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C# Fiction > General C# Fiction
Manticore Defiant: A Star Kingdom AAR
rainyday:
Table of Contents
Campaign Background (You are here)
The Royal Manticoran Navy
The Royal Manticoran Marine Corps
Chapter One: Beginnings (1585)
Chapter Two: The Mysterious Visitor (1586-1587)
Chapter Three: Growing Pains (1587-1588)
Interlude One: The Prussian Princess (1589)
Chapter Four: Changes (1588-1589)
Chapter Five: Kingdom Under Siege (1589-1590)
Chapter Six: The Battle for Hennesy (1590)
Chapter Seven: New Discoveries (1590-1591)
Campaign Setup
Random Stars, Human NPRs, All Spoilers, Realistic Promotions, Limited Research Administration, Inexperienced Fleet Penalties, Commander Political Bonuses
30% NPR Generation Chance, 30% Ruin Generation Chance
1250 million pop w/ default Tech and Build Points
Starting Year: 1585 Post-Diaspora, 97 AL by the Manticoran local calendar
Custom Starting System
UPDATE: 27 September 2022:
As of the current game year (1591) there are 3 player races and 1 (human) NPR. The Star Kingdom of Manticore and Andermani Empire have been revealed. The identity of the third player race and NPR is a surprise. I expect to add additional player races as needed for the narrative.
Campaign Background and System Information
The Manticore binary system was first discovered in 526 PD by a university research program searching for Earth-like planets around twin main sequence stars. It quickly became the focus of an entire semester for the class of graduate students who located and catalogued its fourteen planets, naming each one after creatures from a popular fantasy roleplaying game. The system exceeded the study's wildest expectations as the researchers discovered not one, but three habitable planets with what appeared to be diverse human compatible biospheres.
As exciting as the discovery was on paper, the Manticore system lay more than 500 light years to the galactic north of Sol, thus practical realities made manned exploration or settlement a non-starter in those early centuries of humanity's pre-FTL diaspora. The system remained an academic curiosity for several centuries, even as colonial ventures began to seek farther and farther afield for useable real estate. Eventually, it came to the attention of an eccentric billionaire named Roger Winton who acquired the rights to the system for a bargain price. The academic and business communities thought he was mad to attempt a journey of almost seven hundred years in cryostasis, but Roger was a visionary who saw the future potential of the system and felt it was worth the risks.
In 1416, the colony ship Jason finally arrived to find employees of Roger Winton's company, Manticore Colony LTD, waiting for them. Over the intervening centuries, humanity had developed rudimentary FTL travel and now the journey from Earth to Manticore could be measured in mere years rather than lifetimes. Many of the colonists were shocked to discover that Roger Winton had planned for exactly this eventuality, leaving behind a trusted executive and the remainder of his assets with instructions covering a wide range of possible future scenarios. In this case, once travel to the system became feasible, the company had sent ahead volunteers to prepare the colony site and a small fleet of armed frigates to discourage any claim jumpers that might appear. These frigates were the humble beginnings of what would one day become the Royal Manticoran Navy.
Relatively easy access to the industrial, technological, and population base of Earth and her more mature daughter colonies provided the Board of Directors with opportunities few had dared to imagine when they initially set out to the farthest reaches of the frontier. But an influx of new settlers, bolstered by a generous immigration policy, threatened to overwhelm the small group of original shareholders. Determined to maintain control of *their* system, the Board voted to reorganize its nominally democratic structure into a constitutional monarchy, headed by Roger Winton as King Roger I. All of the original colonists were ennobled with hereditary aristocratic titles based on those of Old Earth's United Kingdom and given vast grants of land and mineral resources relative to their initial financial contributions. Thus, the Star Kingdom of Manticore was born.
The current year is 1585 and celebrations are being planned for the Kingdom's centennial. The current reigning monarch is Edward I, a great grandson of Roger Winton, who took the throne when his father Michael abdicated in 1542.
The system population has exploded due to immigration and now surpasses 1.2 billion spread across all three habitable planets and two lunar mining sites.
Author's Note: I have recreated the Manticore system as closely as possible based on the information available in Jayne's Intelligence Review: The Royal Manticoran Navy, House of Steel: The Honorverse Companion, and the limitations of Aurora. There are several discrepancies between the books, so I've given precedence to House of Steel as the more recently published source. Since Aurora does not model binary systems with a common center of mass, I had to have Manticore B orbit Manticore A but managed to keep the distance and eccentricity accurate to the listed values. I rerolled the minerals on Sphinx to match its book description (incredibly rich deposits, but low accessibility). To compensate, I removed the randomly generated minerals from uninhabited terrestrial bodies but kept any that were generated on moons.
The planet Manticore remains the system capital and its primary industrial, technological, and financial hub with more than 764 million inhabitants at present. It has rich reserves of mineral resources and a pleasant temperate climate. His Majesty's Space Station Hephaestus serves as the primary orbital shipyard and fleet base for the Royal Manticoran Navy.
