MEDIUM CAPITALS

Aegis-Class MkII Terran Battlecruiser

Once again proving their design prowess, Terran military engineers expanded on the highly successful Aegis-Class MkI hull configuration and scaled it up, achieving the exquisitely well-balanced Mk II Aegis-Class Terran Battlecruiser. Regarded by many as the “best in its class” among medium capitals, no other capital packs anywhere near the same power for the unobtanium and fabrication cost.

Using carefully guarded design efficiencies known only to members of the Terran Confederation, the Aegis MkII manages to compress the firepower of a full battlecruiser into the hull tonnage of a light capital. Careful retrofits expand and extend the MkI hull design, creating a sleek medium starship with superior armour and PDC protecting a robust suite of heavy weapons no enemy combatant dare ignore.

Able to fold 100 light-years in a standard week-cycle, it is faster than most ships of comparable design, able to hunt down weaker prey and evade most units that are stronger. Adding to the already formidable intrinsic capacities of the Aegis MkII, somehow the designers incorporated hanger and cargo facilities, allowing a fleet of Aegis battlecruisers to haul their own assault troops, alleviating the need for carrier drop-ships.

Given all the superb qualities of the design, one additional trait arguably surpasses them all: the hull of the MkII forms the retrofit scaffolding necessary to construct the infamous MkIII Terran Dreadnought, one of the most powerful interstellar capital ships in the galaxy.

The secrets of retrofitting the Aegis-Class MkII and MkIII are only known to Terran empires, though systems with production facilities already in place can be conquered and enslaved by other empires.

Rated equally for atmospheric or zero-G combat.
Fast interstellar speed.
Very Heavy hull plating and shields.
Medium cargo capacity.
Very Heavy average weapons.

Firepower: 21.6
AT#: 20
Accuracy: 70%
Collateral Damage: 0
Defence: 97
Speed: 100 LYW (light-years/week)
Lift: 120

**Upgrade from Aegis-Class MkI Terran Destroyer: Retrofit Rig Bandwidth: 450 FM
Retrofit Rig Max Queue: 5
PF Star-Up: 400 Unobtanium
Base Price: 100**

Caligula-Class Battlecruiser

Rated as a medium capital, the Caligula-Class battle cruiser does not sacrifice speed for power, keeping up with the fastest fleet carriers and drop ships. Often acting as the flagship of a squadron or larger formation, this battle cruiser is a specialized slugger built to hit hard and take as good as she gives.

Sleek and bristling with armaments, no tonnage is wasted on cargo, fighter bays or drop-ship hangers. As a pure fleet-escort cruiser every square meter is devoted to dealing and absorbing battle damage. From the extensive torpedo and missile silos, plasma cannon turrets, PDC, reactive armour plating and multiple redundant warp drive cores, the Caligula is designed to work in tandem with fleet carriers or drop-ships, bringing the “boom” from behind a screen of expendable pickets.

Fast interstellar speed.
Heavy hull plating and shields.
Heavy weapons.
Optimized for long range stand-off and orbital bombardment.
Zero cargo capacity.

Firepower >> 36.47
#AT >> 2038
Accuracy >> 70%
Collateral Damage >> 0
Defence >> 98
Speed >> 90 LYW (light-years/week)
Lift >> 0

Upgrade from Aegis-Class MkII Terran Battlecruiser:
Retrofit Rig Bandwidth >> 1000 fabrication module weeks
Retrofit Rig Max Queue >> 5
Production Facility Start-up Cost >> 1000 Unobtanium
Base Price >> 75

Excelsior-Class Command Cruiser

The MkI Aegis-class destroyer is a marvel of Terran efficiency. Rated as a medium capital, it has all the tools: good speed, heavy hull plating and shields, full weapons spread and a significant cargo hold for fighter bays, ground troops and drop-ships. All engineered around a light hull design that is efficient and cheap to produce.

The only real drawback to the class is that it is a victim of its own success: warlords, mercenary squadrons, pirates and corporate security all favour the Terran destroyer, frequently driving up the cost on the open market.

For Terran empires the class gets even better. The MkI design permits extensive retrofits of the hull for upgrade to the more powerful MkII Aegis-class battlecruiser. In turn the battlecruiser can receive retrofit into the mighty MkIII dreadnaught, one of the most powerful interstellar capital ships in the galaxy. The secrets of manufacturing effeciency for both the MkII and MkIII are only known to Terran empires, though systems that possess the technology can be conquered and enslaved by other empires.

Moderate interstellar speed.
Heavy hull plating and shields.
Medium cargo capacity.
Above average weapons.

Firepower >> 10.95
#AT >> 12
Accuracy >> 50%
Collateral Damage >> 0
Defence >> 95
Speed >> 90 LYW (light-years/week)
Lift >> 120
Sensor Range >> 1 light-year
Bandwidth >> 450 fabrication modules
Max Queue >> 5
Production Facility Start-up Cost >> 600 Unobtanium
Base Price >> 200

Marathon-Class Fleet Carrier

Moderate interstellar speed.
Heavy hull plating and shields.
Medium cargo capacity.
Above average weapons.

Xeon-Class MkIII Heavy Mecha

The MkI Aegis-class destroyer is a marvel of Terran efficiency. With the tonnage of a light warship it is never-the-less rated as a medium capital: good speed, heavy hull plating and shields, full weapons spread and a significant cargo hold for fighter bays, ground troops and drop-ships. All engineered around a light hull design that is efficient and cheap to produce.

