Phantoms didn't ruin anything the human tendency towards laziness did, falcons are not the only option just the one that takes the least amount of effort, why fly well when you can take a turret ship and not worry about getting things in arc.

It's got four hit points and green dice can not be relied upon.

Flying big ships takes skill.

flying any ship with a 360 degree firing arc takes no skill. That being said it was about time the imperials got a 360 firing ship.

I wouldn't say a large ship takes no skill, just considerably less

You still need some foresight and can't go charging in like a looney (most of the time), but the unbelievably forgiving nature of a 360 unavoidable arc, naturally beefy stats, and potent defensive upgrades make it far easier to utilize. The 360 turret in particular lets you arc dodge where-ever you want without having to risk giving up a shot.

well seeing as the topic has kinda pettered off i'd like to thank everyone who participated in the discussion, i actually played a few enjoyable casual games this past weekend and i won't be quiting the game anytime soon, i'm still undecided about tournaments but we'll see, anyways thanks.