Starship Battles Preview 4

Trade Federation Battleship and Droid Tri-Fighter!

By Sterling Hershey

This month, you'll be able to recreate your favorite Star Wars space battles and dream up new skirmishes of your own with the Star Wars Miniatures Starship Battles game. Choose your allegiance (Light Side or Dark Side), build your fleet, and conquer the galaxy -- or defend it!

Today, we've got the fourth in a series of previews of the new miniatures. This time, Sterling Hershey brings us both previews -- two Dark Side ships. First, we get the updated Trade Federation Battleship, as seen in Episode III. Then we check out the concussion missiles on the Droid Tri-Fighter.

Trade Federation Battleship

Much like the Trade Federation itself, the ubiquitous Trade Federation cargo freighters were transformed into a massive military powerhouse. At first, the upgrade from freighter to warship resulted in significant vulnerabilities, particularly in fire arc coverage, which were exploited during the Naboo blockade.

When the battleships moved to front line combat during the Clone Wars, the Trade Federation upgraded them once again. These later battleships carry significantly more weaponry, but still rely heavily on small fighters for close support. As such, these ships are able to control their own droid starfighters when a more effective Droid Control Ship is not available.

Finally, the upgraded Battleships also feature detachable core ships, allowing the center sphere to make landfall when needed for repairs, supplies, and direct loading. Core ships were modified and upgraded throughout the Clone Wars, resulting in a variety of external and internal configurations.

The Star Wars Miniatures Starship Battles game features the Episode III version of the Trade Federation Battleship. Sporting the colors and insignia of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Battleship is a stout Class 2 vessel. It has a high Hull rating combined with an excellent Defense on the front and sides of the ship, which reflects its circular design and makes flanking attackers less of a concern. This and the similar Droid Control Ship are the only two Class 2 vessels in the game to feature side Defense scores equal to their front rating.

The Trade Federation Battleship has slightly better than average weapon systems. Again taking advantage of its circular design, the ship brings equal firepower to bear in any fire arc.

The Trade Federation depends on its droid fighters to provide close support against enemy fighters, and the Battleship is no exception. As such, it has Fighter Launch 2 to help counter its very poor Point-Defense score.

Star Wars Miniatures Statistics Preview

Faction: Dark Side
Cost: 50
Class: 2

FULL STRENGTH
Hull: 7/6
Defense: 15 front, 15 sides, 13 rear
Weapons: Turbolasers Attack +4, Damage 3; Laser Cannon Attack +2, Damage 1
Point-Defense: +1
Abilities: Fighter Launch 2
Command Counter: None

REDUCED STRENGTH
Hull: 6
Defense: 12 front, 12 sides, 10 rear
Weapons: Turbolasers Attack +4, Damage 3; Laser Cannon Attack +2, Damage 1
Point-Defense: +0
Abilities: Fighter Launch 2
Command Counter: None

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Statistics

Modified Hoersch-Kessel Driveworks Inc. LH-3210

Class: Capital ship
Crew: 150–350 (Skilled +4)
Size: Colossal (3,170 m dia.)
Initiative: –8 (–8 size)
Hyperdrive: x2 (backup x10)
Maneuver: –4 (–8 size, +4 crew)
Passengers: 100,000+
Defense: 12 (–8 size, +10 armor)
Cargo Capacity: 5 million tons
Shield Points: 300 (DR 60)
Consumables: 500 days
Hull Points: 600 (DR 60)
Cost: Not available for sale
Maximum Speed in Space: Cruising (2 squares/action)
Atmospheric Speed: 500 km/h (8 squares/action, core ship only)

RING CARRIER

Turbolaser: 48; Fire Arc: 3 batteries front, 3 batteries left, 3 batteries right, 3 batteries rear; Attack Bonus: +1 (–8 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control, +3 battery fire); Damage: 5d10x5; Max Range: Long.

Assault Laser Cannon: 472; Fire Arc: 20 batteries front, 43 batteries left, 43 batteries right, 12 batteries rear; Attack Bonus: +1 (–8 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control, +3 battery fire); Damage: 7d10x2; Max Range: Short.

