Fleet Balance and Next Steps?

[Gamethyme]

So I'm going to order the Mega Bundle on payday (Thursday), but I had a few questions, before I order.

1) Does anyone who has the game have the point totals for each fleet box?
2) Point values notwithstanding, do the five box fleets seem relatively balanced against one another? Is there one fleet that needs help or is overwhelming right out of the box?
3) What are the logical next ships to order for each faction?

Thanks in advance for any information,

Eric

 

[Clanger]

The fleet boxes come around to:

Hazat - 1440 points (with 1 Destroyer) or 1620 if you got 2 Destroyers in your fleet box

Hawkwood / Al - Malik - 1370 points

Decados / Li-Halan - 1390 points

After that would be a Cruiser

If the Fleet has them a Dreadnaught or Stealth Ships.


I would say that the starting Fleet boxes are balanced over all (Do not be put off by the Hazat points they do get an expensive Explorer, Galliot and Carrier)

 

[starbreaker]

Note that every fleet except Al Malik (who have a real weakness in boarding) can increase their point value dramatically by upgrading troop quality. Has the side effect of making it harder to play Al Malik at any given point value - you can't just grab the ships you want and then fill in the last few points upgrading troops, so you're often down a bit, where everyone else can get a useful Marauder or two, or some elites.

 

[Gamethyme]

If the Fleet has them a Dreadnaught or Stealth Ships.

What would you recommend for the Li Halan, which don't appear to have either a Dreadnought OR a Stealthship available?

I'm assuming I'm going to like this game, and I'm likely to keep up multiple fleets to give my friends some choices - which means keeping them relatively well-balanced.

Is there a standard tournament fleet size, or will it vary from tournament to tournament?

(And yes, I know it's a bit early in the game's life to start asking this sort of thing).

Eric

 

[starbreaker]

With Li Halan, I'd probably take a second carrier early in my fleet building. They provide Command +1 which is pretty big, and their fighters have awful dogfight ratings, which a numerical edge is good at offsetting. Plenty of AD too, so they can actually sting ships effectively once they're done with the enemy fighters - the rest of the fleet will drop the shields for their dinky slug guns easily enough. Their heavy fighters aren't half bad either - using them against targets with existing crits from laser fire will maximize the effectiveness of their Devastating +1 meson tubes.

After that, some more destroyers, I think. They are quite good, probably one of the two best shooters in their weight class.

The first tournament is 750 points, which is big enough to allow for any ship but small enough to play quickly and to still force some difficult decisions on ship choice. Wouldn't be surprised if they tend to stay in the 750-1000 point range.

 

[Clanger]

You can never have enough Dragons in a Li-Halan Fleet.

Also the Galliot is very fast so you can board very quickly

 

[starbreaker]

I see the Li Halan are getting an "Honored Saint" martyr fighter, which is another argument for a second carrier. Sounds ominously like it might be a kamikaze suicide craft, doesn't it? Like ramming with Slayers wasn't already good enough. :roll:

 

[godsgopher]

We Decados feel this is an excellent idea on the Li Halan's part, after all if they wish to be so swiftly reunited with the pan-creator we will gladly help the fools along.

 

[starbreaker]

It would be preferable if they didn't take too many Decados sinners along for the ride, though. :wink:

 

[Gamethyme]

It would be preferable if they didn't take too many Decados sinners along for the ride, though. :wink:

I find it unlikely that the Decados and Li Halan are bound for the same destination.

 

[Rick]

I find it unlikely that the Decados and Li Halan are bound for the same destination.

Absolutely - when you're planning a non-stop party in the afterlife, the last thing you want is for some Li Halan killjoys hanging around!

 

[Clanger]

Remember the Li-Halan used to out decedence Decados before they found the Pancreator. They would even make a Decados blush at the things they were reputed to have done.

 

[starbreaker]

Decados don't know how to blush, they've bred it out of the family. But you're right, they merely aspire to the level of hedonistic perversion the Li Halan used to manage. Back in the 1st ed RPG, our DM ran a "Mirror, Mirror" adventure with the PC's ship misjumping to the parallel dimension of evil duplicates - our poor saintly Li Halan priest was not at all pleased to meet his opposite number, goatee and all.

 

[godsgopher]

Remember the Li-Halan used to out decedence Decados before they found the Pancreator. They would even make a Decados blush at the things they were reputed to have done.

Nobody likes a quitter...

 

[lastbesthope]

Remember the Li-Halan used to out decedence Decados before they found the Pancreator. They would even make a Decados blush at the things they were reputed to have done.

Nobody likes a quitter...

Reminds me of a biker T-shirt I saw once.

ANyone can quit smoking, it takes a real man to face up to cancer.

Note I do not agree with the sentiment but I do find it funny

LBH