I recently proposed a "Tholian Advanced Technology RTN Hunter" based on the CAX. One of the modifications to the basic CAX was the replacement of the two web snares with mech-link equipped tractor beans, for carrying additional PFs. I thought that the two additional PFs would be much more useful than snares for its RTN-seeking mission.

One of the responders in that thread didn't like that suggestion, arguing that my proposed Advanced Technology RTN Hunter couldn't reinforce web when defending a Tholian base. I responded that the ship was designed for a specific role (finding RTN nodes and being able to survive while doing so) for which it didn't need web systems, and that it was generally a waste of assets for Tholian cruisers to be assigned to dedicated base defense. They should be patrolling Tholian space, with ships like the PC (and in this time period the PCX) committed to the base defense role.

That being said, there are a few cruisers that are dedicated to defensive missions. One is the CPA, which is just the Tholian CA with all disruptors replaced with phaser-1s. It has less raw firepower than the standard CA in open space, but fights much more effectively behind web. Another Tholian defensive cruiser is the CAN, which is a war cruiser with a belly pack adding additional weapons and power. The CAN has a total of 35 points of generated power and 5 points reserve power, and adds two extra heavy weapons (can be either disruptors or photon torpedoes - the CPN) and has the neat characteristic of not suffering from shock despite massing 6 heavy weapons on a size class-3, movement cost-1 hull. Unfortunately, it's not actually a very good combatany in open space. It doesn't have the power to adequately support its weapon suite. Worse, the extra power is in the form of APR (or AWR for the photon version) and it only has war cruiser engines. This gives it a maximum speed of 25, even if it arms no weapons at all. Also, it has a worse turn mode than the standard Tholian CW and does not have a safe HET. For open space combat, I would personnally prefer either the CWL or CWH, both of which have less firepower but a much better high-speed power curve and superior maneuverability.

The CAN is usually used for defending fixed sites. But with 6 heavy weapons and only 5 phaser-1s, its weapon suite is not efficient for web defense. I propose a phaser-armed version, converting both the belly pack and hull-mounted heavy weapons to phaser-1s. Having 11 phaser-1s would make the ship much more effective as a web defense ship and its low maximum speed wouldn't be a detriment in that role.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Tuesday, February 02, 2016 - 04:24 pm: Edit

Oops. Should be "... not actually a very good combatant in open space." I didn't notice the misspelling until it was too late to fix it.

I also note that the phaser-armed CAN isn't exactly helpless in open space combat, though neither it nor the standard CAN are particularly good in that role. Those 11 phaser-1s would take a lot less energy to arm than the corresponding disruptors or photon torpedoes, leaving a lot more power for movement, EW, shield reinforcement, etc.

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 09:30 am: Edit

If you are going to build a dedicated Web Base support unit, you might consider just building a monitor with all heavy weapons replaced by Phaser 1... etc.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 09:48 am: Edit

I could see such a monitor being practical for the Tholians. You might consider a power boost pallet that crams in additional power reactors just for the web power support mission.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Wednesday, February 03, 2016 - 10:14 am: Edit

Mike,

Years and years ago I did propose a Tholian Monitor that replaced the disruptors with phaser-1s and the phaser-3s with half as many phaser-1s. (It kept the web generators, of course.) But it was never accepted.

Also, under the rules, monitors are used to defend planets, not bases. So such a phaser-boat monitor could not be part of a battle station's defense force unless a rule change were also instituted.