The Lyrans were unique in attempting to build fast PFTs.

This ship had the Federation Code name "Savannah Cat" while the actual Lyran class name is best translated as "demonic possession spirit."

The Lyrans built several fast PF tenders based on their CWF as raiders and counterstrike units. The theory was that these ships were kept under the control of the fleet admiral to use as a powerful reserve that could be rapidly shifted to the critical point of a sector. There were three primary uses for these ships initially (eventually RTN hunting was their main function) First they could be held in reserve by the admiral as a powerful and fast pursuit force to pick off retreating enemy ships, especially high value ones like crippled dreadnaughts, fleet carriers, heavy scouts or tugs. Second the ship could be placed on the fleet flank to act as both a picket (with its special sensor) and as a potential riposte threat, thus influencing enemy maneuvers. Finally they could be used as raiders behind enemy lines. The problem with this last mission (their initial purpose as it happened) was that they often had quite a time recovering their PFs and escaping if they were losing the battle. These ships were instrumental in hunting down the Andromedan RTN as they usually had enough firepower (with all 6 PFs) to hold out until main fleet elements came to put down the base though this varied wildly depending on what came to reinforce the discovered base. All (even the prototype) always had all the refits.

Interestingly, this ship was NOT based on the Lyran CW PFT, and this is presumed to be becasue of the issue of how the PFT carried its PFs.

SSD: Start with a Lyran CWF
Center Warp mounted P1 to Special Sensor
Both center Hull P1 to mech links
Both Disruptors to repair capable mech links
All 4 transporters to repair. Only the two repair on a given side can work on the mech link on that side.
Change the 2 APR next to the Left Warp engine to 2 Transporter
Reduce BPs to 7

Add 6 deck crews (And increase crew by 2)

(it might make sense to convert the 4 bow mounted P2 to P1 so the ship has a bit more “crunch”) but that could be said about any CWF...

YIS 181

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 12:00 pm: Edit

Why would this ship have deck crews? The only deck crew function related to PFs is for changing multi-role pallets; the Lyrans don't have such things.

By Terry O'Carroll (Terryoc) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 12:17 pm: Edit

Can't regular PFTs be used as raiders behind enemy lines? It's the PFs that do the raiding, not the PFT per se. The PFT itself is too valuable to risk in direct combat. The PFT uses its sensor to detect the target and sends the PFs on the raid. Although I suppose in F&E a PFT with a seven-hex range might be better than one with a six-hex range for this, I am not familiar with the raid rules.

As for RTN hunting, I don't think a fast PFT would be any better than a regular PFT for RTN hunting. Following the ion trails to track down the RTN nodes was slow, painstaking work, and fast engines would not make any difference.

If a PFT is isolated on a fleet flank, if I were the opposing Admiral I'd probably send a force after the PFT itself, if I could. Killing the PFT nails a scout and an attrition unit carrier. No, the PFT would always be with main fleet elements and use its sensor to direct picket ships to intercept enemy units. (That's just how scouts work.)

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 12:29 pm: Edit

John Wyszynski asked why this ship would have deck crews?!?

may I suggest consulting the rules?

Particularly rule J4.814. "All ships not formally assigned a number of deck crews by Annex #7G are assumed to have 2 Deck crews."

Perhaps you should have asked why this ship needed 6 deck crews added to it.

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 01:30 pm: Edit

Jeff, I am well aware of the rules. It appears to me that the proposer doesn't understand the rules regarding deck crew usage; I was suggesting he review that part of his proposal.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 02:00 pm: Edit

I have to ask why only the Lyrans get these.

I must also say that "fast raiding PFTs" is not anything close to a new idea. It's been proposed many times in the last five years, and is basically an "obvious class".

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 03:05 pm: Edit

Difficult to explain why a ship that has to reduce mass in order to become fast can suddenly carry a flotilla of PFs.

By David Porter (Davidp) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 04:41 pm: Edit

Michael,
No offense, but why not just put "Hot Warp" engines on a PFW?

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 04:50 pm: Edit

presumably because hot warp ain't "fast".

By Scott Tenhoff (Scottt) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 10:05 pm: Edit

Mike,

Just an observation, but the Lyran CF/NCF can have 4xPFs via the mechlink refit. (and the L-DNL can have 6xPFs...)

Yes they don't have repair, but a Raiders job is not to continously engage targets behind enemy lines, but usually for single engagements, and if the PFs are damaged/destroyed it can return to friendly lines (or if they live the Raider can continue to a secondary target).

So why ditch the heavy weapons to get special sensors (and being a true-PFT) if its to be for a single engagement?

Besides, it is contrary to normal Lyran PFTs to keep Disruptors, as the PFW ditched them totally.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 11:59 pm: Edit

It is weird to me that fast ships can do fast raids with PFs attached but they can't carry two of the normal allotment of heavy weapons.

[shrug]

By Terry O'Carroll (Terryoc) on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 02:32 am: Edit

Loren, it has to do with stability. Fast ships need special stabilisers and the shock of firing the heavy weapons destabilises the ship.

By Michael C. Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, September 02, 2010 - 01:27 pm: Edit

OOPS.

I thought that you needed deck crews to replace packs.

Sorry. And yes, its pretty obvious. The issue I would have with everyonbe building these is that the Lyrans historically built a lot fewer carriers and this allows them some additional attrittion hulls.

Plus it would be cool.