Trexalon "ship of the line"

[Travellerspud]

what would Trexalon (District 268, Spinward Marches) have a for their "ship-of-the-line"? Not the "baddest" command ship, but their "core" battle vessel?

TL12 computer limits size to 100,000 tons (per HG)...is the +1 size combat dm at 50kton worth staying under? This seems to force staying with an "D" spinal meson vs. a "K" spinal meson (and I cannot seem to make either ship work with any decent amount of armor)

I postulate Trexalon is ambitious enough to want some force projection to counter Collace, so they will want a minimal fleet to send out to show the flag (with J1 or J2). Perhaps a 4 ship "Cruron" (with destroyer escorts abd auxillaries)?

I have roughed out a 75kton M6 J2 P8 with Comp. 6fib, a "K" spinal meson, 20 missile bays (usp9), 30 beam bttys (usp8), 35 sand bttys (usp9), a Nuc.Damp (usp1), meson screen (usp1), and since this doesn't leave enough for armor, I added a fighter squadron (24x 20ton fighter) and a Launch Tube, along with 4 cutters and extra magazines for the missile bays (to allow sustained firing)

~92 Bcr x 4 seems well within their annual budget...

then perhaps a 100,000 ton "Dreadnought" command ship?

Does this seem about right? I know it cannot stand against an Imperial cruiser, but a few vs. a single Collace cruiser would put up a decent fight (although Collace can field a 50kton ship, which along with the TL comp bonus would give them a +2 dm in combat...)

has anyone ever done a trial fight between Collace and Trexalon?

one previous thread;

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=3370&highlight=trexalon

 

[flykiller]

has anyone ever done a trial fight between Collace and Trexalon?

well, using book 5, tech 13 defeats tech 12 easily unless the tech 12 fleet has a massive numerical advantage. don't see how trex could achieve that against the collies.

what would Trexalon (District 268, Spinward Marches) have a for their "ship-of-the-line"?

I'd say whatever they can buy from the darrians.

 

[robject]

They won't get much, if anything, from the Darrians: no intersection of interests, and the Darrians are fighting their own wars.

No, the Trexxies are going to get their good stuff from the Zhodani.

 

[Brandon C]

They won't get much, if anything, from the Darrians: no intersection of interests, and the Darrians are fighting their own wars.

No, the Trexxies are going to get their good stuff from the Zhodani.

Like the warships they sell to the Sword Worlds?

 

[flykiller]

no intersection of interests

none? lbb spinward marches says the collies are in line to join the imperium. I'm sure the dears would prefer the collies remain neutral.

No, the Trexxies are going to get their good stuff from the Zhodani.

ooo, that'll attract imperial attention.

 

[kilemall]

HG offers up the classic ship combination design dilemma of guns armor and speed, so no you don't 'get it all'.

Big questions not answered so far, is the strategy to be able to engage/disengage at will, have full agility as a protection rather then armor, or move slow and slug it out?

Your choice largely depends on a matrix of your potential opponents- your designs are not built in a conceptual vacuum.

They go heavy armor, you go spinal meson. They go fast and meson-unfriendly hull, spinal PA.

Of course the reverse obtains for you, to consider against their main weapon of choice.

If they go speed, armor may be a better choice, or match them. If they are slow and armored, then speed is likely a better choice in most cases but not automatic (maneuver drives tend to get worn down).

The real costly part of running both Agility 6 and a spinal mount is the power plant and related fuel and that big maneuver drive. Consider a low agility/high G mix, so you at least can run away if you need to.

Another alternative is shooting for a maneuver 4/agility 4 design target. You can save a lot of drive, power plant and fuel which can go into your armor, without giving up maneuver choice and survival against less agile designs.

I would tend to run more repulsors then you do, nuke missiles are no laughing matter, no need to give up spinal grade hits so easily. Of course, the balancing factor of nukes is the damper combined with nuke ammo cost, I would always make sure that ammo cost is part of any naval design/doctrine consideration.

 

[robject]

none? lbb spinward marches says the collies are in line to join the imperium. I'm sure the dears would prefer the collies remain neutral.

True. I think the Trexxies could align with the Sword Worlders.

 

[Travellerspud]

thanks, all...

yes, I agree Zhodani would be aiding Trexalon (but as covertly as possible, so likely no TL13-14 ships, but TL13-14 computers and other not so obvious parts)

(forgot about repulsors - doh!)

the 50kton with a D-meson has the same to-hit chance as the 75kton with the K-meson....but the K-meson gets auto crits below 10,000 tons, where the D-meson only gets auto crits below 4000 tons....but the smaller ship is -1 to hit compared to the bigger...but the bigger has more missile bays (20 vs. 8), etc...

I really do have to figure out Collace....

 

[boomslang]

True. I think the Trexxies could align with the Sword Worlders.

As you probably recall, I have argued elsewhere that there is really no reason why the TTC shouldn't go ahead and align itself more closely with the Sword Words; it makes very good sense strategically.

 

[DonM]

TL13 would build whatever New Home would build in the Islands Clusters campaigns, which amounts to "build the mostest biggest mesons on the smallest hulls possible".