If firespray are patrol craft for local enforcement, I'm actually more than happy to paint up a few 'black-and-whites' for intersystem ships. The Aggressor does feel like a strictly contract ship (not necessarily bounty hunter, but a mercenary sort).

There might be some interesting pseudo-justifications in having some of these other craft around as localized reinforcements adherent to the Imperial authorities or otherwise in the Imperial employ beyond just simple bounty hunters. Naturally, it's also just good branding mixing in some lesser known craft with the iconic frames.

I'll admit, I'm having a hard time reconciling the generic YV-666 and Jumpmaster 5000 with non-bounty hunter use. It's not impossible, Jumpmaster's were superb long range ships apparently, but the YV-666 is still a light freighter so... yeah. Imperial convoy guard things? Of course, I'd much rather see ATR's for YV-666's, Escort Shuttles for Jumpmasters, etc, but I'll live with it.

Just put in my order today with Mel's on shapeways.

ATR-6 attack transport for the Firespray, and Lambdas for the Jumpmaster.

I was thinking a squadron of Skipray Blastboats seems like a decent analog for a generic Aggressor, and for a generic YV-666 well.... who the hell is going to use any of those?

I was thinking this.

Attack transport as a fire spray

Lambda as a Jumpmaster

Tie Defender as the Aggressor

Maybe assault gunboat as the Y666?

Probably ATRs as the YV666. Gamma-class ATRs were almost nightmarish to approach in a starfighter because when you had their attention, they'd fire something like six laser cannons at you. They were also missile armed, so in a pinch they could be used against installations and starships.

And unlike the YV-666, ATRs are often used in the Imperial Navy on actual combat assignments.

What I'm tired of seeing is Rhymer in every Imperial list. He's just one man, a loyal servant of the Empire should get some shore leave on occasion!

What I'm tired of seeing is Rhymer in every Imperial list. He's just one man, a loyal servant of the Empire should get some shore leave on occasion!

No rest for the wicked, and his opponents agree that be is a wicked man

I'm a fan of standardized Imperial equipment. With all the ships in the Expanded Universe, why does the fleet have to turn to bounty hunters when there's plenty of Sienar and Kuat equipment on-hand to requisition?

I'm looking at Delta JV-7 Escort Shuttles, DX-9 Stormtrooper transports, Lambdas, Sentinels, ATRs, that horrible little VT Decimator, and so on. I know JV-7s pretty much have the same capabilities as the Firespray, and they're a whole lot cheaper on Imperial credits to employ than spending money to assuage the egoes of overrated bounty hunters.

From a managing point of view it is still the most efficient way to outsource military operations in remote areas. No sense to send out a full compartment of standing forces to gun down some minor rebell scum.. maintaining a standing army just for having it is probably the biggest drain to any economy one could imagine.

Checking RL, the most efficient military operation of modern days so far has been undertaken by a mercenary company as well, the award goes to executive outcomes. They managed peace-keeping missions on a fraction of what an UN involvement would have costed, and with greater results.

I'm a fan of standardized Imperial equipment. With all the ships in the Expanded Universe, why does the fleet have to turn to bounty hunters when there's plenty of Sienar and Kuat equipment on-hand to requisition?

I'm looking at Delta JV-7 Escort Shuttles, DX-9 Stormtrooper transports, Lambdas, Sentinels, ATRs, that horrible little VT Decimator, and so on. I know JV-7s pretty much have the same capabilities as the Firespray, and they're a whole lot cheaper on Imperial credits to employ than spending money to assuage the egoes of overrated bounty hunters.

From a managing point of view it is still the most efficient way to outsource military operations in remote areas. No sense to send out a full compartment of standing forces to gun down some minor rebell scum.. maintaining a standing army just for having it is probably the biggest drain to any economy one could imagine.

Checking RL, the most efficient military operation of modern days so far has been undertaken by a mercenary company as well, the award goes to executive outcomes. They managed peace-keeping missions on a fraction of what an UN involvement would have costed, and with greater results.

Yeah but the point of the Empire was that everyone needed to be in constant fear of this omnipresent war machine. And every time the military needed to be bigger they just tax the regional governors even harder. Basically the Romans actually!

Of course, the Romans made ample use of mercenary/auxiliary forces also.

And like the Romans, when you cede the predominant roles in your military to the auxiliaries you know the game is just about up... Might be a bit worrying in the modern context...

So yes, can see the Imperials using a combination of their own and scum/mercenaries as needed.

Eeeeh, from an upper management standpoint, it's also more economic to put Grandma to sleep, harvest her organs, and sell the rest to her to distributors of consumer brand dog-food. A case can be made for it, but it doesn't sit right with a lot of people. In the end it's more about supposed ethics and finding that little line we probably would be best not crossing.

The very notion of PMC's, bounty hunters, mercs, etc, just leaves a really bad taste in a lot of peoples' mouths. The idea of an economical war goes against Aquinian Just war theory, which is something of an important influence regarding how western societies traditionally view the issue. It's not that it's ineffective, it's that it's about supposed priorities in morality/ethics vs. economics. Mind you, all notion of ethics is sort of out the window with the Empire given they're bad guys with super weapons and they certainly don't follow Just war theory (they are, on the other hand, really fun to look at in contrast to it)*.

