OBT Forum

OVERVIEW

In 3001, the Khans of Clan Goliath Scorpion began negotiations with Clan Snow Raven to resurrect an assault DropShip design that had served the SLDF well.  This design--the Pentagon--had always been few in numbers with not many surviving the Liberation of Terra, the Exodus, and the resulting Civil War . . . not to mention Operation Klondike.

The handful of these ships that remained were in sad states of repair and while most Clans favored simply replacing them with lighter, more modern designs, the Scorpion leadership in particular considered that a travesty.  Having served Aleksandr Kerensky so well, they viewed retiring these ships as a blatant insult to the history of the Clans.

But the experience with the introduction of the Scorpion-class Troop Carrier DropShip convinced the Khans that they needed Raven expertise (and yards) to build such a design.

The Ravens were initially skeptical, but after viewing the preliminary concepts begun by the Scorpions, their opinion slowly changed.  This new Pentagon-C (which the Scorpions had designated as the Warden-class) offered extraordinary firepower, armor, and thrust on a hull no larger than that of the SLDF Pentagon.

Over the next three years, concepts were studied, a design was finalized, construction begun, and late in 3003, the prototype Warden was launched.

And with her a new era in Clan history began.

CAPABILITIES

At 4,000 tons displacement, the Warden matches the old Pentagon-class not just in mass, but also in dimensions.  Externally, the two designs are nearly identical, the only difference being the addition of more weapon turrets on the Clan Warden.

But internally, the systems were completely different.  A larger, more powerful engine was added, enabling the Warden to accelerate at a safe thrust of 4-G's and the design proved able to achieve 6-G's on maximum overthrust!  89.5 tons of ferro-aluminum armor provided more than a 16% increase in overall protective plating and the structure was reinforced as well.

332 tons of fuel allowed for 180 days of cruising at 1-G of acceleration; likewise the design incorporated sufficient provisions, water, and life support to last its 25 man crew for 180 days.  Five escape pods were fitted to the design as well, while the new Assault DropShip carried 100 tons of spare parts and had available a further 56 tons for general supplies and cargo.

The heaviest weaponry was concentrated in the nose, but the remaining arcs of fire were not neglected.  Each side arc and the stern mounted three ER Large Lasers, two ER PPCs, two Gauss Rifles (with 60 shots apiece), one Ultra AC-20 autocannon (with 120 bursts of fire), and four ER Medium Lasers.  This amount of firepower would have been considered more than enough for most vessels . . . but it did not even include the nose arc.

The nose carried six ER Large Lasers, four ER PPCs, four Gauss Rifles (each with 60 shots), two Ultra AC-20 autocannons (each with 120 bursts of fire), and eight ER Medium Lasers.  The sheer carnage a Warden could cause in its frontal arc was a threat even to WarShips, let alone DropShips or fighters!

Making the threat posed by this Assault DropShip even worse, the Ravens and Scorpions mounted redundant cooling and power systems that allowed for the simultaneous firing of every gun on the vessel without generating any excess overheat or straining the power grid.

The initial space trials of SRDS (Snow Raven DropShip) Warden not only met all expectations, but exceeded them!  The Ravens immediately put the design into full production . . . not only for themselves and the Scorpions, but available for sale to other Clans.  For a price.  Because these DropShips were expensive, not merely to own, but also to maintain.

Still, by 3048 the Warden (a name that the Crusader faction despised and one that they simply would not accept; calling the design the Pentagon-C instead!) was one of the most common Clan Assault DropShips seeing service in the Touman of every single Clan of Kerensky.

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Warden
Tech:              Clan / 3050
Vessel Type:       Spheroid DropShip
Rules:             Level 2, Custom design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              4,000 tons
Length:            82 meters
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       8
Maximum Thrust:    12
Armor Type:        Ferro-aluminum
Armament:         
   21 ER Large Laser
   14 ER PPC
   14 Gauss Rifle
    7 Ultra AC/20
   28 ER Medium Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Warden
Mass:              4,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        1,952.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 8
      Maximum Thrust: 12
Structural Integrity: 25                                               200.00
Total Heat Sinks:    357 Double                                        242.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     339.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 30.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                 26.00
Food & Water:  (180 days supply)                                        22.50
Armor Type:  Ferro-aluminum  (2,248 total armor pts)                    89.50
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                585
   Left/Right Sides:                 585/585
   Aft:                                 493

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1) with 2 doors                                       56.00

Escape Pods:  5 (7 tons each)                                           35.00

Crew and Passengers:
      4 Officers (4 minimum)                                            40.00
      7 Crew (1 minimum)                                                49.00
     14 Gunners (14 minimum)                                            98.00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 ER Large Laser           Nose     6(60)  6(60)  6(60)  6(60)   72     24.00
4 ER PPC                   Nose     6(60)  6(60)  6(60)     --   60     24.00
4 Gauss Rifle(240 rounds)  Nose     6(60)  6(60)  6(60)     --    4     78.00
2 Ultra AC/20(240 rounds)  Nose     6(60)  6(60)     --     --   28     72.00
8 ER Medium Laser          Nose     6(56)  6(56)     --     --   40      8.00
3 ER Large Laser           FL/R     3(30)  3(30)  3(30)  3(30)   72     24.00
2 ER PPC                   FL/R     3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --   60     24.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds)  FL/R     3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --    4     78.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds)  FL/R     3(30)  3(30)     --     --   28     72.00
4 ER Medium Laser          FL/R     3(28)  3(28)     --     --   40      8.00
3 ER Large Laser           AL/R     3(30)  3(30)  3(30)  3(30)   72     24.00
2 ER PPC                   AL/R     3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --   60     24.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds)  AL/R     3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --    4     78.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds)  AL/R     3(30)  3(30)     --     --   28     72.00
4 ER Medium Laser          AL/R     3(28)  3(28)     --     --   40      8.00
3 ER Large Laser           Aft      3(30)  3(30)  3(30)  3(30)   36     12.00
2 ER PPC                   Aft      3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --   30     12.00
2 Gauss Rifle(120 rounds)  Aft      3(30)  3(30)  3(30)     --    2     39.00
1 Ultra AC/20(120 rounds)  Aft      3(30)  3(30)     --     --   14     36.00
4 ER Medium Laser          Aft      3(28)  3(28)     --     --   20      4.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (2.50%)                                              100.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 714       4,000.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        929,032,384 C-Bills
Battle Value:      39,793
Cost per BV:       23,346.63
Weapon Value:      26,479 (Ratio = .67)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 950;  MRV = 748;  LRV = 177;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 58,332
                   (20,391 Structure, 20,770 Life Support, 17,171 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 55,125  (95% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 8,  Armor/Structure: 38 / 37
                   Damage PB/M/L: 30/30/18,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DM;  Point Value: 398
                   Specials: sph