperor's orders to the letter, and desperately needs a quick success against the Rebel Alliance. Despite being low on supplies, he opts for a gamble and launches an all-out surprise attack against the recently located Rebel stronghold, their shipyard in the Nocto system (Imperial campaign missions #14 and #15 and Rebel campaign mission #15). Both the shipyard and SSD Vengeance perish in the climactic battle; the Empire and the Rebel Alliance have achieved a draw by wiping out each other's forces.
===Canonicity problem===
Since the combat missions from the Battles are standalone missions that can be played for either side, the outcome of these engagements naturally depends on the actions of the player(s). While the actual occurrence of the individual mission can therefore be considered canonical, the outcome is unknown; generally it is safe to assume that a given Battle mission ended in a draw and neither side managed to fulfill their mission objectives.
This is different for the sequenced campaign missions in BoP, because all of these missions have to be completed to advance to the next mission within the Campaign. Here it can be assumed that both sides successfully accomplished their respective campaign missions. This and the events depicted in the cutscenes are thus canon. The timeline given above is based on this premise.
However, this approach creates a problem in the last mission (Battle of Nocto) because of the conflicting mission objectives: The Rebel side must destroy the SSD Vengeance and prevent the destruction of their shipyard, while the Imperial mission objectives are reversed. This can only be resolved by assuming that the destruction of the SSD Vengeance and the shipyard occurred more or less simultaneously. This assumption is supported, although not proven, by a number of points:
*It keeps in line with the approach used for the Battles to consider conflicting missions to have resulted in a draw;
*Neither the debriefing text for either side after the completion of the last mission nor the respective cutscenes rule out mutual destruction as a result (the shipyard is shown to be destroyed by starfighters and the Vengeance is nowhere to be seen; conversely, the cutscene showing the demise of the Vengeance does not show the shipyard);
*Neither Admiral Senn nor SSD Vengeance are ever mentioned again;
*The Airam sector is never again mentioned as a Rebel stronghold;
*The line of Modified Strike Cruisers manufactured at the Rebel shipyard is discontinued.
The ultimate canonical outcome of the Airam campaigns remains arguable, however.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
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==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:X-Wing computer games