I'm just curious if there is any opinion about the value of huge ships in epic play as compared to simply fielding a larger amount of small ships?

The reason I ask is because from what I have read at least in competitive play, huge ships are rarely used in epic play. With the new toys coming out I was considering getting into it but it seems to me that the general opinion is, at least from a stand point of point value and competition, huge ships are useless in epic play.

Anyone who plays epic care to share some observations?

No toys, those are adult collectibles. Says so right on the box!

TBH. Wait and see.

Epic play just got overhauled, when gozers and the cards that come with them enter the field, I am not overstating in the least that everything will change.

Everything everyone knows about epic tactics will need to be unlearned and re-learned, that is how drastically the new cards effect the gametype.

I've played around a dozen epic games, often fielding the Rebel side against an all small ship imperial opponent, and I'm over 1:1 win:loss ratio. Even the old rules epic ships made it possible to win. What the new rules essentially brought was a little more room for error.

Besides, Epic without the huge ships isn't really EPIC! is it?

The Epic ships are very valuable and add a new element to the game. The campaigns are a lot of fun and this is where Epic really shines.

The Raider in particular is an amazing ship in Epic play. The Imperial Navy is not as robust and shield happy as the Rebels. Seeing two or more pancakes or a swarm of Y-wings out there can be scary as well for TIEs. This all changes with the guns and abilities the Raider brings the the Empire.

TBH. Wait and see.

Epic play just got overhauled, when gozers and the cards that come with them enter the field, I am not overstating in the least that everything will change.

Everything everyone knows about epic tactics will need to be unlearned and re-learned, that is how drastically the new cards effect the gametype.

glad I'll have a week or two to learn before my first-ever Epic Team tourney, then!

Also... Epic is a more casual style of play. It's more about fun than efficiency. What crazy list (what dream team) can you put together inside of 300 points? Using and protecting the epic ship(s) is a big part of the fun!

Simple explanation: yes, they can be worth it (even with the current set of rules), but keep the following in mind:

- In a 100 point game, some matches are won or lost ahead of time because someone configures his fleet without any forethought (a fully loaded Tie bomber, for example).

- In a 300 point game, such mistakes can pile up a whole lot more (ex: making a fleet with no huge ship composed of only 6 ships).

- A huge ship can be worth up to half of your fleet: if you configure it incorrectly, it will not be worth its points and it will sink your fleet.

- A huge ship is also deployed before any other ship, so even lowly tie academy pilots can have their deployment shifted in response.

The point that I'm getting at is this: if you want to use a huge ship, you need a plan for asteroid deployment, huge ship deployment, escort deployment (and how you will use it to protect your huge ship), etc. Otherwise, you will lose. We have an epic league in our sector and I have seen:

- Raiders and corvettes crippled by round 3 by scum swarms

- Raiders obliterate a huge amount of rebels ships

- A corvette win a match vs a scum fleet with a perfect 300 vs 0 points destroyed

- Etc.

Epic matches have a steep learning curve and can easily last 3 hours, so thinking ahead of time makes a huge difference

Also... Epic is a more casual style of play. It's more about fun that efficiency. What crazy list (what dream team) can you put together inside of 300 points? Using and protecting the epic ship(s) is a big part of the fun!

I agree with this. Personally, I don't think I'd like to play competitive Epic as it would take all the fun out of it. I find Epic as a great fun game and when you add in competitive, it's about how best to punch the other guy in the face. Don't they have a term for games that are epic, but not competitive? Narrative? Thematic? Something that I can't recall.

When I say I don't like competitive, it's not like I'm not trying to win. What I mean is that I like balanced scenarios and such. I don't like it when one side makes a list that's meant to just crush whatever it is you bring. I want the game to be in rolling the dice and moves and not in the list building stage. I like a 3rd party to make the missions and have them be balanced matches.

If someone takes a large based ship, the other side can tailor build a list that can take down an epic ship pretty fast. Just get as many ships with as much red dice as you can put on the table and you will win. Do things like max out on Tie Interceptors or Scyks with Manglers or X-wings and you will win. Doesn't make it fun in my mind, though.

