Story Time:
Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result.
Apocalypse class Cruiser 14,000 tons 315 Crew 2029.91 BP TCS 280 TH 510 EM 60
1821 km/s Armour 3-51 Shields 2-300 Sensors 6/6/0/0 Damage Control Rating 4 PPV 47.04
Maint Life 1.2 Years MSP 408 AFR 348% IFR 4.8% 1YR 293 5YR 4391 Max Repair 192 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Spare Berths 1
Magazine 372 Cryogenic Berths 200
102 EP Ion Drive (5) Power 102 Fuel Use 41.96% Signature 102 Exp 8%
Fuel Capacity 2,000,000 Litres Range 61.3 billion km (389 days at full power)
Gamma R300/288 Shields (1) Total Fuel Cost 12 Litres per hour (288 per day)
Twin 20cm C0.75 Ultraviolet Laser Turret (2x2) Range 144,000km TS: 10000 km/s Power 20-2 RM 4 ROF 50 10 10 10 10 8 6 5 5 4 4
CIWS-80-N (4x6) Range 1000 km TS: 8000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Fire Control S03 72-6000 (1) Max Range: 144,000 km TS: 6000 km/s 93 86 79 72 65 58 51 44 37 31
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology PB-1.1 (5) Total Power Output 24.75 Armour 0 Exp 10%
Size 6 Missile Launcher (50% Reduction) (8) Missile Size 6 Rate of Fire 300
Size 1 Missile Launcher (4) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 10
Missile Fire Control FC91-R10 (1) Range 91.1m km Resolution 10
Missile Fire Control FC20-R1 (1) Range 20.2m km Resolution 1
Trickshot S1 AMM (100) Speed: 21,600 km/s End: 21.7m Range: 28.2m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 158/95/47
Dart S6 ASM (45) Speed: 12,000 km/s End: 148.4m Range: 106.8m km WH: 18 Size: 6 TH: 60/36/18
Active Search Sensor MR9-R1 (1) GPS 160 Range 9.6m km MCR 1.0m km Resolution 1
Active Search Sensor MR115-R100 (1) GPS 19200 Range 115.2m km Resolution 100
Thermal Sensor TH1-6 (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 6m km
EM Detection Sensor EM1-6 (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 6m km
ECCM-1 (1) Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
I took a taskforce consisting of three Apocalypse-class Cruisers to the home system of an NPR known as the Kingdom of Mountain. We transited into the system without meeting opposition (which was surprising, since a previous scout had run into a picket sitting on the jump point), and set course for the planet that was most likely their home system. Before getting more than a quarter of the way, we encountered the first enemy ship - Pralaya class, 8,750 tons. As we closed within range of our Dart missiles, 12 more ships, of 6 separate classes, all 8,800 tons, appeared on active sensors.
Thankfully, the technology level of the Mountainites appeared to be below that of ours across the board - their ships were all about 600 km/s slower than our own, and their anti-missile systems were equally unprepared - each of our cruisers only needed to fire a single volley of Darts to smash any given enemy ship into scrap.
Just as we finished with the final ship and moved to pick up the POWs for interrogation, two more ships appeared - giants which weighed in at 17,600 tons. One got unlucky, and a single volley of Darts pierced armor and caused a missile storage to explode, taking the entire ship with it. The second, however, remained.
Out of Darts (note to self: Apocalypse Mk II will contain both an additional magazine, and will probably only hold 50 AAMs, instead of the 100 loaded in the Mk I), we closed to 20 million kms and peppered the remaining ship with Trickshots until its active sensors fell, at which point we closed to point blank and fired a full volley of 20cm Ultraviolet Lasers, which put the final ship out of its misery.
Well content with the devastation we'd caused (and out of ASMs), we picked up all the POWs - enough to overfill the emergency cryogenic storage of the ships - and headed out system.
On the route back home, about half way between the Mountainite home system and Sol, we ran into another 7 ships - all 8,800 tons. Determined to not die with a single missile left in our stores, our ships belched forth the several hundred remaining AMMs in a flurry of (minor) destruction. We caused damage, but were unable to destroy any ships.
We were still faster then our opponents, so our brave captains set course straight into the enemy formation, determined to rip them apart with lasers. However, we had finally closed within Mountainite missile range - volleys of 16 size 5 missiles started coming in a constant stream.
We feared the worst, but it turned out that our CIWS and energy systems were more than a match for the missiles - those that weren't blown apart in a hail of gauss were vaporized by strength 10 lasers at point blank range.
I'm actually still mid-fight, but at this point, we've weathered half a dozen volleys without a single missile getting through, and even if we miss one, I think my shields should be able to tank it. We'll have to see if they've got anything nasty when we close to energy range, but I'm currently hopeful that entire the fleet will be returning to Earth to refit and rearm.
That turned out longer than expected - any thoughts on my ships? They're doing fine against these schlubs, but I wouldn't mind hearing any feedback.