Manticore Installations
Population: 764.77m
Naval Shipyard Capacity: 147,755 tons
Commercial Shipyard Capacity: 255,000 tons
Repair Yard Capacity: 56,000 tons
Maintenance Capacity: 406,250 tons
Research Facility: 30
Construction Factory: 800
Mine: 600
Fuel Refinery: 190
Maintenance Facility: 325
Financial Centre: 300
Deep Space Tracking Station: 4
Mass Driver: 1
Military Academy: 2
Naval Headquarters: 1
Spaceport: 1
Manticore Survey Report
Duranium 261,997 Acc 1
Neutronium 75,478 Acc 0.6
Corbomite 61,858 Acc 0.7
Tritanium 74,497 Acc 1
Boronide 89,397 Acc 1
Mercassium 214,719 Acc 0.4
Vendarite 264,419 Acc 0.4
Sorium 140,647 Acc 1
Uridium 150,838 Acc 0.8
Corundium 93,438 Acc 0.8
Gallicite 68,858 Acc 0.7
His Majesty's Space Station Hephaestus
1x Battlecruiser Yard of 28000 tons with a single slip
1x Heavy Cruiser Yard of 19000 tons with two slips
1x Light Cruiser Yard of 12000 tons with two slips
2x Destroyer Yards of 7200 tons with a total of eight slips
1x Repair Yard of 28000 tons with two slips
The second inhabited planet around the primary star is called Sphinx. It is a cold, mountainous planet whose Alpine Forests are home to many exotic and dangerous predators such as the Hexapuma and Peak Bear. Sphinx has vast reserves of mineral resources, but its harsh environment and terrain make them almost impossible to excavate profitably. Sphinx is the second most populated planet in the Star Kingdom with 375 million inhabitants, mostly scattered on small family homesteads throughout the bush, but some clustered in large population centers. Sphinx serves as a secondary industrial center, notably manufacturing missiles and small craft for the Navy. It is orbited by His Majesty's Space Station Vulcan which presently has a small yard of 1000 tons with two slipways tooled to build marine assault pinnaces.
Sphinx
Population: 375.29m
Naval Shipyard Capacity: 2,000 tons
Research Facility: 17
Construction Factory: 100
Ordnance Factory: 250
Fighter Factory: 100
Mine: 200
Fuel Refinery: 10
Financial Centre: 200
Deep Space Tracking Station: 2
Mass Driver: 1
Refuelling Station: 1
Ordnance Transfer Station: 1
Sphinx Survey Report
Duranium 2,474,505 Acc 0.1
Neutronium 18,578,162 Acc 0.1
Corbomite 13,596,439 Acc 0.1
Tritanium 1,933,205 Acc 0.1
Boronide 29,163,214 Acc 0.1
Mercassium 1,706,731 Acc 0.1
Vendarite 10,946,300 Acc 0.1
Sorium 11,604,099 Acc 0.1
Uridium 2,783,819 Acc 0.1
Corundium 34,918,638 Acc 0.1
Gallicite 3,523,272 Acc 0.1
Despite its pleasant appearance, Gryphon is actually the least habitable of the Star Kingdom's three planets due to its axial tilt which results in massive seasonal temperature fluctuations and extreme weather patterns. Apocalyptic storms are commonplace on Gryphon year-round dumping massive quantities of wind, rain, snow, hail, and sometimes even dust. Most of Gryphon's 110 million people live in several large, fortified cities that support its limited industry and maintenance facilities for the RMN's 2nd Fleet which is based in orbit. Still, the planet has a certain appeal to rugged individualists who fancy themselves the descendants of old earth's pioneers. Disparagingly referred to as "Highlanders" by the more civilized city folk, these modern-day mountain men have a contrary libertarian bent and despise the local nobility, while, strangely, possessing an almost fanatical patriotic loyalty to the Kingdom and the House of Winton. Gryphon has a thriving adventure tourism industry and, in its calmer months, is a popular destination for hunters, fishermen, and snow sports enthusiasts. It hosts the primary training facilities for the Royal Manticoran Marine Corps.
Gryphon
Population: 110.13m
Maintenance Capacity: 125,000 tons
Research Facility: 3
Ground Force Construction Complex: 10
Construction Factory: 100
Mine: 200
Fuel Refinery: 100
Maintenance Facility: 100
Deep Space Tracking Station: 2
Mass Driver: 1
Refuelling Station: 1
Ordnance Transfer Station: 1
Gryphon Survey Report
Boronide 1,355,818 Acc 0.6
Vendarite 2,533,320 Acc 1
Sorium 509,283 Acc 0.8
Uridium 564,315 Acc 0.4
In addition to these inhabited planets there are two mostly automated mining colonies, each having 100 automines and a mass driver:
Egg Survey Report
Vendarite 357,601 Acc 0.1
Corundium 4,656,934 Acc 0.9
Naga Survey Report
Tritanium 7,617,570 Acc 0.9
Vendarite 435,573 Acc 0.8
Sorium 5,904,897 Acc 0.1
Before rising to the throne, King Edward achieved the rank of Captain in the Royal Manticoran Navy and briefly commanded the heavy cruiser HMS Sphinx. At the time, the Navy was seen as a waste of resources, leaving the new King as one of its few proponents in the government. A large faction in Parliament sought to shut the whole thing down, arguing that local space had become increasingly civilized since the Star Kingdom's founding and the population of the system was now too large to be truly threatened by mere pirates. Anyway, it would be cheaper to pay off any theoretical raiders who might happen to come along in the next hundred years than to indefinitely maintain the Navy's unnecessary heavy warships.
