Tenders and stuff

I thank everybody who has responded to my questions
in the past.  It looks like I'm not going to be able
to game for a while, so I'm getting my tactical fix
on this group.

When I first started playing around with the Tender
or Tug concept I thought that it really couldn't
survive a one-off combat.  In order to work efficiently
you'd use the Tug/Tender to shuttle the more combat
efficient ships into a system.

Having done some math, just as a non-ftl 50 Mass
ship can match a 70 Mass ship built on similar
principles, so too a 36 Mass Ship can match the
Merchant Hulled 50 Mass Q-ship which brought it
into the system.

If the Q-ship is primarily equipped with one-shot
weapons or launch and return later for the fighters
it is a lot harder for its firepower to be knocked
out in time to make a difference in the battle.
In determining the outcome of a single battle, going
after the Q-ship Tug doesn't make sense, it is only
when you compare its construction cost/damage point
ratio that it becomes a more important target.

In a campaign game, I'd say screw the Q-ship concept,
give the tender/tug a Cloaking device and have its
systems/cargo space be devoted to repair and 
rearmament equipment.

After the battle it acts as a mobile repair base.
During WWII, one of the benefits of winning a tank
battle was being able to repair, refit, or salvage
from the wrecked tanks.  In a battle to takeover a
system you are going to need repair facilities and
a permanent force anyway, so 'abandoning' the
non-ftl Dreadnought it brought into the system isn't
so bad if that Dreadnought has the strength to prevail.

Obviously, you don't use this concept for a mere raid,
but only for serious attempts to permanently conquer
a system.  You don't commit this force without a fair
idea of what it would be going up against.

Michael Sandy
Looking for Full Thrusters in Portland, Or