Our group is getting ready to start AoR and are deciding on our starting kit. I can see the pros and cons to all three. What'd your groups choose and why? The base feels most Star Wars/rebellion to me, but I'm curious what others think.

Better question: what's ur party look like and what do you expect from the campaign?

The shuttle/fighters/base option is a tool, so what's the job?

I'd pick Y Wings for the most flexibility. The Lambda is more suited to infiltration, and the base keeps the campaign locked in one place until the party finds another means of leaving.

Depending on the campaign, I generally prefer the idea of the base. It feels like a group of locals trying to fight off the empire from their home.

My group (in EotE) has a Lambda, it's a bit of a double edged sword. Getting past imps, with the right authentication, is easier. It's the kind of ship they're expecting anyway. But for other groups who might not look favourably on the imps, it can make things even trickier. It's been fun so far!

Better question: what's ur party look like and what do you expect from the campaign?

The shuttle/fighters/base option is a tool, so what's the job?

Thanks for reframing the choice so it can be looked at from a different perspective. I think our group needs to decide if we're going to be on the offensive or defensive.

The base option can be handy as it lets a group get a feel for their characters on a smaller scale rather than hoping straight into "big adventures" that having a starship would have. And once the PCs hit their first Contribution Rank increase, if you want you can hand them a Rarity 4 space transport (like a YT-1300) as their reward, at which point you open things up for the group in terms of scale of operations.

But ultimately, it depends on what's going to work best for the campaign you've got in mind and what sort of adventures the group is interested in.

Indeed.

Here's my overarching 2 certs:

The shuttle is a good all around her, the empire, as well as other local governments use it, so with a good slicer to work the iff and/or a silver tongued comms operator you can get anywhere. Its also reasonably well armed and leverages the multi-crew mechanic. If your group is spies, saboteurs, ambassadors or the like, relying on a prestigious appearance, or stealth, go with this.

The y-wings can bring a lot of firepower to bear and are very flexible, but they are high maintenance women. On the players side they'll need astromechs to really get the most out of em, and though widely used, y-wings are still combat craft and without a good cover will draw attention. Also you need to be sure that both you and the gm know how to run a good starfighter encounter. If your goal is to run a starfighter campaign, this is the start.

The thing about a base, is you need to find out what it means. Aside from being immobile, there's also the matter of facilities. Echo base is a base, but so is a one bedroom safehouse on ord mantell, or a section on a cruiser, or camp in the jungle. Find out what you're getting before committing.

Also these three options are not set in stone. I a different option of similar value works better, the gm is allowed to give you that instead.

Only one of my players is particularly focused on piloting, with the others being two infantry and one mechanic. So I encouraged them to take the base. This way, they get some extra credits, a place to crash, and it lets me flesh out their location better since I know they'll be spending some time there. And to help the pilot out, I designed the base in such a way that the PCs can convert it into a speeder garage. They all pooled spare credits to start buying parts.

Also these three options are not set in stone. I a different option of similar value works better, the gm is allowed to give you that instead.

Yeah what the GM for our current campaign did was start us with a mix of Lancets and Y-Wings since we are a Corellian Sector Force unit and the base we are currently housed at is shared with two other squadrons. Any time any nit from the base carries out a mission there is a chance, determined by dice roll, of the Empire finding the base.

I'd go for all three... why?

No matter what you do your group will need a base, if they're going on raiding missions then the Y-Wings allow you to strike and if necessary you can ditch them if you're shot down and can assuming they take precautions insure it can't be traced back to their base at least as long as your player character escapes.

The Lambda Shuttle is when you're on a covert mission its what you'll use in enemy territory and more importantly allows for your group to operate away from their base for extended periods.

Back when I was playing and running the old d6 star wars we had a hidden world as a base and had a variety of ships that could be used but we kept to the standard light freighter and x-wing back then we really didn't understand that an X-Wing is an open invitation for any imperial interests to take pot shots.

