Founding a Star Wars Collection

[Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn]

Hello,

I have decided to found my own small Star Wars collection. While I have, over the past 7 years, gotten the occasional (usually small) Star Wars set, i've never been that big into it.

Upon finding and buying a complete 2006 A-Wing for $2 at a flea market, I have decided to re-found the star-wars toys that DID hold my interest: my old collection of Star Wars Micromachines.

However, this time around, the vehicles in question would be Legos.

Back then - years and years ago - I named my Rebel squadron the "Angelo 13". The basic idea was that, at the time of the disbanding of the Imperial Senate, one particular politician - Alexander Bronte - with gobs of money basically managed to buy over 300 starfighters and a capital-ship class carrier with the Empires credits, founding his own strikeforce and joining up with the Rebel Alliance.

Alexander Bronte, then, keeps 13 squadrons of 13 starfighters equipped and ready at all times, using the remaining 200 or so to replace those that get destroyed. He has his own flight training academy on board.

He was instrumental in the destruction of the second Death Star because he intercepted and destroyed - at great cost - a troop carrier carrying an experimental legion of Storm Troopers that far surpassed in skill, training, and every other feild even the elite regiments stationed on Endor. However, because of it, only 3 Squadrons of 13 each participated in the battle itself, as all the other squadrons had taken conciderable losses.

The period im aiming for, then, is five years afterword with the Imperial Navy fighting the New Republic with Lord Thrawn at their head. Owning his own ships, he was not forced to go into civillian service like the rest of the fleet. Since he has an entire military machine at his disposal, he took the fight to Lord Thrawn in a prolonged gurilla-war action against the Imperial Navy. After he found the Dreadnoughts and manned them with clones, the Angelo 13 were somewhat reorganized as Dreadnought destroyers.

Alexander Bronte has managed to procure something of an eclectic mix of ships, but all have been brought up to top techinal specs.

I was planning, then, for each Squadron to have the following roster:

1 Clone-Wars Vintage ARC 170 Starfighter, Squadron Leader

2 A-Wings - Fast Attack

2 B-Wings - Support for the A-Wings

2 V-Wings - Skirmishers/support for the ARC 170

3 X-Wings - Attack fighter / Cover Fire for the Y-Wings

3 Y-Wings - Bomber

Obviously, I would not ACTUALLY be buying 3/2 of each ship, but that would be the squadron format.

Arrayed against them would be the normal mix of the 4 different TIE Fighters.

So, before I go trying to track down and buy any of these sets, what would you, the resident EB Star Wars "loremasters", have to say about my storyline/squadron configuration?

Thanx,

- Ravensdorn

[Starwars4J]

I think it's a very well thought-out backstory and idea. Your squadron ideas are nice, however I feel they're too dependent on Clone Wars-era ships. Even the rebellion relied on ships that were only as old as the Z-95 Headhunter (easily modified X-wing set) and Y-Wings. True, they got their hands on whatever they could, but ships that old would be more a hindrance than a help.

For 13 ships, I'd go like this:

5 X-wings (medium expense, bang for the buck)

1 B-wing (newer technology, considerably more expensive, Y-wing replacement)

2 Z-95 Headhunters (ancestor to the X-wing, though they never saw screen time they are mentioned enough. Just use an X-wing with only 2 wings instead of 4)

3 Y-wings (slow, cheap bombers that are sturdy)

2 A-wings (fast space superiority interceptors)

[Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn]

Hm, true enough, but I'm wondering if only 2 Headhunters would be deployed in a squadron this small...?

[Starwars4J]

Hm, true enough, but I'm wondering if only 2 Headhunters would be deployed in a squadron this small...?

Well by the time of the Rebellion, the Headhunters were largely out of use. While more advanced than the Clone War ships, they were outclassed by more modern ships. The X-wings were the backbone of the Rebel fighters, Z-95 Headhunters were just used to fill the gaps.

[snefroe]

well actually, if i were Bronte's advisor, i'd tell him that his approach is not entirely smart...

