I was not sure if I was going to get this article done This week, due to illness, car issues, life in general, but here it is; and it has been a long time coming. This article was requested by a community member right here in SLC, and it has been in the works really since the inception of AMM, which really was not that long ago but still. We are going to look at a ship that has fallen into obscurity, in fact I have not seen hardly any of the run anywhere, and that is the Assault Frigate MK II. This ship was extraordinarily popular not to long ago, but quickly faded into obscurity why? Can it make a return or does it even still have a place? We will look at this and more this week.
So the Assault Frigate was a very popular ship in Armada, it was even very dominate in competitive play in fact every worlds winning list other than the most recent had an assault frigate in it, so what gives? Well a few things the Assault Frigate, during its time of dominance was the only rebel ship capable of taking Flight Controllers, and getting value out of it, and also had an extraordinarily powerful title that supported fighters, all the while still contributing some damage to the fight. Well the title got nerfed, it was much needed for thoughts that don't remember the dark times you would do two damage to an ace brace to one and the damage dose nothing as Gallant Haven would make one damage go down to zero, so in order to do any damage to a fighter you would have to do 3+ and even if you did 3-4 damage you are still only doing 1 damage overall you had do 5+ damage to do any more than one damage to fighters with access to braces, and with Jan out there well everyone had a brace, Gallant Haven is still good, but you cant reduce damage to zero anymore, so it makes your brace better against big hits, but dose nothing for the small hits. This diffidently contributed to the Assault Frigates decline but what put the nail in the coffin was the release of the MC-75.
When the MC-75 came out and said pretty much the same thing the ISD said to the victory when it came out “Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you” to which the Assault Frigate Exclaimed “No you can't!” to spare you the lengthy musical theatrics that thereby ensued I'll just give you the sort version. “I can double arch anything better than you can!” the MC-75 said.
MC75 Ordnance Cruiser (100) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Assault Proton Torpedoes (5) • External Racks (3) = 119 Points
MC75 Armored Cruiser (104) • Caitken and Shollan (6) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • External Racks (3) • Leading Shots (4) • XI7 Turbolasers (6) = 130 Points
The MC-75 continued “ Any squadron you support I can support better! And still dish out way more damage than you.”
MC75 Armored Cruiser (104) • Flight Controllers (6) • Boosted Comms (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Ordnance Pods (3) • Leading Shots (4) • XI7 Turbolasers (6) = 134 Points
The MC-75 continued “any squadron you flack I can flack better!”
MC75 Armored Cruiser (104) • General Draven (3) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Quad Laser Turrets (5) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Ordnance Pods (3) • Leading Shots (4) • H9 Turbolasers (8) = 138 Points The MC-75 continued “Anyway you activate I can activate better, because I have strategic adviser!” to which the Assault Frigate replayed, “No you.. [insert expletive]” Some people know my felling on strategic adviser, but for thoughts that don't, let me preface this by saying I think the current state of the game is amazing with one small exception; Strategic adviser. So if there is anyone that is killing the medium base ships its this guy. He can only be taken on large ships and give you an extra activation, so by the time you upgrade your medium ships you have to ask yourself, why is this not a large ship with strategic adviser? For me that really limits list building, but hay that is a very simplified version of why I don't really care for Strategic adviser; however he is on the decline for multiple reasons and for that I am grateful. So if we want to make the assault frigate great again we will have to find rolls it can fill that the MC-75 can't, or as the Assault Frigate said to the MC-75 “anything you can do I can do cheaper!” thoughts will be the two keys to using this guy so lets look at the Assault Frigate in this light. The Double Archer
Assault Frigate Mk2 A (81) • Caitken and Shollan (6) • Disposable Capacitors (3) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Quad Battery Turrets (5) • Paragon (5) = 107 Points
so this is a fun way to run the Assault Frigate, but it also requires a lot of fineness, its also pretty expensive. What this build tries to do is get as many dice on a target as possible, and this build can get 10 dice 5 out each arch just like an MC-75 and it can even do that from long range once per game, both versions of the MC-75 have to be in close range to get that same amount of dice however, its a bit pricey at 107 points and if we look a a similar build on an MC-75, meant for double arching we only spend 16 more points and get something like this:
MC75 Ordnance Cruiser (100) • Strategic Adviser (4) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Assault Proton Torpedoes (5) • External Racks (3) = 123 Points
so with this we get 2 activations, and on the rebel side the cheapest activation is 18 points and we only spent 16 more points to get this so already we have value, and once we get into close range we can though twelve total dice thanks to ex-racks, and with APTs, we just do so much more damage, we will probably only get that one super double arch, but it will hurt really bad, the only thing the Assault Frigate has going for it in this category is that it can do its stuff from long range, but it takes a lot of fineness to do this, and I have never been able to find a list that I ran an Assault Frigate like this that I would rather just put in an MC-75 like the one above. Its possible that the Assault frigate with a lot of practice might be able to outclass the MC-75 in the long run, but I have a hard time justifying it.
Ackbar's Ripper
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Intel Officer (7) • Caitken and Shollan (6) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Enhanced Armament (10) = 102 Points
So with this guy its all about taking him with Ackbar in your fleet. With this guy and Ackbar you are getting six red re-rollable dice, its basically a Vader Cymoon, I like to include Intel officer on this guy as I like to have an MC-30 scout in the list I run with him so that this ship rips the brace off and the MC-30 goes in for the kill, for what it is its cheep and effective. Here is a MC-75 Ackbar ship I see sometimes.
