Standard Military Railgun Corvette (SMIRC) - Standard fleet corvette for system defense.

PROPULSION SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Military Impulse - Standard acceleration and handling
ARMOR & HULL: Tier 2 Durasteel - Standard military plating
WEAPON SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Railguns - Standard military issue
SHIELD SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Plasmatic Shields - Basic bubble, low capacity
SENSOR & TARGETING: Tier 2 Active Suite - Standard lock-on range/speed

Cost: 1 million credits


Vulcan-MkII Gunship
Well-rounded combat vessel with balanced capabilities

ARMOR & HULL: Tier 3 Ablative Ceramic - Excellent protection against energy weapons
WEAPON SYSTEMS: Tier 3 Plasma Launchers - Area effect damage over time
PROPULSION SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Military Impulse - Standard acceleration and handling
SENSOR & TARGETING: Tier 2 Active Suite - Standard lock-on range/speed
SHIELD SYSTEMS: Tier 1 Navigational Deflectors - No combat protection

Cost: 2.5 million credits

Vulcan-Alpha Heavy Assault Ship
Experimental platform using salvaged alien gravitic technology

WEAPON SYSTEMS: Tier 4 Graviton Cannon - Alien-derived weapon that damages targets and disrupts their movement
ARMOR & HULL: Tier 3 Ablative Ceramic - Excellent protection against energy weapons
PROPULSION SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Military Impulse - Standard acceleration and handling
SHIELD SYSTEMS: Tier 1 Navigational Deflectors - No combat protection
SENSOR & TARGETING: Tier 1 Basic Sensors - Short range, easily fooled

Cost: 5 million credits

Note: The Vulcan-Alpha's Graviton Cannon represents reverse-engineered alien technology, providing capabilities beyond standard human engineering but requiring massive power allocation that limits other systems.

Spectre-class Interceptor
Ultra-maneuverable strike craft built for hit-and-run operations with alien propulsion tech.

PROPULSION SYSTEMS: Tier 4 Gravitic Impellers - Inertia negation, rapid direction changes
WEAPON SYSTEMS: Tier 3 Plasma Launchers - Area effect damage over time
SENSOR & TARGETING: Tier 2 Active Suite - Standard lock-on range/speed
ARMOR & HULL: Tier 1 Plasteel - Minimal protection, fails under direct fire
SHIELD SYSTEMS: Tier 1 Navigational Deflectors - No combat protection

Cost: 5 million credits

Whisper-class Electronic Warfare Probe
Specialized sensor platform for reconnaissance and electronic warfare

SENSOR & TARGETING: Tier 3 Multi-Spectral - Jamming resistance, faster locks
PROPULSION SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Military Impulse - Standard acceleration and handling
WEAPON SYSTEMS: Tier 1 Light Mass Drivers - Pop guns, minimal threat
ARMOR & HULL: Tier 1 Plasteel - Minimal protection, fails under direct fire
SHIELD SYSTEMS: Tier 1 Navigational Deflectors - No combat protection

Cost: 0.5 million credits

Note: The Whisper is a dedicated EWAR platform that provides critical battlefield intelligence at half the cost of a standard corvette, making it an exceptional value for fleet commanders needing sensor superiority.

>>6321999

Lets take a Vulcan-Alpha, 2 SMIRCS, a Vulcan-MKII and a Whisper probe

The Vulcan- Alpha will be the flagship of course

>>6321999
>4 SMIRC
>Spectre-class Interceptor
>2 Whisper Probe

Several SMIRCs for generalist horde, Whisper Probes for information and a Spectre for slowing things down enough for the masses to reach them.

SMIRCS also have higher tier shields than Vulcan-MkII

>>6322095
Support

>>6322017
Supporting this. We can grab them with the Vulcan Alpha then smack em with the SMIRCS and VLCN II.

just to be contrarian
7 SMIRCs
1 Vulcan mkII
1 Whisper

we are on convoy duty
4 SMIRCs will run close defense for the convoy
3 more SMIRCs plus the Vulcan will be our QRF, running under EMCON on a parallel course
the Whisper will range ahead and give us early warning

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6322017 1
>>6322095 2


We got a tie.

