Alright so I'm about to face my first SSD soon and my question is: can the Starhawk realistically stand toe to toe with one. I've seen ISDs do it, so my assumption is "yes, with the right squad complement"

So here we go..

NOTE: I'm debating putting Bail Organa instead of Ray Antilles since most SSD builds seem to push for first bids..

Name: Untitled Fleet
Faction: Rebel
Commander: Kyrsta Agate

Assault: Advanced Gunnery
Defense: Fighter Ambush
Navigation: Superior Positions

Starhawk Battleship Mark II (150)
• Kyrsta Agate (20)
• Strategic Adviser (4)
• Ray Antilles (7)
• Local Fire Control (4)
• Boosted Comms (4)
• Leading Shots (4)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
• Unity (10)
= 210 Points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)
• Leia Organa (3)
• Bomber Command Center (8)
= 29 Points

GR-75 Medium Transports (18)
• Toryn Farr (7)
• Comms Net (2)
= 27 Points

Squadrons:
• 3 x Scurrg H-6 Bomber (48)
• Norra Wexley (17)
• Nym (21)
• 2 x X-wing Squadron (26)
• Rogue Squadron (14)
= 126 Points

Total Points: 392

If I was bringing a SSD against you and you offered me advanced Gunnery as an objective I would choose it so fast your head would spin. Three 9-dice attacks at medium range at the same target from the front of the SSD will kill you dead.

8 hours ago, flatpackhamster said:

If I was bringing a SSD against you and you offered me advanced Gunnery as an objective I would choose it so fast your head would spin. Three 9-dice attacks at medium range at the same target from the front of the SSD will kill you dead.

Firstly most SSDs take Gunnery Teams to help out with Flak and against multiple smaller ships. If you have GTs then you can't benefit from the Advanced Gunnery bonus as you cannot target the same ship from the same arc due to the wording on the GT upgrade card. So you get no benefit and you give away an extra 220 or 250 point if you die.

Secondly, even without GTs on your SSD, as the first player in the Advanced Gunnery mission you need to target different hull zones on the same target ship. This will be difficult (probably impossible) to do a third time against a Starhawk.

Occasionally I have selected an enemy Advanced Gunnery mission and given my own flotilla the AG Objective token. It hardly benefits but gives away only 23 more points on destruction and then I try like mad to kill the double point enemy big ship. Usually I do this when I fly a squadron heavy list like Sloane or Rieekan bombers where you can stiff arm the enemy ship forcing it to fly through squadrons and kill it quickly before you suffer too much from the enemy double shot the same hull zone each turn.