Holy Sorcerer is right to a degree: private contractors in place of a professional military has a good chance of 'muddying the brand'. And when you've got a large, faceless, military corps with the manpower and cohesion to supposedly protect their territory, it doesn't sound all that inspiring when they have to phone it in with Bossk and the good ol' boys of Qotile IV. The Galactic Empire is supposed to be a massive force, it has all the equipment to fulfill the same roles. It's not like they're deprived of obsolete rusty reservist equipment, piloted by 'loose cannon' personalities who 'don't play by the rules'. It's just that bad guys use mercs, it makes them badder guys in traditional media.

*Not that the department of Energy (Especially the Galactic Empire's Department of Energy) is inherently more upstanding than Parasol Arms Inc.'s new research, development, and not-Bioweapons division. It's just traditionally seen as more controlled than the image given off by trigger-happy cowboys for hire, rather than their cowboys in uniform.

Even within the Empire (will use USA as an example) there are local defence forces such as corsec, Hapes and I am certain many others. On the paper they still report to, an are considers part of the Imperial military. However, they do not necessarily have access to / can afford top of the line Imperial equipment. Therefore, you can role play it that the "scum" are local system patrol / defence craft pressed into an Imperial engagement in the outer rim.

For real world current corollaries:

Within the USA: State National Guard, SWAT teams

Close allies : Canada (not using F22s), Europe (locally made English, French, German weapons, ships, planes)

Current Allies: Turkey, Egypt, etc (mix of US and Russian)

Not really Allies: Iraq, Afganistan, Syria (local forces, using whatever is available)

All of the above can be fighting on the same side, so you could easily have top of the line M4s with US troops and MP44s in the hands of local militia "allies" (whom the imperials would most definitely call scum). This is the current, real world.

So yes the inclusion of scum makes sense from this point of view.

Eeeeh, from an upper management standpoint, it's also more economic to put Grandma to sleep, harvest her organs, and sell the rest to her to distributors of consumer brand dog-food. A case can be made for it, but it doesn't sit right with a lot of people. In the end it's more about supposed ethics and finding that little line we probably would be best not crossing.

The very notion of PMC's, bounty hunters, mercs, etc, just leaves a really bad taste in a lot of peoples' mouths. The idea of an economical war goes against Aquinian Just war theory, which is something of an important influence regarding how western societies traditionally view the issue. It's not that it's ineffective, it's that it's about supposed priorities in morality/ethics vs. economics. Mind you, all notion of ethics is sort of out the window with the Empire given they're bad guys with super weapons and they certainly don't follow Just war theory (they are, on the other hand, really fun to look at in contrast to it)*.

Holy Sorcerer is right to a degree: private contractors in place of a professional military has a good chance of 'muddying the brand'. And when you've got a large, faceless, military corps with the manpower and cohesion to supposedly protect their territory, it doesn't sound all that inspiring when they have to phone it in with Bossk and the good ol' boys of Qotile IV. The Galactic Empire is supposed to be a massive force, it has all the equipment to fulfill the same roles. It's not like they're deprived of obsolete rusty reservist equipment, piloted by 'loose cannon' personalities who 'don't play by the rules'. It's just that bad guys use mercs, it makes them badder guys in traditional media.

*Not that the department of Energy (Especially the Galactic Empire's Department of Energy) is inherently more upstanding than Parasol Arms Inc.'s new research, development, and not-Bioweapons division. It's just traditionally seen as more controlled than the image given off by trigger-happy cowboys for hire, rather than their cowboys in uniform.

Not a big fan of the just war theorem, as it just lacks realism imho. I would also not agree with your postulated cohesion between 'ethical/moral war' (whatever that is supposed to mean..) and official troops. There is no difference really, take any modern conflict for evidence. Official soldiers do the same atrocities any merc would do, often even surpassing them as official soldiers are often excempted from prosecution where mercs are not.

Anyway, this is star wars so we should leave the all-to-realistic topics to a minimum = ) So from the sci-fi view I would agree with megamen in that a giant empire might sometimes have to confiscate equipment or work together with local forces. It also has the advantage of not rising too much suspicion, contrary to what a giant relocation of official troops would do.. you know, bothans..

I figure the Imperial end of the Rogues and Villains pack represents both contracted help from bounty hunters/crime syndicates as well as the squadrons available to local Imperial governors, much like Roman auxiliaries. The Empire as a whole may not stock Firesprays for their forces, but the local planetary/system governor may have decided to place a big order from Kuat, and he instructs them to assist the Imperial navy when they're in the neighborhood hunting down local separatists.

The only thing that thematically bugs me is an Imperial fleet with primarily Rogues and Villains ships (the easiest example being Firespray spam). It just feels off to not see mobs of TIEs zipping around. Then again... the easiest way to handle Rogues yourself is to simply bury them in blue dice, and TIEs are the most efficient means of doing so. So perhaps we'll come around to that.