Rolling 1d2 to resolve.

>>6322255


You selected:

4 SMIRC
1 Spectre-class Interceptor
2 Whisper Probe

You go meet the team in the briefing room. Six corvette captains and their seconds in command, plus over eight hundred trained crew members.

How do you choose to address them?

> "You are not here to ask why. You are here to execute."
Discipline and combat efficiency improves Fleet Strength by +10. Each time you lose morale, you lose an extra 10 morale (what increases chance of mutiny).

> "Look around you. This is your team. Your survival depends on the person next to you."
Cohesion and mutual loyalty increase morale gains by +10 each time you gain morale. Fleet Strength degrades by -10 due to instincts overriding tactical discipline.

> "We have a specific toolset for a specific problem. Let me show you how the pieces fit."
Perfect understanding of the equiment increases Sensor Strength by +20. Clinical approach leaves little room for rousing speeches and Morale increases at only 50% efficiency.

> "Command expects a standard outcome. We are going to give them an extraordinary one."
Meme magic makes any of your Dubs count as a critical hit somehow, doubling the value rolled or considering it a 100, whatever is better. However, penalties from failed rolls increase 50% (morale loss, damage taken, etc) due to ridiculous risks and pressure.

> "I will not lie to you. This will be difficult, and some of us will not be returning."
The grim reality makes the crew prepared for losses. Morale degrades 50% slower. It starts 20 points lower though.

> Write in

>>6322267


COMBAT SYSTEM
Your Base Fleet Strength is 71 (4 SMIRCS 40, 1 Spectre 17, 2 Whispers 14)

Your Base Fleet Morale is 90 (largely arbitrary)
Your Base Fleet Sensor Strength is 60 (40+20 from Whispers. If one whisper is destroyed, it falls to 40+10. If both whispers are destroyed it falls to 20+10. It is always the highest ship plus half the second highest ship Sensor strength. Sensor Strength usually doubles with each tier.)

In combat you roll 6d100.

The first dice is the Sensor Phase. If it is lower than your sensor phase, you get one extra dice in the attack phase. If it is lower by more than 100, the excess is added to the extra combat roll.

The second dice is the Morale Phase. If it is lower than your morale, you lose the difference, and the value you lost is added on one of the rolls of the combat phase, depending on your strategy. If it is higher than your morale, your morale climbs to the value you rolled. If you roll 1, or the morale goes to zero or negative somehow, the crew mutinies and all your dice rolls this turn are halved.

The three (or four if you succeed the sensor roll) following dice are the Combat Phase. Each roll is compared with a DC. When you win, you inflict the difference as damage to the enemy Fleet Strength. The regular DC is 50, but can be modified by various factors, the most common being if you are outnumbered, the enemy has better tech or environmental hazards.

After the roll, there is a Damage Assessment phase where the stats are recalculated and new orders are issued.

(subject to change later, if proves too clunky)

>>6322267
>"Command expects a standard outcome. We are going to give them an extraordinary one."

Did somebody say insane-o ace pilot maneuvers that will either crash and burn or absolutely obliterate others?

>>6322267
> "Command expects a standard outcome. We are going to give them an extraordinary one."
Funny

>>6322267
> "Command expects a standard outcome. We are going to give them an extraordinary one."
I can't believe they put every single loose cannon in the navy into this single fleet...Almost as if the Navy was run by a loose cannon.

Captain Tyler

>>6322267
> "Command expects a standard outcome. We are going to give them an extraordinary one."

>>6322348
>>6322381
>>6322388
>>6322390


"Command," you begin, the word laced with a subtle edge, "looked at these schematics. They ran the numbers. They saw four standard corvettes, a fast interceptor with no armor, and a couple of sensor pods. And they calculated a standard outcome. A holding action. A delaying tactic. A statistically acceptable loss."

