Agreed so 2 veterans and the last 5 points can go to a power ram for the Retribution, that's a worthless waste! I believe all bastion fleets have to roll 2 and select the worst for leadership.
All feelings aside tho is it really a bad list? 28 wb (16 with a +shift) and 7 lances @ 60cm, an additional 20 wb @ 45cm, and an additional 8 wb and 12 lances @ 30cm gives a wide selection of choices and gets progressively more potent the closer you get to the enemy, something most IN fleets are incapable of. 8 bays of ordnance, 4x6 torp salvos, and 1x9 torp salvo round the fleet out nicely in regards to ordnance. It lacks the super long range of the nova and the up close power of the dominator/gothic lunar/lunar, but it makes up for that in the variety of ranges and better dependability of wb/lances. Where its really lacking is in ordnance. With 480 points tied up in defiants there are much better ways to get launch bays. The broadside power of 2 gothics make up for this slightly altho the emperor brings 16 wb @ 60cm and a bonus to leadership, much needed with bastion fleet, and 2 dictators bring 12 torpedoes and 12wb@30cm both for less.