While skimming Shapeways for surface to orbit Ion cannons and turbolasers, one of the popular items to pop up on the drop downs was the X-1 Gunboat.

So yeah, that's going for us at least.

"So this is another one of those foldy wing Empire ships right?"

And they'd be right.

They certainly would.

Edit: I've added the Gunboat's appearance in Star Wars: The Card Game to the first post of the topic, as this is the biggest news we've had since Fly Casual. Thanks for the info Boreas Mun - what a great start to the New Year!

Edit 2: Also, that ability in the card game is absolutely brilliant.

That model only looks about 10-15% bigger than what I would consider GUNBOATs to be. They were squat bodied craft with elegant wings and a distinct cockpit.

That Avenger also looks super sweet next to it, can't wait to see them painted up!

Twice as big? Really? You do realise that's a TIE Avenger it's pictured alongisde, right? Which is pretty much the same size as the TIE Advanced model? Would it help if I posted pictures alongside an actual X-Wing for reference?

The X-Wing is 12.5 meters long, not 12.5 meters wide. So the Gunboat should be 2.5m wider than the X-Wing is long with wings fully deployed. Honestly, Gosric's Gunboat is slightly oversized (but nowhere near twice as big LOL) and IIRC it was also based in part on Fractalsponge's excellent renderings and scalings. It looks very comfortable alongside the other X-Wing ships.

Can you show a picture of the Gunboat with the wings opened alongside the X-Wing?

Sure, I'll take some more photos tomorrow.

I'd hazard a guess that even if the Gunboat is slightly oversized compared to the X-Wing, it'll definitely be equivalent to the A-Wing at least!

http://www.cardgamedb.com/index.php/starwars/star-wars-card-spoilers/_/opposition-cycle/scrap-metal/alpha-class-star-wing-r1871

So the gunboat is at least in the RPG and LCG now, here's to hoping it makes it's way to X-wing sooner or later. Little late to the party though I guess.

It makes little sense to pour all the resources into creating the TIE Defender and then hit the drawing board again to create the Gunboat. So if Gunboat fans want it in canon, it will have to fit with what Disney wants with the series, not with what we wish was maintained from Legends.

I like the idea of a customs patrol boat. Plus, it makes sense that small 'local' polities (1-2 system groupings, corporate entities, etc) within the empire might want a hyperspace capable multirole (because they don't have hyper-capable carriers) and the Empire might pointedly want them not to have TIE fighters to underscore "You Are Not The Imperial Navy" - of course the yellow "Clipper TIE's" the mining guild operates kind of shoots that in the foot, but there's no reason someone like that might not operate the gunboat. ISB, for example, or Imperial Intelligence, might want a non-TIE design precisely because Seinar and the Navy are two of the entities they watch.

Speaking of which, now that Rogue One has introduced the concept of "single chamber" super laser firing and exactly how powerful that is, I would love to see them canonize something like the Eclipse. A Super Star Destroyer with a superlaser just big enough to wipe out a city, not shatter a planet.

And since it's now established that it takes basically 1/8th the Star Destroyer's super laser to do that...

They have - well, sort of. From the plot of Aftermath: Life Debt

...Travel to the Hall of Imperial Register to search for records on the Empire's Super Star Destroyers. With the destruction of six Dreadnoughts in space battles with the Rebellion including Darth Vader's Executor, three in the hands of the New Republic, one captured by pirates, and two more lost in accidents, Sloane's Ravager is officially the only remaining Dreadnought in Imperial hands. However, Sloane discovers evidence that the Emperor's Super Star Destroyer Eclipse was not destroyed as claimed.

Oh for **** sake. It's Ward and Thorpe level garbage all over again.

Speaking of which, now that Rogue One has introduced the concept of "single chamber" super laser firing and exactly how powerful that is, I would love to see them canonize something like the Eclipse. A Super Star Destroyer with a superlaser just big enough to wipe out a city, not shatter a planet.

And since it's now established that it takes basically 1/8th the Star Destroyer's super laser to do that...

