The GREATEST Anti-Starfighter Frigate...that the Imps wasted (Lancer-class) 

Ah yes, the staple anti-fighter ship of every Empire At War mod.

Imagine this ship acting together with TIE Defenders and Phantoms, there would basically be no rebel alliance anymore.

Remember when Wedge heard Rogue Squadron had to take out a Lancer Frigate and he was more nervous about that single engagement than he was about either Death Star?

Ngl, it's pretty badass the New Republic used the Lancer and other imperial material to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong. Those invaders made rebels and imperials understand they were all in the end brothers that killed each other for decades

The answer for the empire was to modify the ISD by shedding some of the lighter turbolasers and replacing them with PDCs, albiet spread around the hull and also concentrated in crucial areas. Imagine an ISD with a hundred quad laser cannons.

It's a shame that dedicated ships aren't used on the scale they need to be used at, and when they are used, they often get used for the opposite of what they were intended for. It was the same thing with the Venator. It wasn't used as the dedicated carrier it was, but instead as a battleship, which it wasn't meant for. Same thing with this ship. Under-used or miss-used

The Tarken doctrine really screwed the empire, this ship would have made rebels unable to act with hit and runs as effectively, especially when beside a proper capital ship

The Lancer being slower than an ISD is an example of sourcebook shenanigans. In the first x-wing book it’s described as being able to outrun Y-Wings which are sourced at a speed of 80 megalights. The lancer is described in sourcebooks as having a speed of 20 megalights. The Lancer should have a speed of over 80 megalights which makes it faster than the ISD which is sourced as having a speed of 60.

*Fun fact:* The last Lancer ship was used was during the Dark Nest Crisis by Raynar Thul, a student of Luke who during the Yuuzhan Vong wars was lost in the Unknown Regions and became Lord of the Killiks

The imps had so much at their hands, and wasted so much of it

I played the SW-Strategy-Game _Rebellion_ once as the Empire and I built well over a hundred of these things. The Rebels' starfighters constantly had a hard time.

Only criticism I have, please personally refrain from the whole "they have to many crew, that's bad" trope. The United States Navy is regretting the reduction of crew via automation. Less crew equals longer watches. Longer watches leads to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation leads to making very bad mistakes, slow responses & reactions. You also have to take into account battle damage. Some crew will always become casualties, who will pick up the slack if you have to few crew? There's a reason why IRL warships have two different specs for crew compliments. A lower number for peace time, and a higher number for war time.

The Lancers put the fear of Force in Rebel pilots. But they were also very, very weak even to fighters. Rogue Squadron was able to mission kill one with twenty two torpedos which left one a burning hulk. That's not a huge amount of firepower to take out a ship of it's size. And (at least initially) the guns had massive maintenance issues - the Imperial sourcebook saidt hat on any given day maybe half the guns would be offline. When Corran Horn is buzzing one he's sending back guncam footage to the other Rogues to spot towers that were offlined. Technical problems could be solved but the frigate did have some major issues beyond just tactical utilization. Kilogram for kilogram, the Raider class frigate was a much better anti-starfighter platform that could perform more missions.

14:23 For example, Raith Sienar was inspired by ETA-2 and Alpha-3 to create the TIE line. Maybe it's with a companies that copies Smartphone copies one another.

Well the Lancer-class was based on basic design of the Carrack-class light cruiser and the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser, both were old designs by the time of The Empire as the Dreadnaught-class was first seen in use 80 years before Clone Wars. All three ships and a number of other ships were all build based on classic Mandalorian Kandosii-type Dreadnaught which dated back all the way to the Mandalorian Wars.

I think that while the Lancer was at the job it was built for, enough to scare Rogue Squadron pilots like Wedge Antillies and Corran Horn. I don't think it wasn't needed. The Carrack class already existed. It was tougher, more capable, and in an Anti-Starfighter configuration it had plenty of Light Laser canons, as much as the Lancer. Plus a good complement of Turbolasers and tractor beams for more versatility. More focus on issuing Carrack Light cruisers out to protect fleets and convoys would of made a massive difference. Since even the Corellian Corvette, or Nebulon-B would have to take pause when dealing with them.

