I was surfing the interweb the other day and I came across this fan made design. I have to say, in all honesty, I'd far prefer this design as the Lancer than the original one. FFG should give this fellow a call.

Looks like a mix between a triangle & a New Orleans (drop fleet commander)

it seems a tad busy for star wars designs

35 minutes ago, Blail Blerg said:

it seems a tad busy for star wars designs

Meaning it looks awesome?

10 hours ago, Arowmund said:

I was surfing the interweb the other day and I came across this fan made design. I have to say, in all honesty, I'd far prefer this design as the Lancer than the original one. FFG should give this fellow a call.

Awesome.

....I need five

Give. Naow

Enough triangles! This is X-Wing's problem too: There's a whole universe of ships that are not triangles and not ties. Or worse: a triangle tie (TIEangle) like the raider.

25 minutes ago, FourDogsInaHorseSuit said:

Enough triangles! This is X-Wing's problem too: There's a whole universe of ships that are not triangles and not ties. Or worse: a triangle tie (TIEangle) like the raider.

In all fairness, "space triangle" is the generally-understood aesthetic for Imperial ships, allowing for instant brand recognition and a cohesive look that TIEs (heh) the faction together visually.

Besides, the old Legends images of the ship are ugly as sin

You're right, that's not the Lancer

18 hours ago, Arowmund said:

I was surfing the interweb the other day and I came across this fan made design. I have to say, in all honesty, I'd far prefer this design as the Lancer than the original one. FFG should give this fellow a call.

I like it, although now we have the corvette I doubt they would do another anti-fighter ship.

There was a Victory III class fan design that I saw a while back that was also cool.

I think FFG should do more custom designs, especially for the empire. An imperial XL base ship would be awesome.

3 hours ago, Diabloelmo said:

In all fairness, "space triangle" is the generally-understood aesthetic for Imperial ships, allowing for instant brand recognition and a cohesive look that TIEs (heh) the faction together visually.

Besides, the old Legends images of the ship are ugly as sin

Maybe, but it looks boring when all my ships are identical. One star destroyer is cool, one star destroyer flanked by a slightly smaller one, and a pair of even smaller ones is boring.

I will accept NO hate of the Escort Carrier which looks like a whale, mouth agape.
Or the Nebula B-2.
Assassin-class streamlined cr90s.
Or the next narrative campaign with cargo flotillas! (bulk Carrier, Modular Conveyor!)

40 minutes ago, FourDogsInaHorseSuit said:

Maybe, but it looks boring when all my ships are identical. One star destroyer is cool, one star destroyer flanked by a slightly smaller one, and a pair of even smaller ones is boring.

I will accept NO hate of the Escort Carrier which looks like a whale, mouth agape.
Or the Nebula B-2.
Assassin-class streamlined cr90s.
Or the next narrative campaign with cargo flotillas! (bulk Carrier, Modular Conveyor!)

Except besides the Vivtory and ISD the other Imperial triangle ships looks absolutely nothing alike besides that basic triangular form.

Is there a design space the Lancer needs to fill that hasn't been filled by the Raider?

I was under the impression the Raider was originally designed (In X-Wing) to be a replacement to these designs which were too large and unsuited for that game - to fill the small ship anti-fighter option.

Now that its been translated across the Armada, I am just curious at what people would expect to see from something else in that "Antifighter ship" design slot... How would it be significantly different, for example?

Pure curiousity...

Lancer Class Frigate : A low cost small ship platform with 2 blue dices in AA, that what i'm looking for

If you want to balance thing, bring the DP20 Frigate (Corellian Gunship) for the Reb's.

I really want that option to bring more dedicated AA ship.

8 minutes ago, DOMSWAT911 said:

Lancer Class Frigate : A low cost small ship platform with 2 blue dices in AA, that what i'm looking for

If you want to balance thing, bring the DP20 Frigate (Corellian Gunship) for the Reb's.

I really want that option to bring more dedicated AA ship.

1) They're bigger than a Raider. The Raider was set to be smaller and lighter. Ergo, the "Lancer" coop would be bigger and more expensive than a Raider.

2) Such a thing already exists. Its a Glad-II for the Imps. Its a Neb-B for the Rebs

So as far as I can see, its "design space" is already taken - not by something exact or perfect , but already in existance, and people don't take them.

2 minutes ago, Drasnighta said:

1) They're bigger than a Raider. The Raider was set to be smaller and lighter. Ergo, the "Lancer" coop would be bigger and more expensive than a Raider.

2) Such a thing already exists. Its a Glad-II for the Imps. Its a Neb-B for the Rebs

So as far as I can see, its "design space" is already taken - not by something exact or perfect , but already in existance, and people don't take them.

