Capital Ships and Capital Missiles - a great Combination?

denderan marajain

Ì always ask myself why so many capital ship do not have Missile Launchers?

- they deal great Damage

- They can be fire-linked for a massive attack

I am looking for "answers"

garhkal · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 4:13 pm Post subject:

Cause to fire a projectile, means they need to drop their particle shields (dropping their Hull rating) when they fire. So if someone times their salvo at the firing ship just right, they can catch them with their pants down. Also missiles are no where as good a range as turbos etc.
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CRMcNeill · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 4:22 pm Post subject:

One would think the same would be true of energy cannon fire; shields block incoming cannon fire but the RAW makes no mention of how shields interact with outbound cannon fire.

My feel was that it had more to do with ammunition supply, in that blaster gas could be stored in compressed form and thus require much less volume of storage for equivalent energy delivered. Missiles would still have their uses, but they would be much more of a silver bullet weapon used against high value targets, or for things like orbital bombardment.
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jmanski · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 4:38 pm Post subject:

Funny the VSD has missiles but none of the other Star Destroyers do, IIRC.
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CRMcNeill · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 4:52 pm Post subject:

Kirkler · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 7:57 pm Post subject:

Well if a Star Fighter can fire a missile with out loosing it's shields would it not make sense that a Cap Ship could do the same. I think it has to do with space for ammo. If you look at the weak point of Naval ships it's allways the Magazine. That's what sunk the HMS Hood. One shot from the Bismark into the Magazine and no more hood.
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aegisflashfire · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 10:12 pm Post subject:

Capital ships canonically DO lose shields when they fire torpedos.

Clone Wars Episode Cat & Mouse
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Cat_and_Mouse

emphasis mine...

Fallon Kell · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 1:45 am Post subject:

Credits. Missiles are far more expensive than turbolaser blasts, and it's more economical to mount massive turbolasers (ISD primary turrets, for example) than batteries of missiles which, according to RAW are difficult to use on moving targets anyways. Capital missiles really only make sense on small capitals like the Corellian Gunship, or base delta zero bombardment platforms.
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denderan marajain · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:23 am Post subject:

nuclearwookiee · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 171

Some good answers here already. From a practical perspective, it seems to be largely era-dependent as well. During the Imperial era, the Empire was the only outfit that could really afford missiles, but it also had next to no need for them. When your baseline ISD is already unmatched in power, what's the point? An ISD's turbolaser compliment was enough to shred any other capital ships (up until the Alliance was able to field MC80s). An ISD was also sufficient when it came to most planetary bombardment scenarios. And for those few hold-out worlds that actually had planetary shields that needed breaking, the Empire could always roll out some of its old Victory destroyers.

Meanwhile, the cost made missiles prohibitive for the Alliance to use. Besides, the Alliance was highly protective of its precious few cruisers and likely would not have wanted to risk exposing its cruisers in the midst of combat by dropping particle shields.

garhkal · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 3:47 pm Post subject:

nuclearwookiee · Lieutenant Commander Joined: 28 Nov 2011 Posts: 171

So what are the odds of actually sneaking a hit in when a ship drops its shields to fire torpedoes? I'm guessing it only takes a reaction use of the relevant Shields skill to raise them in time anyway.

CRMcNeill · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 4:56 pm Post subject:

I usually just ignore the particle shields rule and assume that the shields are synchronized to "flicker" and allow a shot through. A lucky shot getting through during the flicker would be explained away as the result of a poor soak roll by the targeted ship.
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thedemonapostle · Commander Joined: 02 Aug 2011 Posts: 257 Location: Texas

id imagine that the missile/torpedo firing ship doesnt need to drop all the shields on the firing arc the projectiles are coming from, maybe only around the missile/torpedo tube and no where else. iirc star wars shields arent like star trek shields.
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aegisflashfire · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 10:34 pm Post subject:

You would think that, but the events of "Cat and Mouse" clearly establish that a capital ship needs to completely lower shields to fire missiles, and once you do it takes a moment before they can be re-established.

In other words, it a Clone Wars cartoon written 15 years after that book was published, locks in the D6 game mechanics as canon. which is pretty cool.
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