That all changed in 1543 when the Earth based megacorporation Axelrod of Terra dispatched a small mercenary army to subjugate the system. Axelrod had been reviewing old survey data searching for signs of newly theorized "wormholes" that would allow instantaneous transit between distant points in space. While wormholes appeared to be fairly common, what they found in Manticore's survey data was something else entirely: a dense cluster of wormholes, no more than 1 billion kilometers apart. Axelrod's scientists theorized that this "Wormhole Junction" might allow ships to travel from one side of the explored galaxy to the other in mere days rather than years or decades. So, the megacorporation attempted to conquer the remote technologically and socially backward system to gain control of this resource for its shareholders.
Author's Note: Aurora limits the distance jump points can exist from the star, so the Manticore Wormhole Junction is slightly closer to Manticore A than depicted in the source material. This setup has the JPs between 4 and 6 billion kilometers, which was the maximum distance allowed. This will be slightly detrimental to early expansion but should provide ample opportunities to play with the new DSP and freighter transshipment features.
The Battle of Manticore (1543) proved to be a decisive victory for the Royal Navy, not only on the field but in Parliament. The anti-military faction found themselves firmly on the wrong side of public sentiment as a patriotic fervor swept the Kingdom. Many in the Commons lost their seats to vocally pro-Navy politicians and the Lords quickly realized which side of the bread was buttered. King Edward was given carte blanche to institute his reforms, expand the Kingdom's military-industrial capability and fulfill his long-held dream of replacing almost all of the outdated foreign surplus warships with new locally designed and built models.
At the same time, the Kingdom offered generous incentives (including lands and titles) to any astrophysicists in the new field of Wormhole Studies who were willing to relocate and perform a close examination of the Manticore Wormhole Junction. It has taken the better part of forty years, but their research has finally borne fruit and the Kingdom has recently constructed a small fleet of survey cruisers equipped with these new "wormhole" drives. King Edward intends to send the cruisers through the wormholes as part of the Kingdom's centennial celebration, to herald in what he hopes will be the dawn of a new golden age of human space exploration.
A Brief Genealogy of the House of Winton in 1585
Roger I - reigned from 1485-1489
Elizabeth I - reigned from 1489-1521
Michael I - reigned from 1521-1542
Edward I - reigned from 1542-present
- Crown Prince Richard Winton, Lt. JG, Royal Manticoran Navy (deceased - Battle of Manticore 1543)
- Crown Princess Sophie Winton
- Michael Winton - Commander, Royal Manticoran Navy, CO HMS Donnelly
- Edward Winton - age 8
- Catherine Winton - age 7
- Richard Winton - Duke of Winton-Serisberg
- William Winton-Serisburg - age 4 (twins)
- Samantha Winton-Serisburg - age 4 (twins)
- Elizabeth Winton - Lt, Royal Manticoran Navy, XO HMS Gargoyle
rainyday:
The Royal Manticoran Navy of 1585
Historically, the Royal Manticoran Navy has been little more than a system defense force with only a handful of ships and limited opportunities for advancement or command. Higher postings were handed out based on nobility and nepotism rather than merit. This situation has begun to change under King Edward’s reforms, at least in the lower ranks, but competition for the handful of available Captain billets remains fierce. The flag ranks are presently held by an aristocratic Old Guard, most of whom are resentful of the growing role of commoners in the officer corps and unwilling to cede their own power.
The senior uniformed commander of the RMN is 1st Space Lord Admiral Sir Michael Summervale, Duke of Cromarty, a close confidant of the King who is generally in agreement with his views on the future of the Navy.
The 1st Space Lord is assisted by a pair of deputies:
2nd Space Lord Vice Admiral Anson Laidlaw, who heads the Bureau of Planning
3rd Space Lord Vice Admiral Hamish Lawrence, who heads the Bureau of Ships
Operational Command of the RMN is divided into two Fleet Districts: Manticore and Gryphon, which contain the Home Fleet and 2nd Fleet, based at their respective planets.
