Imperial Transmission: Commerce Raiders

[Imperator2]

I've been wittering on in various posts about Commerce Raiders and I'd be interested to find out from other Imperials what is their favoured ship is for this most satisfying tactic.

 

My favoured ship type for this early on in the campaign is the Victory Destroyer, not too expensive, plenty of bombardment factors and can take a 'knock'. I also use the the light cruiser as its relatively fast, cheap and effective.

 

Ship names are the the Galactically renowned:-

 

ISS Sulla

ISS Caligula

ISS Marius

ISS Augustus

ISS Caesar

ISS Trajan

 

Any thoughts all you Imperials out there????

[SOCL]

What is this all about?

[Imperator2]

Well as stated I've been wittering on about various Commmerce Raiding tactics using various ship types in other threads. I am just interested if this strategy of using single ships as commerce raiders is employed by others. It is effective against ill prepared human opponents and VERY effective against the AI.

 

( Ship names were just added for fun really )

 

I was just interested in discussing Imperial tactics and was curious to find out if this long term strategy was employed by other Imperial players???

Edited November 9, 2004 by Imperator2

[Jahled]

I agree with you concerning what to build early in the game; the Carrack Light Cruiser is a very dark horse if used how Light Cruisers are ment to be used (at least at sea in the real world's case during the age of big battle ships) which is as a support ship working in conjunction with heavier battle ships such as the Victory. Unless you are in some way cheating with the Rebellion editor, there is no way you are going to get anywhere sitting around waiting for the big Star Desroyers to be built in the early stages of the game. Carracks can be amassed reletively quickly, and once one has got multiple ship yards up and running, Victory's can be built also relatively quickly. They work very well together, and should in fact form the nucleus of Imperial fleets before you get more interesting options such as Lancers, Assault Transports, and Strike Cruisers.

 

It took me many years to work out that you simply cannot concentrate on Imperial Class Star Destroyers, just because they're hard, and featured in the movies. In the second world war for example, most of the Battleships of renown were supported by numerous support vessles; and as the fate of German battleship Graf Spee demonstrated, that whilst devestating in firepower, were vunerable when taken on by lighter but numerable cruisers. The British took serious puinishment but inflicted enough damage to force the Graf Spee to run for Monteveido; aware of heavier British Battleships on their way.

 

The combination is also very good at causing the rebels a serious headache early in the game if you pull up in one or two of their system, and make very effective blocading ships.

[Imperator2]

Jahled wrote:-

 

I agree with you concerning what to build early in the game; the Carrack Light Cruiser is a very dark horse if used how Light Cruisers are ment to be used

 

This is very true and your description of this underated ship is spot on.

 

It is as you have correctly ascertained just the old Naval Doctrine of 'Indirect Approach' with spaceships

 

 

 

Jahled wrote:-

 

there is no way you are going to get anywhere sitting around waiting for the big Star Desroyers to be built in the early stages of the game.......you simply cannot concentrate on Imperial Class Star Destroyers, just because they're hard, and featured in the movies

 

This is a mistake I took a long time to 'sort out' as well, but it was worth the agony . We all get taken in by wanting 'what they had' in the movies, but this is a BIG mistake for the Empire early on. Death Star construction is simply off the radar early on in the game as far as I'm concerned. Until you've got big shipyards churning out ships this option is dangerous.

 

Jahled wrote:-

 

The combination is also very good at causing the rebels a serious headache early in the game if you pull up in one or two of their system, and make very effective blocading ships.

 

Absolutely, and this is their prime function to cripple Rebellion production early on

 

Any other Imperials have any thoughts???

[Paul]

I use Victorys for the core of sector fleets as well as using them combined with other ships for commerce raiding. I love Victory SD's and have talked about them before as being one of my favorite ships. They are perfect for bombarding systems under rebel control but you must be careful to bomb selectively!

I also build Carracks, Lancers, and Dreadnaughts to combine in various formations with the Victorys. But I must point out that unlike your strategy of not building any Imperial SD's I do have my main Shipyard at Coruscant build one early fleet comprised of 3 Imperial SD's, 3 Victory SD's, and an Interdictor. This fleet is used to protect the capital world and intercept large rebel fleets if detected.

I will point out that I use Rebed to change certain aspects of the game such as allowing the Interdictor cruiser to be built from day 1 on. Also the Imperial fleet all have class 1 hyperdrives. There are a few other small changes especially in the characters that the Imperials have- many are cards that I have made.-Grand Moff Conway

[Imperator2]

Don't get me wrong, I WANT those ISD's asp, but early on in the game (0-250 days or so ), I am worried about sabotage etc. As soon as Advanced shipyards are available I'm churning out ISD's like they are going out of fashion

 

Glad to see you are using similar tactics

 

The Rebellion must be crushed

[Lord_La_forge]

As a Jedi Ninja, I always prefer sabotage missions during the game. Mostly, my games consist of arranging elite squads of characters, mixed up with some commandos in early stages.

