The fleet is so named because all of the ships are based around the Defender class hull (F). This hull design is extremely modular and lets fleet Commanders choose exactly what type of craft to use in a specific battle.
A- The Dominion, Flagship and extremely powerful broadsider with 3 rapid fire Railgun batteries and innumerable solid-state cannons and torpedos. The 2 forward and 2 sideward facing beam arrays are massively powerful, but the energy coils can only support short firing times and long delays.
B- The Attainment, Workhorse of the fleet and a strong broadsider with large cannon arrays.
C- The Grenadier, Many powerful and special-purpose missile batteries makes the Grenadier a threat to every size and class of enemy vessel.
D- The Haephestus, A brutal and ugly 'Forge Ship' that may not have many weapons of its own, but can easily and quickly create a mass of combat drones and weapon platforms to support an assault.
E- The Pallisade, A highly reinforced forward shield array coupled with deflector modules and nano-repair modules makes the Pallisade a useful addition to a defense fleet. Several high-power "Stabber" artillery lasers help in combat as well.
The new series of frigates and escort ships in the defender fleet is on the way, starting with the Falchion class hull and the new Destructor frigate.
This size comparison shows the Destructor, a quick frigate armed with dual thermolasers, and the flagship Dominion.
Three new Falchion class craft have been added to the Defender Fleet, with a focus on a fire support role. This brings the frigate line to a total of 4 ships based on the Falchion hull.
1- The Destructor, as detailed above.
2- The Pinpoint, a long-range sniper craft which has cannons that are extremely efficient and punching through enemy armor and disabling weapon systems.
3- The Executioner, a mobile high-powered beam platform that sacrifices defensive capability to power the beam array. Unfortunately, the main reactor housing is actually outside of the ship, as it needs direct contact with the vacuum of space and scattered dark matter particles in order to function.
4- The Swordfish, an assault ship armed with two custom-modified gatling cannons that are capable of extended fire and impressive damage. The feeding and rotary mechanisms for the gatling cannons and the Bolter array deny the usage of shield systems due to power restraints, unfortunately.
This images shows the most recent addition to the Defender fleet, the Squire class of vessels. Three of these vessels, along with a Falchion Destructor (4), are escorting a friendly Hestia through troubled space.
Squire vessels are usually best classified as Corvette ships, small and fast vessels that carry substantial firepower for their size, but cannot match frigate or destroyer size vessels, and can often be outrun by fighters.
1- The Ferox, a powerful close-combat ship meant for disabling enemy fighter and corvette vessels. Armed with dual scatter-shell cannons and a single self-defense battery, the Ferox is a force not to be underestimated.
2- The Exemplar, an assault ship that forms the backbone of most corvette flight wings. This ship is armed with 3 rapid-fire phalanx cannons, which while lacking individual stopping power, can provide a hail of cover fire and distractive force for other ships in the area.
3- The Navis, a recon ship developed for hit-and-run tactics. These ships usually roam slightly in front of a friendly contingent, and use the new Dieterling technology to stay out of enemy lines of fire. Unfortunately, an exhaust intake had to be placed in the front of the craft to allow the Dieterling device to breathe, which results in the forward armor being separated down the middle.
*Update*
With the war against the Terragon rebels gaining in intensity, commanders of Defender fleet expedition Alpha have turned to modifying unused Squire class vessels into remote-controlled cruise missiles.
These Purificator (1) missiles are highly effective at crushing multiple layers of armor, be it alloy or bio-mechanical.
Shown here is an escort wing of Epee MKIV (2) and the newer Epee MKX (3) fighter craft, along with an allied Athena class vessel acting as the cruise missile operator for this mission.
With this, the Defender fleet is rounded out with a flagship, 4 capitals, 4 frigates, 4 corvettes, and 2 fighter craft. Here is the full download for the Defender Fleet:
http://www.wyrdysm.com/battleshipsforev ... rFleet.rar
I am planning one more update in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, put some rounds through those cannons!
Comments welcome.
