300 meters or less...

By MajorTomK, in X-Wing

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This is a topic that I've been getting a little frustrated with. People seem to want a Star Destroyer in X-Wing and, as many have consistently stated, something that big cannot reasonably be added to this game.

Too big: if scaled reasonably it would still be MASSIVE and would be a gaming board in it's own right. Even if it was made into a model the price would be such that few, if anyone, could actually afford it. FFG would lose money making models.

Too small: if made to be playable and not too expensive the Star Destroyer would be too small and fans would be outraged to the point where nobody would buy it. FFG would lose money making models.

What follows is a list of all the ships I could find which could be reasonably added to the game without upsetting any but the worst of whiners. It is my belief that anything listed as being 300 meters, twice the size of Tantive IV, or less wouldn't be too much to ask for:

Munifex-Class Light Cruiser

300 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Munifex-class_light_cruiser

Star Galleon-Class Frigate

300 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Galleon-class_frigate

Pelta-Class Frigate

282.24 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Pelta-class_frigate

Vigil-Class Corvette

255 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Vigil-class_corvette

Lancer-Class Frigate

250 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lancer-class_frigate

Tartan-Class Patrol Cruiser

250 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tartan-class_patrol_cruiser

Bayonet-Class Light Cruiser

200 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Bayonet-class_light_cruiser

No image means FFG can design whatever they want...with permission

Light Corvette

aka Imperial Customs Corvette

180 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Light_corvette

Action IV Transport

125 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Action_VI_transport

IPV-1 System Patrol Craft

120 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/IPV-1_System_Patrol_Craft

Warlord Dropship

110 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Warlord_Dropship

No image for this allows FFG some freedom...with permission

Imperial Armoured Transport

50 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_armored_transport

Guardian-Class Light Cruiser

42 meters

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Guardian-class_light_cruiser

I hope this list goes some way to reassuring the Empire players that just because the Rebels have a couple of HUGE ships doesn't mean they don't have any options for future releases. It is by no means every choice, just the ones I picked out. To find out more ships, here is a link to the page I used:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Galactic_Empire_starship_classes

Edited by MajorTomK
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Is the Storm Commando Imperial Escort Carrier on that list with a different name? If not, you should add it.

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Is the Storm Commando Imperial Escort Carrier on that list with a different name? If not, you should add it.

I didn't add it because it didn't specify a size. Only those with a size are listed. But there is a link to wookieepedia where the Escort Carrier can be found.

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Too big: if scaled reasonably it would still be MASSIVE and would be a gaming board in it's own right.

Just to help put it in respective... A ISD at the same scale of the fighters would be 19feet long. Even if you had it at the same scale as the CR-90 it would still be around 10ft long.

A VSD would be between 12 and 6 foot long.

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Tartan Cruiser FTW

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Too big: if scaled reasonably it would still be MASSIVE and would be a gaming board in it's own right.

Just to help put it in respective... A ISD at the same scale of the fighters would be 19feet long. Even if you had it at the same scale as the CR-90 it would still be around 10ft long.

A VSD would be between 12 and 6 foot long.

My point exactly. I was just too lazy to do the maths. Thank you

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Hahahahahaha! I've actually just been working on a similar topic myself, only to find out I've been ninja'd in epic (no pun intended) fashion. Well, I may as well post my thoughts here then! :)

