Star Wars Armada: Sniping, IN SPACE!!!

Let’s take a look at a couple of Imperial fleets using the new Onager Star Destroyer.

The soon to be realsed Onager Class Star Destroyer is a unique ship. It’s superlaser lets it make attacks outside of the normal range restrictions and opens up some tactics that weren’t possible before. I’ve gone over my thoughts on the ship here. Today lets take a look at a couple fleet using the Onager and see what we can come up with.

Long Range Rage

Commander: General Romodi

[ flagship ] Onager-class Star Destroyer (110 points)
–  General Romodi  ( 20  points)
–  Cataclysm  ( 5  points)
–  Admiral Titus  ( 2  points)
–  Veteran Gunners  ( 5  points)
–  Weapons Battery Techs  ( 5  points)
–  Quad Turbolaser Cannons  ( 10  points)
–  Orbital Bombardment Particle Cannons  ( 5  points)
= 162 total ship cost

Onager-class Star Destroyer (110 points)
–  Rakehell  ( 4  points)
–  Strategic Adviser  ( 4  points)
–  Veteran Gunners  ( 5  points)
–  Weapons Battery Techs  ( 5  points)
–  Quad Turbolaser Cannons  ( 10  points)
–  Orbital Bombardment Particle Cannons  ( 5  points)
= 143 total ship cost

Gozanti-class Assault Carriers (28 points)
–  Instructor Goran  ( 7  points)
–  Jamming Field  ( 2  points)
= 37 total ship cost

1 Dengar ( 20 points)
1 Black Squadron ( 9 points)
1 Soontir Fel ( 18 points)
= 47 total squadron cost

Points: 389/400

Taking Pot Shots

This list is designed to really try and show off the Onager- Class Star Destroyer. By taking two of them with the Bombardment Cannons we’ve got some crazy long range in the fleet, twice the range of anyone else in fact. I’ve gone with the bombardment cannons because I like the splash damage, and also for the extra range. If I can set up obscured shots then, between Romodi, concentrate firepower, and the Quad Turbolasers I can hopefully add 3 extra red dice to the pool, and be pretty sure of trigger the Cannons crit effect.  That lets me hit ships with 10 die attacks, outside of their range to hit me back.

Most of the time I’l be setting the two shops up on opposite sides of the table, likely behind an obstacle at speed 0. This allows each ship the keep firing at some targets as they try to close with the other one. Once you get in close I can’t use the big guns anymore, but the Onagers aren’t horrible on there own. A light fighter screen and a Gonzanti should hold off enemy squadrons and give me some ablity to run around and grab objectives or something.

Vaders Tricksters

Commander: Darth Vader

Interdictor-class Suppression Refit (90 points)
–  Interdictor  ( 3  points)
–  Admiral Titus  ( 2  points)
–  Disposable Capacitors  ( 3  points)
–  SW-7 Ion Batteries  ( 5  points)
–  G7-X Grav Well Projector  ( 2  points)
–  G-8 Experimental Projector  ( 8  points)
= 113 total ship cost

[ flagship ] Onager-class Star Destroyer (110 points)
–  Darth Vader  ( 36  points)
–  Cataclysm  ( 5  points)
–  Weapons Battery Techs  ( 5  points)
–  Sensor Team  ( 5  points)
–  Quad Turbolaser Cannons  ( 10  points)
–  Orbital Bombardment Particle Cannons  ( 5  points)
= 176 total ship cost

Victory I-Class Star Destroyer (73 points)
–  Harrow  ( 3  points)
–  Gunnery Team  ( 7  points)
–  Engine Techs  ( 8  points)
–  XI7 Turbolasers  ( 6  points)
–  Expanded Launchers  ( 13  points)
= 110 total ship cost

Points: 399/400

Shenanigans

For our second list we’ve got something a little more tricky.  Again I’ve got the crazy long range Onager here, dropping veteran gunners because I have Vader. With my current set up I can guarantee a crit on the bombardment cannons (sensor teams, gets me an accuracy, which Battery Techs turns into a crit). The plan here is to use the Interdictor to slow down enemy ships and give me more shots. In theory if they set up near the gravity well token and I can even get a long range shot off with Cataclysm on turn one before the enemy can change speed, meaning they can use defense tokens. Close in I’ll have the VSDI, meaning enemies have the choice of sitting off and getting hit by the Onager or coming close and getting hit by the VSDI.  The lack of squadrons is a bit of a worry but we’ll have to see how it works out. Overall the Onager is a strange but intriguing ship that I’m still trying to figure out.

Let us know how you plan to use the Onager, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.