I know I have been doing mostly CIS stuff recently, but Republic Final thoughts are coming. I am currently mostly playing Republic, but you will probably still get a few more CIS Final thoughts before the Republic final thoughts start to drop. Just know I am going to be getting to them, but we are giving final thoughts on the Providence so let’s dive into it.
The providence is a lot like an MC-75, but just a bit more shooty, and can push 4 squadrons, not just 3. It wants to double arc and do it at close range to pump out as much damage as possible, and like the MC-75 it has double click yaw at speed one. It has a very similar feel, but what really sets it apart is the Carrier variant having the fleet command icon.
I have personally found it fairly difficult to not take a Carrier Providence in a list as the value of Intensify Firepower particularly in a fleet that is not running Kraken is absolutely insane for the CIS. Intensify Firepower is almost all the dice fixing CIS ships need it really is that good so investing 6ish points in your fleet and you get all the dice fixing you need makes it very hard to not take a Carrier Providence. Rune Haako and IF will give you all the tokens your providence needs so you don’t have to invest in a hardcell transport for parts resupply if you don’t want to. The ability to take Intiesify Firepower alone is enough to justify taking this ship because of how well it compliments all other CIS ships, but there’s more!
Providence Carrier (105)
• Rune Haako (4)
• Thermal Shields (5)
• Intensify Firepower! (6)
= 120 Points
The Providence is one of if not the most deadly double arcs in the game. This is due to its ability to take External Racks, and Quad Battery Turrets. Going speed 2 turn one then dropping to speed 1 on turn two makes it easy to trigger QBTs and your double click at one makes it really easy for you to reposition. I have a very hard time not putting QBTs on a Providence regardless of who my commander is I have just had so much success with them they just get even more insane with Mar Tuuk. However you might be saying now that we have buckets of dice we need more dice fixing than Intensify Firepower, and you are probably right even though I have run it multiple times with only IF and have done just fine. This is where Shu Mia comes in your going to be triggering her on turns 3 and 5 mostly and it works almost like clockwork your providence when flown well will almost always get the double arc on those turns in close range, and pretty much delete its target. Leading shots is also an option, but with it being more expensive and thermal shields out and about I just don’t like it as much.
Providence Carrier (105)
• Shu Mai (4)
• Thermal Shields (5)
• Intensify Firepower! (6)
• External Racks (4)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
= 129 Points
Both Shu Mia and Rune Haako will really be fighting for that officer slot and ether is a good choice, one gives you dice fixing when you start getting into that 7-8 dice attack pool range. The other gives you easy access to command tokens for Intensify Firepower. Ether one is a great choice and it’s really hard for me to pick any other officers to sit in that seat on a providence.
For the Carrier these are really the kind of builds you are looking at I have tried other things, but IF, QBT, Exracks, your choice of defensive retrofit, with either Shu Mai or Rune Haako seams to continually outperform everything else I have tried. Now please not this is just the base you can add more and Christmas tree the thing to the high heavens, but I have a difficult time deviating from this base build for the Carrier.
Providence Carrier (105)
• Shu Mai (4)
• Thermal Shields (5)
• Intensify Firepower! (6)
• Reserve Hangar Deck (3)
• External Racks (4)
• Point Defense Ion Cannons (4)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
• Invincible (5)
• Early Warning System (7)
= 148 Points
So what about the dreadnought well it’s a bit of a mixed bag, you can have some pretty interesting builds, but losing that fleet command does really hurt, and the Invincible Title becomes almost mandatory with the loss of the defensive retrofit. The big changes are we get a weapons team a second turbolaser slot and out the side one of our blues changes to a red. Getting that extra red out the side makes Linked Turbolaser Towers a much more appealing option to me, however, the lack of fleet command really hurts this guy more than you would think.
First up the dreadnought can take flight controllers making it probably the better carrier and that is probably why I was calling the Carrier providence the command providence for a while. It’s a simple easy justification you just need to ask yourself what does my list need more my squadrons killing squadrons better, or dice fixing for my ship. If it’s the latter a Dreadnaught carrier might be just what you are looking for, you could if you are feeling luckily equip Invisible hand for even more dice for your squadrons, but maybe just putting invisible hand on a carrier would be good enough.
Providence Dreadnought (105)
• Flight Controllers (6)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
• Invincible (5)
• Thermal Shields (5)
= 128 Points
Another option is the super salvo build as I call it. I actually really like this build in one of my General Grievous lists. You just always salvo and your salvo is always scary a very consistent 4 damage from my experience, and to take that after every attack can be devastating.
Providence Dreadnought (105)
• Local Fire Control (4)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
• DBY-827 Heavy Turbolasers (3)
• Invincible (5)
• Thermal Shields (5)
= 129 Points
Another option is the run and gun build as I call it. It forgoes a defensive retrofit and tries to get in and get out of harm’s way as fast as it can and drill through as much damage as possible. This means nav commands pretty much always.
Providence Dreadnought (105)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Assault Proton Torpedoes (4)
• XI7 Turbolasers (6)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
• Lucid Voice (8)
= 134 Points
Another option that is terrifying is taking boarding troopers and have a pretty standard build with QBT, LTT, Ex-racks, Shu Mia. This pretty much guarantees whatever you shoot with your double arc will die, but sometimes it can just be overkill and the carrier could have given you other ships IF while still being about as effective.
Providence Dreadnought (105)
• Shu Mai (4)
• Boarding Troopers (3)
• External Racks (4)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
• Invincible (5)
• Thermal Shields (5)
= 138 Points
One last point about the dreadnought I like Wat Tambor in the office chair with a command token you can get some engineering to help offset your durability with the loss of the defensive retrofit.
Providence Dreadnought (105)
• Wat Tambor (5)
• Ordnance Experts (4)
• Assault Concussion Missiles (5)
• Point Defense Ion Cannons (4)
• Quad Battery Turrets (5)
• Linked Turbolaser Towers (7)
• Lucid Voice (8)
= 143 Points
I don’t want to say the dreadnought is bad, because I don’t think it is at all it is just hard for it to stand up to a carrier in a side-by-side comparison. As a carrier access to flight controllers is great, but in most cases, you just need it on the alpha strike and the carrier version can just take invisible hand to get that. Right now the Dreadnought feels like you can do some really cool things with it, but most of the time it just feels like a “win more” ship, that can die easier unless you invest more points into it. I think if we get more interesting turbolaser combos, and/or weapon teams the Dreadnaught will have a place, but right now I think in the vast majority of lists a carrier can do the same thing as the dreadnought and get the bonus of a fleet command.
So the Carrier is amazing and should be in nearly every single CIS list, the dreadnaught I think needs to get some more love before it can really rival the carrier option. What do you think of the Providence? How have you run it and had success? Do you think I am overlooking something when it comes to the dreadnought? Until next time have a great week!
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