So what do does everyone think the LARGEST Imperial vessel that could realistically be produced at the CURRENT (i.e. Corvette/Transport) scale would be? i.e. one that would fit on the tabletop, look right alongside the existing range, and be balanced under the existing points/epic gameplay system?
Let's not kid ourselves - Star Destroyers are out at this scale. Not a shadow of a doubt - as cool and as iconic as they are, they simply can't into the game as it stands. The only way we can possibly fit them into a balanced game would be as the background image on a gaming mat or tile, or as "off-the-board" elements such as turbolaser fire etc.
Immobilizer-418 Cruiser /Interdictor (600m x 300m x 100m)
One of the smallest Star Destroyer variants, yet still too big and powerful for tabletop play. It's as tall as a Corvette is long, twice as wide as a Corvette is long and almost six times as long.
Strike-Class Medium Cruiser (450m x 90m)
At three times the length of a Corvette, even this would surely be too large. According to the Wiki it can carry AT-ATs, entire TIE squadrons and has almost 2,000 crew.
Carrack-Class Light Cruiser (350m x 72m x 75m)
Well over twice the length of a Corvette, but could it work at this scale? Could this be the smallest starfighter carrier that might fit into the system? More importantly, without being featured in the films is it iconic enough to warrant the challenges of designing and producing a model of this size? Would it sell in enough numbers?
EF76-B Nebulon-class Escort Frigate (300m x w 72m x 160m)
Iconic, recognisable and already featured on some of the X-Wing artwork. First glance would say this might work... but the problem here is height - it's taller than the Corvette is long. It could theoretically be packaged and shipped in three seperate parts - main hull, engine block and connecting spar. Snap-fit components FTW. It also has a distinct advantage over many of the options as it (like the Corvette) can theoretically be used by both Rebel and Imperial factions. On paper it's incredibly powerful though, possibly still too powerful. I think we'd be looking at this as pushing the limit for a 5 Epic point ship. It would look INCREDIBLY cool on the tabletop though.
Lancer-Class frigate (250m x 57m x 60m)
Twice the length of a Corvette, but surely has potential. On paper it boasts a beastly amount of firepower, but it would appear to fit quite nicely into the Epic point scale.
Marauder-class Corvette ( 195m x 131m x 22m)
I think there's potential here as well. OK, it's longer than a Corvette and as wide as a Corvette is long, but it's relatively flat height and distinct profile would make it a different addition to the range. Also, like the Nebulon B it could potentially be shipped as a multi-part item as well.
IPV-1 System Patrol Craft (120m long)
Corvette-sized, but ugly as sin and not a particularly well-known ship even within the expanded universe. Would it offer anything considerably different to a Corvette?
What else is there? Well, we don't necessarily need to be looking at capital ships or similar... we could look at some lightly armed cargo freighters or heavy transports as well:
Container Transport (200m x 101m x 82m)
A rather large cargo freighter, with a limited amount of firepower to protect itself.
BFF-1 Bulk Freighter (120m x 75m x 34m)
Iconic amongst fans of the video games at least, as a target, an objective or as something to protect. Like the Rebel transport, it's unarmed and like the Corvette, could quite easily feature for either faction.
What I really like about both of the above possibilities is that they are used to transport the ubiquitous Class-A Cargo Containers ( http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Class-A_cargo_container ). I can quite easily see Fantasy Flight Games producing some of these cargo containers to use as objectives or targets in games of X-Wing (possibly to replace the tokens we're currently using). If that happens, then they could quite easily produce the Container Transport and BFF-1 as modular kits alongside the Cargo Containers, allowing players to use them in multiple configurations.
Mobquet Medium Transport (113m long)
An option for an Imperial equivalent to the Rebel Transport - but lightly armed. Could be a decent midway point between the two for the Imperials.
Action VI Transport (125m long)
A larger transport which is already the subject of speculation for fans of the extended universe (and home-made projects on this very forum). Could the Wild Karrde make it's way into the Epic games?
Edited by FTS Gecko
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Hahahahahaha! I've actually just been working on a similar topic myself, only to find out I've been ninja'd in epic (no pun intended) fashion. Well, I may as well post my thoughts here then! :)

:ph34r: hehe

Sorry about that.

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Both the "Rebel" transport and the CR-90 corvette were used by the Empire. I think an easy solution is: repaints!

Imagine blue highlights on the CR-90 mini (instead of "Alliance red"); then stock it with Imperial cards and voila! An appropriate ship for very little fuss.

The GR-75 isn't even painted, as far as I can tell. Simply re-stock it with a different small craft and the requisite Imperial-flavored cards and ship it.

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:ph34r: hehe

Sorry about that.

Not a problem at all, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one thinking along these lines!

Edited by FTS Gecko
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That Warlord transport is featured in a video series on youtube... I.M.P.S. The Relentless... its a satirical videography story about imperial troops on the job... itnis hilarious and well done. The second video has the Warlord inmit.. it is a very cool ship, like a larger sentinel class drop ship, but with some structural differences.

I think this would be an awesome ship for one of the first couple Imp ships...

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That Warlord transport is featured in a video series on youtube... I.M.P.S. The Relentless... its a satirical videography story about imperial troops on the job... itnis hilarious and well done. The second video has the Warlord inmit.. it is a very cool ship, like a larger sentinel class drop ship, but with some structural differences.

I think this would be an awesome ship for one of the first couple Imp ships...

I've seen it. I love it. I want more episodes of it. Best Star Wars outside of the movies I've seen so far. Though TROOPS was hilarious. The only way I.M.P.S. could be better is if it actually made it into a TV series, then DVD collections and then onto my shelf...

