What would be the best starting ship for a new group?

It depends on what you intend to do with it, I think.

I like the Loronar E-9 Explorer from Enter the Unknown. Great armour, good hull, good hyperdrive, average speed, handling isn't terrible - only requires one rank of skilled jockey to buy off.

If you want something less utilitarian and more fighty, the Surronian Conqueror-class Assault ship from Dangerous Covenants is pretty badass.

Of course, this depends on the groups starting resources. I find the RAW suggestions towards what starting vehicles a group can get loose suggestions at most.

Now, personally, the HWK-290 is a hot piece of machinery, although probably a bit too rare for a group to start with.

Well, how big is the group? Would you accept additional NPCs, too? What is the main type of adventures you play? What would be the purpose of the ship? What is the preferred exposure (high visibility or unexceptional)? What are the main antagonists likely to be encountered? Depending on the answers I would say somewhere between KSE Firespray and Nebulon-B Frigate.

Might be worth digging through wookiepedia for pics of the ship's before deciding.

For example how many players will be involved as that HWK example is surprisingly small, the ghtroc might work better if they don't fancy a variation of a certain Falcon freighter!

Give Wookiepedia a go you never know they might have something that strikes you fancy and inspires the game you're planning?

I'm fond of the YT1200 (in no small part because I found deckplans for it, and it's just different enough from the YT-1300 to matter), the Ghotroc (because it really is almost a different shape for a YT1300, and I've loved it since WEG), and Y-wings. For a squadron game, 1 Y-Wing per 2 players is a beautiful thing. And if some of your players play astromechs... a 3 PC Y-wing is damned near the best fighter in the game.

Personally, I prefer the G9 Rigger Light Freighter. It looks different from most of the other ships, and I like the amenities it comes with (plenty of room for whole party, plus cargo room, etc.)

I would suggest you a little variation:

looks on internet for a decent deckplan (a very good site is this , but there are others online, just google it)

reason is, starting ship will be PC home and they will spend a lot of time on it

also, there would be entire session or small adventures entirely on it: think if they will get boarded, if they got a problem and got lost in space, etc.

a good deckplan help the GM and PC in figuring out their ship

also, canon/legends materials like extensive screen appearence on movies/tv series or abundant screenshot from videogames could be a good way to figure out the ship

then, after you found a ship you like and/or you got sufficient material (deckplans, screenshot, lego models, etc) you can check for game stats.

in my opinion, GX Short Hauler (former Lantillian Short Hauler) or Ghtroc 720 are a good alternative to classic YT1300...

some scout ship are wonderful as starting ship, 'cause got good stats and are fitted for living in them (save for the incom a-24... but a wing of them, one for PC, is cool too )

if you like it, for a good AoR game could be nice a modified Z-10 or Z-25 with cargo bay fitted with Y-Wing docking port: this way they can go as a fighter wing BUT have a little, fast and agile "mothership".

just my 2 cents

I'll also add that I like the look of the Ghtroc Class 720. Similar enough to such classics as the Millennium Falcon or the Ebon Hawk , but with it's own distinct flair. If you must go Corellian, though, I like both the YT-1760 and the YT-2000.

Personally, I prefer the G9 Rigger Light Freighter. It looks different from most of the other ships, and I like the amenities it comes with (plenty of room for whole party, plus cargo room, etc.)

Only if there's not going to be many space encounters. The G-9's weak armor, poor handling, and ghastly speed means a Pilot character will need something like 30XP of talents to even start to compensate. A Starfighter Ace has to spend something like 95XP and a rigger somewhere around 115, and all three will find issues without some attachments as well...

A G-9 will work, but it's more a fixer-upper then most other craft...

It depends on what you intend to do with it, I think.

I like the Loronar E-9 Explorer from Enter the Unknown. Great armour, good hull, good hyperdrive, average speed, handling isn't terrible - only requires one rank of skilled jockey to buy off.

If you want something less utilitarian and more fighty, the Surronian Conqueror-class Assault ship from Dangerous Covenants is pretty badass.

If you don't mind using a Restricted ship (and there are no limitations against it per RAW), the Skywatcher-class Scout Ship from Beyond the Rim is a great alternative to the E-9.

