Re: [FT] I'm in love with Pulse Torpedoes (and tactics question)

Roger Burton West wrote:
> As a general tactics question, how do people usually use light escort
> ships? I've found that, when fleets start far apart, they generally
get
> taken out by long-range beam fire before they can get around the enemy
> for stern shots; the only reason the Cimbalongus/Es survived this time
> was that St Theodore the Recruit became a priority target (and took a
> long time to whittle down to the first threshold point... at which it
> lost one torp tube, which was immediately repaired).
> 
> If escort ships are kept close to the things they're escorting, then
> they don't need such big drives; but I haven't seen designs for
> low-thrust small ships.
> 
> So how do other people deploy them?

There is no reason for a screen of escorts to deploy on the front line
of a fleet, unless they are banzai jammer craft.  It's too easy for the 
concentrated long range weapons to score a threshold or kill against 
them. 

Escorts are better utilized as area defense craft with ADFC or as 
pursuit craft.	Tactics will dictate their design.  ADFC craft can 
reduce the size of the main drive to match the high value ship.
Pursuit craft will need fast drives. In either case, they can survive
best if they are behind the ships of the line.

I tend to use DD or DHs as the smallest battle line unit.  FF or smaller
can be a waste of points, time, and paper.

It's funny though.  In the US fleet, the CVNs are the fastest ships 
in the battle group.  They can leave the escorts in their wake.