So here is a thought. Ship base sizes and how have you found that they affect your list building and the way you play.

So I was thinking about why someone would take a list of small ships over big ships. The most prominent thing that came to mind was the speed differences but that is becoming less of a thing (Speed 3 ISD's. . . etc) so, what about the ability to dodge arcs with that speed? i find that generally it is easier to get around a bigger ship or to stay out of an arc that could prove dangerous.

What do you think? How does the base size affect your play?

I find speed combined with a minimal footprint allows small ships to scootch out of otherwise terrible spots, especially up close. Obviously the larger ships can't always turn hard enough, or put all their bulk into a single enemy arc. I find this does not factor into my fleet builds when I am working on a list however.

The larger the ship, the more interesting things you can do with how your butt and "opposite front corner" swing around when you turn. With a sharp, 2 click turn, you can close the distance between you and your intended target by a significant amount verses going straight, if you are pointed directly in line with them.

I like the smaller ships for there ability to dodge fire arks the larger bases just can't get out of fire arks

Maybe unwisely the base size never directly impacts my list making. Rather, I have this idea of the ship as a while and use that to decide. For me their roles are pretty established without delving that deeply - but it would be interesting to hear someone's justification for taking a vsd was due to a distaste fir the isd's large base.

Movement flexibility, and by this I don't really mean speed. One of my major dislikes of two ISD lists is that they can so easily get in each others way. If you can flank and kill one it can be really tough for the other to contribute optimally. The VSD vs ISD base size is interesting. I certainly need to work more on flying the ISD at the right speeds and heading to keep the VSD in the mix before thinking too hard about the base size.

My last thought is that the larger the ship base the easier it is to keep that ship as your optimal and tactically best target. What I mean by that is that a ship is both the target you want to fire on and the one that you have the best dice pool for, due to range or double arcs. I often try to give my opponent a juicier target than the ship he has been working on burning down so he has to choose between focusing down one ship with less than ideal attack pools or spreading his better shots around. It is easier for a large ship to get out in front of your lines and be subject to focus fire.

Maybe unwisely the base size never directly impacts my list making. Rather, I have this idea of the ship as a while and use that to decide. For me their roles are pretty established without delving that deeply - but it would be interesting to hear someone's justification for taking a vsd was due to a distaste fir the isd's large base.

I have to agree with DT here. I get an idea. And run with it. I never consider the bases or anything. Just. What will look cool on table.