Shared ship between rebels and imps

By mobow213, in Star Wars: Armada

Just a thought. But what would everyone thing about a ship that instead of two versions like the ISD I and II or command and assauly mc80.

Ffg instead gave us a ship where one version was for the rebels and one for the imps.

Figure the best ship that would fight this is a dreadnought.

Disappointed based purely on my TIE Fighter days that the Nebulon B wasn't already this.

The Dreadnaught would be a good possibility for this. Old Imperial tech that is still kicking around in border fleets and backwater systems, but enough old ones kicking around for the Rebels to steal/buy on the black market.

Yeah, the perpetual answer to this is the Dreadnought. Keep in mind that Dreadnoughts are already in the game... kind of. Assault Frigates are made from Dreadnoughts, at least in the EU anyways.

The main problem with doing something like this would be finding ways to make the shared ship play at least somewhat differently between the two sides, besides the commander's effect. Making your two factions too samey is a problem.

Yeah, the perpetual answer to this is the Dreadnought. Keep in mind that Dreadnoughts are already in the game... kind of. Assault Frigates are made from Dreadnoughts, at least in the EU anyways.

The main problem with doing something like this would be finding ways to make the shared ship play at least somewhat differently between the two sides, besides the commander's effect. Making your two factions too samey is a problem.

Could give it different upgrade options where the imp is more offensive and the rebel is more of a carrier build. Could also make the rebel more of a side shooter vs front

I'd like this for a select amount of ships, most notably the Dreadnought and perhaps the Venator if FFG ever does prequel ships. The Nebulon-B is too much of an iconic rebel ship to give to the Empire, weird eu background be damned. Also, imho the ship doesn't fit the aesthetics of the empire. Plus why would they even use a modified freighter in their navy, that would be akin to the US military employing armed fishing boats in their military operations.

Fluff-wise, the CR-90 should be shared. It's an Imperial ship that traitors happen to use sometimes.

all the ships should by available to both sides, because all the ships on the reb side were stolen. Even from the emp's

Fluff-wise, the CR-90 should be shared. It's an Imperial ship that traitors happen to use sometimes.

IIRC the Imperials used the purpose-built military version, the CR92 Assassin-class more often. That's visually distinguishable from the regular CR90 (different engine cluster), I would love to see that in one of the future Waves.

all the ships should by available to both sides, because all the ships on the reb side were stolen. Even from the emp's

Except the Mon Cal, which was stolen from private cruise companies, just trying to provide citizens of the galaxy with an enjoyable experience.

Other than the defense of "We want to keep each navy themed with it's own, unique look" this idea isn't the marketing no brainer some might think it is. It could actually hurt sales. One ship purchase, and it works in two fleets? Sure, some might buy enough for both factions, but I think it's more likely folks will buy the number they need for a build, and be done, as you can't play both factions at once.

I like the idea, but I think the negatives would outnumber the positives.

"Just once, I'd like to blow up a ship we didn't pay for...."

Yeah...the Nebulon B should be both empire/rebel.

The dreadnaught though is iffy...considering they were mostly gutted to become AF MK 1/2 the Empire version would be a straight dreadnaught with fighter abilities.

Then there is my dead horse...the Venator...which apparently was in both side's fleets?

You can always house rule things anyways. I remember a big part of the EU was Rebel Scum. . .ahem. . ."New Republic" forces making off with ISDs.

why would they even use a modified freighter in their navy, that would be akin to the US military employing armed fishing boats in their military operations.

finally someone admits the US is an evil empire (so are China and Russia)

anyways every country in the 17th century had their cargo ships be convertible to warships.

why would they even use a modified freighter in their navy, that would be akin to the US military employing armed fishing boats in their military operations.

finally someone admits the US is an evil empire (so are China and Russia)

anyways every country in the 17th century had their cargo ships be convertible to warships.

You should come and visit China, you'd see how little of an 'Evil Empire' it is.

