Re: Anti-missile defenses in FT

Nathan wrote:

> With all the talk about missile boats, I was wondering what others
thought
> about the current state of missile defenses.
>
> By the rules, about the only thing that can deal with missiles are
ADAFs,
> PDAFs, and C bats.  Each system gets one chance to hit a missile on a
roll
> of a 6.  This seems a pretty poor chance to me.
>
> Considering that a missile has the following pros and cons:
>
> Pros
> 1) has the mass of a B bat
> 2) costs less in points than a B bat with two arcs
> 3) ignores shields
> 4) does 2d6 damage
>
> Cons
> 1) one shot
> 2) 3 turn life
> 3) limit of 18" movement per turn
>
> Seems to me that missiles are an excellent way to go vs. beams.  If I
had a
> mass 40 battlecruiser, I could load it up with 10 missiles (if I
didn't
> bother with shields or *DAFs).  If each missile did average damage
(let's
> say 6 pts each and 8 out of 10 got through = 48 damage points), it
would
> pretty much chew up anything it came across (considering a fleet
carrier has
> 49 damage points).
>
> On the defender's side, let's say I've got a superdreadnought (with 40
> damage points) and an escort of two escort cruisers.	That's five ADAF
and
> PDAFs to defend the superdreadnought.  I might get 1 or 2 missiles if
I was
> lucky.  Result is a dead superdreadnought.  Then my missile laden
escorts
> take out the defenseless escorts... but that's another story.
>
> Does anyone else think that missiles are way too difficult to be
defended
> against?
> How does stack up with current missile defenses?  (what are the odds
of a
> Phalanx hitting a Exocet or Harpoon?)
>
> Suggestions to deal with missiles better:
> 1) increasing the odds of *DAF systems and C bats to hit missiles
might be a
> good idea. (hit on 5 or 6)
> 2) allow ECM to affect the chances a missile has to hit
> 3) allow fighters to attack missiles
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks,
> Nathan

  I primarily use missles in a captial ship killing role.  escorts and
even crusiers are
just too difficult to hit due to there higher thrust ratings.  captial
ships carry more
defenses, thus making them harder to hit.  Fleets in our game have begin
feilding
decadated ecsorts carry 2 or 3 ADAF, with captial ship mounting 6 or
more PDAF

chris pratt
valen10@flash.net