Given all the talk about adding the Ghost and the Gozanti cruiser to the game, I've gotten curious. How would a carrier work mechanically?

• The carrier drops the smaller ships like bombs.
• The smaller ships detach by performing barrel rolls from the carrier's base?

Which idea do you like more? Do you have another one?

Let's assume for now that there will be an effect.

It won't. The only place any sort of carrier action is gonna happen is in Armada.

It won't. The only place any sort of carrier action is gonna happen is in Armada.

To follow up on this, the reason it's unlikely is the scale of the game (both physical and chronological).

A dogfighting game covers a limited amount of space and doesn't require hyperspace; the TIEs can be in action only because we assume they were deployed by a base or carrier off-screen. Bringing this carrying function to the dogfight does little except slow down the fight as both sides deploy.

Further, a refit and repair function (replace ordinance or something similar) would be cool, but would take too long. In a skirmish on patrol, you don't have time to refuel mid sortie. This is the kind of thing that we assume happens between missions. They could just handwaive this for the mechanic, I suppose, but it would feel too gamey and not cinematic.

I would like to see a FarStar carrier bay attachment for the CR-90. Somebody with some design talent should model one for Shapeways. It has FarStar similar carrier capacity to the Gozanti.

You could assign edges of the table as the capital ship and have them launch at 4-straight out of the designated hangar area.

I think we decided in the last thread about this subject that given the short nature of dog fights carrier rules would be pointless as you'd take at least three turns to complete r&r and that's an eternity in this game.

It won't. The only place any sort of carrier action is gonna happen is in Armada.

I'm not even sure we'd see a Gozanti in Armada. With just four TIEs, it's not even capable of deploying a full squadron.

If they were to do carrier style functions, it would just be deploying and not recalling as others have pointed out, it isn't really in the scope of the game. I would imagine a barrel roll style deployment would make the most sense (dropping like a bomb just makes it too easy to run into the carrier ship) where you place the ship against the carrier ship using the one movement template. Part of me wants to see it, but there is little point to it other than cinematic effect that isn't really required.

I think we decided in the last thread about this subject that given the short nature of dog fights carrier rules would be pointless as you'd take at least three turns to complete r&r and that's an eternity in this game.

I wasn't thinking of refitting or repairing fighters. I even agree that it's a bad idea.

I had more of an alternate deployment method in mind. Or possibly missions where the objective is to deploy, destroy a target, get back on the transport, and leave.

I think it would be neat to see a TIE-deploying Gozanti in this game. I also think they will get us a Gozanti, and I think that they should have a TIE Advanced to go with it, with interesting update cards that make the Advanced more viable. They might also include some TIEs.

However, I don't think they're going to include any carrier mechanics.

I think it would be neat to see a TIE-deploying Gozanti in this game. I also think they will get us a Gozanti, and I think that they should have a TIE Advanced to go with it, with interesting update cards that make the Advanced more viable. They might also include some TIEs.

However, I don't think they're going to include any carrier mechanics.

I'd rather not have to buy an multiple Epic ships to get upgrade cards that I will need to own multiple copies of.

The whole X-Wing Miniatures game is Carrier operations.

TIE Fighters get launched from base stations, Star Destroyers and the like.

The Rebels use the ships they do because of the hyperspace capabilities to perform hit and fade attacks - that's why the cost difference between the two types of fighters (Z-95s on the other hand didn't have a Hyperspace option in it's original form - that's why the Astromech droid was a requirement).

If you wanted to do an actual campaign of carrier operations, you would want to run a few missions linked.

Peruse the mission builder website.

The whole X-Wing Miniatures game is Carrier operations.

TIE Fighters get launched from base stations, Star Destroyers and the like.

The Rebels use the ships they do because of the hyperspace capabilities to perform hit and fade attacks - that's why the cost difference between the two types of fighters (Z-95s on the other hand didn't have a Hyperspace option in it's original form - that's why the Astromech droid was a requirement).

I agree with much of this. However, I think that it's a level of lore depth that's beyond most players. Maybe even beyond that of the designers.

Here's my idea for the Gozanti TIE transport.