I always thought in Rebels that Thrawn would have had ships like this in his fleet and was surprised that he didn't have any with him, as of all the imperials there's him and Vader who are smart enough to both recognise the threat of fighters and the utility of anti-starfighter capability. Either way I would have thought that he would have had them while engaging the rebels at least a couple to protect his stern if nothing else.

well for the docking port ontop of the bridge: kinda makes sense if we assume that many medium to large ships come with multiple ports including some on the underside. would also allow the ship to dock with those tie fighter recovery ships. and now live happy with the mental image of a gozanti class carrier with two lancer class frigates stuck to it.

It’s a shame that a ship as niche yet capable as this existed but the empire just said “The rebels keep destroying our star destroyers and death stars! What do we do?” and the answer is “Make more!”

13:02 because of the unlimited computational power and vast amounts of energy available, it would be possible to make any ship completely OP. (For example: look at Luthen Rael’s ship in Andor, with a couple of ion torpedoes and photon torpedos Luthen probably could have taken out that Cantwell-class). But the biggest limitation is that governments, factions, and individuals don’t have a lot of credits to buy these OP ships.

1:10 there actually is a good justification for this. Space gas and dust. The ships navigation shields can only take so much before they fail and if you are going fast enough you get a free turbolaser bombardment across the front of your ship.

That A-Wing pilot pulled a leroy jekins on that SSD.

I imagine top Speed is more recommended top speed, because it will take considerable energy to stop a star destroyer from destroying a planet because they were going too fast

Seeing all the squadrons clips brings back good memories

The only real 'problem' I have with this ship is that you want your escorts to be *faster* than the things they're escorting, so they can maneuver around them more easily, and quickly change position to respond to threats. So, it could have used a bit of a beefed up engine. Of course, it can still work fine, it's just less convenient, and if one of the frigates gets disabled it'll take others more time to move up and take its place. Rather than redesigning to fix that though, if they just added some Gozanti-esq clamps along the underside, a ship that long could have carried at least a couple squadrons of TIEs externally. Then it wouldn't even need to be that fast.

Wayyy back in the day of Star Wars: Rebellion game time, I used Lancers to great effect in my Imperial forces. They were tougher than a bunch of fighters, needed less time to recover to full strength and fit well in a capital ship fleet. I loved these things, and I agree whole-heartedly they should have been used over Ties in handling the Rebels. Fortunately the "actual" Empire wasn't as clever as us.

The Raider is also a good choice

Admiral Thrawn probably through most of his career: I am surounded by idiots.

in modern navies, there is a stark different between a Frigate and a destroyer. Frigates are slow, tending about 26 knots, they may weight just as much as a destroyer, but have a lower cruising speed, lower max speed, and often longer range. Both ships operate as anti-air screens, anti-sub screens.... but frigates often have very light antiship weaponry trading it for extra anti-sub or anti-air. a destroyer will run with fast ships, fast groups, will escort a carrier, and operate often with 1-2 cruisers. A frigate will run with other frigates, MAYBE having a destroyer as their leader. their job is to escort slow moving targerts... large slow targets... like LST's, marine transports, cargo ships and tankers. They are not made to slug it out with other big ships, instead they are to screen and protect. In star wars, i can see for example, a single Arquitens-class leading a convoy, with 4-6 Lancers providing screen, for a group of Gozanti-class cruiser-armed cargo ships.

I never wasted this ship in EAW mods. I use it to help out my bigger ships. Lancers are valuable to me.

I love how this channel answered my comment i wanted a review on the lancer and boom

Happy holidays 🎄🎄🎄

Another amazing video

Wedge was afraid of this ship and he had 2 deathstars painted on the side of his fighter.

Awesome video as always!

WOOOOOOOOOO ITS A GREAT DAY TO BE ALIVE!!!

Why didn't they put those very effective point-defense quad laser canons on the capital ships? Or put miniaturized versions of the planetary shields like in Rogue One in vulnerable areas that can keep the nimble fighters from exploiting the trenches.

