Re: Anyone use FB ships?

John Fu wrote:
> 
> Hello there,
> 
>     I notice that a lot of the posters here use ships of their own
> designs.  I was wondering if anyone actually uses the ships in the
Fleet
> Book.  If so, how well do they work as fleets?  I've been considering
> purchasing a fleet and would like some opinions on the ships.

At Cancon (Australian National Games Convention) ONLY FB1 ships are
allowed. Which means there has been some significant testing done on
them.

The results IMHO show that:
a) Any player who knows the "style" he wants to play, who designs his
ships accordingly, will beat a player of equal ability forced to use the
FB1 ships, all other things being equal.
b) There is an approximate balance between the NSL and NAC. The NAC has
a possible superiority. Very balanced designs, and murder if you stay in
their forward arc.
c) FSE are brittle, but hard. You'll either win big or lose big,
depending on the SML exchange. Undoubtedly the most difficult fleet to
use, but also possibly the most effective in the hands of a master. But
a player of average ability is disadvantaged.
d) ESU... I've never seen them win. Yet there seems no good reason why,
apart from them being 2nd rate at everything (but cheap and numerous..)

If you want an all-round balanced and relatively easy-to-use fleet, go
NAC.

If you want a fleet with the speed of an Elephant, but as tough as a
cockroach, go NSL.

If you want to zap in at Warp 10, deliver a devastating salvo of
missiles, and bug out before Doom descends on you, go FSE.

Go ESU for a challenge (or because they make nice models).

Remember that even if you design your own fleet, you can use any model
from any range. So you may as well pick a fleet that suits your style of
play for those few occassions (competitions, usually) where only FB
ships are allowed. 

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