What would the value of a weaponless spacecraft be? It would essentially be a planetfall platform.

I think it would depend on what's available in the list to be dropped.

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Specialised assault troops mainly as the air drop option of a ground force

What is the cost of the Drop Pods?

What is the carrying capacity of the Ship?

Will it transport merely troops or Thunderhawks as well?

For an assault force, all these questions are important IMO.

Also, any restriction on timing? Slow and Steady, for example, should be a factor.

Morgan Vening

Honestly? Not much cheaper than a current space craft. Planetfalling is the only real reason to take them anyway; when was the last time you saw a guard space craft?

So 2x TK pin-point attacks or a 8BP orbital barrage is worth nothing then, Zombo...?

I didn't say nothing, I said not much.

Take the lunar for example; a pinpoint attack and a 3BP macro barrage, yet noone ever takes it for 150 points. A space marine strike cruiser has a similar level of armament (no pinpoint but 5BP) and initiative 1+ for 50 points more, yet they're extremely popular.

The reason is simple; planetfall.

If a strike cruiser had no weapons at all, people would still take it at 200 points, though they might grumble a little. 175 would probably be fair.

I somewhat agree that weapons account for very little of the points on a Spacecraft. The smaller of the two spacecraft are usually around 150pts and weapons make little difference to that. The larger ship usually runs 250-300pts and has a 6-8BP barrage and maybe the TK pin-point attacks as well. Weapons would account for 25-50pts at most and then only the larger ship. Of course it does depend on what you're dropping. The Tyranids (in the F_ERC list) have the Razorfiend as an unarmed spacecraft for 150pts purely because of the planetfall capability with spore pods.

I've taken it several times, and usually to good effect. For 150 points I can force the enemy to position differently and, potentially, take out a 200-250 point war engine... worth it, in my mind. Same with the Eldar Wraithship.

Interesting points. So as part of a larger force and able to only effect a small but reasonably tough planetfall capability, would a 125 point weaponless ship with minimal (20 infantry total and no vehicles other than Dreads) drop capacity be feasible? The weapons really aren't the focus for me but I want to keep costs minimal so the formation doesn't become a monster points suck and thus unattractive.

A spaceship for Marines with no weapons on it, going into a crowded space battle to unload troops on a contested planet is not really in the spirit of the game and is gamey IMO.

The ability to planetfall and drop units on any turn you want is far more valuable than the pre-determined pin-point and/or barrage attacks a ship offers

150 - 175 points is where a (non-specific) Space Ship should sit,and give it weapons and capacity befitting its points. No need to squabble over 25 points here or there.

The other problem with such a ship is with Marines you have Strategy rating 5. You have the potential to block another ship better than anyone else. You should definately pay for such an ability - hence I would err towards the 175 - 200 points in this regard.

I brought a Imperial ship on my last game. I lost... But the spacecraft did a phenomenal job, exactly as Chroma suggested. It took out a 250 point Storm Serpent and broke a scout formation to boot. Well worth the 150 points.

AS for the point at hand: I wouldn't pay more than 100 points a non-Marine list and 125 for a Marine list seems to be the most you could charge. Even at that cost I would spend the extra 25 points and get a shooty spacecraft unless there was something else spectacular about the non-armed one like increased drop capacity.

When in doubt though, estimate high then drop the price.

Encountered an Imperial Guard army with a Missile Pit as a proxy for a Lunar Cruiser
Did a good job in destroying my Warhound Titan in the first round.

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Wow. A few stories of how a space ship destroyed stuff on a table

I am sure I can double them alone with stories of Space ships that hit nothing (and not just my space ships either)

I take it all with a grain of salt really...