Based on fun, are these fun enough to spend a crap load of money on at MSRP?

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I'm also noting that my Rebel fleet is like 150% larger than my Imperial fleet. Was hoping to change that, but in this case, I'm finding it hard to pick anything that would be useful. 2ISD+Chim, 2 VSD, 1 Int, 1 QF, 3 Glad, 2 Raiders, 2 Arq, 3 Goz.

Was thinking 3 Raiders, but frankly, I'm at a loss as to what are good builds. Or 4 GSDs, but that's utterly for garbage fun lists, like 4 ramming Glads.

1 hour ago, Blail Blerg said:

Based on fun, are these fun enough to spend a crap load of money on at MSRP?

--

I'm also noting that my Rebel fleet is like 150% larger than my Imperial fleet. Was hoping to change that, but in this case, I'm finding it hard to pick anything that would be useful. 2ISD+Chim, 2 VSD, 1 Int, 1 QF, 3 Glad, 2 Raiders, 2 Arq, 3 Goz.

Was thinking 3 Raiders, but frankly, I'm at a loss as to what are good builds. Or 4 GSDs, but that's utterly for garbage fun lists, like 4 ramming Glads.

From a purely logical perspective, dun worry that one fleet smaller than another. You are only building to 400 points anyway. it's just that rebels have more diverse combos to run atm, imo. Don't buy extra that you won't run(I have a friend who bought 4 isds, planning to hit 7)

If u want to have fun with expanding to interesting/less common combos or to challenge yourself, maybe add vsd,raider,kitty.

I have nothing on hh yet as I haven't even opened my first set. Gotta think how to run 2 viably. Or maybe I'll sell it

So by 'more' i take it you have one hammerhead pack and are thinking of a second. That's what i did...

They are fun to use and i think having 4 opens up a lot more options .

But they are a bit pathetic. Its like the designers designed a useful ship and then made it 25% crappier. Why the heck they needed no guns at the rear i cant possibly fathom. And a single black dice out the side.... For 3 points more the cr90 is just no comparison..... if they were another 5 points cheaper then maybe.

Same with leia. Designed a good general based on a beloved and awesome character l and then decided to make sure she had no chance of being usable by upping her price and giving her that utterly stupid token restiction.

I've gone up to having 4 Hammerheads as well. They're more fun to use with more of them on the table but as @Ophion points out they may be better/more fun when used in numbers but they're still just straight up bad for their cost right now. Which is a shame, they look brilliant.

Ok, thanks for the honest answer guys. I'll pass then.

(Yeah, I was getting a meh feeeling from them. They're kinda fun in 200 points, but yeah)

-

And the Imp fleet being smaller is a strict shame. But really, who TF hneeds ships at all when I can throw balls of 134 at you. =) (Seriously, I don't want to buy more squadron packs. That's boring, all for the purpose of spamming 5 of some squadron. Heck NO am i spending 100$ to throw 5 firesprays in someones face.)

I still enjoy them, even with the FAQ change to Task Force Antillies (which I hate but am not going to rant about). They fly in formation quite well and the torpedo variant with External Racks can be surprisingly punchy, I found them to work well with a Shields to Max & Projection Experts Pelta to provide them with extra regen options so they can get their shields back and survive that little bit longer.

Four of them are still fun to fly and actually pretty cheap to put on the field. I certainly don't regret buying two boxes of them.

I actually was wondering just the other day whether the Task Force titles are themselves a bit of a trap, since it really makes you fly such a tight formation to keep them all in range of each other. I don't know if anyone's tried running Hammerheads in any kind of numbers without the titles and can weigh in on that?

4 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

Based on fun, are these fun enough to spend a crap load of money on at MSRP?

--

I'm also noting that my Rebel fleet is like 150% larger than my Imperial fleet. Was hoping to change that, but in this case, I'm finding it hard to pick anything that would be useful. 2ISD+Chim, 2 VSD, 1 Int, 1 QF, 3 Glad, 2 Raiders, 2 Arq, 3 Goz.