First, having mixed squadrons is not a good idea at all, suppose 13 ships of 1 squadron need to be moved from point A to B. your 3 xwings are the fastess of the fleet, so they'll arrive first, your slowest ships, probably the small a or v-wings will arrive much later and the rest falls in between. So your squadron is scattered over a large distance, all your ships, except for the xwings, are higly vulnerable because they've got no cover what so ever, and your 3xwings will be greatly outnumbered by 1 squadron of 13 tie fighters.

second, different assignements require different types of training and differently trained people. Let's say if you have a squadron of 13 ships of one type, you have 13 pilots + 4 reserve pilots. they're all trained in one type only, but that's ok because there only is one type. If you have 5-6 different types in one squadron, you'll need at least two reserves for every type, that's 13 pilots + 10-12 reserves. you'll find soon that overhead costs will be more expensive than maintaining your fleet! this also goes for maintenance crews, engine crews, weapons crews,...

third, maintenance will be terrible! you can't cannibalise 1 out of 13 ships to keep the others going, because cannibalising 1/3rd of your xwings to keep the other two ships going would cost you dearly in your next battle and no x, y, a, or b wing can provide you with parts to keep your v wings going, if both v-wings need to be repaired...

fourth, battle tactics in sw, as far as I can remember, work pretty much in the same way as the current tactics in aviation: every flight of four has two sections, each having 1 leader and 1 second who's watching the leader's back. so 13 ships is kinda 1 too manny, besides, "13" is not exactly a lucky number...

[Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn]

well actually, if i were Bronte's advisor, i'd tell him that his approach is not entirely smart...

First, having mixed squadrons is not a good idea at all, suppose 13 ships of 1 squadron need to be moved from point A to B. your 3 xwings are the fastess of the fleet, so they'll arrive first,

Not entirely accurate - the A-Wings are faster. And, if you're talking about hyperspace travel, they would have a small carrier ship with a warp drive on it.

your slowest ships, probably the small a or v-wings will arrive much later and the rest falls in between. So your squadron is scattered over a large distance, all your ships, except for the xwings, are higly vulnerable because they've got no cover what so ever, and your 3xwings will be greatly outnumbered by 1 squadron of 13 tie fighters.

TIE Fighters deploy in flights of four.

second, different assignements require different types of training and differently trained people. Let's say if you have a squadron of 13 ships of one type, you have 13 pilots + 4 reserve pilots. they're all trained in one type only, but that's ok because there only is one type. If you have 5-6 different types in one squadron, you'll need at least two reserves for every type, that's 13 pilots + 10-12 reserves. you'll find soon that overhead costs will be more expensive than maintaining your fleet! this also goes for maintenance crews, engine crews, weapons crews,...

Ach, but, as I said, he purchased roughly 300 Ships but only keeps 169 (13 x 13) combat ready at any given time. However, I do understand your point.

third, maintenance will be terrible! you can't cannibalise 1 out of 13 ships to keep the others going, because cannibalising 1/3rd of your xwings to keep the other two ships going would cost you dearly in your next battle and no x, y, a, or b wing can provide you with parts to keep your v wings going, if both v-wings need to be repaired...

fourth, battle tactics in sw, as far as I can remember, work pretty much in the same way as the current tactics in aviation: every flight of four has two sections, each having 1 leader and 1 second who's watching the leader's back.

True, but I was aiming the squadrons as being set up to take on "all comers". However, I may very well change this to each squadron set up to perform a different task.

so 13 ships is kinda 1 too manny, besides, "13" is not exactly a lucky number...

I don't believe in lucky or unlucky numbers :)

[SWMAN]

No offense, but I think you have way over thought this. I would just buy what ships you like and play. But, I can't stop you and if that is what you want to do, do it.

[Axle]

Yeah,I play with my ships and make them some movies.

[Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn]

Playing is nothing to me without the background story. Without a background story, its sensless action.

Nah, if you want to see me overthinking something, check out these two threads:

http://eurobricks.hosting.ipsyn.com/eurofo...?showtopic=7858

http://eurobricks.hosting.ipsyn.com/eurofo...&hl=Archipalego

In my opinion, I have yet to think the Angelo 13 through enough :P

[Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn]

The final formation I am going with is this, I do believe:

4 X-Wings

4 Y-Wings

3 A-Wings

2 B-Wings

So, to fight them, I need:

TIE Fighter

TIE/d Fighter

TIE Interceptor

TIE Bomber