drakh carriers
- Thread starter katadder
- Start date
Wing Commander
Mongoose
I had a rather strange conversation with Matt last Wednesday (we were at a Trade event) around exactly this matter. It went...
Me "Matt, the Drakh Carrier. How come it isn't a carrier?"
Matt "Because it's too big to have the carrier trait?"
Me "Too big, but it's a carrier! It's also smaller than the Mothership which does have the carrier trait?! I don't get it?!"
Matt "That's different, the carrier gets to carry whole warships. That's why it doesn't have the carrier trait..."
- as you can see, confusion reigned... well, on my part anyways.
Me "Matt, the Drakh Carrier. How come it isn't a carrier?"
Matt "Because it's too big to have the carrier trait?"
Me "Too big, but it's a carrier! It's also smaller than the Mothership which does have the carrier trait?! I don't get it?!"
Matt "That's different, the carrier gets to carry whole warships. That's why it doesn't have the carrier trait..."
- as you can see, confusion reigned... well, on my part anyways.
Greg Smith
Mongoose
It can still use the Scramble! special order. It can launch all of its fighters in two turns with one succesful scaramble roll.
Wing Commander
Mongoose
Back to my previous argument, there are 2 points that you strongly need to carrier regarding the Drakh Carrier;
1. It isn't a carrier
2. It isn't a carrier
- yes, I know that technically that is the same point but it was such an important point the I thought it worth mentioning twice.
- No offence to the playtesters here, but did any of you actually playtest it? I have, against most every fleet in the box. There is 1 overriding factor that creeps up time and time again - it sucks!
It has a disturbing tendency to blow up before launching it's precious cargo, in the process normally demolishing the 2 (assuming you make the scramble scramble roll) delicate Hull 4 raiders it just launched who can't get far enough away coz they've just been launched. Let's face it, if you're assigned the position of Raider 4, you know you've really p'd off somebody in the Drakh command.
I love Drakh, I have hundreds of the little beggars. The Mothership is moderately naff, the Carrier is totally, absolutely, unquestionably so.
1. It isn't a carrier
2. It isn't a carrier
- yes, I know that technically that is the same point but it was such an important point the I thought it worth mentioning twice.
- No offence to the playtesters here, but did any of you actually playtest it? I have, against most every fleet in the box. There is 1 overriding factor that creeps up time and time again - it sucks!
It has a disturbing tendency to blow up before launching it's precious cargo, in the process normally demolishing the 2 (assuming you make the scramble scramble roll) delicate Hull 4 raiders it just launched who can't get far enough away coz they've just been launched. Let's face it, if you're assigned the position of Raider 4, you know you've really p'd off somebody in the Drakh command.
I love Drakh, I have hundreds of the little beggars. The Mothership is moderately naff, the Carrier is totally, absolutely, unquestionably so.
Wing Commander
Mongoose
We're also assuming here that the Raiders / scouts actually count as Fighters for this purpose?!
even if you have been playing it like they can.Wulf Corbett
Mongoose
Correct. it sys that right after it says "Using this Special Action the ship may launch two flights of auxilliary craft at the end of it's movement". No Carrier Trait, two flights. Carrier Trait, one more than usual.katadder said:
I suggest you reread the rules on this.
Wulf
Tank
Mongoose
Page 12 Drakh Book
Third Column slightly paraphrased:
"Raiders are launched and can be taken back on board the carrier as if they were auxiliary craft, using the Scramble Scramble special order if desired."
If you have the carrier trait Scramble Scramble allows you to launch an additional flight, so in effect you launch 3
Third Column slightly paraphrased:
"Raiders are launched and can be taken back on board the carrier as if they were auxiliary craft, using the Scramble Scramble special order if desired."
If you have the carrier trait Scramble Scramble allows you to launch an additional flight, so in effect you launch 3
Wulf Corbett
Mongoose
Yes, we did, and yes, it's crap. And that's fine by me. Not every design has to be wonderful and great. It does what it sets out to do - it carries 4 Raders, launches them like Aux craft, and itself has decent firepower. The Carrier is not a great ship by any means - it's a cheap way to get 4 Raiders, and some extra support.Nae Beard (Wing Commander said:
The lesson to be learned is, never take the Carrier (or the Mothership) in a scenario of it's own PL, only ever below it. It's quite a simple lesson, and works quite well.
Wulf
Wing Commander
Mongoose
This still doesn't balance with the fact that the Carrier is not only an underarmoured firemagnet but isn't actually a carrier!
The reason for this may be that they believed it to be too powerful if launched all 3 in 1 turn but this falls flat when you realise that the carrier is immensely weak and more of a threat to its cargo than the enemy!
The reason for this may be that they believed it to be too powerful if launched all 3 in 1 turn but this falls flat when you realise that the carrier is immensely weak and more of a threat to its cargo than the enemy!
Yep, it's probably a Raid level ship in ability that gives up Battle level VPs but allows good options at low PLs where the enemy doesn't have enough firepower to blow it away quickly and high PLs where you can't get as many Raiders for you FAPs. Don't bother taking it at Raid or probably Battle levels unless you're pretty confident you can keep it from being killed!Wulf Corbett said:
(from SFoS, P.9) Scramble! Scramble! -
"Using this Special Action, a ship may launch two flights of auxiliary craft at the end of movement. If the ship has the Carrier trait, it may launch one more flight than normal."
Emphasis added; any fighter carrying ship may launch two flights with a successful scramble.
Offhand, I don't know if this helps the Drakh CV - are it's Raiders defined as Auxiliary Craft?
The main reason for the rule, I suspect, is to give the opposition a chance to sink the CV on turn one or two with a few of its offspring still on board.
(Edit) B****y hell. Took a phone call, finished this post, already totally out of date...
"Using this Special Action, a ship may launch two flights of auxiliary craft at the end of movement. If the ship has the Carrier trait, it may launch one more flight than normal."
Emphasis added; any fighter carrying ship may launch two flights with a successful scramble.
Offhand, I don't know if this helps the Drakh CV - are it's Raiders defined as Auxiliary Craft?
The main reason for the rule, I suspect, is to give the opposition a chance to sink the CV on turn one or two with a few of its offspring still on board.
(Edit) B****y hell. Took a phone call, finished this post, already totally out of date...
Wulf Corbett
Mongoose
Carrier is it's name, not a guarantee of function. It carries Raiders, so it's a carrier. Like the Balvarin.Nae Beard (Wing Commander said:
Wulf
Wulf Corbett
Mongoose
The Drakh rules specifically state that Raiders are launched and recoverd as Aux craft. I believe Scramble! Scramble! is mentioned.No Quarter Nomad said:
Wulf
