Also, one of my all time favorite vehicles is far more impractical than the K-Wing. The AT-AT. Ground pressure, an additional side to armor (the bottom), poor weapons coverage, complicated motive systems, there are SO many reasons it doesn't work as a military vehicle. But despite all that the AT-AT is just plain COOL in a way that a practical "box on tracks" just wouldn't be. I cannot fault its inclusion in Star Wars, in fact I deeply appreciate it.

I was reading through the thread and saw this.

The AT-AT is not impractical at all. If we had the technology to build legged armored vehicles that were reliable & could meet a realistic budget, we would do so (presumably the FtL-capable Empire, ruled by dictatorship, does not have things like cost restrictions or an annual budget. ). The terrain navigation and flexibility of motion would simply overwhelm any drawbacks (say, for example, speed). What, you're going to drive a tank across Hoth? You won't make it half a mile before your treads are thrashed. And what if you hit a crevasse? You'll be lucky to reverse in time before you're going down the chasm. How are you planning to shoot down the ground to air attackers that will be shooting at your top armor? The AT-AT may have blind spots in the side and rear (that are covered by it's buddies), but you've got a ceiling on your cannon as well as a maximum practical traversal speed - you're swinging the entire gun assembly on a central axis, vs the AT-AT being able to rapidly tilt it's weapons more or less wherever it likes because the head's on a neck joint.

Legged vehicles could just do it all. Urban combat, swamps, jungles, mountains... anywhere a bunch of guys or dogs can go, your armor can now go. They can hunker down like your guys, look around and maintain situational awareness without relying entirely on instruments...

Certain details could be argued about, like the overall size (I honestly doubt you could have it much smaller if it was to be an armed & armored troop transport), but the forward-mounted weapons & fire control system makes sense (this has become a staple of modern combat vehicles; tanks have a 360 turret, yes, but anything that doesn't will fix their firepower forward because it feels more natural for a gunner to shoot that way). Side & rear turrets are kind of impractical; you need to house the crew, ammunitions, FCS, etc for each weapon, and it's really awkward to fire a weapon outside the plane of motion on the vehicle you're traveling with (these are the reasons that sponson guns were retired during WWII). It's better just to move in formation and let your buddies cover your flank.

If anything was ridiculous, it was the Snowspeeder tow cable guns. Like, lol, how did they get that much thick cable into that craft's little gun? And they spooled it out at supersonic speed in below freezing temperature?

Well, okay; I guess they couldn't have the rebels getting stomped without showing the at least taking one of the monsters down.

Not to mention the pure psychological impact of this slow, inexorable force that is coming for you. It's not coming swiftly, but it IS COMING . and you CAN'T STOP IT . They are the EMPIRE, and you WILL fall to them and their invincible machines.

The AT-AT works wonderfully as a symbol, even before mentioning the tactical benefits.

Remember, the Rebels didn't even win the battle on Hoth, they just delayed the Empire a little. Long enough to run away, but they lost their base and a lot of manpower. I'm certain the Imperial Brass called it a victory, despite some (but not all) of the Rebel leadership managing to escape.

If the AT-AT makes tactical sense it's because Star Wars weapon technology sucks compared to armor technology (although Stormtroopers suggest otherwise). If the Rebels had a remotely competent artillery corp, they would have blasted those things the moment they touched down. Modern warfare is based on not being seen, even for 60-ton tanks. Being large and exposed is a death sentence, even agaisnt insurgents with an older generation equipment.

That being said, there's a lot to suggest that people in Star Wars don't actually know how to make warfare. Their tactics are at best early WW1. No wonder they needed a massive supply of clones and droids to fight. If you read too much into it (which I'm doing), you could argue that the Republic and Jedi kept the peace for so long that for-real major ground warfare never happened for a few thousand years. That's why you have a free-lance policeman training your army in an emergency.

That's why you have a free-lance policeman training your army in an emergency.

What I wouldn't GIVE to have had Freelance Police in those movies.

Honestly, the K-Wing is so close to being a decent looking ship. If the cockpit area was cleaned up so that it didn't resemble a duck's bill, and the wings were swept back to better resemble a flying wing, I imagine it would actually be quite sexy.

For me it just doesn't fit with the Ralph Mcquarrie design aesthetic.

It looks like something a 12year old boy would design, "Oh, yeah add some extra wings down there...And a second cockpit for his buddy, cool...Oh, and more missile-bomb thingys...Ohhhh how about an engine up there...Mom, can I have some more Bagel Bites?"

The K-Wing's model that FFG created here looks way better than any art that I've seen of it. It's actually... almost cool looking. Frankly FFG pulled off a miracle job with it. If no one had seen any of the previous art for it before the Wave 7 reveal, we'd all probably just think of it as a rather uninspired homebrew creation by FFG.

I just wondered..., if the K-wing was the choice to go, even a predicted one, then..., what type of small based craft is left?

Maybe I get my wanted Cloudcars after all!

I like the K-Wing. I think it will be a fun ship to work with.

That being said, it's a pretty goofy looking ship. Two separate, side by side cockpits? A third engine off-center where if fired it would probably flip the ship's nose down rather violently? Skis on the second set of wings? A ball turret sticking out of the front with a second turret behind the cockpits where it's field of fire is obscured by the aforementioned third engine.

Give me (or anyone really) two minutes fixing that ship and I could make it so much more practical and streamlined....

What if the K-Wing indirectly boosts the X-Wing too?

Doesn't come with any mods or astromech, sooooo it would have to be a Torp. Any torpedo that boosts the X-wing will boost the Y-wing, B-wing, K-wing and if everybody is boosted then no-one is boosted.