The Royal Manticoran Navy’s OOB in January 1585:
Home Fleet: Admiral Godfrey Howard, Earl of Greenlake Commanding
3x BC Triumph: HMS Invincible (Flag), HMS Triumph, HMS Victory
2x CA Kodiak: HMS Hexapuma, HMS Kodiak,
2x CA Manticore: HMS Gryphon, HMS Manticore
2x CL Donnelly: HMS Donnelly, HMS Heissman
4x DD Salamander: HMS Aphrodite, HMS Damocles, HMS Eriyne, HMS Fenris
2nd Fleet: Admiral Alice Guiliani Commanding
3x BC Triumph: HMS Nike (Flag), HMS Swiftsure, HMS Vanguard
2x CA Kodiak: HMS Sabrepike, HMS Treecat
2x CL Casey: HMS Casey, HMS Locatelli
4x DD Salamander: HMS Draco, HMS Roc, HMS Salamander, HMS Wyvern
Detached Light Forces
8x DD Gallant: HMS Galahad, HMS Galatea, HMS Gallant, HMS Gargoyle, HMS Gawain, HMS Glorious, HMS Goliath, HMS Grizzly
8x FF Amphitrite: HMS Akheron, HMS Amphitrite, HMS Amymone, HMS Andromeda, HMS Antheia, HMS Arete, HMS Argonaut, HMS Ariadne
Royal Manticoran Fleet Auxilia: Rear Admiral Oscar Cortez Commanding
2x FSV Anubis
2x CO Apollo
2x CS Orpheus
10x FT Clydesdale (25000 ton capacity)
5x FT Vega (62500 tons capacity)
Survey Command: Rear Admiral Peter Sorbanne Commanding
6x CS Pathfinder: HMS Discoverer, HMS Explorer, HMS Pathfinder, HMS Pioneer, HMS Trailblazer, HMS Wayfarer
Author's Note: Realistic sizes of Honorverse ships present a problem in Aurora, but not as much as you might think due to the difference between the source material using loaded mass and Aurora using hydrogen displacement tons. Jayne's Intelligence Review: The Royal Manticoran Navy states that the average density of a fully loaded Honorverse ship is 0.25. From this we can get a rough estimate of their volume and thus displacement based on the provided masses. Using this method on HMS Casey gives an Aurora size of ~20433 dtons. There are certainly people who build light cruisers that size in Aurora, but my preference is to start with somewhat smaller ships and let them grow organically over the course of the campaign, so I divided this value in half and made the Casey 10250 dtons. From there, it was a matter of keeping the relative sizes between the various RMN classes roughly lore appropriate. I checked myself where numbers were available, such as the Triumph class, which in the lore is about 2.6x the mass of Casey. My version came out at 28k dtons which is pretty close. Overall, this means that later in the campaign small ships could reach lore appropriate sizes. The real problem comes at the huge jump between battlecruisers and capital ships. Keeping this at lore accurate scale puts BBs around 200k dtons, which isn't impossible, but not practical for the smallest capital ships. I will probably make battleships 2x the size of battlecruisers rather than 5x and work up from there.
Selected Excerpts from Jayne’s Fighting Ships of the Haven Sector: 1583-1584
Historically, the Royal Manticoran Navy has adhered to the traditional balanced weapons mix of missiles for long range combat, energy weapons for close combat and autocannon for point defense. Other than a questionable flirtation with Energy Torpedoes on small combatants, both locally built and refitted surplus hulls tended to follow the collective wisdom of the galaxy’s premier naval establishments. After the Battle of Manticore, however, King Edward began to advocate for much heavier missile broadsides at the expense of energy armament. Manticore’s recent construction takes this philosophy to questionable extremes.
Likewise, point defense capabilities have always been designed with a “mirror” combat in mind as ships are intended to engage with opponents in the same weight class. This has rendered missiles largely useless in such duels as neither side can deal appreciable damage to the other until they reach energy range. Manticore has taken a much more aggressive approach to missile combat. The phrase “eggshells armed with hammers” comes to mind. Few of Manticore’s modern ships can stand up to their own missile broadsides. It remains to be seen whether this gambit will succeed or prove to be the RMN’s tactical Achilles heel.
Triumph-class Battlecruiser
Frequent readers of Jayne’s will be intimately familiar with the RMN’s Triumph-class battlecruisers which have been in service now for well over a hundred years. Originally built as the Solarian Lexington-class, Manticore’s “battlecruisers” were already small and thoroughly outdated by the standards of the time when they were acquired from Frontier Fleet’s surplus. Nonetheless, they possess a laudable battle record against the RMN’s traditional adversaries.
Although Manticore has not, yet, managed to construct anything the size of a Triumph, they have performed extensive refits on their older ships. Most notably, since our last issue they have replaced the impeller nodes with homegrown ones designed for their heavy cruisers bringing their speed up to the fleet standard 4500 km/s.
--- Code: ---Triumph- class Battlecruiser 28,000 tons 858 Crew 3,843.6 BP TCS 560 TH 2,520 EM 0
4500 km/s Armour 8-82 Shields 0-0 HTK 146 Sensors 6/0/0/0 DCR 24 PPV 160.4
Maint Life 2.56 Years MSP 2,059 AFR 261% IFR 3.6% 1YR 441 5YR 6,609 Max Repair 420 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 1,000 tons Magazine 216
Captain Control Rating 3 BRG AUX CIC
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Flight Crew Berths 20 Morale Check Required
NG60-840 Warship Impeller Drive (3) Power 2520 Fuel Use 75.74% Signature 840 Explosion 14%
Fuel Capacity 1,918,000 Litres Range 16.3 billion km (41 days at full power)
15cm Near Ultraviolet Laser Mk1 (16) Range 180,000km TS: 4,500 km/s Power 6-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 10
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (16x4) Range 30,000km TS: 4,500 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CAT-3a Beam Fire Control System (2) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
AN/CDT-3a Point Defense Fire Control System (2) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Rukes MFR-48 Gaseous Fission Reactor (2) Total Power Output 96.2 Exp 5%
HLS-6 Solarian Horizontal Launch Cell System (36) Missile Size: 6 Hangar Reload 122 minutes MF Reload 20 hours
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (3) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 6A Cruiser Weight Missile (36) Speed: 17,933 km/s End: 9.4m Range: 10.1m km WH: 9 Size: 6 TH: 95/57/28
AN/SSL-3a Ship Tracking Array (1) GPS 1680 Range 24.9m km Resolution 140
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SPG-3a Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
Strike Group
2x Ares Pinnace Speed: 7013 km/s Size: 9.98
--- End code ---
Two of the Triumphs, HMS Invincible and HMS Nike, have been outfitted as command ships by closing up their boat bays and remodeling them into flag decks. They also carry a more extensive sensor and electronics suite but are otherwise identical to their peers.
