Battlefleet Tartanus

[Plaxor]

So I've decided to post my ideas for my next potential project after flawed ships.

Likely there would be a campaign to develop story for it, but it essentially is based out of the storyline that I developed for a RT game.

The first process is developing fleet lists; and it's too bad that BFK isn't out yet (because that would be a big help)

Anyways, this is where you should submit your ideas for new vessels, I.E. that Necron one that Sigoroth submitted.

So far here are my thoughts for the sectors battlefleet:

Battleships:
Emperor (as it is everywhere)
Vanquisher (or possibly a Ark Mechanicus type Victory BB. This is actually a plot-hook for one of the rogue trader families. They received their warrant because they found the hulk of the vessel)
Apocalypse (Everywhere again, but this one might get ousted)

GCs:
All standard 3, The original story was based on the fluff for the Light of Ascension, but the Ghoul Stars aren't close enough to the Eastern fringe to really justify it.

BCs:
Overlord (again everywhere)
Jovian (this one I know people hate, but it has 4 prow torpedoes, and doesn't matter so much with a Exorcist with 6lb, also it costs 260)

HC:
Ignus class (stats are somewhat complicated, but I posted them in another thread, I'll repost down the line)

Cruisers:
Dominator (May swap nova cannon for str 4 torpedoes for a -10 point reduction, but only in this fleet)
Kar Duniash cruiser (which I want to call the hydra class cruiser... As per Nate's RT document)
Lunar
Gothic (everywhere for both of these)

The Dictator isn't included as it is a modified and newer vessel. The Tyrant is the easiest one to get rid of, as there is no evidence of it being there, and the 'Hydra' fills the role well enough.

All cruisers (and battlecruisers) have str 4 torpedoes instead of str 6, due to a different combat philosophy of the Ultima battlefleets. As well as the cost of producing such wasteful items.

Light Cruisers:
Dauntless
Enforcer (may swap lances for str 6 torpedoes)
Siluria (revised stats look somewhat different from the additional ships compendium)

Escorts:
Havoc class raider (haven't decided on stats, but I'm thinking 5+ prow/4+ sides and rear, uses converted Infidel ships. Taken from an RT rulebook)
Tempest (Basically a modified sword with a launch bay that only launches assault boats.)
Sword
Firestorm


Fleet lists would be dependent on CLs and Escorts; I.E. you can buy a cruiser for every CL/Escort squadron, and a GC for every 2 cruisers, a BB for every 3 etc. This idea is based out of warp rift.


Anyways, feel free to talk about your proposed ship designs to be included in BFT

[Plaxor]

New Ship designs for this fleet list:

Vanquisher Class Battleship: 385pts

Type/Hits       Turns/Speed   Shields  Armor   Turrets
Battleship/12     45'/20             4      6+/5+      4

P/S Weapons Batteries str 6@60cm
P/S Lances str 4@45cm
Dorsal Weapons Batteries str 9@60cm
Prow Torpedoes str 6

May swap torpedoes for a str 4 launch bay (and reduce prow armor to 5+) for free.


Jovian Class Battlecruiser:  260 pts

Type/Hits    Turns/Speed   Armor  Shields  Turrets
Cruiser/8       45'/20          6+/5+     2         3

P/S launch bays str 3
Dorsal lances str.2@60cm LFR
Prow torpedoes str. 4

May upgrade nova cannon for +20 points


Ignus class heavy cruiser 200 pts

Type/Hits    Turns/Speed   Armor  Shields  Turrets
Cruiser/8       45'/20          6+/5+     2         3

P/S weapons batteries; Str 14@30cm
Dorsal weapons batteries; Str 6@30cm
Prow torpedoes Str. 4

Improved engines (5d6 AAF), places a BM in contact with it's base immediately when declaring LO special orders (so essentially it would reduce it's speed)

Enforcer

Type/Hits    Turns/Speed   Armor  Shields  Turrets
Cruiser/6       90'/25            5+        1        2

P/S launch bays 1
Prow Torpedoes; Str 6

May swap prow torpedoes with str. 3 lance.

Siluria:   70pts
Type/Hits    Turns/Speed       Armor        Shields  Turrets
Cruiser/4       90'/25           5+(4+rear)        1         2

P/S weapons batteries str.6@30cm

(Ignores prow damaged criticals)


Havoc 30pts
Type/Hits    Turns/Speed         Armor        Shields  Turrets
Escort/1         90'/30              5+/4+          1         1

Prow Weapons battery Str. 2 LFR
Prow Torpedoes str. 1 LFR

Tempest: 35pts
Type/Hits    Turns/Speed         Armor        Shields  Turrets
Escort/1         90'/25                 5+          1         2

Prow Weapons battery Str. 2 LFR
Prow Launch bay (assault boats only)

[Dark Depths]

I like some of the ideas here, but I have two problems:

1- strength 4 torps. I don't know what the fluff explantion is for this, but unless you want to a) increase the torps efficecy or b) decrease ship cost, why would one want to take a ship from this sector?  They would be weaker than their opponents without a corresponding cost change.

2- cruiser limited by number of escorts.  This is fine, in theory, but will their opponents be restricted likewise?  If not then this will be a huge balance problem.  Taking escorts is fine, but they can't win a battle on their own vs. cruisers, very easily anyway.  That's not their purpose.  I forsee that all the IN's foes have to do is take a few heavy cruisers and the IN fleet will be dust with the number of escorts you would have to take to get cruisers. 

[Plaxor]

I like some of the ideas here, but I have two problems:

1- strength 4 torps. I don't know what the fluff explantion is for this, but unless you want to a) increase the torps efficecy or b) decrease ship cost, why would one want to take a ship from this sector?  They would be weaker than their opponents without a corresponding cost change.

