So, the game offers the Imperial Navy three main fleet lists:
Battlefleet Gothic
Battlefleet Gothic Armageddon
Bastion fleet list
Now the Armageddon list has a wide choice of selection going on and the asset it can take Space Marine vessels. Added to this the cheap Master of the Fleet with high Ld and cheap re-rolls. BattleBarges, Strike Cruisers, Space Marine escorts and the Falchion Frigate are unique choices.
The list does not have acces to:
Retribution battleship, three Grand Cruisers, Overlord battlecruiser, Dominator cruiser, Dauntless light cruiser.
Added to this is the fact that the Sword & Cobra are only available as RSV variants (added costs but Marine rules).
The Bastion list misses the Space Marine ship & command options but has access to a wide range of Imperial ships. Unique to this list are the three Grand Cruisers.
The list does not have access to:
Oberon battleship, Dominator cruiser, Falchion Frigate.
It has the three standard IN escorts at a normal prize available.
The Gothic list then, the blue print of the other fleets has the same command as the Bastion list. However this list is gifted with the smalles choice of ship selection.
It has no acces to:
Oberon battleship, Apocalypse battleship, Three Grand Cruisers, Armageddon battlecruiser, Three Voss light cruisers, Falchion frigate. (And no Marines).
The list has one unique aspect: the Dominator cruiser.
That's it.
Now the Dominator is an Easter Fringe/Kar Duniash vessel. So it would be freely available in those lists as well if they existed.
Now, what should be the appeal, aside of setting and wanting to play in character of your fleet admiral, of the Gothic Fleet List?
Compared to the Armageddon list the difference is to be noticed and one could prefer the Gothic list over Armageddon because of said Dominator, but also because of the Dauntless and Sword & Cobra at normal prize.
Compared to the Bastion list these difference are lowered to the Dominator.
Through reserve rules the Bastion/Armageddon can take a Dominator on a 1:3 basis. This is enough to bring one Dominator in a 1500pts list.
So unless you want to play with 2 or more Dominators in 1500pts there is no appeal to take the Gothic list.
To further insult it all: according the Dominator background only ONE of them served in the Gothic War. Thus, the fluff player would also take only 1 Dominator in his Imperial Navy.
Thus: The Gothic List is only suited for fluff players.
This lead me to think that either:
i) The Gothic List must get something "cool" extra.
ii) The Bastion List must see some choices to be gone.
What are your opinions? Am I right? Or am I just wasting time? heh