The cost of ISaW Aerospace Wings & Artillery batteries

[Onion2112]

Hi Everyone,

I apologise if this has been raised before, but I was wondering what the thoughts are regarding the Combat Formation Cost Tables in 1SW, 2SW and Interstellar Operations, as regards Aerospace Wings and Artillery Battalions (batteries).

Firstly in 1SW and 2SW books, plus the errata for IO its stated that newly built Aerospace wings (typically 20-18 strength or half a typical battalion) cost 8/12/15 RPs (plus Assault Wings, but I'm assuming this is Dropships), whereas a whole BM Regt (108 strength) for the same weight class is double this cost amount. I would have thought this should maybe Aerospace Regiment (54 strength). What do others think?
Is it a typo for regt? - although ASFs are mentioned in the rules as wings (I know DCMS and CCAF Wings are not the same as AFFS, SL and mercenary Wings)

Also 1SW and 2SW give the artillery as batteries - cost 5 RPs - I wouldve thought these were typos for battalion, and given that the cost is about a 1/3 of a medium AFV regt its seems right to assume its a battalion.

Should I post these queries on the IO/1SW/2SW errata forum pages?

[The Purist]

Our group uses the aerospasce wings as stated but you are correct about cost, it seems a bit off. But not so much when you look at the total scope of Combat Command building.

Take a Combine medium Mech regiment of a light, medium and heavy battalion - cost is 300 PV for 24 RP

A medium aerospace wing is 52 PV but costs 12 RP.

So for only 2 x the RP cost over A/S fighters the Combine gets ~6 x the PV in Mechs. Mileage may vary within the other Houses but not by much.

All that aside, I would suggest that their is more to an RP invested in ground and aerospace forces than just the PV. Head canon might suggest maintenance cost, the difference in maintaining ground based Mechs and much more fragile aerospace fighters, and so on. Then there is the usual 'don't bother to try and figure it out'.

Also take a look at armoured regiments. If you compare vehicle battalions to Mech battalions in a similar DC armoured regiment one could get a light, medium and heavy battalion totaling 210 PV for only 12 RP. Something of a bargain, even more so when one compares how the CUs flesh out in Formations with Tactical values and TMMs. Medium tanks can become quite deadly (or at the very least annoying as hell).

The artillery should be a "battalion", or a full 36 vehicle Combat Unit. We are treating them as such in any case. The battery bit (4-6 guns) is likely just a miss during proof reading.

[Alexander Knight]

Yes, the Artillery "Battery" in the tables is a full battalion (36 tubes)