--- Code: ---AN/SSL-3c Ship Tracking Array (1) GPS 16800 Range 78.6m km Resolution 140
AN/SML-3b Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 48 Range 9.6m km MCR 861.7k km Resolution 1
AN/SPG-3b Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 18 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 33.5m km
AN/SPE-3b Emissions Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 18 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 33.5m km
--- End code ---
Manticore-class Heavy Cruisers
Nowhere is the RMN’s deviation from traditional doctrine more obvious than by comparing the armaments of their Manticore and Kodiak class heavy cruisers. The Manticore is an older class and mounts the extensive energy armament expected of a true warship, including a pair of Energy Torpedoes in each broadside. It has six missile tubes with sufficient magazine space for nine salvos, perfectly respectable for a ship of this size.
--- Code: ---Manticore class Heavy Cruiser 18,620 tons 533 Crew 2,557.7 BP TCS 372 TH 1,680 EM 0
4511 km/s Armour 8-62 Shields 0-0 HTK 106 Sensors 6/0/0/0 DCR 19 PPV 75.4
Maint Life 3.22 Years MSP 1,731 AFR 146% IFR 2.0% 1YR 252 5YR 3,785 Max Repair 420 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 500 tons Magazine 325
Captain Control Rating 3 BRG AUX CIC
Intended Deployment Time: 6 months Flight Crew Berths 10 Morale Check Required
NG60-840 Warship Impeller Drive (2) Power 1680 Fuel Use 75.74% Signature 840 Explosion 14%
Fuel Capacity 1,416,000 Litres Range 18.1 billion km (46 days at full power)
15cm Near Ultraviolet Laser Mk1 (6) Range 180,000km TS: 4,511 km/s Power 6-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 10
15cm Energy Torpedo Launcher (4) Range 60,000km TS: 4,511 km/s Power 6-3 RM 10,000 km ROF 10
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (5x4) Range 30,000km TS: 4,511 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CAT-3a Beam Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
AN/CDT-3a Point Defense Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Rukes MFR-24 Gaseous Fission Reactor (2) Total Power Output 49.1 Exp 5%
Mod 6a Missile Launcher (6) Missile Size: 6 Rate of Fire 735
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (1) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 6A Cruiser Weight Missile (54) Speed: 17,933 km/s End: 9.4m Range: 10.1m km WH: 9 Size: 6 TH: 95/57/28
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SSL-3a Ship Tracking Array (1) GPS 1680 Range 24.9m km Resolution 140
AN/SPG-3a Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
Strike Group
1x Ares Pinnace Speed: 7013 km/s Size: 9.98
--- End code ---
Kodiak-class Heavy Cruiser
By contrast, the newer Kodiak sacrifices more than half its energy armament to mount an astounding FOURTEEN Mod 6a missile launchers. Despite dedicating 45% more space to magazines the Kodiak can fire only six salvos before it will be forced to fall back on its pitiful laser batteries. Also note that while the Kodiak has a slightly improved point defense suite over its predecessor it cannot hope to defend itself from another Kodiak. The RMN intends to screen these heavy cruisers with destroyers to provide additional point defense capability as needed.