Uuuuggggh, the Nebulon-B is the iconic Rebel capital ship - arguably more so than Home One. Plus, it doesn't even look Imperial. It's got cargo containers and a scrappy paint job. I'm as much an 'XWvTF' fan as the next geek, but this is one of those things that, in my humble opinion, really doesn't need representing in 'Armada'.

At the moment, both fleets have a certain aesthetic and common theme. In the Rebels' case, the common theme is that there is no common theme, because it's a rag-tag flotilla. If you wanted to pin it down, you've got bulky shapes and silhouettes, curves, patchy paintwork; a real "ad-hoc" feel. Meanwhile, the Imperials are all about straight lines, large, simple shapes with fine surface detail, monochromatic paint jobs and unrelenting, aggressive silhouettes. Every Imperial ship looks like it's from the same design team - every Rebel ship looks like it was stolen from a different merchant fleet. And that works really well from a thematic perspective.

Making the Nebulon-B dual-faction would ruin a lot of the existing aesthetic - and arguably, it doesn't add anything to the game. It's not going to particularly change the Imperial fleet make-up, since instead of a Nebulon-B you could always have a Gladiator instead.

Same goes for the Dreadnaught - not only is it a fairly forgettable design (apologies, but it really is - nothing that a twelve-year-old couldn't have scribbled inside the back cover of a school book) but it really doesn't compliment the existing Imperial inventory. Further, whilst it existed in the EU, as long ago as 'Attack of the Clones' we were shown wedge-shaped vessels, clear precursors to the Star Destroyers of the Original Trilogy. It would be a little weird for the Empire to inherit a fleet of serviceable Acclamators and Venators, only to introduce the boxy Dreadnaught, and then within eighteen years replace the Dreadnaughts with ships designed off the original wedge-shaped vessels. The Dreadnaught certainly doesn't look like an intermediary design - it's a product of an entirely different design ethos.

That being said, giving the rebels the Dreadnaught as a slower, heftier version of the Assault Frigate certainly would be thematic, and would still contribute to the Rebels' overall hapharzard aesthetic.

I'd like this for a select amount of ships, most notably the Dreadnought and perhaps the Venator if FFG ever does prequel ships. The Nebulon-B is too much of an iconic rebel ship to give to the Empire, weird eu background be damned. Also, imho the ship doesn't fit the aesthetics of the empire. Plus why would they even use a modified freighter in their navy, that would be akin to the US military employing armed fishing boats in their military operations.

Actually according to the EU fluff, the Neb-B was designed and build by the Kuat Drive Yards, which also by the way build ISD's, for the Imperial navy to counter the increasing Hit and run attacks made by Rebel Starfighters on Imperial convoys.

The Neb-B was a mass produced Escort Frigate, and has never been a freighter.

So in some ways the Mission and Stat profile fits the requirements of the Imperial Navy. Compared to the more expensive ISD, the Neb-B is a relative cheap convoy escort, that can be build quicker in large numbers, with enough punch, as well as Starfighter carrying capacity, to make any Rebel Hit and Run raid a even more risky undertaking for the Rebel Fighter pilots, than it otherwise would be.

Insidently the sole purpuse of the Rebel B-wing, according to the EU, was to counter the Neb-B during Hit and Run raids. so even the Star Wars universe have had its fair share of weapons technology race ;)

Another Ewok Snowball from the Kiwi Rat.

Edited by Kiwi Rat

Which is all well and good and all, but for a lot of people, it is obscure.

The Original Trilogy never presented the Nebulon-B as Imperial. In any way. Not even a passing mention. Ergo, it is not iconically an Empire Ship. It is a Rebel Ship.

Armada has certainly started off as what is iconic (with one specific exception, I feel, which was done for identification purposes itself).

In teh future, who knows... It would mean they'd have to redesign ship cards to accommodate both - ora t least fit both symbols in the same spot that the symbol and points value is right now...

Who knows.

And I guess I'm also a "Who cares?" at this point, for myself personally (by all means, care! It shows you are excited about how the game will continue) - but I'm comfortable right now. I'm comfortable in having things be dramatically different between the Factions. It gives me a solid decision to make about which faction to play... If the game was muddled in sameness, I wouldn't be excited to play Rebels or Empire... I'd have the same fleet regardless, and that would be boring...