Actually it's a trade off. Every ship has 4 torps, but they receive an extra turret (about the same). The fluff explanation is that Kar Duniash has a different starship battle philosophy, and is rather conservative when it comes to resources. Additionally they are straddled with older designs that were in the 'transition phase' where torpedoes were being added to vessels.

For game purposes it is to make a unique IN fleet.

2- cruiser limited by number of escorts.  This is fine, in theory, but will their opponents be restricted likewise?  If not then this will be a huge balance problem.  Taking escorts is fine, but they can't win a battle on their own vs. cruisers, very easily anyway.  That's not their purpose.  I forsee that all the IN's foes have to do is take a few heavy cruisers and the IN fleet will be dust with the number of escorts you would have to take to get cruisers. 

Did I write that wrong? It should say 1 escort squadron or light cruiser for every cruiser. This shouldn't be that much of a disadvantage because someone who wanted to go escort/cl light would look something like this:

1 squadron of 3 swords 105 pts
Dauntless (torps)  110 pts
Dauntless (torps)  110 pts
Lunar  180
Dominator 190
Overlord 220
Overlord 220
Emperor 365


1500 pts. Not too much different than a normal IN fleet currently. Also with 'Flawed ships' escorts are much better overall, well... I guess IN escorts didn't change much.

[Plaxor]

Maelstorm Renegades Incursion Forces (part of the fluff, it's raiders from the Maelstrom)

So part of this is something that should solve the age old question 'why doesn't chaos have CLs'. In the chaos fleetlists, the slaughter simply trumps any CL design you could make for chaos. So here is the perfect opportunity to have both parties solved.

Variant fleet lists are a perfect way for new list types to be added. Much like the BFT that I just posted has its own character, and adds a unique Imperial list into the mix.

Well, now we can have a unique chaos list, with its own weaknesses/advantages; and simply it would look something like this:

Battleships:
Relictor: A Desolator with WBs, launch bays and torps.
Desolator

Grand Cruisers:
Nephilim: WBs (likely 60cm range) and maybe lances/launch bays in one section.
Repulsive
Retaliator

Heavy Cruisers:
Hecate
Hades
Styx

Cruisers:
Emasculator
Murder
Devestation
Carnage
(hopefully I'll come up with something else...)

Light Cruisers:
Schismatic
Unbeliever
Heretic

Escorts:
Recommissioned Escort
Havoc Class (just as in the IN fleet)
(likely RT armed frieghters too)
Iconoclasts


Strike cruisers may be added somehow, but I don't think that they should be in the cruiser category, and should be severely limited.

Also I kind of want this list to either be mark free, or very mark limited, as these are renegades.

Ideally without the Slaughter, the CLs would be more viable.

[Plaxor]

So the next part is the Thexian Xenos:


These play a minor part in the fluff of the Tartanus Sector, well... they kind of are the basis of the storyline, but they don't do much fleet engagements and are more allied to a rogue trader (Marcus Injarl).


The thexians are inhabitants of the Ghoul stars, and have a rather large civilization there. With how much they are mentioned in the 5th edition 40k rulebook I wouldn't be surprised if the next army they release is in fact a thexian one.


Now the Thexians are known to take slaves, particularly of the Tallerans and Nicassar. So the Xenos vessel entry works fine for incorporating these facts, as well as the other RT escorts.

However I was thinking maybe 2 capital ships, these would have access to grav hooks so they could transport niccassar.

They will have weapons batteries that cause criticals on a 5+, and 5+ prow/4+ sides and rear

Netherfield: Thexian vessels utilize interestingly harvested technology from who knows where. Weapons batteries firing at a thexian ship will shift right once before other modifiers.

Slavers: When Thexian vessels are involved in a boarding action, they may roll a leadership check, if passed they double their boarding value, if failed they halve their boarding value instead. They also add +1 to their boarding modifier, and will automatically cause a critical hit to the opposing vessel (instead of rolling) Even if they couldn't normally!


Thexian Talon Cruiser:   170 pts

Type/Hits    Speed/Turns         Armor       Shields   Turrets
Cruiser/7         30/90         5+(prow)/4+       2           3

Prow Renders (if anyone can come up with a better name), Cause D3 Critical hits when ramming another vessel
Prow Shard Batteries Str. 7@30cm (cause criticals on a 5+) F
P/S Shard Batteries  Str. 10@30cm  L/R
P/S Heavy Guns; Str 6@15  L/R

May swap heavy guns for 1 gravitic hook each side.


Thexian Malevolent class raider: 40pts

Escort/1      35/90   5+prow/4+   1   2

Prow Shard batteries: Str 3@30cm LFR

[Xyon]

For the prow ramming thing.

Ram injectors (kinda strange.. but.. it would be like.. they inject explosives after ramming into the ship)

Explosive Ram

Ram cutter

Cutting ram

Shock ram

EMP pulse ram

[Dark Depths]

For the prow ramming thing.

Ram injectors (kinda strange.. but.. it would be like.. they inject explosives after ramming into the ship)

Explosive Ram

Ram cutter

Cutting ram

Shock ram

EMP pulse ram

Out of genuine curiosity can you tell me 1) are we discussing Iperial ships here, and 2) what is the rationale for having such rams.  It seems a bit Orky

[Xyon]

Its the Thexian Xenos ships, different names for the prow renders.   Thexian are aliens, which is why they're called xenos.

[Dark Depths]

Ah, sorry, I just read the last post, I skimmed the zenos section.  Whoops.  In that case that does make sense.