'Questions for the GM' Thread, To annoy Lith and Medic...

A question on combat power: What level is it at?

By that I mean I can make an educated guess at what amount of force is needed to achive a goal. For example. I know what a troop of modern tanks can do. However to achive the same effect I'm going to need more WWII-era tanks.

It's no good if I think I'm using modern-equivalent forces and sending them out to do a job I know they can do, only to have the GM use a WWII-era effect, and then the plan fails horribly.

If that makes sense?

Its a blur between the two. Leman Russ's are far more heavily armed than their WWII counterparts, but unlike the modern era, infantry can possess weapons that can seriously threaten tanks rather than just make them angry (just like WWII).

That answer your question?

Nope.

The tanks where only an example.

In an attempt to simplify the situation - and hopefully get the question answered - Listy's question pertains to the air force in particular, and the capabilities of Lightnings, Thunderbolts and Marauders. Whilst the Imperium is a mish-mash of all sorts of cultures and time periods, his question is focusing on the Imperial Navy's fighting forces.

You are going to have to be clearer. I can't give you exact loadouts on firepower, its an imaginary aircraft.

I generally think of most Imperial ground attack craft as AA-10s, and its high level bombers more like slightly more modernized B-52s.

That help?

Yup, so we're talking about 1970-1980's era equipment?

With more fancy guns, but yes. I use those examples because the electronics seem to be on par (well, the Imperials seem to be slightly worse off, but anyway).

There are these stats on the Thunderbolt and the Marauder (and I have the Lightning somewhere on my computer, I think). Stats

Which, of course, begs the question: New-school Maruaders or old-school Marauders?

Before anyone asks, yes, the difference is significant. New-school Marauders have dual nose mounted lascannon, twinned heavy bolters in rear and dorsal turrets, and three tons of internal/external weapons storage. Old-school Marauders have a nose-mounted Battlecannon, lascannons, heavy bolters, and primarily ground-attack rockets.

We'll use the new ones as the aircraft lists we've drawn up include them as bombers, not fighter-bombers (which are the t-bolts).

I'm guessing that the maruder's can do either CAS or Area bombing style attacks?

I'm also thinking (mostly due to their roles):
Thunderbolt: multi-role aircraft like a beefed up version of an F16.
Lightning: Point defense fighter which can have limited Ground attack ability.
Maurder: bigger and nastier version of a tornado bomber. able to do level bombing or Close air support.
Vulture: similar to an attack helicopter
Valkryie: Kinda like a Mi-24 Hind

Yes, its a ground attack monstrosity as well as a fighter.

Rewrite that to pathetic ground attack ability.

Can do both yes CAS and area yes.

Spot on.

No guns.

Eh, no guns? Valks have door-mounted heavy bolters and either a lascannon or a multilaser in the nose. plus wing mounts...

And yeah, I'm positive it ain't the Vulture. That's got more guns.

Info on Valkyrie.

This post has been edited by Brother-Librarian Akritedes on Feb 23 2006, 04:46 AM

That link doesn't work. Got another one?

Huh, it worked when I tried it...

Still, if that one doesn't work, try this one: Link.

Not a direct link, but it'll take you to a short description of a Valk.