God, everytime yall bring up the cost in these breakdowns, it makes me realize the actual value worth of a credit is the most inconsistent thing in Star Wars lore.

1:12 We can chalk this up to the same stuff in Star Wars space that makes starfighter battles in Star Wars look like WWII dogfights (like they’re maneuvering in an atmosphere).

5:00 could be a hyperwave transceiver for Comms?

hmm maybe the lancer could have benefitted from some corellian corvette style heavier laser cannons. Like it makes it less good at its job, but given the average imp didnt use it right it would have helped it be a bit more versatile against medium size ships too when theyre used defensively. An arquitens with a lancer would be a stout pair though lacking fighters of their own.

A good video all around.

Love the Lancer Class Frigate

Differing top speeds in vacuum still makes sense, there isn't any resistance so the ship with the more powerful engine output would logically move faster, otherwise I chock maximum speeds up to inertial compensators that could logically be in use as to give the in-universe ships the best chance of obtaining the engine's maximum possible speed regardless of things like higher gravity that may appear on some worlds

14:42 It'd also be a massive pain to ID properly from visuals alone, if you're far enough away you probably can't tell what's what so the fleet numbers would be so muddled.

My favorite ship!

Agreed

I wonder what the galaxy would look like if it were ruled and controlled not by fear, but by actual tactics, rational thinking, and competence.

TBH I think the 1 week consumables is more accurate simply because it would explain why it wasn’t mass produced and assigned to pirate hunting missions. It would always need support ships and escort ties to protect them.

The Imps had other quite decent screening ships, like Tartan, Raider, CR92a, Carrack, and Enforcer. The Tartan is perhaps the best. Its the same length as the Lancer, and had a similar armament of 20 single/double laser cannons. While less durable, it was very fast and very menuverable. This allows the tartan to both keep up with the fleet and match enemy starfighter movements, all the while being able to quickly disengage. The lancer is severely limited by its slow speed. The CR92a is another great option. It was tougher and more durable than almost all rebel CR90 varients, having 8 modular emplacements (quad lasers, or double TL) plus a powerful proton torpedoe. launcher. All this while being pretty cheap The Raider is perhaps the second best in the Imp fleet. Mounting 6 accurate double lasers, anti starfighter concussion missles, and 4 double TL. This ship had a strong hull, great sheilding, and decent menuverability. The Carrack, mounting the 20 Lasers rather than thr 20 ion cannons is another great option. While it was 100 meters longer than the tartan or lancer, it mounted practically the same armament plus 10 HTL. This allows it to easily stand against enemy corvettes and frigates whilst screening for the fleet. Not to mention, the carrack was incredibly durable and fast. Vindicators and the subsequent Enforcers had great anti starfighter defenses, and if kept close to fleet csrriers or battlecrusiers, could effectively screening off incoming bombers or starfighters. The Vindicator especially was a decent light battleship and could protect the rear flank of larger ships or act independent. It is an underrated ship imo.

back in the old XvT days i was in a roleplay clan and commanded one of thoose

Right now I feel I could take on the whole empire myself. Pew pew 💥

Your max speed is a result of how much power you can dump into you regular engines without blowing them up... lol.

Space isnt a perfect vacuum, and i believe in some source materials the Starwars galaxy has something called the Ether which is why their starfighters and ships move the way they do.

"Grand admiral Thrawn likes this ship"

I wonder if the docking port on top has any relation with the crew? Perhaps the internal layout is different than most ships or the docking port doubled as a lifeboat launcher. Would be hilarious if lancers squeezed an SPHA in instead of shuttles. Great content 👍🏻

Lancer frigate my beloved ♥

A wonderful machine.

Wars over, imp

You know, installing a couple of concussion missile tubes would both increase it's anti-starfighter power and give it the potential to deal with light capital ships. Or an ion cannon. No need to kill what can't kill you...

I love this ship.

You should cover the special forces of the Empire; specifically the Storm Commandos. Darth Vader also harbored a special hatred for them as well.