They have - well, sort of. From the plot of Aftermath: Life Debt

...Travel to the Hall of Imperial Register to search for records on the Empire's Super Star Destroyers. With the destruction of six Dreadnoughts in space battles with the Rebellion including Darth Vader's Executor, three in the hands of the New Republic, one captured by pirates, and two more lost in accidents, Sloane's Ravager is officially the only remaining Dreadnought in Imperial hands. However, Sloane discovers evidence that the Emperor's Super Star Destroyer Eclipse was not destroyed as claimed.

We'll have to wait and see if they clarify that the Eclipse is "just another Executor" or if it is like it was in the EU - a different class of Dreadnought, with a superlaser. We already have (from Rogue One: Catalyst) precedent for Dreadnoughts being used as testbeds for superlaser designs - it wouldn't be a huge stretch to recanonize it as having exactly the same "look" it did in Dark Empire.

It'd be better off if you just put the Gunboat on the board without graverobbing it into Disney. Tens of thousands of pissed off sailors got SecNav to reverse his dumbass decision on removing ratings, getting the model thrown in without ruining its identity in a addition or two is justifiably easier and one that can meet consumer demand for more variety Disney ships never filled.

There's a EU restoration movement going on for this exact ****, and you want it to squeeze in under wingnut or Cameos for what poorly orchestrated reason?

....and Gunboat. Definitely in A-Wing scale.

There's just something..off about it.
Maybe it'sjust the materials and because it's unpainted. But that duck-bill is giving me fits.

It'd be better off if you just put the Gunboat on the board without graverobbing it into Disney. Tens of thousands of pissed off sailors got SecNav to reverse his dumbass decision on removing ratings, getting the model thrown in without ruining its identity in a addition or two is justifiably easier and one that can meet consumer demand for more variety Disney ships never filled.

There's a EU restoration movement going on for this exact ****, and you want it to squeeze in under wingnut or Cameos for what poorly orchestrated reason?

Because unlike Old George Disney doesnt forget. The Gunboat hasnt been seen since Xwing Alliance. Imperial officers with piloting skills would rather take customised shielded, hyperdrive eqipped tie intercepters than board a gunboat in the novels.

If Disney establishes the Gunboat as a customs craft, the Disney Story team will make sure it IS a customs craft, and make everyone use it as such.

....and Gunboat. Definitely in A-Wing scale.

I'm sorry to disagree, but they should be almost of the same length (10 for the Gunboat, 9.6 for the A-Wing).

Your Gunboat model is 50% larger, even if compared with the oversized A-Wing.

No need to be sorry Odanan, I'm more than happy with it. Playing X-Wing Alliance now, and it looks a hell of a lot bulkier than Wookiee's 10 meter length would suggest. The relative scale there is fine by me.

Didn't X-Wing and TIE Fighter have tech rooms with all the specs on it? Does that include length?

Given that the A-Wing was practically just sensors and engines with a cockpit in between it seems a bit off that there would be a .4 (meter) difference between the 2.

I think the only issue with the model is that the missile launchers are slightly too wide. Most models have the launchers as narrower than the cockpit while this has the launchers slightly larger. But since there has to be room for hinges, I'd say it's justifiable.

This one is my favorite:

Didn't X-Wing and TIE Fighter have tech rooms with all the specs on it? Does that include length?

Yeah, there's a tech room, but it doesn't include craft dimensions (just things like armament, top speed etc).

I'm now amusing myself by doing flybys in the simulator, trying to get a good comparison shot.

.....goddamnit.

I think the only issue with the model is that the missile launchers are slightly too wide. Most models have the launchers as narrower than the cockpit while this has the launchers slightly larger. But since there has to be room for hinges, I'd say it's justifiable.

Agreed, it's more than worth having the wide pods to have the folding wings. It's also probably worth pointing out again that if I recall correctly Gosric based the model in part on fractalsponge's amazing renderings - which have significantly wider missile pods than in the game:

Final one for now:

I think looking at the model again, the one thing which I'm not 100% sold on is te nose of the ship - it's quite long compared to the rendering above. I think it could possibly be shortened to the detail line on the print, but it's only a minor quibble.

Now to break out the good old Shadow Grey and Space Wolves Grey Imperial Grey.

.....goddamnit.