You can notice everybody's eyes widen.

"The enemy will be expecting a standard fleet doctrine. They will have prepared for a standard engagement. They are looking for a hammer. We are not a hammer. We are a precision-guided paradox. We will be where they aren't looking, we will hit what they thought was safe, and we will vanish before they can muster a response."

You let a hard smile touch your lips.

"Command expects a standard outcome. But we are not a standard fleet. We are a question they never thought to ask, and we are going to give them an extraordinary answer. Let's go make them rewrite their manuals."

***

The vector to the rendezvous point is clear - getting there was never the problem. During the two weeks trip your instruments only detected a civilian pleasure craft drifting slowly and an old courier with the transponder suspiciously offline.

You hailed the courier, but they did not answer nor turned on the transponder. You detached one Whisper ship to investigate it. The ship has a shielded cargo compartment, and the Whisper couldn't ascertain its contents. Its capabilities are tier 3 propulsion, one tier 2 laser on a 360 degree mount, tier 2 armor. No shield, it is an old design, it uses the laser to shoot debris on its path.

"Clearly a smuggler, sir. Probably carrying something illegal."

> Engage the smuggler with your Spectre
> Contact Sector Patrol and report the suspicious activity
> Ignore, continue the mission
> Write in

The civilian pleasure craft is some kind of huge space brothel. Their transponder categorizes them as a Class IV Entertainment Ship, what should designate a Casino. It is absolutely trivial to dock there, although they are unlikely to have military grade supplies. The sensors detect a barely functional chemical drive (tier 0, the bare minimum to move at all), but a surprisingly advanced communications array for civilians (tier 2, must have been expensive), and a big laser (tier 2). They most definitely aren't looking to be anywhere in particular with any level of hurry, but they might be able to shoot down an incoming asteroid. Or a small ship.

"There is no reason to dock at the brothel, sir... unless you want to."

> Hail the civilian pleasure craft
> Dock at the civilian pleasure craft
> Ignore, continue the mission
> Write in

>>6322489
> Ignore, continue the mission

Not our job.

> Ignore, continue the mission


Our crew can get some strange. After the mission.

>>6322489
>Contact Sector Patrol and report the suspicious activity
> Ignore, continue the mission

>>6322489
> Engage the smuggler with your Spectre
Loot.

> Ignore, continue the mission

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>6322491
>>6322512
>>6322526


1- ignore
2 - contact
3 - engage

>>6322695


Deciding that smugglers and brothels are none of your business, you order the fleet to push through towards your destination.

You arrive ahead of schedule! Colonel Frank commends you for your speed.

"Well done, Captain! You made it here in once piece! I trust you didn't have much trouble out in the lanes. I will show you the ropes."

Colonel Frank explain how the mining operation works, and how his fleet of ten ships keeps pirates at bay. Very rarely are there any attacks on the mining ships themselves, because retribution is certain.


But when they compressed ore needs to be hauled, that's another matter entirely.

"They have about 400 million credits worth of ore to be hauled, once they hit 500 million they are going to send five ore transport ships each carrying roughly 100 million credits worth of ore each. Once the ore is refined, its value can climb ten times, sometimes more. But the ore is only worth that much at the refinery. In here, it is essentially worthless, there is a nearly limitless amount of ore to be had in the belts."

"It is a routine mission, but one that is rather critical. The sad reality is that losing one or two mineral ships is acceptable - the mineral ships themselves cost only a couple million each, and we have lots of them. If you manage to escort them all safely to the refinery, I'll personally write a recommendation letter for high command."

You stay overseeing the mining operations for awhile, getting to know the miners, the foreman, the civilian ore transport captain and the ore transport crew.

"Insurance is crazy in this line of work.", says the captain. "They don't insure the ore at all so as to not be scammed. They just insure the ship and personnel losses. If these crewmen die, their families will be set up for life. So most of them aren't very worried. The reason most come to mine in the front is to send money back planetside. We all get a huge bonus if the ore reaches the refinery, so everyone is counting on you."


