Re: Islamic Federation, was Re: [FT] OU & IC & FB3

Nathan said, re IF Suicide Crews
> Yes, the only gain is the extra die of damage in the first
> example. I'm more accustomed to dealing with FT designs
> where there would be more hull. Under FB it does seem to
> make more sense to have more weapons on a very weak
> hull, assuming that the strikeboats are numerous enough
> for survivability to not be an issue.

I don't really mind if he shoots at my sting boats--that way he's not
shooting at my cruisers or battleships.  But I'd take 10 or more
stingboats (ash Shaulah means "the stinger") just to keep him
interested--preferably arriving at the same time as a SMR strike.

> To put the case even
> further against ramming, the designs you have in mind
> appear to be only thrust-6, which doesn't give a very good
> chance of ramming an undamaged (non-Swabian) target.

The corvette design I'm thinking of is

Khabar CT
Mass 12 Cost 42
2 Hull (mass 2)
MD 9 (mass 5)
No FTL
1 FCS (mass 1)
4 submunitions or 2 needles or other combination (mass 4)

(for wazirs or other high ranking ministers, use the wimp
version--delete FCS and weapons, add FTL + 2 armor + 2PDS.  However,
the Sultan and most amirs feel that a battlecruiser is a better way to
travel--particularly in light of the fact that the *other* amirs also
travel via battlecruiser).

<snip>
> To carry the analogy through to its conclusion, our suicide
> bomber is more likely to be piloting an old freighter with
> holds full of things that go boom into an unsuspecting space
> dock rather than attacking in open battle.

Yep.  You can use cheaper ships--and cheaper pilots--doing it that
way.  And a space station is a lot more profitable target than a
warship.

> When you refer to 2mu range I presume you are thinking of
> the MT Battle Debris rule;

I was thinking of the ramming rules in FT--page 22, last paragraph.