Retribution Class Battleship, problem?

[seraphim]

Recently, I've read a lot of threads on a lot of forums saying that there is something wrong with the Retribution Class Battleship. They say it's overpriced and undergunned, and I think I've seen a problem in it.

It's pretty simple really, how can a ship with with it's ENTIRE broadside covered in guns be outgunned by a ship with 2/3's of it's broadside covered in launch bays? (the Emporer Class?)

The problem is, that the Retribution's rules have not reflected the model, nor other models, nor it's price accurately. Let me explain.

Many people will know of the ratio, 6WB = 2Lance = 4WB+15cm range, right?

Will, Imperial battleships have 3 slots on the side of the models for weapon batteries, ECT. The Oberon fills one with a S2 Lance, the second with the S6 weapon batteries, and the third with the Launch bays, the Emporer, 1 with weapon batteries, two with Launch bays. The Apocalypse, all 3 with S2 Lance Batteries.

But wait, if all three of these slots are filled on the Retribution Class, why is it only S12 broadside? Thats only the firepower from 2 such slots. Really, thats the Broadside of, IIRC, a Dominator class Imperial Cruiser. It is out weapon-batteried by a Carnage class Chaos cruiser, just it has more range and some lances.

However, if you count the barrels on the Retribution, it has (on the pictures I've seen, I must confess, I don't own one) 12 barrels. So, 12 barrels, S12 broadside, right??

Well, count the barrels on a Oberon or an Emporer, they only have 4 barrels, and a S6 broadside. Hmm.

Pretty much, I think the Retribution would be MUCH more accurately ruled with S18 weapon batteries on the broadside, not S12, for the same price. This will negate it's overpricing and percieved weakness.

Please, play test this a bit people, if you have a chance. I personally don't believe its overpowered or badly broken, just what it should have been.

~Seraphim

[Ravager Zero]

They mixed up the cost for Retribution/Emperor in the last pdf update.
they have, however, fixed that now.
An Emperor is 365, and a Retribution is 345.

[seraphim]

I still reckon it would be fairly underpowered for 345 points. It still only has the firepower from two of the three batteries on the model.

[grinningd]

Aye but you must remember that it has lances, a large number of torpedoes, 6+ front armor, it is faster than an Emperor and it's broadside fires both ways.

The Retribution is a line breaker with it's torpedoes and lances clearing the space in front of it so that it can bully it's way between the enemy ships and flatten them with it's broadsides.

I prefer the Ret to the other battleships due to it's mix of speed and long ranged weapons and because it is the only battleship with a 6+ nose that is made for tearing into the opponent. The Apocalypse has the same forward armor but it's weapons lack the range and are useless against eldar. It is also far too slow to be a proper assault ship and would lag behind the rest of the ships in your line.

I think the points are well spent on this ship, as long as you take a few Dictators or Mars to provide a decent CAP.

[rico]

I've got a retribution, would love to use it if there were players around to test it with lol, any1 live in sydney and up for a game?

Ive always seen the Retribution as a line breaker as already stated, u get in and hit the enemy at close range. An emperor would never dare try that. I've heard of Retro's destroying an enemy line in games in the past, by breaking an enemy force aparet so the other ships can pick them off