Destroyers!

Honestly corvettes need a buff before more options are added to fill their niche role. AA destroyers run the risk of either invalidating corvettes or being just as inefficient.

Latest UCM "tripod" Destroyer theories:
* Stealth system: It generates a field around the ship or at least in front of it.
* Atmospheric Scanner: It scans for then pings the target. Likely uses it's own weapons.

Honestly corvettes need a buff before more options are added to fill their niche role. AA destroyers run the risk of either invalidating corvettes or being just as inefficient.

The issue is that the compete with something else in all "damage" roles be it atmospheric combat or orbital. I agree that Corvettes need a buff but from a pure damage perspective it would be desirable if destroyer variants that target atmospheric targets where more point efficient in doing so then Corvettes as long as they cannot hide in atmosphere themselves. Thus being vulnerable to orbital combat ships.

So a buff to Corvettes and decent but fragile orbit to atmosphere fire power might improve the drop game.

So I saw the interview with Donald and to me "some destroyers will have capability to attack ships in atmosphere" suggests all races get an AAW destroyer (fingers crossed ).

@ Lorn: Exactly, both fulfill a bit different role (or rather same role but differently).

So for UCM AA destroyer I am hoping for:
Sig 3" / Scan 6" / Thrust 10" / Armour 4+ / PD 3 / Hull 6 / L1-3 / 55 pts
Main weapon - Lock 3+ / Attack 3 / Damage 1 - Fusillade 3, No lock penalty while shooting into atmosphere
CA - Lock 4+ / Attack 3 / Damage 1 - CA (as it has 3 wings)

It will be able to one-shot anything in atmosphere but after doing so it would be light up and near enemy (6" from contested cluster). Also the vector for the attack would be known one turn earlier, so it would need some tactical thinking not to make a bad exchange out of such attack.

Poor-audio Donald interview summarised:

PHR confirmed as the 4 variants: interchangeable wings for ‘more speed or weaponry’ and mention of ‘a little bit of launch capability’.

Shaltari has a BTL DD with ‘Special Weapons’ and another is a small Mothership to combat ‘Emerald Spam’.

UCM: he is pointing out the Tri-Wing when he brings up ‘some’ Destroyers being able to shoot down into Atmo without penalty (the DD does not enter Atmo). Perfect ASW implementation.
He actually goes on to say ‘some of the Destroyers can do this’ but does not specify which other ones or even from which Factions. He has confirmed that is IS the Tri-Wing for UCM that does this.

Scourge: ‘Some Launch and BTL’

‘Some Rules we’ve not used before will be in the Destroyer Line’

Hopefully this means a PHR Destroyer will be ‘Resilient’ so it can have 6 Hull and 3+ Armour and thus not stray into the very different rules-space that is 7+ Hull; I also don't really want to see it just have better armour rolls than a Heavy Cruiser so this seems among the best fits.

I know there’s a few Scourge-sounding rules that I guess we will see.

Frankly if each race do not get 1 ASW DD it will be a disaster. Dropspam really ruins the immersion of securing orbit AND successfully assaulting a planet. It just makes the game have no sense...

"Admiral we have secured the planet with our glorious spam"

"How is our fleet?"

"The enemy have total space and orbital supremacy. We will be bombed, nuked and have no supplies."

"Never fear. We own the clusters if not the tactical space. We have won. Splice the mainbrace for everyone."

I've recently played a game of Scourge vs UCM using community beta rules which give corvettes Caliber(L) to close action weapons. I must say, this really changed the feel of corvettes - they were able to kill other corvettes and frigates much more reliably, but not to the broken point. Ergo, i'm not against introducing another variant of AA mechanics in the game (like low orbit-to-atmo bombardment), but I would prefer fixing existing ships as well.

BoW video:
https://youtu.be/HKyXdSr_1Ws

I just noticed that the PHR destroyer has "air entry vents" for the engines on the underside.
Does it mean that PHR destoryer will be atmo-capable?
Princess Liner is atmo-capable mind you