MC75 Armored Cruiser (104) • Strategic Adviser (4) • Caitken and Shollan (6) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • External Racks (3) • Heavy Ion Emplacements (9) • Enhanced Armament (10) = 143 Points
Its pretty pricy, and to get the Strategic Adviser it gives up the Intel Officer slot, but it becomes and even harder hitter. My problem is we are using Ackbar and we are giving up that amazing front arch shot that we are paying for, I mean I guess we only want to use it once we are in close range, so there is that, I'm just not 100% sold on this guy over the assault frigate I mean its 41 points more, sure we could strip it down a little but its still going to be quite expensive, so bang for buck would have to go to the Assault Frigate on this one for me, and with 41 points you can almost buy a naked CR-90, here is the list I like to run this Assault Frigate in. Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Admiral Ackbar (38) • Intel Officer (7) • Caitken and Shollan (6) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Enhanced Armament (10) = 140 Points
MC30c Scout Frigate (69) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Assault Proton Torpedoes (5) • Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7) • Admonition (8) = 93 Points
CR90 Corvette A (44) • Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7) • Jaina's Light (2) = 53 Points
CR90 Corvette A (44) • Turbolaser Reroute Circuits (7) = 51 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Comms Net (2) = 20 Points
Squadrons: • Tycho Celchu (16) • Shara Bey (17) = 33 Points
Total Points: 390
The Flaker
Assault Frigate Mk2 A (81) • General Draven (3) • Quad Laser Turrets (5) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • H9 Turbolasers (8) = 104 Points
So this will be shot as even just on paper, I could see this was a no contest. So with this guy we are just killing squadrons, the H9's get us that accuracy against scatter aces and if we get a hit its an automatic 1 damage, I know Draven is not nearly as good as Kallus, but I see Dengar quite a lot, so thanks for the extra dice, her is the MC-75 version of this.
MC75 Armored Cruiser (104) • General Draven (3) • Ordnance Experts (4) • Quad Laser Turrets (5) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Ordnance Pods (3) • Leading Shots (4) • H9 Turbolasers (8) = 138 Points
Okay so this guy is 34 points more and we don't even get a second activation as we sacrifice the strategic adviser for Draven, but if you are having problems with Sloan scatter aces this is going to wreak there face. With ordnance experts, and the H9 accuracy we pretty much have a guaranteed one damage then with Ordnance pods if they brought Dangar with them there is another damage, and if they attack us with quad laser turrets well, they dead. While this is best against Sloan aces, the same is true of the assault frigate, the MC-75 might be much more expensive and not get the extra activation, but we have more flack, and better ship to ship firepower as well, so its a no contest MC-75 all the way.
The squadron pusher
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Flight Controllers (6) • Boosted Comms (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Dual Turbolaser Turrets (5) = 94 Points
This is a simple guy, but he dose his joy well Flight Controllers to make your squadrons hit a little harder, boosted Comms for flexibility ECM's for survival and DTT for a bit more consistency on his damage. Its simple, and clean but it just works plan and simple, let look at the MC-75. MC75 Armored Cruiser (104) • Strategic Adviser (4) • Flight Controllers (6) • Boosted Comms (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • External Racks (3) • Leading Shots (4) • XI7 Turbolasers (6) = 138 Points
again we could probably slim this guy down a little, but we would be giving up some of our advantages so we have Strategic Adviser for two activation, but we are paying 44 more points for this guy over our Assault Frigate, we can get a CR-90 for that point difference, and we don't even get to push more squadrons. We do however get more ship to ship firepower for this guy, so it really comes down to this are you willing to spend more points for that firepower? It does not seem quite worth it to me especially if my squadrons are going to supplement my ship firepower, I would rather get a Flotilla and a few squadrons, for me the Assault Frigate wins out here, but I can see the argument for both. I will show you a list, that I like with this version of the Assault Frigate after we talk about our next an last build. The Workhorse
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Caitken and Shollan (6) • Boosted Comms (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Enhanced Armament (10) = 99 Points
So this guy is pretty simpler to our last build, but he sacrifices the fighter support for a little more punch against ships, he still is an all rounder push squadrons hit ships he just hits ships harder, he is more expensive, but only by five points I wont take the time to compare the MC-75 to this guy as its really the same as the last one, but as promised her is the list I like to run these guys in granted I have slightly modified them. Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Garm Bel Iblis (25) • Caitken and Shollan (6) • Boosted Comms (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Enhanced Armament (10) = 124 Points
Assault Frigate Mk2 B (72) • Flight Controllers (6) • Boosted Comms (4) • Electronic Countermeasures (7) • Enhanced Armament (10) = 99 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Toryn Farr (7) • Comms Net (2) = 27 Points
GR-75 Medium Transports (18) • Ahsoka Tano (2) • Bomber Command Center (8) • Bright Hope (2) = 30 Points
Squadrons: • Gold Squadron (12) • Green Squadron (12) • Norra Wexley (17) • Jan Ors (19) • Y-wing Squadron (10) • Dutch Vander (16) • Wedge Antilles (19) • Rogue Squadron (14) = 119 Points
Total Points: 399
You may ask well how do I fly assault frigates, well it really depends on your build, but in general you want to position your side arch in such a way that you will be able to attack your opponents ships, and then stay in that range and always fade out/away from danger. I know that seams really simple, but if you want to see how to fly Assault frigates just watch the first Armada world championship its an oldie but a goldie it will show you how to effectively fly assault frigates, the only thing I would change would be if you are running Gallant Haven always fade into your squadrons.
In conclusion, Assault Frigates still have there place on the table, and in fact I think they are still quite a competitive ship, its just a matter of people dusting them off and taking them out for a spin again, you might just be surprised how well they can perform in well practiced hands.
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