Need help with Fleet Composition for Umpired Scenarios (2-6 Players)

[PzKpfwCrusader]

Hey all,

I recently bought a couple lots of Imperial and Chaos ships at some local swap meets. I have not played in ages and previously only played Tau and Necrons before the game was discontinued. I was hoping to get some advice on fleet construction for some Umpired Scenarios for multiple players at an upcoming gaming convention. I have a few months to plan and paint, but any suggestions are welcome. Namely I need help figuring out fleet composition and board size. Right now I am thinking that 4x6 is a bit too small for the massive fleet engagement, would a 6x6 work? I don't want the distances to be too big given how many Nova Cannons might end up being fielded.


Currently the fleets consist of the following:

Chaos Fleet
1x Despoiler Class Battleship
1x Desolator Class Battleship
2x Styx Class Heavy Cruisers
1x Hades Class Heavy Cruiser
1x Acheron Class Heavy Cruiser
2x Devastation Class Cruiser (though one was built incorrectly with weapon batteries instead of lances)
3x Carnage/Murder Class (I can't tell the difference, is there a way to distinguish the two?
8x Cruiser/Heavy Cruiser Hulls (unbuilt)
3x Idolator Class Raider
3x Infidel Class Raider
6x Iconoclast Class Raider

Imperial Fleet
2x Emperor Class Battleships
1x Retribution Class Battleship
3x Overlord Class Battlecruisers
4x Mars Class Battlecruisers
1x Armageddon Class Battlecruiser
3x Lunar Class Cruisers
4x Gothic Class Cruisers
1x Tyrant Class Cruiser
1x Dominator Class Cruiser
3x Dictator Class Cruisers
4x Battlecruiser/Cruiser Hulls with Nova Cannon and forward Weapon Batteries glued in (I only have on spare pair of Weapon Batteries left, but plenty of lances and launch bays)
2x Dauntless Class Light Cruisers (Prow Lances)
3x Dauntless Class Light Cruisers (Prow Torpedoes)
1x Enforcer Class Light Cruiser (Converted Dauntless Hull with Launch Bays)
9x Sword Class Frigates
6x Firestorm Class Frigates
16x Cobra Class Destroyers

As you can see the Imperials have a vast numerical advantage. I have some bits to make a Chaos Space Hulk to try and even out the numbers. I was thinking about using Chaos Spacemarine Crews for the carriers to maximize the assault boats to pad out points. Otherwise I can break out the Necron and Tau Fleets as well, but it would mean more time spent on explaining special rules. Still since the goal is a fun scenario, it might be worth while to have the Imperial fleet have to contend with three opposing fleets.

Necron Fleet:
1x Cairn Class Tombship
5x Scythe Class Cruisers
1x Shroud Class Light Cruiser
7x Jackal Class Raiders
8x Dirge Class Raiders

Tau Fleet
2x Custodian Class Carriers
4x Protector Class Cruisers
6x Castellan Class Escort
2x Messenger Class Escort
8x Warden Class Escort
2x Emissary Class Light Cruisers

Other:
8x Imperial Transports
1x Space Station
Lots of Mines

I am still drafting ideas for the large engagement as I will be running smaller games to get folks and kids acclimated to the game. The hope is to string along enough narrative scenarios that I can add twists to the one large pitched battle on Saturday Night. Thanks.

[Lotus]

http://i.imgur.com/s6wWHtx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UUxYook.jpg

A Murder without lance-refit looks like a carnage with prow lance. No prow lance = carnage.

The "incorrectly built" Devastation could be a Hecate...does it have 2 dorsal lances?

If not i would suggest to give it 2 dorsal lances and convert the "incorretc Devastation" into a Hekate.



Instead of giving one sides upgrades they don't really need - consider using some imperial ships for the chaos side (traitors).

"For every 1,500 points in a Chaos fleet, one cruiser from any Imperial Navy fleet list up to 185 points and/or up to six Imperial Navy escorts may be taken. Special weapon rules, Nova Cannon, Chaos Lords, Chaos Space Marines, Chaos ordnance or Daemonship upgrades may not be taken for Imperial Navy vessels used in this manner, and cruisers suffer -1Ld for going renegade. Imperial Navy escorts need not be in a single squadron and may be interspersed within other Chaos escort squadrons if desired. These vessels do not count as reserves; they count as Chaos vessels in all respects. "

- FaQ2010

the "upgrades may not be taken" part refers to upgrades only, not for base armament.



With a chaos spacehulk and some imperial vessels on the chaos side you should be fine without "using everey possible upgrade". And you still have the option to form an imperial fleet and let them fight on the chaos side. No background issues with that, traitors are everywhere.


For list building stuff: i play only eldar, someone else have to answer that question. ^^




Edit: What do you mean with "imperial battlecruiser hulls with forward weapon battery glued in" - as far as i know, there are no imperial BC with some kind of forward weapon battery...AC and BC hulls use torps or nova, and some rare cases use lances (protector) or nothing (jovian).

Do you mean one half broadside are already glued-in weapon batteries? In this case you could build Mars BC's when you add the launch bays. Or an Armageddon BC with lance/wb broadsides and a nova cannon (the nova cannon upgrade for the armageddon is in the FaQ2010).

If there are no broadside weapon batteries, you have to be more creative - in this case i would suggest you remove the nova cannon (or build a power ram from it) - then you could convert with lance and launch bay broadsides to Dominion class BC (use reserve rules and take them from the Bakka list) or with only launch bay modules to Jovian class BC (use reserve rules and take them from the Corribra list).

Another way would be: Remove the nova cannon and the dorsal lances (to downgrade the hull from BC to AC). Then you could build a Gothic with lance-broadsides or Protector with lance + launch bay upgrades (the Protector needs 2 prow lances - maybe you could use the removed dorsal lances here somehow).


Edit2: if the BC hulls really have prow weapon batteries they must be from - i don't know - post a picture and we will find it out.