Gnat MK I - Laser drone

[Zparkz]

TL 15
Size: 1DT/14Kl
Mass: 19.4tons
Price: 360 000credits
Armor Value: 1

Warhead: 191Mj DEI laser (ROF 10)
Warhead Damage: 1:1/11-35, 2:1/6-17, 4:1/3-9, 8:1/1-4

Powerplant: Fusion=6.1MW, duration 24hrs

Manuever: HePlar=97 tons of thrust
G-rating: 5
G-turns: 34

This little drone is a dream come true for those mercs that can't afford fighters and trained pilots. It can be launched from either a missile mount or from a vehicle bay.

Communication between the mother craft and the drone are done through sandard laser communication mounted in either the launching mount or a missile director (MFD). Short range for the communicator is 300 000km (10 hexes)

Special rule: Even though the laser is mounted in the nose, the laser have a limited capability to track targets without having to bear down on it. Any target within the 60degree front arc may be attacked.

 

[mike wightman]

What a nasty little insect

I like it, well done Zparkz

 

[Zparkz]

I know my players will wet their pants on this one. They are always asking me about nasty weapons.

 

[Zparkz]

Here comes the mini variant:
TL 15
Size: 0.5DT/7Kl
Mass: 9.71tons
Price: 177 000credits
Armor Value: 1

Warhead: 97Mj DEI laser (ROF 10)
Warhead Damage: 1:1/8-25, 2:1/4-12, 4:1/2-6, 8:1/1-3

Powerplant: Fusion=2.58MW, duration 24hrs

Manuever: HePlar=39 tons of thrust
G-rating: 4
G-turns: 32

Else everything is the same as the previous.

 

[mike wightman]

Another nice one [cut/paste]

I take it these things are totally reliant on their mothership for sensor data and firing solution.

 

[Zparkz]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:

I take it these things are totally reliant on their mothership for sensor data and firing solution.

Yes you are right. The volume of such a small crafts prohibits effective sensors. But the drones/missiles got a beam pointer to help with the aiming.

Asa rule I would allow one MFD control one drone per DM rating of the MFD. Thus it can be quite easy to launch and maintain large number of these small things.

I have used FF&S1 for the design.

 

[mike wightman]

Have you ever tried to design a missile with FF&S that uses bomb pumped x-ray warheads as sub-munitions - like some of the missiles in 2300AD/Star Cruiser?

 

[Zparkz]

Yes, but IMTU they are limited to the armed forces (navy and the like). I try to find civilian counterparts that actually work.

TNE doesn't support KKMs in any fashion. However I think they would have a civilian application as civilian crafts would likely not have the capability to perform effective point defense.

CLC laser warheads are too big and expensive to be of any interest for a merchant. A gun drone may be what he is looking for. It can make sure that the opponent has something else to think about while the mothership escapes.

I'll try to whip up a robotic drone sometime during the week if the time allows.

 

[jcrocker]

In the Brilliant Lances set, the small-scale ship-to-ship boxed combat game, they have a selection of ship's missiles.

All of them are have nuclear-pumped lasers.

I'm pretty certain the missiles in Battle Rider are the same

 

[mike wightman]

Yep, they are.

But what Zparkz has designed here is similar to some of the missiles in T2300/Star Cruiser - which seems to be the model for missiles in TNE

So I just wondered if there was room for sub-munition launching missiles as well