'TIE Fighter' Short Film Released Today

[Cyrus Tregessar]

Some Itano Circus, obvious homages to LoGH, and the Empire winning a space battle for once. Good stuff all around.

As it were, does the ECM Jamming or whatever trick the Interdictor Cruiser does to nullify those missiles have any basis in canon? Not that uh, I'd be taking notes or anything.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

I believe it does, considering it was a feature in Star Wars: Empire at War.

[member="Cyrus Tregessar"]

 

[Cyrus Tregessar]

Ah, it appears they can use the Gravity Well generator to interfere with missiles. That has... interesting implications.

 

[Corruck Kazen]

Yet more proof that the Empire can't win a fair fight and has to resort to attacking previously beaten up Rebel ships. :lol:

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Since when the heck has war ever been "fair?"

 

[Jared Starchaser]

Since Rebels lose to the superior firepower and tactics of the glorious Empire as it brings light, order and peace to the galaxy as a whole.

 

[Not Ordo]

Since when the heck has war ever been "fair?"

When we all went at eachother with sticks forged from the ever rare and imperial wood.

 

[Corruck Kazen]

Well I should rephrase that statement.

"Yet more proof that the Empire cannot win a fight against an equal force. But instead, they attack previously weakened retreating forces."

That better?

[member="Fabula Caromed"]

 

[Fabula Caromed]

So, after routing the Rebels, weakening them and forcing them into a retreat, it's in some way inferior or compensating for failures if the victorious army also cuts off their retreat to finish them off with overwhelming applied offense?

Nothing is known about the battle that happened before this. In fact, there's no indication that a battle even happened before this, apart from some scorch marks on the hull of the Neb-B. As scorch marks don't affect combat readiness and the Rebellion was quite strapped on cash, it's possible they were from a previous engagement entirely. None of the ships were "crippled" in any sense of the word, and the Rebellion forces (except fighters, because Empire) greatly outnumbered the Imperial fleet. Two Mon Cal frigates, at least two blockade runners, a Neb-B...

The Empire used a probe droid to find a Rebel fleet's location. No indication was given that the Rebels were in retreat, and there's no visible sign that any of the ships present are "crippled" or even damaged. Through tactics and rapid application of firepower, three two ISDs and an Interdictor took on a vastly superior number of Rebel ships, attacking them between hyperspace jumps. That's the full story that we can see.

So I'm not sure where this allegation of weakness comes from.

EDIT: Whoops. Forgot the Interdictor.

 

[Corruck Kazen]

Ah, I'm not certain about the 'vast' superiority of the Rebel fleet. Those two Mon Cal frigates are actually Gallofree transports which are unarmed or have only light weapons not capable of taking on a fighter. So the two ISDs, a Interdict cruiser, and however many starfighters they had was much more than the Rebels could handle.

Yes the ships could easily have been damaged sometime before the Rebels ever got the craft, they were still outnumbered. Or if your first statement is correct, that the Rebels were routed, then I will rescind my statement, simply because there is no way to tell whose side had more forces. The opposite could be true though, that the Rebels won a previous battle and were returning to whatever planet they were using as a base at the time and they were as you said caught in between jumps.

While the history behind why the Rebels were in what condition they were and why they were there does answer questions, the crux of my statement is that the Empire was attacking a significantly weaker force. A Nebulon-B cannot stand up to an ISD by any standard not to mention two ISDs. Now yes under extreme circumstances, or in one of the novels, I am sure that a Rebel force of that size could somehow defeat the Imperials.

(Not trying to create an argument, I want to see your side of the coin. If you don't mind.)[member="Fabula Caromed"]

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Superior numbers, not superior firepower. Any time a force is outnumbered, it presents a significant hazard, no matter the strength of the troops they overwhelm with. But you're right, I wouldn't dare argue that Imperial ships aren't stronger, cleaner, better-constructed, more professionally crewed, and better led than Rebel ships.

The point is that war is not a contest of honor. It's a contest of power, and of strategy. It is a superior strategy to attack an opponent where they are vulnerable, and apply overwhelming force with limited chance of retribution. The video is a tactically-sound ambush by an Imperial naval commander who achieved 100% enemy casualties with minimal damage to his own fleet.

I daresay that's what I'd refer to as a success.

 

[Corruck Kazen]

Oh I won't say that it wasn't a success or that it wasn't an absolutely brilliant strategic move. For propaganda it is perfect, but stating that the Empire only fights when it has the advantage, as this video basically shows, whether or not that is true, is also good propaganda that could be made from the same video, yes?

 

[Fabula Caromed]

The video doesn't show the Empire lucking into advantage. The video shows the Empire creating advantage. The probe droid had set up just before the Rebel fleet arrived. This intelligence allowed the Imperial fleet to move into a position where victory would be assured, stamping out an enemy threat before it became a threat at all. It wasn't dumb luck that they just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. They performed reconnaissance, acted on that information with immediate motivation and a powerful response, and achieved a clean victory.

If it's "propoganda" (It's not. It's a fan video of a game where this happens all the time.), then it's propoganda that shows professional soldiers being professional soldiers. Structured, regimented, efficient, effective, and brutally overwhelming. I'd say that's a pretty good argument for their cause.

 

[Cyrus Tregessar]

Since when is only fighting when you have the advantage bad anyway? That's basically a paraphrase of Sun Tzu, no? I would argue that being able to manipulate the battlefield and your opponent to the degree that you only face them on your terms is the ultimate expression of superiority and skill in warfare.

For a very good real-world example, see the battles of Ulm and Austerlitz, easily the standout victories of Napoleon's career.