So, I've been thinking of lists to test out in advance of my local store' RitR campaign, and something occured to me. I wanted to include a flotilla in my task forces as much for flavor as anything else; Small rim patrols are the perfect places for Q-ships and light transports. But at the same time, with so few ships, and no opportunity to add more, it got me wondering; Did I really want to limit my firepower so much? Wouldn't I prefer the chip damage offered by the seldom used Assault variants of the flotillas?

So now I'm curious what the rest of you think. Do RitR campaigna give Assault/Combat Retrofit Flotillas a time to shine, or are the cheaper variants still king?

Let us compare the flotillas:

Both GR75 & Gozanti:

Hull: 3

Command 1

Squadrons 2

Engineering 2

Scatter, evade

GR75-CR:

24pts

1x Blue die out the front and rear arcs.

Gozanti-AC:

28pts

1x red die out the front

1x blue die out left and right sides

0x die out the rear

So, the Gozanti can plink at its optimal range band of Long, while still being pretty safe with a Scatter and Evade, however it is in trouble if the enemy gets behind it. For 28 points there are a number of instances I can personally see use for a Gozanti at lower points costs. If you run a standard mixed ship squadron (1x GSD, 2x ALC 1x other) your other could be a G-AC. This wouldnt be bad, in my eyes.

They're generally moving toward the fight. Use a regular cruiser, throw on disposable caps, concentrate fire and save 2 points.

5 minutes ago, mhd said:

They're generally moving toward the fight. Use a regular cruiser, throw on disposable caps, concentrate fire and save 2 points.

DipCaps are one-use, though, and eat up a slot that would otherwise be quite useful in this format - so not quite as useful as an outright range extension.

'Reserve Hangar Deck' for example, apparently gets you a squadron back without it being counted as 'destroyed' - IE., it isn't scarred and doesn't need repaired across the campaign. That's...pretty darn handy. Nevermind Prox Mines...

In any case, I almost think the more important gain from either assault variant is in the better AA. Boosting black dice ranges to blue dice is useful.

25 minutes ago, mhd said:

They're generally moving toward the fight. Use a regular cruiser, throw on disposable caps, concentrate fire and save 2 points.

Valid, although prox mines and reserve hangar deck both compete for the same slot. But the Gr-75 combat retrofit is the only Gr-75 with an attack.

no idea about new stuff, but in my task force format i didn't see any increase in usage of the more expensive transports/gozantis.

My guess is that they're overpriced for what they get, and that impact is probably even more impactful at 200.

Combat retrofit- 24pts for one blue dice tied to a fragile body in a narrow arc that means you are flying into the thing that is bigger and badder and trying to kill you.

Those pts could almost get you a Ywing and a black dice, probably with rerolls.

Gr75s are slick carriers with rad titles. They should be kept light and disruptive and not worry about their overpriced blue dice it's physically impossible to double arc with.

Combat gozanti- you already have guns. The range is nice but unless you can spam concentrate fire AND have intensify firepower it's not really worth it. If you can cf and have intensify firepower, then actually these can be pretty legit. Like mini scout hammerheads. But getting that at 200? Hardly likely.

In my task force list building I'm finding that Decimators are actually staring to look pretty good in a similar role to what you're talking about. I don't ever take them at 400 but, at 200, 3 blue battery dice and 8 hull for 22 points start to look pretty sweet.

I think with Proximity Mines being in more games in the future, more fleets will want to include blue dice flack ships to take out the mines. This includes the higher priced flotillas and Gozantis.