Alright, this is just a fun thought experiment I've poked around with. The rebels "thing" is regen, and the Empires "thing" is cloak. (Reason I make that claim is that scum have a knck off version of both in wave 8.) The only issue I have with this is the lack of any variety in cloaking options. Rebels can do their regen on any ship with an astro-mech and have ships with pilot abillities otherwise.The empire only has one option for their "thing", albeit an excellent option.

On another less related note, there is a ship type the Empire is sort-of missing. A B-wing equivalent. Scum are getting the mist hunter, rebels get the b-wing. Both are exceptionally durable, low agility, mildly maneuverable jousters. They sit at the middling 20 point area and fill out those points typically better than most other options.

Why not kill 2 birds with one stone? I'm thinking something along the lines of a fixed front arc ship with 3 attack, 0 agility, 5 hull, and 3 shields. It's actions would be target lock, cloak, and focus. Of course it would sit around the middling 20 point area.

I'd love to hear anyone elses thoughts here. Remember, this is just a thougt experiment. I'm not complaining about anything, and I'm assuredly not suggesting this is something the Empire fully requires. Just a what if to have fun with.

inb4 GUNBOAT

edit: minus the cloak thing I skimmed over lol

Gunboat. Without cloak.

Just gimme Gunboat.

I love the idea of the gunboat as well, and hope it eventually is a ship I can fly in game. But does anyone have a suggestion for a different cloaking ship?

I second the gunboat idea.

In the EU the emperor has a shuttle rumored to have a cloaking device. A cloaking shuttle would be cool I think. I imagine this would be some sort of title upgrade that represents the shuttle of the emperor or darth or someone of significance. I could see it being something along the lines of "add cloak to action bar, must take a unique crew upgrade (or must take Palp upgrade specifically)".

The Gunboat is essentially the Imperial B-Wing equivalent - cheap, tough, slow agility cannon/missile carrier. A durable, multi-role fighter which can pack a punch.

As for alternatives?

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/197138-x-wing-miniatures-game-full-unreleased-ships-reference-list/

There's a list of potential Imperial ships, but there are very few in the same niche.

With the Empire, you have to take the ACD into account.

So we're talking a 3 primary, 2 agility, 8 hitpoint ship.

With Palpatine backup.

Cloaking Device

Modification

Small Ship only. Imperial only.

Your upgrade bar gains the <cloak action> icon.

Toss this on some ships and see how it works (you could make it unique if it turns out to be overpowered, call it Experimental Cloaking Device then).

I don't think all factions should have equal counterparts. Give me varied playstyles for each faction.

The cloaking shuttle is interesting, but I figure on cloak being a small base only deal. (plus palpatine and his shuttle would just stay cloaked all game, lol)

Dagonet, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the ACD for Tie Phantom only?

The cloaking shuttle is interesting, but I figure on cloak being a small base only deal. (plus palpatine and his shuttle would just stay cloaked all game, lol)

Dagonet, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the ACD for Tie Phantom only?

Nope, you are absolutely correct, I was thinking of the SPA which isn't nearly as threatening.

Cloaking Device

Modification

Small Ship only. Imperial only.

Your upgrade bar gains the icon.

Toss this on some ships and see how it works (you could make it unique if it turns out to be overpowered, call it Experimental Cloaking Device then.

Cloaking Device

Tech Slot

Imperial only. Small ship only.

Your action bar gains the cloak action.

More reason for the ships with tech slots, and this would limit the number of options to cloak significantly. Thoughts?

Cloaking Device

Modification

Small Ship only. Imperial only.

Your upgrade bar gains the icon.

Toss this on some ships and see how it works (you could make it unique if it turns out to be overpowered, call it Experimental Cloaking Device then.

On this, I think you'd have to stick with a unique if it were a modification. Not sure on points of course. How ever, what if it were:

Cloaking Device

Tech Slot

Imperial only. Small ship only.

Your action bar gains the cloak action.

More reason for the ships with tech slots, and this would limit the number of options to cloak significantly. Thoughts?

I just threw something together for testing purposes. You know, to check different dials and ship strengths. You wouldn't want this on a Soontir with SPA for instance. Hell, you wouldn't want it on Kir Kanos with SPA, allowing him to focus.

Making it a techslot adds other complications, now you are giving Juking Comm Relays a better option, decloak for the evade token.

