Basics For Gothic

CyberShadow


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Introduction

After asking a few people what would be useful for them, one of the suggestions was for a general article on Battlefleet Gothic, written for beginners, which could serve as an introduction to the game and an aid for those who have just got it or are about to play it. So, after making a few notes and writing down a few ideas, I decided to sit down and write one. I set up this web to cater for my two favourite games, Battlefleet Gothic and Epic 40K (I know that the web address centres on Epic, but I couldn't find an address which was simple and dealt with both games). I have been playing Battlefleet Gothic since it first came out, and before. My regular opponent and I played Space Fleet, the precursor to Gothic, a lot and I seemed to do very well at it, winning more games than I lost. I would like to say that I was good at it, but to be honest it relied little on tactics and more on luck and an established pattern and strategy. So, when Gothic was released, first as a trial game in White Dwarf and then as a boxed set, I was already a fan. Since that release, I play as often as I can - although not as often as I would like to - and try to keep up to date and be involved in the Gothic community on the internet. With two fleets in the box, and my opponent being a staunch Imperial 'good guy' I was left with Chaos, which suited me perfectly.

For this article, I am only going to talk about the Imperial and Chaos fleets. This is because most beginning players will choose one of these fleets, at least to start with. Even players with a number of fleets will play either Imperial or Chaos as one of them (although it seems rare that a player will player both Imperial and Chaos). This also means that I can concentrate on them more fully and while tactics will depend on your own style of play I aim to cover some of the basics. I hope to move on to Eldar and Ork fleets in a later article, and then possibly Tyranid and Necron fleets and others that may be released in time.

General Points

One of the first decisions that you will face with a new boxed set is, Imperial or Chaos? Many people will tell you that you should try both fleets, get some experience and choose one that suits your style of play. In a perfect world, that would be good advice. However, I don't play like that, and I don't think that many people do. Most people come into the game already wanting to play Imperial or Chaos, and those that don't will usually make a decision about what fleet they like before they play a single game - whether this is decided on the background, the look of the models, the idea and first impression of the ships statistics, or that someone else plays one or the other, varies. Imperial ships generally play more as a 'hammer and anvil' force. They have fantastic front armour and a good selection of strong weapons. They are able to take more punishment than the Chaos fleet, and have a good selection of light cruisers and strong escorts. Chaos fleets, in comparison, have heavier cruisers, as well as some of the best cruisers in the game. The fleet is generally faster and has longer ranged weapons, and works best when played aggressively, in a hit and run style. A quick word about the speed of the fleet - faster ships are not necessarily better, as anyone who has tried to keep targets in sights for more than a turn or two will tell you.

Perhaps the single most quoted aspect of Gothic is that 'you have to think ahead as the ships keep moving'. OK, this is true. In the first few games, you probably wont even realise that this is a factor in your games, as you simply head forwards and don't want to plan too much. After a while, you will get to realise just how big a factor this movement actually is. I am afraid that I cant tell you about this, it is just something that you come to realise.

Two other things will probably dominate your first few games. The use of special orders, and of attack craft. By attack craft, I mean bombers, fighters and assault boats. It is very easy for games to get taken over by the threat of bombers. The most common scenario is that you take a number of carriers, simply so that you can deal with the attack craft of your enemy. It seems that you need to put a limit on the number of carriers and attack craft that are available for a game. This is tempting, and a lot of players do this. However, before you decide to do this, I would urge you to persevere and try to adapt your tactics to deal with the problem, instead of adapting the rules. There are a number of methods to help deal with attack craft, such as grouping your ships to get benefit from turret defences - each ship in base contact gives you +1 to your turrets - and not allowing the use of rerolls for doubles on reloading attack craft. The lethal value of bombers is also often over-rated, and there are many cases of whole bomber wings being ineffective against ships with a turret value of three or more.