Was thinking 3 Raiders, but frankly, I'm at a loss as to what are good builds. Or 4 GSDs, but that's utterly for garbage fun lists, like 4 ramming Glads.

3-4 raiders and a second interdictor seem what you need

Dictors are OP

Hammerheads are rebel raiders. Fly them slow and wait to pounce. Not normal rebel play.

1 hour ago, Ginkapo said:

Hammerheads are rebel raiders. Fly them slow and wait to pounce. Not normal rebel play.

They blow up. Normal rebel play.

6 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

I'm also noting that my Rebel fleet is like 150% larger than my Imperial fleet. Was hoping to change that, but in this case, I'm finding it hard to pick anything that would be useful. 2ISD+Chim, 2 VSD, 1 Int, 1 QF, 3 Glad, 2 Raiders, 2 Arq, 3 Goz.

That's EXACTLY what I have to serve the Emperor. And I'm thinking about a third Arquitens. Do you also have 3x Imp Squads 1, 2x Imp Squads 2 and 2x Rogues and Villains? (And a friend didn't like TIE Phantoms and Defenders, so I have six of them.)

To be sincere, most of my Imperial Force has never seen the battle field. I normally play Rebels, because my friends prefer Imps. (And I do love those fast little CR90s!)

I have some success running 3 of them, one torp 2 scouts with task force Organa in a Leia fleet. 3 of them is the magic number IMO

I had the same question and went ahead and took the plunge.

My feeling is that Hammerheads are a take 4 or take 1 situation. On paper there is little to recommend them over the CR90. It is the titles that make them unique. Garels is fine as a solo and works well as the ship you bring with Profundity.

I think the Torpedo pairs well with TFA and the Scout with TFO. The task force titles are what make the HH really unique compared to the CR90. If those appeal to you it is worth grabbing another set. Personally I love TFA and will use it most anytime I bring a Hammerhead. It dictates a specific play style, but they do become very resistant to squadrons which is unique.

Id say borrow and give a 4 Hammerhead fleet a try first to see what you think. I’m personally glad I did buy 4. I don’t think I’d ever use them as a pair and having 4 has helped me get them to the table more often.

I think the Hammerheads really shine when combined with "mischief maker" Admirals (Sato, Dodonna) and/or Leia when combined with Fleet Command Upgrades (Shields to Maximum, Intensify Firepower).

The task force titles really give you a clue as to how to play them - these are ships that work best as a wolf pack, combining their relatively modest capacities to drag down larger targets.

Here's a list that uses Leia and IF with Hammerheads to good effect:

1 • Modified Pelta-class Assault Ship - Pelta-class frigate (56) - Ahsoka Tano (2) - Intensify Firepower! (6)
• Total : 64
2 • Hammerhead Scout Corvette - Hammerhead corvette (41) - Expanded Hangar Bay (5) - Task Force Organa (1)
• Total : 47
3 • Hammerhead Scout Corvette - Hammerhead corvette (41) - Expanded Hangar Bay (5) - Task Force Organa (1)
• Total : 47
4 • CR90 Corellian Corvette A - CR90 Corellian Corvette (44) - Leia Organa (38) - Jaina's Light (2)
• Total : 84
5 • CR90 Corellian Corvette A - CR90 Corellian Corvette (44) - Veteran Captain (3) - Tantive IV (3)
• Total : 50
6 • X-wing Squadron - X-wing (13)
• Total : 13
7 • X-wing Squadron - X-wing (13)
• Total : 13
8 • X-wing Squadron - X-wing (13)
• Total : 13
9 • X-wing Squadron - X-wing (13)
• Total : 13
10 • Norra Wexley Y-wing Squadron - Y-wing (17)
• Total : 17
11 • Jan Ors Moldy Crow - HWK-290 (19)
• Total : 19
12 • HWK-290 - HWK-290 (12)
• Total : 12
13 • Objectives - Objectives (0) - Most Wanted (0) - Planetary Ion Cannon (0) - Superior Positions (0)

IF makes the hammerheads an extremely reliable source of damage on the cheap, and expanded hangers combined with Leia turns them into pocket carriers.

