Somewhere in the Outer Rim, some time BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin)
"Captain, we've got unidentified ships dropping out hyperspace in sector eleven. Initial bearing is towards the planet, but not towards the station. I read no IFF transmissions, and no hails."
"Hail them yourself, Lieutenant. Two warnings, as per protocol. Ensign, make sure Admiral Motti on Interdictor and Gryphon are tied into the division net. Triple check it."
*simultaneously "Attention unidentified vessels. This is the Imperial class Star Destroyer Manticore . You have breached restricted space. Squawk IFF, cut your engines, and heave to immediately. Do not attempt to resist." *some moments later "They're still accelerating in system, Captain. No response to the hail."
"Talk to me, Guns. What am I looking at here?" The captain paced back down the bridge towards the tactical plot. "Long range sensors count ten GR-75 type cargo haulers, and one more corvette sized ship. The GR-75s are emitting the power output of engines maxed out, but are below known acceleration profiles. I'd estimate they are fairly heavily loaded. They're all in pairs, which makes fire control easier, but if they take evasive action, it will be very hard to keep our turbolasers on target."
"I wouldn't worry about that, Guns. They're so light they only need a couple hits and they'll explode." "That's true, sir. Still working on an ident for the last -"
"Sir!" Another ensign jogged over with a holopad. "Signal from Interdictor . Her receivers identify the ship in far trail as a Pelta class frigate. It's a Clone Wars model sir, we haven't fielded any in years. Motti's chief of staff also thinks by emissions that particular Pelta is one favored by Rebel leader Jan Dodonna. They're powering grav well projectors now, sir."
"Dodonna? What the hell is he doing here? And where are the warships? Those ships are all unarmed, especially compared to the two Star Destroyers here. Even Interdictor can outfight those ships." The tactical officer frantically manipulates the plot. "What is it, Guns?"
"I have movement, sir. The GR-75s are dropping something. More engine signatures, it's fighters." A moment, and a deep breath. "I make nine squadrons of Incom T-65 X-wings, sir. They're accelerating towards us with the transports in trail. Emissions look like the X-wings are using datalinks to the GR-75s to improve their fire control." A comms tech from the pit, "Captain, signal from Gryphon . It's Captain Yu, sir."
"Go for Manticore Actual." " Gryphon Actual. I told you, Stephan, we needed to keep some fighters on standby." "Shut up, Paul, you can lord it over me later. Guns, go to general quarters, full power to shields and weapons. You may fire as they enter range. Shoot to destroy. All ships, assume attack formation Beta 5, signal when in position." "The X-wings' acceleration don't give them a viable vector at Gryphon . I'm accelerating to intercept the Pelta before it can jump back to hyperspace. Try to not let Interdictor get destroyed. Gryphon Actual, out."
********
So I had the pleasure of squaring off this evening against a friend of mine (@Galactic, as if FFG will let me tag him). I brought the Mark 2C version of Motti's Dreadnoughts, while he brought his latest concoction, listed below.
Galactic's Godforsaken Q-ships
Faction: Rebel Alliance
Points: 390/400
Commander: General Dodonna
Assault Objective: Precision Strike
Defense Objective: Fighter Ambush
Navigation Objective: Superior Positions
[ flagship ] Modified
Pelta
-class Command Ship (60 points)
- General Dodonna ( 20 points)
- Veteran Captain ( 3 points)
- Engine Techs ( 8 points)
- All Fighters, Follow Me! ( 5 points)
= 96 total ship cost
GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Adar Tallon ( 10 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 41 total ship cost
GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 31 total ship cost
GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 31 total ship cost
GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 31 total ship cost
GR-75 Medium Transports (18 points)
- Expanded Hangar Bay ( 5 points)
- Bomber Command Center ( 8 points)
= 31 total ship cost
1 Wedge Antilles ( 19 points)
1 Biggs Darklighter ( 19 points)
7 X-Wing Squadrons ( 91 points)
Yes boys and girls, that is a total of FIVE BCCs, boosting eight red and one black dice. It's obscene. For better or for worse, the Dreadnoughts fly without a protective screen of TIEs, which meant the X-wings immediately got to work on the ships. As a favor to him (and to test a theory of mine), we played Superior Positions. By the time all was said and done, three flotillas were dead, including Adar Tallon's, and the Interdictor and one Imperial had joined them in the cold, black embrace of space. The other Imperial had managed to run down the Pelta , only to have it cut to zero and zoom past it, spewing obscenities as it did. Oh, and that objective? By our count (and we probably missed two or three) he had twenty-six (26) tokens to my one (1). For those too lazy to count that up, that's a margin of victory in excess of 550 points. That's not a 10-1, that's a 12,-5. I probably could have saved the Interdictor (you'd think after watching them chew through an Imperial I'd be more respectful of eight thousand X-wings), and with not quite perfect rolls I probably could have nailed the Pelta too. However, that's still wildly inside 10-1 range. This list is brutal, and he's probably going to drop an X-wing to fit in Norra (* shudders ). The only other question about this list is Superior Positions versus Solar Corona, but as we figured, no one in their right mind would take either other objective over SC, so he's trading a guarantee that the transports get away for huge points possibilities. Thoughts and comments welcome.
