Like I said the Gozanti is AWESOME. I was actually a litle sad to see that the first Impeiral Epic ship was the Raider. I think it is super cool that it looks like you can actually attach TIE models to the bottom. But I am not sure what the point of having a ship deploy other ships in the game of X-wing. Do you get a price break on ships deployed from a carrier? Is their some sort of tactical advantage to not having some of your ships from the begining of the game? Both of these seem unlikely.

It protects swarmy ships from alpha strikes? With the new buffs to ordnance, Assault Missiles could be horrible in epic play against swarms if Blount and several Bandits go equipped with tracers and those missiles. The carrier could charge the enemy formation, then release TIEs behind the enemy lines.

After the alpha strikes are past, and the enemy isn't having all firing arcs looking into the same direction, it could also make sense to release the glass cannons in the middle of the mess? Soontir, TIE Phantoms, a Punisher loaded with ordnance that has not had to survive focused fire all the way from the beginning...

I wouldn't be surprised that the K-Wing has SLAM to be able to survive an Epic alpha strike.

In fact, I believe this could give the Empire a great advantage, as more ships survive to the end-game. Maybe the Rebels and Scum would need to get some similar mechanic, although using their natural alternative (and so far, absolutely ignored): hyperdrives.

Tactically you want all your guns out because every turn they're on the carrier they're not shooting.

If you look at the other two deploying ships, they each have a benefit.

The Hound's Tooth gives you a Z-95 for 6 points (instead of the 12 to 17 points it would have cost normally). The Ghost has an additional arc and an extra attack (offsetting the one it lost) all the time the Phantom is docked, but you've got to buy an Attack Shuttle to do that.

So there will be a benefit to docking TIEs written onto the rules cards that makes having TIEs docked to the Gozanti and launching them is preferable to just having four TIEs and a Gozanti. I've just got no idea what it is. I doubt it'll be price reduction because you can launch all the TIEs in two rounds, meaning it costs you at most one round of shooting on two TIEs.

Something I had been thinking about: Epic ships are _slow_ you're not going to be able to dart a Gozanti into a flanking position and drop TIEs into play. At least not faster than the TIEs could get there themselves.

I bet there is some advantage to it, though. Even if I can't think of one.

I'm still asking why X-wing epic can dock and launch star fighters while Armada can't? Being able to dock combat repair and launch might help squadrons in their 0 squadron meta. Okay not completely 0 squadron meta but it is close.

Maybe people are looking for rules based reasons the Gozanti can carry tie fighters when there isn't one, and the ship carries for them for the narrative reason that tie fighters don't have their own hyperdrive and that FFG simply needed another Epic ship for Imperials and Disney was pushing anything Rebels related?

Like I said the Gozanti is AWESOME. I think it is super cool that it looks like you can actually attach TIE models to the bottom...

And that my friend, is the point. Right there. Rule of Cool FTW.

It would be cool if you had kind of a pool of different pilots on board of the carrier (which are not known by the opponent at this point) and you could field the right ones for the current situation ...

honestly, if the deployment allows you to select a maneuver off the TIE's dial like the HT's does, it's going to be worth it for the positioning alone.

honestly, if the deployment allows you to select a maneuver off the TIE's dial like the HT's does, it's going to be worth it for the positioning alone.

Yep - and even more so depending on the timing of the deployment. If it's energy/action controlled, then the Gozanti would be able to make it's move, followed by the TIE's as they deploy. That's a lot of potential ground covered.

Plus, being able to drop up to four TIEs in advanced flanking positions without them being able to be targeted would be a huge tactical advantage.

Possibly repair and rearm mechanics as well, if you can dock bombers you can replenish their ordnance. Maybe even re-use 1 time EPTs and upgrades.

^{Yeah was thinking the same thing that it would be tactically stupid for a carrier to inter combat with its aircraft/spacecraft on deck.. However as was mentioned a reload/repair mechanic would be cool! or a points discount for loaded ships would even be "OK" but not as cool as the rearm/repair mechanic!!}

Something energy based, maybe for every energy you spend you can return one ordnance card to play or repair 1 HP of damage. (Possibly 2 per HP)

I'm guessing this ship is going to be the equivalent of the transport; and epic super buffer. As such I would be surprised to see a lot of upgrades and titles which specifically benefit your ties for being around this thing. Even if there is no benefit the turn you deploy, being able to launch your ties into combat guaranteeing that you will get the buffs from the gonzanti alone will probably give you a devastating alpha strike the turn you deploy, with no chance of being destroyed On The approach

honestly, if the deployment allows you to select a maneuver off the TIE's dial like the HT's does, it's going to be worth it for the positioning alone.