Dodonna gets great mileage from Garel's Honor combined with Boarding Engineers and External Racks, especially if combined with Dodonna's Pride + Leading Shots.

7 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

Based on fun, are these fun enough to spend a crap load of money on at MSRP?

--

I'm also noting that my Rebel fleet is like 150% larger than my Imperial fleet. Was hoping to change that, but in this case, I'm finding it hard to pick anything that would be useful. 2ISD+Chim, 2 VSD, 1 Int, 1 QF, 3 Glad, 2 Raiders, 2 Arq, 3 Goz.

Was thinking 3 Raiders, but frankly, I'm at a loss as to what are good builds. Or 4 GSDs, but that's utterly for garbage fun lists, like 4 ramming Glads.

I would definitely add another pack of HHs to your collection if you're looking to use them for casual play.

I have 6 and I like to use them in a large MSU against Imperial Gozanti, Raider, and Arquitens class ships. A single HH can hunt down a Gozanti fairly well, but you need a group to tackle a Raider or a Kitty. Don't use them against anything larger than the Arquitens as they'll die pretty quickly.

Regarding the size of your Imperial fleet as compared to your Alliance fleet, you could certainly add more Imperial ships if you want to bring the fleets into equilibrium; I'm currently working on that right now for my collection. I play thematically using Canon and Legends material as inspiration for my builds and battles. Thus, I'm using the following "formulas" in regards to my fleets and their composition:

My Alliance fleet is approximately 33% large/medium ships and 67% small ships.

I use a specific ratio for my Alliance and Imperial large base ships of 3 to 2...3 Rebel Cruisers for every 2 Imperial Star Destroyers.

My Imperial fleet is approximately 50% large/medium ships and 50% small ships.

My goal for Imperial Star Destroyers is 10.

I have 29 ships in my Alliance fleet and 24 ships in my Imperial fleet, so I'm currently working on adding 5 additional Imperial ships to bring the fleets into equilibrium. My Imperial fleet has 13 large/medium and 11 small ships. The 5 ships I'm adding include 1 Gozanti, 1 Raider, 1 Arquitens, and 2 Victory. The additions still keep my Imperial mix at roughly 50/50.

I'm not advocating that you build a fleet like mine. But, what I do think is helpful is analyzing your play style, the way you build your lists, and the builds you would like to craft. Create an Imperial fleet enlargement plan from what you discover and buy what you will need. And, you can always trade or sell ships you don't end up using for something else.

Honestly I think having 4 is the ideal number for the fun value. Running a swarm is how these ships are meant to be played. They are pretty darn fun with Cracken, Leia, and Sato.

12 hours ago, Blail Blerg said:

Based on fun, are these fun enough to spend a crap load of money on at MSRP?

--

I'm also noting that my Rebel fleet is like 150% larger than my Imperial fleet. Was hoping to change that, but in this case, I'm finding it hard to pick anything that would be useful. 2ISD+Chim, 2 VSD, 1 Int, 1 QF, 3 Glad, 2 Raiders, 2 Arq, 3 Goz.

Was thinking 3 Raiders, but frankly, I'm at a loss as to what are good builds. Or 4 GSDs, but that's utterly for garbage fun lists, like 4 ramming Glads.

I actually took four GSDs and instigator to UK nationals, it's actually a usable list, but I just love Glads, thinking back it was:

1) demo......glad two......hunter killer of both ships and fighters

2) insid.......fast second axis of attack, just don't crash into demo coming the other way

3) standard demo glad two flak and trap ship

4) standard demo one ram bot, trap ship

5)instigator and an escort of four fighters

The list demands very good driving and targeting, count any fighter ball as you would a ship when deciding your primary target and primary threats.... Murder primary target avoid primary threats, reassess then engage secondary target.