Special orders also play a large part in many of the games that you will play. Often, you will find that almost all of your ships are on special orders for most of the games, most commonly Reload or Lock On - after all, these allow your ships to do the cool things that you need to win, right? Yes and no. Special orders are great, and can allow your ships to do things which are very important, but at the same time there is a lot to be said for simply allowing the ships to do standard actions, and not worry about half firepower or failing leadership tests that you don't even really need to take. Think about what you want to do before you simply start rolling dice for every ship. Also, the order that you roll for leaderships can make a huge difference. Remember that as soon as you fail a roll, no others can be made. I normally start with the rolls that are most easy to pass, or those that are most important for you plan. Putting an important roll off to come back to later is a really bad idea, and can ruin an otherwise excellent strategy. And if you don't need to make a leadership test then don't.

Two classes of ships seem to hold a particular fascination for players of Gothic, Battleships and Carriers. Perhaps it is because these two are more glamourous than the ships of the line and the fact that they can be very dangerous in the right situation, but these types of ship are used a lot, and sometimes without any real thought. For the battleships, it is a kind of logic that more hits and more weapons can only be good. Unfortunately, this is not always true, and bigger is not always better. Putting a lot into a single ship can be limiting, and you may as well paint a large target on the rear of it. They can win battles, but I would normally prefer to take two Cruisers instead of a battleship - depending on the scenario. The use of carriers is, if anything, more extreme. As mentioned above, when you work out how effective bombers can be it is very tempting to take as many carriers as possible. But, all it takes is a double for reloading and your nice carriers are reduced to an expensive light weapon gunship, no match for a cruiser of the same points cost. All of these points go double for battleship carriers. You are normally paying a premium in points for these monsters, and yet they can still be toppled by a simple double, and are then vulnerable to even cruisers. This is why I will normally take two Devastations instead of the much-loved Styx class.

Tactics

I am not going to go into a lot of specific tactics and guides here. There is no 'killer strategy' that will always work against any fleet, that is one of the great things about the game. However, one thing that I will pass on is a tip about ordinance. Something that I enjoy is ways to use torpedo salvos. I have found that launching a salvo of these and then following in the wake really confuses your enemy as they are faced with a choice of getting out of the way and letting you into their formations, or standing and facing the firepower. Similarly, firing off a salvo of torpedoes to block a route around celestial features, or to discourage the enemy from a path can work very well.

Asteroid fields can provide a hiding ground. They can tear your fleet apart, but don't be afraid of taking a risk and shortcutting through asteroids in order to reach the targets when they don't expect it, especially with a squadron of Escorts. Celestial features like this can be relatively rare compared scenery in other games such as 40K, but they can still be used and should not be ignored.

One thing that has provoked a lot of controversy recently, has been the use of formations in your fleets. There are those who swear by strict formations and state that you have to use them to win, and then there are those who state that formations only restrict your fleet and present better targets. I have come to the conclusion that, like so much in life and Gothic, a bit of a compromise is the way to go. I don't use strict formations. Worrying about 'crossing the T' and 'line abreast' is a waste of time for me. Don't use them, don't intend to. However, it is extremely important that your ships support each other. It will generally take two ships to endanger one enemy ship, and splitting your ships without support is just asking them to be picked off. So, as a general rule, I try to keep ships close together but loosely so that they are ready to react and stay flexible. Then again, this is just me, and you will probably have your own opinions on this after a few games.

When you get into battle, pick your targets carefully. Make sure that you concentrate your fire, and annihilate an enemy ship or squadron before moving onto another one. Leaving that last Escort to get away because there are bigger targets close by is just asking for that Escort to run around a planet and send torpedoes up your exhaust vents. Similarly, reduce Cruisers and larger ships to hulks and make sure that they wont come back. A ship regains its shields each turn, and that Cruiser down to its last damage point suddenly gets an extra shield and the ability to take two hits next turn.

The Imperial Fleet

The Imperium possesses a fleet which, like other Games Workshop games, is the 'standard'. They are a flexible fleet and have ships which are generally good in many ways with no major weaknesses or strengths. They are to Gothic what Ken and Ryu were to Streetfighter II! This makes them difficult to face and fairly easy to use, as they are a forgiving fleet which is able to cover any mistakes. This also makes writing about them quite difficult. You can build a carrier heavy fleet, a torpedo concentrated fleet or an Escort fleet which actually works.

