Build:Other Allied/Threat Ship Classifications

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2.1.11 Other Allied/Threat Ship Classifications

Species such as the Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians, whose social and political opinions and agendas do not necessarily match those of Starfleet, use certain types of purely military vessels which Starfleet, an exploratory organization, eschews. These types are reviewed below as a comparison to Starfleet ship categories.

2.1.11.1 Battleships

Battleships are large, powerful, heavily armed ships which serve as the flagships of fleets (and, sometimes, entire governments). Examples include the Romulan “dreadnoughts” and “heavy warbirds” (such as the Vereleus class and D’deridex class) and the Klingon flagship, the Negh’Var, and Gel’tar class vessel. Both the Klingons and the Romulans came through the Dominion War with substantial numbers of their Battleships intact; the Cardassians fared less well in this regard.
While their strong shields and potent weapons make them difficult to attack directly, their relative lack of maneuverability compared to a smaller ship is a weakness which an attacking force can sometimes exploit. For example, the USS Defiant, commanded by Captain Benjamin Sisko, enjoyed notable success destroying Cardassian Kagor class Battleships during the war by moving in close to the target ship (to establish arc shadows which protected it from some of the target’s heavier weapons) and then using its pulse phasers and quantum torpedoes to inflict significant damage.
Starfleet fields no Battleships. The Sovereign class Heavy Explorer, if stripped of many of its exploration-oriented systems and uprated with additional weapons systems, would qualify as a Battleship.

2.1.11.2 Warships and Battle Cruisers

Similar to Battleships, but smaller, Warships and Battle Cruisers are the primary vessel of the Klingon, Romulan and Cardassian forces. Prominent examples include the K'Vort, Galor, and Keldon class ships, and Romulan Light and Swift Warbirds.
The nearest Starfleet equivalent to a Warship or Battle Cruiser is an Explorer. A Galaxy class vessel, for example, is a match for one or more of any of the listed Battle Cruisers; with or without uprated shield and weapon capabilities, it might even rank as a Heavy Battle Cruiser.

2.1.11.3 Fast Attack Ships

“Fast Attack Ship” is a Threat species term for a type of ship similar to a heavily-armed Fast Frigate or Fast Courier. In many ways they are little more than larger, slightly more powerful Fighters.

Construction Rules Index

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