2 External Racks to put on your Raiders and Kuat ISDs. That's the best use for Hammerheads.

5 minutes ago, Undeadguy said:

2 External Racks to put on your Raiders and Kuat ISDs. That's the best use for Hammerheads.

Those two external racks are very handy in a 4 GSD list and the models look nice on a shelf.

yeahhh... we found a rebel stinker.

Yeah. I hate how horrible the price gouging is on those hammer heads. so much empty space in that box. FOR WHAT. I understand theyre selling smalls for $20 each but really???? These things are smaller than xwing small ships.

I personally like running 3 Hammerheads with TFA. I think 2 is a little too fragile, and 4 starts to get hard to manage (at least for me). I agree the price is steep for the HH models, but it is what it is.

I'm running 4 TFA Torps in my Sato CC fleet. I've only played round 1 so far, so we'll see how it works out in the big leagues Round 2+, but round 1 went great. Just drifted along at speed 1-2 dumping CF pew pews into the fascist oppressors from long range, spreading around damage while my STM Pelta healed it all right back off.

The nice thing about them is their disposability for such high threat. Because they can offload so much of their threat to the supporting squadrons and Pelta, you can afford to lose them without taking a big hit. I lost 2 of the Hammerheads and still came out well ahead since both combined cost me well under 100 points. Even in regular play, TFA + 2 shields out front + 5 hull means they're difficult to reliably one-shot from full with anything short of an ISD main battery as long as you keep that front pointed forward.

The challenge, of course, is that they'd better be killing anything in front of them, because if they don't and it gets behind them, suddenly they're both unarmed and defenseless.

Even I have bought Hammerheads.

Of course, I stripped them of their upgrades and peddled them (and most of the Rebel-only upgrades) off on certain traitors I happen to know.

Now I'm sitting on a ton of Boarding Engineers, Quad Battery Turrets, and External Racks. External Racks are great for Raiders. Quad Battery turrets are great for VSDs (but.... 5 of them??)

Boarding Engineers.... ehm.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cham Syndulla...
...Oh, yes, we certainly know what to do with him...

On 1/15/2018 at 1:06 AM, Ophion said:

So by 'more' i take it you have one hammerhead pack and are thinking of a second. That's what i did...

They are fun to use and i think having 4 opens up a lot more options .

But they are a bit pathetic. Its like the designers designed a useful ship and then made it 25% crappier. Why the heck they needed no guns at the rear i cant possibly fathom. And a single black dice out the side.... For 3 points more the cr90 is just no comparison..... if they were another 5 points cheaper then maybe.

Same with leia. Designed a good general based on a beloved and awesome character l and then decided to make sure she had no chance of being usable by upping her price and giving her that utterly stupid token restiction.

So funny ... I was just reading an account of someone taking 6xHH, CR90, and Leia, and chewing everyone's faces off in a tournament ...

I think John at Cannot Get Your Ship Out is exactly right about Leia: hard to learn to use properly, easy to equip to the wrong fleet, and huge payoff when used correctly.

1 hour ago, Mikael Hasselstein said:

Even I have bought Hammerheads.

Of course, I stripped them of their upgrades and peddled them (and most of the Rebel-only upgrades) off on certain traitors I happen to know.

Now I'm sitting on a ton of Boarding Engineers, Quad Battery Turrets, and External Racks. External Racks are great for Raiders. Quad Battery turrets are great for VSDs (but.... 5 of them??)

Boarding Engineers.... ehm.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cham Syndulla...
...Oh, yes, we certainly know what to do with him...

I also am sitting on a ton of boarding engineers, quad battery turrets and external racks. MC-75's are going to love external racks, just like hammerhead torps and MC-30's already do. And slow-rolling Nebulon-B's LOVE quad battery turrets :-)

Haven't really had a chance to fully test my hammerheads. I took a couple in my 900 point ship/300 point fighter mega-brawl last sunday, but alas, their sector was relatively quiet.