The cost is too high on those two ships (Neb-B and Glad) and most of the time you will want to use your arc more with your Ship-to-ship armemant. So for my point of view, they are not really dedicated for this job. Good all-rounder but not made for this. I know that the Raider was made to replace the Lancer but it's not strong enough for the job asked. Raider I whit 2 black dices... you are not going anywhere with this. Raider II is maybe a little bit better (1 black and one blue die) but I think for 48 points, it's a high price for what this ship bring on the table in is AA role.

I repeat my point, I want a dedicated AA ship (not good ship against ship), it could even be a flotilla. For me, the Raider do not fill this ''design space'' and Reb's don't have anything close to this, so it's time for the DP20 Frigate and why not the Lancer Class Frigate. The Lancer could bring the first mix with 1 red and 1 blue dices in is AA armament (3 blue dices could be too strong)

But if its smaller than a Raider. Its not a Lancer.

Now, I'm not begruding you that something else , by all means, I agree that there is a something else that fits that design space, for sure.

But its not a Lancer.

It'd be like saying, for example: "We need a Non-Carrier, Purely Battleship version of the ISD..."

And then the answer being: "Okay, We'll use a Super-Star Destroyer."

The design space exists for something there, for sure. But the thing being chosen is not appropriate for that space.

Hahaha, Dras, the flotilla mention was not for the DP20 Frigate (120m.) or the Lancer (250m.), it was for something new that FFG could bring to fill that gap

By the way, the fact that the Lancer is bigger than the Raider, it should be the reason why the mix of red and blue die could be valuable and reasonnable

For this, in the first version, I could pay 50 points for a 2 blue AA dices with the same armament as a CR-90 B and 56 points for the second version with a red and a blue AA dices with the CR-90 A armament. It could have the speed chart of the Neb-B and the same clic.

Or

Something new and cheaper in the flotilla scale with less power against ship

I do like that ship visually.

I think Flotillas have some possibilities as anti squad vehicles. That way it's not just two new ways to put fleet support on the table. Although that would mean more fleet support options being available.

I agree that the Glad II and Escort Neb kind of fill those roles. But it's a bit too expensive for what it can do.

8 hours ago, Undeadguy said:

You're right, that's not the Lancer

Ugh, i keep trying to figure out if this ship is good. with only 3 anti squadron I don't think so but bomber with a black die and rogue. am i wrong? is it any good?

15 minutes ago, dominosfleet said:

Ugh, i keep trying to figure out if this ship is good. with only 3 anti squadron I don't think so but bomber with a black die and rogue. am i wrong? is it any good?

I wish I could tell you. I've never used them. The 4 hull and 15 point cost drives me away. They are within range of getting 1 shot by a number of things, but I think they could go nicely with YT-2400.

I agree that the anti-fighter role is already "filled," but I'd dare to venture that it's a stop-gap. For me, the Raider is exactly that -- a raider. It's a ship designed to run down freighters and such, while being able to deal with smuggling craft and pirate escorts. Sure, it can function as an anti-air escort for the big dogs, but I don't think it's really designed for that role and in truth is wasted in such.
In somewhat the same way Rebels has gone from "no" Imperial presence in some areas, to Assault Carriers showing up in numbers, to Arquitens patrolling the space-lanes, I see the Lancer replacing the Raider; a ship that was made with the grudging admission that star-fighters were, in fact, a legitimate threat that needed addressing.
A scaled up, runs with the big dogs ship that can augment the anti-air of any unit it's assigned to escort. It's not made to duck and weave, it's not made to run down; it just has to stay at the side of whoever it's escorting and sweep the skies clean.
A heavier hull and shields (as it will be in the middle of capital scale conflicts) along with a more effective, longer range anti-fighter screen could set the ship off some, as well as possible upgrades or synergies.
Just some thoughts.

I also think there is a bias that "bigger ship" equals "more points." Why is that? Maybe there is design space for "larger" ship to be cheap.

Why not have a larger (but still mall based) ship with relatively low anti ship weaponry but increased anti squadron weaponry? Maybe a small base XQ Defense Platform with like hull 6, 1 shield all around, Brace/Brace, speed 1, 1 blue 1 black anti ship in each direction and a 2 red anti squad, cost of maybe 37. It's only 1 more hull than a hammerhead and trades a significant amount of combat effectiveness for that. I don't know, that one is kind of a shot in the dark, I just think that something with a lot of hull and little combat ability isn't necessarily a design space that is filled.

Just in case, when I'm talking about the Lancer Class Frigate, I'm talking about this ship