�                THE IMPERIAL PILOT'S SECRET HANDBOOK
          Tips and Tactics for LucasArt's TIE Fighter
                        by Jason Kapalka
  
     Do you want to become another minor expenditure mark on  some Imperial accountant's balance sheet? No? Then listen  up, and maybe you'll live through your first tour of duty.  Before you get into your first shootout, there are a couple  of things you can do to maximize your chances of survival.  First, make sure that Automatic Backup for your pilot is  turned on. Don't turn it off unless you want your whole  career ended by one stray laser bolt.
                                        Ignorance Is Death [>] 
  �       Second, be sure to grill your flight officer and the
  cloaked figure from the Secret Order for all available  information before the mission. Third, press 'G' to check  your mission goals as soon as you arrive on site, as this  screen is generally more concise and informative than your  commander, who's sometimes long-winded and unclear. Fourth,  be sure to ask for additional advice in the post-combat  debriefing, which often yields detailed and helpful  information. However, if you're flying near rebel space,  failing a mission will almost inevitably result in capture,  and you won't be able to access these hints. In such cases,  you should hit "Q" in order to bring the mission to a halt.
                                      A Matter Of Priority [>] 
  �       If you ditch, get the additional info and try again. Keep
  in mind that you only have to complete the Primary mission  goals in order to advance to the next mission. Secondary and  bonus goals yield more points, but that won't do you any  good if Rebel Y-Wings take out the frigate you were supposed  to be protecting. 
     Forget about your commanding officer's exhortations to  put in time on the Training Simulator. Very few actual  combat situations involve flying through interminable  lengths of space tubing. The Combat Chamber, on the other  hand, presents simulated situations much closer to reality.
  
                                        The Chamber Awaits [>] 
  �       All wise pilots will spend time in the Combat Chamber
  familiarizing themselves with their craft's basic controls.  Don't worry about the TIE Advanced for a while-- you're  going to be flying the lesser craft for some time.  Concentrate on energy management and working in harmony with  your wingmen.
     When you actually find yourself nose-to-nose with  insurgent starfighters, you'd better have an instinctive  understanding of your craft's computer systems. When the  leftmost light on your targeting sight turns red, someone's  got you in their sights. Move or die.
  
                                     Learning The Hard Way [>] 
  �       When the middle light goes green, a capital ship or
  installation has a lock on you-- run away, you can't shake  it. And when the rightmost light starts blinking yellow,  this means someone is trying to acquire a missile lock. If  it goes red, they've got it, and you'd better crank up your  shields. Of course, if you're flying a TIE Fighter,  Interceptor or Bomber, you don't have any. May the Force be  with you...
     The following are some craft-specific tips and  weaknesses.
  
  
                                           TIE Starfighter [>] 
  �       Don't let your commander snow you into believing the TIE
  Starfighter is anything other than a flying eggshell. Cheap  to produce, sure, but that's no solace to the poor souls who  have to fly these deathtraps. Maneuverability is their sole  asset, and you'd best take advantage of it. Beware of  collisions and friendly fire, particularly when flying near  your own capital ships. Since you will normally outnumber  the enemy when flying this craft, be sure to take advantage  of this by ganging up on lone Rebels. Never approach an  enemy capital ship in a basic TIE Fighter unless you've got  the reflexes of a womp rat and the luck of a Corellian  smuggler.
                                           Tie Interceptor [>] 
  �       The TIE Interceptor is an improvement, but not by much.
  You still lack shields, and the Interceptor's hull is not  much tougher than the basic TIE's. What you do have is  heavy, short-range firepower and high speed. Avoid missile  duels; get behind the Rebels and stay there. Occasionally  Interceptors and TIE Fighters will be modified to carry  torpedoes or missiles. Remember that 2.5 kilometers is the  maximum lock-on range for starfighters, and that attaining a  target lock any closer than 1 kilometer is next to  impossible. Capital ships can be targeted at up to 6  kilometers, and it is a very good idea to do so.
  
                                                TIE Bomber [>] 
  �       The TIE Bomber enjoys a much tougher hull, but still has
  no shields. Hence, you are still advised to avoid heavy  encounters. You have a hefty load of missiles, but be sure  to use them effectively, while the enemy is still at long  range. Up close, the TIE Bomber can still outmaneuver  sluggish ships like the Rebel Y-Wing, but it is certainly no  match for a skillfully piloted X-Wing or A-Wing. If you're  attacking a capital ship, consider targeting the weapons  systems first, and take advantage of any ships in the  vicinity that can board and reload you (using the Shift-B  command).
  
                                           Assault Gunboat [>] 
  �       The Assault Gunboat features shields, at long last! Be
  certain to crank up your recharge rate at the beginning of a  battle or at any time when speed is not important. You will  often be called upon to disable fleeing enemy craft with  your ion cannons. You should remember that ships like the  Corellian Transport can outdistance you unless practically  all power has been redirected to the engines. When making  rocket passes at capital ships, it may be a good idea to  redirect all shield energy forward. You may then redirect it  back as you pass the target. This is necessary since you'll  be forced to come in close and endure heavy flak.
  
                             TIE Advanced And TIE Defender [>] 
  �       The TIE Advanced is a superior craft, combining the best
  attributes of the Assault Gunboat and the TIE Interceptor.  If you're good enough to be flying one of these, you don't  really need our advice.
     The three-winged, "hypersecret" TIE Defender prototype  has been the subject of much heated discussion, due to the  inclusion of an experimental tractor beam weapon which, in  theory, slows down enemy craft, thus making them easier to  hit. In practice, the tractor beam is only minimally useful.  However, the Defender is so heavily armed, so massively  armored and so amazingly fast that the point is actually  moot.
                                                  Battle 1 [>]