Tegaea Alcori
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Skybreaker Torpedo
Image Source: http://www.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/torpedo.png
Torpedo from Wing Commander series, unknown artist.
Intent: To create a new variation on missiles and ship carried weapons in Star Wars naval combat. This writer, highly influenced by historical naval warfare, looks to the Pacific Theatre of WWII to find a way to put the lethal naval torpedos into this setting.
The intent of this weapon overall is to create a way of bolstering the power of bombers, but defining clear weaknesses to make this a trade-off rather than an automatic selection.
It is also intended to be a sale item for Firemane to help it advance in tier.
Development Thread: If needed, though this submission: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/29992-rst-b1-weapon-system/ which is similar did not require one.
Manufacturer: Firemane Industries and Technology
Model: Skybreaker MkI Torpedo
Affiliation: Firemane, Kaeshana Confederation, buyers
Modularity: No.
Production: Minor.
Material: Standard missile components.
Classification: Naval torpedo.
Size: Starfighter mounted.
Length: 5 metres.
Weight: 1250kg.
Ammunition Type: Ion drive with 5 minutes of fuel.
Ammunition Capacity: Single shot, carried in a launcher.
Effective Range: Technically unlimited as once the ion drive runs out of fuel the torpedo will continue to move until interrupted. Effectively, Starfighter range, can be used at capital ship ranges with greatly reduced effectiveness.
Rate of Fire: Single shot
Special Features:
In all eras there are periods in warfare where either offense or defence are ahead of the other. In the case of Star Wars naval warfare the edge often tilts towards a defending ship, which can use its shields and guns to defend itself. Against bombers, often those Starfighters lack the payload to cause serious enough damage in a short amount of time to be truly effective.
Thus Firemane decided to see if changes could be made to the basic weapons on the bomber. One area clearly lacking according to Tegaea was a powerful munition able to cause devastating damage on a hit. Such a thing had been developed by the waterborne navies of the Eldorai in the form of torpedos, and so Tegaea decided to adapt it for space.
The basic theory of this weapon, its greatest strength and weakness, was to combine all of a bomber’s ordinance into a single weapon. Thus, if this weapon hit home, it would do an exceptional amount of damage. If it missed or was shot down etc the bomber’s efforts would have been wasted and they would have to be rearmed before they could be used again.
The torpedo warhead also had some adjustments made. The nose of the warhead was designed to penetrate before exploding, the internal shaped charge directing all the energy inwards. Against shields this was only modestly effective, but against unshielded targets the effect could be utterly devastating as the explosive potential of the warhead is projected forward with horrific effect. Effectively the Skybreaker becomes a gigantic APE bolter round.
The Skybreaker does contain one other critical weakness though. The weight of the torpedo and the heavy firing mount on the bottom of the bomber slows the bomber carrying it down and makes it more cumbersome. Firing the torpedo alleviates some of these problems, but not completely, so for this reason all bombers have an emergency disconnect which frees the torpedo launcher from the craft.
For aiming, the Skybreaker can be fired blindly or without lock. This is naturally wildly inaccurate at times, but is often used at point-blank range or against immobile targets. The Skybreaker can also be ‘locked-on’, a process taking 3-5 seconds where the bomber must travel in practically a straight line. This lock-on can happen once the bomber enters capital ship range, and can clearly see and mark its position. Once locked the torpedo can make minor deviations, but is useless against anything smaller than a cruiser. Capital ships do not move quickly enough to avoid a lock-on, so must use other means to defend itself. Frigates and corvettes move too quickly, so unless stationary the lock-on will not be able to target them.
In summary, the Skybreaker is a gamble. Can the slower and encumbered bomber use its one shot munition to hit before being swarmed by interceptors? Can the torpedo survive its passage through point defence batteries and open space to reach the target?
If it can, the payoff can be substantial. If not, the bomber has no backup and must return to base or carrier for rearming.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Image Source: http://www.wcnews.com/newestshots/full/torpedo.png
Torpedo from Wing Commander series, unknown artist.
Intent: To create a new variation on missiles and ship carried weapons in Star Wars naval combat. This writer, highly influenced by historical naval warfare, looks to the Pacific Theatre of WWII to find a way to put the lethal naval torpedos into this setting.
The intent of this weapon overall is to create a way of bolstering the power of bombers, but defining clear weaknesses to make this a trade-off rather than an automatic selection.
It is also intended to be a sale item for Firemane to help it advance in tier.
Development Thread: If needed, though this submission: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/29992-rst-b1-weapon-system/ which is similar did not require one.
Manufacturer: Firemane Industries and Technology
Model: Skybreaker MkI Torpedo
Affiliation: Firemane, Kaeshana Confederation, buyers
Modularity: No.
Production: Minor.
Material: Standard missile components.
Classification: Naval torpedo.