Personally, I don't have a huge issue with the K-Wing itself, at least not design-wise. I'm a bit disappointed because it's not a Rebellion-era ship. Personally, I'll probably buy one and use its rules to field one of Mel's ARC-170s.

By the way, I'm bittersweet about the Khiraxz... the fighter itself is one of those easily-modified airframes that you find in tons of different configurations. If they wanted a hotshot, performance fighter to give Scum some teeth, I'd rather they had gone with the Vaksai variant.

What if the K-Wing indirectly boosts the X-Wing too?

Doesn't come with any mods or astromech, sooooo it would have to be a Torp. Any torpedo that boosts the X-wing will boost the Y-wing, B-wing, K-wing and if everybody is boosted then no-one is boosted.

While I mostly agree with you, what if that Plasma Torpedo that (I think) comes in one of the new bombers functions like this:

Range 1

6 damage.

-1 damage for each green die on the defender.

It's sort of an anti-Procket that penalizes Falcons, Bs, Ys, and the various large ships that just rely on stats for durability. Changing the meta like that might, weirdly, make X-Wing's more viable.

What if the K-Wing indirectly boosts the X-Wing too?

Doesn't come with any mods or astromech, sooooo it would have to be a Torp. Any torpedo that boosts the X-wing will boost the Y-wing, B-wing, K-wing and if everybody is boosted then no-one is boosted.

While I mostly agree with you, what if that Plasma Torpedo that (I think) comes in one of the new bombers functions like this:

Range 1

6 damage.

-1 damage for each green die on the defender.

It's sort of an anti-Procket that penalizes Falcons, Bs, Ys, and the various large ships that just rely on stats for durability. Changing the meta like that might, weirdly, make X-Wing's more viable.

What if it was a range 3 only?

I also think that the advanced homing missiles effect is either a wes janson ability (awesome), or nera's ability (kinda cool, but not as awesome.) for the missile.

No. I'm sorry, but just no.

The F-82 wasn't even operational by the time WWII ended, and was obsolete by the start of the conflict that it cut it's teeth on (Korea). It was almost immediately superseded by the P-80; the die-hard piston aircraft proponents could cludge together the zenith of that era all they like to try and overcome the range & fatigue limitations, but even the power of two Mustangs literally welded together just wasn't going to cut it in the emerging new era of jet powered planes.

Keep in mind that the first air-to-air kill of a MiG-17 in Vietnam was by a piston-powered Douglas Skyraider!

No. I'm sorry, but just no.

The F-82 wasn't even operational by the time WWII ended, and was obsolete by the start of the conflict that it cut it's teeth on (Korea). It was almost immediately superseded by the P-80; the die-hard piston aircraft proponents could cludge together the zenith of that era all they like to try and overcome the range & fatigue limitations, but even the power of two Mustangs literally welded together just wasn't going to cut it in the emerging new era of jet powered planes.

Keep in mind that the first air-to-air kill of a MiG-17 in Vietnam was by a piston-powered Douglas Skyraider!

And that pilot was like: "Pfffffft. Jets, schmets"

No. I'm sorry, but just no.

The F-82 wasn't even operational by the time WWII ended, and was obsolete by the start of the conflict that it cut it's teeth on (Korea). It was almost immediately superseded by the P-80; the die-hard piston aircraft proponents could cludge together the zenith of that era all they like to try and overcome the range & fatigue limitations, but even the power of two Mustangs literally welded together just wasn't going to cut it in the emerging new era of jet powered planes.

Keep in mind that the first air-to-air kill of a MiG-17 in Vietnam was by a piston-powered Douglas Skyraider!

One of only two aerial victories in the war. If somebody wants to slow down and turn with you, you'll kill them. That's how MiG-17 pilots were able to get shots on US jets. Works the same way with A-1s.

There are a couple of reasons why folks might dislike the K Wing, and being a Star Wars fan even from the Expansion Universe and everything else I can elaborate. The first issue is probably the fact that it lacks maneuverability in barrel rolls like the B Wing. Also the fact that it could be how expensive it is in points for upgrade. There could be the other side of the coin that some view it as completely OP when it comes to firepower and also the SLAM ability added to it. One other possibility might be hull and shields also. Personally for me a ship or bomber like this is great for having a 360 degree arch in firing much like the YT-2400 with Heavy Laser Cannons. Plus keep in my not all ships need to be maneuverable even for a bomber. Just drop that Golden Goose of an ordinance, and hit the SLAM and get the hell out of dodge. That's pretty much the tactics for a K-Wing anyways. Fictionally in the Star Wars EU it was developed as a Bomber Support Role for the New Republic. And in some cases served more as a planetary bomber in some cases over the other. This is not going to be a primary bomber like say maybe the TIE Bomber, TIE Scimitar, or B Wing for that matter. This would be more of along the lines a support role like the Skipray Blastboat. Again you drop your ordinance, SLAM, get away and reposition and come back and pop off if in range with the 360 turret. Now what might hurt is the range of the turret itself, but like the Coriellian Corvette too, turret lasers have a 1 range over the Heavy Laser think 5. Making it nasty to broadside fighters in battle. I think turret is either 2 or 3 but still not that bad, points for upgrades? Might be an issue, but if points could be done right with a pair of these? Complimented with a good set of fighters maybe A-Wings, or even X-wings I see deadly potential for this. Now again with the new movie out, the universe changed, the rules applying this to the basis of X-wing might be another matter. But I still admire it and have one among my set well at least with the YT-2400, and still building up my set too. But again I see a lot of potential in this thing.