Hi all,

What's the Imperial vessel at bottom left?

https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/da/f6/daf6e98a-0a81-4fea-9b1b-148e1ba7e711/sw03_plastic.png

Doesn't seem to be either the Carrack or the Tartan cruiser from the PC strategy games Rebellion and Empire at War, or a DX-9 stormtrooper transport or ATR-6 assault transport from the X-wing series of PC flight sims.

Is it perhaps an imperial troop transport, to mirror the rebel troop transport? In the PC strategy game Rebellion, Victory star destroyers, ISDs and SSDs carried surprisingly limited numbers of troops for ground operations (2, 3 and 9 regiments respectively). Almost invariably, any roving imp. fleet needed additional troop transports (Assault Transport = 1; Galleon = 2; Star Galleon = 3). This was a huge pain if your fleet got attacked by a rebel fleet, as these troop transports were basically easy prey and needed defending.

Any ideas?

Cheers,

Matt

[edited to add detail to post]

It's a Gozanti Cruiser, which has been shown a lot in "Star Wars Rebels" and will be a model in Xwing soon.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2015/7/31/lying-in-wait/

Of course it is - not sure why I didn't recognise it. Thanks, CheapCreep.

What's the purpose of it in the game, I wonder. Equivalent of corellian corvette?

M

If the Gozanti stays true to it's purpose as a deployment platform for TIE fighters then likely yes, since we've seen A-Wings deploy out of the corvettes (Rebels)

It's probably a small space fleet element. Represents local garrisons and patrol fleets, used in quantity to protect your holdings while your Star Destroyers duke it out with the MC80s and crush planets.

It's like the infantryman compared to the Tanks in Axis and Allies. Both units do the same thing but at different strengths.

I'd assume the Gozanti will be a transport unit. It can carry a couple ties and some troops. The rebels have the GR75 for troop transport.

If transports must carry troops that makes sense. Hopefully the Gozantis have some measure of protection though, since GR75s are virtually unarmed. But the Gozantis would be more expensive in comparison?

Imperial Gozantis have less weapons than the modified GR75 generally used by the Rebellion. 1 twin cannon and 1 large cannon vs 4 twin cannons. The Imperial Gozanti is used to carry troops/ties. 1 squad of troopers, 4 tie fighters, and 4 small vehicles (small walkers).

Old school Gozantis have more weaponry, but that is not the model they are using.

In the PC game the transport units (carriers and troop) were used to support larger fleets. You could build the transport ships and the stuff they carried for a fraction of the price of a larger combat ship that could carry the same amount of stuff. Plus they could be used to ferry stuff to your main fleets as where you could produce units was limited and traveling without a transport ship was super slow and limiting. If you needed more tie fighters, or wanted more ground troops for invasions, you didn't build more star destroyers, you built carriers and transports. And those units would get spent in combat or in occupying planets, so you needed to constantly resupply your main fleet.

I suspect the role will be similar in this game.

My guess is the Gozanti will carry 1 tie, 1 trooper, and 1 ATST. The GR75 will carry up to 3 troopers or 1 speeder and 1 trooper. Rebel fighters have hyperdrive, so they don't need carriers.

If they hold true to the game, larger ships will have capacity also. I'd suspect a Star Destroyer will have 2 tie, and 3-4 'slots' for ground units. troopers take 1 slot, at-st takes 2 slots, at-at takes 3 slots.

All wild speculation of course....

If the Gozanti stays true to it's purpose as a deployment platform for TIE fighters then likely yes, since we've seen A-Wings deploy out of the corvettes (Rebels)

I thought they deployed out of the frigate rather then the corvettes?

look forward to the expansions with a few more ships! I do hope that expansions happen.