7664 TIE Crawler is a Star Wars Expanded Universe set released in 2007. The set contains 548 parts including two Shadow Stormtrooper minifigures. This set was available for a limited time only, as there was a finite quantity of TIE Crawlers. The TIE Crawler featured a traditional TIE-series cockpit, and had two laser cannons attached to it. Attached the the cockpit were two track frames which accomodated for the Crawler's tank tracks. These treads could move if the TIE Crawler was pushed along a surface. On each track frame, there were two concealed red laser cannons which could be pulled out and rotated. Below the cockpit, there was a section where a missile could be placed, and 'flicked' out, in a similar fashion to the smaller flick-fire missiles. The Shadow Stormtrooper minifigure debuted in this set, and were both armed with Blaster pistols. TIE Crawlers (also called Century Tanks) were Imperial heavy tanks, employed primarily by the Imperial Remnant after the collapse of the Empire.
Their predecessors were the TIE Maulers. TIE Crawlers were also utilized by the Confederation during the Second Galactic Civil War. They were armed with one light and two medium laser cannons, and held one pilot. This vehicle could achieve speeds of up to 90 km/h. At least one served the Corellian Security Force.Do not modify it. TIE fighters aren’t just a danger in space! From the Star Wars Expanded Universe comes the TIE Crawler, a powerful ground vehicle with working treads that move independently for rough terrain. Fire the missiles and hidden cannons, or rotate the treads to rise high above the battlefield. Fire the flick-launching missile underneath the TIE Crawler! Open the cockpit and put the Shadow stormtrooper at the controls! Includes 2 all-new Shadow stormtrooper minifigures! TIE Crawler is 8" (21 cm) long and 10" (25 cm) wide! 9497 Republic Striker Fighter | 9500 Fury Class Interceptor 75000 Republic Troopers and Sith Troopers Battle Pack |
75025 Jedi Defender-Class CruiserThe century tank, also known as the TIE crawler or TIE tank, was an Imperial light armored vehicle. It was an unlikely fusion of two vastly different vehicle types. The century tank resembled a TIE starfighter cockpit suspended between two massive tank treads. It could hold only a single person, who acted as pilot and gunner. Driving the tank treads at speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour[4] were twin Santhe SSct power generators. The pilot used foot controls to adjust the angle of steering and speed, while the hand controls were tied into the fire control systems. The tank had a pair of medium blaster cannons in the familiar "chin" mounts found on most TIE cockpits. Suspended below the cockpit ball was a retractable light turbolaser which provided the tank with considerable firepower. The plans for the century tank were made as early as 0 BBY/Legends, with the Imperial Army boasting that its capabilities were superior to that of the TIE/LN Starfighter.
One unit notable for their use of century tanks was the 71st Elite Mechanized Assault Group. Although the century tank became famous after Battle of Endor, an early version of the vehicle—the TIE ap-1, or TIE Mauler—saw some action during the first years of the Galactic Civil War, where it fought against the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The century tank was the first new design to roll out of the newly liberated Santhe/Sienar Technologies in the uncertain times after the Battle of Endor. The independent-minded Santhe family, owners of Sienar Fleet Systems, had long bristled under the restrictive contracts of the Empire, and saw the opportunity of independence following the Empire's defeat. Santhe tried to remain neutral in the drawn out fighting between the shrinking Imperial Remnant and the growing New Republic. They still produced TIE fighters for Imperial warlords, but did so on their terms. In an attempt to break into new markets, the century tank was conceived as a relatively inexpensive to produce and purchase compact assault vehicle (CAV).
Its use of recycled components and designs helped cut costs and training time. The tank was cheap and mass-produced and saw some action in the Imperial Civil War on Coruscant, as squabbling warlords sought to take control of the former Imperial capital prior to the reborn Emperor Palpatine's reappearance. At least one century tank was in service with the Corellian Security Force during the Second Galactic Civil War. The Dark Empire Sourcebook capitalizes the first letter, spelling it "Century tank," whereas the Databank uses all lower-case letters to spell the name. In 2007, LEGO released a set based on the tank. Called a "TIE Crawler," the set comes with two shadow stormtrooper figures. LEGO's TIE crawler also was equipped with two dual laser cannons that extended from the outside of the port and starboard tread hulls, giving this variant increased firepower over the standard tank. The century tank was the second only fully-Expanded Universe LEGO set to be released, the first being the TIE/D automated starfighter, although the TIE/D was included in a set with two other in-universe TIE fighters and Darth Vader's TIE/Advanced starfighter.
↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 The Official Star Wars Fact File 69 (TIE9-10, TIE Crawler) ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Rebellion Era Campaign Guide ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide This article is about the fictional spacecraft. For the LucasArts computer game, see Star Wars: TIE Fighter. TIE fighters are fictional starfighters in the Star Wars universe. Propelled by twin ion engines (hence the TIE acronym), TIE fighters are fast, agile, yet fragile starfighters produced by Sienar Fleet Systems for the Galactic Empire. TIE fighters and other TIE craft appear in Star Wars films, television shows, and throughout the Star Wars expanded universe. Several TIE fighter replicas and toys, as well as a TIE flight simulator, have been produced and sold by merchandise companies. Industrial Light & Magic's (ILM) Colin Cantwell created the concept model that established the TIE fighter's ball-cockpit and hexagonal panels design for Star Wars (1977).
[1] Star Wars creator George Lucas liked the basic design consisting of two panels connected by a stick with a ball-shaped cockpit, but Cantwell's concept had few details.[1] Joe Johnston created additional details, such as the cockpit window and the attachment points between the solar panels and the hull. Initially given a blue color scheme, the TIE fighter models for the first film were grey to better film against a bluescreen; TIE fighters in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) shifted back to being a muted blue. Sound designer Ben Burtt created the distinctive TIE fighter sound effect by combining an elephant call with a car driving on wet pavement.[2] Combat scenes between TIE fighters and the Millennium Falcon and Rebel Alliance X-wing fighters in Star Wars were meant to be reminiscent of World War II dogfight footage; editors used World War II air combat clips as placeholders while Industrial Light & Magic completed the movie's special effects.[3] Darth Vader's distinct TIE advanced X1 in Star Wars was designed to make it instantly recognizable,[4] and the TIE interceptors developed for Jedi were designed to look fast, deadly, and frightening.
The Jedi starfighter, created for Revenge of the Sith (2005), was designed to bridge the appearance of the Jedi starfighter in Attack of the Clones (2002) and the TIE fighter design from the original trilogy.[5] The V-wing starfighter, seen at the end of Revenge of the Sith, also makes the distinctive TIE fighter sound when flying by a Star Destroyer. Dark Horse Comics' Sean Cooke designed the TIE predator for Star Wars: Legacy (2006), set 130 years after the events of Star Wars, to appear both reminiscent of and more advanced than the original TIE fighter. Designers for The Force Awakens (2015) had numerous discussions about how much to "update" the TIE fighter for the first sequel film set 30 years after Return of the Jedi.[7] They retained the starfighter's design but altered its aesthetic to suggest improvements to the vessel's manufacturing process and materials. Star Wars literature states that Sienar Fleet Systems manufactures TIE fighters and most TIE variants. TIE fighters' solar panels power a twin ion engine (TIE) system that accelerates gases at a high speed along almost any vector, affording the ships tremendous speed and maneuverability.
[9] Described as lacking a hyperdrive, life support, or shield generators, the fragile TIE fighters are deployed in large numbers from bases or larger ships; a Star Destroyer carries a wing of 72 various TIE craft.[9] Expanded Universe material holds that TIE fighter pilots, who undergo intense physical and psychological testing, are trained to be intensely loyal to Emperor Palpatine and the Empire, willing to sacrifice themselves and their wingmates to accomplish their mission.[10] TIE pilots were seen as expendable assets, as it was far cheaper to manufacture a great deal of standardized spacecraft in overwhelming numbers than it was to fully equip the craft. Although Expanded Universe material often describes TIE fighters as lacking an ejection seat, the player can eject from TIE craft in LucasArts' TIE Fighter flight simulator.[11] During the events of The Force Awakens, the First Order sees the value in its TIE pilots and equips its TIE fighters with shields to protect their occupants.
