If you're asking what role would it fill that the Imperials' don't currently have, that would be cheap, reasonably tough small based cannon carrier. So, a cheap ion platform, or flechette, or even tractor beam, with better maneuverability than a shuttle but no crew slot.

This is a cool card created as an illustration of how it might number out; but the art sucks (apologies to the artist) ...it looks like the creation of a ten year old using infant Legos. But:

Who'd pay for munitions on that when you can HLC it?

EDIT: Not to mention it can't take Extra Munitions.

That's generally been the issue with munitions on ships with cannons, or even 3 attack dice.

I just want them to exist, so the forum spam will finally end!

I've seen several people make a comparison between the Assault Gunboat and TIE Punisher, but I just don't see how those two compare. Sure, the Gunboat could be outfitted with ordnance like an X-wing or an A-wing could, but it didn't carry dozens of different warheads. It had both lasers and ion cannons and I think that was the main selling point. It wasn't particularly fast, agile, or tough as a TIE Defender, so it could really be the cheap cannon-carrier of the Imperial fleet.

When you start talking about the TIE Punisher, you want to compare it to the Missile Boat. The Missile Boat was the king of ordnance. Aside from warheads, all it had was a single puny laser cannon. I could totally see a ship like that having a primary weapon value of 1. Unlike the TIE Punisher, the Missile Boat was fast (it had SLAM installed) and is not particularly tough.

MIS would have the dial of an A-wing along with that SLAM.

And probably a title or mod that allowed secondary attacks after a SLAM.

And probably be overcosted by 5 or 6 points.

i dont get why people have such a hardon for that ship.

It looks like a little brother of the Lamda Shuttle (which to me is one of the ugliest imp ships) and literally everything it sounds like it can do/would do/people offer up is either completely trumping another ship we already got or is way too **** cheap for what it does

I think you will find that many/most people do not agree with that assessment of the shuttle

I'm sure I've said it before but I've often seen the Assault Gunboat as something akin to an Imperial Y-Wing except with a cannon instead of a turret and missiles instead of torpedoes. Seeing at a 'light' Lambda shuttle may not be too far off either although I do like that card mock up that clawofwolves has posted.

Now the Missile Boat would be an entirely different beast. It honestly would be competing with the TIE Punisher when it comes to use although it may be more nimble. It's primary laser should be almost useless (another 1 die primary perhaps!) but it could have the SLAM and work hard on being an ordnance based ship. The problem is still figuring out how to make ordnance based ships that can stand out although maybe the U-Boat has it figured out.

i dont get why people have such a hardon for that ship.

It looks like a little brother of the Lamda Shuttle (which to me is one of the ugliest imp ships) and literally everything it sounds like it can do/would do/people offer up is either completely trumping another ship we already got or is way too **** cheap for what it does

I think you will find that many/most people do not agree with that assessment of the shuttle

theres also a lot of people that think GW is an amazing and wonderful company *cough*

My opinion on the appearance is that: an opinion. What its going to do isnt my opinion, its all heresay from looking at other posts. All i get from it is either stupidly overpowered cheese OR a punisher replacement.

Um, I wouldn't call the XG-1 Assault Gunboat a Gunship. Just saying.

a viable competitive option, mhaps

the punisher really could've stood to be 2 points cheaper

The Punisher could've also stood to be the Scimitar Assault Bomber instead. Or this thing which at least has a more interesting spin on the "TIE Bomber with extra tubes" concept.

a viable competitive option, mhaps

the punisher really could've stood to be 2 points cheaper

The Punisher could've also stood to be the Scimitar Assault Bomber instead. Or this thing which at least has a more interesting spin on the "TIE Bomber with extra tubes" concept.

You, sir, get so many bonus points for typing out "could've" as a contraction of "could have" rather than typing "could of" as I've seen so often lately. Many gold stars for you!

Guns, on a ship.

...Man, the Punisher is not even close to a gunship.

a viable competitive option, mhaps

the punisher really could've stood to be 2 points cheaper

The Punisher could've also stood to be the Scimitar Assault Bomber instead. Or this thing which at least has a more interesting spin on the "TIE Bomber with extra tubes" concept.

You, sir, get so many bonus points for typing out "could've" as a contraction of "could have" rather than typing "could of" as I've seen so often lately. Many gold stars for you!

For the Gunboat I would like to see, statwise

0 attack

1 agi

3 hull

2 shields

Slam action, target lock, focus

System slot, 2 missile, 2 torpedo

And a slow dial.

But mostly, I want a few to escort my Raider.

Yes I want the Krayt Gunship.

Gunship > Gunboat

Already GOT IT!

Already GOT IT!

I would had thought that the gunship should be a perfectly viable ship when not loaded with torps/missiles. Thats the difference to me from the punisher.

Gunship?

Sure, I guess we could have that in the game. Would be an interesting one to design.

Already GOT IT...

Okay I'm happy and done.

For the Gunboat I would like to see, statwise

0 attack

1 agi

3 hull

2 shields

Slam action, target lock, focus

System slot, 2 missile, 2 torpedo

And a slow dial.

And are you going to call that "EASY POINTS" despite having a cost of under 12?

Now maybe if it includes some outrageous upgrade that probably would require filling multiple slots although the Punisher could still take it.