Huh. I don't remember the shot where Starbuck saves Apollo looking quite like this...

So, forgive me if this has been answered somewhere in the previous 269 pages, but has FFG ever addressed the obvious demand for this ship or made any statement at all about it?

While I don't really play much, I've been following the game since it was released just because I love the pieces. For instance, I was very happy when the HWK-290 came out simply because I always loved the Mouldy Crow. That being said, I'm STUNNED that we've gone as long as we have without a gunboat release (especially when they made the TIE Punisher).

C'mon FFG. It's time to get this ship made.

So, forgive me if this has been answered somewhere in the previous 269 pages, but has FFG ever addressed the obvious demand for this ship or made any statement at all about it?

While I don't really play much, I've been following the game since it was released just because I love the pieces. For instance, I was very happy when the HWK-290 came out simply because I always loved the Mouldy Crow. That being said, I'm STUNNED that we've gone as long as we have without a gunboat release (especially when they made the TIE Punisher).

C'mon FFG. It's time to get this ship made.

This thread has only really taken off since wave 6.

The best chance for gunboat inclusion they missed was the Tie Punisher's slot. But the Gunboat isnt an actual bomblayer, and they were looking for a tie to bring their latest "Tie Defender fix" into the game.

After that, Rebels and Force Awakens has filled out the rebel and imperial release schedual. They've almost worked their way through the backlog (no thanks to the Tie FO/Tie SF split that disney snuck on them) and the Rogue 1 ships are out now, technically.

This next wave is a chance for gunboat, and barring that, there is every reason to allow the Han Solo antholigy film to bring "Customs Patrol" Boat with the same appearance and capabilities as the old, forgotten gunboat.

Well, let's be real - FFG has done solid things with ships which are getting air time, and improving ships which did not see as much previous play. And while I'm sure people will clamor for new pilots for Interceptors and Defenders because they're gonna be on TV, FFG still has some pretty solid packs of those. The question of the Gunboat is how it fits in to what is popular (not just among a small but dedicated base in various internet communities but also, y'know, in the wider world out there) enough to get a feature, and how it fits into the general direction of a faction or wave. The gunboat has a good look a good concept, would be an interesting move for Empire kind of between how a lot of their ships interact normally - it's similar to the /SF as a "heavy fighter" (I/E Strike Fighter, but y'know, words like "assault" and "strike" aren't as meaningful in the game) and something which is just, say, [Cannon][Missile][Missile] and some chunky shields and hull as kind of a dedicated secondary weapon platform that in general I don't think Imperials use (Yeah, TIE/D is out there, and there are some bomber/punisher builds with missiles, but that's not generally how people utilize them). But - is that a mechanical focus and element FFG is ready to bring to a Wave and to the faction? This is something we can't comment on, and they can't either because we can be sure like, at any given time to keep their schedule they probably have different levels of planning, playtesting, brainstorming etc on the game to work through. I'd reckon as soon as it makes sense, they'd do it, because that is actually a niche that with the right upgrades and stuff could be something new to imperials, and resembles the fluff of the Xg-1 (Long range strike fighter which is tough enough to survive missions a TIE can't to deliver a heavy payload).

If nothing else, we can wait to see if it becomes canon again which would give some real prompting - it's entirely possible it was used in at least one old WEG adventure Pablo Hidalgo was involved with.

This next wave is a chance for gunboat, and barring that, there is every reason to allow the Han Solo anthology film to bring "Customs Patrol" Boat with the same appearance and capabilities as the old, forgotten gunboat.

Eh, also don't count out Rebels. The Gunboat was, one a way to give imperials shields, but in TIE fighter it was busted out of mothballs in order to compete with cutting edge prototype ships which had been stolen. We have a TIE/D now, and there is a full novel about Thrawn coming out soon. It may be possible that similar situations may arise or be referenced to bring the Gunboat back into the history - both it and the TIE/D originate from the same source. Using them as a customs ship (something which I saw most recently referenced in FFG's RPG work, which means it has recently passed muster by LFL) also works in terms of clearing up how they fit into this imperial doctrine though.

I'm really kinda surprised we haven't seen a gunboat already in Rebels. It would fit the show very well.