I must say this was a well thought out explanation of why this ship is at every single battle. Bravo for probably figuring out and giving us a reason for this almost useless ship for being there in battle.
Glad you brought this up. I've been waiting decades for someone to actually theorize their use in the fleet. Remember in EP:5 "...too small to have a cloaking device..." regarding the M.Falcon's hiding from the Destoyer's sensors after their escape from the asteroid belt? Even though the Falcon didn't use a cloaking device, I always wondered what kind of ship(s) they were referencing. I know the expanded universe and the cartoons detail certain cloaking ships but they seem to be 'special' types of cloaking ships. The movie suggested cloaking ships that didn't actually hide a vessel's appearance but a ship's location e.g. "sensor jamming or electronic countermeasure". And it seemed this kind of ship was common. I think you and the wiki author are on to something.
Ive never liked the target saturation idea, to me I always assumed the ships served (in addition to their transport and logistics roles) three main functions in alliance fleets. 1) as you suggest electronic warfare vessels which block imperial sensors, while any starship should be able to fit the system it may be an easy modification for such a modular ship. 2) starfighter command/coordination ships. Basically in the height of a battle it can be hard for fighters to know where they need to be due to comms interference. With their beefier comms suites gr-75s can keep in touch with larger cruisers and relay orders to fighters. Explains why alliance fighters have such an edge in most engagements we see, and how they know where to be. 3)flak ships. Essentially fit whatever light repeating guns you can onto a gr-75 and place it into a fleet to add to its fighter defenses. In wwii major fleets and ships often lacked sufficient AA fire due to a lack of space for flak guns aboard most units. Using such tactics alliance forces are able to rip through imperial bomber formations and combined with sensor jamming by other gr-75s thus forces imperial commanders to close with alliance forces.
Your theory makes a lot of sense from a tactical standpoint. The Rebel Alliance can't afford to be losing ships so it would be very practical and cost effective to compromise the Empire's ability to rely on tracking sensors during combat. It also just makes sense to conceal jammers on common transport ships because the Empire isn't going to know what they're transporting, it could be anything, so they wouldn't immediately suspect that the big conspicuous transport ships are the source of the interference. It would be too obvious. It's arguably very clever.
This whole subject has been a question mark within the fandom for a while and I've seen a few different ideas proposed some of which are backed up by the lore. However the only thing I have not seen proposed was this sensor jammer direction so I wanted to bring attention to it because the idea is certainly interesting and as you say, who is going to suspect some random barely armed transports of mounting advanced electronics?
Otherwise, I can see them having jammers making a HELL of a lot more sense then "throw enough shit at them and hopefully they won't hit our good stuff"
Target saturation is definitely a thing, but honestly considering how quickly these things can be swatted away by the Empire's heavy combatants I've never really been convinced by the idea.
Well... it has been established as well, that ordnance is also used in the SW universe. Though the Empire doesn't seem to make use of missiles at all. Though in games, they are seen occasionally. In addition to sensor jammers, the electronic counter-measure could also included anti-missile capability, given that some imperial capital ships does in fact have missile and torpedo launchers. On the flip side, the rebels use missiles and torpedoes quite a lot more, by comparison. Target acquisition for friendly forces could also be a thing. Starfighter coordination. Communication ships as well, as backup/redundancy.
actually, when I saw them during Return of the Jedi, I always thought they were ground reinforcements to help out the strike team, but never got the chance as they would be picked off if they left the fleet
Admittedly I had that same thought as a kid since that's what we see them being used for in The Empire Strikes Back and at the Battle of Endor that certainly makes sense. However it doesn't entirely account for all the other times we see them running around.
I think they're hyperspace beacons. Think on it- these ships jump in first and get into something like position and suddenly the entire Rebel fleet drops in on a dime. I think the Rebels use the (possibly filled with sensors AND sensor jammers and astromech constant crunching entry and exit vectors for the fleet to arrive and depart quickly) transports as their hyperspace beacon. I'm guessing they jump in, broadcast some faked distress beacon or forged documents to make the Imperials think twice before a ton of frigates and starfighters jump in and cause havoc. They don't need weapons- just a strong hull and the best shields possible. Once the fleet arrives, the Imperials will have better things to shoot at than done old transports, right?
