The Vau Arrive!

[godsgopher]

Well I have to say the new rules sound fun. It defiantly fits with the Vau's energy manipulation abilities. Over all they sounds very reminiscent of the Vorlons and the Shadows, which of course is perfect.

However, Im not really inspired by the three ship designs currently being shown on Planet Mongoose. They have the right pieces, the arms meant to hold the imposable miniature sun in place. The somewhat sleek look I would assume a high-tech race would show. But they just don't scare me. The current designs especially the "big" destroyer looks more like a leg brace than something that's going to turn my fleet into very very little pieces.

I have thought something more like this was in order...

 

[Nerroth]

I agree; the styles as shown aren't the most striking. I wasn't familiar with any of the old Fading Suns/Noble Armada art for the Vau Hegemony fleet, but I was sort of picturing a more faux-organic (leaving the true organic stuff to the Symbiots, heh) look, with the claws looking more like a squid's tentacles.

But, we'll see.


Although, the thing I was really wondering about is the idea that they have nothing bigger than a destroyer. The history section of the ACtA:NA book describes the Vau ship that destroyed the human fleet at Apshai as being "massive"; and more pointedly, as a "dreadnought".

That said, there were no humans left alive to recount that event; maybe the G'nesh simply lied about the nature of the Vau ship that cleaned the humans out for them?


(As an aside; is it just me, or do the Vau look a bit like taller Tau?)


EDIT: I had heard elsehwere that there is a possibility of doing translucent miniatures. Could that extend to miniature pieces; say, if you wanted to release Vau sets that had translucent pieces to represent each ship's quantum sphere?

 

[Clanger]

The Vau ship designs are based on the Vau Sentinel from Noble Armada second edition.

 

[kaltorak18]

Although, the thing I was really wondering about is the idea that they have nothing bigger than a destroyer. The history section of the ACtA:NA book describes the Vau ship that destroyed the human fleet at Apshai as being "massive"; and more pointedly, as a "dreadnought".

It isn't the only ships they have, it's just the only ships in their fleet list atm.

From the destroyer section:

Why is this the largest ship the Vau currently have? Well, once you see what this bad boy can do, you'll be in fear of your dreadnoughts!

So, these three ships alone will be able to give the rest of the fleets a run for their money. If they included any others the fleet would be overpowered. I guess this does answer my questions from a while back on how that'd all be handled

 

[Clanger]

I can agree with Matts statement. The Vau will make your nice big shiny Dreadnaught quake in fear

 

[kaltorak18]

Could that extend to miniature pieces; say, if you wanted to release Vau sets that had translucent pieces to represent each ship's quantum sphere?

I think I'm going to get translucent/glow in the dark sculpey from the craft store and fashion it into a ball.. then pin it in the center of the cage area and TRY to sculpt energy lines along the pins to the receivers. I'm terrible at this "art" thing, but I'm learning. Haha..

 

[Da Boss]

I agree; the styles as shown aren't the most striking. I wasn't familiar with any of the old Fading Suns/Noble Armada art for the Vau Hegemony fleet, but I was sort of picturing a more faux-organic (leaving the true organic stuff to the Symbiots, heh) look, with the claws looking more like a squid's tentacles.

very Vorlon sounding

(As an aside; is it just me, or do the Vau look a bit like taller Tau?)

That they do, that they do

I am not sure about the ships - they are quite intriguing but need to see them in the flesh to eb sure

 

[godsgopher]

Again, the only issue I wanted to raise was the less than impressive appearance of the vessels in question. I have no doubt that the rules will be quite interesting, balanced, and fun. However unlike the Vorlon, Shadows, and Ancient ships from B5 these ships just don't impress me visually at all. I want to be breaking out in sweat the moment my opponent puts one of these monsters on the board, I want to feel my legs turn to jello, my gut roll, and suffer cold chills in a hundred degree Oklahoma summer.

Were just not there.

 

[KIKA]

As the book War in the havens: Hegemony page 39 the vaus fields this ships:

Typ class

explorer Ambassador
escort Guardian
frigate Sentinel
destroyer Bane
assault lander Invader
cruiser Moonwarder
DREADNOUGHT Gatewarder
jumptug Jumpwarder
freighter Caravan

but humans see never all of them.

greetings
Karl

 

[BFalcon]

I want to be breaking out in sweat the moment my opponent puts one of these monsters on the board, I want to feel my legs turn to jello, my gut roll, and suffer cold chills in a hundred degree Oklahoma summer.

You could always find the nearest Indian takeaway that failed its last healt inspection and buy some food from there... that'd give you pretty much the same symptoms...

 

[Nerroth]

I picked up a copy of War in the Heavens: Hegemony on DriveThruRPG the other day; there's a fair discount on it, so it was useful for the fluff even if the rules are out of date.

In terms of background, so long as the info on the Vau Hegemony doesn't get too heavily retconned in the third edition of the Fading Suns RPG (or in Fleets of the Fading Suns, for that matter) I'd be that muh more interested to see how the finalized Vau fleet turns out...

...especially if some of the bigger toys lurking in the Hegemony fleet make an appearance at some point!


(I have a feeling that the more spartan designs of the smaller ships is intentinal; that the kind of curved, elegant designs the art supports may be better represented in hulls which have that much more real estate to work with.)

 

[Iron Domokun]

.. then pin it in the center of the cage area and TRY to sculpt energy lines along the pins to the receivers.

Stiff wire for the energy lines. Fuse wire maybe?

 

[Nerroth]

One thing I'd wonder about is whether or not the Vau would use the same victory conditions as everyone else.

I don't particularly see them as being all that interested in boarding human ships, so much as blowing them up; perhaps they should have the percentages changed compared to other fleets?

(Unless you want to keep the discount, as a means of capping them in combat.)

 

[godsgopher]

The Vau are such an enigma that I wouldn't be surprised if they showed up on the Table, then turned around and left declaring a major victory. Or if they fought a full scale battle just to capture a single captain from a small frigate.