Skipray Blastboat
Imperial Patrol GunshipGM · Enemy ShipThreat 7Imperial patrol gunship — bigger, meaner, more dangerous than a TIE. Shields + hyperdrive + ion cannons.
- Size
- Small
- Length
- 25 m
- Speed
- Fast
- Reference price
- 220,000 cr
Lore
The Skipray Blastboat is Sienar Fleet Systems' Imperial-era patrol gunship — a 25-meter craft positioned somewhere between a heavy fighter and a light corvette in Imperial doctrine. Where TIE/lns are mass-produced expendables, the Skipray is the patrol craft Imperial Customs and Outer Rim picket forces fly when they expect actual resistance. It has everything a TIE doesn't: shields, hyperdrive, dual ion cannons for disabling rather than destroying targets, and a four-person crew with proper duty stations.
In canon, Skiprays appear in roles ranging from Imperial Customs Authority interdiction to paramilitary contractor patrols in New Republic-era frontier sectors. They're a favorite of Imperial-aligned mercenary outfits because they handle better than any of the larger Imperial picket craft while still mounting capital-grade ordnance. The ion cannon armament is the key tactical detail: a Skipray that wants to capture a smuggler ship rather than destroy it can disable engines, shields, or hyperdrive cleanly.
For GMs, the Skipray is the "real Imperial intercept" — when you need a threat that's harder than a TIE swarm but lighter than a Star Destroyer, the Skipray hits the right tier. Players will encounter them as Customs intercepts, paramilitary patrols, and occasionally as mercenary contracts the players themselves have been hired to fly against.
Default Loadout
| Weapon | Mount | Attr | Range | Acc | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Ion Cannons | fixed | DEX | Medium | +2 | 2d10 ion |
| Twin Laser Cannons | fixed | DEX | Close | +2 | 2d10 energy |
| Concussion Missile Launcher | missile bay | INT | Medium | +2 | 3d10 explosive |
| Targeting Laser (turret) | turret | DEX | Long | +3 | 1d10 energy |
Reference loadout for a stock chassis. Players swap, add, or customize weapons in the Starship Builder, subject to hardpoint caps and GM approval.
GM · Tactical Notes
A Skipray is a serious threat — players should not engage one solo with a freighter unless they have surprise or terrain. Ion cannons are the first move: disable the player's hyperdrive or shields, then close to laser range for the kill. Skipray crews are veteran (Imperial Customs or paramilitary contractors), not conscripts. A patrol pack of 2 Skiprays + 4 TIE/lns is a high-tier Imperial intercept.
GM · Adventure Hooks
- A Skipray Blastboat is patrolling the only hyperspace exit point near a backwater colony. Players carrying contraband must get past it.
- Players hired to escort a Black Sun shipment through Imperial patrol space — the contract failed to mention the Skipray patrolling the route.
- A retired Imperial Customs officer offers to sell their old Skipray (cheap, off the books). The catch: it's still on Imperial registry as "lost in action."
How to use this chassis
This is a GM-side stat block — an NPC ship for the GM to fly against the player crew. Use it as-is for a quick encounter, or fold it into a larger fleet engagement alongside other entries from the enemy ship catalog (filter to "Enemy / GM" on the catalog grid). For combat resolution, see the Starship Combat rules page. Enemy ships do not appear in the Starship Builder.
Similar Enemy Ships
More combat craft-category ships in the catalog.