I haven't seen their stats in Armada I admit so that's the first I've heard of this being mentioned. Thanks for letting me know. I was aware of the starfighter control center though.
@@StarWarsDidYouKnow A GR-75 ECM flotilla. Standard hull, shields, speed and no weapon besides standard anti squadron. No fleet support upgrade on upgrade bar but an increased cost of 4 points and an ECM keyword in the description allowing any friendly ship at range 1-5 to gain a temporary evade defense token usable even if you have already used an evade token. I think that this might play well into fitting in with the lore description you proposed forcing a close range battle.
@@carlpeters1278 that does sound fun. I haven't played enough Armada to know how it works in terms of gameplay but I am definitely curious. Let me know if you try it and how it works out.
@@StarWarsDidYouKnow I sure will. I'll probably try it on these coming days off. Thanks for the inspiration and for making such great videos. I wish I had found your channel sooner, but I'm glad I found it all the same.
Personally i think this ships base model is pretty sinple but the alliance must have equipped more turrets for anti squadron capabilities. Personally i play legion And use an old kenner rebel transport i added some turrets to give it some extra umf i call it the GR80A Combat variant its a limited production removed cargo means greater speed and more troop carrying its easily able to transport 100+ models so i think lore wise it can work
I know which toy you're talking about! I saw it a few times as a kid and that's pretty epic that you converted it like that. Definitely well within the realm of reasonable adaptation for this model of transport.
I must say this was a well thought out explanation of why this ship is at every single battle. Bravo for probably figuring out and giving us a reason for this almost useless ship for being there in battle.
Glad you brought this up. I've been waiting decades for someone to actually theorize their use in the fleet. Remember in EP:5 "...too small to have a cloaking device..." regarding the M.Falcon's hiding from the Destoyer's sensors after their escape from the asteroid belt? Even though the Falcon didn't use a cloaking device, I always wondered what kind of ship(s) they were referencing. I know the expanded universe and the cartoons detail certain cloaking ships but they seem to be 'special' types of cloaking ships. The movie suggested cloaking ships that didn't actually hide a vessel's appearance but a ship's location e.g. "sensor jamming or electronic countermeasure". And it seemed this kind of ship was common. I think you and the wiki author are on to something.
Ive never liked the target saturation idea, to me I always assumed the ships served (in addition to their transport and logistics roles) three main functions in alliance fleets.
1) as you suggest electronic warfare vessels which block imperial sensors, while any starship should be able to fit the system it may be an easy modification for such a modular ship.
2) starfighter command/coordination ships. Basically in the height of a battle it can be hard for fighters to know where they need to be due to comms interference. With their beefier comms suites gr-75s can keep in touch with larger cruisers and relay orders to fighters. Explains why alliance fighters have such an edge in most engagements we see, and how they know where to be.
3)flak ships. Essentially fit whatever light repeating guns you can onto a gr-75 and place it into a fleet to add to its fighter defenses. In wwii major fleets and ships often lacked sufficient AA fire due to a lack of space for flak guns aboard most units.
Using such tactics alliance forces are able to rip through imperial bomber formations and combined with sensor jamming by other gr-75s thus forces imperial commanders to close with alliance forces.
Keep them coming 👍🏽
Upload more man I wait this for years
I'm glad I could scratch that itch for you.
I always saw them as electronic warfare vessels either jamming imperial sensors and communications or countering imperial jamming capabilities
Your theory makes a lot of sense from a tactical standpoint. The Rebel Alliance can't afford to be losing ships so it would be very practical and cost effective to compromise the Empire's ability to rely on tracking sensors during combat. It also just makes sense to conceal jammers on common transport ships because the Empire isn't going to know what they're transporting, it could be anything, so they wouldn't immediately suspect that the big conspicuous transport ships are the source of the interference. It would be too obvious. It's arguably very clever.
This whole subject has been a question mark within the fandom for a while and I've seen a few different ideas proposed some of which are backed up by the lore.
