Which Grand Crusier to build?

[Zarathustra Sucuine]

Had my first game with my Exorcist yesterday, she aquited herself far better then the rest of the fleet, the game ending with the eldar fleet (I'd taken out about half his escorts, cripple one of his cruisers and damaged the other) the 3 shields, turrets and 10 hull makes it s beast, and I'm thinking it would fair well against most other fleets.
I'm going to be bringing my Vengenace with me next term as an alternative to my Apocalypse battleship in bigger games against eldar (I generally don't tailor lists but have been told necron and eldar are okay) but as an Avenger,the sheer amount of gunnery being should be enough to hurt the eldar dispite their holofields.
Looking at the load outs, I'm wishing I had made it as an Avenger anyway, as 2 lances either side is not exactly great, though I guess it's range could be good, but the avenger for 10pts less but more dakka seems better, especially against eldar

[Islacrusez]

On the question of grip on those magnets, 3-4 pairs of them are sufficient to keep the wing+tail sections of a Valkyrie attached to the central section! Don't ask me why I magnetised a Valkyrie.

[Loyalist]

I bought 3 Vengeance Class GC kits from GW and since they went out of production obtained 4 more from ebay. Five of the six completed GCs are used in a 4000+ point Bastion Fleet which has no battlecruisers: 3 Vengeance Class, 2 Exorcist Class.

One kit is built as an Executor. There were extra lance turrets due to building the Exorcists so it has 8 turrets in the nicely detailed upper weapons bays on the original hull, not the usual plastic Chaos lance bays that are glued over them. It will be painted in a different colour scheme so it can represent a reserve fleet ship or be used in a Chaos fleet. (The fluff is odd in Armada, stating that none are left in Imperial service, yet they are available as a Bastion Fleet reserve choice.)

The seventh kit hasn't been finished because I haven't decided between another Executor, an Avenger or a third Exorcist. I don't need a Chaos Retaliator, having enough Styx and Devastation Class cruisers for my Assault Craft needs. An Avenger might be a good squadron mate for my Executor. The Bastion fleet has an Emperor and 2 Dictators so is well off for AC squadrons with the existing 2 Exorcists.

In another thread I read that some of the Vengeance kits went together well but in my experience every one of them required careful gluing and pinning to get the lower rear hull, middle and prow sections level, and then quite a bit of filing to make the upper stern sit level on the lower hull (as cast they slope downward toward the engines). More filing was required to get the bridge level on the stern without it also tilting backward.

Without filing they would have looked like the predominantly humpbacked models that appeared in Armada and the BFG magazines. When assembled with care they look great imo and are my favourite BFG model.

[Lord Duggie The Mad]

Seven grand cruisers? I may be a little bit eccentric but you, sir, are completely bonkers

I found myself having to do a lot of filing on mine as well. Worth it though as they are striking pieces.

[Loyalist]

I'm sure my wife would agree with you!

[Loyalist]

How are people representing the Retaliator Class GC? There are two versions shown in the Armada rulebook, one with a Chaos cruiser bridge, 2 launch bays and 2 Imperial weapons batteries, the other with one weapons bay replaced by an Imperial lance battery, and a standard Vengeance Class bridge versus the plastic Chaos bridge. The latter matches the ship's armament but the former doesn't because it lacks lance batteries.

On the version with the lance battery the turrets are hidden by the overhanging launch bay so the lance battery should have been installed upside down as on the Executor Class (although Executor's lance turrets aren't blocked by the Chaos lance batteries above them and didn't need to be upside down!).

Another issue that's been pointed out in various forums is that with only 2 squadrons of attack craft per side, there's no reason for the model to have 2 launch bays on each side because one bay can hold 2 squadrons.

Most I've seen modelled, and that's not many, have the 2 launch bays, Vengeance Class bridge and 2 Imperial weapons batteries, but no representation of the port and starboard lances.

Wouldn't it make more sense and match the model's stats better to build a Retaliator with 2 Imperial weapons batteries below, and a single Chaos launch bay and Chaos lance battery on the upper deck? I'm asking because I'm ready to install the weapons on my 7th GC model and will probably build it as a Retaliator.

[timdp]

I'm asking because I'm ready to install the weapons on my 7th GC model and will probably build it as a Retaliator.

Magnets....?

[Loyalist]

I've magnetized a lot of 40K models but already have 1-2 of all Vengeance Class variants except the Retaliator so don't need to magnetize it. I'm interested in how to configure it to better match the stats and still have it obviously representing a Retaliator.

Just did a test fit and have decided on two options:
1) 2 Imperial weapons batteries on the lower tier, 1 Chaos lance battery and 1 launch bay on the upper.

2) 1 Imperial weapons battery below in the aft position and 1 lance battery forward and upside down, 2 Chaos launch bay on top (lance battery forward because I'm short on Imperial lance turrets and need to use Chaos turrets which are too tall to fit upside down in the aft position - won't fit because the lower hull piece for the flying stand is under the rear weapons position)

Opinions?