On a more serious note, I would want the gunboat to literally be the Empire's B Wing. Same cost, maybe slightly cheaper with a bit less health and a better dial (red fast turns but white sharp turns like a y wing) cannon, missiles, and pilot abilities centered around secondary weapons, such as; "Bob: PS 6 When you declare the target of your attack with a secondary weapon, assign one focus token to your ship." I'd make its attack and defense value be 2 and 2 respectively, but give it a title that increases the primary attack value by 1 but reduces defense by 1 to stick with the B Wing theme. Because let's be honest, how damaging is a 2 dice attack ship that can't turn very well? Or just a 2 dice attack ship in general without any backup?

They would need EPTs, me thinks, and actions would be focus, target lock and maybe SLAM? I don't know if the gunboat had that capability.

No, don't give it a cannon. Make it a torpedo/missile carrier.

The cloaking shuttle is interesting, but I figure on cloak being a small base only deal.

"They can't have disappeared. No ship that small has a cloaking device."- Needa refering to the Falcon

Obviously a technological limitation which can be overcome, hence the Tie/Pantom, but is certainly implies that the big stuff should be doing more cloaking than fighters.

I like the cloaking shuttle. Not sure its OP as the shuttle dial is kind of meh. FFG does seem to think it is a small ship thing though as the illicit cloak is also small ship only.

With the Empire, you have to take the ACD into account.

So we're talking a 3 primary, 2 agility, 8 hitpoint ship.

With Palpatine backup.

Cloaking Device

Modification

Small Ship only. Imperial only.

Your upgrade bar gains the <cloak action> icon.

Toss this on some ships and see how it works (you could make it unique if it turns out to be overpowered, call it Experimental Cloaking Device then).

I don't think all factions should have equal counterparts. Give me varied playstyles for each faction.

TIE Defender with x7 and cloak. Please and thank you.

Well, a cloaked large ship performing a barrel roll using the 2 template would at least make no difference than a regular barrel roll.

The Gunboat is essentially the Imperial B-Wing equivalent - cheap, tough, slow agility cannon/missile carrier. A durable, multi-role fighter which can pack a punch.

...

Here I've always thought of the Gunboat as the Imperial equivalent to the Y-Wing except with a slightly different load out. Of course the B-Wing is just a better Y-Wing with that alternative load of goodies.

If one is worried about the Gunboat with a big cannon just put the Cannon on a title card (Heavy Scyk anyone?) with a point limit on the Cannon.

With the Empire, you have to take the ACD into account.

So we're talking a 3 primary, 2 agility, 8 hitpoint ship.

With Palpatine backup.

Cloaking Device

Modification

Small Ship only. Imperial only.

Your upgrade bar gains the <cloak action> icon.

Toss this on some ships and see how it works (you could make it unique if it turns out to be overpowered, call it Experimental Cloaking Device then).

I don't think all factions should have equal counterparts. Give me varied playstyles for each faction.

TIE Defender with x7 and cloak. Please and thank you.

Yes, I too would like our five agility dice defender overlords.

I second the gunboat idea.

In the EU the emperor has a shuttle rumored to have a cloaking device. A cloaking shuttle would be cool I think. I imagine this would be some sort of title upgrade that represents the shuttle of the emperor or darth or someone of significance. I could see it being something along the lines of "add cloak to action bar, must take a unique crew upgrade (or must take Palp upgrade specifically)".

The Gunboat is essentially the Imperial B-Wing equivalent - cheap, tough, slow agility cannon/missile carrier. A durable, multi-role fighter which can pack a punch.

...

Here I've always thought of the Gunboat as the Imperial equivalent to the Y-Wing except with a slightly different load out. Of course the B-Wing is just a better Y-Wing with that alternative load of goodies.

If one is worried about the Gunboat with a big cannon just put the Cannon on a title card (Heavy Scyk anyone?) with a point limit on the Cannon.

Yeah, either or really. In the miniatures game terms the closest fit would probably be a BTL-A4 Y-Wing, with a Systems slot instead of the Astromech.

Not sure why the Empire would need another Cloaking ship? They already have the Phantom, and I doubt we want to see the Cloak action become widespread...

Phantom is the cloaking ship.

If you really want another Imperial Cloaker, it'd have to be Rogue Shadow from TFU. Flown by Starkiller or eclipse. at 62 metres long, it'd probably be a huge.

Otherwise, B-wing/Y-wing equiv is going to be the Gunboat.

Well if they went they way of the hwk, they could scale back the Rogue Shadow and make it a large ship. Honestly I think it would be sweet if they made up a new imperial ship with cloaking. They did such a good job with the Raider, I'd love a wave of ships where they were all fantasy flight made ships

The HWK was never a large ship, they scaled it about right in XWM.

The hwk is normally 29 meters according to wookieepedia, so they pretty much halved its length for the game

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/HWK-290_light_freighter