I'm not that fussed if Paul Heaver and/or meta listers end up using it or not. If it's an imperial Y-wing, I'm happy.

The punisher was a couple points overpriced and had things like bombs and systems. It was also the most obscure ship in the Star Wars universe. Honestly how people can complain about obscure ships when the TIE punisher waltzed past QA is beyond me.

I'm just trying to stay true to the old Flight Sim lore. It Mary Sue'd harder than the TIE "Mary Sue" Defender, while managing to look even more ugly and silly.

Did we play the same game? The Gunboat was a dreadful dogfighter that was forced to dogfight the best. Skill and luck prevented you burning up.

The Gunboat was basically like the Scimitar from Wing Commander. Terrible ship to fly, but it was pretty and had a certain charm (not to mention strong payload).

I'm just trying to stay true to the old Flight Sim lore. It Mary Sue'd harder than the TIE "Mary Sue" Defender, while managing to look even more ugly and silly.

The Gunboat a Mary Sue?

I loathed the Gunboat missions because you can't hit **** in it. They were an absolute chore.

I genuinely preferred the missions that put you in a stock TIE fighter.

a dial, model and tokens.

I'm just trying to stay true to the old Flight Sim lore. It Mary Sue'd harder than the TIE "Mary Sue" Defender, while managing to look even more ugly and silly.

The Gunboat a Mary Sue?

I loathed the Gunboat missions because you can't hit **** in it. They were an absolute chore.

I genuinely preferred the missions that put you in a stock TIE fighter.

I remember the main problem flying a Gunboat was that it was so easy for everything else to hit you, since your hitbox was barely smaller than a corvette.

That was because it was slow as a stubborn ass with a crooked back. I've hit gunboats with space bombs before.

DX-9 Stormtrooper transport is what I'd call the perfect Gunship, though the ghost also could qualify.

Give it Firepower3, 2-3 crew choices or a team choice. 2 torpedo slots and a cannon. Don't give it a system slot.

Maybe 4 hull 4 shield?

1 agility.

Dial roughly the same as a shuttle.

If we get it, and I do hope we do it should be released with the LAAT space variant for rebels. As per battlefront they used them.

That too had missile and cannon, maybe even weird fire arcs for those turrets.

A Gunship wave would be neat!

An alternative gunship could be the wookiee one which Mcfoy mentioned, that'd be more rebel I would think, though can see it as scum. The KSE Firespray that Scum has kind of fits the bill, the Skipray Blastboat....

yes. That's the scum gunship.

Wave 10 for Gunships?

I'm compiling here most of my custom cards.

I try to always follow the lore and balance (costs follow the Ships_Stats_formula_14_08_21.xlsx).

WARNING: I'm not the author of the original images, though most of them feature heavy editing.

Assault Gunboat custom expansion pack:

Gunboat showcase (using edited Mel's mini):

CONSIDERATIONS:

It's an expansion not only to add the "Imperial Y-Wing", but to offer some useful upgrade cards.

The dial is a cross between the X-Wing and the Y-Wing. Maybe too good? The ship was quite capable of keeping track of the enemy in the PC games.

One agility because this was hard to dodge enemy fire (maybe because of the large profile?). But 5 hull (equivalent to the Y-Wing) and 3 shield (better than the X-Wing), make it tough to kill.

It has only 2 missiles (lore accurate) and the cannon, but an upgrade that allows it to replace 1 missile for 1 torpedo (the ship was known to sometimes carry torpedoes).

The "Alpha Strike" elite upgrade can be used pilots with more than one ordinance/canon/turret, but it is specially useful in the Gunboat, allowing an easy canon+missile combo. Would Tomax Bren be broken with it? You tell me. (if yes, I can restrict the upgrade to the Gunboat)

The Gunboat is the most produced/deployed Imperial hyperspace capable starfighter, which I explored in the title: "Imperial Reinforcements". It adds an interesting mechanic, which really differentiate the Gunboat of the TIEs. Since the common TIEs had no hyperspace, and the high tech, hyperspace capable TIEs (Defender, Avenger), are so rare that wouldn't be available anywhere, that's the job of the Gunboats. (sure, the title also boosts the Firespray, the Lambda and possible future non-TIE ships, like the Skipray. That's not exactly bad)

It also emulates the massive military power of the Empire and remind the PC old sims (where the Imperials are able to call Gunboats as reinforcements).

I don't know if the price is right (is deploying later, but where you want, actually a drawback?)

Xeal is a colleague of Mareek Stele's who was MIA and later returned to action with "Killer Eyes".

Noble Calder's ability is kind of uninspired, so suggestions are most welcome. Not many information about this guy, except that he was the commander of a squad (?). Maybe he could be the lower PS unique pilot instead of Xeal (swap the PS of both).

Mareek Stele piloted the Gunboat, but this wasn't one ship who made him famous (like the Defender, the Avenger and the Missile Boat).

Possible pilots: (most in Legends)

• Gunboat generics (Squadrons): Nu, Tau, Mau, Mu, Rho, Eagle, Raven, Talon, Veerpal
• Gunboat uniques: Arajen Turmen, Noble Calder, Xeal (but not specially this ship)