The First Order also upgraded the TIE fighter to have missiles and a co-pilot/gunner[12][13] A TIE fighter stolen by Poe Dameron and Finn in The Force Awakens has an ejection seat, allowing both characters to survive a crash. In addition to the TIE fighter, a variety of other TIE craft appear throughout the films. Darth Vader flies a TIE Advanced in Star Wars. The Empire Strikes Back introduces a TIE shuttle and TIE bombers, which ferry Captain Needa (Michael Culver) to Darth Vader's Super Star Destroyer and bomb asteroids in the hunt for the Millennium Falcon, respectively. Both TIE craft have a design that stems from an unused "TIE boarding craft" concept developed for A New Hope.[15] The TIE bomber's double-hull design led ILM's modelmakers to dub the ship a "double chili dog" fighter.[15] TIE interceptors — faster TIE fighters with dagger-shaped wings and four laser cannons — appear at various points in Return of the Jedi.[16] Two scales of TIE interceptor models were used during filming.
[17] The Force Awakens features TIE/FO starfighters that have deflector shields[13] and special operations TIE/SF fighters with heavier weapons, a hyperdrive, and shields.[18] "Flatter, fang-like" TIE Striker interceptors appear in Rogue One (2016). Additionally, LucasArts Star Wars video games introduce several TIE variants, such as the TIE Hunter starfighter in Rogue Squadron III and the TIE Mauler surface vehicle in Empire at War.[20] The TIE Advanced (nicknamed "Avenger" in-game) and TIE Defender — heavily upgraded derivatives of previous craft seen in the Star Wars universe — first appear in TIE Fighter as player-pilotable craft.[21] The plot of Rebel Assault II revolves around destroying the Empire's ability to manufacture the cloaking TIE Phantom starfighter, and a campaign in X-Wing Alliance centers on destroying experimental remote-controlled TIE fighters. Star Wars Rebels introduces an experimental TIE Advanced model used by Imperial Inquisitors and a TIE/D or TIE defender as a prototype made by Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Star Wars literature also introduces TIE varieties. Corran Horn flies a TIE clutch in I, Jedi and TIE raptors attack Rogue Squadron in Solo Command.[23] TYE wings — TIE fighter and Y-wing hybrids — appear both in I, Jedi and Rogue Squadron: Masquerade.[22] Dark Horse's Dark Empire introduces both the droid-piloted TIE/D and the TIE crawler "century tank".[24] West End Games' roleplaying sourcebooks introduce varieties that include the TIE/fc fire-control support ship, the TIE/gt ground-attack fighter, the TIE/rc reconnaissance vessel, and the TIE scout. A TIE fighter model used in filming the climax of Star Wars sold at auction for $350,000,[27] and another TIE fighter from the film sold at auction for $402,500.[28] Fans built a 16-foot-by-20-foot, 1,000-pound TIE fighter float to commemorate Star Wars' thirtieth anniversary as part of the 2007 Gala Parade in Crystal Lake, Illinois.[29] A Wired editor's creation of a TIE fighter model out of Starbucks cups and stirrers prompted the magazine to create a contest for its readers to submit their own art out of similar Starbucks material.
[30] io9 mocked the variety of TIE fighters in the franchise, listing four TIE models on its list of the eleven "silliest" Star Wars ships. Kenner released TIE fighter and TIE interceptor toys during the original Star Wars trilogy's theatrical release, and Kenner's die-cast TIE bomber is a rare collector's item.[33] Hasbro also released TIE fighter, TIE bomber, and TIE interceptor toys.[36] Both Kenner and Hasbro also manufactured TIE fighter pilot action figures.[37] Lego manufactured TIE fighter, TIE bomber, TIE interceptor, TIE defender, and TIE advanced models.[41] Decipher and Wizards of the Coast published various TIE starfighter and TIE-related cards for the Star Wars Customizable Card Game and Star Wars Trading Card Game, respectively.[43] In 2012, Fantasy Flight Games released Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game, a miniatures game with pre-painted and to scale miniature X-wings and TIE fighters. In 1994, LucasArts released the TIE Fighter flight simulator, which casts the player as an Imperial pilot flying a variety of TIE starfighters.