Motti Dual ISDs

[Messi22 2]

7 hours ago, GiledPallaeon said:

I'm going to assume you've read my thesis on the subject and try to keep this reply narrow in scope. I don't like BTA independent of the platform for two reasons. For one, I honestly think it's a bit cheap. I don't like mechanics that remove counterplay like that. Second reason is that it creates a schwerpunkt (lit. "central/critical point") for your list. You are essentially reducing the ISD's role to a single shot, and you are telegraphing that change loud and clear. Particularly in double ISD lists, BTA's lack deployments and will generally struggle to not be outdeployed and therefore counterdeployed. On the Kuat specifically, the point of that ship is to carry Ordnance into battle on an ISD chassis. Removing the Weapons Team slot (and by extension Ordnance Experts or Gunnery Team on a EL Devastator) badly hampers your ability consistently generate crits and good damage in general. Where the Kuat shines compared to the Imperial-1 it has largely superseded is the Defensive Retrofit slot. Prior to my own use of the ship, they were generally considered inferior on that basis alone, and that Minister Tua was a mandatory upgrade. In general that remains the conventional wisdom, and for what it's worth, I happen to think said wisdom is probably correct. For a ship intending to be in the thick of the fighting, improved durability is an enormous plus (especially when it also saves the officer chair).

Re: Ciena and Valen, I've been cold on them for a while and generally, but it comes back to cost effectiveness. It's not exceedingly difficult to outfly the pair and nuke one or both of them with heavy squad wing without reply. The most powerful of such lists can generally do it with relatively little lost efficiency, only needing two to four shots to seal the deal. Such lists almost always have excess capability where they are still more than capable of mowing down the battleships before they present a meaningful tabling threat to the carrier fleet. Dual ISD lists need to be lean, efficient machines, and C&V in my experience just isn't. There are other ways to handle squad-heavy lists that drag down fewer points when you hit a squad light/no squad list. By contrast, Chimaera and Fleet Commands can be enormously impactful at much lower costs.

Nice use of Clausewitz!