I like the E-9 Scout, and I'm a big fan of the Ghtroc-720 (Space Turtle ftw). I'm also really flexible as far as starting ship choices go in my games usually, I like it when parties go with something other than the standard YT-1300.

My players selected the YT-2000. It's a solid ship with plenty of HPs to do so modding if/when they decide too.

I plan to give my players the YT-2400 Light Freighter. I found the stats well balanced for the campaign I had in mind, and it's a good way to avoid the repatitive YT-1200 that so many groups choose. I'd probably give them some entra Obligation/s once they get their hands on the ship to make things more interesting.

On top of that, it's easy to find deck plans for it. I think it's important for players to have a ship whose deck plans can be found.

If you're looking for a practical capital ship for a beginner party I'd look at the Cr-20 Light Cruiser. A small, well defined crew, a limited amount of big guns allowing you to hold up against other capital ships while still being a small Fry and its fairly modular allowing for flexibility in its missions. It's simple enough that it can help players practice before taking something more involved like an Assassin-class Corvette or a Nebulon-B.

There is a flip side also - if your group doesn't have a pilot, it doesn't really matter what ship they get because they are going to fly in whatever their transport arrives in. This solves 2 problems - you as a GM aren't tied to designing scenes that the players can handle with (shipname) and they don't lose a character (the ship) if their transport gets blitzed in space combat. This week they're being shuttled around in 4 Y-wings, next week they are going to be passengers on a bulk freighter, last month they were being dropped off in assault shuttle.

Also gives you an opportunity to introduce recurring NPC's that they can get attached too.

My group began with a GHTROC. I gave it to them and it was a hand-me-down from the guy who gave them the mission.

It was called The Lazy Bantha. They crew grew to love the stupid thing and wound up selling other ships they "earned" for upgrades and repairs to the Bantha.

Once they actually hunted down a second one because they had to fake their own deaths and blew up the NEWER AND MORE ADVANCED GHTROC. I am enjoying their connection to the ship.

Part of blowing up the ship to fake their deaths meant changing the name. So I let them determine the name of the ship they were blowing up and let them swap the transponder ID and appropriate papers. When the Marauder saw the GHTROC entry in the book, he quipped, "It looks like a turtle." So, my wife named the new ship "Terrible Terrapin"

I suggest anything that doesn't have its centerline of thrust grossly offset from its centerline of mass...

There is no rule againt giving a restricted ship or a rare one to the group as starting ship so the HWK-290 is perfectly possible as is the Skywatcher or the surronian assault ship; the only limit imposed by the rules is the price. And personally i wouldn't mind a little expading so giving them a 130k credit ship insted of a 120k one wouldn't be a big deal. in this light i suggest that beside the YT-2400 the Nova Courier form Fly Casula is a very good ship for a group.

I'm a pretty big fan of the Lorenar E-9 Explorer.

I suggest anything that doesn't have its centerline of thrust grossly offset from its centerline of mass...

Obviously, the centerline of thrust *isn't* offset from the ship's centerline of mass, just the centerline of volume. It's just that certain parts of the ship are *really* heavy for some unexplained reason.

Personally, I prefer the G9 Rigger Light Freighter. It looks different from most of the other ships, and I like the amenities it comes with (plenty of room for whole party, plus cargo room, etc.)

Only if there's not going to be many space encounters. The G-9's weak armor, poor handling, and ghastly speed means a Pilot character will need something like 30XP of talents to even start to compensate. A Starfighter Ace has to spend something like 95XP and a rigger somewhere around 115, and all three will find issues without some attachments as well...

A G-9 will work, but it's more a fixer-upper then most other craft...

Im pretty sure Han said it at some point, "What she lacks in style, she makes up for in substance"

THough it might be in reverse for the g9. I love that box-ship to death as well

It's not as common but I've been enjoying the YT-1210, it's fast out of the box and goes faster with improved engines and faaaaaaaaster when you go full throttle.. what's that left Tie Fighters in the dust? bwaaaaaaaaaaaaah suck it imps!

But yes the Ghtroc 720 is a great ship armor 5 is beastly at staying in the sky

But yes the Ghtroc 720 is a great ship armor 5 is beastly at staying in the sky

Space Flying Turtle (Ghtroc 720 ) is one of the best spaceship ever!!