However the only thing I have not seen proposed was this sensor jammer direction so I wanted to bring attention to it because the idea is certainly interesting and as you say, who is going to suspect some random barely armed transports of mounting advanced electronics?
I like it, makes more sense than the target saturation scheme.
Otherwise, I can see them having jammers making a HELL of a lot more sense then "throw enough shit at them and hopefully they won't hit our good stuff"
Target saturation is definitely a thing, but honestly considering how quickly these things can be swatted away by the Empire's heavy combatants I've never really been convinced by the idea.
Well... it has been established as well, that ordnance is also used in the SW universe.
Though the Empire doesn't seem to make use of missiles at all.
Though in games, they are seen occasionally.
In addition to sensor jammers, the electronic counter-measure could also included anti-missile capability, given that some imperial capital ships does in fact have missile and torpedo launchers.
On the flip side, the rebels use missiles and torpedoes quite a lot more, by comparison.
Target acquisition for friendly forces could also be a thing.
Starfighter coordination.
Communication ships as well, as backup/redundancy.
Personally I would mount Proton Torpedo launchers and hide them behind the cargo modules and use them as missile boats.
actually, when I saw them during Return of the Jedi, I always thought they were ground reinforcements to help out the strike team, but never got the chance as they would be picked off if they left the fleet
Admittedly I had that same thought as a kid since that's what we see them being used for in The Empire Strikes Back and at the Battle of Endor that certainly makes sense.
However it doesn't entirely account for all the other times we see them running around.
I think they're hyperspace beacons. Think on it- these ships jump in first and get into something like position and suddenly the entire Rebel fleet drops in on a dime.
I think the Rebels use the (possibly filled with sensors AND sensor jammers and astromech constant crunching entry and exit vectors for the fleet to arrive and depart quickly) transports as their hyperspace beacon.
I'm guessing they jump in, broadcast some faked distress beacon or forged documents to make the Imperials think twice before a ton of frigates and starfighters jump in and cause havoc.
They don't need weapons- just a strong hull and the best shields possible. Once the fleet arrives, the Imperials will have better things to shoot at than done old transports, right?
That's quite an idea and not a bad one in the slightest.
The Armada wargame allows for this explanation, as well as the option for them to be starfighter coordination centers.
I haven't seen their stats in Armada I admit so that's the first I've heard of this being mentioned. Thanks for letting me know.
I was aware of the starfighter control center though.
I like your theory. It makes sense to me and gives me an idea for a ship design for my games of Star Wars Armada that I play with my brother at home.
Oh?
What do you have in mind?
@@StarWarsDidYouKnow A GR-75 ECM flotilla. Standard hull, shields, speed and no weapon besides standard anti squadron. No fleet support upgrade on upgrade bar but an increased cost of 4 points and an ECM keyword in the description allowing any friendly ship at range 1-5 to gain a temporary evade defense token usable even if you have already used an evade token. I think that this might play well into fitting in with the lore description you proposed forcing a close range battle.
@@carlpeters1278 that does sound fun.
I haven't played enough Armada to know how it works in terms of gameplay but I am definitely curious.
Let me know if you try it and how it works out.
@@StarWarsDidYouKnow I sure will. I'll probably try it on these coming days off. Thanks for the inspiration and for making such great videos. I wish I had found your channel sooner, but I'm glad I found it all the same.
@@carlpeters1278 I'm glad you're enjoying them and that they can inspire you in some fashion.
Personally i think this ships base model is pretty sinple but the alliance must have equipped more turrets for anti squadron capabilities.
Personally i play legion
And use an old kenner rebel transport i added some turrets to give it some extra umf i call it the GR80A
Combat variant its a limited production removed cargo means greater speed and more troop carrying its easily able to transport 100+ models so i think lore wise it can work
I know which toy you're talking about!
I saw it a few times as a kid and that's pretty epic that you converted it like that.
Definitely well within the realm of reasonable adaptation for this model of transport.
The most feeble ship of the rebellion
Logical arguments. Too bad any combat logic is out of the movies.