Of course this topic is of no interest to those of you not interested in friendly casual play, with home made changes. I simpmy want to share my experience with armed GR 75s.

After the release of the Gozanty we experimented a bit with a turreted GR 75. First simply added the Gozanti turret, but it was perhaps a little OP. We found that Autoblaster turret and the Ghost dorsal turret were quite interesting. Equip one as a Cargo option, cost one energy and more interesting Epic...

In our opinion.

In casual games you can do what you want as long as everybody agrees...

But i think adding armament to a ship designed to be unarmed must unbalance it quite a bit.

And an autoblaster turret in a ship which one of its main strategies is to ram ships to oblivivion, seems a bit unfair to me...

But if you don't have access to the CR-90, or for a flavour mission you want to surprise the enemy with hidden armament, it could be a great idea.

No problem to field several Epic ships. In our experience if you play a 200 pts mini epic it is quite tempting to ignore the Transport and wipe the small ships. When she is alone...

The Dorsal is little nasty sting that adds a limited self defence fire. No Focus, no TL, just a moderate capacity to pew pew that interceptor behind you. And it works OK

I was working on the idea of making it a mine layer where you lose the cargo slots and get bomb slots (with extra munition via a new title) thus you can lay 6 cluster mines in an epic game. But a dorsal turret is a nice touch instead (or as well but then it expensive)

You are getting a better Outer Rim Smugler (27) for 33 points (with dorsal)...

Same attack and 2 more HULL (6 points) so equal on points.

But i think the mechanics of Huge ships with energy, and the desintegration rammin, and the laaaarge base to block...

I think it's a really fun idea for mission to surprise the enemy with a turreted GR-75

You are getting a better Outer Rim Smugler (27) for 33 points (with dorsal)...

Same attack and 2 more HULL (6 points) so equal on points.

But i think the mechanics of Huge ships with energy, and the desintegration rammin, and the laaaarge base to block...

I think it's a really fun idea for mission to surprise the enemy with a turreted GR-75

My original idea was based a part of the HOTAC missions where the players have to clear a mine field. I started working on a senario when the Reb were laying mines in a asteroid field to block the path of a passing "Gozanti swarm"

Really 90% of our games are far away from the build your forces mechanic. More like wargame scenarios, one player writes a plot and select objectives and forces involved. Far from the meta experience. Simply we think that a limited capacity to fire 360 degree is quite interesting. A TLT or a Red 3 Rng 1-3 like the Gozanti's Turret is too much... But in a Combat Refited GR 75 it is fine.

Remember the 4 inch old artillery pieces given to merchantships during both world wars or that odd machinegun mount to aid in the protection of slow far planes duribg the '30s.

Simple and sheer fun. No Turbo Lasers on the Transport but a non standard "twin .50s" turret is an interesting option.

X wing is much more than Biggs, PalpaAces and Meta power combos.

Aside from acting as a battering ram, the Transport's strength at the moment is as a big box of dirty tricks - zapping the enemy with it's ionization reactor, jamming their systems then Slicing them for unavoidable damage.

Allowing it to shoot as well might be a bit much on top.

Perhaps add a turret at the cost of its Jam action and cargo slots

Q-ship Title ... one cargo slot becomes a hardpoint slot.

Far from me to defend the 100/6 mechanic...

I have a little group, and veeeery little time (1 year old baby) so many times we need something fast, and lately we usually play something like 2 ships per person 36p, 2 vs 2...

I have Palpatine, and not yet used it. The part that saddens me more, is not using yet my beautiful Raider.

What i am saying is:

1- Casual. Do what you want. And i think it's a funny idea.

2- Be aware that it's probably "broken" for the cost points, something that the enemy team should be aware.

In casual games you can do what you want as long as everybody agrees...

But i think adding armament to a ship designed to be unarmed must unbalance it quite a bit.

And an autoblaster turret in a ship which one of its main strategies is to ram ships to oblivivion, seems a bit unfair to me...

But if you don't have access to the CR-90, or for a flavour mission you want to surprise the enemy with hidden armament, it could be a great idea.

Given that there's a Combat Refit in Armada allowing you to field armed transports- I like the notion of X-wing having them as well - even if lighter armed than Gozanti.

Just go absolutely over the top!

Use it like the Rebels used some GR75s at Endor:

Brander refit

You may not choose any manuevers. Instead the GR75 executes a [2 Straight] maneuver each turn.

If it collides with an obstacle or an enemy ship roll three attack dice. If any number of hits or crits is rolled the GR75 and every ship and obstacle in range 1 of it are destroyed. Every ship in range 2 draws two face down damage cards.

In casual games you can do what you want as long as everybody agrees...

But i think adding armament to a ship designed to be unarmed must unbalance it quite a bit.

And an autoblaster turret in a ship which one of its main strategies is to ram ships to oblivivion, seems a bit unfair to me...

But if you don't have access to the CR-90, or for a flavour mission you want to surprise the enemy with hidden armament, it could be a great idea.

Given that there's a Combat Refit in Armada allowing you to field armed transports- I like the notion of X-wing having them as well - even if lighter armed than Gozanti.

the x-wing combat retrofit is way different ..... "Increase your hull value by 2 and your shield value by 1."

In casual games you can do what you want as long as everybody agrees...

Yes, but it's always nice to have a reality check with other people to ensure that it sounds decent.

That's one of the best uses for forums, in my mind. If you are making something up for at home fun, ask other people what they think. Sometimes, someone will come up with a great twist that you never thought about.

I do think that the GR-75 is built to not have weapons. I think the weapons turret should be rare on it. I do think you might have to give something up for it. Getting rid of Jam might do it, but then again, if you are shooting, are you ever jamming? ("I know you like jammin', too...." -Bob Marley). It might be something like Dorsal Turret, but it still takes one energy to fire? Rational is that it's a sub system that isn't normal to the ship and you need to power it up. It could be enough to make it something you want to think about instead of an auto-include every time.

I thought, fluff-wise, the GR-75 was supposed to be armed with several lasers, but supposedly the Rebels had removed them for use elsewhere...

(EDIT: Which makes me realise, I should maybe add a few to my Hutt Cartel conversion )