Beating GCs without building Capital Ships

[Grimnak]

So recently, I've had this little idea and have recently decided to try it.

I began an Admiral Art of War game as the NR with the intentions of winning without having ever built a capital ship.  The starting forces are all you can use.

Naturally, this lends itself to some warnings:

ISDs must be dealt with more tactfully now.
Beginning cap ships (even outdated models) must try to be preserved along with Heroes.
Staying in the earlier eras for as long as possible is ideal (so your beginning reserve is still somewhat effective)

Alternatively, you could try to beeline Era 5 and BACs, although I won't be doing that approach.

This method of playing could create a much needed challenge for many players and can even be applied to other GCs (IR Reunification comes to mind).

Try it out, and let me know what you guys think!

[kucsidave]

this is the best done with PA, because there you can also add that you can not use Ardus Kaine and limit Jerec to ground
I did this many times.

[Grimnak]

Playing more of it, this is definitely going to be a challenge.  I can not really defeat SSDs, so they are marching through my territory.  I'm only fending the ground attacks with my air speeders.  Praetors are also becoming an issue.

[Mat8876]

I would assume that the best way to defeat the SSD is to bring him to your planet and have a large fleet and a hypervelocity cannon / ion cannon.

Also I really like the sound of this I might try it.

[Pentastar Enforcer]

This sounds really really great, maybe fighter spams might work best...

[Grimnak]

Another update.  I just took the CSA planets after sacrificing Lando and an armada of snowspeeders.  The IR keeps trying to suicide Thrawn so they can get to Era 3.

Needless to say, Era 3 cannot happen - Phalanxes and Sovereigns are nothing I can fight until all IR shipyards are down.  So far, they still hold Kuat and Byss.

All in all, this is a pretty challenging game but it is certainly a lot of fun - a much needed challenge.

[Mat8876]

I did this on shadow hand as the NR and I think it's brilliant fun and also if you where struggling for a reason to play EaW than this is it.

I even got my brother a little interested in it which I rarely do.