Kyrana Gould
Admiral
Nova Cannon
Image Source: Here. Picture from Wookieepedia. This design is less dish-shaped and more like a long cannon.
Intent: To develop a powerful main weapon for the modern age. This weapon is substantial, able to inflict huge damage, but also has notable weaknesses. The rate of fire, inability to hit anything faster than a Destroyer, and the vulnerability this causes the mounting ship makes it balanced.
Development Thread: YES
Manufacturer: Firemane Industries & Technology
Model: NC-001
Affiliation: Silver Sanctum Coalition
Modularity: No
Production: Unique. Only the Barsen'Thor has the design, power and construction requirements for this weapon.
Material: Durasteel, electronic components, Hadrium and Dunite for heat absorption. Microthrusters handle recoil.
Classification: Large ship-mounted laser.
Size: Ship-mounted.
Length: 200 metres long.
Weight: N/A, several hundred thousand tonnes at least.
Ammunition Type: Powered by a Colossus Reactor.
Ammunition Capacity: One shot per two ‘rounds’ of fleeting. This is about one shot every 5 minutes.
Effective Range: ‘Long-Range’ in a fleeting sense. Although it has essentially unlimited range it is impossible to aim at anything above ‘Long-Range’
Rate of Fire: Single
Special Features:
In order to create a capstone for the Coalition Fleet, Admiral Stahlmann wanted to go big. In order to properly arm such a vessel he looked into possible armaments.
Once, the Galactic Empire had built many weapons of terror and destruction, but the Admiral did not want to entertain any of those ideas. Destroying planets, or even mass destruction of any kind was against both his and the Coalition’s ethics. However, what he wanted would need enough power to damage ships.
As a compromise, the Admiral downgraded his vision so that it could not be used for terror campaigns or indiscriminate slaughter. He did not want a super weapon, he wanted a weapon of war.
Therefore, the Nova Cannon was born. In theory and execution the weapon is like a very very large turbolaser. Rather than a focused beam it fires a massive bolt channelled through the Colossus Reactor and through the 200 metre long cannon. This bolt can travel as far as any naval weapon and can inflict substantial damage if it hits. As the equivalent of 75 batteries of regular turbolasers, a single impact can inflict severe damage…providing it hits.
This hit, like all turbolasers, is better at damaging hull, and is less likely to puncture shields, either on enemy capital ships or planetary shields.
As it takes time to charge, aim and initiate firing, the rapidity of the weapon’s fire is not great. One shot every five minutes is a good baseline, and firing faster than that is not practical. For a weapon of this size this is actually quite good.
Such a large weapon does have weaknesses though. For a start, it is impossible to aim at ships smaller or faster than a Star Destroyer. The rapid pace and small size keeps smaller ships safe. Linked to this, the size of the weapon limits the fire arc to directly forward. Considering the ship it is mounted on is slow it means enemies need to be directly in front to target.
Further, as opposed to the significant hull around it, the cannon is quite lightly armoured. Attacks which penetrate the shield and hit the nestled cannon have a better chance of disabling it. Indeed, an especially powerful attack might even cause critical damage if it hits at the right place or time.
Finally, its capabilities as an orbital bombardment weapon are devastating where it hits. Essentially, where this shot lands it will punch a deep crater into the ground and level an entire city block. However, aiming from orbit is an extremely uncertain process. Lighter, faster firing guns would be more accurate, but this weapon is ruinous where it hits.
Overall, the Nova Cannon is a powerful weapon, but it is one with clear limits.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Primary Source: N/A
Image Source: Here. Picture from Wookieepedia. This design is less dish-shaped and more like a long cannon.
Intent: To develop a powerful main weapon for the modern age. This weapon is substantial, able to inflict huge damage, but also has notable weaknesses. The rate of fire, inability to hit anything faster than a Destroyer, and the vulnerability this causes the mounting ship makes it balanced.