--- Code: ---Kodiak class Heavy Cruiser 18,650 tons 508 Crew 2,567.4 BP TCS 373 TH 1,680 EM 0
4504 km/s Armour 8-62 Shields 0-0 HTK 102 Sensors 6/0/0/0 DCR 19 PPV 71.6
Maint Life 3.07 Years MSP 1,634 AFR 146% IFR 2.0% 1YR 260 5YR 3,906 Max Repair 420 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 500 tons Magazine 509
Captain Control Rating 3 BRG AUX CIC
Intended Deployment Time: 6 months Flight Crew Berths 10 Morale Check Required
NG60-840 Warship Impeller Drive (2) Power 1680 Fuel Use 75.74% Signature 840 Explosion 14%
Fuel Capacity 1,422,000 Litres Range 18.1 billion km (46 days at full power)
15cm Near Ultraviolet Laser Mk1 (4) Range 180,000km TS: 4,504 km/s Power 6-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 10
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (6x4) Range 30,000km TS: 4,504 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CAT-3a Beam Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
Rukes MFR-24 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 24.5 Exp 5%
Rukes MFR-9 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 9.3 Exp 5%
Mod 6a Missile Launcher (14) Missile Size: 6 Rate of Fire 735
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (2) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 6A Cruiser Weight Missile (84) Speed: 17,933 km/s End: 9.4m Range: 10.1m km WH: 9 Size: 6 TH: 95/57/28
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SSL-3a Ship Tracking Array (1) GPS 1680 Range 24.9m km Resolution 140
AN/SPG-3a Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
Strike Group
1x Ares Pinnace Speed: 7013 km/s Size: 9.98
--- End code ---
Casey-class Light Cruiser
It’s well known that HMS Casey (CL-01) was built more as a technology prototype for Manticore’s new shipbuilding industry than out of any real need for a heavier reconnaissance platform. Her success in the Battle of Manticore, where she destroyed a battlecruiser three times her size at close quarters, was down to the unexpected and, frankly, irrational presence of capital grade Energy Torpedoes on a light cruiser. The RMN itself decided this was probably a bad idea and removed two of the torpedo generators in the second flight HMS Locatelli to make room for additional missile launchers and magazine space. Casey was later refitted to this same standard.
--- Code: ---Casey class Light Cruiser 10,250 tons 274 Crew 1,325 BP TCS 205 TH 924 EM 0
4507 km/s Armour 5-42 Shields 0-0 HTK 65 Sensors 6/0/0/0 DCR 10 PPV 35.6
Maint Life 3.59 Years MSP 807 AFR 84% IFR 1.2% 1YR 97 5YR 1,448 Max Repair 231 MSP
Magazine 147
Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
NG42-462 Efficent Impeller Drive (2) Power 924 Fuel Use 49.54% Signature 462 Explosion 11%
Fuel Capacity 751,000 Litres Range 26.6 billion km (68 days at full power)
15cm Energy Torpedo Launcher (2) Range 60,000km TS: 4,507 km/s Power 6-3 RM 10,000 km ROF 10
10cm Near Ultraviolet Laser Mk1 (2) Range 90,000km TS: 4,507 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (4x4) Range 30,000km TS: 4,507 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CAT-3a Beam Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
Rukes MFR-24 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 24.5 Exp 5%
Rukes MFR-9 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 9.3 Exp 5%
Mod 4a Missile Launcher (6) Missile Size: 4 Rate of Fire 600
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (1) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 4A Light Warship Missile (36) Speed: 18,200 km/s End: 9.3m Range: 10.2m km WH: 6 Size: 4 TH: 91/54/27
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SSL-3a Ship Tracking Array (1) GPS 1680 Range 24.9m km Resolution 140
AN/SPG-3a Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
--- End code ---
Donnelly-class Light Cruiser
The RMN’s second attempt at building a light cruiser exemplifies the new naval doctrine taken to extremes. Significantly larger than a Casey, the Donnelly class is also slower, with shorter legs and no more armour than a destroyer. She also mounts no energy weapons. None at all. Instead, the Donnelly’s are armed with twelve of the new Mod 4a light missile launchers and a reasonably deep magazine capacity of seven salvos. One minor point in the Donnelly’s favor is that it carries the same defensive suite as the larger Kodiak heavy cruisers, which should allow it to shrug off missile attacks from larger more traditionally armed enemies.
--- Code: ---Donnelly class Light Cruiser 10,800 tons 294 Crew 1,452.9 BP TCS 216 TH 972 EM 0
4500 km/s Armour 4-43 Shields 0-0 HTK 71 Sensors 6/0/0/0 DCR 10 PPV 37.2
Maint Life 4.24 Years MSP 840 AFR 93% IFR 1.3% 1YR 75 5YR 1,124 Max Repair 162 MSP
Magazine 337
Commander Control Rating 3 BRG AUX CIC
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
NG27-324 Light Warship Impeller Drive (3) Power 972 Fuel Use 76.80% Signature 324 Explosion 12%
Fuel Capacity 1,014,000 Litres Range 22 billion km (56 days at full power)
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (6x4) Range 30,000km TS: 4,500 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CDT-3a Point Defense Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Rukes MFR-24 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 24.5 Exp 5%
Mod 4a Missile Launcher (12) Missile Size: 4 Rate of Fire 600
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (1) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 4A Light Warship Missile (84) Speed: 18,200 km/s End: 9.3m Range: 10.2m km WH: 6 Size: 4 TH: 91/54/27
AN/SLL-3a LAC Tracking Array (1) GPS 360 Range 17.9m km Resolution 10
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SPG-3a Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
--- End code ---
Salamander-class Destroyer
An older design that has received extensive refits, the Salamanders are intended as close escorts for the RMN’s heavier warships. To better serve this role, all of their energy armament has been replaced with point defense autocannons. First Space Lord Summervale is on record saying, “Destroyers have no bloody business getting into energy range anyway”, a sentiment we believe will win him no friends among the galaxy’s more traditional flag officers and destroyer captains.
