Against EA early years you will see Saggitarius, Saggitarius, and more Saggitarius. Anything else is just insane. Your primary goal is to close range as soon as possible. You don't have any defenseive system at all, so preventing missile hits is a bad idea through and through. You will get cranked, period.
Unless you're way clever or way fast. I propose both.
Fleet (Armageddon rules):
3 x Targrath (3 Raid)
2 x Omelos (1 Raid)
1 x Omelos + 2 x Jashakar (New Armageddon Breakdown, 1 Raid)
This stack has a pulsar/bolter reach of 28". Against most anything, that'll be close to enough. It also actually has copious long-range firepower -- it boasts a total of 24 Disruption Torpedoes, which should be about enough, under scout support, to lift at least one Sag, without question. The pulsars are useful light firepower and soak up the interceptors, then the Bolters eliminate one Saggitarius per turn. Extra side, aft, and turret pulsar hits are gravy.
The scout is there to allow you the chance of a All Power to Engines and a Bolter or Pulsar redirect on the close turn. I cannot emphasize enough the massive proportional boost in firepower the Dilgar receive under this special order -- more than any other race. If a scout can give you one or two of these for free, by all means, let it. If you win the initiative duel -- and you should -- you have a real chance with a 6-squadron of firepower to kill 3 Saggitarius before they even fire. This would give you a chance.
The scouts also perform two other important services. You want to make sure that you set up as close as possible to EA, and winning the placement duel can allow you to do just that. You may be able to set up your approach behind terrain, as well.
The other, of course, is they are the only craft available with jump point. In a scenario where you are really hosed in deployment range -- like, say Annihilation or Space Superiority with zero terrain -- you have an additonal approach option. Sure, he has missiles in all directions, but if he took Long-range missiles on these boards, jumping in on the side or some such may be a huge advantage. Or, you can at least just muck with the EA's head. No other ship you might use has jump point available.
Notes:
- Don't take any of the big ships. You're in mortal danger of not being able to close with any relevant speed critical. This is what excludes the Rohric from this fight. Fast big ships are worse, because that's the Mankhat, and one ship is a missile crit magnet, and an awful idea.
- Sure, 1 die of beam is useful, but don't expect that to be the reason you take the Ochliativa. You take it if you're expecting to need a lot of come-abouts; then the twin-link is very useful and better than the Omelos's 14-die pulsar system. The beam is typically outclassed by massed suites of Disruption Torpedoes, which stack nonlinearly.
- You have no fighters here. That's a good thing, as the setup ranges of Carrier Clash are something you want precisely zero part of. Free scenario reroll? Sign me up!
- Novae may look big, but when Bolters fire, they KILL THINGS, so don't expect that Nova to require too much attention. Thank the EA for every one they field with a shot of Vodka, because given how powerful the Sag is at Skirmish, your opponent has GOT to be drinking to take one of these over two Saggitarius. Of course, if that Nova is the only EA thing you can get to in the close turn, by all means, blast it -- but you've just got to kill those Saggitarius first, without question.
- On turn 1, the criticals problem may be so severe as to be crippling. Make sure, therefore, that you get the shot you deserve. Make a pentacon -- that's probably best -- and then fire it en masse. At least you'll get to use most all your D-torps on turn 1. If you don't squadron up, I guarantee you won't get that opportunity.
- If you get a Call to Arms, hitch up your drawers and go kill. You will get victims on turn 1, but without cover, the missile salvo will be without mercy.
- You will just about automatically win the Supply Ships scenario, either as attacker or defender. Trust me here.
Finally, you can't expect to win against a pure Sagg stack in a normal fight. As vile as the Targrath is -- and it is! -- the Skirmish Sag is worse. This shoudl give you a good chance, though, and in certain scenarios, you can by all means win.
Mmmmmm boltery goodness :twisted:
