I remember the gunboats from the games as basically being the imperial equivalent of the y-wing.

Not very manueverable

Slow

Tanky

Two lasers and two ions

Decent warhead load

Biggest difference is not having the astromech.

I think the stats above of 2/1/4/4 sound pretty good. Don't agree on the beam weapon. Could maybe be like the tie bomber and have one torpedo and one missile slot instead of two torpedo slots.

Firstly a forward: X-wing largely pays homage to the x-wing and TIE fighter videogames, as well as the OT Movies. Ships such as the TIE Defender and the TIE Phantom had their initial appearances in the video games (TIE Fighter and Rebel Assault 2 respectively). The Defender went on to make appearances in Games Star Wars Rebellion (Supremacy in the UK) and both the Defender and Phantom made appearances in Empire at war.

One ship that made it's first appearance in X-wing, and then TIE Fighter was the Starwing Assault gunboat. Basically a versatile hyperspace able Imperial ship. This is great! A Ship that moves a little away from the carrier dependent TIE Corps.

The Stats I would propose are as such:

Firepower 2: 2 Laser cannons.

Agility 2 (possibly 1). The Gunboat is more agile than a B or Y wing, yet a little less so than an X-wing. It is however a larger target than the X.

Shields 4: Slightly less shielded than a B.

Hull 3 (possibly 4). The gunboat was a flying tank.

The ship would be capable of Target lock and Focus. I can't justify Barrel roll or Evade. It did not have a cloaking device.

As for the Dial, something that looks like the Y and B-wing is really what's wanted. It's not as fast as an X, faster than a Y.

It would have to have a cannon upgrade, and additionally 2 missile slots, or one missile 1 torpedo. The Gunboat was more often armed with concussion missiles as the standard weapon. in games later than X-wing the ship was used for more of a bomber role escorted by TIE Advanced, but in X-wing it was largely a missile platform.

I would also give this ship a system upgrade.

For Fluff reasons this ship would make an amazing addon to the range, allowing imperial's to field tough long range Recon ships independent of any carrier support. The Gunboat is capable of long range patrol and Recon as well as able of getting into the thick of it.

For Game reasons, it's a tough heavy missile platform capable of toting a cannon, mixing an average agility of 2 (possibly) while maintaining high hitpoints.

Who knows. Maybe it could come with advanced concussion missile cards...

I'd buy about six of these. I loved flying them in the video game.

Ah, the Assault Gunboat. I like the stats you came up with, OP. I don't play tournaments, so I'm not qualified to judge how viable the ship would be competitively, but for themed/narrative games and for all of us who have fond memories of flying the ship in TIE Fighter it would be so great to have this ship.

I always loved the Star Wing in the PC games and I honestly can't see what's not to like about it. I always felt it was a brilliant idea to base a hyper-capable ship off the lambda design instead of the TIE series, but to each their own. I'll admit that I really don't care for the Missile Boat at all.

As much as I#d love to see the Gunboat, I believe visuals may be its doom, as FFG may feel it looks too much like a rebel craft and will want to keep a visual faction identity they feel the Star Wing does not provide...

The gunboat looks like a shuttle, and the shuttle is a key Imperial ship design in the original trilogy. It might be the only x-wing scale Imperial ship that actually gets a close up outside of space battles.

Just because it isn't a TIE doesn't mean it looks like a Rebel ship.

If it was, it'd probably have lasers on the wing tips.

It's not the obscurity I object to so much as the fact that the ship design is uninteresting and a blatantly lazy bit of plagiarism.

So, by that logic I assume you object to the TIE Bomber, because it's just Darth Vader's TIE Advanced with two hulls? And maybe the TIE Interceptor, because it'sjust a TIE with pointy wings? And while we're at it, how about the TIE Defender, which is essentially just a TIE Interceptor with an extra wing stuck on it?

OMG Lucasarts, why all the cheap uninteresting knockoffs? Forget about theme, about identity, about uniformity, or the fun fluff fact that these ships were all made by the same in-universe corporation, where is the originality, plz?

Your argument could sure do with some polish too, it seems.

I always thought the Assault Gunboat was an elegrant craft. It was only "pudgy" when you started to view it from any side angle. But that's because the wings are wide.

I don't think it's a problem if it behaves more like a rebel craft than most TIEs. The TIE Defender already breaks the axiom of cheap fragile fighters, and if there is one rebel craft the Empire could "emulate", it's the Y-Wing. Just improve it a little on the dial and agility, sacrifice some of the hitpoints, and give it a cannon slot for it's canonical Ion cannon. As a 2 ATT, this also makes it a good candidate for the sorely underutilized autoblasters.

I'm definitely hoping that FFG will bring out the Gunboat or Missileboat...they were favorites back in the day and would give the Empire some more options as the game matures

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSH.

...there it goes again!

The Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wing is probably the most well-known Imperial EU small ship that hasn't been released yet. With FFG's proclivity toward video game ships and besides another TIE, I'd imagine this ship is on their 18-24 month product roadmap.

EDITED for typos

The Gunboat will blast them all! Rebels and Scum!

I figured the ship should be a near mirror to the Y-wing with a few changes.

Firepower 2

Agility 1

Hull 4

Shields 3

Y wing manuevers except:

3 turns white

2 bank green

cannon, sensor and two missile upgrades.

Yeah that's about right.

It really did handle like a Y-wing didn't it?

This was one of my favorite ships in XvT and Tie Fighter... Get on it FFG!

I think it handles SLIGHTLY better than a YWing but not by much. It was very slow like the YWing... That's for sure

Gunboat Cannon Mount

Modification. Assault Gunboat only.

Cost: 4

This ship gains the [cannon] slot, and the Ion Cannon has its cost reduced by 2 when equipped on this ship.

My biggest problem with this idea is how in the world am I supposed to put an Engine Upgrade on it?! I suppose you could make it a Title card. But still it basically amounts to a 5-point Ion Cannon. Not such a fan.

Honestly, I'm facing the same dilemma with the TIE defender: it had ion cannons in the game, but it's just so tempting to put a Heavy Laser Cannon on it, even though it doesn't feel loyal to the lore (imho). I'll keep thinking of ways to address the HLC problem for the Star Wing.

Gunboat Cannon Mount

Modification. Assault Gunboat only.

Cost: 4

This ship gains the [cannon] slot, and the Ion Cannon has its cost reduced by 2 when equipped on this ship.

My biggest problem with this idea is how in the world am I supposed to put an Engine Upgrade on it?! I suppose you could make it a Title card. But still it basically amounts to a 5-point Ion Cannon. Not such a fan.

Honestly, I'm facing the same dilemma with the TIE defender: it had ion cannons in the game, but it's just so tempting to put a Heavy Laser Cannon on it, even though it doesn't feel loyal to the lore (imho). I'll keep thinking of ways to address the HLC problem for the Star Wing.

It's a tricky situation. HLC is generally a universally better upgrade than Ion Cannon. But reducing the cost of the Ion Cannon by 2-3 points, as a 4-5 point cost here, would make it a tempting choice on a 2 attack ship. The only issue with making it 16+4=20, is now you can field 5 ships, all 5 with Ion Cannons.

Do we think Beam Weapons should be a separate upgrade or should they simply be a Systems Upgrade? My vote is for Tractor Beam to be a Systems Upgrade.

The Gunboat was tough as heck but one of the slowest out there. The dial should be more B-Wing than Y-Wing. Both ships are roughly as maneuverable, but the B-Wing is slower. I think the Gunboat should be 2/1/5/3, maybe even have shields 5.

If it is an Imperial only sensor upgrade.

Then again, FFG stats don't really follow the video game stats at all thus far, compare:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/B-wing_starfighter

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/BTL_Y-wing_starfighter

So the Gunboat:

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Alpha-class_Xg-1_Star_Wing

...Can really be whatever 'we' want.

It's a tricky situation. HLC is generally a universally better upgrade than Ion Cannon. But reducing the cost of the Ion Cannon by 2-3 points, as a 4-5 point cost here, would make it a tempting choice on a 2 attack ship. The only issue with making it 16+4=20, is now you can field 5 ships, all 5 with Ion Cannons.

Agreed with all this. Thematically, it should be able to take Ion Cannons, but that opens up the possibility of it using the HLC, which instantly becomes the better option. A title which allows it to take an Ion Cannon but only an Ion Cannon in lieu of the Heavy Weapons slot on the card might be an acceptable workaround... or maybe just ignore the Heavy Weapons slot altogether, give it the Systems Upgrade slot along with some kind of ordnance modifier?

Are we totally married to Title cards only giving slots? What about a title card that simply gives an Ion Cannon?

All Shields - Imperial Only works for me, but I have a vague recollection of being able to equip a tractor beam on my B-Wing in X-Wing vs TIE Fighter...? It was a long time ago, I might be wrong.

I stand by my 'fixed' turret suggestion posted earlier.

I always thought it was a bit ironic that the gunboat was primarily a missile carrier. I say let the gunboat have its HLC option, and let the gunning commence!

I always thought it was a bit ironic that the gunboat was primarily a missile carrier. I say let the gunboat have its HLC option, and let the gunning commence!

The only reason I don't agree is that it would essentially makethe HLC an autoinclude.

I don't like autoincludes.

I always thought it was a bit ironic that the gunboat was primarily a missile carrier. I say let the gunboat have its HLC option, and let the gunning commence!

The only reason I don't agree is that it would essentially makethe HLC an autoinclude.

I don't like autoincludes.

Rebels are able to field 3 HLC.

How often does this happen?

Imperials are able to field 3 HLC.

How often does this happen?

Scum will be able to field 4 HLC.

How often will this happen?