ORE Transport Ship specs:

SHIELD SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Plasmatic Shields - Basic bubble, low capacity
ARMOR & HULL: Tier 2 Durasteel - Standard military plating
PROPULSION SYSTEMS: Tier 2 Military Impulse - Standard acceleration and handling
SENSOR & TARGETING: Tier 1 Basic Sensors - Short range, easily fooled
WEAPON SYSTEM: Tier 0 Flare Gun - cause no real damage might fool old missiles and outdated sensors
CARGOHOLD: Ore Transport Bay Tier 2 - capable of carrying a large amount of high value ore

The day of departure arrives and you make the last minute decision of what route are you going to take.

> Direct route. Shortest, but predictable, most likely to encounter hostiles.
> Sling maneuver around Gas Giant: you can get some serious acceleration doing this, but takes the longest time as you're going in the opposite direction at first
> Stay in the belts as long as possible. Take a transversal route throughout the belts then burn most of the fuel on an unexpected vector.
> Write in

>>6322699
> Sling maneuver around Gas Giant: you can get some serious acceleration doing this, but takes the longest time as you're going in the opposite direction at first

>>6322699
>> Sling maneuver around Gas Giant: you can get some serious acceleration doing this, but takes the longest time as you're going in the opposite direction at first

Rolled 88, 58, 10, 98, 27, 70 = 351 (6d100)

>>6322743
>>6322771


You decide to take a very unorthodox route - you do a sling maneuver around a Gas giant.

It takes a very long time, but you don't find any pirates at all.

However, when you are right behind the gas giant and lose signal from the asteroid belt, your sensors pick something weird approaching FAST.

"Sir! I think... I think it is a K'tharr vessel!"

"Check against the database, all sensor power on it, we need to know what we are up against."

After several minutes of analysis, an answer about the capabilities of the enemy vessel is compiled.

K'thar Scout - Frigate Class

PROPULSION Tier 4: Gravitic Impellers - Inertia negation, rapid direction changes
ARMOR & HULL Tier 4: Nanotech Weave - Active self-repair during combat
WEAPON SYSTEMS Tier 4: Graviton Cannon - Damage plus movement disruption
SHIELD SYSTEM Tier 4: Redundant Grid - Multiple layers, no downtime
SENSOR & TARGETTING Tier 4: Targeting Computer - Accuracy bonus to weapons
CLOAKING DEVICE Tier 1: A basic cloaking device that only works when your ship is standing still

Enemy Fleet Strength: 90
Enemy Morale: 100
Enemy Sensor Strength: 80

How are you going to deal with the enemy?
> Dogfight it with the Spectre, try to slow it down so the rest of the fleet can catch up (first roll bonused)
> Burn away from it full speed and when it gets close do a full reversal to catch it off guard (second roll bonused)
> Burn straight towards it with the entire fleet, it will probably break charge and do evasive maneuvers (third roll bonused)
> Write in


Choose strategy and roll 6d100. DC 40 for you (outnumber the enemy)

On the first phase of the engagement, the enemy is Charging towards you. The first roll is bonused. DC 50 for the enemy (outnumbered but superior tech)

>>6322808


no sensor bonus shot

+42 morale bonus to attack, morale drops to 58

2 damage from first charge.

48 follow up damage upon contact.

third roll miss.

fourth roll ignored.

I wonder how well you will roll.

Rolled 54, 23, 52, 86, 74, 63 = 352 (6d100)

>>6322808
> Dogfight it with the Spectre, try to slow it down so the rest of the fleet can catch up (first roll bonused)

KILL

>>6322814


you got the extra sensor roll

You got +67 from morale. However, since you get +50% penalty on bad outcomes, your morale instead of dropping to 23, dropped to a staggering -10. The crew upon seeing the alien vessel mutinies, and all your rolls for this turn are halved!


