Idea: Pelta locked fleet support slot card

@ColonelChang Personally, I would be sad comparing the Pelta to any of the current popular support choices, but I don't consider it a support ship; it's the new cheapest tank in the game. Munitions Resupply = dice control all game (sharing with friends optional), add Aux Shields Team and it's about as durable as a Munificent after accounting for that evade, but priced and armed like a CR90. A skirmisher that tanks instead of staying out of trouble, that an ISD or Hawk needs at least two normal front arc shots to put down.

Is it good? Hard to say yet, but if anything shuts it down my money's on Gunnery Team and Onagers (i.e. specific counters that already happen to be popular) rather than lackluster stats.

The card itself I have mixed feelings about. What troubles me is that this card seems to be an attempt to justify bringing the Pelta along which means the game designers seem to be trying to largely justify it's existence based on this card (which is why is presumably why it comes packaged with the Pelta) . However this card requires other ships and upgrades to be taken elsewhere to get it attached to the Pelta and then forces a movement goal on a ship that wants to be playing support but now should be moving away from the ships it is supposed to be supporting in order to trigger the point reward and as Sabelkatten rightfully pointed out, you could always put this card on the far more maneuverable C70.

This seems like a really convoluted way to try and add value to a single ship.

Consider that the pelta only has 4 upgrade slots (officer, support team, fleet support and offensive or defensive retrofit depending on which version you use).

Of those slots, the only one that is sort of unique to it is the fleet support slot, but the Radiant VII i think would be most people's first choice for that as it's a much cheaper and more maneuverable platform which can more easily stay out of trouble.

From a firepower perspective it's dice pool may contribute a bit but can't do so reliably since it has no dice-fixing ability (a problem shared by the rebel Pelta).

That means that the Pelta's reason for existing at all seems to boil down to a potential combination of:

-a second (and very expensive) option for a second fleet support upgrade

-an additional light carrier if you can't find the points for another acclamator

-a Projection Experts boat

At a base cost of 45 to 49, adding upgrades to this starts to increase the cost of this ship pretty quickly. Mercy Mission seems to be an attempt to effectively raise the points a Pelta can potentially "score" but forces the Pelta into largely seeking safety in order to get it which is directly at odds with it's other potential roles as carrier or support vessel.

I dunno. I'm willing to be proven wrong but honestly I think they should've just given it access to a second fleet support slot which would allow you to drop the Radiant VII title and assign an additional consular to combat duty. Alternatively, maybe they should've given the Pelta some fleet support cards that were unique to the Pelta only.

Update: With the release of the title Triumphant for the Venator, my criticism of the Pelta having to be away from the ships it's supporting is relaxed somewhat.

Would have made more sense to make it a fleet support card. But unfortunately that would probably just have left it stapled to the Radiant VII.😒

@ColonelChang - I haven't seen the Mercy Mission card spoiled yet. Can you share the card's text/effect? Or even better can someone share a picture of the card?

Thanks!

As far as I can see Mercy Mission can go on any small ship - still no reason to use a Pelta, just stick it on a Consular and go flank speed for the other side of the board.

Mercy Mission may not be strong indeed, but it is an interesting piece of upgrade we haven't really seen before. I'm quite keen to see it in some build even though im not a republic player

I could get behind the Nebulon Idea. It needs more than three upgrade slots. I was thrilled to get the Vanguard title because of that.

A republic pelta packing two fleet support upgrades would I think help it to make up for it's lackluster firepower and other unremarkable stats especially since if I want two fleet support upgrades I resent having to bring both a pelta and the Radiant VII which seems really inefficient.

A rebel pelta packing fleet command and fleet support would also be a major help because a rebel pelta in my experience really struggles to justify it's cost given it's lack of utility.

I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that the new Pelta pack includes cards that will grant the republic pelta...

1) a fleet command slot (otherwise you're locked to the Ventator 1 in a faction that doesn't have a lot of ships to begin with and is likely never going to)

2) an additional fleet command slot

and gives the rebel pelta the chance to take a fleet support slot somehow.

Between these upgrades, this would fix both peltas which otherwise don't serve their defining roles very efficiently either points-wise or performance-wise.

Update: Just saw the Atomic Mass promo for Mercy Mission. Auugh....the Petla is still garbage.

It doesn't really do combat well and it doesn't really do support well so they tried to turn it into a potential points mule instead to give it value.

But that means I have to bring a Venator 1 (or give up an offensive retrofit slot on my flagship for Flag Bridge) to get the fleet command slot in order to employ Mercy Mission in order to justify the Pelta's presence at all (unless I really can't get by with just the radiant VII for fleet support).

That's pretty disappointing. Really glad I didn't pre-order two of them, especially given that Mercy Mission is a one-per-game only card.

My first thought was... Not much, really. Didn't seem seem all that great, but didn't seem unbalanced either.

Now after some thought I'm warming to the idea. Supply cards seems like they could be quite useful. But mostly I think this card should also go on the Neb2 - gives that ship a purpose in life! 😀