Development Thread: YES
Manufacturer: Firemane Industries & Technology
Model: NC-001
Affiliation: Silver Sanctum Coalition
Modularity: No
Production: Unique. Only the Barsen'Thor has the design, power and construction requirements for this weapon.
Material: Durasteel, electronic components, Hadrium and Dunite for heat absorption. Microthrusters handle recoil.
Classification: Large ship-mounted laser.
Size: Ship-mounted.
Length: 200 metres long.
Weight: N/A, several hundred thousand tonnes at least.
Ammunition Type: Powered by a Colossus Reactor.
Ammunition Capacity: One shot per two ‘rounds’ of fleeting. This is about one shot every 5 minutes.
Effective Range: ‘Long-Range’ in a fleeting sense. Although it has essentially unlimited range it is impossible to aim at anything above ‘Long-Range’
Rate of Fire: Single
Special Features:
- Turbo-turbolaser.
- Consumes 300 capital guns of space.
- Can only be used against Star Destroyers or larger.
- Fires once every two posts.
- Molecular shields must be deactivated to allow this to fire.
- Requires a Colossus Reactor.
In order to create a capstone for the Coalition Fleet, Admiral Stahlmann wanted to go big. In order to properly arm such a vessel he looked into possible armaments.
Once, the Galactic Empire had built many weapons of terror and destruction, but the Admiral did not want to entertain any of those ideas. Destroying planets, or even mass destruction of any kind was against both his and the Coalition’s ethics. However, what he wanted would need enough power to damage ships.
As a compromise, the Admiral downgraded his vision so that it could not be used for terror campaigns or indiscriminate slaughter. He did not want a super weapon, he wanted a weapon of war.
Therefore, the Nova Cannon was born. In theory and execution the weapon is like a very very large turbolaser. Rather than a focused beam it fires a massive bolt channelled through the Colossus Reactor and through the 200 metre long cannon. This bolt can travel as far as any naval weapon and can inflict substantial damage if it hits. As the equivalent of 75 batteries of regular turbolasers, a single impact can inflict severe damage…providing it hits.
This hit, like all turbolasers, is better at damaging hull, and is less likely to puncture shields, either on enemy capital ships or planetary shields.
As it takes time to charge, aim and initiate firing, the rapidity of the weapon’s fire is not great. One shot every five minutes is a good baseline, and firing faster than that is not practical. For a weapon of this size this is actually quite good.
Such a large weapon does have weaknesses though. For a start, it is impossible to aim at ships smaller or faster than a Star Destroyer. The rapid pace and small size keeps smaller ships safe. Linked to this, the size of the weapon limits the fire arc to directly forward. Considering the ship it is mounted on is slow it means enemies need to be directly in front to target.
Further, as opposed to the significant hull around it, the cannon is quite lightly armoured. Attacks which penetrate the shield and hit the nestled cannon have a better chance of disabling it. Indeed, an especially powerful attack might even cause critical damage if it hits at the right place or time.
Finally, its capabilities as an orbital bombardment weapon are devastating where it hits. Essentially, where this shot lands it will punch a deep crater into the ground and level an entire city block. However, aiming from orbit is an extremely uncertain process. Lighter, faster firing guns would be more accurate, but this weapon is ruinous where it hits.
Overall, the Nova Cannon is a powerful weapon, but it is one with clear limits.
Strengths:
- A very powerful weapon able to deal significant damage.
- Has a relatively rapid firing time – above 5 minutes.
- Does not impair the ship’s regular functions except the molecular shields.
- Can inflict a powerful orbital bombardment.
Weaknesses:
- Requires the molecular shields to be disable in order to fire.
- Is better against hulls than shields.
- Relatively limited fire arc.
- Cannot target anything faster than 15 speed and/or over 1500m.
- Is lightly armoured and significant damage can cause potentially devastating consequences.
- Targeting through atmosphere is very imprecise.
Primary Source: N/A
