I always liked the Katana fleet from the Thrawn trilogy and so I ordered three of the Mels Miniatures models of them.

I've been tinkering with which ship currently in the range most resembles the Dreadnaught in stats and general feel from a combat viewpoint.

I started with the VSD, but discarded it, to heavily armed to the fore and to much long range.

I then thought about the MC80 Assault Cruiser, but I don't see the Dreads as large base ships or quite that good, again to much long range and to heavily armed in the side arcs.

Next I went to the AF A and this started to feel more appropriate, especially when adding Spinal Armaments, but again, I disliked the focus on long range dice.

This lead me to the Interdictor Support refit.

Medium Base: Check

Balanced fire from all arcs: Check

Highly reliable damage at medium range: Check

Heavy Hull component: Check

Clever tech to keep them tanking: Check

Speed 2: Check

Having settled on a ship, I went on to create a list that worked like the Dreadnaughts of the Katana did, using mutual support to be successful. Now I am not saying that this is a new super list, it isn't, but it does work as a Dreadnaught fleet.

If you are only using one Experimental Upgrade per ship, maybe the Combat Refit would be betteR?

14 minutes ago, Democratus said:

If you are only using one Experimental Upgrade per ship, maybe the Combat Refit would be betteR?

SW7 works only on blue dice, this way, it reduces cost, randomness, and consequently, max damageits all for reliability

36 minutes ago, Englishpete said:

I always liked the Katana fleet from the Thrawn trilogy and so I ordered three of the Mels Miniatures models of them.

I've been tinkering with which ship currently in the range most resembles the Dreadnaught in stats and general feel from a combat viewpoint.

I started with the VSD, but discarded it, to heavily armed to the fore and to much long range.

I then thought about the MC80 Assault Cruiser, but I don't see the Dreads as large base ships or quite that good, again to much long range and to heavily armed in the side arcs.

Next I went to the AF A and this started to feel more appropriate, especially when adding Spinal Armaments, but again, I disliked the focus on long range dice.

This lead me to the Interdictor Support refit.

Medium Base: Check

Balanced fire from all arcs: Check

Highly reliable damage at medium range: Check

Heavy Hull component: Check

Clever tech to keep them tanking: Check

Speed 2: Check

Having settled on a ship, I went on to create a list that worked like the Dreadnaughts of the Katana did, using mutual support to be successful. Now I am not saying that this is a new super list, it isn't, but it does work as a Dreadnaught fleet.

Points: 400/400
Commander: Grand Moff Tarkin
Assault Objective: Close-Range Intel Scan
Defense Objective: Planetary Ion Cannon
Navigation Objective: Minefields

[ flagship ] Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
- Grand Moff Tarkin ( 38 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Projection Experts ( 6 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
- Targeting Scrambler ( 5 points)
= 149 total ship cost

Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Projection Experts ( 6 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
- Targeting Scrambler ( 5 points)
= 111 total ship cost

Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Projection Experts ( 6 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
- Targeting Scrambler ( 5 points)
= 111 total ship cost

2 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 16 points)
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)

Other than the inherent lack of ties with ships this expensive, I really like this idea. Katana fleet was one of the really interesting aspects of the Thrawn trilogy and I feel like this (other than the actual cost per ship, which I feel should be closer to a VSD I) comes really close to what was portrayed. Very cool!

Makes sense! Blue dice FTW.

I'm looking forward to the day we see an Interdictor in the winner's circle at a regional.

I hope FFG release an actual Dreadnaught in the 72 - 80 points range so a few more Tie squadrons could be added, but, for now, I think this comes close.

The Dreadnaught has always been a favorite of mine. I just ordered a few myself from Mel.

I love this list! But it would really need some AA protection. Maybe by risking to remove projection experts form one?

Projection Experts may be removed totally to add a couple extra Ties. First flight test is today.....

I flew the list this afternoon and was very pleased with it. I lost by 24 points to a 3 Glad, Raider, Gozanti, Tie escort list.

This was mainly due to my lack of familiarity with the Dreadnaught list.

Projection Experts are not really very useful and so will become Tie Fighters :-)

Tarkin is just plain outstanding with this set up.

Here is the next incarnation, which actually strikes me as even more 'Katana Dreadnaught'

Faction: Galactic Empire
Points: 400/400

Commander: Grand Moff Tarkin

Assault Objective: Close-Range Intel Scan
Defense Objective: Planetary Ion Cannon
Navigation Objective: Minefields

[ flagship ] Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
- Grand Moff Tarkin ( 38 points)
- Interdictor ( 3 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Engineering Team ( 5 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
- Targeting Scrambler ( 5 points)
= 151 total ship cost

Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Engineering Team ( 5 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
- Targeting Scrambler ( 5 points)
= 110 total ship cost

Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
- Damage Control Officer ( 5 points)
- Engineering Team ( 5 points)
- SW 7 Ion Batteries ( 5 points)
- Targeting Scrambler ( 5 points)
= 110 total ship cost

2 TIE Fighter Squadrons ( 16 points)
1 Valen Rudor ( 13 points)