A Marquis fleet for BFG. How would you make it?

[barras1511]

I have been thinking over the last few weeks about the Marquis from Star Trek. How would you create a fleet that cannot take capital ships? What special rules would you give them? I just like the idea of the bee killing the man who took the honey.
I was thinking of things like this little ship. (Please remember it is deliberately over powered because the Marquis cannot take capital ships. After all nessecity is the mother of all invention.)

Freedom class Escort   Hits - 1  Points - 40
Armour - 4+  Speed - 30 cm
Shields - 2  Turns - 90°
Turrets - 2
Armament
Ion Cannon             fpw 1  L/F/R 45cm (Thank you George)
Dumbfire torpedo     str  2    F 30cm.

Ion cannon- This weapon is fired like a lance. On a 4+ place 2 blastmarkers on the target. This weapon only affects shields so it will not damage hulls. (Developmental Idea - firing this weapon at a ship with no shields allows a 1d6+1 roll on the critical hits table on a 4+)

Dumbfire torpedo- This weapon is fired as a normal torpedo salvo. Remove all dumbfire torpedo markers at end of turn. (Developmental Idea - Dumbfire torps do not have to reload ordinance +5 points. Do you agree or disagree with this?)

Fill out the rest of the fleet with escorts like the Sword Falchion Iconclast etc. at -5 points per ship.

This is just a churn and learn session to see if a fleet like this is received well or poorly and to gather ideas for further thought and developement.

[horizon]

Nice concept. Big DS9 fan here (yay Defiant).

Good you aren't doing a direct conversion from Start Trek to BFG as BFG is MUCH bigger then Star Trek in scale.

If you d/l the new Rogue Trader rules you'll find a wolf pack fleet list which resembles a form of Maquis. Only 1 capital ship per 1000pts iirc.

The Ion Cannon is already in use by Tau and uses standard lance rules. So you should change the name. Ionic Blaster

I find this a kinda neat idea on the ship. Rules fonky.

[RCgothic]

I can't see such a fleet engaging in a stand up fight with military vessels if they had any option. They would use trickery and cunning to apply overwhelming force wherever possible.

key points:
Converted civlian ships - base standard weaker/more fragile than military equivalents - better ships get expensive.
Eclectic: possibly build-a-hull similiarly to tyranids

eg:
Maquis Light Raider, 10pts
Escort 1
Shields 1
Speed20
Turns 90
Armour 4+
Turrets 0

Prow WBs 30cm F/L/R FP3

May take:
Extra speed for 5pts per 5cm of speed up to a max of 40cm total.
Extra turrets for 5pts per turret to a maximum of 3
Armour 5+ all round for +5pts and/or armour6+ in any facing for 5pts per facing (sides count as two facings).

S1 15cm F/L/R Lance instead of Prow WBs
S2 F Torpedoes instead of Prow WBs
FP3 30cm F/L/R Ionic Blaster instead of Prow WBs for +5pts*


Maquis Heavy Raider 20pts:
Escort 2
Shields 1
Speed 15
Turns 45
Armour 4+
Turrets 1

Prow WBs FP3 30cm F/L/R
Dorsal WBs FP3 30cm F/L/R

May take:
Extra speed for 5pts per 5cm of speed up to a max of 30cm total.
Extra Shield for 5pts.
Extra turrets for 5pts per turret to a maximum of 4
90' Turns for 5pts
Armour 5+ all round for +5pts and/or armour6+ in any facing for 5pts per facing (sides count as two facings).

S1 Lance 15cm F/L/R  instead of Prow WBs and/or Dorsal WBs
S2 Torpedoes F instead of Prow WBs and/or Dorsal WBs
FP3 Ionic Blaster 30cm F/L/R instead of Prow WBs and/or Dorsal WBs for +5pts per hardpoint.
S1 Fighter Bay instead of Prow and/or Dorsal WBs for +5pts per hardpoint.

S1 Bomber Bay instead of Dorsal WBs for +5pts.
S1 Assault Boat Bay instead of Dorsal WBs for +5pts.
S3 Bombardment Cannon instead of Dorsal WBs for +5pts.

Maquis Liberator Class Cruiser
60pts
Cruiser 4
Shields 1
Speed 15
Turns 45
Armour 5+/4+
Turrets1
Prow WBs FP3 30cm F/L/R
Dorsal WBs FP3 30cm F/L/R
Port WBs FP3 30cm F/R
Starboard WBs FP3 F/L

May Take:
Armour 5+ all round for +10pts and/or Armour 6+ for +10pts per facing (sides count as 2)
Additional shield for +15pts
90’ Turns for +15pts
Additional Turrets for +5pts each to maximum of 4
Additional Speed at +5pts per additional 5cm to maximum of 35
Upgrade all direct fire weapons to 45cm for +20pts.
+D6 AAF for 5pts.

All Hardpoints:
Replace WBs with S1 Lance
Replace WVs with S2 F Torps
Replace WBs with FP3 Ionic Blaster for +5pts
Replace WBs with S1 Fighter Bay for +5pts

Prow/Dorsal hardpoints:
Replace WBs with S3 Bombardment Cannon for +5pts
Replace WBs with S1 Bomber Bay for +5pts
Replace WBs with S1 Assault Boat Bay for +5pts

Fleet special rules: Maquis have a -1 modifier to ld Rolls to navigate terrain or disengage. *The Ionic Blaster uses the gunnery chart as normal, but always hits on a 4+. If all the target's shields are down, the Ionic Blaster does not cause a hit but rolls 1D6 on the Critical hits chart isntead.

[RCgothic]

So the min/max points are:

Light Raider:
10pts/70pts

Heavy Raider:
20pts/80pts

Liberator Cruiser:
60pts/210pts

Obviously the upper ends are hideously overcosted, but it does allow extensive customisation

[lastspartacus]

Isnt that wolf pack list floating around somewhere?  IIRC it was mostly escorts, pirates etc.

Ive always thought an escort only fleet would be really fun, like some local liberation movement that doesnt have access to larger ships, as escorts are far more common.

[horizon]

Doh, RT drafts

[barras1511]

The wolf pack has Cap ships. Sure 1 per 1000 points but that's one too many god dammit. Bring on the midget frigates! I am also looking for some original concepts for ships.

[lastspartacus]

So were Maquis ships known to be small?

[barras1511]

If the Enterprise were a cruiser they would be escorts. The Enterprise in BFG would be the size of an escort. In relative size the marquis would only be fighter/bombers.

So considering the difference in scale I would deem the marquis to be escort vessels and make a fleet based upon this premise.

Has anyone thought about any special rules that could apply to this fleet? Low or high leadership, rerolls for failed astral phenomina tests such as moving through nebulas and asteroids? Lances are at 5+ to hit if attacking from the sunward table edge?

Should they have an admiral? Can they squadron or can you simply designate a number of raiders to fire at the same target if they are within a certain range of each other and join their fire into a single volley? would this require a leadership test or a loss in total firepower? Lets think outside the box and then make the points fit the pain they can cause...

Love the ideas for the light and heavy raiders but I wouldn't want more the 2 hits 1 shield in the fleet. If your going heavier than that you might as well go with the wolf pack list.