DISCLAIMER: I am writing this without my cards to hand and am having a mental block. If it is called a REBEL ASSAULT FRIGATE I apologise and will accept whatever flogging-based treatment you care to dish out.
EDIT:AAAAAARG! Thanks Guardian! Later posters can decide a suitable punnishment for my ineptitude. I have now corrected all references beyond the title
Well after the mother of all delays on to article 5 (there are links to 1-4 at the bottom) and I’m rambling on as usual about those ships that sit in the box doing nothing whilst the others have all the fun. Those ships perceived (often rightly) as just not worth the points. I will be trying to give some tactics for using them (between 1 and 101 for each ship!) in an effort to encourage players to dust them down and give them a whirl. All hints will be based on the standard out-of-the-box rules as that seems most useful and it’s what I tend to play. My 5th candidate is…
The modified imperial dreadnought referred to in SSB circles as the Rebel assault frigate. Now the bumf in the rulebook states that rebel techs ‘improved’ the design, BLIMY! I’d like to see stats for a dreadnought now. NOT! (please re-read that last bit in a Wayne’s World accent to make it funny. Done it? Good, on we go then…
RIVALS
There are a few class 2s at a similar point cost to choose from.
Republic Assault Ship: This ship is rare. Scarcer than a bald Wookie in a wig shop asking not to buy a wig. For a few points more than the rebel vessel you get a big but inaccurate proton torpedo attack as the main bonus. If you like it take it, but my dice luck is so poor that I wont take anything without a healthy +3 attack or better. But as you are unlikely to have more than one of these anyway I won’t go into too much detail, if you want cheap class 2s the republic is unlikely to oblige you.
The MC80 offers better guns (in terms of damage output at least), better defence and fighter launch for a mere 14 points more. I may be biased as I love these things but the RAS really is no contest for the MC80.
Perhaps its biggest rival though is a class 3. The rebel cruiser can do almost everything the RAF can but faster and for fewer points. It can even launch fighters! Whilst it lacks Point Defence attacks (which are always useful) it partially compensates with its anti-fighter targeting +4. There is no need for me to tell you how fab these ships are though, take as many as you can in every fleet you build and rack up the wins!
So what can you do with a Rebel Assault Frigate? Hmmm…
So on to the TACTICS.
FIGHTER BASHING: I love point defence attacks. You get to take them before resolving attacks from your main guns and can shoot every fighter in base to base contact. If you send a cheap RAF or two ploughing forwards to engage in the big fighter scrap in the middle of the board they can wreak havoc! Where you win initiative and can push your way into a huddle of enemy fighters only armed with laser cannons you can mash a whole bunch of opposing ships whilst only taking minor scratches back. Look at your opponents fighter pool at the start of the game if it’s full of TIE bombers then don’t touch this tactic with a barge pole (unless it is to beat the tactic repeatedly about the head whilst berating its parentage) but if he is planning on using his fighter purely to take out yours then it’s GAME ON! (Again with the Wayne’s World voice people. Done? Ok then.)
FIGHTER LAUNCH: Launch!!?? What is the Mantis Warrior on about? The RAF can’t launch, that is why it’s so pap compared to other class 2s! Aha my friends I beg to differ. You see on a hot day that big tail becomes rather pliable and springy and can be used to ‘launch’ fighters at your opponent in a most distracting manner. Remember a distracted opponent is easier to beat and after trying the old “look over there! A badger with a gun” tactic you will need to break out the big guns!
VULTURE : I steal this tactic from an ancient article on this very forum. I think it was written by Polar Bear Sama in a thread with an unrelated name that I can no longer locate. If anyone can confirm or deny this then please let me know but all credit to the original author not me ‘cos this one is fab! Leave your RAF ‘til last when firing and look for an enemy ship that just needs to take 1 more damage to reduce it/ destroy it. The RAF’s +5 laser cannons are ideal for this task as they have one of the best hit bonuses in the game (if not the best of any class 2, I think, but I could be wrong. Am I?) if they miss you can always ‘waste’ the bigger turbolasers on the same target, but in a game where damage efficiency (I.e making everything count) is the key to victory the RAF can be very useful indeed.
THE WALL OF DEATH: Your opponents face when you put down 1 RAF is usually a smirk. If you then put down a second, a bemused grin. Now imagine his face when you put down 10 of the things. In a big line. In 2 ranks. Either puzzled or petrified! Fighters become largely useless as they will be overwhelmed by PD attacks if they try anything and if your opponent has no bombers you can effectively ignore his fighter launch ships completely (a welcome change of pace). If you maintain line formation and advance slowly you can crush all fighters whilst bombarding larger ships with 10 turbolaser and 10 laser cannon attacks per turn! Unfortunately I have not trialled this tactic. I only have one RAF . If you could all post me yours I’ll test the tactic and then post your ships back (unless the tactic proves too awesome in which case you’ll never see your precious model again Bwa-ha-haaa!). So how about it? Guys….? Guuuuys…..?
PRETENDING TO BE A COMMERCE GUILD DESTROYER: Click on the link below and read my earlier 101 for commerce guild destroyers as the RAF is a similar ‘gunship’ style vessel. Done that? See, some of those tactics would work too wouldn’t they? Not all granted but some.
So what do you think? Most of these can be done with other ships of course, most notably the Rebel Cruiser. However with its stupidly cheap cost and perceived ineptness the Rebel Assault Frigate actually out performs its rivals at several of these. Any other RAF tactics out there? Anyone have any of these tactics work for them (or cost them the game as they backfired horribly)? Any one know if the toilets on a RAF are evenly spaced or all stuck at the end of that very long corridor they must have? If you enjoyed reading this please at least reply so I know to try writing another. (as no replies will mean a bigger delay for the next article) If you want to rubbish any of these ideas feel free too, just don’t make it personal or I’ll cry.
Peace
Out
101 uses for a Commerce Guild Destroyer
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=967011101 uses for a SoroSuub Patrol Fighter
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=973981101 uses for a Sith Infiltrator
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.ph … st14883756101 Uses for a Techno Union Starfighter
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.ph … st15167621