Yep - and even more so depending on the timing of the deployment. If it's energy/action controlled, then the Gozanti would be able to make it's move, followed by the TIE's as they deploy. That's a lot of potential ground covered.

Epic ships move after all small and large ships have moved, the Gozanti deploys after executing a maneuver independent of energy or actions. So yeah, your PS1 Academy Pilots move after VI Han.

Hard to speculate when we don't know the re-docking rules at all. Also, will Gozanti-launched ships be able to fire on the turn they are deployed? If so, no extra incentive would be required in my opinion. Remember Gozanti only shows up in Epic and assault missiles etc. are more common in Epic.

Reinforcements .. Lock it in.

Rebs and scum have hyperspace capable ships .. Imps don't. New rules to come soon. Reinforcements. Say it. Reinforcements.

Reinforcements .. Lock it in.

Rebs and scum have hyperspace capable ships .. Imps don't. New rules to come soon. Reinforcements. Say it. Reinforcements.

Uh, TIE Advanced, Defender, Phantom, Lambda and Decimator say hi.

^{Yeah was thinking the same thing that it would be tactically stupid for a carrier to inter combat with its aircraft/spacecraft on deck.. However as was mentioned a reload/repair mechanic would be cool! or a points discount for loaded ships would even be "OK" but not as cool as the rearm/repair mechanic!!}

I REALLY hope there is no option for in-game/in-battle "repair" of ships. This is a "dog fight" game, with ships beginning "in contact" (or nearly so). Though there is no time scale in the game (how long IS a game turn?), typical engagements would probably be determined in minutes, if not seconds- hardly time for major repairs.

Yes, this is a GAME and not a simulation and abstracts many things, so... If they DO have some sort of rules for repairs/replenishment, I hope they are very simple and and limited in scope.

I see the launching/recovery of small craft as having a much more reasonable role in scenario-based play, rather than tournaments, except maybe (as others have proposed) as some form of delayed deployment.

It's possible that they may allow a ship to dock again. I'd like to see that as an option for the Phantom and Ghost. But I don't expect there to be a way to repair anything. That just doesn't make sense lore wise.

If a TIE were to dock with a ISD, then yeah I could see them trying to do some sort of battlefield fix, but the Gozanti can't pull a ship into some sort of repair bay like you could on a Star Destroyer, it seems to be mostly used as a transport type ship and not a true carrier.

Reinforcements .. Lock it in.

Rebs and scum have hyperspace capable ships .. Imps don't. New rules to come soon. Reinforcements. Say it. Reinforcements.

Uh, TIE Advanced, Defender, Phantom, Lambda and Decimator say hi.

Decimator and lambda are not starfighters. The others are limited production or prototype. There were very few production hyperdrive fighters for the empire, mostly the gunboat was the only one available in numbers.

I'm guessing there will be some command bonuses, that the Gozanti will be able to buff its assigned ships better than it can buff other ships.

honestly, if the deployment allows you to select a maneuver off the TIE's dial like the HT's does, it's going to be worth it for the positioning alone.

Yep - and even more so depending on the timing of the deployment. If it's energy/action controlled, then the Gozanti would be able to make it's move, followed by the TIE's as they deploy. That's a lot of potential ground covered.

Epic ships move after all small and large ships have moved, the Gozanti deploys after executing a maneuver independent of energy or actions. So yeah, your PS1 Academy Pilots move after VI Han.

And then can't shoot, assuming deployment rules are consistent.

Yep - and even more so depending on the timing of the deployment. If it's energy/action controlled, then the Gozanti would be able to make it's move, followed by the TIE's as they deploy. That's a lot of potential ground covered.

Problem is, Epics are slow. The TIEs could probably cover more ground on their own going full throttle.

I'm guessing there will be some command bonuses, that the Gozanti will be able to buff its assigned ships better than it can buff other ships.

Problem with that idea is that you then have to track which ships were docked to it and which weren't. After 7-8 turns that could be a little tricky.

"untitiled imperial small base ships cannot use this (reinforcements) rule"

Give the tie defender and Gunbot titles, assume the royal guard tie has a hyperdrive, and it's good.