So I'm deciding against the Triumph, despite it actually being a fairly solid dropship. The Ugrade didn't get much of an improvement and it's weapons and heat sinks are just too expensive to refit properly. Anyway, I figured out my force expansion, the size I want it to be, and then figured out what I need to fit it all together in a nice little package....or well 3 packages. Since we're affiliated with the CCAF, we have access to their faction specific gear, including dropships. Anyway, here's the Achilles CV refit I'm planning. Since my Aerospace assets are arranged in triples, not pairs, the Achilles will have 3 ASF bays, which will answer the inevitable question of why do you have 3 fighter bays in there.
Anyway, here goes. First off is addition through subtraction. To reduce ammo dependancy and gain better heat maintenance/neutrality the ACs are removed and one of the small craft bays is transformed into a fighter bay:
Remove the RW/LR AC20s = 28 tons
Remove the RW/LR Aft AC10s = 24 tons
Remove the Aft AC20s = 14 tons
Remove AC ammo = 12 tons
Remove Aft LRM 10, Arty, Ammo = 7 tons
Swap 1 Small Craft Bays for 1 Fighter Bays = +50 Tons
= 185 tons + 72 tons of Cargo = 257
To beef up the defenses, maximizing armor and adding AMSs were the order of the day. Additionally, some extra range support was need to protect the Aft.
Add 18 tons of Std. Armor = -18 tons
Add 18 AMS and 16 tons of ammo = -25 tons
Add 2 LRM 20, Artemis, 4 tons of Ammo to Aft = -26 tons
Add 18 DHS = -18 tons
= 87 tons used
= 170 tons remaining of the Cargo bay
This is just the preliminary refit to make it useable in my campaign play. Thinking about upping the AMS to a nice round 30, giving 5 AMS's for each facing at the mere cost of 6 more tons. Gives the ability to knock off Arrow IV Air to Air Missiles then, as 3 per facing will only give it a penalty to hit you. Full armor replacement for Ferro-Aluminum would be ideal, but unrealistic as the expenses would be basically unjustified. So maybe going 30 AMS with 20 tons of AMS ammo would give you 45 tons to keep you well defended against anything but the largest sub cap missiles and cap missiles, and even then, improved odds of not getting decimated.
The plan would be to keep 1 NL-42 Battle Taxi in the small craft bay, for those just in case situation when you might need to board something. Alternatively, if I get my hands on some subcap weaponry, it can be stripped out and replaced to make the Achilles a fast orbital support ship, along with a triple of Sparrowhawks to kill off any interceptors that might seek to harrass it.
