Centauri Skirmish Level Ships

[Iron Panda]

There's a lot of cool Centauri Raid level ships but at skirmish level, it seems that the selection thins out a bit. It seems that everyone favors the Maximus on these boards, but are other skirmish level Centauri ships viable?

The Vorchan and its configurations seems flexible and reason enough to take them as well as the Darkner, with its heavy weaponry. (who cares about their 4 hull, they can still take down a ship or two before they are taken out). What would be a good skirmishing ship(s) for the Centauri?

Thanks!

 

[Smegish]

I find the Darkner to be good backup for the Battlecruisers, blasting away with their battle lasers at targets too small or too badly damaged to waste the big ships beams on.

I'm not really a big fan of the Vorchan, but that might be because I haven't found the best way to use it yet.

 

[Target]

It's kinda why take a skirmish ship if you can fit a raid one in.
Vorchans- can work if they are concertrating on something else
I'd rather take 2 Corvans to most other skirmish ships.
Maximus can fill a role protecting your big ships.
I don't really have them for their Anti fighter weapon it's cause they hull 6 & have interceptors- maneuver to shield your big ships so they can fire every round.
Like i said the Centauri tactics post- if your Primus fires every turn you have probably won.

 

[Da Boss]

I like the Maximus as an attack ship - twin linked guns is quite nice - espceially against low hull ships. I also use the Vorchan Scout - again like the option to use it as a warship - but thats just me!

the normal vorchans - I don't use - despite the cool models

 

[emperorpenguin]

Target is right a raid level ship is usually better than 2 skirmish while 2 Corvans are often better too!

The Maximus is the best of the bunch for reasons given.
The Vorchan is a bit lacking, the Vorchat the better choice due to fighters and more arcs.
The Darkner I find an odd ship. Half long range but half short with poor armour.
The Morgrath is poor (possibly the worst of them)

 

[Centauri_Admiral]

I think what all the other guys have said already is correct, within reason, and I'll quantify that comment. After having huge amounts of success in other space/naval style combat games; the one thing I would say about ACTA and the reason why it is my favourite, is because of its scope and how much variety there is in both races and their ships.


Are the Centauri skirmish level ships any good???? Well that depends on who you are playing right? Of course it does! It also depends on what priority level you are playing. I'd say this:

If you are playing at skirmish level or below, like the others I'd probably rather shoe horn raid ships in, or go down to patrol level. I personally don't think the Centauri skirmish choices are good enough "all rounders" at skirmish level. For instance, if were playing at least 4 points at skirmish, I'd rather take two dargan or altarian, than 4 skirmish level ships for a number of reasons. Most other races seem to have at least 1 skirmish choice which a damn good all rounder; most Centauri choices seem to be specialised.

Now if you asking about the worth of Centauri skirmish level ships in higher level games, well thats different. Vorchans, normal ones, are my favourite and I can't understand why so many people have problems with them. They are one of the few ships in the game that can actually keep up with a whitestar, what they do when they catch it I don't know, but they are EXCEPTIONALLY fast and agile. I use squadrons of 3 vorchans, and throw them up the flanks, by now most of the people I play against realise that they must either dispatch some ships to deal with them, or suffer next turn, when they whip in from the flank and do some serious damage with their plasma accelerators. LIghting fast attacks from the flanks, are the way to use vorchans, don't bother trying to use them as mainline warships as it tends not to work.

Maximus I like for opponents with plenty of fighters, the maximus comes as a nasty shock, and general defence. Darkners are, as previously mentioned, excellent for backing up battlecruisers. Kutai I'm not sure about along with the morgrath; they are a niche kind I think.

My thoughts for their worth.

 

[Da Boss]

Maximus is especially nice on Close Blast Doors - Oh dear I can only fire the one gun ah well..................

 

[Target]

The Vorchan has problem thats it's Plasma Accelator doesn't cut the mustard & lacks any surviabilty. The last time i used a Vorchans, they were in a squadron, CAF on Hull 6 Drazi skirmish ship, couldn't even destroy it, this became the bitter end for me & a string of dissapointments when using them. I use to use them a lot but SFOS downgrade was a suprise as they were never overpowered as they easily shot out of the sky.I don't mind them being fragile but when it lost SAP, it became bit of a lame duck. It lost it's ability to hurt ( big difference between SAP & AP) but retain all it's weakness. Why use one when when you can have a Maximus, hull 6, interceptors, almost the same hits, maximus might have one more. Loss of 4 AD AP,DD but gains 2 AD twinlink & turreted AF weapon.
The Kutai is way to fragile, either up the hull or the dodge. My other problem is why do the Centauri need another Vorchan style ship. Give it a different role maybe like a Olympus style ship. The best i've ever done with this ship is dodged a impressive 6 out 12 dodges, pity it DD & Beam hence the number of hits. Still died.

