Pelta First Impressions

Let's start by saying I am not a huge fan of the rebel Pelta. It lacks speed, maneuverability, reliable firepower, and durability. I know many people love it for cheap fleet commands(IF!) and as an FCT squad pusher. Honestly, I don't think it's a bad ship. It just doesn't fall in line with how I fly rebels...

...but HOLY MOLY, I love the Republic Pelta so far. The differences do not seem huge on paper, but on the table, they are massive. Let's get a side by side here to show you what I mean:

vs

At first glance, these seem nearly identical, which is almost true. They have the same hull, shields, token suite, flak dice (Assault: Transport; Command: Medical)*, and nav chart.

*(A: T; C: M)

There are a couple of differences. Let's start with the A vs. T. The A is 56 points, and the T is 45 points. So what are we losing with those 11 points? The first thing it loses is one black die in the front arc. Next is the switch up from officer, support team, fleet command, and ordnance(A) to an officer, support team, fleet support, and defensive retrofit(T). This makes it seem as if the T makes the shift from offensive/support to defensive/support. Personally, I feel even if the Transport was 46-49 points, I would still prefer it to the Assault.

Now let's take a look at the C vs. M. The C costs 60 vs. the M's 49, which comes out to a difference of 11 again. So what do we lose for this 11? First, we lose a blue die in the front arc, once again removing some offensive power. Unlike the previous comparison in this one, we also lose -1 in squad commanding power, which feels like a pretty hefty hit to Fighter Coordination Team (FCT) play for Republic. Other changes include the removal of Fleet Command in favor of Fleet support. I have enjoyed using out of the C as a B-wing squad pusher with FCT, Expanded Hangar Bay, and officer to taste added on. Still, it feels like now the M doesn't want to be pushing many squads anymore (especially with the Venator around). With that said, I still prefer the M to the C because, for 49 points, it can be a top-tier lifeboat or support ship.