TIE/sa Bomber
Imperial Strike BomberGM · Enemy ShipThreat 4Imperial bomber — TIE-family fragile, but a proton bomb run can crack capital-ship hulls. Anti-ship strike specialist.
- Size
- Small
- Length
- 7.8 m
- Speed
- Average
- Reference price
- 95,000 cr
Lore
The TIE/sa (Sienar Aerospace, strike attack variant) is the Imperial Navy's dedicated bomber — recognizable by its dual-hull silhouette where the cockpit is mounted alongside an ordnance bay instead of a second engine pod. Where the TIE/ln screens and dogfights, the TIE/sa carries the anti-capital-ship payload: concussion missile tubes for close-range strikes, and a proton bomb bay for orbital and large-target bombardment.
The TIE/sa's defining canon appearance is the Hoth asteroid field pursuit, where bombers chased the Millennium Falcon into the field and tried to dislodge it from a hidden mooring with proton bombs. The Empire also used TIE/sas for ground-attack runs and for cracking Rebel capital ships in fleet engagements. Like all TIE-family fighters they trade shields and hyperdrive for raw performance, but the bomber payload makes them dramatically more dangerous than a TIE/ln in the right scenario.
For GMs, the TIE/sa is a "specialist" Imperial threat. It rarely appears alone — Imperial doctrine pairs bomber wings with TIE/ln screens that handle Rebel fighter intercept while the bombers line up their target. A pair of bombers with an escort is a serious threat to any player ship larger than a fighter; player ships with shields are the target the bombers exist for.
Default Loadout
| Weapon | Mount | Attr | Range | Acc | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Laser Cannons | fixed | DEX | Close | +2 | 2d10 energy |
| Concussion Missile Tubes | missile bay | INT | Medium | +2 | 4d10 explosive |
| Proton Bomb Bay | missile bay | INT | Close | +1 | 5d10 explosive |
Reference loadout for a stock chassis. Players swap, add, or customize weapons in the Starship Builder, subject to hardpoint caps and GM approval.
Special Conditions
No Shields, No Hyperdrive
TIE/sa shares the standard TIE-family fragility: no shields, no hyperdrive. Bombers compensate by flying in escorted formations rather than alone.
GM · Tactical Notes
Bombers never deploy alone. Standard Imperial doctrine: 2-4 TIE/sas with a TIE/ln escort of 4-8. The bombers ignore enemy fighters entirely and burn straight for the largest player target; the TIE/lns engage the player screen. Concussion missiles are accurate and high-damage; proton bombs are short-range and require the bomber to commit to an attack run. Players who can kill bombers before they release ordnance dramatically de-escalate the threat.
GM · Adventure Hooks
- A Rebel transport convoy is under attack: 3 TIE/sas escorted by 6 TIE/lns are inbound. Players have one combat round to position before the bombers reach release range.
- Imperial bombers are pursuing a defecting officer's shuttle through an asteroid field. The terrain limits TIE/sa tracking, but a wrong move puts the player ship in the open.
- A stranded Imperial bomber pilot survived a crash. He has intel on his squadron's next strike target — but can the players trust an Imperial?
How to use this chassis
This is a GM-side stat block — an NPC ship for the GM to fly against the player crew. Use it as-is for a quick encounter, or fold it into a larger fleet engagement alongside other entries from the enemy ship catalog (filter to "Enemy / GM" on the catalog grid). For combat resolution, see the Starship Combat rules page. Enemy ships do not appear in the Starship Builder.
Similar Enemy Ships
More combat craft-category ships in the catalog.