BFG:R - Rogue Trader

[afterimagedan]

I assumed recommissioned vessels were basically retired vessels that were brought back into commission by the RT so the basic IN escorts came to mind immediately.

I haven't been able to find the Sabre in the RT books I have. Not sure if you are referring to the RPG or not. Escorts that I always wish had BFG stats are the Meritech and the Turbulent escorts.

So, in the current RT list by you and Andrew, the Galleon is not restricted?

WOW, just noticed that each cruiser is restricted to 1 per 2 light cruisers. I must say, I think this highly neuters the list. Why not just keep the restrictions how the 2010 list had it in the exploration list or something similar? I could see it being something like "You may include one cruiser per escort squadron or light cruiser," maybe.

[horizon]

In the proposed list it is restricted.

Hmm, I think you nailed a thinking loophole. With the restriction the intend was to get fewer cruisers and more escorts but now that I re-read it will mean more CL will be used.

Hmm, so 1 cruiser per 2 light cruisers or per escort squadron (min3)?

What does Andrew think about all of this then? 

[afterimagedan]

Even with that, I think the tendency will be for people to want to use cruisers, so this will encourage escorts and discourage light cruisers. If we have it as one cruiser per escort squadron or SINGLE light cruiser, people will be more likely to consider it for getting those cruisers.

[Cyk0]

I agree with afterimagedan here, I think it is the best way to get a balance between light cruisers and escorts. And it will still be a list that won't lean to much on its main line cruisers.

[AndrewChristlieb]

I like the ephasis on more escorts, I never pursued it since most people tend to take a minimal amount of them.

[horizon]

 

[afterimagedan]

"You may include one cruiser per escort squadron or light cruiser" means that people have to build from the ground up and have some choice about what the smaller ships in their fleet will be. Personally, I want cruisers and galleons so I will have to make sure I have enough light cruisers and escorts to get them. So, 2 Galleons, a Lunar, 2 Endeavors, and a squadron of escorts would make a pretty sweet fleet.

[horizon]

But it may still make people go for cruisers only fleets. Only CL + Galleons etc.

Lets think:
perhaps
1 cruiser per 1 Light Cruiser or 1 escort squadron
2 cruiser per 1 Light Cruiser and 1 escort squadron
3 cruiser per 2 Light Cruisers and/or 2 escort squadrons
4 cruiser per 2 Light Cruiser and 2 escort squadron

So, you get the gist. It will make a balanced list, yet pretty iffy for a ruling.


edit, or keep your ruling Dan and a bit is added that at least 25/33% of the fleet must be of the escort type (including all escorts etc).

[afterimagedan]

What about this. In the cruiser section: "you may not have more cruisers than escort squadrons." In the light cruiser section: "you may not have more light cruisers than escort squadrons." That way, escorts are the foundation of the fleet.

What about grand cruisers? They are available in the RT RPG books.Grand cruisers are "surprisingly common among the wealthier Rogue Trader fleets," says Battlefleet Koronus, the book. Also, battlecruisers are more rare for RTs to get, but some do. The 2010 RT exploration list gave a way to get a battleship in the list, but it was near impossible to do. To do this, you needed yo max out your cruiser capacity with exactly 9 RT cruisers, 3 cruisers of allies, THEN you could take 1 attending battleship to go along with it.  Doesn't seem right to have it so rigid.

[horizon]

I have no objection to include the vengeance and avenger.

[Cyk0]

Though i understand the desire to make escorts a standard part of the fleet, I don't want the cruiser limitation to feel to elaborate. I think 2 cruiser per 1 Light Cruiser and 1 escort squadron is simple enough but its also terribly limiting when it comes to the overall structure...

Is it really such a deal-breaker if a fleet consists primarily of light cruisers backed up by galleons? Maybe the 2 light cruiser per regular cruiser isn't such a bad thing after all... It favors escorts but still makes using light cruisers as the building block possible. (And Merchantmen are dirt cheap so it won't break the bank)

PS: I'm totally okay with them using old Grand cruisers. But i think they should be reasonably hard to get, say requiring 4 propper (non light) Cruisers to be included or simply limit them to one for every full 1000 points.

[afterimagedan]

Cyk0, I still think your idea is more elaborate than:

In the cruiser section: "you may not have more cruisers than escort squadrons." In the light cruiser section: "you may not have more light cruisers than escort squadrons."

This means 3 escort squadrons allows for 3 cruisers and 3 light cruisers. So, some limitation there, but hardly crippling.

For grand cruisers, we could limit them like battleships are limited in the IN: 1 per 3 cruisers. But, that may take away from some of the feel of the not so regimented and structured RT fleet. For example, I don't think it would be too uncommon to see a rogue trader fleet with a grand cruiser being followed by escorts. So, I think the grand cruiser per full 1000pts would be a better match.

[horizon]

Grand Cruisers: 1 per full 1000pts or 1 per 1000pts? In the latter you might end up with a neat fleet like this:
Grand Cruiser
+ Escort Squadron
in 500pts.

Is kinda Rogue Trader-ish.

As for upgrades I say Grand Cruisers fall in the cruiser category.

This:
In the cruiser section: "you may not have more cruisers than escort squadrons." In the light cruiser section: "you may not have more light cruisers than escort squadrons."

is good.

[AndrewChristlieb]

Maybe just put in there that each cruiser/ grand cruiser must be accompanied by a squadron of 2-6 escorts or transport vessels?

[afterimagedan]

That wouldn't be too bad Andrew, but it would discourage light cruisers.