Hunk a Junk
Sr Member
As I recall, the original Incredible Cross Sections book had the TIE Boarding Craft as a small illustration in it (maybe in the hangar on the Star Destroyer page), i.e. showing it as the same configuration as a TIE bomber.
You are correct. Simple explanation: the TIE Boarding Craft has bomber-style solar panels and the TIE Command Shuttle has outward-flared solar panels. Easy-peasy, Japanesy. So in R1, it would make sense that the ships accompanying Vader's Tyderium shuttle would be boarding craft rather than command shuttles.