The Venom is a break in standard issue Imperial Fighter design. Most Imperial ships are fast, aggressive, and not designed for many defensive purposes. The Venom is the first Imperial fighter that can be designated as a "Fighter-Bomber". It is a little bit faster than an X-Wing and just a bit more maneuverable. It has strong shields and a thick hull that provides good protection. It has three lasers cannons and two missile/torpedo launchers. It can dogfight pretty good and can bomb well too. It is truely a multipurpose fighter designed to fill mulitiple roles in battle.