shadow stalker

[TGT]

If you gave the Shadow battle level ship
Stalker a 5+ stealth trait..too much?

 

[Foxmeister]

Compared to Minbari Battle level ships, I don't think it's too bad.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Burger]

Give it stealth 5, drop its hull to 5, boost its damage a bit. Make it a proper battle-level scout variant, rather than a battle level POS!

 

[No. 1 Bear]

I feel stealth 5+ an increased dodge to 4+, you might have to drop the AD to 2 dice however it would be a stalker then rather than a fly straight towards you all guns blaring.

 

[CZuschlag]

At 5+ without other changes, you have severely overfixed the ship.

 

[katadder]

I feel stealth 5+ an increased dodge to 4

so basically a Liati with stealth and shields

 

[No. 1 Bear]

Yeh pretty much, thats how i feel it should be but with less weapons.

 

[katadder]

lol even a 2AD beam on that ship would be too much with stealth 5+, dodge 4+, Shields and self repairing. no one would ever be able to kill it.

 

[No. 1 Bear]

I think you'd have to drop the shield to say 5/5, keep at hull 5, have dodge 4+ and stealth 5+ plus 2 AD then it would be like an advanced whitestar/shadow ship/liati. I think it would work as a "stalker" then rather than something its not.

 

[katadder]

still self repairs and doesnt have the problem of losing crew like a WS. and the shield is then 5 damage per turn for free as well. with someone having to beat stealth (only 33% of time unaided) and get past your 50/50 dodge just for your shields/SR to get rid of everything he did.
only other defenses you need then are a GEG2 and Interceptors 3

 

[katadder]

a possible change could be increase the dodge to 4+ and the beam to 4AD. but not stealth as well.

 

[KennyBoy]

When comparing the Stalker to something like the Tinashi, then it seems clear the Shadow ship needs something...
If not Stealth, then a better dodge would be the best fix, but surely the Stealth trait is more "Shadowy" 8)

If the worry that a SM ship with Stealth 5 is too tough, then adopt a Minbari style fix (Hull 5 = Stealth 5, Hull 6 = Stealth 4)

 

[No. 1 Bear]

Actually GEG 1 and Interceptors 1 plus shield 3/3 a dodge of 5+ then self repair 1d6 and lets not mix in some adaptive armour, plus maybe a flight or tow and some possible command.

 

[locarno24]

Stealth seems more apt. As noted it's a more aggressive evolution of the Scout design.

As it is it's just too flimsy a hull; even taking the shields into account it only has the same hit points as a Vorlon destroyer - except the destroyer has adaptive armour to protect it from the big guns. Dodge 6+ on its own is a bit of a joke....

Stealth 5+ may be overstating things as it does have shields and self-repair, but some sort of stealth score would be good. Stealth 4+ matches a white star gunship's dodge 4+ (ok, not quite, but Dodge 6+ probably balances out the difference)

Having the ship play a bit like the Psi-Corps Hunter Hybrid (sneaky, sneaky, then jump on you and slice you up with beam of death) seems apt for a 'stalker'.

 

[Locutus9956]

Personally I think a nice fix might be to take stealth (improve its shields/hull a tad to compensate) and scout off what is currently the scout, reclasify the current scout as a 'destroyer' or hell, call it a stalker if you like, then make the 'scout' the battle level version. Give it stealth and scout and the advanced scout ability the Leshath has (its a frickin first one scout ship for crying out loud).

This would have a twofold effect:

Firstly it's never seemed 'right' to me to see the average shadow fleet made up, generally, of swarms of 'scouts', a ship that is basically an advanced recon ship that doesnt usually opperate in huge numbers. And secondly it would make the battle level version actually rather useful even if it wasnt as potent in firepower or sruviveable as 2 of the raid level versions. It's not a big change but personally I think it would be a good one.

 

[l33tpenguin]

I always thought the scout armies seemed weird. of course, its mearly a by product of how ACtA is played. 'Realistically' the shadows would simply be fielding 10-20 war points against the typical 5 point battle fleets of any of the younger races.

I'd actually like to see 3 versions of the 'shadow ship' (battle crab...). A 'Young' Battle level, an 'old' war level and the 'ancient' arma level.

of course, it would be nice to see varients of the scout at raid and battle as well. A stealthy 'stalker' varient and a heavier 'destroyer' would be nice And give OPTIONS to the shadows.

 

[No. 1 Bear]

Then add a vorlon carrier and scout.