Size: Starfighter mounted.
Length: 5 metres.
Weight: 1250kg.
Ammunition Type: Ion drive with 5 minutes of fuel.
Ammunition Capacity: Single shot, carried in a launcher.
Effective Range: Technically unlimited as once the ion drive runs out of fuel the torpedo will continue to move until interrupted. Effectively, Starfighter range, can be used at capital ship ranges with greatly reduced effectiveness.
Rate of Fire: Single shot
Special Features:
- Replaces all ordinance on a bomber.
- Single shot – bomber needs to reload after firing.
- Moderately effective against shields, devastating against unshielded targets.
- Slows bomber using it and makes it more cumbersome.
- Torpedo has limited guidance and is able to lock on to slower ships.
In all eras there are periods in warfare where either offense or defence are ahead of the other. In the case of Star Wars naval warfare the edge often tilts towards a defending ship, which can use its shields and guns to defend itself. Against bombers, often those Starfighters lack the payload to cause serious enough damage in a short amount of time to be truly effective.
Thus Firemane decided to see if changes could be made to the basic weapons on the bomber. One area clearly lacking according to Tegaea was a powerful munition able to cause devastating damage on a hit. Such a thing had been developed by the waterborne navies of the Eldorai in the form of torpedos, and so Tegaea decided to adapt it for space.
The basic theory of this weapon, its greatest strength and weakness, was to combine all of a bomber’s ordinance into a single weapon. Thus, if this weapon hit home, it would do an exceptional amount of damage. If it missed or was shot down etc the bomber’s efforts would have been wasted and they would have to be rearmed before they could be used again.
The torpedo warhead also had some adjustments made. The nose of the warhead was designed to penetrate before exploding, the internal shaped charge directing all the energy inwards. Against shields this was only modestly effective, but against unshielded targets the effect could be utterly devastating as the explosive potential of the warhead is projected forward with horrific effect. Effectively the Skybreaker becomes a gigantic APE bolter round.
The Skybreaker does contain one other critical weakness though. The weight of the torpedo and the heavy firing mount on the bottom of the bomber slows the bomber carrying it down and makes it more cumbersome. Firing the torpedo alleviates some of these problems, but not completely, so for this reason all bombers have an emergency disconnect which frees the torpedo launcher from the craft.
For aiming, the Skybreaker can be fired blindly or without lock. This is naturally wildly inaccurate at times, but is often used at point-blank range or against immobile targets. The Skybreaker can also be ‘locked-on’, a process taking 3-5 seconds where the bomber must travel in practically a straight line. This lock-on can happen once the bomber enters capital ship range, and can clearly see and mark its position. Once locked the torpedo can make minor deviations, but is useless against anything smaller than a cruiser. Capital ships do not move quickly enough to avoid a lock-on, so must use other means to defend itself. Frigates and corvettes move too quickly, so unless stationary the lock-on will not be able to target them.
In summary, the Skybreaker is a gamble. Can the slower and encumbered bomber use its one shot munition to hit before being swarmed by interceptors? Can the torpedo survive its passage through point defence batteries and open space to reach the target?
If it can, the payoff can be substantial. If not, the bomber has no backup and must return to base or carrier for rearming.
Strengths:
- Heavy Payload. The substantial yield of the Skybreaker can cause formidable damage if it hits home, especially on unshielded targets.
- Long Range. The torpedo can be locked on and fired at quite long ranges, or at very short ranges. This often allows the bomber to unleash a volley unexpectedly from ambush or to punish an enemy which has their interceptors out of position.
- Guided Warhead. The torpedo can track capital ships and other slow craft, and is especially good against space stations, transports and ships with lesser shields.
Weaknesses:
- One Chance. The Skybreaker replaces all the munitions a bomber would otherwise have. Thus, if this one shot misses the bomber is useless until it is rearmed.
- Slowdown. The torpedo and the launcher’s weight increase the ship’s speed rating by +2 and manoeuvrability by +2 (i.e. it makes it slower and less agile). Once the torpedo is fired this is changed to +1/+1 unless the launcher is detached.
- Straight and Narrow. To lock-on the bomber needs to stay on a nearly straight heading for several seconds. Interceptors can use this opportunity to attack their vulnerable enemy.
- Defences. Point defence batteries as well as ion pulses are effective at disabling or destroying the Skybreaker if they can hit it.
- The Perfect Moment. Coordinating the torpedo strike at the exact moment the enemy’s interceptors are gone, its shields damaged or down and the bombers in position is extremely hard. This is a difficult weapon to use perfectly, and sometimes just a bit of luck is needed.
- Powder Keg. Carrying such a massive munition can make even the steadiest pilot nervous. If under attack, pilots will often fire off their torpedos early, detach the launchers and attempt to get away rather than having a stray shot set off the massive warhead they are carrying….