Heck I ran a game where I left the players having to travel on foot from the depths of Edan because they were ejected in an escape pod whilst their missing team mate was seemingly killed drawing off the Imperials from a trap he knew was coming.

They escaped off world after he spent the entire adventure repairing their ship none of that ever came up after another gm took over which was always a shame but one of those things!

My point is go for what you think will be the most fun for your group and just because they find themselves with a hidden base, a trio of Y-Wings and a Lambda Shuttle that doesn't mean they can use all of them at the same time or that they can't lose them if they're not careful... as far as I'm concerned if you've gave me that much stuff it means whatever is coming up in the adventure is that much more dangerous...

Bases come and go, fighters and even shuttles don't last forever but the game goes on... be interesting to learn what they do if you gave them the choice instead!

Our group is getting ready to start AoR and are deciding on our starting kit. I can see the pros and cons to all three. What'd your groups choose and why? The base feels most Star Wars/rebellion to me, but I'm curious what others think.

In general... if your players have multiple ships, the combat system can get rather cumbersome.

For me, that gets to downright broken at 3 PC-operated craft.

The design team seems to have a nasty love for the Y-wing... it's about the best fighter in the game. 2 characters and an astromech? Yep... makes it nasty.

Starfighter campaigns are fun, but I strongly recommend getting the GM's kit for the squad rules if you do - being able to form up a squad of expendable minions around your named TIE ace makes a big difference...

My default, should I ever run, would probably be either a Lambda or a base. Unlike in EoE, each starting option very much dictates the style of game you will be running. There is a little play, but this choice sort of decides what the team will be doing.

A Y-Wing squad looks like a lot of fun, but I feel like it would limit the scope of play too much. You will be fighting space battles as the central aspect of the campaign, which means that it's going to be a very fighty campaign. Sure, you can have adventures outside of the cockpit, but they are going to be heavily limited.

A Lambda is going to open up a lot of options for movement, espionage, and almost everything else. But it also lets out the space genie. Although the Rebel Alliance is calling the shots, the team will likely have a lot of sandbox control, not unlike EoE or Rogue Trader. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that the scope of the game... escalates quickly. This also dictates that the team is going to probably have to deal with some kind of cover, lest they need to keep switching the transponder codes of their shuttle.

A base focuses play in one place. This could be a good or bad thing. For me, I'm looking for more chances to give my players a home and hold them accountable for their actions. In this kind of game, the team will have to live with every success or failure, every NPC relationship and every argument. But this also can limit play, since they are only dealing with one place and the team is basically playing house.

The reason I'd run with a Lambda is for the freedom to send the team on whatever mission I need to send them on. The reason for a base is, as I mentioned, to build that feeling of responsibility and outcome in their actions. I'm less included to go with a Y-Wing squad, unless I was specifically building that kind of game, due to the heavy combat focus and the lack of difference among the characters (although to the games credit, there are a lot of specializations you could explore).

There has been a lot of great advice so far, and clearly there are a ton of viable options. It depends on what kind of campaign you are running.

Right now, I have a group that has a yt-#### that is based out of a nebulon b frigate. They are currently reconnimg and planting seeds of rebellion in a system that has come under imperial occupation. The frigate will be great as the pcs start getting plans in motion because they will be able to call for backup, get support and work with other squads from the same base. So far it has worked out because the pcs have some mobility and some allies from their mothership.

Edited for the wonderfulness that is auto correct. Sorry if there are still errors. Someday I'll actually proofread my posts...who am I kidding. I won't.

I've actually been somewhat alternating for my group - they have the base from the beginner set, which will serve them in the short term, and a lambda shuttle for when they wind up leaving/ have to run off-planet. None of us are so far terribly fond of space combat, but I'm hoping to spice up the next few encounters - at which point they may be interested in getting access to starfighters at least occasionally.