Sir, the rebels are using a lot of quick hit and run tactics with starfighters. We need laser canons to counter. Should we install them along our massive pizza slice ships with pleny of available hull space? No, build multiple new ships, extremely expensive, just for laser canons so our pizza slice ships can stick with the big pew pews. Excellent choice sir. Shall they also be pizza slice shape? Make them giant exclamation marks! Of course sir! *Thrawn shaking his head* I'm surrounded by...wait, exclamation marks you say?

My poor Tartan.

I always mix this ship up with the Carrack class. I guess I'm not the only one that noticed the similarities.

I personally prefer the Raider II-class Corvettes, who are equipped with six laser cannons, ion cannons, two dual medium turbolasers and one concussion missle launcher, capbale of firing the same ST7 Concussion missiles used by the Resurgent-class Star Destroyers' point-defense quad Concussion missle emplacements and the Special Forces TIEs, which are more advanced and powerful than the now-outdated ST2 used on the the Millennium Falcon as well as the HM-6 used on the RZ-1 A-wing, a speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour at maximum atmospheric speed, and a hangar where it can hold a couple fighters, where I would either hold with TIE Whisper Interceptors (but not Kylo Ren's modified TIE Whisper Interceptors) who has a top speed of 140 MGLT per hour and a maximum atmospheric speed of 1,400 kilometers per hour, and upgraded stealth systems like sensor-confusing technology that allows the TIE Whispers to avoid enemy detection, and a hyperspace tracker, like the Supremacy used, or I would use modified Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wings, equipped with a miniaturized Class 1 hyperdrive and modified engines, capable of traveling at 140 MGLT per hour and 1,500 kilometers per hour at maximum atmospheric speed, far more stronger, yet lightweight armor, far more stronger shielding, stealth systems, jammers, life support system and a Concussion missile launcher on the fighter's nose, firing ST7 Concussion missiles, where a barrage of these missiles are able to deal severe damage to the hull of an MC85 Star Cruiser, and upgraded rapid-fire dual laser cannons which rivals the First Order TIEs' L-s9.6 laser cannons, which are more powerful than the now-outdated L-s9.3 model used on the TIE Interceptor, TIE Avenger and TIE Defender, capable of destroying even bigger asteroids. The cockpits also must look like that, see here!: www.swcombine.com/rules/?Fighters&ID=126. The First Order began production of their TIE Defenders, Special Forces TIE Interceptors and TIE Bombers (EC Henry) and even their TIE Reapers as a response to the defeat at the Battle of Crait, where their Defender was critical to the First Order's conquest across the galaxy. The loss of valuable resources onboard the Supremacy meant that the First Order required swift victories to secure control, and the TIE/D was the means through which they achieved this. TIE Whisper Fighters has a top speed of 140 MGLT per hour and a maximum atmospheric speed of 1,300 kilometers per hour. Special Forces TIE Interceptors has a top speed of 140 MGLT per hour but has only a maximum atmospheric speed of 1,350 kilometers per hour, which is slower than the RZ-2 A-wing. Kylo Ren's modified TIE Whisper Interceptors has, I don't know, a top speed of 145 MGLT per hour and a maximum atmospheric speed of 1,500 kilometers per hour. The First Order TIE Reapers and Special Forces TIE Bombers has a top speed of 110 MGLT per hour and a maximum atmospheric speed of 1,100 kilometers per hour, while the U-wing Mark II has a top speed of 115 MGLT per hour.

Is there any character video coming up? I hope it's legends focused! I love the Jango and Boba Fett series and I hope there will be a Darth Vader, Revan, Sidious series.

Smaller weapons for smaller targets. Large cannons are not needed for attacking aircraft. Especially when they hug close to the ship. BUT ….. Vulture Droids would work.

mext complete breakdown video suggestion: Executor- Class SSD

For ISDs, its like trying to swat flies that are too fast to be hit.

Some designer broke an unwritten rule of star wars. You can't just surround a ship in turbolasers, that's just cheating.

I wonder if you could still take down the Lancer Frigate with starfighters if you just be equally unfair?