 

[Centauri_Admiral]

I think its all about playing styles and the opponent you are playing against. I haven't had much experience with the Kutai, although I own six, but I can see your point Target.

For me personally, I've had a decent amount of success with the vorchan, under SFoS rules and they suit my style of play. A few of my opponents now fear them, mostly because of their speed and agility, than their raw firepower. They will divert some of their ships to counter them before they are even in weapons range; thus diverting some of the attention from the all important beam contingent of the fleet. It is this "reputation" that enjoy quite a bit, maybe they will wake up to it sooner or later, but right now I can still use my vorchans with a great degree of success.

And in agreement with most other centauri players I think; I'd say my second fac skirmish level ship is the Maximus, got 4 of those and they are ace too.

 

[Triggy]

The Morgrath is poor (possibly the worst of them)

I think you'll find that particular honour goes to the Kutai

 

[Ripple]

Local success or failure with a ship can radically redefine its role. Take the Bimith...apparently a feared ship on the far side of the Atlantic but locally its a huge joke and one of the big reasons we don't see the Abbai as a viable race. The ship just always gets out manuevered or crit'd out before doing anything useful. The one time one survived to fight it circled an Apollo for three turns without inflicting real damage (and it had Chronus to shoot at in two other arcs two out of three turns). We often feel the same about the Nova, but T-bolts and fighters shooting first changed that.

If someone can get a few really spectacular games in with a ship, it will be treated with great respect ever after in that group.

Ripple

 

[Star-Lynx]

Being i have fought centauri with my narn (ask centauri admiral!) the vorchan is a pain in the behind, the other day we played a 10 pt patrol game and centauri admiral had 3 vorchans trying to flank me, i sent 2 Ka'Tocs out to intercept with one Ka'Toc not far behind to back up.

Not a bad plan i thought, unfortunatly my dice had other ideas and my medium laser cannons did little damage and my mag guns missed altogether. the vorchans realising their luck, took advantage and blew up two Ka'Tocs, the other fled to fight another day.

Then the three vorchans with their speed had then flanked my T'Loth which was taking damage from a sulust and one vorchan gave the killing blow to my last ship on the board, game over.

so don't unestimate the vorchan, its a killer on the flanks.

 

[Target]

The problem with Vorchan going up the flanks is the intial contact goes well & but then you are in the range of their secondary weapons which most races have in all arc's, you pass though because of your speed into a gauntlet of firepower which you can't reply too. If i was facing Vorchans i wouldn't go out of my way to target them. You still have get the primus, vorchans can be destroyed with side firepower. Moving ships to intercept breaks your formation & lessen's your firepower. Keep your ships in formation, don't take the bait. Splitting ships off is asking to die, concertrate your firepower at all times. Make sure the ship/ships you fire at die.
I would use them vs a Ka T** fleet if i had fighter support but soon as a Vorchans meets a ship like Nova or G'Quan anything really with all round firepower which is most ships, it's time APTE out of there. They work great against stragglers that aren't hull 6 but won't work if your opponent holds their formation. Reduces where the Vorchan can hide.
I would rather have another raid ship on the board than 3 Vorchans in Hyperspace ( thinking just a straight up fight scenario ) but then im about maximising your firepower.
I remember the olde days in the Republic where 3 Vorchans flanking a Warlock meant trouble.
I used to love taking 6 Vorchans down a flank with Primi/Primus's ?? doing the Hammer & Anvil tactic just isn't valid at the moment unless you like explosions your own that is.
Someone should come up with list what we call our ships when there is more than one. Maximi or Maximus's.

 

[Abraxas]

EA has too many side guns, which means you can't take advantage of the Vorchans speed. You can't flank and you can't get behind them.

Maybe against a more single minded opponet, such as the Vorlons, it would be better... but against EA or some Narn ships or the Abbai... it just isn't whorth it.