Any tips on playtesting and usefullness of the crusade EA

[eldiablito]

Ie Marathon (battle) to replace the Hyperion (Raid) and Warlock (War) to replace the Omega (Battle). Unfortunately that is where it ends, and I take the view that bigger does not always mean better.

What about the Chronos? That thing has a decent turret gun, high hull, interceptors, nice mobility...

It's a Skirmish, but why worry about a Raid level when you have the Chronos?

 

[Taran]

Give the Chronos a turreted 2AD DD Beam and I think we have our Raid...

 

[stryve]

Maybe not a turreted beam.

 

[Taran]

I just don't want to lose the turret...
Maybe a turreted 6 AD Advanced Missile Rack?

 

[Chernobyl]

Uroback has that crusade-looking Nova he's working on. Check it out.

Chern

 

[stryve]

I don't object to adding a beam, but every other beam the EA feilds is boresighted. And I can't think of any ship in 2e that has a turreted beam.

 

[Tolwyn]

IMO the Cronos is a ship that could take a pounding, but it is missing the teeth other skirmish ships have. The 4 AD DD Turret Railgun is ok, but the pulse cannons are not worth mentioning as they have to few dice to be effective. The Cronos could perhaps lure away ships from larger targets, but it's definitly lacking in firepower.

 

[angelus2000]

Simply adding 2 AD to each of the pulse cannons and making em TL should do it. 6AD TL won't do more than 2 hits to Hull 6 on average, 3-4 against hull 5. Add it up with Railguns your looking at 5-6 Damage to a hull 6, 7-8 against Hull 5. Thats very much low end damage for a Skirmish ship, even with bumping up the pulse cannons a bit.

Mite hard to tell with a Chronos. Off the top of my head I can't really think of any other skirmish ship thats weighted towards defense; thier usually all speed or all guns

 

[steelvow]

Uroback has that crusade-looking Nova he's working on. Check it out.

Chern

I intent to play it as the Apollo Strike Cruiser, personnaly.

 

[Ripple]

I had always thought the EA's answer to escorts was the sheer number of fighters and AF dice they brought to the table. The fact that they were one of the few without a 'dedicated' escort was interesting. I have tended to be a fan of every race having access to every 'system' in some way, so look forward to seeing Katadder's escort, but just find it interesting that we're looking to fill the one hole (meaning missing system) in the fleet.

Rather than a 'bigger' chronus, I would love to see another new model for crusade era. I like the idea of a missile/rail mix as the crusade era seems to have overcome the 'supply' issues of the earlier times.

Ripple

 

[angelus2000]

I had always thought the EA's answer to escorts was the sheer number of fighters and AF dice they brought to the table

The AF Dice certainly are an answer. Fighter-wise, Crusade fighter numbers are lower than either 3rd Age or Early Years. The loss of the Avenger is felt, no more Novas, Omegas get replaced on many occasions with Apollo's or Marathon. The extremely-shiny Firebolt makes up for this to a degree, but Crusade EA will only have an average or below average number of fighters unlesss your spending points on Patrol Wings or a Poseidon.

 

[Tolwyn]

I think there are some additional ship designs needed to round up the Crusade Era Fleet List. A lower PL Carrier and a Raid Level rplacement for the Hyperion would be good. A small upgrade to the Cronos would be enought. Just add some AD for the Pulse Cannons.

 

[Triggy]

I think there are some additional ship designs needed to round up the Crusade Era Fleet List. A lower PL Carrier and a Raid Level rplacement for the Hyperion would be good. A small upgrade to the Cronos would be enought. Just add some AD for the Pulse Cannons.

Each of these has its problems though:

A low PL carrier may be justifiable but it wouldn't be a Fleet Carrier as by definition, these have to support a fleet (as opposed to a taskforce) and Poseidon now performs this function.

There is already a replacement for the Hyperion (the Marathon). Why would the EA make a ship that is no better than the already in service Hyperion that runs with similar running costs?

The Chronos is pretty well balanced as it is one of the toughest Skirmish PL ships you'll find. What you're really looking for gamewise is a ship with less toughness and more firepower. Sorry, this at the moment is a fleet limitation although that may change as time goes by.


This all said, we are looking at a Raid PL ship for Crusade that would be a new design. This is still very, very early doors though so the specifics (and even whether it will eventually be released) are up in the air but there is something that could fill that Raid PL void.

 

[Tolwyn]

A new Raid level ship would definitly be cool 8) .

Please tell what use the new Cronos should have, I don't see.
Ok, it has good survivability with hull 6 and Interceptors, but I does lake serious firepower. It could try to lure the fire away from larger ships so that they could proceed unharmed, ok, but when the enemy gets to know what the Cronos can he will no longer concentrate on them and intstead start to fire on the ships it was meant to protect,

Another point is that other Skrimish level ships have more much firepower then the Cronos with nearly the same survivability, especially the Vorchan and Demos and with good luck the Ka'Tok.

 

[Taran]

In which case, the Chronos, which you can get in significant numbers, gets to fire with impunity on its target.
It may not have much firepower, but if you have 4 of them being ignored by your opponent, you can do a Lot of damage.

 

[Tolwyn]

If I ever get 4 of them on a table. I use Hyperions and Myrmidons more often in my Crusade fleet then the Cronos as I think the new Cronos is no viable choice at all. I would be satisfied if the Cronos would have 4 AD front and aft and 6 AD port an starboard, but 4 AD and 2 AD isn't woth it compared to other races skirmish choices.

 

[katadder]

think of it like this, the chronos can be on permanent close blast doors for hardly any loss in firepower due to having low secondaries. 2 of the skirmish ones still outgun and out last the old raid level chronos plus provide an additional init ship.

 

[Tolwyn]

Mhm, I have to think about this, but I'm not concerned :?

 

[Triggy]

think of it like this, the chronos can be on permanent close blast doors for hardly any loss in firepower due to having low secondaries. 2 of the skirmish ones still outgun and out last the old raid level chronos plus provide an additional init ship.

Yep, compare a Chronos on CBD to a Vorchan for survivability... I think you'll find the Chronos is about twice as survivable!

 

[Tolwyn]

Perhaps, but it lackl the crunch power of the Vorchan and most other skirmish ships.