52/2 = 26 + 67 = 53 damage

86/2 = 43 = 3 damage

74/2 = 37 = miss

63/2 = 31 = miss

Rolled 3, 34, 19, 4, 35, 13, 22, 21, 6, 23, 4, 23, 11 = 218 (13d35)

>>6322813

Now let's roll to see where the 50 damage from the enemy went.

You have 35 potential targets!
shields, propulsion, weapons, sensors and armo/hull of each of the 7 ships

If you hit shields, it soaks damage up to the tier limit
If you hit propulsion, it avoids damage up to the tier limit

any damage not soaked goes to armor/hull

if armor/hull goes to zero, the ship explodes

Enemy gun is tier 4 so each shot will deal 4 levels of damage, for a total of 13 shots (the first one deals 2 damage)

Rolling 13d35

Rolled 3, 2, 3, 5, 5, 3, 5, 4, 2, 1, 5, 3, 2, 1, 4, 4, 1, 4, 3, 5, 3, 5, 4, 3, 5 = 85 (25d5)

Now let's see where you 56 damage went.

You have only 5 targets.

shields, propulsion, weapons, sensors and armo/hull

Your have 5 guns, one tier 3 and 4 tier 2. We will cycle through these. So it will be 5 volleys of 5 shots, plus one grazing shot of 1 damage. for a total of 26 shots.

You have to overwhelm enemy's advanced tier 4 propulsion and shields.

So all damage is ignored until you hit propulsion and shields for 4 damage each. (rolls of 1 and 2)

Rolling 26d5

>>6322818
>>6322824


First enemy shot would hit weapons, but Spectre's advanced propulsion soaks it.

First Spectre's shot degrades enemy propulsion "shield" by 3 points. 1 point left.

*

Second enemy shot hits a Whisper probe. Propulsion soaks 2 damage, Whisper 2 sensors damaged (1/3)

3rd 4th of your shots miss

*

third enemy shot hits SMIRC 4 sensors. Propulsion soaks 2 damage, Shields soak 2 damage. Sensors not damaged, but shields down. Will not become operational again this turn.

5th and 6th shots miss

*

Fourth enemy shot hits Spectre's Sensors. Propulsion soaks 1 damage. Sensors hit for 3 damage. Sensors explode. Armor pierced. Hull exposed. Crew doing damage control.

7th 8th shot miss

*

Fifth enemy shot hits Whisper 2 hull. Whisper 2 explodes, killing all the crew.

9th shot is by SMIRC 4. It degrades enemy shield by 2. 2 left

10th shot is by Spectre. It degrades enemy propulsion shield by 3. there was only 1 left, so the rest goes into shield. Shield is down. It WILL be up again this turn, giving only a small window for hitting the enemy.

*

Sixth enemy shot hits SMIRC 2 weapons. Propulsion and shield soak it. Shields down for this turn.

11th shot hits enemy armor. by SMIRC 1. Deals 2 damage. Armor immediately self repairs one point. (1/4 damage)

12th shot hits enemy weapons. by SMIRC 2. Deals 2 damage. Enemy weapons still operational (2/4 damage)

*

Enemy SHIELDS back up!

*

Seventh enemy shot hits SMIRC 4. It bursts through SMIRC 4 downed shield into its propulsion. 4 damage. Reactor explodes! Most crew dead.

13th shot hits enemy propulsion! soaked by shield

14th shot hits enemy shields! shields down! small window of opportunity to shoot enemy before shields go back up!

*

Eighth enemy shot hits SMIRC 4 derelict husk in space. The hull explodes. All crew dies. What a jerk this alien!

15th hits sensors. It was Spectre! 3 damage.

16th shot also hits sensors. It was SMIRC 1. 2 damage.

Enemy sensor unit destroyed! It is flying blind! Armor damaged, but it regenerates. (1/4 damage).