Edited by Drasnighta

I'm comfortable in having things be dramatically different between the Factions. It gives me a solid decision to make about which faction to play... If the game was muddled in sameness, I wouldn't be excited to play Rebels or Empire... I'd have the same fleet regardless, and that woul dbe boried...

My name's Jhox, and I approve of this message.

Seriously, though, that's the great thing about Star Wars in general - the dichotomy of it all. Ragtag Rebels versus Uniform Imperials. Broadsides versus forward arcs. Long-range salvos versus short-range brutality. And this is just 'Armada'. The whole franchise is built around big vs. small, good vs. evil, love vs. hate and so on - and FFG have done a fairly brilliant job of maintaining those themes in all of their games. Look at 'X-Wing': Rebel fighters built to be rugged and hard-hitting, Imperial fighters designed for speed and evasion.

It's like poetry, I guess, they rhyme. It's stylistically designed to be that way.

After a bit of mulling, I am willing to concede that this could be done. Seeing as FFG is beginning to release new variations of dial markers, colored stands, etc., I could see them releasing cards for alternate affiliation ships. Not the model, the card that makes it "officially" the other affiliation, and a selection of damage, gear, or crew cards unique to it. So, you'd still have to buy the faction miniature, and then also buy the card that makes it a part of the other faction. Sure, it's not as much income as "forcing" you to buy a miniature per ship, but it would be something of an "extra" income (like a mini transaction?). This same process could be used to sell new named ships for both factions, expanding the unique vessels in your fleet make up for either faction.

I still don't think they'd do it, as it would ruin the theme of the two factions, just agreeing it could be done.

And as mentioned by others, the theme is already pretty strongly established not just in the selection of core ships they've released, but in the "new" ships as well. As pointed out, the Assassin Corvette was iconicly established as Imperial to X-Wing players (the video game, that is), yet rather than give us an Imperial ship that resembled a Rebel vessel, they reached deep into the bowels of imagination to produced the Raider.

I think we'll continue to see this trend. For example, I don't think we'll ever see the Imperial Escort Carrier. Instead, we'll see something akin to the Harrower Class from Old Republic. I "Star Destroyer" redesigned as a carrier, twin pronged hull, lots of bays, and sized between the Victory and Imperial. It would fit the theme as well as fill the role.

I may well be wrong (and time will tell), but I think the lovers of EU cannon will be largely disappointed if they are hoping to see ships that rest outside the visual theme of either faction.

Edited by Arowmund

FFG could also introduce bi-factional ships through an expansion like they had for the Rebel/Imperial Aces packs for X-Wing.

Maybe have an "Imperial 286th Escort Group" with 1 Neb-B and 2 CR-90s in more "Imperial" colors and include cards for the (newer) Imperial and (existing) Rebel versions of those ships, and a "Peregrine Attack Group" with a Dreadnaught and another Imp ship with cards for both Rebel and Imperial versions of those ships.

(They could also introduce a S&V faction through these packs as well: in the old EU, pirates were known to steal both Rebel and Imperial (small) ships.)

Edited by Arcanis161

I want a Rebel Admiral that lets you use one Imperial ship. Probably could only use a small or medium... bringing an ISD over would probably be too much. Can't use any Imperial upgrades or titles, either.

I want a Rebel Admiral that lets you use one Imperial ship. Probably could only use a small or medium... bringing an ISD over would probably be too much. Can't use any Imperial upgrades or titles, either.

Can you imagine a Dodonna flavored Demolisher with APT's? Mmmmmmm

I kind of remember a book where there was a commander with a red ISD and small fleet who was fighting IMPs and used home build fighters made of parts of both REB and IMP fighters.

I kind of remember a book where there was a commander with a red ISD and small fleet who was fighting IMPs and used home build fighters made of parts of both REB and IMP fighters.

And he wasn't a rebel, either.