It should be noted that this choice shouldn't be written in stone. Having a base doesn't mean you can never step into a star fighter or be sent on an infiltration mission aboard a Lambda. It just means that your base is the primary "setting" for your team. Just like how a Y-Wing team is expected to leave their fighters at some point and do stuff.

If I was to run with the Beginner game, I would try and keep the shuttle in tact and have a Y-Wing squadron available to the team. While the focus would be on ground fighting on the planet (I might move the base's location) and the long term effects on the base and surrounding settlements, they would also be sent on missions using the other kits. This could also be used as the staging group for a sort of persistent world for other games I might run (another team uses the shuttle, while a third is the main standing Y-Wing squadron). This means the team could take missions while the squadron is on leave or while the Lambda team is otherwise occupied, utilizing their assets while those teams could utilize the base more.

My guys will end up in a base. They're busy navigating the shadowy world of clandestine organizations and secret societies at the moment, but there is a base in their future. The plot hooks will involve who comes to their base from session to session and what is needed/expected of them as a result. That's not to mean they won't leave the base and venture forth in ships/vehicles or whatever, but it's all going to be on the down low as they will be a covert operation and not some overt military facility.

I want to start out by saying that I think I "get" the choices presented in the game:

• Lambda is intended for parties/stories focused on infiltration & espionage
• The Y-wings are intended for fighter pilots
• The base is a good "all-round" option, especially in hybrid EotE/AoR games where the players may have access to a ship via different rules.

All that being said, on the surface, the "Y-Wings" option somewhat perplexes me... Where are the characters supposed to keep them? Is it assumed that they're part of a squadron stationed at some really really ridiculously crappy base?

To be clear, this isn't a complaint at all. After reading some of the posts above, I just thought it a bit odd that all of the other options in AoR and EotE provided some living space, except the Y-wing option. That led to thinking about solutions, and In my head, such a posting is either:

• a dirt clearing on a barely habitable world OR
• a beat-to-$#!t old cap ship that serves as a carrier.

In either case the characters' "housing" is basically a cot the barracks/quarters that might have a private foot locker. I found it entertaining and wanted to share. I would love to this to my old gaming group if they chose the Y-wings. I'm also curious what solutions other groups have come up with.

The Y-wings might move from base to base (or ship), but whatever they are based upon is not controlled by the PCs. Likewise, PCs that start with a base might host visiting Y-wings or a Lambda shuttle.

What he said.

A Y-Wing squadron could either be fleet based or could be stationed at a base, but that's different from having a base of operations. Having a base means that it is the primary mode and location of play. For a Y-Wing team, the base becomes a backdrop or a place for being off duty, but the action is in the stars. For a base team, the action might still take place elsewhere, but they need to safeguard the base and deal with the long term repercussions of their actions on the planet.

The same goes with a Lambda team. Unlike a smuggler/pirate crew in EoE, you probably don't actually live in your ship. That would be gross, since a Lambda is pretty small compared to a freighter (though even that is pushing it). You'd have a base or fleet you report to, but that base isn't really important. What's important here is the mission.

So in all cases, you still have somewhere you keep you Twi'lek pinup and other personal belongings. But if the team is located in a base, that location just becomes more important to them, whereas everyone else is probably just passing through.

A base also doesn't have to be a base in the traditional sense. My players are doing exceptionally well with a modified Gallofree GR-75. It's mobile, so they can get around. It's also got capacity to carry a flight or two of fighters as well as a Lambda or Sentinel if necessary.

I started my squadron with a base in an orbital repair shop that also served as a recovery and scrapping shop. Yeah, the shop did do repairs on civil ships... and not all of those were rebel craft... but fundamentally, it was mostly a place to park. Later, they moved to a backwater world within a backwater cluster.

Where are the characters supposed to keep them? Is it assumed that they're part of a squadron stationed at some really really ridiculously crappy base?

I look at the "base" option as more of the "bonus gear instead of a ship" option since the base per se does nothing special for you, but you need some place to pin-up your twi'lek cheesecake...