Give it a Deploy action, assign up to 4 fighters to it.

During its activation phase, after it executes a maneuver it can take the Deploy action, the controlling player places one or more of the assigned ships within range 1 of the Gozanti's base, then these ships may execute their maneuvers and actions as normal.

This allows you to have your 4 fighters up to 15 bases from the imperial edge of play in the first round (if the Gozanti performed a 4 forward and deployed its fighters in front of it, and they moved 5 forward). I might limit the fighters' maneuver to green only, or they might need to loose their action that turn. It also means the activate during the huge ship activation phase, which would be different. It could allow the fighters to quickly pass through a range 3-5 weapon's arc too.

While docked to the Gozanti, fighters are protected by its shields.

The whole X-Wing Miniatures game is Carrier operations.

TIE Fighters get launched from base stations, Star Destroyers and the like.

The Rebels use the ships they do because of the hyperspace capabilities to perform hit and fade attacks - that's why the cost difference between the two types of fighters (Z-95s on the other hand didn't have a Hyperspace option in it's original form - that's why the Astromech droid was a requirement).

I agree with much of this. However, I think that it's a level of lore depth that's beyond most players. Maybe even beyond that of the designers.

My star destroyer sits next to my cards and it's the home base for my fleet the indomitable will.

I'd say no for one reason:

Why would you not undock your fighters immediately? They're faster than the Gonzie and while they're docked they're squad points doing nothing.

Carriers make for nice objectives and fluff, but I can't see docking/undocking in the game itself.

The real question is, how would you perform carrier location and assault?

I'd say no for one reason:

Why would you not undock your fighters immediately? They're faster than the Gonzie and while they're docked they're squad points doing nothing.

Yeah... I think its kind of a pointless game mechanic at this scale.

It won't. The only place any sort of carrier action is gonna happen is in Armada.

Difficult to see. Always in motion, is the future.

It won't. The only place any sort of carrier action is gonna happen is in Armada.

I'm not even sure we'd see a Gozanti in Armada. With just four TIEs, it's not even capable of deploying a full squadron.

Could happen as an epic ship, no?

It won't. The only place any sort of carrier action is gonna happen is in Armada.

I'm not even sure we'd see a Gozanti in Armada. With just four TIEs, it's not even capable of deploying a full squadron.

Could happen as an epic ship, no?

I find that the naysayers can come up with all the excuses they want,

but in the end it's up to FFG, and if they think it's cool they can find a way to do it,

even if it is a light carrier like the Gozanti, and just like the CR90

they can have two sides to the base card where one is blank for use as an obstacle

in the middle of a larger play area where fighters could set up at a range of one from the base.

I should add that epic format means a larger play area which means set up in the middle more feasible, and being able to set up away from the edge is a good compliment to huge ship range five weapons.

I'm thinking a 6x6 foot area and team epic.

I find that the naysayers can come up with all the excuses they want,

but in the end it's up to FFG, and if they think it's cool they can find a way to do it,

even if it is a light carrier like the Gozanti, and just like the CR90

they can have two sides to the base card where one is blank for use as an obstacle

in the middle of a larger play area where fighters could set up at a range of one from the base.

Sure, they can do what they want, but would it be a good idea for them to do so? I'm not - in general - a naysayer (and I wasn't during the 3rd faction debate), but I just don't see them finding much use in having a carrier function in this game.

But I think it would be cool if they did, provided they do so well.

Likewise. I think a gozanti that could launch 4 TIEs during a fame would be totally COOL. I just don't see a game design/mechanical REASON to do so.

Likewise. I think a gozanti that could launch 4 TIEs during a fame would be totally COOL. I just don't see a game design/mechanical REASON to do so.

To play the other side of the argument for a moment, isn't the coolness itself a good reason to do so?

isn't the coolness itself a good reason to do so?

If they make one for Epic, seems too big for standard, even if it isn't that big...

I think having some sort of docking/carrier rules could be quite fun even if it doesn't make a ton of sense. Although a lot of that could be in the way of free actions and other CnC type stuff, where it functions at the controller of the ties that it brought.