The heavy frontal armour of Imperial fleets can play an important role. The best armour in the game helps to keep the Imperial ships alive and makes them extremely difficult to damage. With two shields and an armour value of six, you would need to roll approximately fifteen to eighteen dice to inflict a single damage point - which requires a weapon battery firepower of more than twenty.

Imperial fleets have the ability to take a number of cruisers with torpedoes, perhaps more than any other race. As a Chaos player, I look in envy at the Imperial cruisers with torpedoes, as Chaos don't have any at all. Imperial fleets are generally good, solid ships that you can rely on. They will do the job that you expect of them, and even the Escorts and lighter ships are able to hold their own, as long as you don't overestimate their capabilities. The fleet works well as support vessels, and while they don't have the speed to run and make the best of opportunities, they do present a tough prospect as a static defence fleet. A result of these factors is that the Imperial fleet, more than any other race, works best when facing the enemy and when the enemy must approach the Imperial battle lines.

The infamous Nova Cannon is a bit of a random element in games, as it will depend quite heavily on the commanders ability to guess range. Personally, I have never really found them very effective, partly due to my opponents lack of luck or complete ineptitude in distances. To make a Nova hit worthwhile, you really need to get the center of the template lined up and inflict D6 hits - and then roll more than a two. There have been occasions when a single Nova shot has turned a game, and they are certainly able to do this, but these are very rare. Also, when facing Imperials with a fleet such as Orks, remember that the Nova Cannon has a minimum range, and while you will come under heavy firepower and increasingly accurate range guesses, if you can get a ship or two under range then you only have the standard lances, weapon batteries, torpedoes and attack craft to worry about. Not a picnic, but it may be worth a go.

Against Imperial ships, try to hit from the sides and avoid that tough front armour. Also, don't give up. An Imperial fleet is difficult to damage, but once you start to get the initial hits in and destroy a ship or two then things will turn in your favour fairly quickly. Get through the first few turns with minimum loses and try to ensure that you are well placed to counter strike.

Battleships: The Imperial battleships are really not much to write home about. You get the increased hits and more turrets but you only really get a bit more weaponry and at almost double the cost of a cruiser. And the Emperor doesn't get the increased front armour. Still, they are pretty good models, and I may take one in an odd game.

Battlecruisers: These are possibly the weakest ships, in my opinion, in the Imperial fleet. The stat lines are nothing special and I would take a Lunar or Dictator instead every time.

Cruisers: Imperial cruisers are good, solid ships which are very capable. They do seem to be a little too dependable for my liking and lack a little flair and individuality. All the cruisers have either torpedoes or a Nova Cannon, so this is generally the first choice when choosing a cruiser.

Light Cruisers: The Dauntless is a very nice compromise, and another ship that I am envious of as a Chaos player. For half the cost of a cruiser, you lose only two damage points, a shield and a turret. OK, the weaponry is also reduced, but with three lances a couple of these can be dangerous, and perhaps more importantly, overlooked by the enemy.

Escorts: With a firepower of four, the Sword is a great little ship, and two turrets each for a total cost of 35 points makes it useful in a number of situations. The firestorm is perhaps a little more standard and a bit more expensive, so generally I prefer other Escorts. The Cobra is a personal bane. I have lost count of the number of times that a squadron of these has found its way round the side of a formation and released torpedoes at short range. I constantly seem to find myself at the wrong end of these things.

