"At last, a fight that might be worthy of my time."

–The Inquisitor

Each wave of starship expansions for X-Wing™ is designed to expand the ranks of all three factions. So as our last previews focused on the Ghost Expansion Pack and what its ships and crew can offer your budding Rebel forces, it is only natural that we continue our Wave VIII previews with a look at the Imperial expansion pack that features one of the Lothal rebels' greatest adversaries, the Inquisitor.

Along with the Inquisitor's ship card, the Inquisitor's TIE Expansion Pack prominently features its deadly miniature TIE Advanced prototype, sculpted and pre-painted at the game's standard 1/270 scale. You will also find three more ship cards, five upgrades, a maneuver dial, and all the tokens you need to force your opponent to recognize the power of the dark side of the Force.

Relentless Pursuit

In Star Wars Rebels, no matter how many tricks and tactics Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus, and the Lothal rebels tried in order to elude the Empire, The Inquisitor always seemed to find them. Likewise, he enters X-Wing as a formidable pilot in a ship that is almost impossible to shake.

With a maneuver dial that is loaded with green speed "1" turns and banks and an action bar that features both the barrel roll and boost actions, the TIE Advanced prototype is about as capable of navigating the battlefield as any ship in the game. Talented pilots will be able to utilize this fantastic maneuverability to execute hairpin turns and keep their foes in sight, even as they race past. By executing a speed "1" turn and following it up with a boost, your TIE Advanced prototype pilot can claim a shot against a ship that tried to get behind his original position.

This suits The Inquisitor well, as he wants to keep his enemies within his sights. It does not matter if his target is at range "1" or range "3;" so long as he is firing with his ship's primary weapon, you treat the attack as though it were made at range "1," meaning that you add an extra die and your opponent does not gain an extra defense die for range, even at range "3."

Then, when you consider that the TIE Advanced prototype's action bar forsakes the evade action in favor of the acquire target lock action, and when you consider that the expansion comes with the XX-23 S-Thread Tracers upgrade, it becomes increasingly evident that this is a ship designed to hunt down your foes—not simply to survive them.

After all, this is a ship that was, at the time of its launch, technologically superior to just about every fighter around. Despite its meager two hull points, the TIE Advanced prototype outclasses nearly every other TIE variant with its two shields, and if it equips the TIE/v1 Title upgrade, its pilot gains the ability to perform evade actions—for free—after acquiring a target lock.

Of course, elite pilots like Valen Rudor can equip the elite pilot talent Push the Limit for even more actions. With Push the Limit, Valen Rudor could find himself unable to acquire a target lock on his foe, then decide to boost or barrel roll his fighter into Range "3" of an enemy starship. Then, as he is now in position, he could use Push the Limit to acquire a target lock and resolve his free evade action before he takes the stress from Push the Limit.

Alternatively, Valen Rudor could choose not to use Push the Limit during the Activation phase. In this case, Valen can stay free of stress until The Inquisitor or another pilot fires XX-23 S-Thread Tracers and grants him the chance to acquire a target lock. In turn, this allows him to perform an evade action and boost or barrel roll even after all of your opponent's ships have completed their maneuvers and performed all their actions.

Groundbreaking Technology

There is another groundbreaking innovation featured in the Inquisitor's TIE Expansion Pack that plays well with the TIE Advanced prototype, but plays just as well—if not better—with a host of different X-Wing ships. At zero squad points, the Guidance Chips modification costs you nothing more than the opportunity to equip an alternate modification, but it offers immediate and tangible dividends.

Once per round, when you perform an attack with a torpedo or missile, your Guidance Chips allow you to convert any one die result to a hit. Alternatively, if your ship features a primary attack value of "3" or higher, you can instead convert any one die result to a critical hit.

Naturally, as it makes your torpedo and missile volleys far more consistent, the Guidance Chips modification should prompt a re-evaluation of the game's ordnance. After all, by increasing their potency, the Guidance Chips modification favorably adjusts the whole economy of torpedoes and missiles, even as it encourages the development of squadrons capable of assailing their foes with almost impossibly accurate opening volleys.

The Inquisitor with Push the Limit, Ion Pulse Missiles , Autothrusters, and TIE/v1 (34)

Captain Jonus with XX-23 S-Thread Tracers, XX-23 S-Thread Tracers, and Guidance Chips (24)

Sienar Test Pilot with Concussion Missiles , Guidance Chips, and TIE/v1 (21)

Sienar Test Pilot with Concussion Missiles, Guidance Chips, and TIE/v1 (21)

Total Squad Points: 100

Celebrate Imperial Might

First unveiled on Empire Day, the TIE Advanced prototype is a groundbreaking starfighter well worthy of Imperial celebrations, and even though it is the Galactic Empire's only starfighter in Wave VIII, you will find it is more than enough to encourage a wide variety of new Imperial squadrons, tactics, and strategies.

What will you do with the TIE Advanced prototype? It will not be long before you have your chance to fly it to battle, so be sure to head to your local retailer to pre-order your copy today.

In the meantime, keep your eyes open for more Wave VIII previews and other X-Wing news!