I see epic as the reason to play huge ships.

Building without them when you have access to them just seems a little like missing the point.

Also... Epic is a more casual style of play. It's more about fun that efficiency. What crazy list (what dream team) can you put together inside of 300 points? Using and protecting the epic ship(s) is a big part of the fun!

A bit strange, then, that the only rules for epic play are, in fact, tournament rules.

Also... Epic is a more casual style of play. It's more about fun that efficiency. What crazy list (what dream team) can you put together inside of 300 points? Using and protecting the epic ship(s) is a big part of the fun!

A bit strange, then, that the only rules for epic play are, in fact, tournament rules.

And all the campaigns that come with the huges...

No toys, those are adult collectibles. Says so right on the box!

Don't lie to yourself man; you gotta own it.

Also... Epic is a more casual style of play. It's more about fun that efficiency. What crazy list (what dream team) can you put together inside of 300 points? Using and protecting the epic ship(s) is a big part of the fun!

A bit strange, then, that the only rules for epic play are, in fact, tournament rules.

And all the campaigns that come with the huges...

UHH...

DAT:

If you're playing epic games without a huge ship on each side you're doing it wrong (unless you're both playing that way). This kinda goes for Scum CR-90s too, as much fun as IG-8000 is...

I see epic as the reason to play huge ships.

Building without them when you have access to them just seems a little like missing the point.

Agreed.

Without Huge ships, it's not really Epic play. It's just normal play with more points.

If you're playing epic games without a huge ship on each side you're doing it wrong (unless you're both playing that way). This kinda goes for Scum CR-90s too, as much fun as IG-8000 is...

I don't agree with this; What's wrong with getting to field an actual Squadron of Starfighters?

I see epic as the reason to play huge ships.

Building without them when you have access to them just seems a little like missing the point.

Sort of wish they were required. Maybe that'll change now that the imps have a few ships?

If you're playing epic games without a huge ship on each side you're doing it wrong (unless you're both playing that way). This kinda goes for Scum CR-90s too, as much fun as IG-8000 is...

I don't agree with this; What's wrong with getting to field an actual Squadron of Starfighters?

I'm with you on this. Epic is a very different beast with or without epic ships.

The fact is now after the gozer epics are more viable, but generics still typically win out over aces in epic.

I see epic as the reason to play huge ships.

Building without them when you have access to them just seems a little like missing the point.

Sort of wish they were required. Maybe that'll change now that the imps have a few ships?

I'm hoping they'll require a minimum of 2-3 epic points spent in a list and no maximum. You want to run 3 transports? go ahead. 2 raiders? Have at it. 4 Gozanti? if you can make it work, kick some ass.

I see epic as the reason to play huge ships.

Building without them when you have access to them just seems a little like missing the point.

Sort of wish they were required. Maybe that'll change now that the imps have a few ships?

And it defeats the idea of points values - huge ships cost points on the same scale as starfighters, so the points should have roughly the same value in the game.

I see epic as the reason to play huge ships.

Building without them when you have access to them just seems a little like missing the point.

Sort of wish they were required. Maybe that'll change now that the imps have a few ships?

As we have seen with the Damage Decks, I do not think FF would do anything to exclude players which a ruling like that would do.

But I agree that this would be the best solution.

Also... Epic is a more casual style of play. It's more about fun that efficiency. What crazy list (what dream team) can you put together inside of 300 points? Using and protecting the epic ship(s) is a big part of the fun!

A bit strange, then, that the only rules for epic play are, in fact, tournament rules.

And all the campaigns that come with the huges...

There are Epic tournament rules... yes. But the Epic ships also come with just a standard rule sheet as well. The predominant way the ships are currently used are in casual games. There is nothing wrong with a formalized tournament setting. Epic plays best in a casual environment though. FFG has put on several casual Epic events and my group of friends enjoys the fun of casual team epic death matches or campaigns. I TO events in my area. Many of the players enjoy Epic play as well, but have never, not once, asked that an Epic tournament be put together or hosted.

But, the tournament rules are provided by FFG for those that are drawn to such a thing. I'm sure that could be fun too.