TIE Bomber

**Imperial ships**
TIE Advanced - TIE Aggressor - **TIE Bomber** - TIE Defender - TIE Fighter (Light) - TIE/ln Fighter - TIE Interceptor (Crimson) - TIE Oppressor - VT-49 Decimator - YE-4 Gunship

## Game Info

The Sienar Fleet Systems TIE/sa starfighter, more commonly known as the **TIE Bomber**, is available to Imperial Pilots at the Advanced Capabilities certification level. This TIE features an unusual side-by-side configuration, to allow for larger missile and spacebomb payloads. While not the most nimble TIE variant, the bomber can bring enough firepower to a space fight to even the odds in its favor. TIE bombers can be especially effiective against capital ships such as Alliance Corvettes in Deep Space.

* TIE Bomber Chassis Blueprints

## Pilot Commentary

After SOE (Sony Online Entertainment) modified the stats of the TIE Bomber, it became a very useful ship. It is also, one of only a few high-mass Imperial ships. The TIE Bomber has a fairly high speed modifier of 0.95, so top speed shouldn't be an issue. Turning on the other hand does happen sluggishly, so don't expect to out turn many people in "Turn Duels". Fitting a high Yaw/Pitch/Roll level 10 engine or Nova engine will help out with maneuvering significantly. You can easily fit two RE Borstels, a level 8 RE Shield, two pieces of RE Fibertech Armor and dual Spacebombs or Proton IV's. Also be sure to take advantage of the accurate Imperial-type weapon spread, so that both weapons fire from the same point on the chassis.

## Star Wars Lore

Of all the TIE fighter variants produced by Sienar Fleet Systems for the Galactic Empire, the TIE/sa starfighter or TIE bomber is one of the most effective. The heavy assault ship, designed for strategic strikes against surface and deep space targets, is one of the most heavily-armed starships in the Imperial fleet. TIE bombers utilize the distinctive bent wings found on the TIE Advanced prototype. These solar array panels frame a rounded TIE cockpit and a large ordnance pod that can be configured to carry a wide array of destructive weapons. While not nearly as fast or agile as the original TIE Fighter, TIE bombers are much more destructive. A single TIE bomber’s payload can include a volatile combination of torpedoes, missiles, and other explosives. TIE bombers are deployed against space stations, orbital docking platforms, and orbital facilities, but they are especially effective against capital ships. After standard TIE fighters weaken the target's defenses, the bombers swoop in to disable vital areas such as the shield generators and engines.

Using the standard TIE fighter as a starting point, Imperial engineers designed a dedicated craft to deliver explosive payloads through bombardment. Showing its TIE roots, the TIE bomber's fuselage is bracketed by a pair of solar gather panels. For its increased power requirements, the bomber boasts elongated panels with greater surface areas than the standard starfighter. The TIE bomber has twin cylindrical hulls between its panels. The starboard cylinder houses the pilot, while the port pod contains the fighter's explosive cargo, which are delivered to their targets via a ventral bomb chute.

Sienar Fleet Systems' development of the TIE bomber took the robust TIE/gt starfighter variant as a starting point and ended up with a formidable light space bomber capable of delivering devastating attacks of pinpoint accuracy against ground and space-based targets. Previous to the bomber's development, orbital bombardment was handled by the weapons of the capital starships such as Imperial Star Destroyers. While no one would argue against the lethality of such methods, capital ship bombardments would often result in unwanted collateral damage adjacent to the targets. For more refined attacks, such as when the Empire desired to take a target intact, the surgical precision of the TIE bomber exceled.

The TIE bomber marks one of the few Imperial starfighters to come equipped with an ejection seat. Given that this vessel often operates within planetary atmospheres, a pilot stands a good chance of surviving should he need to eject. The port pod contans two bomb bays that can carry a variety of payloads—proton bombs, guided missiles, orbital mines, free-falling thermal detonators, for example. Advanced sensors developed by Nordoxicon's Micro Instruments divisions grant the TIE bomber unerring accuracy.

The bomber's greatest drawback is its speed and sluggish handling. It is not a vessel meant for twisting, jinking aerobatic dogfights. While its increased armor affords some protection from enemy fire, Alliance Starfighter Pilots consider these so-called "dupes" easy pickings.

## Sources

*Star Wars: Galaxies* Station.com

OS Databank