--- Code: ---Salamander class Destroyer 7,200 tons 216 Crew 966.3 BP TCS 144 TH 648 EM 0
4500 km/s Armour 4-33 Shields 0-0 HTK 48 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 6 PPV 33.6
Maint Life 4.29 Years MSP 603 AFR 69% IFR 1.0% 1YR 53 5YR 790 Max Repair 162 MSP
Magazine 147
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Morale Check Required
NG27-324 Light Warship Impeller Drive (2) Power 648 Fuel Use 76.80% Signature 324 Explosion 12%
Fuel Capacity 502,000 Litres Range 16.3 billion km (42 days at full power)
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (8x4) Range 30,000km TS: 4,500 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CDT-3a Point Defense Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Rukes MFR-24 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 24.5 Exp 5%
Mod 4a Missile Launcher (6) Missile Size: 4 Rate of Fire 600
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (1) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 4A Light Warship Missile (36) Speed: 18,200 km/s End: 9.3m Range: 10.2m km WH: 6 Size: 4 TH: 91/54/27
AN/SSL-3a Ship Tracking Array (1) GPS 1680 Range 24.9m km Resolution 140
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
--- End code ---
Gallant-class Destroyer
Here at last, someone in the RMN Bureau of Ships has managed to produce something like a reasonably balanced design. Their latest destroyers, alternatively known as Gallants or G class, are intended to serve as escorts for the commercial traffic that may soon be flowing through the Manticore Wormhole Junction. It has a lower top speed than their other warships but a long endurance and range.
--- Code: ---Gallant class Destroyer 7,200 tons 214 Crew 973.5 BP TCS 144 TH 462 EM 0
3208 km/s Armour 4-33 Shields 0-0 HTK 50 Sensors 18/0/0/0 DCR 6 PPV 33.6
Maint Life 4.04 Years MSP 607 AFR 69% IFR 1.0% 1YR 59 5YR 892 Max Repair 231 MSP
Magazine 147
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
NG42-462 Efficent Impeller Drive (1) Power 462 Fuel Use 49.54% Signature 462 Explosion 11%
Fuel Capacity 602,000 Litres Range 30.4 billion km (109 days at full power)
10cm Near Ultraviolet Laser Mk1 (4) Range 90,000km TS: 3,208 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (4x4) Range 30,000km TS: 3,208 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CAT-3a Beam Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 4,500 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
Rukes MFR-24 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 24.5 Exp 5%
Mod 4a Missile Launcher (6) Missile Size: 4 Rate of Fire 600
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (1) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 4A Light Warship Missile (36) Speed: 18,200 km/s End: 9.3m Range: 10.2m km WH: 6 Size: 4 TH: 91/54/27
AN/SLL-3a LAC Tracking Array (1) GPS 360 Range 17.9m km Resolution 10
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SPG-3b Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 18 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 33.5m km
--- End code ---
Amphitrite-class Frigate
Intended for long range reconnaissance, pickets and light patrol duties, the RMN’s latest frigate design is fast and lightly armed with a defensive weapons suite and carries a similar sensor package to the much larger Triumph class command battlecruisers.
--- Code: ---Amphitrite class Frigate 5,000 tons 129 Crew 652.7 BP TCS 100 TH 462 EM 0
4620 km/s Armour 2-26 Shields 0-0 HTK 31 Sensors 18/18/0/0 DCR 3 PPV 13.8
Maint Life 4.08 Years MSP 744 AFR 67% IFR 0.9% 1YR 72 5YR 1,075 Max Repair 231 MSP
Magazine 32
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 24 months Morale Check Required
NG42-462 Efficent Impeller Drive (1) Power 462 Fuel Use 49.54% Signature 462 Explosion 11%
Fuel Capacity 471,000 Litres Range 34.2 billion km (85 days at full power)
100mm Point Defense Autocannon Mk 2 (3x4) Range 30,000km TS: 4,620 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
AN/CDT-3b Point Defense Fire Control System (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 4,800 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Rukes MFR-9 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1) Total Power Output 9.3 Exp 5%
Mod 4ax External Missile Rail (8) Missile Size: 4 Hangar Reload 100 minutes MF Reload 16 hours
AN/CAT-3a Missile Fire Control System (1) Range 13m km Resolution 10
Mark 4A Light Warship Missile (8) Speed: 18,200 km/s End: 9.3m Range: 10.2m km WH: 6 Size: 4 TH: 91/54/27
AN/SSL-3b Ship Tracking Array (1) GPS 6000 Range 49.7m km Resolution 100
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SPG-3b Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 18 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 33.5m km
AN/SPE-3b Emissions Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 18 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 33.5m km
--- End code ---
Pathfinder-class Survey Cruiser
The newest ship class in the RMN’s arsenal, the Pathfinders are not warships at all. 20% larger than a Donnelly light cruiser this ship carries survey sensors and a prototype “wormhole transit device” which is intended to transport itself and other similarly sized ships through a wormhole. This capability will allow the RMN to explore the systems beyond the Manticore Wormhole Junction and project force through them using its lighter combatants if necessary.
