Originally posted by Murph:
I would suggest the Columbia as a large cruiser than a battleship. The stats just don't work for calling it a battleship, or even a battlecruiser, IMO. However very, very nice work, I look forward to more of the same.
Lets compare stats. I'm using those I used for the article, which are slightly variant.
Mass: Richelieu ~60,000 tons load, Columbia ~42,000 tons loaded
Speed: each 6
Missile Power: 320 damage points for Richeleiu, 480 for Columbia
Beam Power: 72MW for Richeleiu, 48MW for Columbia and 60 points of launched close range ordnance (so effectively 68MW for the first three turns of close in fighting)
Protection: Armour 4 (original was zero, but appears to be a typo) for Richelieu vs 3 for Columbia. Screens equal on 6 each.
Fighters: 6 Martels on Richelieu, 5 FS-17A (or other fighter?) on Columbia
Hull hits: 270 for Richelieu vs 160 for Columbia.
Now, lets match the two up, assuming both have +2 CQ.
Richelieu missile salvo vs Columbia: 8 Ritage-2, 6 turrets defending (6+ to hit), 5 missiles penetrate point defence, of which 80% will hit. 28.16 "past the armour" strikes of 2 hits will take effect:
23.9 hull hits (counting TTA hits as hull)
11.2 power plant hits
5.6 DC personnel killed
2.1 turret weapons destroyed
35% chance of 1 active sensors unit destroyed
35% chance of 1 passive sensor unit destroyed
5.6 critical strikes, leading to 3.4 continuous hits and ~56% chance of all others (including the "killer" drive, computer and life support hits)
Columbia can answer with 2,4 or 8, depending on your rules interpretation. I'll assume 8 (Kennedy can fire 4 missile salvoes)
Richeleiu is defended with 36 turrets, but they are jacks, and concentrated forward. Only 10 or so can fire in the lateral arcs, where missile attacks will be directed. Their chance of a hit is identical at 6+, or 5 missiles shot down.
3 penetrate, of which *all* hit due to the large profile, 70% penetrate the armour, while the screens block 6 strikes, effectively 16.8 x2 hits.
14.4 hull hits (counting TTA hits as hull)
6.7 power plant hits
3.4 DC personnel killed
1.0 turret weapons destroyed
21% chance of 1 active sensors unit destroyed
21% chance of 1 passive sensor unit destroyed
3.4 critical strikes, leading to 1.3 continuous hits and ~34% chance of all others (including the "killer" drive, computer and life support hits)
In short, the Richelieu is in the analysis, a better battleship, but only slightly. A missile exchange will likely lead to both sides being seriously disabled, with DC being a major factor in a one on one match up (at this scale hull hits and power plany hits are basically ignored, you're "shooting for criticals"). However, the Columbia is "smarter", and can try and hold the range open, exploiting the fact that her missiles have sensors and the French missiles don't, and hopefully use her fighters as a screen to keep the French fighters at bay. It would be an interesting scenario...
Bryn