*

ENEMY SHIELD BACK UP

Enemy miss, sensor blind. (!!!) Time to fix sensors - not until next turn. (!!!) Chance!

damage to shield, then another shot on the sensor's mount - further degrading enemy armor (2/4 damage)

Another shot on the enemy guns, rendering them unoperational! (!!!). Enemy starts doing evasive maneuvers, but it is flying blind.

*

ENEMY SHIELD BACK UP!

You don't manage to bring the enemy shield offline again.

*

Battle results: Enemy Weapons destroyed, enemy Sensors destroyed. Time until fixed: 3 combat turns.

Whisper 2 destroyed.

SMIRC 4 destroyed.

Spectre's Sensors destroyed.

Enemy turns on its propulsion system and flies away as fast as possible!

> Screw sensors, we'll manually target our guns! Send the Spectre to catch the enemy ship (it is the only ship fast enough)
> Continue on your mission, the enemy vessel will never be able to catch up with you again after you finish the maneuver
> Write in

>>6322824
> Screw sensors, we'll manually target our guns! Send the Spectre to catch the enemy ship (it is the only ship fast enough)

Rolled 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 1, 3, 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1 = 52 (25d3)

>>6322892

I don't really want to roll another battle like this for such a small encounter, so let's do a simplified roll.

I am rolling:

25d3

You're targetting:

(1) shields, (2) propulsion and (3) armo/hull

If you roll two 1s in a roll, the subsequent 3 shots hit. Each area of the enemy has 4 hp and you deal 3 damage, so if in these three valid shots you roll the same number twice, you degrade an enemy system enough to ease the pursuit and so you'll be able to stop the enemy ship from fleeing

If you don't roll the required rolls (two 1s and then any repeating within 3), the enemy escapes.

I am pretty sure these are fairly decent odds. Let's see.

>>6322900


Though you pursue the enemy ship for a very long time, eventually they get an extra impulse and leave you behind - they might have rerouted power or used some other artifice to evade capture.

You return to the fleet empty handed.

They ran a check on the blown up vessels.

The SMIRC is fucked up beyond repair, but the Whisper could be fixed, given a skeleton crew and made to limp along the fleet - if you bother to take the time to do the repairs. It won't contribute sensor strength though, as its sensors are busted.

> Abandon the broken Whisper
> Patch the Whisper up and bring it with you
> Write in

>>6322905
> Patch the Whisper up and bring it with you
money is money

>>6322907

You dock on the derelict and your crew spends several hours patching up the Whisper. Once its reactor hums back to life, it gets up to speed with the rest of the fleet.

"The Whisper sensor array was busted, but the reactor was barely scratched and almost operational. We fixed it and it should keep up with the fleet."

You continue on your merry way! You gain a lot of acceleration with the Sling Maneuver.

You then zip past what you think was some kind of ambush, but you're going too fast for it to matter.

As you approach the refinery, you give order for all vessels to slow down. The brake propulsors are engaged in all vessels and you slow to a stop by the refinery. Massive arrays of antiship guns protect the facility, which is a critical infrastructure in this sector.

"You made it! Congratulation, Captain!", says the refinery foreman over the comms.

"We met a K'tharr behind the Gas Giant. Almost bagged it too. But it was too fast."

"Yeah, that they are. The first few captains that killed K'thar ships to salvage components had an awful bad time."

You use the refinery's encrypted secure tachyon comms to send a message to high command.

"That's grave news. They're probing this sector. We'll mobilize the Garrand Fleet to secure the region. Come back to EASY to get that Whisper repaired, and we'll designate another mission for you in this sector. Or, if you feel prepared to go to the front, wait where you are and meet Admiral Garrand for instructions. Report back in six weeks."

> Return to EASY
> Wait for Admiral Garrand
> Go check that brothel
> Write in

>>6322925
> Wait for Admiral Garrand

>>6322925
>Send the busted Whisper to EASY.
>Go check that brothel, the crew needs a morale boost
>Meet admiral Garrand

>>6322925
> Go check that brothel