Tau Kor'or'vesh Commerce Protection Fleet draft rules for BFG

[Trasvi]

Not every ship has to be completely optimal - having a fighter is just a bit fluffy and good for anti-torpedo protection. Especially as the fleet is going to be way down on AC comparatively, a few fighters on CAP might be good.
I'd still take the missiles because the model shows them much more prominently than its fighter bays.

[fracas]

any chance to remove the restriction on kroot ships?

[Trasvi]

Playing around at the moment with making some lists from the new fleet, and I'm finding that the Merchant class is now 100% worthless.

The Emissary, for 5pts more, gains 5cm speed, 90* turns, 2 WB and a fighter bay. The other two emissary variants are similarly better equipped.

The merchant is upgradeable to have an extra 2 HP, where the emissary can have front armour, which distinguishes them a little, but otherwise they are a little too similar.

Similarly the Defender vs Castellan, and Hero vs Protector are similar choices, but slightly more differentiated to make the choice a little more interesting. It would be a bit better, in this new joint fleet list, the ships were a little more differentiated into separate roles, rather than having essentially a 8hp 45* and a 6hp 90* version of the same ship.

[horizon]

Hey,
I would not compare anything to the Merchant as it is a noted poor vessel.

Hero is much more of a brawler then the agile Protector.

Defender is also better then the Castellan in a heavy fleet engagement when the fleet engage at short range.

[fracas]

The merchant should be given option for +1 shield rather than +2hp

[lastspartacus]

And I still dont get why the Protector costs more than the Hero.

[Caine-HoA]

Because the Protector is not limited and because the hero is the only front line ship gw tau have.

[lastspartacus]

We all know GW tau are the most powerhouse fleet.  Hero's may be limited, but its exactly what you want anyway.  It comes up to the perfect balance of carriers and frontline ships.  Its an irrelevant restriction.

[Caine-HoA]

If GW Tau had more nice options ppl wouldnt always take explorer/hero combinations, but where are the alternatives?

The only thing you could try is an almost only defender Fleet. Orcas are restricted and Merchants are useless.

[commander]

Hero must be tuned down.
The merchant, I believe, was forced to give one module over to missile storage for its launcher. Why not the Hero???
Old discusion, I know 

[horizon]

Merchants with 1 shield over 2 hits? Not a bad idea. Seen the Merchant model it should be 6 hits anyway. With optional 2nd shield.

LS,
Under 1000pts the FW fleet will be a great raider fleet due unrestricted Protectors. From 1500 on the GW fleet becomes stronger.
1000-1500 will be even.  The point value most of our battles are placed at.

Also: we should not create a Protector from the Hero. Since the Hero is overpowered in design, toned down through selection. I think the Hero should also be unrestricted but lose a lot of gunnery to be weaker as a Lunar. As it stands the Hero eats multiple Lunars. That is sadly enough against fluff.

[lastspartacus]

Agree with last point.

Sadly, I play big games.

[Caine-HoA]

Yes the hero is strong but chaos has a lot of strong cheap cruisers. Tau only have one and this one is only strong if it uses reload ordnance always, as almost all tau ships have to. Thats their disadvantage. So if you make their only cruiser bad now i would be really disappointed.

[fracas]

A second shield option would go a long way to make the merchant more competitive and popular as alternative fir a gunship tau fleet

Heck even prow deflector option would help

[Trasvi]

I'm just more concerned that the Hero and Protector are essentially the same ship with slightly different numbers.
They both have: Launch Bays, Torpedoes, Forward WB's, Ion Cannon.
True the Hero has a little more of each, but its not really a different ship in the same way that say a Gothic and a Dictator are.

As Caine says, Tau *need* to get Reload Ordnance off nearly every turn, and having only a single (well, now 2) gunships, it needs to be pretty decent.