As the campaigns have evolved, so have the pirate variants and assorted semi-legal and illegal starfighters, transports and even larger pirate vessels. Some of the semi-legal variants are simply custom modifications using more expensive shielding and standard weaponry components, but there are a handful of very unpleasant surprises in the galaxy, using some extremely illegal technologies.
Any planet with a shadowport or underworld is likely to have some of the shady or semi-legal units, but as the true illegal units carry an automatic death mark on most civilised worlds, these are seen only where organised crime has the upper hand.
Semi-legal or customised variants
Aggressor Assault Fighter
This large and rugged heavy fighter/transport is the perfect craft for bounty hunters, with heavy laser cannon, good shielding and a secure hold for up to 8 prisoners. Additional power cores gives this a Power to Weapons ability.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Preybird-class Starfighter
The original Soro Suub product is a very rugged fighter with medium Laser cannon and concussion missile launcher, while the Mark II upgrade is the staple production model of deep space pirates and features a major overhaul with increased shields and significantly upgraded weapons. Dual missile launchers and heavy laser cannon make this a raider to be feared.
Era: Mark I – 18BBY onwards. Mark II pirate production model: 7 ABY Onwards
Barloz Heavy Raider
This rugged transport is a favourite with deep space pirates and scavengers, and features a light turbolaser, 3 dual laser cannons and a rear-facing torpedo launcher to discourage active pursuit.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Delta-class DX-8 Transport
This older model troop transport is armed with forward facing laser cannon and torpedo launchers and is relatively easy to obtain on the grey-market.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Gamma-class ATR-5 Assault Transport
As a military specification transport, this usually requires excellent contacts to obtain, and often finds service as a heavily armed scout/exploration vessel or as a premium armoured courier sporting 3 turreted dual turbolasers and a proton torpedo launcher.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Guardian-Class Assault Shuttle
More gunship than light cruiser, this semi-legal variant packs in heavy lasers on every facing and adds a rapid firing missile system to counter heavy starfighters. Often deployed to protect shadowports from intruders.
Era: 18BBY onwards
HWK-290 Medium Raider
As true quads are illegal in the Empire, this craft mounts fixed forward facing quad blasters and quad ion cannon as well as a turreted octuple blaster cannon to comply with customs regulations – barely. Often used by opportunistic types to snag the odd cargo when no-one is looking.
Era: 18BBY onwards
YT-1300 Medium Raider
More armed smuggler than true pirate, this is still capable of packing a punch with top and bottom turreted quad blasters, side-firing concussion missiles and a forward facing laser cannon.
Era: 18BBY onwards
YT-2000 Blastboat
This custom upgrade is perfect for bounty hunters and smugglers alike. Heavily armed and manoeuverable, this performs more like a high performance self-escorting bomber with the added bonus that it carries a decent amount of contraband and can punch through most blockades with ease.
Era: 0ABY onwards
YV-666 Assault Transport
Very much the poor-man’s version of the ATR-5, it still hits corvettes hard with turreted dual turbolaser and turboion cannons and a modest torpedo armament.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Fire Ships
Some of the medium freighters have been packed with explosives and converted into Fire ships.
Explosions come in 3 sizes; small, large and very messy. Era: 18BBY onwards
Marauder Missile Cruiser
This is a rather expensive conversion as the standard armaments have been swopped out for 4 concussion missile launchers that each fire one missile every 3 seconds in a terrifiyingly deadly barrage. Although not illegal, this is definitely only obtainable on the black market!
Era: 18BBY onwards
Super Transport VII Interdictor Frigate
Perfect for pulling convoys out of hyperspace and stripping them of escorts, this converted heavy transport carries Dual Laser Cannon, Ion Cannon and multiple warhead launchers to make a killing as a pirate raider.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Super XI Fleet Carrier
A poor man’s Venator or a large pirate cruiser, this dumps multiple squadrons of cheap fighters supported by modest turbolaser, laser cannon and missile launcher emplacements, but is no match for a decent warship.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Illegal Fighters
Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-Wing (Illegal)
Readily available to those with contacts and cash, this is a superior Disruptor-armed dogfighter.
Era: 18BBY-0BBY
Cloakshape Fighter (Illegal)
Modest shielding, Disruptor cannons and an Advanced torpedo launcher make this multi-role heavy fighter a favourite craft for outlaws and pirates.
Era: 18BBY onwards
Mankvim Light Interceptor (Illegal)
Almost a contradiction in terms, this is a cheap, disposable illegal fighter with light shields and slugthrower cannon, and is a favourite of bargain-hunting crime-lords, such as the Hutts.
Era: 18BBY Onwards
Preybird-class Starfighter (Illegal)
As the Preybird eventually became the staple pirate raider, an illegal variant was swift to appear, and is deadly. Heavy Dual Disruptor cannons and 2 advanced concussion missile launchers usually result in a swift demise for any opponent.
Era: 4ABY onwards
R-41 Starchaser (Illegal)
Wingtip mounted Disruptor cannons and a rapid firing slugthrower cannon in the nose act like a chainsaw to opposing fighter squadrons. Advanced missile launchers add to the carnage.
Era: 18BBY onwards
StarViper-class Attack Platform (Illegal)
Modelled on Prince Xisor’s personal craft, this can blow away a medium bomber in a single burst from two Double Disruptor cannons. It’s probably the worst thing ever.
A cargo of Buzz Droids makes this craft a match even for Shadow Droids.
Era: 7ABY Onwards
T-65 X-Wing (Illegal)
4 fire linked Disruptor cannons and Advanced proton torpedoes mounted onto an Incom T-65 X-wing make for a very hard-hitting heavy fighter. These are normally extremely hard to get hold of, and as such are rare.
Era: 4ABY Onwards
T.I.E. Starfighter (Illegal)
With huge numbers of salvaged Republic T.I.E Starfighters left taken from Clone Wars battlefields, this rapidly became the basic Disruptor-armed fighter of choice for many early pirates, and is moderately dangerous when encountered in large numbers.
Era: 18BBY, very rare by 0BBY
TIE Fighter (Illegal)
Fast moving disruptor-fighter replacing the obsolete T.I.E Starfighter (Illegal)
Era: 0BBY onwards
TIE Interceptor (Illegal)
Exceptionally fast and agile this is a superb Disruptor-armed interceptor, normally commanding a very high black market price, and often limited to senior criminal commanders and renegade imperials.
Era: 4ABY Onwards
Z-95 Headhunter (Illegal)
Triple slugthrowers on each wingtip fire an average of 18 armor piercing slugs per trigger burst, making the illegal R41 look like a cheap toy in comparison. Cheap and very nasty en-masse.
Era: 18BBY – 10BBY
The semi-legal variants and illegal snubfighters are the most common form of custom pirate modifications on the black market.
Part II of this study will explore the heavy guns of the pirate world – illegal bombers and anything of corvette sized and larger that has been modified with illegal disruptor weaponry, mass drivers and the very expensive black market missile systems. . .
Edited by Ghostrider, 10 September 2010 - 02:37 PM.