Seems like the proportional size of a Star Wars freighter’s turret is so much smaller compared to the ship itself.

I mean, this is true of the movies and the X-Wing miniatures but it seems somewhat counter to WWII (when ships actually had guns) when ships were built around the weapon system.

Like the turret of the Falcon (even more so the Lando Falcon) is tiny. Same for the VCX and Decimator. The X-Wings weapons are so much larger in comparison.

These turrets are almost like a crew served weapon rather than a ship’s primary weapon. I guess that is what they technically are - being originally meant for defensive purposes since these ships are freighters (except maybe the Decimator) and not fighters nor destroyers. But still, their size belies their actual on-screen and tabletop usage.

Anyway, not that it’s a issue, just more of a pointless observation. Feel free to chime in.

3 hours ago, KiloFiX9 said:

I mean, this is true of the movies and the X-Wing miniatures but it seems somewhat counter to WWII (when ships actually had guns) when ships were built around the weapon system.

Um... Freighter .

Freighters during WWII — and, well, EVER — were built around their ability to move CARGO, not their guns (for one thing, the more and bigger guns they mounted, the less cargo they could carry). You didn't see a whole lot of freighters during WWII with even 5" guns. The Falcon's turrets are the equivalent of a .50cal flex mount, MAYBE a 40mm Bofors.

I think it is less that the large ship guns are tiny and more that the x-wings guns are enormous. Compare with a bunch of the other fighters, the tie fighter guns have to be tiny to fit in the ball, the a-wings are kinda big compar3d to the ship itself, but the ship is tiny. The b-wings are kinda in between. The turrets on the y-wing and tie aggressor. E-wings are kinda big, but as a successor to the x that fits, same with the Z but the other way around. Not as familiar with the scum ships, so can’t say.

Then there is the outrider, which everyone comments about having a MASSIVE gun (ie same size as the X’s)

2 hours ago, Ambaryerno said:

Um... Freighter .

Freighters during WWII — and, well, EVER — were built around their ability to move CARGO, not their guns (for one thing, the more and bigger guns they mounted, the less cargo they could carry). You didn't see a whole lot of freighters during WWII with even 5" guns. The Falcon's turrets are the equivalent of a .50cal flex mount, MAYBE a 40mm Bofors.

I get that, which is why I was saying they would be appropriate as smaller guns meant for defensive purposes.

But in terms of actual use and effectiveness in the movies and on tabletop (and in video games for that matter), these guns are often used as primary weapons to attack other ships, including some very large ships. In that respect, with regards to how they are used, they seem more akin to how one would use a Mark 7, 16 inch on a battleship - but that isn’t reflected by their size.

7 hours ago, KiloFiX9 said:

But in terms of actual use and effectiveness in the movies  and on tabletop (and in video games for that matter), these guns are often used as primary weapons to attack other ships, including some very large ships.

I'm not sure which movie you were watching, but we never see the Falcon fire her guns against anything larger than a TIE...which is exactly the kind of target they're designed for. Han evades the Star Destroyers pursuing him in Empire and never fires a shot, while Lando never once is shown firing on them in RotJ, and uses concussion missiles against the Death Star's core. Likewise in the Sequel Trilogy the only time the Falcon's guns are used are against pursuing TIE fighters.

On 11/28/2018 at 9:27 AM, Ambaryerno said:

I'm not sure which movie you were watching, but we never see the Falcon fire her guns against anything larger than a TIE...which is exactly the kind of target they're designed for. Han evades the Star Destroyers pursuing him in Empire and never fires a shot, while Lando never once is shown firing on them in RotJ, and uses concussion missiles against the Death Star's core.

This is very true, though for what it's worth we never once see any snubfighters firing their laser cannons against capital ships, either. Whenever they are attacking the sensor array domes or the ships themselves, they are firing missiles or torpedoes. I think fighter-mounted lasers just aren't that effective against capital ships.

That said... in Rogue One we see plenty of TIEs strafing the Profundity , and Poe sure does take out the guns of the Dreadnaught with his lasers.

9 hours ago, AllWingsStandyingBy said:

Poe sure does take out the guns of the Dreadnaught with his lasers.

Which isn't all that different from fighters strafing capital ships in WWII to knock out the unarmored gun batteries. It happened at the Battle off Samar; FM-1 and -2 Wildcats from Taffy 3's escort carriers strafed the cruisers and destroyers with .50cal. Didn't do much damage against the hardened turrets, but would sow confusion among the gunnery crews of the AAA batteries.

10 hours ago, AllWingsStandyingBy said:

This is very true, though for what it's worth we never once see any snubfighters firing their laser cannons against capital ships, either. Whenever they are attacking the sensor array domes or the ships themselves, they are firing missiles or torpedoes. I think fighter-mounted lasers just aren't that effective against capital ships.

Attacking the Death Star turbolasers.

X-Wing strafing run on an ISD command tower (look to the left of the screen)

Barion Raner being a total badass.

It's a limited selection, sure. But it does happen. Also, I'm still not convinced I know what the A-Wings are firing when they take out the Executor's sensor globe. I feel like it was supposed to be laser cannons from the way it's shot.

Yeah, I thought I remembered the X-wing strafing the tower in RotJ. Clearly fighter-scale laser cannon aren't going to do much against a Star Destroyer's armor unless you hit something sensitive, but at the very least they should mess up the unarmored point defense batteries and other surface components.