The Chaos Fleet

In comparison, the Chaos fleet is more mobile and, as already mentioned, works better as a hit and run fleet and should be used aggressively. You have to trust that your ships can handle themselves and that the enemy will fall, and you need to have a better understanding of what can and cant be achieved with this fleet. Chaos ships have very few torpedoes, and these are limited to either Escorts or Battleships, which means that they will never be a main point in a Chaos battle plan. Additionally, the Chaos fleet is generally faster and has a longer reach with weapons, meaning that a clever commander is able to stay on the edge of range and take opportune shots. However, the Chaos fleet is a little more fragile than the Imperials and can fall apart rapidly if the subject of a concentrated attack. Supporting your ships is even more important, and getting a plan of action can make a big difference. Also, since the Chaos ships are slightly more specialised, you will find that certain combinations work well. I have found that a Slaughter class cruiser teamed up with a squadron of around four Idolators makes a very effective team, able to run ahead of the main force and cause real problems.

When playing against a Chaos fleet you should try to break it up as much as you can and confuse the commander. If you can get the fleet disoriented, unable to support other ships, lacking the torpedoes to retaliate and within range of your concentrated fire, the fleet will disappear surprisingly fast.

Also, remember that, while the increased speed means that they will be on you quickly, they will also have trouble holding position. If you are able to get an extra round of firing in and wait for it to come to you then you will have a real advantage. If you can manage to throw the Chaos fleet into disarray as well and throw a lot of firepower against one or two ships then the game is almost over in your favour.

Battleships: Of the two battleships available to the Chaos player, the Desolator is a better option. The Despoiler is very expensive, and while a total of seven lances is a nice idea, the rest of the stat line is probably not worth the cost. The Desolator, on the other hand, lacks hard hitting power, but is useful in the right situations such as picking off Escorts or weakened ships. But, avoid retaliation as this ship cannot give out a crippling attack against a fully functioning ship.

Grand Cruiser: While the Imperials have the Dauntless, the Chaos fleet has the grand cruiser, and I love this ship. How can you not like a ship with a firepower of fourteen to each side, torpedoes and extra hits and a turret? And all of this for a relatively low points cost. I use these whenever I can.

Heavy Cruisers: As with the Imperials, the Chaos heavy cruisers are normally not worth taking and I will use a Devastation, Murder or Slaughter class cruiser, which are considerably cheaper and are able to fulfill the same roles.

Cruisers: The Chaos cruisers are some of the best in the game. The Devastation is a personal favourite and an ideal support vessel, dangerous at a long range. The Murder and Carnage classes both perform similar roles and are good ships, and as standard as the Chaos fleet gets. The Slaughter class cruiser is unsubtle and can be devastating at short range, but it does need to be thrown forward, even if this means that it is unsupported.

Escorts: While not packing the punch of the Imperial Escorts which are able to support the larger ships, the Chaos counterparts can be extremely useful in providing assets that may be otherwise lacking in a Chaos fleet. They really need to be taken in squadrons of at least three, and Iconoclasts in larger groups, to survive. The Idolator is an expensive ship and so I rarely risk these except when a fast hunter squadron is needed. Infidels are possibly the most commonly fielded Escorts as they are the only ships under 200 points which can take torpedoes. The Iconoclasts are not as good as the Imperial Swords, but perform the same support role and should be used to pick off weaker ships or damaged ships, or to perform a decoy run.

The Planet Killer: This is a serious ship, and at over 500 points it is rarely used. To be honest, it is a lot of points for a ship and while very difficult to kill it is specialised and I would not recommend its use in games unless it is actually a part of the scenario. It is certainly not a vessel for the beginner. The Armageddon Gun is devastating, if you can keep your own ships out of the way, but my favourite armament is the torpedoes which are able to rotate their field of fire.

Blackstone Fortress: I have no idea about these things, as I really don't like the idea or the model very much. I don't use them, and judging by their frequency in the bargain bins, not many others do either. They are a fairly static super weapon, and at 750 points, are able to take on a whole fleet alone - unless they get pounded by torpedoes from a distance.

Conclusion

Well, I hope that this has helped a little, or at least been interesting to you. If you have any comments then feel free to drop me an email and let me know what you think, what kind of experiences you have had, and if this has been useful at all to you. Alternatively, pop over to the forums and leave your comments there, I am sure that I will come up with exceptions and additions to this and the forums would be the best place to chat about them.

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Date: 12/01/2002
Author: CyberShadow