For Terran empires the class gets even better. The MkI design permits extensive retrofits of the hull for upgrade to the more powerful MkII Aegis-class battlecruiser. In turn the battlecruiser can be retrofitted into the mighty MkIII dreadnaught, one of the most powerful interstellar capital ships in the galaxy. The secrets of retrofitting the MkII and MkIII are only known to Terran empires, though systems with production facilities already in place can be conquered and enslaved by other empires.

Rated equally for atmospheric or zero-G combat.
Ultra-fast interstellar speed.
Heavy hull plating and shields.
Zero cargo capacity.
Above average weapons.

Firepower >> 21.6
AT#  >>  20
Accuracy >> 70%
Collateral Damage >> 0
Defence >> 97
Speed >> 100 LYW (light-years/week)
Lift >> 120

Upgrade from Aegis-Class MkI Terran Destroyer:
Retrofit Rig Bandwidth >> 450 fabrication modules
Retrofit Rig Max Queue >> 5
Production Facility Cost >> 400 Unobtanium
Base Price >> 100

STATISTICS

RED = OFFENCE
GREEN = DEFENCE
BLUE = MOVEMENT
YELLOW = PRODUCTION
PURPLE = INTELLIGENCE

FIREPOWER

A rough numeric composite of the unit’s combined offensive and defensive values according to a precise formula. On average, a unit with higher firepower will typically be better, but there are many circumstantial exceptions to this. Firepower is just a rough guide.

ATTACK #

The number of attacks per round the unit gets. Each attack randomly targets a non-friendly unit present at the system.

ACCURACY

The % chance each attack has of being on target and “hitting” the target, forcing the target to deflect the attack or be destroyed.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

The number of production facilities destroyed by stray shots each attack.

DEFENCE

The % chance that each on-target “hit” is deflected by the defender. Deflected “hits” are nullified to no effect. “Hits” that beat the Defence rating of the target destroy the target, no matter the size. Even the largest and most heavily protected units have vulnerabilities (watch out for those thermal exhaust ports.)

The Defence rating functions similar to “armour,” but is an abstract aggregate of all defensive measures combined, including armour, shields, evasion, camoflague, dodge, jamming, spoofing, point-defence, prescience and foul-language.

SPEED

The number of Light Years a self-powered unit moves in a Standard Week.

Units with a zero Speed value have a negative Cargo Bulk value and must be carried to another star system by a fleet containing one or more units with a positive net Lift value.

CARGO BULK

The amount of Lift a unit requires to be transported from one star system to another. Cargo Bulk is always expressed as a negative number, while Lift is always expressed as a positive number.

A unit with Cargo Bulk has no Speed, and a unit with Speed has no Cargo Bulk.

LIFT

Lift is the amount of Cargo Bulk a unit can carry while moving to another system within a fleet. A fleet’s net sum of Lift minus Cargo Bulk must be zero or positive for that fleet to leave the system.

BANDWIDTH

Total production required to replicate the unit, expressed as weekly measures of Fabrication Moduel labour. A unit with 100 bandwith will require 100 Fabrication Moduels working for one week (one turn), or 50 Modules working two turns, or any combination of Modules working any combination of turns that add up to the required total.

PRODUCTION FACILITIY (PF) START-UP COST

A particular unit may only be replicated at a particular system if that system has set up a production facility for that unit. The cost listed is the one-time capital set-up cost, including training and infrastructure, necessary to enable replication of the unit in that system.

Production facility costs are borne by the particular system, are only required once, and once in place are considered permanently installed and may not be destroyed. Conquering a system captures all Production Facilities, which may immediately be used by the new controller.

BASE PRICE

This is the unobtanium price that the unit begins the game at. Current price each turn will fluctuate based on supply and demand pressure. Maximum (ceiling) and minimum (floor) prices for each unit are a function of the base price.

MAX QUEUE

This is the maximum number of units that can be ordered in a system production queue at one time. An order for multiple units locks the price for all units in that order at the price at the time the order was locked, even if the market price of the unit fluctuates on subsequent turns before the full order is complete.

SENSOR RANGE

Sensors represent an abstract compliation of all passive and active intellligence gathering methods, augmented by advanced AI pattern detection algorithms. Sensors located at a system do the following:

Sensors detect the warp bubble of a fleet in flight if and only if the warp bubble is CBDR or CBIR (Constant Bearing Decreasing/Increasing Range) to or from the system the sensor is located at. Warp bubbles that are crossing targets are too faint to be detected by current technology.
Any fleets in flight within range to or from the system with the sensor will display the following information on the sensor report for each fleet within range: origin system, destination system, distance remaining.
Additional information, such as speed, may then potentially be deduced. No other information regarding the composition of the fleet is revealed.
Systems within range will be displayed on the empire galaxy map with a full report including ownership and a roster of units present, less any units with stealth.

STEALTH

If a unit has stealth it will be listed here. A unit with stealth will not be visible on the regular system display. Units with stealth in flight between systems need a warp bubble like any other unit, which can be detected by sensors normally. Sensors detect warp bubbles, not the ships directly, so stealth does not conceal interstellar movement since there is no way to conceal a warp bubble.