...and a T-Shirt

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Haha.. agreed.. I keep hoping for episode 3.. the website for it is nothing but old news... if I won the lottery, I'd send them a check and ask for a part in it.. lol.. the door gunners cracked me up.. hence my sig quote.. lol

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I really don't understand the obsession with trying to shoehorn a ridiculously out-of-scale Star Destroyer into a dogfighting game. There's plenty of ships the Imperial forces could field that wouldn't irrevocably break the existing scale (and by scale, I mean both ship sizes and points values).

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I like all of the suggestions for Imp big ships. I just also happen to be pro ISD. :ph34r:

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I really don't understand the obsession with trying to shoehorn a ridiculously out-of-scale Star Destroyer into a dogfighting game. There's plenty of ships the Imperial forces could field that wouldn't irrevocably break the existing scale (and by scale, I mean both ship sizes and points values).

I think at some point in this game--probably soon, tractor beams and inderdiction fields will come into play. This would be a logical part of the Huge ship game play. Imagine a tractor beam where you move two or three toward the tractor beamed ship every turn and have to roll an evade 1 to get out of it? I'm just guessing. If you don't roll free by the time you get to the Huge ship, you are destroyed by collision rules.

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I like all of the suggestions for Imp big ships. I just also happen to be pro ISD. :ph34r:

Don't worry you're safe here. If FFG can make a Star Destroyer that is the most imposing sight on the board, and maintains it's awesomeness, while being small enough to fit on a board and not indestructible, then you can count on me buying one.

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I think the only way to do an SD is printed tiles.

As for huge imperial ships I would love to see a Strike Cruiser, Vigil, or customs corvette. Also, the new modified Gozanti TIE carrier from Rebels looks promising.

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Nice thread. Lots of ugly ships there too.

Reading this I just realised that the 180cm wide Epic board is kind of enough to fit the "interesting" part of an ISD's side - turbolasers, the bridge, shield generators, etc. All that, made into carboard tiles, spanning up to 1/3 of the short side of that play area could be cool.

That however won't work points wise. At all. Just a section of the ISD alone should be 300pts (heavy shields, many turbo-laser turrets shooting up to range 5) and then there's no points left for fighters which makes the game quite dull.

So there's no chance to see any ISD's in the current game.

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ISD should be easy. Just partner up with Geekchiq to create a special $16k model that also doubles as a dinner table. With organizers inside to store your fleets.

This can be followed by a partnership with Winnebago to build the Death Star.

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My own preference would be that FFG designs a unique vehicle for the Empire.

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My own preference would be that FFG designs a unique vehicle for the Empire.

Personally I have no issue whatsoever with FFG designing their own unique vehicles for either faction, so long as their isn't an equivalent ship already within the expanded universe that would fulfill the same or a similar role.

I do like the idea of the Vigil however I can see it as being potentially problematic being a fan creation. That said, there's a LOT of material out there within the expanded universe for FFG to work with, without having to stretch the scales of either the tabletop representations of the ships or the game itself past breaking point.

To be honest, there really shouldn't be a need for us to panic regarding seeing an Imperial Capital ship on the tabletop juest yet - there's a LOT of mid-sided ships the Imperials can bring to the game as well, some of which seem especially suited to Epic play:

Alpha-class XG-1 Star Wing (10m x 15m x 7m)
I'd love to see this bad boy make it into the game at some point. How do you take on Rebel Transports and Corvettes? With missiles by the shed load.
GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat (25m x 14m x 9m)
Another Imperial ordanance carrier that's capable of mounting an assault on huge vessels. Uniquely, the Blastboat's main weapon is an ion cannon rather than laser cannons (although it could fielda turret), which could open up an entire capture-and-control mission type quite nicely...
Gamma-class ATR-6 Assault Transport (45m x 30m x 20m)
...and speaking of boarding actions, stormtrooper transports are another possibility. A ship this size could potentially fill the 1-Epic point role, and a couple of these with starfighter support might be a compelling match up with a Corvette and escorts.
While all these ships could be overkill when talking about a 100pt dog fighting match, they could fit extremely well in a 300pt Epic game, especially when going up against the likes of a Rebel Corvette.
Edited by FTS Gecko
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I think at some point in this game--probably soon, tractor beams and inderdiction fields will come into play.

What would the point of an Interdictior be in a game that has no hyperspace element?

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but the gozanti is half the size of the rebel transport....