Point Defense Quad Laser: 656; Fire Arc: 44 batteries front, 50 batteries left, 50 batteries right, 20 batteries rear; Attack Bonus: +9 (+0 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control, +3 battery fire); Damage: 4d10x2; Max Range: Point Blank.

CORE SHIP

Turbolaser: 3; Fire Arc: 1 front, 1 left, 1 tight; Attack Bonus: –2 (–8 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control); Damage: 5d10x5; Max Range: Long.

Assault Laser Cannon: 48; Fire Arc: 3 batteries front, 3 batteries left, 3 batteries right, 3 batteries rear; Attack Bonus: +1 (–8 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control, +3 battery fire); Damage: 7d10x2; Max Range: Short.

Point Defense Quad Laser: 84; Fire Arc: 7 batteries front, 5 batteries left, 5 batteries right, 4 batteries rear; Attack Bonus: +9 (+0 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control, +3 battery fire); Damage: 4d10x2; Max Range: Point Blank.

Droid Tri-Fighter

Droid Tri-Fighters are among the most advanced in the Confederacy arsenal. Featuring weapons that can fire at multiple targets in the same pass, plus an impressive array of blasters and missiles, the Tri-Fighter is heavily armed and an accurate shot. The Tri-Fighters have built-in droid brains, which are more advanced than the widely used Vulture droid fighters. They can also operate at a longer range due to improved communications gear and a powerful reactor core.

In the Star Wars Miniatures Starship Battles game, the Droid Tri-Fighter is a great deal at a cost of only 4 points. The ship features two weapons systems that can be used against any class of starship. The typical Laser Cannon is reasonably accurate, but best used against fighters.

The Concussion Missiles, however, are most effective against nonfighters, where they gain a +2 bonus on Attacks. On a successful hit, the missiles release Buzz Droids, reducing an enemy ship's defense by 1 for a single round.

While sporting superior weaponry for its cost, the Droid Tri-Fighter gains no advantage in Defense, with a typical score of only 14 points.

Star Wars Miniatures Statistics Preview

Faction: Dark Side
Cost: 4
Class: 4

FULL STRENGTH
Hull: 1/--
Defense: 14 all sides
Weapons: Laser Cannon Attack +3, Damage 1; Concussion Missiles Attack +1, Damage 2 (+2 Attack against nonfighters)
Point-Defense: n/a
Abilities: Buzz Droids (targets hit by this ship's Concussion Missiles get –1 Defense for the remainder of the round)
Command Counter: None

REDUCED STRENGTH
None. Ship is destroyed.

Star Wars Roleplaying Game Statistics

Colla Designs/Phlac-Arphocc Automata Industries Tri-Fighter

Class: Starfighter
Crew: n/a (Skilled +4)
Size: Diminutive (5.4 meters long)
Initiative: +5 (+4 size, +1 crew)
Hyperdrive: None
Maneuver: +8 (+4 size, +4 crew)
Passengers: None
Defense: 24 (+4 size, +10 armor)
Cargo Capacity: None
Shield Points: None
Consumables: None
Hull Points: 120 (DR 10)
Cost: 20,000 credits (new), 8,000 (used)
Maximum Speed in Space: Attack (8 squares/action)
Atmospheric Speed: 1,050 km/h (18 squares/action)

Weapon: Medium laser cannon; Fire Arc: Front; Attack Bonus: +10 (+4 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control); Damage: 5d10x2; Max Range: Short.

Weapon: Light laser cannons (3 fire-linked); Fire Arc: Front; Attack Bonus: +10 (+4 size, +2 crew, +4 fire control); Damage: 4d10x2; Max Range: Short.

Weapon: Buzz droid missiles (2–6 carried); Fire Arc: Front; Damage: Special; Missile Quality: Ordinary (+10).

For more information on Buzz Droids, see the Revenge of the Sith Collection.

About the Author

Sterling Hershey has been a full-time architect and freelance game designer for over 10 years. He authored and contributed to many of West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game products and later contributed to Star Wars Gamer Magazine. These days, he writes regular Star Wars Miniatures scenarios for the Wizards of the Coast website, and he also wrote the Scenario Book for the recently released Attack on Endor Scenario Pack. Gaming in a galaxy far, far away is the focus of his starwars.com blog, Delusions of Grandeur. Sterling lives in the Midwest with his wife, Mary.