 

Especially, against the AI, there is no need for bigger fleets. He is dumb enough to chase my fleets through sectors, bombing planets, and losing popularity. When I'm playing with the AI, I usually build fleets just for fun

 

I love Carracks. They are quick, can bomb planets, and transport my elite squads or diplomats to their destination. I use them until the end.

Quickness can be essential in multiplayer. But that's totally different again. The biggest challenge in multiplayer is, that the opponent can spot your diplomatic progress on the certain planets affiliation. When I sent my diplomacy dudes out to various "blue" planets, in most cases my opponent spotted the progress, and tried to capture him

But if you use the Carrarcks for transportation, you always have a chance to flee quickly.

 

Fleets are more essential in multiplayer. With good combination of ships, you can win a game. But with a few huge ISD fleets, you're doomed.

[Imperator2]

Very good points brought out in your post Lord La Forge. There is a vast difference playing the AI vs a human rebel.

 

The Carrack is indeed one of the most versatile fleet units in the Empires armoury throughout the game. Sabotage and commerce raiding are 'the' strategic weapons to be used early on in the game that will give excellent results for little outlay

 

Long Live the Empire

Edited November 12, 2004 by Imperator2

[Mad78]

I dsoin't know why but i have always loved small ships such as Carrack and corvettes. Not for their firepower but simply for their looks.

[SOCL]

So this is a discussion of which ships are best used as commerce raiders in the game (SWR)?

[Mad78]

Well done you finally understood what the thread was all about.

[Imperator2]

So this is a discussion of which ships are best used as commerce raiders in the game (SWR)?

 

I think you are being a bit naughty SOCL

[BadSamaritan]

Personally, I almost never use the ISD, even late in the game. I wqill normally stick to the CSD, and later on, the VSD II as the main vessels in my fleets. I usually have a thee ISDs in orbit of coruscant as soon as I can get them, but they eventually get replaced by cheaper VSDs.

 

As for support ships, I have it so all the smaller rebel ships, such as the corvette, the nebulon-b, and the bulk cruiser can be built by the empire, as the game makes more sence that way. And nornally, I stick with the Corvette as a support ship early on, then switch up to a nebulon-b/assault transport combo for support, as the Nebulon-B can handle larger ships, while the assault transport has the firepower to ravage enemy fighters.

 

As for the carrack cruiser, I use them as a medium capitol ship early on, and then later, use tham as search and destroy vessels, or as emergency support ships if need be. Their speed allows them to traverse the rim quickly, and still be able to defend themselves from small enemy forces.

[Mad78]

I find ISDs are too expensive compared to VSD II's which appear soon in the game.

[Imperator2]

ISDs are expensive but their prime function is to fight and defend important key planets IMHO , whereas the VSD I & II are more suited to the long term 'Commerce Raiding' Doctrine to bring the Alliance to its knees.

[LordEwok]

I shake when I hear the term commerce raider. Playing against Imperator2, I learnt several valuable lessons...NEVER UNDERESTIMATE COMMERCE RAIDERS. The story goes that apparently 1 single VSD was responsible for mostly bringing my production plummetting down to -700 !!!!

 

How I recovered to fight back, I do not know. But at the end of our game (declared as a win to the Empire), the galaxy was in ruins.

 

Resources are the lifeblood of the game. Without them, you will not have your grand majestic fleets, or have your systems bristling with fighter sqaudrons and defenses. If you do not have resources, you will LOSE the game pretty quickly. You must prepare defenses for your resource planets. You will not be wasting time, you will be ensuring that you will be able to play the game and possibly win.

 

Let me say this again, without resources you will LOSE the game.

 

The Imperial forces have the VSD which makes for an excellent raider as pointed out. The rebels lack such a ship that matches their Imperial counterpart. Needless to say...if B-Wings could fly to systems like ships...

 

B-Wings rock. Come on Imperator2, tell me how much you love B-Wings?

[Mad78]

Core. I guess i had better not play Imperator2.

[Imperator2]

Needless to say...if B-Wings could fly to systems like ships...

 

B-Wings rock. Come on Imperator2, tell me how much you love B-Wings?

 

Well thank goodness they cannot.

 

Drop me a line Lord Ewok......... I'M BACK!!!