One of the most powerful anti-figther ships and yet barely got produced imperial brains 0 rebels 1000.

Hey cool wallet I been looking to get a new one that is cool and I got to say I think this is it !!

No “Qui Gon the complete life break down”? 😮

A Starfighter killer if given modifications

Why do they not utilize computers and automation more in the Star Wars universe?

Most of my ships in Empire at War

Love the Lancer. A fighter destroying monster that would have put the Alliance on the backfoot with their only advantage being rendered a liability with such a ship on the playing field.

I still think they should have made this ship faster and change just a couple weapon systems to deal with something bigger then a fighter. over all this ship is nasty and its weapons will take out a carillion corvette. though admiral thrawn would happily have as many of these ships and pair them up with something better. in the Xwing novels with wraith squadron they had to deal with a lancer. and how much the pilots dread facing such a star ship. how they took such down was very good and only put one fighter at risk to get a target lock and fire a lot of missiles to take such down.

Imagine the katana fleet were lancers instead of dreadnoughts

Tartan corvette please?

What about part 4 of kenobi!? Also what about about a full life of Luke ? Please

It'd be cool to get a star wars or halo game similar to CoD infinite warfare

Because the Empire didn't consider snub fighters important enough. Tarkin doctrine, they wanted big impressive ships. Otherwise, they would have build more Lancers and TIE Defenders, and not Death Stars and Executors. They probably would hjave stayed with the Venators instead of the Imperial class.

That's what dumb fired torpedoes are for. Six will do the job!

The 1 week to 6 month should be the same as with our naval ships.. in that case it means at least 1 week with multiple meals fresh cocked each day where you can choose what you want to eat and all other stuff like clothings, spare parts and more also in full stock and 100% secured that nothing is missing if it is needed... an 6 month is maximum time you can operate with the crew only eating field or emergancy rations and only keeping nessesary systems operational. So really the absolut minimum time you can operate even in worst cases... and the absolut maximum time you can run the ship before forced to resuply if you want or not. And that times can differ even more in the real world... some submarines have a minimum operation time from 6-8 weeks... but can in theory operate 8-10 month in in emergancy.

resistance in the vacuum of space!?

top speed in space is easy my head cannon, artificial gravity and gravity compensation create drag on the ship. Artificial gravity creates a point singularity in space acting as an anchor for said ship... the ship "drags" that along with it as it flies .

Vegan leather? As in not leather, kinda like how almond milk is actually almond juice or nut juice since its made by juicing nuts.

"Vegan Italian Leather" What the hell does that actually mean?

How do the Lancers compare to the Tartans?

From which book is the page about the Lancer?

I don’t believe that having computers being able to calculate the manoeuvres of starfighters is some thing the empire have to worry about since this is a society were sentient androids are a dime a dozen which shows that they have very advanced and cheap computers. The issue with larger turbo lasers is there simply not designed to combat enemy star fighters, and therefore can’t traverse fast enough. The real issue is being able to hit some thing when it was trying to counter measures like sensor jamming is so common and prevalent in Star Wars that is also why they engage at close. Visual ranges.

To be fair, this ship breaks the entire 'rules' of combat in star wars. If lancers were commonplace then the WW2 knock off dogfights between starfighters would end. Starfighters and bombers would be impossible altogether as an effective component in fleet engagements and combat would inevitably resemble something close to hard Sci Fi like the Expanse with much longer range duels between ships. That's fine in-universe but it would destroy the aesthetic of star wars which fans would ultimately hate.

Veeegan leather? Im quitting it!

I know this is off topic but is it every stated how old cin drellic is?

well, realistically, the targeting computers of imperial ships should have no problem shooting the slow, big, lumbering rebel starfighters, and with the numerical superiority of the imp fighters (usually 10:1), rebel starfighters should have been wiped in every engagement......but, plot armor, and plot demands that imperial troops can't shoot or do basic military tactics or maneuvers......

I like ur videos a lot could u consider more variety in music see kevin macleod for royalty free music just any variety really... thank you for ur content its my only critique

The Cu Chulainn of starships