--- Code: ---Pathfinder class Survey Cruiser 12,000 tons 313 Crew 1,551.7 BP TCS 240 TH 768 EM 0
3200 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 1-46 Shields 0-0 HTK 68 Sensors 6/6/2/2 DCR 12 PPV 0
Maint Life 4.02 Years MSP 1,669 AFR 96% IFR 1.3% 1YR 165 5YR 2,482 Max Repair 396.8 MSP
Lieutenant Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 30 months Morale Check Required
J12000.0(3-50) Military Wormhole Transit Device Max Ship Size 12000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
NG48-384 High Efficiency Impeller Drive (2) Power 768 Fuel Use 20.90% Signature 384 Explosion 8%
Fuel Capacity 1,013,000 Litres Range 72.7 billion km (262 days at full power)
AN/SML-3a Missile Tracking Array (1) GPS 12 Range 4.8m km MCR 430.9k km Resolution 1
AN/SPG-3a Gravitic Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
AN/SPE-3a Emissions Detection Array (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 19.4m km
Geological Survey Sensors (2) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
Gravitational Survey Sensors (2) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
--- End code ---
Next: The Royal Manticoran Marine Corps
Warer:
This is stupidly awesome.
rainyday:
Author's Note: This should be the last setup post. Expect a gameplay update to follow later this week.
The Royal Manticoran Marine Corps of 1585
The Star Kingdom of Manticore has no standing Army. Each inhabited planet is responsible for maintaining its own small Planetary Guard, a force mostly composed of reservists with a solid core of career officers and NCOs. The Guards respond to natural disasters and other local disturbances, having never actually been needed for defense with the Kingdom's planetary populations safe behind the "Duranium Wall" of the RMN.
Sometimes, though, the Navy needs boots on the ground, whether boarding hostile ships or raiding pirate strongholds, and those duties fall to the Royal Manticoran Marine Corps.
The primary organizational unit of the RMMC is the Regiment, commanded by a Colonel. The RMMC is a pure infantry force at present, but its regiments are intended to bring significant concentrated firepower in a small, easily transportable package. Each regiment is fully equipped with powered armour and built around a core of heavy weapons companies.
RMMC Regiment
Transport Size: 12,499 tons
Build Cost: 356.4 BP
1x RMMC Regimental HQ
120x RMMC Plasma Gunner (LAV)
120x RMMC Light Tri-barrel (CAP)
964x RMMC Rifleman (IPW)
30x RMMC Heavy Tri-barrel (HCAP)
30x RMMC Heavy Plasma Gun (MLAV)
136x Supplies
At present there are 4 such regiments stationed on each inhabited planet with members mostly drawn from the local population, a regiment assigned to each mining colony, and two extra "training regiments" at the RMMC facility on Gryphon.
RMMC personnel also maintain and oversee the day-to-day operation of the Star Kingdom's planetary defense batteries, two on each planet and one on each mining colony. Each battery is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel.
Planetary Defense Battery
Transport Size: 4,743 tons
Build Cost: 628.1 BP
1x HQ5K
13x 15cm NUL Planetary Defense Cannon
In addition to these forces, the RMMC provides a company of marines and a flight of Ares-class assault pinnaces to each RMN heavy cruiser and battlecruiser division.
Boarding Platoon
Transport Size: 250 tons
Build Cost: 18.9 BP
26x Marine Rifleman (B)
10x Marine Gunner (B)
--- Code: ---Ares class Pinnace 500 tons 2 Crew 51.2 BP TCS 10 TH 70 EM 0
7013 km/s Armour 1-5 Shields 0-0 HTK 2 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 0 Years MSP 0 AFR 99% IFR 1.4% 1YR 16 5YR 244 Max Repair 35 MSP
Troop Capacity 250 tons Boarding Capable
Lieutenant (SG) Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 1 days Morale Check Required
NG3.5-70 Pinnace Impeller Drive (1) Power 70 Fuel Use 764.95% Signature 70 Explosion 20%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres Range 0.47 billion km (18 hours at full power)
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
This design is classed as a Troop Transport for auto-assignment purposes
--- End code ---
Finally, as an arm of the Navy, the RMMC is expected to handle its own transport and logistics needs. For this purpose, it has two Anzio-class Troop Transports, unarmed and unarmored vessels capable of carrying two full marine regiments.
--- Code: ---Anzio class Troop Transport 45,000 tons 275 Crew 1,101.4 BP TCS 900 TH 1,800 EM 0
2000 km/s Armour 1-112 Shields 0-0 HTK 103 Sensors 0/0/0/0 DCR 1 PPV 0
MSP 15 Max Repair 80 MSP
Troop Capacity 25,000 tons Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 1
Lieutenant (SG) Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months
NG60-300 Commercial Impeller Drive Power 1800 Fuel Use 5.77% Signature 300 Explosion 5%
Fuel Capacity 295,000 Litres Range 20.4 billion km (118 days at full power)
This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes
This design is classed as a Troop Transport for auto-assignment purposes
--- End code ---
Next - Chapter One: Beginnings (1585)
Pedroig:
For those of us who have to find to time to play, not to mention, customize systems, would one be willing to share their starting db for the Honorverse?
I like your conversion concept from Weber to Walmsley on tonnage.
(editted cause I just realized this is in Fiction, apologies.)
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